Page 66 of Kept to Kill
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They arrivedat the palace without the pomp and ceremony they’d been afraid of, Quin taking the lead with Mal and Bastian following closely behind him. They’d unanimously decided that Lily should stay out of sight at the safe house to avoid scrutiny during their visit.
They wore the usual blacks of the Dark Army, but both their clothes and their persons were clean enough at least to pretend an air of respectability. The white palace gleamed in the twilight in front of them, the many torches resting in the sconces that lined the outer gate illuminating the open archways that had no portcullis. There was little ritual on their arrival, one guard appearing to take them into the inner court that, surprisingly, was deserted. Instead, they were ushered through a curtain at the back of the hall to a smaller, more intimate sitting room, where the king, a man in his late forties with thinning hair and a portly belly, sat alone. His two guards, posted at the nearest door, were the only other people in the room.
‘Greetings, Commander,’ the king said easily, not rising from his chair as they entered.
Although Quin had not expected the patriarch to show him such an honor considering the strained relations between them over the past few years, he would have expected, at the very least, some show of strength.
‘Greetings to you, Your Majesty,’ Quin said with a respectful bow of his head. He was Commander of the Dark Army and he groveled to no man, not even the king of the realm. ‘Thank you for your invitation.’
‘Think nothing of it, my friend. Please sit down. Partake of some refreshments. We have the finest wines brought in from the islands no matter the time of year.’
Quin sat in the one chair across from the king that had been provided. The other two stood behind him on either side. The room was tastefully decorated, the walls as white as the rest of the palace with accents of red, the king’s color. The décor was quite sparse, which was most probably by design. The king sought to put them at ease, hence no display of force. Why?
‘I was surprised to learn you’d come to Kitore. You’re most welcome, of course, but what brings you to my city, Commander?’ the king asked.
Quin waved his hand nonchalantly. ‘Merely some business in the Ice Plains. After our ship was wrecked, coming through to Kitore was the best option before we travel on,’ he lied.
‘Nothing too pressing, I hope.’ The king sat back in his chair and frowned when it creaked. ‘A ship from Kitore’s fair shores will, of course, get you there quicker than traversing the wilds north of the city.’
Quin nodded. ‘Indeed, but we’re in no hurry. We’re simply tying up loose ends from Greygor’s time.’
‘Ah, yes. Greygor. My condolences on the death of your leader, though in truth I’d often wondered how much longer that old fool would stay alive. I’m amazed he lasted as long as he did. I had heard he was killed by his own. Is that true?’
Quin nodded again, as if it were perfectly natural that the king would know so much about the internal goings-on within the Dark Army. Someone was telling tales about Brothers’ business. ‘Unfortunately, Greygor was found not to be acting in the best interests of the Army. He was dealt with according to our laws.’
The king gestured to Mal and Bastian behind him. ‘And who are these Brothers you’ve brought with you? Your unit, I assume?’
‘This is Mal and Bastian.’
‘My guards said you had a beautiful woman with you as well who was dressed as one of you. I was most intrigued.’
Inwardly, Quin cursed. This was the sort of interest they didn’t need. ‘Yes, our Fourth.’
‘A female Brother?’ The king looked astounded.
‘The Army has a few,’ Quin explained, straining to remain outwardly calm.
The king made a surprised face. ‘Well, to each his own, I suppose. Though here in the north, we like to ensure that a woman keeps to her place. You didn’t bring her this evening?’
‘Regrettably, she wasn’t feeling well after our travels,’ Quin replied, keeping his expression pleasant. He knew well what places this man would have a woman. Slaving in his palace, bearing his children, in his bed, or dead on the gibbets outside.
The king shrugged. ‘Ah well, that’s to be expected, I suppose. But as to these two. That one.’ He pointed at Mal. ‘Hear he’s unhinged. A mad killer, they say.’
Quin shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips for effect, but really he wished he could grab this cunt by his graying beard and snap his weak royal neck. ‘Mal enjoys his work. He’s one of the best in the Army.’
‘And this other? Bastian, did you say?’
‘Bastian took my former Brother Payn’s place some weeks ago,’ Quin said, inwardly rolling his eyes. As if the king hadn’t found out as much as he could before they’d set foot in his palace. He knew their names and he must have had them looked into. If he had a spy in the Brothers, how much did he know about them? How much did he know about Lily? They hadn’t revealed her power, but there had been rumors about her before they’d left. How recent was the king’s information?
‘And where are you from?’ the king asked Bastian directly.
Bastian cleared his throat and Quin tensed, afraid Bastian would tell the king to mind his own fucking business just as he wanted to do.
‘I was born in an obscure Dark Realm, Your Majesty. I journeyed to this one via the trade portals to join the Army as many do.’
‘Indeed,’ the king murmured. ‘Interesting. Which realm did you come from?’
