Page 119 of The Promised Prince
Joniss
Wedding guests were everywhere. After the guards released them, people ran down the halls to get to their rooms. Others were in the palace courtyard, yelling at servants for a transporter to be brought around. Servants worked hard to clean up the blood. This much, Joniss had figured would happen, but what he didn’t count on was something to go wrong, which it had.
Something had gone very wrong.
Guards were positioned outside Adler’s door. As Joniss approached, both men pointed their guns directly at him.
“Step away from the door!” one of them shouted.
Joniss put his hands up in innocence. “Calm down! I’m unarmed. I just want to talk to King Adler.”
The two men looked at each other, a silent conversation between them.
“I don’t think he’ll mind. Tell him it’s Joniss Doman.”
One of the guards slowly backed up to the door and knocked. An assistant opened the door, and the guard spoke in hushed tones then the door shut again. A moment later, it was flung open.
“Search him,” the assistant barked.
Joniss laughed. “I think we both know I am not your enemy here.” But he raised his arms again, letting the guards search for weapons.
“All clear,” the guard said. Joniss pushed past the man and into Adler’s room.
Adler lay casually on his bed, legs crossed, pillows propped up around him. Nobody would have ever guessed that thirty minutes ago, Adler had been a part of a shooting.
“Can I help you?” Adler said coolly.
“What was that downstairs?” Joniss tried not to let his anger ruin the conversation.
“What do you mean?” Adler played stupid.
“Your man didn’t follow my plan.” Joniss wasn’t in the mood for any games right now.
“Your plan?” Adler finally stood. “Your plan was weak and only served your interests. You wanted me to do your dirty work for you. To kill Prince Ezra so that you could easily take the crown. I didn’t like that plan, but I did like the idea of a dramatic wedding shooting. That was good stuff.”
“Killing Ezra would have helped you. I would’ve won the election and would be your ally.” Why couldn’t Adler see that?
“I don’t need allies.” His eyes had all the confidence of an illegal arsenal behind them.
Joniss shook his head. “What was the point of targeting Princess Seran? It makes no sense.”
“It makes complete sense. Prince Ezra is not a threat. My biggest threat is New Hope and Albion joining forces. Their alliance is my biggest threat. That’s something I can’t have. Now there’s no marriage treaty. King Bryant won’t want anything to do with Albion once his daughter dies here. The alliance will be off.”
“We had a deal,” Joniss said, desperation surging in his chest.
“Yes, you gave me information, and I paid you for it,” Adler said plainly.
“You were supposed to carry out my plan in exchange for that information.”
“Didn’t I?” Adler looked around the room at his assistant and guards. “I pretended that Carver tried to kill me. I pretended to be angry about it. I had one of my men, who is dead now, stop the wedding by shooting a member of the royal family. I think I did my part.”
Joniss clenched his fists, grinding his teeth together. “My plan was to kill Ezra.”
“I don’t carry out anybody’s plans except for my own. Now, if you could leave me, I have to get ready for a long journey back to Tolsten.”
The air escaped Joniss. “I can expose you, you know.”
“No, you can’t.” Adler’s lips curled up. “Then everyone will know you and your father were the lying backstabbers behind it all. You’ll never become the king because you’ll be hanged for treason.”
