Page 109 of The Promised Prince
“You need to tell King Bryant about this. He needs to know.”
“No, not yet.” His father shook his head.
Trev threatened, “If you don’t tell him, I will.”
“Just give me more time.” The pleading on his father’s face should have made him feel something, but it didn’t.
“Tell him before dinner tonight, or I will.” Trev slammed the office door behind him as he left and walked down the hall. He turned the corner and nearly collided with Joniss.
“Ezra!”
“What do you want, Joniss?” How was the man so annoyinglyeverywhere?
“Oh, nothing. I just arrived early for the dinner tonight. Is everything all right? Things seemed kind of tense with King Adler out in the courtyard.” Joniss seemed to be enjoying Trev’s distress.
Trev masked his fear and kept walking. “You know King Adler; he can be difficult.”
“I hope everything is okay,” Joniss called after him. “I would hate to have something ruin your wedding.”
I’m sure you would.
* * *
“Do you thinkyour father is lying?” Drake asked. They stood in the corner of the great hall so they could talk freely. Around them, guests finished dinner, laughing and drinking, unaware of the political tension in the air.
Trev took a drink. “I don’t know. He seems completely distraught by everything, but I can’t tell if that’s because he doesn’t know what’s going on or because he got caught.” He eyed King Adler cautiously. His fine, mint green suit stood out across the room, a cloud of smoke billowing around him as he puffed on a cigar. Cigars weren’t essential. They were illegal, but Adler had the audacity to smoke one in front of all the other leaders in the room.
“Does King Bryant know?” Drake asked.
“Yes, my father told him just before dinner. He’s not happy about any of it.”
Drake rubbed his chin. “But does he believe your father?”
“He seems to.” Trev shrugged.
Drake folded his arms across his chest. “So if King Carver didn’t do it, then who did? An informer?”
“I’ve thought about it, but it doesn’t make sense.” Trev had gone over it in his mind a hundred times. “Spies or even an inside informer would know what we’re planning, and might give away our secrets, but they wouldn’t carry out our plans.”
“True.” Drake nodded.
“What about Joniss and his father? The idea to kill Adler originally came from Maxwell. Do you think they are trying to frame us to win the election?”
“Possibly, but that seems risky. Wouldn’t they be worried about Adler coming after Joniss and Albion once he was king?”
Trev scratched the back of his neck, trying to sort his thoughts out. “Maybe.”
Drake lowered his voice even more. “What about Commander Pryer? He was the only one who knew that the assassination plan had been put together and then called off again. He was for the assassination, and I’m sure he didn’t like your father calling it off because of you.”
“That’s what my gut is saying too, but my father would never hear it. They’ve been together for thirty years. Why would Pryer turn on us now?”
Drake raised his shoulders. “Maybe he thought he was doing the right thing. He probably thought the mission would be successful, and King Adler would be dead. He could never have foreseen the plan not working and Adler showing up here like he did.”
“You’re right.” Trev put his glass down on the table in front of him. “I need to go question Pryer.”
Drake pulled his arm. “Let me do it. It would be best if you didn’t leave the party. It will look bad. Besides, Fenton Pryer doesn’t like you. We might get more information if I question him.”
Trev agreed, letting Drake take the lead on this one.
