Page 21 of The Stolen Princess
Myka clenched her teeth. How could Stoddard even say that?
“But you’re not going to let that happen, right?” Stoddard said. There was a manipulative edge in his voice that Myka didn’t like.
“I’m doing my best to save him,” Doctor Von replied, easing Myka’s worries.
“You are the miracle worker. We already know that,” Stoddard said as if to pacify the doctor. “Don’t worry about anything else. You keep doing what you do best, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Myka rolled her eyes. Stoddard craved power like a puppy craved attention.
Doctor Von whispered, “If you say so.”
“Trust me,” Stoddard said. “When it’s time, this world won’t even know what hit them.”
She pursed her lips together, wishing she had a little more context for this conversation. Myka jumped at the sound of footsteps coming her way. Casually, she walked around the corner of the hall, almost colliding with Stoddard.
He glanced at her with disapproving eyes. “Princess Mykaleen, have you forgotten your manners?”
“Have you forgotten my father is the king?” She raised an eyebrow up at him. She would’ve raised her chin, but Stoddard was so short his gaze was practically eye-level with hers.
He let out a slimy laugh, the kind that made her cringe. “I would never forget that. I’m here to serve His Majesty.”
What a liar.
“That’s not what it sounded like in your conversation with Doctor Von. What’s the secret weapon you and Doctor Von were talking about?”
His jaw tightened momentarily, but then his mouth twisted into a smile. “You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on conversations that don’t concern you.”
“I’m the Princess of Tolsten. Everything concerns me.”
His smile went smug. “Not everything.”
Myka’s hands tightened into fists.
“Leave the kingdom to me. I’m sure you have so many other things on your mind, like your father’s declining condition.”
She straightened. “I’m not sure I would say he’s declining. Each day he gets a little stronger.” That wasn’t true, but that was what she wanted to believe.
His gray eyes flicked across her face, and his mouth turned down into mock pity. “I was just in his room, and he looked pretty bad to me. We had to end the meeting early because he was so sick.”
Myka’s eyes narrowed in on him, but nothing was written across his face that suggested he was lying. Immediately she pushed past Stoddard. She wasn’t going to waste her time on him.
“Dad?” she called, scanning his room as she flung the door open.
Noises came from the bathroom, and she hurried closer. The door was slightly ajar, and she could hear Blanch in there with him.
“Dad, is everything okay?”
Her father coughed, a horrible hacking sound.
“Take it easy, Your Majesty,” Blanch said.
“Blanch? Is everything okay?”
There was a scuffle and then something plastic crashed to the ground. Myka could imagine her father swiping whatever it was off of the vanity counter.
“Your Majesty, hold still,” Blanch pleaded.
A painful groan came from the bathroom, followed by more crashing sounds. Myka flinched, and her heart sank. Every step of his illness presented new problems and challenges, things she wasn’t sure she could handle. So far, she had walked a fine line between caring for her father and giving him privacy, but perhaps that line would fade the sicker he got. Shuffling footsteps swept across the marble bathroom floor, and Myka instinctively backed away. Blanch opened the door with one hand while the other hand supported the king.
