Page 11 of The Forgotten Queen
McKane laughed, something light that had a mocking undertone to it. “My son doesn’t run the affairs of Cristole. I do. Any information that you have for him goes through me.”
Maybe it wasn’t a trap.
It wasn’t that surprising that Marx was only king in name. It was widely known that Meldrum McKane had wanted his younger son, Palmer, to be the king. When that hadn’t worked out, he must’ve decided to keep ruling Cristole himself, using Marx as a front.
“All the better,” Stoddard said, lifting his chin. “I don’t know your son, but I have a prior relationship with you.”
McKane shook his head. “I wouldn’t say that we have a prior relationship.”
Stoddard had met the man several times over the years when McKane had been the king of Cristole, but they had never spoken. McKane had only been interested in speaking with King Adler, not his commander. Things were different now.
“It’s not our relationship in the past that I want to talk about. It’s our relationship in the future that interests me,” Stoddard said.
McKane clasped his hands behind his back. “And what makes you think I want to have a relationship with a criminal? You must know that every other kingdom is looking for you. Perhaps I should turn you in to the Council of Essentials.”
This was Stoddard’s chance—the moment he had been rehearsing in his mind for the last few weeks. He squared his shoulders, a small gesture that showed his opponent that he wasn’t scared. “You could do that. The Council might praise you at first, but eventually, they’ll forget about you and Cristole. The three most powerful kingdoms are aligned, and they don’t need you to change the way this world is going.”
“The three most powerful kingdoms?” McKane raised his eyebrows.
“Yes. New Hope, Albion, and Tolsten. You’re outnumbered…powerless.”
“I would hardly say I’m outnumbered. There are still four other kingdoms left.”
“King Davin in Enderlin will vote with the other three. The status quo has changed, and you and your son have been left behind.”
“And you think you can change that?” McKane huffed.
“I know I can.” There was enough confidence behind Stoddard’s expression to sway even the biggest skeptic.
“I’m listening,” McKane said after a moment.
“What if I told you that I had a weapon that could change your fate with the Council of Essentials?”
McKane shook his head. “I’m not interested in weapons. That was King Adler’s dream.”
“Not a literalweapon, rather something so important to New Hope that it would change the future of the world we live in.”
McKane took in a deep breath as he considered his words. “And what do you want in return for thisweapon?”
A slow smile pulled across Stoddard’s lips. “What everyone wants. Money. Power. Prestige. Protection.”
“You’re asking a lot, for a criminal,” McKane said.
“Let’s start with the basics first. Protection and money. The power and prestige can come after you’ve used the weapon to your liking.”
“Don’t play coy with me. I need to know what kind of weapon we’re talking about before I would ever agree to make a deal with you.”
“Naturally,” Stoddard said with a devious smile, “but I would prefer to tell you in private.” His eyes flashed around the cave full of guards.
“Very well. Leave us,” McKane ordered, waving a hand to dismiss the guards. Once the two men were alone, he turned to Stoddard. “This had better be good.”
Stoddard smiled. It thrilled him to finally tell someone the secret he’d been holding on to for almost two years. Something this big practically screamed to be revealed.
“Princess Seran is alive and I have her,” he said plainly. His eyes danced as he watched McKane’s expression turn to disbelief.
“Bryant’s daughter?” McKane asked.
“Yes.” Stoddard’s smile widened.
