Page 100 of The Forgotten Queen
“Tolsten House.” Kase laughed. “Except his name isn’t Otis Sutton. It’s Oliver Stoddard,Commander Stoddard.”
Marx’s mind worked quickly, trying to place the significance of that name.
Commander Stoddard. Tolsten. Escaped.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. The guy I saw at Cristole Castle the day of your wedding is Commander Stoddard. When I was in Tolsten working as an operative, I spied on him. All the other operatives kidnapped Princess Myka, but I stayed behind to transfer letters to and from Tolsten House. I can’t believe it took me this long to figure it out.”
Why was Marx’s father working with the enemy of the Council of Essentials? And more importantly, what was Sydria’s role in the whole thing?
“What happened to the commander after the operative mission?” Marx asked.
“The other kingdoms stopped pursuing him. As far as I know, only Tolsten is trying to find him, and now we know where he is.”
“Knew…we knew where he was, but that was almost two weeks ago. Stoddard could be anywhere by now.”
“It’s all coming back to me.” Kase shook his head, laughing again. “After Stoddard killed King Adler, he escaped with a doctor, a nurse, and a woman. According to Queen Myka, the woman was immobile. They lifted her into the transporter.”
Marx’s heart stopped.
Sydria.
“At one point, I’d heard that Queen Myka believed that the woman Stoddard had was her mother.”
Marx’s brows dropped. “Her mother?” Unless Sydria had given birth at three years old, there was no way that was possible. Marx’s mind spun with other scenarios. “Sydria could be Myka’s long-lost sister. Did King Adler have any other children besides Myka?”
Kase scratched his chin. “Not that I know of, but I could find out.”
“What does Queen Myka look like? You worked with her on the operatives’ mission.”
“I wouldn’t say that Iworkedwith her. Mostly I just kidnapped her,” Kase said. “But she has dark hair and blue eyes. She was pretty, could definitely pass for Sydria’s sister. Or,” Kase shot his hand up, “What if Sydria is married to Commander Stoddard and she came to Cristole Castle as a spy?”
“That’s ridiculous,” Marx scoffed.
“Why? It’s no more ridiculous than you saying she could be Myka’s hidden sister.”
“Sydria isn’t spy material, and wasn’t the commander bald? She’s married to a guy with dark curly hair, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. But still, I should tighten security around you, and by that, I meanhavesecurity around you more regularly. We can’t risk her having open access to you.”
“Sydria isn’t a safety concern.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Anyone associated with King Adler and Commander Stoddard can’t be trusted. Just in the last two years, they’ve been involved in an assassination and a major weapons conspiracy.”
“I’ll worry about my safety around Sydria. You worry about finding out who she is.”
Kase frowned. “If you say so.”
“Maybe you should go to Tolsten to get answers since you already have an established relationship with Queen Myka and King Drake.”
“Yeah, an established relationship of mutual dislike. Drake is the only operative Queen Myka liked. I don’t think she’d be too happy to see me.”
Marx sucked in a deep breath. “Well, do whatever you have to do, but find me some information on Stoddard and who Sydriareallyis.”
His father had been so confident that this alliance was beneficial for Cristole. There had to be a good reason his father trusted Stoddard.
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