Page 68 of Crown of Hearts
Cai
My headache was growing worse by the minute. I reached for the pitcher of water and filled a glass.
“Your Majesty, George confirmed that he’d employed the servant months ago.”
Jack stood on the other side of the table in the council room. He looked tired from lack of sleep and completely overridden by anxiety. “He’d needed more hands in the cellar.”
“Did he say where the kid came from?” The assassin had been only a few years younger than me.
“Some small village not too far but we have rechecked the references he’d given George and all of it was falsified.” Not a very good sign.
“Any chance he had an Argonian tattoo?” one of the council members asked, and Jack shook his head. “George said he’s seen him working in short sleeves or shirtless on multiple occasions. No tattoo, my lord.”
“He wouldn’t have had a tattoo, even if he was Argonian. Soldiers only get the tattoo when they’re eighteen. Some symbol of manhood while also claiming fealty to their king.”
“We have no proof that the boy was working for Aries,” Lord Burrow argued.
“But we do know that Aries has most likely been sending spies into the kingdom and now someone has tried to assassinate the King. We cannot ignore the possibility of a link,” someone else said.
“The point is, we have an assassin on our hands, with no idea where he’s come from or where he’s going. How do we plan on finding him?” Lord Burrow exclaimed.
“He couldn’t have gotten that far. We know what he looks like, and we have sent scouts to the nearest villages and cities, my lords,” Jack assured them.
“What about George?” Lord Burrow asked. “Will there be any repercussions because he hired the young man?”
“George had no way of knowing. The boy has been working in the cellars for months. Whatever this was, it was pre-planned. I’m not going to punish George for something that wasn’t his fault,” I stated, and then looked at Jack. “Let me know if the search is successful.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Jack bowed before marching out the room.
“What about the young queen, Your Majesty?” Lord Stapleton changed the subject.
“What about her, Lord Stapleton?” I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this conversation.
“It’s no secret Her Majesty is here to make an alliance. The council has yet to discuss what a marriage to the Queen of Everness could mean.”
“On the one hand, it would be a great aid military-wise,” the Duke of Ryker spoke up. “Everness is known for having a large army.”
“We don’t know what King Aries’ plans are. If we ally with Everness, he could take it as a threat to his throne. It could give him the motivation he needs to launch an attack,” Lord Burrow replied.
“We also have to consider that Everness is currently in a weak state. The new queen has yet to properly establish her reign, and with all the opposition she is currently facing, it could lead the kingdom to a civil war,” Lord Stapleton said.
“Are you suggesting we launch an attack on Everness instead?” the Duke of Ryker asked in surprise. “How is that any less threatening to Aries?”
“Nobody is attacking Everness.” I silenced them. “I am still undecided on the subject, and until I come to a decision, we won’t discuss this further.”
* * *
“It’s a beautiful painting.”
I turned to face Elara as she approached me in the hallway. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her before looking back up at the portrait that hung on the wall.
“It’s always been one of my favourites,” I admitted.
“Are they your grandparents?” She stopped next to me, placing her hands behind her back.
“Yes. When they were young and newly married.”
“How long were they married for?” Elara tilted her head as she inspected the painting.
