Page 6 of Stolen Crown (The Emerald Realm 4)

A sneering laugh resounded from behind me. “You’re gathering soldiers from Sybettal? Now isn’t that amusing…” He plucked a glinting obsidian dagger from my shelf.

I glared back at him. “Indeed, I am,” I hissed. “Most of the citizens that remain are struggling for basic necessities. It won’t be difficult to gather a few desperate souls with the promise of a few meals and measly pay. I’ve already sent out designs for weapons that can be crafted for new recruits. They’re effective, but clunky, so our military can always overpower the Sybettians in case anyone tries to test our generosity.” I turned my attention back toward the map but could no longer properly focus with Miron staring over my shoulder.

“Seems like a sound plan,” Miron remarked, an eerie tone slipping into his words. “That is, as long as the rebels...aren’t successful.”

I shot my head up from my desk, looking back at the maliciously grinning prince.Rebels?Who in Sybettal would dare stand against our military?I narrowed my eyes on my smug brother and instantly relaxed.He must be bluffing.There was no way any forces from Sybettal could overpower my plans. Even if there was a rebel group, what resources would they have to oppose me? Miron must simply be trying to get a stir out of me.

“Miron, if you’re only going to spout useless information in my ear, then I’m going to have to request that you leave.” I gestured to the door, hoping my lack of reaction toward his jests would convince him to taunt Conan instead.

“Useless information!?” Miron gasped dramatically, pressing an offended hand to his chest while twirling his acquired dagger with the other hand. “That’s hardly the case, dear brother. Have you not heard the news?”

I dug my nails into the cedar of my desk, wishing I could maim him if only a little. “Does this news have any relevance to my task? Because if not, I swear, I—”

“You’ll thank me, is what you’ll do,” Miron said with his signature toothy smile. “I don’t think Father will be pleased if you end up having to surrender all your new recruits... This little rebellion has developed a clever little plan of reestablishing their monarchy, and if they should succeed... Well, you can’t necessarily recruit soldiers from the citizens of an unallied kingdom, now, can you?”

I paused, biting my tongue before I cursed my brother for cutting me off.Reestablish the monarchy?These citizens must be more dimwitted than I had imagined if they thought they could resurrect a monarchy from the dead. Even if they tried to establish a new monarchy, no one would take the notion seriously. They lacked the power and influence to even attempt such a stunt.

“That’s preposterous,” I finally said. “Unless they’ve found a mage who can reanimate the deceased King Oliver to appoint a new heir, they might as well crown a toad.”

“That’s what I first thought as well.” He laughed ominously. “But you see...they’re not planning on using a dead monarch...they’re searching for a live one.”

“A live one?” I arched my brow. “Care to elaborate?”

“Gladly.” His lips curled into a twisted grin as he pulled up a chair to face my desk. He leaned back in the seat and plopped his boots atop my desk, dusting flecks of dirt onto my maps and blueprints. “Have you ever heard Father brag about slaying the king and queen of Sybettal? He tells the story in vivid detail if you need a refresher.”

“I know the story,” I confirmed blatantly.

“Excellent.” He continued to twirl the obsidian dagger he’d swiped from my shelf. “So you’ll remember how Father always neglects to mention the princess in his little bedtime story.”

My memories replayed my father’s gravelly voice, spouting the tale from his glory days. “He does mention her,” I explained. “I distinctly remember him stating that he dealt with her last.” A hint of a shiver trickled down my neck at the memory. I had always known Father was ruthless—I was meant to be, too—but the thought of slaughtering a baby still made my skin crawl.

“You’re correct, but what does “dealt with” truly imply?” Miron questioned. “It would seem that the Sybettal citizens have recovered the remains of their rulers, but not the remains of the baby princess…”

My body jolted for a moment as I processed what Miron was implying. “Do you think Father spared Princess Estelle’s life?” The words tumbled out of my dumbfounded mouth.Had Father actually shown an ounce of sympathy for once in his life?

“Of course, I don’t,” Miron spat sharply. “But I do believe it’s possible that someone helped her escape. That’s what the citizens believe, at least. Apparently, the princess was known to have a very distinct hair color, so they’re using that information to track her down. Father has never been one to leave out juicy details before, so I find it interesting that he never specified that the princess was killed. It could very well be a wild goose chase or…”

I bit down on my lower lip, not wanting Miron to finish his thoughts aloud.Or it could be the undoing of Ashbourne’s military...

If by some stroke of chance, this princess still lived, she could easily marry and demand their monarchy be restored. The other kingdoms in the realm would have no reason to deny them, and likely, even support the notion. If that happened, then we would be forced to relinquish all the Sybettian soldiers we’ve acquired or simply exert another declaration of war. Sybettal couldn’t defend themselves if they were facing us alone, but Isalla and Drancos have already declared their distrust in us...We would easily find ourselves in a three vs. one battle of kingdoms.

Not to mention I would lose my chance at being crowned heir...

A thought flickered into my mind, and I shot my eyes up to Miron. “Did Father know about this rumor?” I squalled. “Is that why he instructed me with the task of building up our armies? Because he never killed the princess and believes there’s a chance she could resurface?” Anger built up inside me as the pieces flowed together.

If Father knew about this, then he may have very likely given me the job so he could pin the blame on me if Sybettal reformed. I’m the only official in charge of the recruitment...

“I’m not certain, brother.” Miron laughed impishly. “Our benevolent king always seems to be two steps ahead, so perhaps he did know. Or perhaps this is your chance to stay a step ahead of him and prove that you can handle challenges that stretch beyond your assignment.” He tossed the blade in the air, allowing it to fall point-first into my desk, embedding itself in the wood with a loud crack.

“Why did you tell me any of this...?” I kept my eyes trained on Miron. “It’s not like you to do me a favor. In fact, it would better aid you if I failed my task and was pushed out of the running for heir entirely.”

Miron, looked away from me, standing from his seat. “Consider it a pity prize,” he said smugly. “I’ve already surpassed you, Killian. You can try to reclaim your place above me, but you’ll never succeed. I just wanted to ensure that my victory over you was nothing short of well-earned. I may be tricky, but even I know how to win with honor. If you still manage to fail with every advantage at your whim, then Father will have no choice but to recognize who his strongest son truly is.” Without turning to see my fuming glare, Miron strode out of the room.

I pressed my palms into my desk, trying to press out my raging anger.He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s nothing more than a sly brat who simply wants to get under my skin.I took a deep breath, settling my mind, so I could attempt to process my thoughts.

My mind wandered back to my initial meeting with Father. What had he told me about my task again? I believe he mentioned something about my task appealing to my ‘infuriating wit,’ as he had called it.Perhaps he had known about the princess after all

The more I thought it over, the more it made sense. Father hadn’t wanted me to merely gather his army; he wanted me to deal with a much bigger issue at hand. That must have been my true challenge…

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