Page 30 of Marry a King (Five Kings 5)

Cassie

As soon as I open the door, the guards stand to attention and I say angrily, “Escort my friends back to their rooms. I need to see the king.”

They look uncomfortable and I feel bad about that, but I can’t see past the rage that is consuming every part of me.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, we are under strict orders not to leave you.”

“I don’t care about your orders; I need to see the king—now.”

One of the guards says courteously, “If you would like to wait in the library, we can send a message to him and arrange an escort.”

Feeling so frustrated, I know he is being reasonable but I am so fired up I want answers immediately and yet before I can shout him down, I hear, “What’s going on?”

We look up and see Victor watching us with a cool look surrounded by his own detail of guards, and the ones with me look even more uncomfortable now.

“Your majesty, the queen would like an audience with the king.” One of them says, obviously hating every minute of this.

Victor nods. “Understandable. It is the night before their wedding, although I’m not sure protocol or tradition allows that.”

“I don’t give a…”

He cuts me off with an amused grin and holds up his hand. “Relax, Cassie, I’ll deliver you to him personally.”

My guards step forward and one of them says quickly, “I’m sorry, sir, we can’t let her out of our sight, orders of the king.”

Victor shrugs. “No problem. You can escort us and my guards will take your position. Problem solved.”

They look relieved and stand to attention as they swap places with Victor’s own guards and as we set off, he walks beside me and says in a low voice, “I’m guessing my brother has revealed the monster within. You looked pissed; I can understand why.”

“I just need a word.” I keep my voice blank and controlled because I don’t trust Victor after what he said the last time we met, and I’m grateful for the guards walking closely behind us.

As we move along the stone-clad corridors, decorated with tapestries and fine old paintings, I could be mistaken for thinking I’m on a movie set. Andromeda has always been a little unbelievable. When I was growing up, it was normal and it was only when I traveled extensively that I realized how different it really is. The land that time forgot, yet with all the wealth and modern conveniences of any royal family.

Their own little piece of paradise ruled by a family who upholds the old traditions with pride. Women are expected to marry well and attend to their men and the children learn that’s how things should be. It saddens me to think of my own children growing up with a different kind of freedom than most. Taught the same things I was, that a woman’s destiny was to marry well and produce the next generation. Charity work, needlepoint and running a home are the extent of their powers. I had a chance to change all that, but would I be given that right? I doubt it. The men here have their own agenda, it seems, and promise the world in one hand and snatch it away with the other.

We reach a door set in the stone wall and Victor says dismissively, “Wait here and let nobody in. I’ll deliver her to the king personally.”

The guards seem happy, and Victor smiles. “You can wait in Maxim’s bedroom; he won’t be long.”

As we step inside, I blink in surprise at the opulence of a suite of rooms that appears to stretch the whole width of the castle. I follow Victor inside in disbelief because, unlike the rest of the castle, this room is modern and astonishingly beautiful. A jewel in the crown because I could die happy in a room that contains modern art and deep pile carpeting. Modern comfortable couches and tasteful furniture with a minimalist décor. I love it and take a while to look around in stunned appreciation for something so unexpected I forget why I’m here for a moment.

Victor says pleasantly, “Maybe you would feel more comfortable outside.”

“Here?” I look at him in confusion and he gestures toward a set of double doors leading onto a stone terrace. “Maxim has a private garden that is hidden behind a strong wall. There’s something there I think you should see.”

“What?” I’m wary of him because I wouldn’t trust Victor as far as I could throw him right now and he says sadly, “You need to see this, Cassie. I know you have lost faith in me, listened to Maxim’s lies, and that hurts me deeply. After all that we’ve been through, I thought you trusted me to always have your back. You’ve known my brother for five minutes and believe his version of events over mine. Please, at least let me show you why he can’t be trusted.”

He seems so genuine I feel a little bad and nod. “Ok, but not for long. I need to get back.”

He just smiles and, taking my arm, guides me out onto the terrace where the moon’s rays light our steps and show us to a stone staircase set at the end of a very pleasant garden. We head up them and I say in awe, “What is this place?”

It appears to be a small castle set apart from the main one and Victor hisses, “It was my father’s private set of rooms. It was built to be accessible only through his own, and Maxim couldn’t wait to seize it for himself when my father died. I never really understood the urgency until a few weeks ago I stumbled upon this place.”

“How?” I shake my head because it can only mean that Victor was snooping around Maxim’s personal space and he hisses angrily, “I heard the guards talking. Gossip, about my father. They were talking about a place he used to take women, maids mainly and a few affairs he enjoyed with the wives of so-called friends of his.”

“That’s terrible.” I am genuinely shocked and he says bitterly, “My father wasn’t a nice man, as it turned out. He used his position to get what he wanted in every way and, despite having a loyal wife, he chose to use women for sex every spare moment he had. This was the perfect place to do it because my mother never came here. He would keep his victims locked here for days sometimes and indulged in a perverse pleasure that I can never understand.”

Now I’m more than afraid and falter, not really liking the way this conversation is heading.

“Um, maybe I should return to my friends and wait for Maxim there.”

The red flags are waving all around me as my last conversation with Victor comes back to haunt me and I’m alarmed when his hand reaches out and grabs my wrist hard.

“No, Cassie, you must hear me out for your own safety. I’m not the bad guy here, he is, and I’ve been trying to think of a way to get you alone to show you. It’s vital you understand what a bastard he is before you chain yourself to him forever because then it will be too late.”

He pulls me with determination after him and I can’t help but go along with something that is no longer in my control. As we reach the top of the staircase, Victor pulls a key from his pocket and opens the large oak door and as he pulls me in after him and flicks on the light, what I see before me makes me stare in stunned disbelief and my hand flies to my face as Victor pushes me further into the room. Then, as the key turns in the lock behind me, I gasp in horror, “Oh my god.”

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