Page 82 of Gilded Crown

He couldn’t see anything out in the distance besides a few trees here and there. Panic welled up in him, and he almost kicked Mercury into a gallop to follow, but they’d probably had at least a couple of hours to get ahead. Maybe a little more. He saw red as a new thought occurred to him.

Este.

The Duchess was alone in her tent and writing something at her table when he marched in. Something about Jari’s face made her jump up from her chair.

“Did you have something to do with this?!” he demanded.

“What-”

“Who took Aurelius?”

“Two soldiers-”

“Two of your soldiers!” Jari slammed his fist on the table. “Where are they?! I saw where the trail led. He’s been taken in a cart-there was a struggle-” He cut off as he breathed heavily. “Where are they going? I swear to Elira that if you don’t tell me right now-”

He almost expected her to attack him, but she merely clutched her sword hilt. “Watch how you speak to me.”

No panic about Aurelius missing? No words of reassurance or asking what he was talking about?

“Aurelius was led around to a copse,” Jari said. “There are signs of a struggle, and the ruts mean a cart was there. It’s gone now, and you’re responsible.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Your Father certainly did!” shouted Jari. “You’re both worse snakes than the fucking Midas family ever was. You make me ashamed to be a Wockston. I bet you won’t order your army to get off of their ass so we can go find him.”

“No. We’re going home in a couple of days once-”

“To tell Daddy the good news?!”

He should have left. Coming back was a mistake, and he’d never get out of the camp alive now. His fucking rage had blinded him. Darlim must have planned this from the beginning and thought of something convincing because Aurelius would never wander off after two strangers on his own for absolutely no fucking reason. He never should have assumed things would be fine and left him for a few hours.

Darlim didn’t want to fight, but his warrior daughter was more than capable of carrying out his orders, fighting, winning, and bringing back the good news. Nova was his now, and he’d cut off a huge chunk for his precious duchess daughter withAurelius out of the way. No wonder he refused to let the army follow Aurelius after King David.

All three were in on it.

The tracks had gone south, and if one kept straight, it would pretty much take them directly to King David’s Castle.

He’d own a man with the Golden Touch. They’d use Aurelius until there was nothing left of the real man that Jari knew lay behind the cold shell he’d built to protect himself from people like that. They’d torture him to get what they wanted, and even if he refused, they’d do it anyway until he was so busted and shattered, he’d never come back. At some point, they’d discard him like trash once he’d served his purpose.

Just like they’d already tried to do.

Jari almost wanted to scream as he stepped back. He thought he’d gotten Aurelius out of the snake den, but they’d walked into an even bigger one. The one he’d once thought he couldn’t trust was Jari’s only option, and he was gone now. Everyone else was a greedy fucking traitor, and Jari had helped the Prince hand Morning Glory to Wockston on a silver platter.

“I have strict orders from my Father to rest the army and prepare to return.” She lifted her chin.

Jari bolted out of the tent before she could call for guards to arrest or slaughter him. Why she already hadn’t, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t sticking around for another second. He had his sword and horse, and that would have to be enough. If he had to crawl on his fucking hands and knees to rescue Aurelius, he would.

Outside, nothing happened beyond the usual hustle and bustle. He expected her to run out, shout a command, and for a hundred men to converge on him. He almost ran a man over who shouted at him to watch where the fuck he was going.

Jari leaned over and snatched the waterskin from his hand. He’d need that too.

“Hey!”

Jari ignored him and urged the horse between two tents.

“What the fuck?!”

Jari ignored him and guided the horse too fast through the crowded area. Men huffed, told him to slow the fuck down, and swore at him. Any second, the order would come, but he didn’t hear Este’s voice, and no one shouted at him to stop.

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