“That’s what I thought,” she cackles.
Scowling, I spin away from my sister and march out of the stables. This conversation has done nothing to calm the storm in my mind. If anything, I’m even more confused than when I arrived, but it doesn’t matter. I already know what I have to do. He deals with Hugo, I pay him, and then it’s goodbye forever.
Forever.
8
KASIMIR
Shadows cling to my leather tunic as I hug the wall outside Hugo’s bedchamber. One hour ago two servants entered his room to help him prepare for tonight’s grand ball, and any minute now they’ll push open that door, and I’ll finally have my chance to confront the prince.
Ruby was right about the lack of guards. It’s been fifteen minutes since the last patrol passed Hugo’s door and even they were too busy discussing the upcoming after-party to notice me crouching by the tapestries.
At least that means I won’t need to bother gagging the prince.
My hand itches for my dagger as his door creaks open and the servants finally hurry out. Without making a sound, I dart across the floor and slip into his bedchamber heartbeats before the door shuts behind them.
The prince’s bedchamber is huge – about the size of the entire ground floor of my townhouse. Surprisingly, it’s much more impressive than Ruby’s room, with huge gold-framed paintings on the walls and plush rugs covering the hardwood floors. Still, even with all the fresh flowers decorating the furniture, they can’t hide the stench of that foul prince.
I grin as I spot his balding head hunched over a vanity.
He hasn’t noticed me yet, much too busy digging a flake of spinach from his teeth.
Slowly, I unsheathe my dagger and inch closer. When I’m finally close enough to meet the whites of his eyes in the mirror, a yelp tears from his throat and he spins around to face me.
“Help! Help!” he cries out, backing into his vanity and smashing several perfume bottles in his panic. “Get away! Help! Guards!”
Raising my dagger, I charge towards the wailing man until the blade presses against his fat throat.
The prince is tiny. Despite being double my weight, I can still see cleanly over his shiny head as my dagger holds him in place.
“Quiet, royal scum,” I hiss.
Hugo lets out a whimper.
“Fortunately for you, I work for the king, so you won’t die today as long as you cooperate.” The lie rolls off my tongue just like I rehearsed. Truthfully, I’d rather be hanged before I’d ever work for Sol, but Hugo needs to think I’m more than a lone vigilante for this plan to work.
“What is it? What does he want?” Hugo panics. “I haven’t done anything wrong. We made a deal and I’ve stuck to it. I haven’t bedded any of his daughters yet, and I won’t until I’ve married one. I promise!”
Growling, I snatch his hand and slam it down onto the wooden vanity table. His feelings towards underage girls aside, the thought of him even going near Ruby, or anyone she loves, makes me feel ill.
With a snarl, I force my dagger down onto his hand, pinning it to the wood.
Hugo howls in pain, but the sound dies out when I press a second dagger into his neck.
“This isn’t about the princesses,” I seethe, enjoying the way he’s wincing in pain. “This is about your intentions with the children in this palace.”
The colour drains from Hugo’s face.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he blubbers.
I twist the dagger in his hand, grinning as he wails. “Don’t think His Majesty hasn’t noticed. He’s seen the way you treat the young servant girls here. It’s disgusting. The king thinks you should rot in his dungeon.” Another lie, of course. For all I know, Sol could be just like Hugo, but I cast that thought aside. One monster at a time.
“Please,” Hugo begs, “Sol and I are good friends. Surely he can look past a man enjoying life’s simple pleasures?” He tries to chuckle, but it comes out more like a dry squeak. “And he wouldn’t need to worry about it affecting any of his daughters. I’m more than capable of fulfilling my own desires while keeping my future bride satisfied.”
A snarl claws up my throat. If it weren’t for Ruby, I’d stab the fucker right here and watch him bleed out over Sol’s posh rugs, but she asked me not to kill him, so I won’t – at least not yet.
“The king wants you to leave, now,” I spit, pressing the dagger harder against his neck.
