Page 77 of The Queen’s Bodyguard

“Of course not,” she snapped, immediately sitting up. “He would never hurt me. How could you even suggest that?”

“We can’t rule anyone out.”

“It’s not him. How could it be? He doesn’t even attend the peace talk sessions.”

Argos sighed. “He was in the Vespulan wing.”

“How do you know that for sure?”

“My nose doesn’t lie.” Theora still looked stubbornly unhappy with his response. Fine. She didn’t have to believe him for him to know what he needed to do. “What about Venita?”

Theora looked at him as if he’d gone mad. “If she wanted me dead, there were plenty of ways to do it back in our own colony. Besides, she’s been trying to get me to marry Apollo all week.”

“Maybe the Vespulans are working alongside the host colony. There’s no other way they could’ve planted a ringblitz at a table that’s supposed to be monitored without someone on the inside.”

Theora stared at him for a moment, a sick expression on her face. “Well…I suppose your paranoia has protected us so far.”

“It’s not paranoia if I’m always right.”

Theora let out a breath of laughter. It was nice to see her relax, at least a little. “Okay, let’s not get a big head over it.”

“No big head required,” he said with a smirk. “I’m always right.”

Whatever Theora needed to hear to make her trust him, he would say. Because the truth was, Lasius didn’t seem to have anything to gain by killing Theora. A ringblitz seemed far too subtle and sophisticated a tool to have been Pyre’s idea alone. That was a diplomat’s tool of choice.

And he knew what he’d smelled in the Vespulan wing.

But he’d deal with that after she went to sleep. For now, he headed toward the living room. “Come.”

Argos heard when Theora begrudgingly got up to follow him. She sat in a large armchair, as if waiting for Argos to tell her what was next.

She really was out of sorts, waiting on information like this. She was an incredibly hands-on queen—if she wasn’t involved in things that went on in Aranea, she was at least well informed. Argos imagined it must be difficult, being forced to live in the dark when she was so very used to being in control.

But then, the Sovereign gave everyone challenges meant to grow their humility…meant for them to learn some sort of valuable lesson.

Watching Theora sulk in the giant armchair, he suddenly realized she was so much more to him than a mission to complete.

“What happened to your wife?” she asked suddenly.

“Izzi,” Argos corrected. “You’re my wife now.”

“Don’t make jokes right now, Argos.”

“I swear I’m not.” The couch was there, but Argos opted for the floor instead, digging his fingers into the thick carpet. “The convoy, the assassination that began the war…” He paused, unsure if he should go on. He’d been assigned to protect the queen, to protect Theora…and he hadn’t. He hadn’t been the only guard there, but still. He’d failed. “We were assigned to it. But the landmines…”

“No need to continue.” Theora’s brows lowered. “We all lost someone that day, didn’t we?”

He nodded, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Theora’s compassion for him was…beyond beautiful.

“Do you still miss her?” she asked, a tentative thing despite her even tone to conceal it. “Izzi?”

Argos was quiet for a moment. No one had ever asked him that before, because…well, Warriors just didn’t ask that sort of thing. Mourning just wasn’t done. Honoring the dead meant allowing them to rest, moving on quickly.

Perhaps he did miss Izzi, in certain ways. But he had never really thought too much about missing her, other than to plot revenge. “She got the better half of our parting, to be honest. It would be selfish to miss her now.”

Theora’s brows lowered in concern. “I think it’s okay to miss someone you loved, Argos.”

Argos felt a spark of fondness at this stern queen’s concern for him. He shook his head. “If she were away, yes. But she’s resting with the Sovereign now. Why would I want her here, when she’s happier where she is?”