Page 75 of Kingdom Of Veil And Vow

“How peculiar that, of all the guards in this castle, it is your recruit who has wound up dead,” King Dolian says, looking over his shoulder at me, those hazel eyes shrewd. “Don’t you think?”

Resting a hand on the hilt of my sword, I tilt my head as if in thought. “Indeed, Your Majesty. But Alden had been reassigned to guard the dungeon at my request. I thought the extra responsibility might be a way for him to prove that he was a good fit for the Trusted.” I scowl, the betrayal in my voice real. “I suppose this is proof enough that he was a poor choice.” I bow my head, my hand coming to rest over my heart. “I have made an error, and as such, I do not believe I have earned the right to name a new recruit for the Trusted. But rest assured, Your Majesty, such a mistake will not happen again.” I knew the blow to my ego would be coming, that my groveling would have to exceed even my own tolerance in order for the king to believe it. But if lowering myself to a sniveling man in front of the king is necessary to keep Siyala safe, then I will do it a hundred times over.

I had waited on the beach, watching as her ship sailed towards the Shifter Kingdom until it was no more than a speck on the horizon. Then I returned to my room and sat on the bed, a heaviness in my chest that I hadn’t felt since the night my mother died. Everything smelled like Siyala, and I grabbed the pillow she’d used and held it close to my chest, like I might bottle the scent and store it somewhere within me. Missing her was going to be inevitable, but as I set the pillow down and closed my eyes, I knew I couldn’t make it harder on myself than it already was. So I stripped everything off the bed, tossing it all in the laundry and summoning a maid to clean the space top to bottom.

“At least you are aware of this failure, Xander,” King Dolian says, stepping away from Alden’s body with indifference. “But though I might wish to ensure this error will never happen again, I’m afraid we do not have time for a punishment. You are to leave for the Seaside Palace at once.”

I keep my surprise to myself as I lower into a bow. Is that where he had wanted to take Siyala? For what purpose? The second, secret residence of the king is only a few days away by ship, though I hadn’t known King Dolian to ever go there during his reign. Odd. When I rise, Simon is waiting, eyes trained on me.

“Be careful, Commander. It would be a shame to see someone who has had so much poured into them by the king ruined because of their deceit.”

Staring him down, I make my expression harsh, leaning in until he is forced to feel the bite of my cold armor against his chest. “I might suggest the same to you, advisor.” I enjoy the jolt of fear that widens his eyes before I turn and follow the king.

Later that night, as I’m packing my things, harsh knocks arrive on my door. When I cross my room to open it, I find Grayson standing there, chest heaving and eyes wild.

“What is it?” I ask, every worst-case scenario for Siyala flashing in my mind.

“It’s Tienne,” he says, a hand resting over his mouth while the other brackets his hip. My reassurance is brief, especially as he shakes his head. “She’s gone.”

Together, we sprint back to the castle, Grayson explaining that one of our men had seen her dragged from her room and thrown into a carriage. Making our way to the servants’ quarters, we run to the kitchens, pushing the door open. I freeze at the people already waiting there, tears lining their eyes. “What’s happened?” I ask, only to be met with silence. “What’s hap—”

“The guards took her.” Making her way towards me is Eve, bright blue eyes rimmed pink, dark circles hugging just beneath them.

I shake my head, confused as I look to the head maid, Erica. “Why would they take her?”

“She was suffering from the Cruel Death,” she says shakily, more tears spilling from her eyes. “And the king suspected that she helped Flynn and Rhea escape. So he ordered that she be taken.”

“Taken where?” I ask, gripping the edge of a nearby table to steady myself.

Erica blows out a slow breath, tilting her head back as she dries the tears from her eyes with a tissue. “To the Mage Kingdom, they said.”

I walk the border of the smaller older palace for what feels like the hundredth time since I arrived here a few days ago. I was surprised to learn that Eve had also been told to board the ship, though the woman was hardly in the mood to speak on the journey over. Not that I blamed her. My own thoughts were plagued with the ravaging guilt of not knowing Tienne had been taken until it was too late to do anything about it. King Dolian made sure that I knew what happened to Tienne before I stepped onto the ship. “She was a traitor,” he said, a hand slipped into his pocket. “But she’ll serve a purpose regardless.” I shiver now as I recall the memory of the look on his face.

I steady myself as I listen to the nearby crashing of waves, picturing my final moment with Siyala in my mind. Until next time, guardsman. My throat burns with an emotion I don’t want to put a name to. We both knew there was never going to be a next time. She would stay safe in the Shifter Kingdom and hopefully tell her cousin, King Kai, of the monster who had dared to hurt her when she was younger. And I will stay here, biding my time until I can remove King Dolian from the throne.

Turning to continue my patrol around the southwestern portion of the castle, I spot the sails of a ship entering the harbor, the sigil of a roaring lion burned into the wood. Halting in place, I watch the ship dock before guards disembark, King Dolian and Simon in their midst. The king walks down the wooden pier to a footpath that leads to the small palace, the rest of the Trusted surrounding him. But it’s what the regular guards are carrying behind at the end of the line that causes my next breath to stick in my throat.

“What is that?” I murmur, squinting against the morning sun as I try to make out what four of the guards carry, each gripping a side. When I can’t figure out what it is, I head back towards the castle, climbing a small set of steps before entering close to the kitchen. There, I spot Eve nervously picking at the white apron tied to her waist. “Everything alright?”

She startles at the sound of my voice, folding her arms over her chest as she offers me a quick nod. But she doesn’t try to speak, and when I realize what might have her so rattled, I feel like an asshole for even asking.

The king is back. Though he might have her dressed in servant’s attire, I have no doubt he brought her here for the same reason he called on her in the castle. “Eve, I—”

“Xander, there you are.” King Dolian’s unusually chipper voice draws a chill down my spine, like nails scraping over the scars. Turning, I bow to him, my unease growing when I see the hint of a curious smile. “Come, there is someone I want you to see.” Following a series of twists and turns, we make our way to the back of the residence, the king coming to a stop in front of an unassuming door as his eyes hold mine. “Let this be a reminder, Commander, that persistence and, above all, patience always wins out.”

Fear slithers in my veins as he jerks his chin towards the door, waiting for me to open it. There’s no way Siyala is behind that door. There is no way. Dragging in a deep breath, I turn the handle and thrust the door open, blood rushing past my ears when I step into the room.

Except amber eyes do not stare back in surprise at my entrance but those of bright green. My muscles still on instinct alone, holding me in place as I stare at the last person I ever expected to see in this place: Princess Rhea.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Siyala

Something is wrong . The feeling had overcome me on the second day of the journey back towards the Shifter Kingdom. I excused it as nerves about returning home after four long years. When the feeling persisted, I thought it might be the fact that I was surrounded by males on this ship. But the sailors had left me alone, and the captain had waved away my coin when he took in my face, claiming I was too young to have gotten this far away from home.

By all accounts, the trip has been fine, but when the ship finally sets anchor and I trudge onto the fine sand of the island with my too big boots, the feeling of wrongness intensifies.

Keeping my satchel close, I begin the journey through Molsi moving slowly, attempting to take in everything that I can. Though I know I had been to the city once or twice before I left, it still feels foreign to me. Nothing about it looks or feels familiar in any way, and I can’t decide if it’s because of my hazy memories due to being a shifter for so long or if it is because of the disquiet that whispers after me. After running through every possible reason for why I might be disturbed, I am only able to come to one conclusion: Something is wrong with Rhea.

I want to believe what Xander said. That it is impossible for her to be taken from the Mage Kingdom. That she is safe behind their borders and with the mage prince. Yes, I desperately want to believe it, but something urges me to double check. To make sure that she is still there. With my decision made, I ask for directions and then run the rest of the way there, my boots loudly slapping against the ground. Despite having never been to the palace before, it’s impossible to miss on the pathway, its pristine white stone walls and beautiful curved archways standing out against the foliage of the jungle. I don’t know what to expect as I enter the royal grounds and then make my way up the steps to the entrance, but it certainly isn’t a complete lack of guards. Neither is it the blood that smears across the floor in multiple spots. What the hell happened here?