Page 56 of Retribution

“Then let us discuss that,” he said in a soft voice. “As I am the commander of the Guard of Six, you understand that it is my job to prevent all threats of death and danger against the king.”

She nodded seriously. “I do,” she said. “It is a very important position.”

“It is,” he agreed. “Here is the problem that I am having. I did agree to help you escape Cambridge and I shall do so, but when you vanish, there is a very real possibility that Cambridge will simply send someone else to assassinate the king in your stead. Does that make sense?”

Again, she nodded. “It does,” she said. “And it is possible.”

He sat back in his chair, but he didn’t let go of her hand. “Now, if you were in my position, how would you handle such a thing?” he said. “Would you wait for that assassin to come to the king? Or would you stop the situation at its source?”

She was trying to follow what he was saying. “Stopping it at the source would be safer for Edward, I think,” she said. “That would mean you would have to stop Cambridge somehow. He is the one who wants Edward dead.”

“Exactly,” Aidric said. “Cambridge wants the king dead. And how would I stop such a man from being a threat to the king?”

Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. “Put him in the vault where he can do no harm?”

“That’s one way,” he said. “But the man could escape and try again. In cases like this, it’s usually better to do away with the threat.”

“You mean kill him?”

“Eliminate him,” Aidric clarified, watching her face to gauge her reaction. “If Cambridge was dead, then he would no longer be a threat to you, either. You would truly be free.”

She had to process what he was telling her. Aidric could metaphorically read her thoughts, watching her expression, the way her pale eyes fixed on him, the way her eyebrows lifted. It was quite fascinating, actually. He expected confusion and questions.

What he didn’t expect was anger.

“Do you think I told you all of this so you would kill Cambridge?” she said, her voice rising. “You accused me of manipulation once. Is that what you are insinuating again? That I would play on your sympathies so that you would kill Cambridge for me?”

He looked at her, surprised. “Of course not,” he said. “I told you once before that I did not intend to assassinate Cambridge. That is not—”

She cut him off, yanking her hand free of his grasp as she stood up. “I did not ask you to help me escape Cambridge in the hopes that you would simply kill him,” she said as if oblivious to his assertion that he was not an assassin. “I would never do anything so wicked. All I wanted from you is help escaping. That is all. I did not ask you to kill the man.”

He held up his hands. “No one said you did,” he said evenly. “My lady, if you will just—”

“Nay!” she snapped. “Listen to me and listen well, Aidric St. John. I would never ask anyone to kill. Not for me, not for anyone. If that is what you think I asked you, then you have mud in your ears. It is preventing you from hearing what I actually said.”

He was beyond his surprise at her reaction now, genuinely trying not to smile because she was so angry. He found it rather humorous. “I heard what you actually said,” he said. “Did you hear what I actually said?”

“I heard you!”

“What did I say?”

“You said that if you killed him, I would actually be free!”

“Did I say I would kill him for you?”

She faltered, but only slightly. “That is what you meant!”

He couldn’t help the smile now. “That is not what I meant,” he said. “I kill in the name of the king. Not in the name of Lady Cleodora de Beaumont.”

She stood there scowling at him. “You had better mean what you just said.”

“I do, I swear it,” he said, still grinning. “Will you sit down now, please? I’m not finished speaking with you. Stop being so ridiculous and calm yourself.”

She made a face at him, like an angry child would do, and he laughed low in his throat as she plopped back down on the chair.

“Do not laugh at me,” she commanded.

“Why not?” he said. “You are quite amusing.”