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CHAPTER 10
As I walked to Pater’s office my head pounded and my eyes throbbed. This had to be the worst hangover I’d had in my life.
What the hell was in that wine?
I pretty much remembered everything from the night before and was still deciding if that was a blessing or a curse. I cringed at the memory of Miles coming to “save” me from the cellar and the fight between him and Bennett. I understood why Miles lashed out, and I couldn’t really be upset with him. He knew what happened to me three years ago, when I was drunk and that man from the parlor took advantage of me. He was protecting me, and I loved him all the more for it, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for me. I wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there for the rest of my life. On top of the embarrassment from the cellar, I pretty much completely missed Pater’s birthday party, and I felt guilty. The last thing I wanted to do right now was have this long overdue conversation with Pater, but here I was, summoned to this room, trying to keep the nausea at bay.
When I arrived at his quarters, I quietly knocked and entered when Pater bid me to.
I walked over to the settee I always lounged on, except this time, I sat up instead of plopping my head and feet on the arm rests. I sat there, twiddling my fingers and preparing myself for the worst.
“Hello, Rhia! It’s good to see you,” he said as he sat behind his giant oak desk, sipping a mug of what I assumed to be coffee.
Why do I feel like I’m about to be scolded? “Happy belated birthday,” I said meekly.
“Did you have fun last night?” he asked, as if already knowing the answer to that question.
Did I? I didn’t know if I was ready to admit that to myself yet.
I swallowed. “Yes?”
He gave me a disbelieving look. “Well, that’s good. Bennett told me the same when he came to see me earlier.”
What the actual—?
He continued to stare at me with an oddly pleased look, waiting for me to say something, but I kept my mouth shut because I had no idea what Bennett told him, and quite frankly, silence was easier, so I opted for it.
He set the mug down and folded his hands above his desk. “What? You think I wouldn’t have found out?”
Pater must have been able to read the embarrassment on my face like a book. He must have known I was drinking last night. Why would Bennett tell Pater about what happened in the cellar? I thought he hated his father?
Pater smiled and laughed. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about! I knew he couldn’t beat you in a spar and I had no doubt about it. I’m so proud of you, and you should be, too. It’s not very common for someone to take down the future king of Veladis, but it’s no surprise that you could.”
My jaw hung open and I quickly closed it once I realized I was gaping at the claim. We clearly were referring to two different things, and my mind quickly began to piece everything together. Pater wasn’t referring to last night, he was talking about the last assignment and spar with Bennett. . .but I didn’t beat Bennett, I lost to him. I clearly lost, and we both knew it.
“Bennett told you that?” I asked, trying to not show any shock at the statement.
“Well, yes, he had to.” Pater scrunched his brow. “He came up with the bargain that if he could beat you, then I had to make him my assassin. I don’t know why he came up with that crazy idea, but I figured what the hell. I knew you would beat him anyway.”
Bennett wasn’t lying that night. Pater really did strike a bet with Bennett, and the realization of it angered me. Bennett was an incredibly skilled fighter—Pater had to know that—yet he still agreed to their bargain.
“Bennett could have killed me, Pater,” I said, sharpening my tone. “He trained a lot when he was in Vicinus, and he’s gained control over his craft. As your assassin, but also your friend, I would suggest not to underestimate what he is capable of again.”
There she was again. The woman inside of me who was sure, strong, and capable. She had been making more of an appearance lately, and I was proud of her. My own voice sounded foreign to my ears, but I didn’t turn away from the unfamiliarity of it. I wanted to embrace it and accept that it was mine, but I almost felt undeserving of it.
Pater’s tone became a bit more serious to match my own. “Well, it didn’t seem to matter in the end, did it?”
So many questions circled in my mind. Why did Bennett tell Pater I beat him? Why did he want to become the assassin? However, the question that came out of me was, “So what was your end of the bargain, then? If I lost, Bennett would have become the assassin, but I won. Was there something in it for you?”
“Yes, and we will get to that a bit later.” His shoulders slumped and he relaxed a bit in his chair, grabbing for his mug of coffee. “First, I need you to tell me all of the details about your mission to The Rowan and Ivy.”
Thinking about that night brought me to the teetering edge of a bad mood, but I suppressed the frustration of walking miles in the rain down deep with my other stored away feelings.
“Honestly, I didn’t learn much. I couldn’t stay at the inn because rooms were sold out, and I almost had my cover blown so I had to act quickly.” Thinking of the drunk man I kissed made me shiver. “The biggest piece of information I was able to get was that the Skull King is supposedly not in Veladis, but rather building an army far away from here. Do you think this is true? He said it was farther than Vicinus, but the wastelands are practically inhabitable. I’m not sure what kind of army could thrive there.”
Pater’s face was coated with anger, and from what I could tell, a little bit of fear. He crossed his arms while lifting one of his hands to rub his temple with his thumb and middle finger.
I continued, saying, “Plus, he said the army was being made of Artis blood, which makes no sense at all. The man clearly had one too many drinks, so I’m not sure if any of this is credible.” I lowered my eyes, feeling like I’d let him down. “I’m sorry, Pater. I wish I had more to tell you.”
