AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kevan’s face burned red, lips pursed tight.
Ulrich took a step forward, teeth bared. “Watch how you speak about King Verdian, Highness.”
Morkai shrugged. “I speak only the truth, and I’m going to speak true now. Verdian was right to suspect Princess Aveline and King Dimetreus as incapable of ruling Khero. Dimetreus is a madman and Aveline is both too soft and too volatile for the pressures of the crown.”
“That we can agree on,” Kevan bit out.
“Which is why,” Morkai said, “you should name me King of Khero.”
Teryn and Emylia exchanged a startled glance.
Kevan and Ulrich seemed equally as perplexed. “Why the seven devils would we do that?” Ulrich said with a disbelieving laugh.
Morkai slowly rose from his chair and stood before the desk. “Before Dimetreus had his mental fit and tried to kill me, we’d had a candid conversation. He’d confessed that I was just as much his heir as Aveline. And we all know that Aveline’s ascension to the throne was entirely dependent upon her marrying me.”
Kevan planted his hands on the surface of the desk. He clearly meant to appear intimidating, but with Morkai standing at Teryn’s body’s full height, the lord seemed more meek than threatening. Especially with how Morkai stared down his nose at the man. “You have no claim to Khero aside from being king consort,” Kevan said. “A title which is invalid without the princess.”
“And what right does Verdian have?” Morkai shook his head. “You may think I’m out of line for speaking against your dear brother, but we can at least agree that his motives were hardly genuine when he appointed the two of you here.”
Kevan said nothing, but Ulrich asked. “How so?”
Morkai spoke with practiced ease. “You went from the heads of Verdian’s council in Selay to the heads of council in Khero. I’m sure you were promised new lands and titles upon the signing of the peace treaty, and it seems a lateral move in terms of position. But we know the truth. Verdian’s real aim was to get you out of Selay to strengthen his daughter’s position as heir. A position she should no longer have now that she’s married into a new kingdom. He isn’t satisfied with her being Queen of Menah through marriage. No, he wants her to inherit Selay too. Wants to see two kingdoms join as one.”
The red seeped from Kevan’s face. He maintained his position with his palms on the desk, but Teryn could see the sudden interest that flashed in the man’s blue eyes.
Morkai spoke again. “You should be princes, both of you. At the very least, you should be Verdian’s heirs. Instead, he’s brought you here. And, like you’d begun to suggest, he’ll blame you for Khero’s current state, for its crazed king and missing princess. If you lose your positions on this council, you know he won’t welcome you back onto his. Your places have already been filled. And if he does decide to usurp Khero, he won’t keep the two of you in power. He’ll only be adding yet another kingdom to his reign. A reign his daughter will inherit.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kevan said, but his tone held little conviction. “Half of what you say is considered treason.”
“Like I said, I speak only truth. Let us not pretend otherwise.”
“So you think we should back you as king instead,” Ulrich said. His tone was brimming with disbelief, but his eyes were keen. Hungry.
“Dimetreus admitted that I am his heir,” Morkai said. “Despite Verdian’s lack of respect for his brothers, he did give the two of you ultimate power over accepting the line of succession should Dimetreus fail his duties. Back me as king and I’ll give you more than land and titles. Kevan, you should be Verdian’s heir, plain and simple. Support my claim, and I’ll support you as heir to Selay. We’ll work it into the negotiations over the treaty. And you, Ulrich, will be named Duke Calloway. You shall inherit the Calloway lands left by the former Duke Morkai.”
Ulrich’s eyes flashed with greed and a half smile tugged his lips.
Kevan, on the other hand, dropped into his seat and rubbed his thick brown beard. “There’s a reason neither of us were named Verdian’s heir,” he said, tone infused with a hint of indignation. “We have no royal blood. We are unrelated to the former king and are only related to Verdian through our shared mother. She remarried after the death of Verdian’s father, and it was his blood that put Verdian on the throne.”
Morkai barked a laugh. “They named a bastard a king. If they can do that, then surely a king’s brother can be named heir.”
Teryn bristled, hands curling into fists.
Kevan scoffed. “You saytheylike you weren’t a part of those negotiations. You abdicated your claim and supported your bastard brother.”
Teryn watched closely to see if Morkai showed any surprise, any sign that he was caught off guard by what Kevan had said. Morkai may have gleaned much about Cora, Dimetreus, and the current state of political unrest, but he knew little about Teryn’s personal matters.
Morkai, however, was unfazed. He turned a calculating grin on the man. “Just like I’m supporting you. If you must know why I refused my birthright, it was because I would have had to marry Verdian’s daughter to keep it. I wasn’t willing to do that. On the other hand, I was more than happy to wed Aveline, but she’s proven to be as weak as her brother. Now I only want what is best for Khero, and I am certain that is me. And what’s best for Selay is you, Kevan.”
Ulrich stepped closer. “You think we can get Verdian to agree to these terms? He could refuse.”
“He won’t refuse,” Morkai said. “Refusal can lead to war, and you’re only asking for what’s fair. Besides, you’ve taken away a portion of his military. The men who serve under your houses fight foryou, which means they now fight for Khero. He won’t want to go up against that.”
Kevan narrowed his eyes. “We are not resorting to war with Verdian.”
“These negotiations will be friendly, trust me. We’ll hold them during a celebration. A hunt. Instead of signing the pact here, we’ll solidify the treaty outdoors, where the environment feels neutral. The three of us will stake out a private place to hold our grand hunt, and when Verdian and Larylis arrive, they will meet us there.”
Kevan and Ulrich exchanged a weighted look, one that spoke of greed, desperation, and trepidation.
