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I licked my lips. My heart rate picked up. “I killed a man. What part of that makes you think I’m obedient?”
She smiled at my bloodthirsty words. “You’re obedient when it counts and deadly when it’s necessary. The perfect makings of a queen. Plus, I have enough leverage on you that it’ll be easy to keep you under my thumb.”
Another sip of tea, another morbid truth shoved through my chest.
She continued. “The king was murdered. And we’ve found evidence that Augustus is next. Someone wants to end the royal family, which means I need someone I can trust at my son’s side.”
I fought the urge to laugh. “There’s always someone that wants to end the monarchy. Your husband had many enemies. Some of those enemies extend to me.” It was a fact that kept me up most nights. “I’m not surprised he was murdered. He was cocky. He thought he was invincible.”
“This silent enemy has deeper pockets and a farther reach than the usual traitor. They’re dangerous. I let my son live abroad on that ridiculous yacht because he’s safer away from here. But he can’t leave now. The court will vote to crown him by the end of the month, and it’ll be you at his side, Christine.”
“You have an entire army at your disposal,” I replied.
“And my son is a self-destructive idiot. I don’t want him to know that his life is in danger. He’ll step down. The court will take over. You know how sexist they are. We can’t allow that to happen. I’m the only thing progressing our country past the dark ages, and I refuse to let those stuffy men win. They’re vile. Evil. I’ll be damned before I let them come into power.”
I shifted in my seat while looking around. Part of me was worried about August. If last night was any indication, he was an easy target. He accepted drugs from a random girl and nearly drank himself into an early grave. It was terrifying. If I wasn’t there…
“Does Leo know?” I asked.
“He does. I promoted him this morning and brought him back to the castle. He’s been assigned to you. I figured if I was going to make you stay, you deserved a little reward. You can marry my son, but there’s no reason you can’t have a little fun on the side.”
Her words made me blanch. The way she so casually suggested an affair was unnerving.
“I can’t do this, Isabelle. Please don’t make me stay. There’s too much pain in Aldrich for me.”
Isabelle leaned over the table and grabbed my hand. Her cold eyes were veiled by unshed tears. The bones in her body trembled as she stared at me. Holding onto me, she forced me to take in her expression of terror. “This isn’t a deal, Christine. When you wanted to leave this kingdom, I helped you escape. I sent you to a country where Frederick would have no jurisdiction. I also sent you money until your trust fund kicked in. I kept your secret. I did what I could to protect what was left of your innocence. I need you to stand beside my son, now. I don’t trust anyone but you. And Leo has earned my trust with his silence.”
I jerked my hand back and rubbed at the skin blooming with pain from her harsh grip. “I’m not the obedient little pet I used to be, Izzy.” The nickname rolled off my tongue before I had time to tame it.
She grinned. “Then I’ll break you into submission once more, my darling little girl.”
A knife came flying at me. I heard it whooshing through the air and headed straight for my skull. Time slowed. I could feel the shift in the air and practically sense the threat in my soul. My blood turned cold. I spun around and grabbed the hilt and assessed the room in three seconds. There was a man hiding behind the curtain. One at the door. One rushing the queen.
I threw the blade at the man rushing her, first. I didn’t know why I did it. I owed her nothing. I knew it made more sense to attack the one with the gun by the window. My training hit me like a freight train. The sharp blade stuck its landing, sliding effortlessly into his neck and making a spray of blood shoot out of the wound. It showered the queen with his crimson death.
My muscles warmed as I sprinted in my heels across the floor to the man behind the window. I grabbed the curtain and wrapped it around his wrists. He dropped the gun in his hand. The Glock fell to the floor. I kicked it away before snapping his neck.
It was too easy. He collapsed on the ground instantly.
The third man picked up the gun and aimed it at me.
Once again, easy. Too easy.
As soon as I saw him, I rushed to him. As I screamed, my heart pounded. Grabbing his arm, I forced him to bend at the elbow and tightened my grip. I then grabbed the gun and pressed it under his chin before kneeing him in the balls. He bent over, forcing himself to rest against the barrel of the gun.
“Enough,” Queen Isabelle said.
I pulled the trigger.
It wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Blood and brains splattered across my face. Drips of death landed on my lip. It coated my blonde hair. It saturated my skin.
“Enough!” Isabelle said when I spun around, still holding the gun. Time seemed to slow as I processed what had happened. Isabelle clapped her hands together and eyed me with wonder. “Marvelous. My spies said you’d been training, but I never imagined…”
I slowed my breathing like my lessons had taught me to, letting the bloodlust drain out of me. “What was this?”
“A test,” she breezed. “You didn’t think you could spend three years becoming a killing machine without me knowing, did you?”
I let out a harsh breath, adrenaline still coursing through me. She knew. I thought I’d been training in secret. All those hours conditioning my body. Learning how to fight past my reservations and weak stomach. Preparing for war.
