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“You’ll see.”
* * *
“What do you mean, they’re rioting?” Sabium snapped.
The messenger bowed his head. “It is confined to the slums so far, Your Majesty. One of the humans who was…arrested was the son of Caddaril the Cleaver.”
Elation bubbled in my chest. Sabium’s expression was stone.
“The crime lord. You arrested the son of one of the most notorious crime lords in this city.”
Thismessenger was a brave one. He flicked his gaze toward Tymedes, who was closely watching this conversation. The commander stiffened at the silent implication.
“Is the son still alive?”
“No, Your Majesty. As usual, he was burned with the dawn.”
Sabium’s eyes flickered as he processed this information. “The Cleaver is responsible for the riots.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He is making some outrageous claims. Usually, those claims would be ignored. Yet…he is not the first human parent to lose a child in the past month.”
This messenger wasn’t just bold. He was practically daring Sabium to have him hauled away.
“And?” Sabium’s voice was pure ice.
“And he is claiming that the corrupt have not been rejected by the gods. He insists they fled their kingdom after it was invaded, and…”
“By all means,” Sabium crooned. “Continue speaking.”
The messenger went silent. Sabium pinned him with an expectant look, and the messenger took a deep breath.
“He has said you are a thief who has stolen your people’s power. His son was human and was killed due only to mistaken identity—as were many others.”
My hands tightened on the arms of my throne as Sabium considered his next move. If he ordered the slums to be burned to the ground, he would have a full-scale rebellion on his hands. And he knew it.
As much as I would wish otherwise, Sabium was far too smart for that.
“Invite Caddaril to the castle. I will have dinner with him, and we will talk through our differences. I’m sure we can come to some arrangement.”
The messenger nodded, bowed, and escaped out the door before Sabium could change his mind.
I hid my smile. And there, Sabium had erred.
He had no understanding of the true depths of love a parent could have for their child. He truly thought he could pay Caddaril off, perhaps offer him more power or agree to have his guards look the other way when it came to Caddaril’s crimes against the crown.
Sabium didn’t comprehend the truth. That the crime lord would see him dead if he could.
“And the slums?” Tymedes asked.
“Send in the guard. Tell them to keep deaths to a minimum and offer food and coin to those who agree to return to their homes.”
Frustration gnawed at me. Tymedes bowed, and I waited until he’d made his way out of the room before slowly getting to my feet.
“And where are you going?”
I raised a brow at Sabium’s tone. “I wish to rest.”
He watched me with those dead eyes. Finally, he nodded.Dismissingme, as if I were one of his subjects.
