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Este shifted in the saddle. “I don’t see him as a tool-”
“Yes, you do, or you wouldn’t have done that!”
“Even though I’m the Duchess and the Crown Princess, there’s someone above me in Wockston, and that’s the King, who is my Father in case you forgot,” she hissed as she leaned down. “I’m supposed to be loyal to the man who is my Father and the King. I wasn’t keen on this to start with, and I couldn’t even fully believe it until I saw Zylem and realized Gullveig must have had the Golden Touch too. Two soldiers mentioned the Palace attic and a crazy man in the bedroom. Darlim said Eurig had an item that could make a person do anything until they went too insane and died. The others don’t know what’s going on, but I do.”
Jari took a deep breath. “Fine. Now what? Am I going to have to kill you and take down anyone else I can until your army overwhelms me?”
Este slipped off of her horse to face him. “You wouldn’t last long.”
Jari leaned in. “I’d still do it to protect Aurelius.” And Aurelius would gild the entire army, but reminding her or anyone of how dangerous he was at the moment wasn’t a good idea.
She probably had no idea what his power had grown into.
“Nobody else knows the truth,” said Este. “I left a few trusted lords and men back in Morning Glory to help fix the place up,and it’s currently in the control of a cousin of his. Tomson’s the Regent, and he has control of the Novan army too. I said the Prince had been kidnapped by snakes that wormed into our ranks thanks to David, and you couldn’t wait, so you left. I was going to aid you.”
Jari flicked his gaze at the mass of men. In the patchy light of their lanterns, he didn’t see any red and gold on their uniforms. “Those are all Wockstons.”
“It wasn’t a good idea to have Novans come along after we just had a war. If things went south…”
And because she’d had no idea what she’d walk into or what to expect with Aurelius. Everyone in her group also needed to be someone who obeyed without question, and she wasn’t a Novan.
“I also came here with the intent to invade Zora so we can put an end to that,” continued Este. “David’s a bit of a wild card, and I don’t want Father having any buddies who know about the Golden Touch. I see you already got him out, so you can go back to Morning Glory. I’ll take the Wockstons home after-”
“You think I’m going to trust you after you just admitted you were in on a plot with Darlim to have him kidnapped? Do you really think I’m going to sit here and suddenly believe that you’ve gone against your Father, and everything will be wrapped up nice and tidy with no hard feelings and a fucking bow on top?”
“I don’t think you’d trust me that fast,” said Este. “The thing is, if I simply wanted to take Aurelius and continue with Father’s plan, I wouldn’t be talking with you.”
“You can say anything.”
“I know what he can do with the Golden Touch, and they would have already attacked. He has to touch, but a few lightning bolts to the face would lay him out flat. Aurelius might have been leading them as the figurehead for the war against Nova, but it’smethey’ll follow. Half of those men live in mydomain, and they look to me for direction. I’m the woman running the show. Aurelius only needs his hands restrained, and with a lirek chain or collar, he’d be a sitting duck. No fighter could hold up against this many, and I wouldn't waste time on words when I know what he can do.”
She had no idea what had happened to Aurelius lately, and if she didn’t know how powerful he was at this point, she might not be lying. If she thought Aurelius only had to touch and intended to snatch him, it would be a waste to talk to Jari.
“Darlim’s still your Father,” said Jari.
“A daughter’s loyalty will go pretty far, but it’s reached a point where I can’t pretend that someone’s life means nothing. I can’t go through with this, head home in the end, and act like that was right. Did you forget I have a Mother? If she knew what was going on, she’d be ashamed of us both. Yes, I would prefer to be loyal to my King and Father, but I can't anymore, and I’m going my own way. Whatever consequences come later, I’ll deal with them myself.”
Jari had only done what Father demanded because he’d been young, afraid to say no, and completely alone. If Mother had still been alive, maybe Jari would have dared to refuse.
Beyond that, he couldn’t fight everyone. Aurelius could, but gilding so many would destroy his mind. Of course, that wouldn’t matter much to Este and the Wockstons in the end because they’d all be dead.
“What exactly do you plan to do?”
“I’m invading Zora and taking it. I have the army here, David isn’t expecting this, and it’ll be quite easy to take Zenith. Aurelius can decide to have David executed or imprisoned. Zora will become a part of Nova after that.”
“Oh, and you’ll go home, tell Daddy, and he’ll be okay with that?”
“No, but I’ll deal with that consequence on my own. If he takes my title and denounces me, so be it. I can go with Mother. If he wants to go after Aurelius again, he’ll have to fight an army that’s twice as large as before, and I’m sure the Prince can defend Morning Glory far more effectively than Gullveig. I’d rather lose my title and be able to look at myself when I wake up in the morning. I already have everything I want besides an honest Father, and I don’t care to be the Duchess of a larger area.”
Jari glanced back at Aurelius on the horse. He hadn’t moved, and in the dark, his eye wasn’t noticeable, but he was clearly watching them. If she was telling the truth…they could end a couple of problems at least.
Fuck…how was he supposed to explain what Aurelius had left back at David’s home? He’d changed the very ground to pure gold, and chunks of it were lying around.
“Er, I don’t think you want to go to David’s.”
“Even if you leave right now, I’m doing it. He’s a problem, and I don’t want him plotting with my Father again. The rose needs to be smashed too. Father said it makes an item gilded if someone holds and uses it. I don’t think anyone needs that since it also causes insanity if someone uses it too much. That's what David told my Father, and Eurig proved that since everyone knew he was crazy. I don’t know how Eurig got it or why he gave it to David, but that thing needs to be smashed.”
Except smashing it probably wouldn’t do shit. “Aurelius has the rose. I think we should leave now and screw Zora. David’s dead, so let them figure out their own shit-”
