Read Online Love's Labor's Won by Christopher Nuttall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christopher Nuttall
Ads: Link
was something that Bryon couldn’t handle, it had to be important. But it was also odd. Randor could have summoned her at any moment, at least after she’d left Mountaintop. Lady Barb could easily have teleported her to Zangaria. “Will you be attending?”
“I don’t think so,” Alassa said. “Tell me about it afterwards, okay?”
Emily blinked. “What sort of meeting is so secret even you’re out of the loop?”
“I don’t know,” Alassa said. “Father...has been sharing a lot with me, now I’ve been Confirmed. But I don’t know what this is about.”
“I’ll tell you,” Emily promised. “You can look after Frieda while I’m gone.”
“Mother will want to meet her,” Alassa agreed. “I’ll take Frieda to her room.”
“Thanks,” Emily said. “Would it be terribly wrong of me to skip the dancing and go straight to bed?”
“Probably,” Alassa said. “They all want to know you’re healthy.”
Chapter Six
E MILY HAD KNOWN, FROM HER FIRST visit to Castle Alexis, that King Randor had a private set of rooms that were locked and warded away from most of the castle’s residents. He’d even shown her a set of such rooms, when she’d first visited the castle. But she’d never known there was a meeting chamber below the throne room, or that it could be entered by stepping through a seemingly solid wall. If one of the king’s private servants hadn’t shown her to the chamber, she knew she would never have seen it at all.
Subtle magic , she thought, as the rune carved into her chest burned uncomfortably. Not enough to be dangerous, but enough to keep this room hidden unless someone is shown how to reach it .
It was surprisingly bland, compared to the throne room. A large portrait of Alexis I, the founder of the kingdom, hung on the far wall, while the other two held maps of Alexis City and Zangaria itself, respectively. A wooden table was placed in the center of the room, surrounded by hard wooden chairs. King Randor, she assumed, had the only chair that had a comfortable seat, probably intended to help remind the noblemen of their place. Besides, it would also ensure that meetings didn’t last very long. She’d sat on enough hard wooden chairs at school to know it was never pleasant.
She kept her face impassive as the other barons eyed her, their faces under equally tight control. There were only four barons in the kingdom now, including Emily herself; Alicia, it seemed, had not been invited to the meeting. None of them liked Emily or trusted her, she knew, even though they feared her power. To them, she was the person who had defeated the coup and killed some of their friends and allies, even though it hadn’t been Emily who’d executed them after the coup had failed. They thought of her, she suspected, as someone between a tattletale and an agent of chaos.
A door at the far corner opened, revealing King Randor. The barons — and Emily — hastily went down on one knee; the king eyed them for a long moment, before motioning for them to rise. He looked surprisingly pleased with himself, Emily noted, as he took his seat at the head of the table. It struck her, suddenly, that he had been looking forward to the meeting.
“Please, be seated,” King Randor said. He waited for them to sit, then continued with an air of mischievous amusement. “It has been years since we have been gathered together, has it not? Then, there were six of you and my poor charmed brother. And now there are only four.”
He smiled, rather coldly. The former Duke of Iron had been packed off to an isolated castle; a prison, in all but name. Even if he escaped, he was powerless. Alassa had claimed his title, Emily knew, after executing the duke’s treacherous wife. No one would risk their position to back his weak claim to the throne, particularly now that Alassa had been Confirmed.
And the barons are powerless too , Emily thought. Their private armies had been scattered, their sorcerers packed off to other
“I don’t think so,” Alassa said. “Tell me about it afterwards, okay?”
Emily blinked. “What sort of meeting is so secret even you’re out of the loop?”
“I don’t know,” Alassa said. “Father...has been sharing a lot with me, now I’ve been Confirmed. But I don’t know what this is about.”
“I’ll tell you,” Emily promised. “You can look after Frieda while I’m gone.”
“Mother will want to meet her,” Alassa agreed. “I’ll take Frieda to her room.”
“Thanks,” Emily said. “Would it be terribly wrong of me to skip the dancing and go straight to bed?”
“Probably,” Alassa said. “They all want to know you’re healthy.”
Chapter Six
E MILY HAD KNOWN, FROM HER FIRST visit to Castle Alexis, that King Randor had a private set of rooms that were locked and warded away from most of the castle’s residents. He’d even shown her a set of such rooms, when she’d first visited the castle. But she’d never known there was a meeting chamber below the throne room, or that it could be entered by stepping through a seemingly solid wall. If one of the king’s private servants hadn’t shown her to the chamber, she knew she would never have seen it at all.
Subtle magic , she thought, as the rune carved into her chest burned uncomfortably. Not enough to be dangerous, but enough to keep this room hidden unless someone is shown how to reach it .
It was surprisingly bland, compared to the throne room. A large portrait of Alexis I, the founder of the kingdom, hung on the far wall, while the other two held maps of Alexis City and Zangaria itself, respectively. A wooden table was placed in the center of the room, surrounded by hard wooden chairs. King Randor, she assumed, had the only chair that had a comfortable seat, probably intended to help remind the noblemen of their place. Besides, it would also ensure that meetings didn’t last very long. She’d sat on enough hard wooden chairs at school to know it was never pleasant.
She kept her face impassive as the other barons eyed her, their faces under equally tight control. There were only four barons in the kingdom now, including Emily herself; Alicia, it seemed, had not been invited to the meeting. None of them liked Emily or trusted her, she knew, even though they feared her power. To them, she was the person who had defeated the coup and killed some of their friends and allies, even though it hadn’t been Emily who’d executed them after the coup had failed. They thought of her, she suspected, as someone between a tattletale and an agent of chaos.
A door at the far corner opened, revealing King Randor. The barons — and Emily — hastily went down on one knee; the king eyed them for a long moment, before motioning for them to rise. He looked surprisingly pleased with himself, Emily noted, as he took his seat at the head of the table. It struck her, suddenly, that he had been looking forward to the meeting.
“Please, be seated,” King Randor said. He waited for them to sit, then continued with an air of mischievous amusement. “It has been years since we have been gathered together, has it not? Then, there were six of you and my poor charmed brother. And now there are only four.”
He smiled, rather coldly. The former Duke of Iron had been packed off to an isolated castle; a prison, in all but name. Even if he escaped, he was powerless. Alassa had claimed his title, Emily knew, after executing the duke’s treacherous wife. No one would risk their position to back his weak claim to the throne, particularly now that Alassa had been Confirmed.
And the barons are powerless too , Emily thought. Their private armies had been scattered, their sorcerers packed off to other
Similar Books
