Royce went still, apparently aware of what had befallen their half brother. Beneath his rage, part of Keris recoiled at using Otis’s death as a threat. Yet another, far more pragmatic part of him whispered, Don’t pretend that you’d have allowed Otis to survive. He was a dead man from the moment he threatened her life.
straight when she said, “The Princess is unharmed, Your Grace. I’ll take you to her. We have captured
“Well?” Keris asked, feeling his men shift behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at them, then back to Royce. “Prefer to speak in private?” Not waiting for Royce to answer, he said, “Dax, take the men and go watch over my sister. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her while my back is turned.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Dax answered, and boots thudded against stone as they retreated.
Once they were gone, Keris said, “There, Royce. We’re alone. What would you like to say to me?”
Breaking into a run, Keris rounded the corner to find a cluster of women. They stiffened at the sight When his brother hesitated, he added, “Let’s start with just what, exactly, you intended to do with our sister.”
Royce’s throat moved as he swallowed, his body flexing as though his instincts demanded that he fight. Or flee. “Nothing. I just came to visit her, and the old bitch took issue with it.”
“To be clear, you decided to sneak into an estate dedicated to religious training, in the middle of one of the worst storms Vencia has seen in years, to visit a half sister you’ve never once spoken to. A breath. “She stabbed him back with a knitting needle, and he let meconversation”—Keris flicked the knitting needle jutting out of his brother’s side—“apparently worth killing an old woman over.”
Keris glanced down at the dead woman, recognizing her as the one he’d threatened should anything Royce didn’t cry out, only clenched his teeth. Which Keris might have given him credit for if not for the fact that the idiot persisted with the lie. “A princess shouldn’t be relegated to serving the church. She deserves better. I was going to take her away to give her the life befitting her rank.”
Despite himself, Keris flinched. Sara did deserve better. But he knew the blood running through Royce’s veins cared nothing for the well-being of little girls. “Cut the bullshit. You learned that she was favored by me and thought to capitalize upon it. Either to ransom her for gold or to use her to lure me into a situation where you might put a knife in my back.”
The storm raged outside, the women down the hallway still weeping loudly, but the silence
between them muffled it, the tension stiflingly thick.
Royce broke first, huffing out a strangled laugh. “You’re being dramatic, Keris. This is always the way it is with Veliant brothers, right? It means everything. It means nothing. We move forward until the next squabble.”
Keris laughed along with him, ignoring the part of himself that cringed at the coldness in it. “You’re right about that being the way of things. Or would be if I were still only your brother and a prince, not your king.”
Kestark mountains. He was also next in line for the throne if Keris didn’t produce an heir. Royce was Royce’s laugh faded.
“The rules are different now,” Keris continued. “Moves against me are no longer games and
brotherly … shenanigans, but treason. And all traitors face the same fate in Maridrina.”
What color remained in Royce’s cheeks drained away. “Ker—Your Grace, please. I wasn’t going to hurt her. I—”
“You already did hurt her.” Had reminded her that nowhere was safe. That everywhere she went, pain would follow, for no reason other than her name. “Why would I show you any mercy?”
Royce squared his shoulders. “Fuck you, Keris. You can have one of your lackeys cut off my head and spike it on the gate, but know that I’m only the first. Your blood is coming for you. Coming to rip the crown from your pathetic head because Maridrina deserves a warrior on its throne, not a weakling who hid in a library!”
Maridrina did deserve better than him. But Royce wasn’t the answer—none of his brothers were.
“Let them come.”
Royce went still, apparently aware of what had befallen their half brother. Beneath his rage, part of Boots scuffed behind him, and Keris turned his head to find Dax watching, the man’s brow
furrowed. “Have a healer see to him; then take him up somewhere secure.” Then he locked eyes with his brother. “I am not Father. But that doesn’t mean my patience is limitless. Test me again, and I’ll drag you out to the Red Desert and bury you alive myself.”
Royce gave a tight nod.
back to Royce. “Prefer to speak in private?” Not waiting for Royce to answer, he said, “Dax, take the
“He’s right,” Keris told Dax once two of his men had dragged a moaning Royce away. “More of men and go watch over my sister. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her while my back is turned.” my half brothers will come, and not all of them are as stupid as Royce. I want eyes familiar with their faces on all the gates and in the harbor.”
Once they were gone, Keris said, “There, Royce. We’re alone. What would you like to say to me?”
“What do you plan to do with them when they show?”
His father’s voice echoed in his head. When you are heir, you are the target of all. You can expect no loyalty from your brothers, and all but the cowards will come for you at one point or another. If you live to inherit, they’ll come for your sons. It is the way of it, and it is also the reason you have no uncles still living.
“I will do whatever I must.”
was favored by me and thought to capitalize upon it. Either to ransom her for gold or to use her to lure Keris laughed along with him, ignoring the part of himself that cringed at the coldness in it. “You’re right about that being the way of things. Or would be if I were still only your brother and a prince, not
What color remained in Royce’s cheeks drained away. “Ker—Your Grace, please. I wasn’t going to hurt her. I—”
“You already did hurt her.” Had reminded her that nowhere was safe. That everywhere she went, pain would follow, for no reason other than her name. “Why would I show you any mercy?”
Royce squared his shoulders. “Fuck you, Keris. You can have one of your lackeys cut off my head and spike it on the gate, but know that I’m only the first. Your blood is coming for you. Coming to rip the crown from your pathetic head because Maridrina deserves a warrior on its throne, not a weakling who hid in a library!”
Maridrina did deserve better than him. But Royce wasn’t the answer—none of his brothers were.
“Let them come.”
Boots scuffed behind him, and Keris turned his head to find Dax watching, the man’s brow
furrowed. “Have a healer see to him; then take him up somewhere secure.” Then he locked eyes with his brother. “I am not Father. But that doesn’t mean my patience is limitless. Test me again, and I’ll drag you out to the Red Desert and bury you alive myself.”
Royce gave a tight nod.
“He’s right,” Keris told Dax once two of his men had dragged a moaning Royce away. “More of my half brothers will come, and not all of them are as stupid as Royce. I want eyes familiar with their faces on all the gates and in the harbor.”