“I wanted privacy,” I said, angry with myself. “I dismissed our guards because I wanted to be completely alone with you. That was foolish.”
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “It’s this war.”
“It is this war,” I said, feeling the anger rise. “It’s this war and those violent bastards in the south.”
“Are you sure it was them?”
I laughed, nodding. “Of course.”
“I heard someone say that nobody unauthorized was allowed in or out of the castle today,” she said.
“That’s true.”
“So how did that guy get in here?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “We’ll find out who he is soon.”
“Trip, what if someone let him in here?”
I stared at her for a second. “Only ministers and high-ranking officials were allowed in here today,” I said slowly, “plus you and your family.”
“We didn’t let him in,” she said.
“Then someone in my administration did.”
She nodded but was silent.
I stood up. “Fuck,” I said. “Fucking fuck.”
Who would betray me like this? There were so many possibilities. I knew some of my ministers had democratic leanings, but I didn’t think any of them were out-and-out traitors.
I knew I was unpopular. People wanted Leo, my perfect older brother. They thought he would have been the perfect king and ruler, but they were stuck with me. Nobody was happy about it, least of all the ministers and the democrats.
But I never in a million years imagined that my own ministers would try to have me killed. Or at least I never thought someone would turn against me like this.
“Who do you trust?” Bryce asked me.
I clenched my jaw. “Max. Lynette. Richter, to an extent.”
“Bring them here. See what they know.”
I looked at her. “Are you giving the king advice?”
“I’m trying to help Trip, not the king.”
I cracked a small smile. “Very well. I’ll consult with them. For now, you need to go back to your room. I’ll have George stand guard.”
“No,” she said. “I’m not leaving you.”
I went to her and knelt down in front of her. I took her hands and kissed her knuckles. “You’re strong,” I said, “but you’re a foreigner still. This is a crisis, and right now I can’t have whispers about you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “People might think something bad about me.”
He smiled and nodded. “You hit me once already.”
She smiled softly. “True.”
I stood up and walked to the comm panel. I hit some buttons. “Send George,” I said.
A minute later, there was a knock. I let George into the room.
“Your Majesty,” he said.
“George, would you die to protect Bryce?” I asked him.
“Yes, sir,” he said. “If commanded, I will obey.”
“George, take Bryce to her room. Put her inside, close the door, and stand guard. Nobody enters or exits for any reason. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Put a similar detail on her parents’ room.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Wait outside.”
He left. I walked over to Bryce. “Okay,” I said. “You should go.”
“Okay.” She stood and frowned at me. “I’ll be okay.”
“I know.” I kissed her quickly and then she left the room. I caught a glimpse of George leading her back to her room, his weapon at the ready.
She’d be safe with George. Besides, Bryce wasn’t the target.
I was.
Somebody wanted to kill me. I knew that in the abstract many democrats in the south wanted me dead, but there was a dead body in my room, someone sent to kill me. We only survived because he didn’t respond when I had called, and because I happened to be a fucking paranoid sleeper.
I shook my head, angry and confused. I didn’t know how this had happened.
But Bryce was right. I needed to consolidate my power, and quickly. I called for Max, Richter, and Lynette, and then I got an update from Al.
We’d come up with a plan, the four of us. We’d figure out who the traitor was, and quickly.
And then we’d hang that fucking bastard from the ramparts for the whole fucking city to see what we did with traitorous dogs.
19
Bryce
When I decided to come to Starkland, I figured it would be a fun, easy vacation. We’d do some sightseeing, maybe go to some museums, probably eat some new foods.
I never thought I’d end up sleeping with the king, let alone watching him kill a man.
I’d never seen death before. I’d actually never seen someone shoot a gun. It was loud, really loud. Nothing like in the movies at all. The gun had looked dangerous and powerful, not like one of those little peashooters in the movies.