I didn’t even understand where this Sy had been hiding my first meeting with him. The man in front of me, with the sad grey eyes and the hard mask that seemed to protect him from all the ugly of the world. I wanted to know him better. The arrogant ass could stay tucked away forever.
We had a great dinner in a restaurant in the middle of Encante-South. It was elegant and Sy even let me dress up for the evening even when he insisted what I was wearing was suitable. Thankfully, I changed and blended in with the crowd at the restaurant. Of course everyone still stared we were a king and a queen. I would never be used to people openly staring at me.
I had been jumping through a lot of topics with Sy and after crying in the gardens I had avoided all talk of the war. Questions were starting to weigh heavily on me about it, though. I had expected the losses when Sy told me about his family, but seeing pain etched on his usually expressionless face broke me. His family had been important to him, too. There loss had damaged him in ways I was only starting to understand.
Still, questions about the treaty still nagged in my subconscious. Kohl would be disappointed I was wasting this opportunity. It’s funny to think that I expected this weekend to be difficult and almost unbearable without Kohl, and this was the first time I even thought of him. I loved him and missed him, but all the surprises from Sy had lessened my apprehension. This new Sy was a welcome addition, I was only hoping that I was greeted by the same Sy tomorrow.
“Have you thought about a swim?” Sy asked when we returned from dinner.
“Will you answer a few more questions for me?” I said sitting down where we had earlier when we talked about his family.
“What would you like to know?”
“Are you going to break the treaty?” I watched his face waiting for something to give away his intentions, but it remained blank.
“I’ve thought about it a lot lately.”
“And?” I pressured when he didn’t continue. He sat beside me looking out at the water. It was close enough to touch and it was making the urge to swim unbearable.
“And I want this to work. I think the treaty is like our relationship, Jayde. The longer it is in place the longer you’re willing to give me a chance.”
“I would still be here I gave you my word.” I tried knowing it was a lie if he had broken the treaty I probably would have refused to come blaming him the entire time. He graced me with a scathing look that said he knew I was lying.
“You are only here because of the treaty. You are already in love with Kohl.” I tried to blink away my shock. “I’m not stupid, Jayde. You are only here to keep up appearances you made your choice.”
“What makes you think that?” Again his grey eyes narrowed telling me I knew the answer to that.
“Our first meeting. He came in and you changed. You even let him into your bedroom.” I hadn’t thought about it when I motioned him into the room, but from Sy’s perspective I could see what he saw.
“So was tonight just some ploy to make me feel bad?” I snapped back angrily.
He shook his head, “I just wanted you to know me before you picked Kohl.”
“Are you giving up?” His eyes narrowed.
“I never said I was giving up. Until you announce you are marrying Kohl, I will be here trying to make you reconsider. I want Encante. I know what it needs and I can give that to the people. War makes us do things we don’t want to, but I’m the one that will rule Encante properly.”
Sy was making this harder then I thought it would be. My head was starting to war with my heart as I weighed my options. It seemed so unfair that Sy and Kohl insisted I choose. I didn’t want to choose especially after meeting this side of Sy. He would make a great ruler too, if there was someone there to keep him on track. Absolute power was not something Sy could handle but if he had someone at his side. He would be just as good as Kohl maybe better.
“I believe every word you’ve said to me tonight, Sy. I hope you aren’t lying or trying to deceive me because ....” I stopped I wasn’t even sure where I was going. I just didn’t want to be duped by him again. “Don’t lie to me.”
“You have my word.” His face was deathly serious, his dark grey eyes placed solely on me. I wanted to push for more on the treaty, but he had given me a lot today. I had tomorrow to ask more questions.
“Swim?” A small smile lit up his face as he agreed.
Kohl
“Your majesty, I haven’t heard a word about Jayde since she left.” Philip replied with the same response he’d given me since Jayde entered Encante-South.
I felt like I was losing my mind. She was in Sy’s claws, most likely being brainwashed.
“I did come in here with news.” Philip persisted even though I wasn’t in the mood for anything, but news from Jayde. I knew she would still pick me after this weekend, but doubt still continued to rear it’s ugly head. “The prisoner in the hospital is awake.”
I fought the groan that wanted to escape. Like things couldn’t get any worse.
“I told Jayde, she would deliver his sentence. Is he moving?”
“No, he’s still recovering and will probably be hospitalized for a few more months.”
“Months?” I asked not remembering Philip or anyone for that matter mentioning it would take months to recover.
“He’s half human. The healing process is delayed.” Although Encantado weren’t known for rapid healing it was a skill we held. Full Encantado would heal from a broken bone in two weeks. Bruises, cuts, and minor injuries usually took a day to three to fully recover. This was not the type of news I needed.
“Would you like to wait until Lady Jayde returns?”
“Yes, but I do want to see him. Sy is up to something and I think Antonio is the key to whatever it is.” Philip nodded and picked up my desk phone to make arrangements for me to leave.
Twenty minutes later, I was making my way through the hospital. Antonio’s bedroom was at the end of the hall. It was meant to keep him away from the other patients. The guard at his door nodded and opened the door for me. I’d seen him before he wasn’t much older than me and had been serving for about as long as I’d been king. He was hardworking and took his job seriously.
“Antonio.” I said in greeting as I entered his room. The guard closed the door and stood in front of it inside the room to make sure nothing happened. Another guard the one that was already in the room moved until he stood between me and Antonio.
“Your majesty.” Antonio countered his head bowed. He was full of it. His head lifted and I could see the contempt in his eyes.
“Why did Sy send you here?” I asked cutting through the pleasantries. I didn’t want to be here longer then I needed to.
“Where is my queen?” He asked instead. His eyes seemed to show the double meaning behind his words. I was starting to regret my decision to exile him. He was an ass. Sy may have been right on how he had dealt with him.
“She is indisposed at the moment. You have my attention so stop wasting it.” He smiled at my irritation. I was really starting to hate this guy. I hadn’t trusted him since I first met him and he pulled Jayde away making a scene of something that didn’t need to be. He had a problem with being rejected.
“Sy sent me here as a gift to the queen. My message is I surrender for you, my lady.” I looked at him and the smug look on his face. He was loving every moment of my discomfort. What does that even mean? Was Sy in love with Jayde, too?
“Before you and Sy got in the way. I had her.” He growled. “She was mine, Jayde was never meant to be anyone’s but mine. I would have taken care of her even after she turned and we would have been happy.” He was shouting. The guard stepped completely in front of me nearly blocking my view of Antonio. I moved trying to see the man before me and was pushed out of the way. The guard at the door was on Antonio before I even knew what happened. Screaming and wrestling distracted me from what the guard, who pushed me, was look
ing at behind me. A hand carved knife stuck out of the wall. Where I had been standing until the guard shoved me. He stopped looking at the knife and quickly assisted the other guard in handcuffing all of Antonio’s limbs.
I still dumbly stared at the knife protruding out of the wall. Was that the real message from Sy? Kill Kohl. Or was that simply Antonio? By his words I wasn’t sure, but I needed to find out fast. I left the guards with a quick nod and word of thanks. I didn’t acknowledge the look of murder in Antonio’s eyes. His stay, however, was about to get a lot harder. I didn’t care if Jayde agreed on not. He would pay for his crimes.
I picked up my phone warring with the idea of calling and informing Jayde.