“I... I am loving,” gasped Nadia. She grasped her swollen belly, as if clinging to her primary evidence. “I love my kingdom. I love my people. I love my unborn child. And I want to do what’s best for them.”
“And Arken? Did you love him?”
Nadia’s throat clenched up. She turned away, finding it difficult to speak, or even breathe. “I wish you would stop asking about him. Our past relationship is none of your concern.”
“He said the same thing. But you’re both wrong. Because right now, you’re my top two candidates for receiving the key. And to make my decision, I want to know the full story. So out with it. What happened between the two of you?”
“I already explained that, damn you!” cried Nadia. Unshed tears pricked her eyes; her stomach clenched with sobs. And she didn’t know why, if she had already explained everything. “We... we were going to elope together. We had planned every detail, in secret, because the Royal Duma wanted me to marry Lord Gerald Feldren, and we knew no one else would approve of our union. We were going to run off on my wedding day. But... that morning, I awoke with a clear head. I realized I’d let my emotions get the best of me. I feared that if I ran off with Arken, I would leave the kingdom in chaos. So I went to the Royal Duma. I told them my true intentions. They held a vote. And they determined that if I married anyone other than Gerald, I would not become Queen.”
So far, Nadia had managed to keep from crying. But Vivian kept prodding at her with those cruel blue eyes. “And what did Arken do, when he found out he wouldn’t become Grand Prince?”
“He... he... he wanted to marry me anyway.” She couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears streamed down her face. She wept openly. And all the while, Vivian watched with a mixture of pity and disgust.
“So...” mused the cruel foreigner. “In the end, against all odds, a Jeridar chose love over power, and an Elborn chose power over love?”
“Yes... it’s true.” Nadia collapsed onto a leafy bench, unable to hold herself up anymore, releasing her last hold on dignity. “There’s your proof, I suppose,” she groaned. “I must not be a descendent of Demetral after all.”
Vivian shrugged. “Maybe you aren’t. Maybe you are. Or maybe, greed and love are really not so different from each other.”
Nadia looked up with surprise. “What?”
“I said maybe the gods are full of nothing but shit.” Vivian sighed and shook her head sadly. “In any case, you and I have a lot to think about. I’ll leave you to it.”
So Vivian wandered off, and Nadia could not find the strength to call her back. She felt as if she had lost this battle, and maybe another—one she didn’t even know she was fighting until now.
“I’m sorry, Arken,” she whispered to the silence of the garden. “I’m so sorry...”
She felt the baby stir within her, and though she pressed a calming hand to her stomach, she failed to comfort her little Serafina.
CHAPTER 6
Triumph
Arken nearly packed his things and returned to the plantation as soon as he rode back to the castle.
But he did not. To leave now would be to admit defeat.
Despite his urge to leave these accursed politics behind him once more, this time he did not. He had done that before, and he knew what would happen. The bitterness and regret of his failure would continue to eat at him, and nothing he achieved by growing crops would remove it.
His anger now fueled a new ambition within him. And his mother helped foster it.
“You are upset,” Tanya observed as she joined him on the balcony. Before them, the houses and streets of Krondolee shone silver in the moonlight, while the savanna beyond cast a bright amber glow.
“That woman Vivian is more than she appears to be,” growled Arken. “I feel as if she knows something the rest of us do not, and she wishes to toy with us.” He took a frantic gulp of wheat liquor.
His mother reached over and took the cup from him. Then she drank a sip for herself. “I confess, my son, that when I said you had a way with women, I did not speak the full truth. You have developed such skills out of necessity. For women are also your weakness.”
“What?” he snapped irritably. She handed what remained of the liquor back to him.
“Your brother wants money and power, as do I. It is nothing to be ashamed of. For if you have power, then you can acquire everything else. But all too often, you forget this. You aim for much smaller targets. You have made that mistake many times before. And now I fear that you are making it again. And once more, it involves a woman. You want a woman to love and respect you. You always have, my dear.” She reached out and ran a hand through his hair. “Your desire to earn my approval is the most pertinent example.”
He tensed and pulled away from her grasp.
The smug smile on Tanya’s lips remained strong. “For that, I am grateful. But you must not let your weakness get the best of you. My son, if you obtain that key and become king, you will have the adoration of every man and woman in the kingdom. Well, perhaps that is an exaggeration—some will despise you, inevitably, or wish to replace you—but you will certainly have their respect. True love is a myth, after all. You should know that by now. You thought Nadia loved you. And look what she did to you.”
Arken turned away, glaring up at the dim stream of stars overhead. But his blood continued to boil in his veins; his hand clenched against the coarse stone wall of the castle.
“Arken, I suspect that whatever has happened between you and Vivian, you can fix it. You can still obtain the key. You would not be so upset now unless you came very close to obtaining your goal. This time, do not let your emotions for a woman be your downfall. Get the key. And then you will probably be able to obtain anything else you desire. Imagine: even Queen Nadia will come crawling to your feet.”
He started to imagine it, then shook his head of the temptation. “You speak as if taking the key will make me a king. The two are not one and the same.”
“Hm.” With a wry little smile, Tanya leaned against the wall next to him, her golden eyes sweeping the nightscape. “Tristan and I have been working on a plan. Once you have the key, everything else will fall into place.”
“What plan?” His heart surged against his ribcage. He could not help but feel both worried and intrigued both at once. “We don’t even know what’s in the Grand Keep!”
“In the end, it won’t matter. Once you have the key, we can claim that the Grand Keep contains whatever suits our purpose, and everyone else will believe us. So you must still focus on getting the key. Let us worry about the rest.”
“Mother, tell me.”
She regarded him carefully and saw that he would not back down. “It involves the Wolven, Xavier. Like any Wolven, he has a price. And I had to work hard to convince Tristan to help, but your brother is making and selling as many diamonds as he must in order to collect the necessary funds.”
“Why would you need the Wolven once I have the key?” Arken’s head spun. He suddenly wished he had not drank so much liquor. “The only reason to buy off the Wolven is if you plan to steal the key. And if I obtain it rightfully...”
“Oh, it’s merely a safety measure. I realized it would be a good idea when I saw how much power Vivian held over the Royal Duma just by having a Wolven to guard her. Once we have the key, we might need that protection.”
“Mother. Don’t lie to me!”
She flinched from the anger in his voice, then scowled fiercely in return. “Do you really want to know? I know how sensitive you can be. You can keep a clean conscience if you don’t know how dirty this game will get.”
“Too late,” he snarled. “Just tell me! I want to know.”
“Very well. We’ll hire the Wolven to kill Grand Prince Gerald, and make it look like an accident.”
Arken heard a ringing in his ears. He clutched the wall for balance. But he kept listening. He had to hear this. He had to stay strong.
“Believe it or not, a subtle death costs
more than a blatant assassination.” She sighed irritably. “Wolvens like to get blood on their hands, apparently. In any case, we’ll arrange something. Once that is done, and you hold the key, the rest will be easy. You are the most obvious candidate to marry Nadia as soon as Gerald is... removed. And we will convince the Royal Duma to name you as King, because you managed to get the key, and Nadia did not. I have been talking to the other House Leaders, feeling them out. And I am certain they will lose all respect for Nadia if she cannot get that key. Your place will be assured, my son. Not only will you be king. But you will have Nadia, once and for all. And your victory will taste all the sweeter for your vengeance.”
He raked his nails against the wall until they ached with pain. He clenched his teeth until his head hurt. He heard a little voice in his head, ever so quiet, telling him that such a union with Nadia would not be the kind he desired. But he snuffed out such bothersome qualms. Tanya was right. He had set his aim poorly in the past. If he could not win Nadia’s love, he would seize her respect. He would take the crown. And then he would have the adoration of everyone in the kingdom.
He threw his cup over the balcony and turned to walk away.
“Arken? Where are you going?” snapped Tanya.
“I’m going to get that key,” he replied.
*
Arken knocked on the door until his knuckles hurt. He didn’t care if he awoke everyone else in the hallway. He just kept knocking harder.
At long last, the door swung open, and Arken frowned at the face on the other side of it. Dark rings surrounded Xavier’s red eyes; his black hair tangled and criss-crossed around his snarling face. His torso was bare; he wore only a pair of slender trousers to cover his pale, ashen body. But even if Arken saw no apparent weapons, he suspected the Wolven could murder him just as easily with two bare hands.
“If you knock on that door one more time,” hissed Xavier, “I swear to Belazar—”
“It’s all right, Xavier.” Vivian appeared behind him, equally disheveled. She blinked through the shadows at their visitor. “Arken! What are you...?”
“I want to speak with you.” Arken glared at the Wolven. “Alone.”
Xavier’s hand twitched, perhaps as he imagined ripping out Arken’s throat. But Vivian seemed intrigued by Arken’s insistence, and her blue eyes dazzled with delight. She shoved the Wolven out of the room. “You heard the man!” she declared.
Even the graceful assassin stumbled as Vivian pushed him into the hallway, his face full of surprise and fury. “But... I was sleeping!”
“I’m sure you can find somewhere else to sleep,” said Vivian, and motioned for Arken to enter.
Arken sneered at Xavier as he stepped into the bedroom. Xavier’s fingers curled into fists; his teeth bared with a snarl. He looked ready to pounce, but Vivian slammed the door shut before he could.
“You really shouldn’t test him like that!” she said, her breath short and fast.
Arken looked down at her, letting his eyes explore her freely. She wore only a thin nightgown, and the candlelight revealed every slope and curve of the body beneath. Her curly blonde hair ran in thick spirals around her shoulders and breasts. This time, his gaze lingered on the glittering necklace against her chest. “You’re not afraid of his temper,” he pointed out.
“Yes, well, he and I have a... special relationship.” She noticed his stare upon her, and her breath quickened even more.
Arken glanced briefly around the room and noticed only one bed. “Are the two of you...?”
“No. Don’t be silly.”
“Good.”
She moved closer to him, redness flushing her cheeks. “Arken, I’m sorry if I upset you earlier. I should have told you I had some experience with—”
He put his hand against her neck, gripped her tightly, and stopped her mouth with a kiss. Her body melted against his.
When she finally drew away, she was breathless. “I thought... you wanted to speak with me about something.”
“I lied.” He pressed against her firmly, forcing her across the floor towards the bed. “I see no use for words right now.”
“Oh.” Her hands clenched against his shirt, and for a moment, he worried she would push him away from her. Instead, she used her grip to wrench him closer. “Fine with me.”
She wrapped her legs around him, and together they fell in a tangle on the blankets.
*
He awoke long before the sun rose, and found himself staring at the darkness outside Vivian’s window. The castle walls surrounded him with deafening silence. He realized that, as king, he would have to spend all his time in the castle. He would miss the sounds of creatures and insects singing in the moonlight. But he would have other things to comfort him, he reminded himself. A soft body beside him, just like this one, warming him every night...
He shifted in bed to see Vivian wide awake, her blue eyes studying him curiously.
“What’s wrong, Arken?” She reached out and ran her fingers through his yellow hair.
He tensed at her touch, but tried not to show it. “Nothing.”
“Hmm.” She chewed her pink lips with amusement. “I suspect you’re usually a much better liar than you were just now.”
He frowned and looked away from her, but knew he could not hide the torment writhing within him.
“What changed?” asked Vivian softly. “Why did you come here to see me tonight? When you left me out there in the savanna, I thought you were finished with me. And to be honest, I was angry enough to feel finished with you, too.”
He forced himself to hold her gaze. “I knew you could handle yourself. I also know that you are lying about something, or at least hiding something important. No one should be able to seduce a wilderhorse as easily as you did. No ordinary person would come to the Castle of Krondolee and flaunt the key to Grand Keep as casually as you have, either. What changed, you ask? I decided I don’t care about your secrets, or why you’ve decided to play this damn game in the first place. I’ve decided that all I really want now is to win it.”
For a moment, she stared back at him with shock. He heard a roar in his ears again. His stomach churned with fear. He worried that he had ruined everything. He should have answered more gracefully. He should have given a stirring speech about greed or desire or some such nonsense. But right now, his emotions burned too fiercely to hide them. And he worried that Vivian would see straight through any lies he concocted. So he breathed deeply, twisted the blankets in his fingertips, and anxiously awaited her verdict, whatever it might be.
At long last, she sighed, and her expression of astonishment shifted to one of sadness. “I confess, this is not how I imagined I’d make my decision. Nor did I expect to make it so swiftly. Then again, if the game wasn’t full of surprises, then I would have no interest in playing it.”
She sat up and reached behind her neck. Arken watched in awe as she pulled off the necklace with a single graceful sweep of her arms. Then she took his hand, opened it up, and placed the bejeweled key in his palm.
“Congratulations, Arken Jeridar,” she said softly. “The key to the Grand Keep now belongs to you. I hope that you find whatever you’re looking for.”
He stared down at the tiny device with wonder. So small, so simple. And yet it seemed to lay in his hand with the weight of a kingdom.
He stood up and began to get dressed. It didn’t feel right to wear the key just yet, so he slipped the necklace into a pouch at his belt.
“Really? Just like that?” sighed Vivian. “You sure know how to make a lady feel special.”
He flushed with anger, finding her sarcasm more harmful than she probably intended. “Xavier won’t kill me as soon as I walk out of here?”
“Oh, I can’t promise that he won’t kill you, especially if you keep treating him like an ass. But I promise he won’t kill you over the necklace.” With no warning, she reached over to a pile of her belongings on the floor and pulled out the Wolven whistle.
She didn’t even bother to clothe herself before blowing it.
Arken was still hastening to lace up his shirt as Xavier came bolting through the door. His disheveled hair looked like a mane of hackles around his neck and shoulders. His entire body bristled, ready to do murder.
But Vivian stopped him quickly. “Xavier, the key belongs to Arken now. I gave him my permission to keep it. Understand?”
Xavier stared long and hard at Arken, red eyes glowing from the shadows. A few times, his gaze flicked from Vivian, naked in bed, back to Arken, and his scowl seemed to deepen. Arken suspected that Vivian had not been completely honest about her relationship with the Wolven, after all.
For just a moment, Arken feared for his life. Now that he held the power of the key in his hands, he did not want to lose it. But what if he had been too careless? Perhaps he should have stayed with Vivian until sunrise, after all. And maybe he should have been a little more polite to the Wolven. But he had cared too little, too late.
“You don’t pay me not to kill,” hissed Xavier at last. “I promised Belazar blood.”
For a moment, even Vivian looked nervous. “Xavier...”
“Don’t worry.” Arken smirked back at the Wolven, his confidence returning. “You’ll get your blood soon enough, Xavier. I promise you that.” He settled his silk cloak around his shoulders and started forward.
Xavier’s hand wrapped around his throat, then thrust him against the wall. As soon as the cold stones slammed the last of Arken’s breath from his chest, Xavier tightened his inhuman grip around Arken’s windpipe and kept him from drawing another. A dry rasp was all that could escape Arken’s throat as his vision began to spin.
“Xavier!” yelled Vivian. “Mordin ata, int gan zubeten.”
The Wolven grunted with anger, then released Arken with a violent fling of his hand. The Wolven turned away as Arken struggled to catch his breath, as if to stare at Arken any longer would test the assassin’s resolve.