A Beast's Tale

Chapter 59

My first thought when I awoke the next day was Ivetta, peacefully asleep in my arms as I carried her back to her room last night. Alive. All I could think about on that miserable ride through the freezing rain was seeing her alive and well, and I'd done that. She was okay.

Which led to my second thought. Somebody had tried to kill her, and they needed to pay dearly.

I dressed quickly, running through what I knew and what I guessed, my anger building with each passing moment. Nokto wouldn't have sent that note about a poisoning attempt he had already handled. There was more to this, and I needed to get the full report from him. The letter from Gilbert was undoubtedly a forgery. Clavis and Jin each had an extensive network of informants, and I would employ them to investigate the situation in Obsidian. But first, I needed to talk to Sariel. It was his responsibility to evaluate every invitation Ivetta received, every event she attended, every person she met. If he had done his job correctly, this whole situation could have been prevented.

He had better have a good explanation.

I skipped lunch and headed straight for his office, bursting through the door unannounced. His head snapped up from the documents on his desk.

"King Chevalier-"

"Give me one good reason not to kill you right now," I snapped, towering over him.

His smile widened in the face of my rage, and he opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a sheaf of papers.

"I'll give you twenty," he said smoothly, dropping them on his desk. "These are the invitations I declined due to unnecessary risk to her safety." He selected one from the top and handed it to me. "And I declined this invitation well over a month ago."

Typical of him to always be prepared with an answer. Not that I expected anything less from him. I scanned the document quickly, confirming the veracity of his words.

"Somebody altered her schedule."

"Yes, one of my...former servants. I have been discussing the matter with him all morning." The wicked gleam in his lavender eyes, combined with the distinct emphasis on the word 'discussing,' gave me a clear picture of his true meaning.

All morning. That meant Ivetta wasn't in her lessons.

One thing at a time.

"And?"

Sariel sighed and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "And we have a significant problem."

That was blatantly obvious.

"The emperor of Obsidian has established contact with several expatriated families that have resided in Rhodolite for quite some time, promising a restoration of lands and titles to whomever kills Princess Ivetta."

The silence following Sariel's words rang with Gilbert's warning about the emperor. The man wasn't just unhinged. He was clearly insane. Such actions were in clear violation of the treaty, punishable by a combined invasion from Rhodolite, Benitoite, and Jade.

And if Gilbert hadn't stopped him, that could very well mean that Gilbert was dead.

"How many?" I asked quietly.

"A dozen and counting." Sariel paused, and then he added, "I don't have to tell you what this means in regards to the treaty."

"I am aware of the implications, but we need more information before we declare war. If Gilbert is alive, he will undoubtedly resolve the matter for us."

"And if he is dead?"

If he was dead, the treaty was pointless, as was everything Ivetta suffered to bring it about. And more than a dozen people may be seeking to kill her, just to assuage a mad emperor who would rather see his nation torn apart by war than see her marry me instead of Gilbert.