Kingslayer Read Free Page A

level of hosting a political prisoner—almost. Darius didn’t really have a political mind—his deviousness lay in other areas—so he didn’t know what to make of all of this. Queen Tresea clearly expected something from him, but for the life of him, he couldn’t imagine what. A handy military advisor, perhaps? He couldn’t think of anything else.
    His mind toyed around with the idea for those two days, looking at it from every angle. If she truly asked him to be a military advisor for her country, would he accept?
    Darius had been serving in the Brindisi military since he was fourteen. The third son of a merchant family, he’d known early in life that if he wanted to eat, he’d best find an occupation early on. His family simply couldn’t afford to feed their seven children. Becoming a military man had been the simplest option available to him at the time. Looking back, he realized he actually had missed a few other trades, but he didn’t regret the choice. Fighting and strategy suited him perfectly. He’d been serving Brindisi for a decade and a half, now. And yet…he’d never felt particularly loyal to it. Protecting Brindisi had been a way to protect Arape, that was all. Any affection he’d had for the Sovran had quickly dissolved once he’d risen to the rank of general and been invited to the court. Seeing court politics in action had sickened and wearied him. Trading good men’s lives to keep those men and women in power…the balance didn’t even out, in his mind.
    He’d kept serving after that simply because he’d sworn to do so. But that oath lay invalid now, as Prince—now King Baros—had released him of it before ordering him to run. But where did that leave him? If Queen Tresea demanded an oath of loyalty from him, he could certainly give it. But did he even want to?
    Did it even matter what he wanted?
    His thoughts spun round and round without any resolution until the afternoon of the second day.
    He could hear the lock rattling as someone inserted the key and unlocked it. Only it was hours yet until the girl with his evening meal should arrive. Suddenly alert, Darius swung off his bed and gained his feet, eyes facing the doorway. Guards to take him somewhere? Someone else?
    The very last thing that he anticipated was for Queen Tresea to glide through the doorway.
    After a split second of frozen surprise, reflex took over. He glued his arms to his side and gave her a deep bow. “Your Most High Majesty, you honor me.”
    “My, how proper.” Her voice held the smoothness of a veteran politician, with no hint of what she really felt. “Please rise, General.”
    He did so cautiously, eyes studying her as intently as she studied him. She did not wear the purple of royalty today, but instead the amethyst blue of her nation. Aside from that, nothing from her appearance had changed since he’d last seen her.
    The door, to his complete surprise, closed behind her. He didn’t care how many soldiers were outside, putting her inside without any means of defense was stupid. He could snap her neck or take her hostage within seconds and no one in the hallway would be able to react quickly enough to stop him. And yet, this woman was not stupid. She had held out against the Brindisi Sovran for eight straight years without the proper amount of troops or reserves. That took more than courage—it took considerable intelligence.
    So why do something so senseless?
    “Your Most High Majesty, I think I and your guards would feel better if that door stayed open,” he stated as neutrally as he could.
    Her eyebrows quirked in an amused slant. “No doubt. But I do not wish this conversation to be overheard.”
    Meaning…whatever she was about to say needed to stay confidential? Why?
    “I have given you two days to think.” She gave every sign of being at ease. In fact, her manner would not have been out of place at a state dinner. “I have also taken this time to think. I realize now that it was folly to