Page 56 of Caroline the Cruel
He and Jaden made quick work of the rest of the petitioners, and he was a little thankful Caroline hadn’t been in attendance today. The client who’d beaten up the prostitute for demanding payment had been particularly grisly. The moment he’d seen her blue-and-purple eye, his blood had heated. That was the type of thing that made Caroline go on the offensive.
She was eager to put in place the many new laws she’d enacted in Everstal in Veetula, but she’d done it over ten years. Change took time. He and Jaden crafted a punishment that would have made Caroline proud and hit the man where it hurt. The woman left with a promissory note that had her beaming, and Breicher imagined she was headed straight to the treasury to transfer her debt to her wealthy abuser, plus a little extra for her trouble. His name would be sent to the brothels, and he’d be banned for one year. At that time, his behavior would be reassessed by thequeen.
When they’d finished, he left the chapel through a corridor behind the dais. Footsteps he recognized as Jaden caught up to him. “How much trouble do you think we’re going to be in with father this time?”
He huffed a laugh. “Well,shewasn’t here, so hopefully, not that much.”
“I don’t see why he cares. It’s not like he ever enjoyed ruling, or was any good at it,” Jaden said.
“You forget, it was your father’s plan that brought down King Thom. Hollis has a mind for strategy.”
Jaden snorted. “Military prowess and an ability to plot a successful string of murders doesn’t make you a good king.”
“Awfully high handed for one so young, don’t you think, Prince Jaden?” Breicher raised a brow at the younger man as they walked along.
“Your future wife is my age and took the crown at fourteen if the stories are to be believed. Built back her kingdom, pushed us out and enacted a slew of new laws by the time she was my age.”
Breicher shook his head. “Fair point. Still, Hollis has lived his whole life being groomed to be king. Taught that loyalty should be valued above all else and that his word was the law. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to see things differently.”
Jaden paused and wrinkled his brow at his uncle. Why did his uncle care so much about what his father thought? Breicher stopped to face him and waited patiently for the thought that was brewing in his mind. Jaden squared his shoulders and said, “Then what are you going to do about it?”
Breicher’s mouth turned down into a half-frown. “Nothing, Jaden. There’s nothing we can do. You did well out there today, you know.” His uncle patted him on the back and kept walking.
“We made a good team, uncle,” Jaden said, before he took the next hallway he came to. Gods, it was disappointing. Though his uncle was only ten years older, after everything he’d experienced, he’d expected more from him. Granted, he’d made an assassination attempt on a notoriously brutal queen and survived. That would understandably shake a man’s confidence. It didn’t excuse his complacency, though. They had a duty to their people. Jaden was also an heir and a prince. If his uncle was going to ignore him and be content to live in a state of denial, he’d find a way to make things happen himself.
Jaden was about to pull his hair out, it was all so futile, when a crisp wind blew through the war room the four Veetula royals were arguing in. Angus and Caroline materialized in a swirl of angry air right in front of the door.
“You’re in pants,” Jaden said, cocking his head to the side, then immediately zeroing in on the injured commander.
“Caroline—” Breicher gasped. “Whose blood is that?”
“I was ambushed!” Caroline said, holding up her hands to keep him away. Surveying the room, she locked on Hollis, who was repressing a grin, and Agnes, inching toward the door, ready to flee.
“Did you do this?” she demanded, storming over, and getting into Hollis’s face, blocking Agnes’s path.
“Nooo—I may have had a little too much winter’s sin and suggested that it would be possible to some old, very loyal subjects. But…” His father wrestled for control against Caroline’s compulsion. “I did not order them to act. And I warned them of the consequences,Your Majesty.”
His father’s eyes peeled open as her hand flew lightning fast through the air and struck his cheek. Agnes screamed and plastered herself against the nearest wall.
“Get out,” Caroline yelled. “Before I kill you both.”
“Me too?” Jaden asked, his voice a little sheepish.
Caroline whipped her head in his direction, and he swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. “Stay for all I care,” she hissed. “I know you’ll be listening through the door if I don’t allow it. At least this way you’ll get the story right.”
Using the distraction, his mother and father fled from the room, the door snapping closed behind them.
She spun and charged toward Breicher, shoving a finger in his face. “I will end your brother, I swear to all that is holy, if you don’t get a handle on him.”
Breicher’s skin went ashen, but the queen wasn’t finished.
“I am this close—” She held up two fingers. “—to driving a dagger into his heart myself. People unnecessarily died today because of the seeds he’s been planting. If it happens again, I will hold the entire Ivanslohe line responsible, starting with you.”
The future king didn’t speak or move. Was she compelling him? Then, as if it pained him, Breicher’s hands went to her cheeks, smoothing out the hair that was still sticky with blood with such care. He nodded. “I’m sorry this happened, Caroline.” Were his eyes glowing? An Ivanslohe’s eyes only glowed when their power was thrumming through them at full strength, either in the heat of battle or when they were—ew! Then, as if responding to Breicher’s, rings of luminescent silver reflected back.Get a roomis what he wanted to say.
Instead, Jaden circled nearer to get a better view of this fury driven queen. This was the cruel, unleashed woman he’d heard so much about. “I’ll deal with him,” he said, surprising himself. It took everything he had to still himself as Caroline turned to him, her eyes glinting in a way that was all at once a challenge and a threat.
“Are you sure you’re up for it, prince?” she asked, a taunt dripping from her voice making his insides quiver.
