Page 84 of Caroline the Cruel
When Caroline could hold it together long enough to speak, she said, “Good boy.” Then, “Open,” in a voice that she might use for a real dog. Hollis had no choice but to open his mouth so Caroline could plop the food into it. Tussling his hair, she turned back to the game she was sorely losing.
When she’d finally spent all the coins Hollis had bought in with, she tossed the gold on the table. “Looks like I’ve found something I’m beyond terrible at. But you all have been lovely. Tonight is on me.”
Before anyone could protest, she placed a hand on Hollis’s shoulder, and they vanished.
“I don’t know about you, but I had a fantastic time.” Caroline couldn’t help but beam at the former king.
“I hate you,” Hollis grumbled as they appeared back in the study in Kierengaard. Getting to his feet, Hollis stretched his limbs out. He’d spent hours in the supplicant position, and she imagined he must be terribly stiff.
“Me?” she said, in a mockingly demure tone. “But I thought you fancied me?”
Hollis flinched as she threw what he’d said the day he’d given her the idea. “Back to cell fifteen, I assume?”
“Only if you wish.” Caroline headed for the door.
”Is that where you took Chauvin?” Hollis dared.
Turning, she caught his eyes with her own flatly serious expression. “He’s dead.”
Hollis blanched, stumbling back a step. “You killed him?”
Caroline shook her head. “What did you expect, Hollis? For me to forgive and forget? Roll over like the weak and flippant woman you believe I am? I’ve been merciful to your family because of your brother, and I was attempting to start things without bloodshed between our families for once.”
“I haven’t killed you because you are a former king whosome peoplestill respect, and I still have use for you. I’ll send someone to take care of your cousin’s body. Next time, you might weigh the potential consequences before you fuck with me. Understand?”
Three different veins were bulging in Hollis’s beet colored forehead, but he forced himself to say, “Understood, Your Majesty.”
“Good boy. Don’t wander off too far. I wouldn’t want my asset to step in front of a carriage by accident.” Caroline winked before she turned and sauntered from the room, pleased with her first step toward breaking her former rival.
Chapter 19
“So,whatdoyoudo for fun, Caroline?” Jaden asked, scratching meaningless symbols into the margins of the parchment before him.
She raised an eyebrow at him from across the table. “Rule?”
“Dead Gods, you’re such a bore. What does my uncle even see in you except a nice pair of tits?”
Angus cleared his throat at his own spot at the furthest end of the table, but kept reviewing the treasury ledgers that had arrived from Veetula’s royal bookkeepers that morning when the queen and Jaden arrived in the war room in a whirl of her power.
Caroline looked down at her chest. “I’ve always thought they were rather small?”
“If I didn’t think Breicher would somehow find out, I’d offer to give you a free evaluation.” A wolfish grin spread across his face as he overtly stared at her chest.
She shot him a warning glance. “I dare you to mention his name again.”
Jaden shook his head vigorously and stuck his tongue out at the queen. He would not fall for that trick again. The last time he’d flaunted theirblossoming friendshipbefore her, she’d reminded him she was still queen and watched him, with the groomsman who was supposed to be doing the job, from a balcony sipping pink wine while he’d mucked the horse stables.
“Can we please focus?” Angus hissed under his breath.
“I amend my former statement: you two are quite the pair of bores,” Jaden said, leaning back in his chair so it balanced on the two rear legs.
“If you’re not going to contribute anything, I’d suggest you’d go find some castle girl to amuse yourself with,” Angus said.
“Don’t exclude the men, Angus. They deserve my attention, too. That new stable hand sure looked in need of someentertainment, didn’t you think?” He gave Angus a lazy smile. “And I’ve already told you what I think of your idea, and so has the queen, but you can’t seem to drop it.”
“It’s an absurd idea, Angus.” Caroline brushed the crumbs of a crisp bread she’d been munching on off the paper Angus handed her.
“Here me out. With the king…” he cleared his throat. “Formerking in exile, the people in Everstal are getting antsy. Your subjects in Veetula still fail to acknowledge the annulment, especially considering that you are allowing the prince to collaborate with Jaden implementing your policies in the outlying villages—a decision I cautioned against. There’s even a rumor that another assassination attempt might be in the works. So, the paper you are holding is a list of the most eligible men in the two kingdoms, with stars next to the ones from the north—which I think would make a better alliance. But you’re going to have to bed the man, so your pick.”
