I shook my head, breathing hard through my nose. He was right. I did believe him. I shouldn’t but I did. “What does any of this have to do with my uncle?”
“Your uncle is sly. He’s no fool either, you should probably remember that. I don’t know exactly what his plans are here, but he won’t want you taking the throne from him. While you’re here, you’re a threat. Anika is his daughter by every law, and any child she has will be a legitimate heir, superseding any claim you might have. Marrying her to a foreign prince guarantees that you are out of the picture. He can live the rest of his life as king, unthreatened.”
I shook my head. “This is all just conspiracy theory. I’m not going to challenge my uncle for the throne.”
“Does he know that?”
“I’ve never wanted it,” I said, throwing my hand up in the air as I paced. “And he didn’t either. I’ve spoken to everyone I could about the time my father died. My uncle was devastated. His life of freedom and ease was at an end. He had sudden responsibilities.”
“Perhaps. But power goes to people’s heads.”
“That’s your answer? Power goes to people’s heads? Who are you, anyway? How would you know any of this? You’re younger than me.”
“But my father served your father. He knew these things. After your uncle took over, we were forced out, exiled. We’ve been living as brigands, waylaying royal deliveries for sustenance and funds. My father is dead now, too, but there’s one man who still lives from the old days. Your father’s last master of arms. Raul. You need to find him and train with him.”
I gritted my teeth. The things he was suggesting were treasonous. If my uncle really did want rid of me, he would only need to find out I was listening to this to have me hanged. But I couldn’t forget the look on his face when his guards were holding me back from Galen. Utter contempt.
“We will speak again,” I told him, and exited the cell.
In minutes, I was in the jailer’s office.
“My prince, did you get what you came for?”
I looked up as he spoke to me, and shook my head. “No. Sort of. Yes, I suppose. That man is not being executed. Not yet, at least.”
He looked troubled. “Sir, it’s not my place to say so, but it seems a cruelty to keep delaying a man’s hanging. He needs to know when it’s coming, so he can make peace, as it were.”
I nodded, thoughtfully. “You’re a compassionate man. I’m not sure he’s going to be executed at all. I’d like him moved to another cell.”
“Oh, um…” He cleared his throat. “All right, I’ll have Briggs move him at once. Any cell in particular, or…?”
“Do it yourself. Don’t tell anyone else. I’m not sure who I can trust. Make up some story about him attacking someone in the pub and nobody knows who he is. Dirty him up a bit. Or clean him up a bit. Whatever it takes to ensure he can’t be recognized. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. Well, no, not exactly…”
“Good man. I know I can count on you.”
I turned and walked back the other way, my thoughts tumbling over and over in my mind. Anika and I were betrothed before she was even born. Long before Prince Galen had any claim on her. It was my father’s wish. Would that make a difference in the eyes of the law?
Perhaps.
But in the eyes of my uncle, it might just be enough to condemn us both.
CHAPTER 13
Maksim
As I made my way back to the castle, my resolve hardened. I had to have Anika. She was mine, my father had even made promises. Who was this Prince Galen to take what already belonged to me? I would claim her. Right fucking now. And then there would be nothing anyone could do about it. Right through the main entrance to the castle, I hooked a sharp left into a secret passageway that was disguised as a closet door, and wound my way through the complex hidden maze that had sheltered my passion for so fucking long. It was only fitting that now, those same secret hallways would lead me to her, to take her as mine.
At fucking last.
Marriage was still out of the question, I knew that. There wasn’t a priest in the land that would marry us, related as we were by law and with her betrothed to someone else. But fuck the law and fuck the priests. I’d marry her in the old way, the real way. The only fucking way that mattered.
I was already hard, but the thought of her virgin blood on my sheets made my cock fucking throb. I’d take her maiden head, and present her as my bride by rights. And if at all fucking possible, I’d fuck my baby into her before the king and queen returned from their now-useless time spent negotiating a marriage that would never fucking happen.