Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8adC3a9GvO
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKaXwKdXBR
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeM0U16EWG
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8WEfjyPmM
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQifTj8qnz
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PXhPihKgr
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbzdrQOu3P
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1SJEIEWJs
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWdimqKMJB
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38az50SrqD
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOkyKcc72v
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwUudoonX9
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHc4eGwdg5g
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85uShuBgRD
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9GOwrINAj
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20DJ1dey5l
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvzAEYTSyx
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YwRAGXhTF
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYBZbiY87V
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WUDi6xcE7
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Tl9jU6Oqk
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPumDZpyfV
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuDC3JxI3q
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYANxys9g83
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYmTYeChwW
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXW8iaB5WgI
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEwgIoxKNC
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hlWbHLt4J
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrMm2cAahS
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVcgsC7ZUk
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PmG81i9sg
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjwXdpBHSp
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwteZZBMvLQ
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeD87PLfaSq
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97w96Gm6To
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi1WiHsCVs
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOfEjHoVTR
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGD4MSMzuzl
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsaTkHPpMI
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGJv2tKB48
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFk3P6G754
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJ1I11I5eM
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzI1Ufl3Vd
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QB2kAusP5
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7xurWUYN7
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMmbLxxf3W
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooe9M3SyF7
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqxRuQm5Pe
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimCSWKEm5P
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wxPcCjIDY
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1inHmU2zu2
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IdP9k9gJO
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GPjkoiQre
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnqnkeBvDc
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGi1p3BPLr
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfXhCwP4QF
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrYeCmVpid
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jNjy46PC6
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmT49uq0Fe
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtLDyTFGHS
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6yVya6Cbk
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi01ntXQ9A8
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXHkBWsQDs
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmH6eQJUMUZ
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLziwtU2ul
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIm0z2JrYxl
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2zGLhsMrR
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoyZz6Il38
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwsCB1VxTS
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcSiJHontP
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvS8l96wmB
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZOQWaNf7b
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWe2mv9PgAy
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSJ5EXY5Sn
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DZSITTQtq
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaJHOhSTo7
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qOdOQuQfQ
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjWym018KB
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrADeZfJMc
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInblkg4jYE
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjkEhmUzax
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfU4F7rpevb
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrZj7IO5jA
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxg73yl9CR
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RkmaHWjcO
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4obbDYfxvj
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8LBmdNWWn
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Flof6RoR7
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHN8sl76A4Z
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SeLatK4yq
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5b6Gk7YT9
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDh7IsFeB9r
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIoyDmpSMu
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYCA2UvHv8
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpZZWX95yd
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWQ6UvgHHe
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lc7wsMTlv
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsywD418Sb
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy4VKHWtax
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOKSadq0Nm
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6X4cE8PN7v
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxtujJjuqn
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5ELeOIr6Y
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMSTGAPcKI
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrtHoa3rxR
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSk6cZeLAta
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpFZZDISup
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vSKbHegjq
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb18VjZIGJc
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡih43NO8eDb
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFSQO1iGyy
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXa00htxMXt
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmp6jdilOK
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwZ5qiqpli
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tqTJkRxs7
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
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