KINGSLAYER

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Despite the glass in his hand, he sobered, bowing his head in a way that made me fear his already precariously perched crown would fall. "In all the excitement, I forgot to address your promotion to Queen. I also failed to give my condolences for your lost family. The day the news of the massacre reached my throne room was a somber one. Though I was more than pleased to hear you made it out alive."

"You have my thanks. But we must not soil the mood with unfortunate happenings of the past."

Khan set his glass down on the table. "Instead, we will soil the mood with the story of how we got here." The alcohol was already lightening his attitude.

The King grinned. "That's the spirit. Tell me this story. I am certain it's a good one."

"Khan and I are working together to find Seifer Daggen, my family's murderer," I began, still avoiding looking in the mercenary's general direction. "He has plans to finish me off next, ridding the world of our imperial bloodline. On the way to Navrika, his home, my ships were looted by pirates, setting us severely off course. We were nearly killed by a band of thieves and half drowned getting across the channel, but we have made it this far. I am now lost in a foreign country leagues from my home. This leaves it relatively unprotected against the threat no one knows exists."

Blinking, Lorenzo said, "Color me unsurprised. I would expect nothing less from you. What does this Seifer Daggen have in his arsenal that is so deadly to Oceana?"

His question made me hesitate. Lorenzo was one of the few people I still had a scrap of trust in, but I could never be sure about who was listening...

"Ah." He caught on. To his guards, he said, "Leave us."

Only once they exited did I speak. "He has hired assassins. And men rallied against Oceanics. As well as... Are you familiar with Draven's locket?"

"Am I ever." He rolled his eyes. "With the amount of times my mother recounted the story of His downfall, she seemed to think I was a child of the God of Evil Himself. I may have been wild, but never a Draven-worshipper. Why do you ask?"

I broke the news all at once. "Daggen is looking for the artifact, wishing to take the power inside it for himself. I must find it before he uses it to kill his way to my throne."

Lorenzo's eyebrows raised high enough to disappear behind the hair hanging over his forehead. "Good Gods, Jaylah. And here I thought you were only rebelliously escaping from your royal duties."

"Far from it. I only mention it to ask whether you know anything more about it."

"Unfortunately, I do not. I would offer you a meeting with my advisors if your safety wasn't tied to remaining anonymous. Though I can get you access to the royal library, my grandparents were insistent on burning anything having to do with Draven. Religious fanatics, you know the type."

"She is the type," Khan broke his silence to say.

The King snorted. "Be that as it may, I refuse to allow you to leave empty handed. I will have all texts relating to the artifact brought to you."

I inclined my head. "I will not forget this stroke of kindness, Your Majesty. When I return to my people, know that I will send aid to Ition whenever you find need of it."

He leaned back on the couch. "It seems conflict is inevitable in Oceana. If war arises, you have Ition's support."

That put a rare smile on my face. I had hardly come here with the intention of improving foreign relations, but this was better than I expected. An ally. A real, trustworthy ally.

Lorenzo's attention shifted to Khan, who was watching our conversation with a significantly less bitter expression than before. "You know, Alexander, if you weren't indentured to the Queen, I may have asked you to join me here. The Gods know we could always use another pretty face."

Though there was no way Lorenzo knew of Khan's past, I internally cringed at his word choice. Predictably, Khan's eyes narrowed as he said, "I am not indentured to her."

"Well, you're certainly not together. I know that for certain." His dark eyes slid to me. "I expect you only go for Princes and Kings. Your tastes were always expensive."

"Are you suggesting the most powerful woman in the south should go after anything less?"

"Of course not," he replied, playing along. "But I have no such standards." With that, he gave Khan a meaningful glance.

Being sure I was watching, Khan leaned away from me, toward the King. "Perhaps it's time I raise my own standards and work alongside a much more...friendly royal." His words came a beat slower, and through a thick accent.

Lorenzo's smile grew, though he said nothing to risk offending me. "I could never take you from your Queen."

"Trust me, it's not a problem."

"You are not getting out of this, Khan," I said.

"See? A shame," Lorenzo said, patting Khan's hand before getting to his feet. "Unless you two wish to spend the night with me, I have rooms set aside for you."

I glanced to the open windows at his back, which showed the darkening sky over the city below. "That would be lovely."

"Come this way," Lorenzo said, starting for a side passage. "No one will catch a glimpse of you."

Both Khan and I stood simultaneously. We shared a second-long glance and for the first time, I knew exactly what he was thinking. I doubted I could ever forget.

Neither of us said anything more.