Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlYPuv5895
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt58FH90jT
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTegWnzNnF
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgbRvMFhnZ
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdswUOHbiR4
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjah0rLAFhh
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMfeqJ5Xw8
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUkfxh8QBY
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKwEH4m1i6
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kNnAs7xM5
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbThokumnp
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaSLKI4kzm
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLE2vdzzKQ
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WXwMfpjxE
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvKfVE45KS
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILHTFnyfQ0
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7osfcbHUnL
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6fEptpygQ
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXL9kBqjRr
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kAPJbAUjs
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtHiC4XNkS
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq3X7li1w4
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjlLLuZW62
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2TFK7ax3S
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6EEJrzu6U
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4l6gXZcc0a
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCNek9cxI7
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3oQZ3GfmP
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkBMO7AiEd
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkQS4WcLCj
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6igOzN5KNA
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC46s0epPtO
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XD4BTUSGe
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdV94DAWd4E
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmMptFeoNs
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0pRMsTNqo
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E6jCp00rJ
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxgOcXuNZo
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWd4jFJsdO
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxk8LDnu0k
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP9d4gD0Ck
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQ90yq6OOe
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrh9zGWdqEU
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVYuDCLvA5
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCFQjCYCre
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXfN1k4iWQ
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbarzXsxl3v
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZzhRJnH7a
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBO5geKVpA
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGhRpLEGrl
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDLSR3nl2j
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwnPwZeAq3
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgsamC9tho
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlN7vvysG7G
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJBKHxs6FF
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygdcswaRJZ
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbIHZmxtI1
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvYHkjhVD0
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEumJf2KFan
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrf5c1Tg59Z
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvPjoRWvnw
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaj1HUBxt2
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmzTBKtWnh
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnBL64iWKq
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9Uorxjt8r
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBqGD8l7xp
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrCWSt6vDb
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqneXF7RyPo
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fxWoMDNEv
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDC4O109yZ
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluWO5oteVv
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwlW0EuBdn
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPa7E8yUpT0
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0droWgIYn
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKZOudQAKe
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumE2jQIPQJ
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWswaCXjc5
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEfSHdZ1OU
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5CmMAvUy3
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPcEJ5xJji
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzngHPv6ok
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MMVxxBMUx
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwf8A2ykLsF
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWt1HkJ2DP
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueh7oaFRdO
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uSrAR1Ie6
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODkLBmQxzx
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT99P9ws1I5
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViXQ3bw93Z
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaNzSfve4O
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjpKwkUXgi
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjjmgmCvkH
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlC4W5yzRe
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFEBA5oEtM
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32fBv1dQsq
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjR1bVyfdw
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDwk9jgPbq
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiviClGeXdP
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWDSXw7TrQ
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxW1hZRHDd
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUKAIUew7L
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrelYN3QD6t
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8e1YVBJmm
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7B2dMn1fxg
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKOgdOgm9p
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORdwseT5Oq
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfTPJybx21
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExiN6zn5wl
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lFQdOHFxm
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP1lPt5Pzf
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkE4oE3FZXb
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpqbjuoUyn
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQXfFmBAWD
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyfNDr0SZM
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiqfqDBopr
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
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