Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTLgZZ28Hn
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59Gbo2qeDa
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxFactdzLG
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWakcfHBeXE
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UxvQP78R6
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNBRebJ0KV
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cbM6P8kUk
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTiEeixjak
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDagoKNKUmF
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lzmUVLdoB
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MfHagAxJJ
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG58ytWapfL
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTAhcxECaH
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhaiXzRXIl
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7zyVnLUoA
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqaFd1o7wm
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInikr1eOXe
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYtnCGoXyI
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXAr3QpPvc
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxZ1SIfpJn
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclkMMCwYBO
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRKxIGXGmi
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQf5RnklpMF
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGFVCkNEZO
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1oUScxieN
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1OFyBvxUb
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cHlxH2FpD
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7NHm0JGFM
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycnu5xDz3O
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sZ39Ioavo
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5XKQiCpi5
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUi3k9TIME
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaw2t8MH762
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUD6lTmHxf
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkViIBXbnm
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPEujDrl72
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLUp1glFiu
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7lyrg8aqa
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeLAI9xy4w
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hTKGqtCfr
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFZioOsXVA
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdcWc07a0d
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeA9afscNLI
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcS7hG49o0v
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQonmGDxxA7
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlU9BwEZKOi
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcERqxbFotf
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFlYpOzCQh
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6MpmQkpdx
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5PL2HTSeh
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIGCX35dbh
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMeneq8omY
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMOOXRJRQl
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdTOFJog0s
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfv8A4PWIQ
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Z1fLHBdic
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh83U2EoSWh
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsceoWLbLY
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsCQR0g561
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18UjosIwAN
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMouAqjEC1Z
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVHmeZjRHA
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XifEoZhE6
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1reSyv0amp
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO22YHzT88T
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49T4cQiCyg
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2K0BaHMUcO
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnzR93UzUI
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjntDiNxax
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhopVSEkeiK
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQW4pQYfHY
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5ipeyoiMz
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLatbRNnG4
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGtiap8YS9
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ORmZe2Ec1
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQP5ifpiB0
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rLK6c1ByZ
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGjnlZa1Hj
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2X1CdKTxN
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Uc0ia0aIs
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsft46IMFz8
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTFSdTRbsq
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyjTtE2uPY
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYb1MelLV6
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbThj13zXU
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDr1Yy5eyG
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryM3zVFe06
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgam0jRXG7
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw5RIKagDM
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ip9DJjLHD
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUclTLm3k64
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdItP3uXVE
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPK3lVHI6C
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoveJsAlZCF
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLo3PdtwV2
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg7AXsGTDn
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YMhbDcgS1
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1XcfI4GfH
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IFz6POIOu
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCPatZTElN
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxe39Hpa4ME
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORYnOr9dBC
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuBkrkrOFr
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCUvFgKuIW
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZnN9TIRSo
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYyMvh74IA
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshxPf2v0yW
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPivVQSb1Gg
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUm6euZoPq
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrUKRWEfnl
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5L2hFNn7h
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWNVaZfRdW
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL02W3yWylu
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GSluKEsst
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfmN2x6ANb
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
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