Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYf8CKV1d1k
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUZUTKO9jf
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdfO8zfghg
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjS5u0BNus8
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtD6s9HkdIY
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqRdI4VDgl
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQC1Q9sd79
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5L9aDrTey
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgzikslbPx
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9hRKsaw0c
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pz2WyLZ8l
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvB8ZDm6MYi
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTdYkrFYya
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5py7wgcLU
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUVVwkE8v5
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpD50GvN5fS
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2mGbWcNwR
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiNhHWapZs
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQS6hZKN7Lm
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOK8pdWWKg
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ265ZoQyEX5
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3z6GBc6iQ7
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRjqXsutN1
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IEROIGgVD
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziFeMAMAxh
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH51QaFacAR
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWgEK6nYCB
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaM05RplOA
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpmOWlEAmb
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gAO5pvC53
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7Ef6GDljY
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaA8sqP11X
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ek22IY7Ms
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OXkaDD4dC
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDRPVGpwQU
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq57k7TnWZq
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CYu66aDwv
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpuaodxyDc
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HdnYkl48h
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDl4rndZlY
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4r1cJV1znM
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmpMOJw5yt
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDWtyIEiUe
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EKRTtzcYj
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGBM2FyWLz
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkq8fhomls
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsQQFBxoTk
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC19B6qvQVc
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5KHTi7qz8
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCgeULl1o3
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pxooSQhh2
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQ0SmX8NnT
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLK1UxkSR0
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVZdJv2gE2
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ6L80M1fx
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt0X0adnLf
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGCXuyuQI2
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Giben6JrI
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfoI5YUDkE
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFL9zj9J6Tl
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OSTtcpm4C
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzJMZMltVS
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVJXic63sD
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrvLMILZei
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJur18U2amR
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGz6lcgcbi
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9wFNNnps2
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPMOYGTnJq
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj32L3oPibk
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOGXHoXGnO
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcdcX00I0M
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YjAkpYqW0
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FHMDFKLMM
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIWY1MBBwp
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ap1P2RA9i
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCKBh3eEXx
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04mdyJK0Jj
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8BFS01bic
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0WgrGwMzZ
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4P11fzV7k
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ86BkqLcO
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1RVZf68oK
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8Py0JyJJt
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuR8NBZX4O
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBvd3ykQKy
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLpRyxAh3j
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkNbvA9mRx
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakOSCvqXQE
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0UFcXAwwE
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOGTU7gpML
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57qFpfKXPR
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nF8KDxrh1
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdg6nn6P5Nv
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaWGYlA33T
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRy3biZvHJG
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG74hAZyW6
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzM58kjbHQ5
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUkNHsQHiF
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LHysYTE7g
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAkuKix47z
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjySkKZXJ2y
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotPD5aApxZ
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eFXIcblqk
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYbX75M3uy
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfJ6sD9Dvn
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8xx56D7IZ
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJN9dlqGQN
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1yCR08mL5
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1bOXIMz6u
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWHGbE0rdu
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgN6HPTP0c5
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpsO3bRHr8
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJOZ3fODei
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYG0qzMp2Ro
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early79Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6IQfq1fGX
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
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