Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjawk1gm3s8
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghWc9SlWOW
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8OY6Vfy42
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CTA7IQaPn
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JqTRo9KbK
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZZMCmDwRQ
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQcmf4ABNm
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HGBcPBZby
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡva1brTINV8
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLH8xjCjnKp
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89MEgU3HhJ
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR0YYKijv4
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqoHQsq76A
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINjpOu3ADL
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRz5wnWryt0
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6c77PsSLH
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtecvS46wE
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKDpctBWaj
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaX0vo6wFp
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIDBnZiXPj
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6CUMGTpqx
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CxkcplDuH
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zshBPUaRC
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRB0weKpq0
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YuG7pvECk
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiURgqBnX5
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJrgkBqPnA
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZnmCkZ1QT
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2KQSZPQCX
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH69h7NLff
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGOHLXWLkW
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVwfIjRSow
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqj3GPjdTN7
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHaRwqqouQ
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbR7LmtS0Ay
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApOBAG3eDT
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqdmLkayGP
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNfQeAMUfa
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnAWekTUEL
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoymtNYzB8
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFv7tJoVUvI
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYvLinAsQF
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAjBuM6U5x
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qxJHnxLhl
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJM86B7Q5g
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgnd8zmj6S
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJuA84obSW
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF4MBsnzQs
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7icICNjnV
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGj4YksYMf
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aDtzqVCYn
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gsOH77GMm
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtZiegampS
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapmmPDAFMl
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8k9vcnR9c
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUA5zXU0N9
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeQoWCvFyS
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2d7Ni085np
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp5n1b2Tmn
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORcvX1l14i
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxM0fw8WXJt
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGNTiMznee
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH69BKNX1fq
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpfIIKo4kW
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwD18VEohup
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabThANDyt3
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxxheEvyZE
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbw3Tub45eE
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJLO3qG6nS
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCb24BI7Xa5
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbty78oZTny
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjEUfThiJi
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31fCmhDILg
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kOQK2vIXj
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniQytTwsJm
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkrJLxdoFI
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCGv4SimlL
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseN6WHXhVv
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXbiIGmaWG
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXo5lCIoUj
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpto8Z8F6lY
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgw5oCg0Svc
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWO0PfFh3g
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBbuLj2CkG
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtoiH8yHws
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZzfg4wvqn
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94iKLjsYUr
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuYthMWc8b
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalc3BKpuxf
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HkKGGTG42
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNA8fQSgpoe
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BjJM5BW5j
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPS2WQ86S8
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLUVPGv7fR
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP5Jo3u1il
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzniKM75l1k
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lQRG3XesK
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAkMSHmdhY
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqSdNgTSH3
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwqOkCYvYj
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pnB9putHY
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14J2EeBtwP
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbyGpaTETz
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSwHgyG8mI
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScEzUv7SP9
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0cSm2IjCR
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIZFXj8WOh
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInsuQolwXU
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjteuwbl8rI
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOmO4QTc5k
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGrVssc8l3
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLhWw7uHJM
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5Knvp17QV
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1s5HQFTsJ
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkhlzTrjc0
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
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