A Beast's Tale

Chapter 33

 "Prince Chevalier," Sariel greeted me when I walked into my office. "I have an important matter to discuss with you."

"Not important enough for me to let him disturb your private time in your bedroom, King Highness," Nokto said, rising from his seat on the corner of my desk as I rounded it and took my place in my chair. "Not at this time of the day."

I ignored his smirk and the implication accompanying it. "Clavis and the spy are missing."

The widening of Sariel's lavender eyes was almost imperceptible. "Yes. If I may ask, how did you know?"

"A single Obsidianite assassin attacked me yesterday evening. Clavis isn't here right now. I assume the guards recall nothing except an odd smell before they lost consciousness?"

Sariel nodded. He smiled a thin, mirthless smile. "That hellcat has gone too far this time. I already have men searching for him, and when they bring him back here, he will not find it so easy to evade my questions."

"You are assuming he is a traitor."

Sariel raised an eyebrow. "Do you have another explanation?"

Nokto frowned and tilted his head to the side.

"There are numerous possible explanations, two of which are more plausible than the rest," I began. Not a word of it was a lie. "Your theory about him being a traitor is one of them. Do you not find it odd that one man attacked me?"

"That's been bothering me," Nokto said. "Nobody's stupid enough to send only one man after you."

"Then it is possible your attacker was a diversion. Is that what you're suggesting?" Sariel asked.

I nodded. "If so, this was well-planned and on a larger scale than it appeared, meaning finding the person or persons behind it with all haste is even more imperative. Clavis could have easily taken advantage of his reputation to assist in the spy's escape, intending to locate the source of the problem and bring the information back here." Again, not a lie.

Sariel frowned. "I suppose that's possible, although I find it hard to believe."

"Believe what you will. Your priority now is to educate Belle so that she can make the best decision at the end of Beauty's Time, yes? Leave my fool brother and foreign affairs to me."

Nokto crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a bookcase, smirking. Sariel sighed and pushed his thin-rimmed glasses up his nose.

"Very well, but I would appreciate it if you kept me informed about this and the situation with Benitoite."

"I told him about Silvio," Nokto interjected. "I figured he should know, since he is the king's regent and all that."

"Before I go, when would be a good time for Belle to speak with you?"

When she could muster the courage to walk into my presence and ask me herself. But she and Ivetta were well on the way to becoming friends, and if Ivetta determined I was snubbing Belle, I might be in for further admonishment.

"Tomorrow," I relented.

"Thank you. I'll be in my office most of the day should you receive news regarding that hellcat's—I mean, Prince Clavis' whereabouts."

Nokto chuckled as Sariel left. "It's hard to believe Clavis used to follow him around like a duckling. So, I hear you received a new proposal. Mind if I look at it?"

I opened the offending desk drawer, which was on my left, and handed him the top envelope with my left hand. That was easy enough, but if he didn't have business to attend to elsewhere, continuing to hide my right hand from him would be difficult until I could go back to my room for my spare gloves. "Go ahead."