*THIS NOVEL IS A SEQUEL TO WILD CARD & CANNOT BE READ AS A STANDALONE*
There is a legend that one in four royal advisor-mages will betray their monarch, overthrow them for power.
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Gwenore, the new Queen of Acewood, is on a throne most would kill...
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I whisked out of the ballroom, desperate for air. Out in the hallway, with guards staring at me as if I were about to be ill, I realized I might have been better off storming onto the ballroom's terrace. But then I recalled how overcrowded it was.
Also, too close to where I'd last spotted Astrida.
My face overheated, my forehead covering in sweat.
It was all too much; being told Gwenore was going on an impromptu mission, and that she was commandeering Ysac to go with her. And only Ysac; no one else to accompany them, watch their rear, provide protection.
And they expected me to stay here and wait?
I'd seen Otho's cruelty. Witnessed Luned's lunacy. Experienced Jack's snarling revulsion. Letting Gwenore venture out of the castle, risking bumping into one—if not all three—of those monsters...it didn't sit well with me.
And less so if she was forcing Ysac into that risk, as well.
I hunched against the wall, sucking in deep breaths. Luckily, no one was out here but a few soldiers guarding the doors, and they'd already lost interest in me. I wasn't a threat; just an overwhelmed foreign prince who needed a moment to gather his bearings.
I'd lost too much recently. Mother, Father, Mother again. I'd said goodbye to my old, comfortable life. Now I stood to lose Ysac, too, and only seconds after coming to terms with my love for him?
It wasn't fair. Queen Gwenore's thirst for vengeance would get many killed in the process. I understood it, I did, but at what cost? How much was she willing to sacrifice for this?
I wasn't willing to sacrifice as much.
I sucked in air and huffed it out, keeping my head tucked between my knees, my behind hovering over the ground. I surely looked a fool, but this was the best way to regulate my breathing.
Of course I understood where Gwenore was coming from. I wanted those three horrors exterminated, too. They'd tormented my mother. They'd lied to this kingdom I now considered home. They were criminals with too much magic in their veins, too many reasons to tear the realm down.
But why didn't Gwenore see the value in being patient? She'd get her revenge; the advisors would assure it. They wanted to off Otho, too, after all; he betrayed them, as well as the kingdom.
Why wouldn't she wait for the Aces to ensure the security of Acewood before she traveled off on a whim?
As I slid back up to my full height, scrubbing my face, I sensed a gentle touch on my shoulder.
I jerked to the side to find a pair of violet eyes and a down-turned set of lips I loved to kiss.
"Teo," whispered Ysac, seeing my surprise at his arrival, lifting his palms in peace. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
