The Gathering of Masters: The Bond Once Severed Book 1

27. Anger

"He remains in the Kingdom," the Spymaster told his Queen. Simyon knelt before the mighty woman, nervous about the consequences of delivering his report to his ever more unstable sovereign.

"This I knew." The Queen's tone was deceptively calm. Simyon did not trust it.

"Of course, my Queen, I apologize for stating the obvious." He remained bent over, not daring to look at her, and awaited her reproof.

"Continue." Her command surprised him, or the lack of further admonishment did.

"The King has taken him as a counselor, and he rarely ventures out of the palace."

"The one place we cannot get at him," General Lucius spoke now, bolder in his Queen's presence than any other. His position as the Assassins' leader was secure and rooted before they had lost so many other leaders.

"Yes, for now," the Queen granted. "What else have you learned of my Lukas?"

"He has ..." Simyon paused. He did not want to tell her this part. The Queen's unhealthy infatuation with the Mind Master was well known. He cleared his throat and began again. "Apparently, he has taken the youngest Prince as his new mate."

"Prince Theodore?" the Queen's voice sounded curious but not angry. The Spymaster did not dare look at her to see her expression; he knew it would be unchanged. Simyon barely remembered how beautiful he had once thought that face. When he had been a young servant in the castle, many of his fellow servants had stolen glimpses of the lovely Heir when possible. Then, her delicate features had been framed with soft brown curls, and her lips had always been curved in a smile. Simyon could not remember when he had stopped seeing that smile or hearing the easy laugh that often accompanied it. He had left for his training as a spy before the old Queen had died, but he remembered even then that the Heir had stopped smiling. When he had returned, the woman who he now served bore little resemblance to the beautiful Heir of his youth. His Queen was still beautiful but in a distant, cold way.

"Yes, my Queen," his answer timed perfectly to allow enough delay for further questions but not too long. Servants died when they took too long to respond to this Queen.

"Interesting," she answered. Then Simyon heard, from his bowed position, the Queen stand and walk over to him. "And of his old mate? Any news?"

"My spies have traced him as far as the mountains that border the Council Lands. These are thick with magic and hard for them to penetrate. I have lost several of my men in the attempt. One with some Earth magic made it the farthest and found signs of a Master." The Spymaster grew more fearful at the Queen's closeness, afraid he might join his predecessor soon.

"Ah, the Council has awoken; they have finally interfered. Good, then I can deal with them when I finish with the Kingdom," the Queen sounded pleased, and he heard her walk away from him again. "Rise, Spymaster, you have done well. Give the rest of your report to my Assassin. His men will finish where yours have left off. They will not have the difficulty with the Elements that your men do."

"Of course," Simyon felt he had been granted a boon. He still rose cautiously, careful to do nothing to offend the Queen, and only lifted his eyes enough to see the hem of her elaborate gown. He walked to the Assassin General and handed him the report Simyon's scribe had completed moments before the Queen had called the Spymaster to this room. Lucius, the Assassin, as the Queen called the general, looked at Simyon with something resembling respect. More than anything, this told him he had done better than the last Spymaster. Perhaps he would survive to his next briefing with the Queen.

"Oh," the Queen said as Simyon neared the door. His heart sank with dread that she would find some fault in him. "What happened to the girl? The one who built the cage?"