Amaskan's Blood by Raven Oak (best self help books to read TXT) 📕

against the cushion. How Margaret maintained her smile all day long through such boredom was a mystery.

It wasn’t that guarding the princess was exhausting—watching and waiting was something Adelei excelled at, something she’d done over and over again for many jobs over the years. But the constant boredom of moving through social circles—greeting, gossiping, greeting again, and smiling—it was enough to drive her insane.

An entire day of doing nothing. How could anyone live like that? Her eyes closed as she soaked up the fire’s heat. Princess Margaret had retired for the night. After seeing her rooms were secure and safe, Adelei had shooed out the handmaidens and settled down to wait for her guest.

Now the real job begins—figuring out who is after royal blood. In the meantime, the rest will do me good. Adelei focused on her breathing and allowed her body to release stress with each exhale. One ear listened for changes in the suite’s normal sounds while the other tuned out. She fell into an unsteady trance. Wish I could afford the time for a deeper meditation, but I’ll take what I can get.

The footsteps outside the door shifted from the guards’ normal pacing to a lighter step and then silence as they stood still. Adelei waited for the knock to announce the Lady Millicent. It wasn’t the lady who entered as expected, but King Leon.

Adelei was still seated when he walked through the door, though less casually once she recognized the footsteps as much heavier than a woman’s. She bolted upright. “I’m expecting a visitor any moment now—”

“I asked the Lady Millicent to give us a few moments.” He claimed the seat across from her and winced as he settled into it. “Captain Fenton tells me your mere presence has ruffled a few feathers, especially Margaret’s. How went today? Did you perceive any threat?”

Adelei sighed and rubbed her temple with long fingers. “Many, Your Highness, though none I’d care to name just yet.”

He gestured for her to continue, and she reported on the many instances throughout the day where guards were derelict in their duty or areas of the castle that were too exposed or open to being breached. “Worse still is that Her Highness has no idea of the precariousness of her life, or care for guarding herself. She claims to have had some self-defense training, though I saw no evidence of it this morning when we… approached the issue.”

“When you chucked a candle at her spoiled rotten head, you mean.” King Leon half-laughed, half-coughed his way to his next breath. “Yes, I heard about your attempts to instill some sense of self-preservation in her. Good on you to establish order early on. Something I never learned to do with her, sadly. Tell me though, what does Lady Millicent want with a visit to an Amaskan?” Wrinkles decorated his forehead, frowning in sync with his lips.

“Former Amaskan.”

“Does that bother you?”

She kept her muscles still, but her toe twitched despite her efforts. “Yes. Would it matter to you if you found yourself suddenly not king?”

A genuine smile lit up his face. “Not at all. I would enjoy the leisure, I think. So what does the lady want with a… former Amaskan?”

“She believes the alliance between the Shadian family and your own is a trap.”

“It is.”

His answer startled her, though she supposed it shouldn’t have. Any king worth his weight in gold would be well aware of such traps. Such is the risk in alliances.

“Then why go through with it? If you’ve proof of such a trap, why not go before the Boahim Senate and cry foul?”

“If I had such proof, I would, but I have nothing more than conjecture. My hope is that in your search for our assassin, you’ll find me proof enough to call off the wedding.”

Adelei nodded. “I’ve nothing yet, but with hope my conversation with Lady Millicent will give me what we need. She knows something, something important. I just have to gain her trust enough to hear it.”

“Good,” King Leon said, his body rocking slightly with his nodding head. “Iliana—”

She held up a finger to her lips. “Adelei. Even in this room, it has to be Adelei.”

“But—”

“Your Majesty, if I’m to protect Margaret, there can’t be anything to use as a weapon, do you understand? I can’t be… who you want me to be, nothing that can be used against you. I must be who you hired and nothing more.” Her voice shook at the end as an internal voice whispered, Coward. Hiding behind an excuse.

No, she answered. Emotions are a weakness.

And if you had to admit to yourself that you’re curious about this father? That you remember… something? That you want to remember more? That would be a weakness? You’re hiding.

“Ili—Adelei?” asked King Leon. He leaned close enough for her to smell the roast pig on his breath. “Are you well? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m tired. Too long in the saddle.”

Another excuse. Another lie.

Her father touched a finger to her cheek long enough for her to blink twice before withdrawing it. “I-I wish we had more time to speak. I’ve missed you…” The knock at the door startled them both, and Adelei leapt up.

A guard stuck his head inside, nodding by way of his apology. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, Your Majesty, but Lady Millicent still waits to see Master Adelei. Would you like her to return another time?”

“No, no, we’re finished,” said King Leon. All traces of her father washed from his face in a moment. “I’ll leave you to your business, Master Adelei.”

Outside the door, Lady Millicent bowed low to the King as he passed. She strode inside with a raised brow and shut the door behind her. “Interesting company to keep so late in the evening.”

While the lady seated herself, Adelei gathered her composure. Her mask had fallen—just for a moment as her father had reached out to her. A weakness. Lock it away, shut it down. Such a conflict couldn’t exist. Shouldn’t exist.

“Tell me about this prince.”

“He’s a