Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFCC4VaYHx
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qFsRXLCpH
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPPLpxDzTp
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaYss4wJOF
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7juaH3fkH
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MDCeN3cJA
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcaBXOx25j
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IxHsu7MMF
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEtApVPZ6b
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs10vh5EGYK
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEIAj5B2ja
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOiJ0JL9Hv
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfThk8bi26N
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CuRSTAxdn
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUasgnLoye
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibmgQZaU7e
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSKtVtOl1r
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2A6saiZu2f
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUDPLHvqvm
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIJC8hShjI
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebt7cAlpNj
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEep9l6gwhu
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiWMp1fpJn
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QTtz1uvJv
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3mFLtROIr
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Jucowqfu8
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bjbBKW5h7
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6hZwzZXua
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78heH3OvyJ
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqL6uAoGNp
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGiGGiMIc0
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzngQfuTWhE
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwa299si7QO
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivboZwbE7f
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8v9c7zZ61
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGbmxVmm11
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkJL0M0Y4b
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWW7WQOLJa
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkaFzUSkqk
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnWUZz4C5l
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6PWVDsG6u
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BYMqZxybC
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJv0nsF32aF
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpa6vu9dfZF
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAF98cYlmlW
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Nvcgp9woc
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdf1KUlvm8G
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtaipH0y18
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljCJZ6tDfL
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PCKNKVVNu
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjOTsJK3g7
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAe9pyenakD
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdPTgJLhjV
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKesLdjlWi
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgpeEZuPid
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPw9zyvyWW
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPZHTnfJlb
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX97mL5V6BB
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo1WOSCHNE
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvxD6vuKVy
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzT8B4qWIzi
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5hqLVRFyb
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNA2kGCfZr
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0ZmSeQh0R
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9T2h1E080E
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoV1dsXlgl
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7urbKmrxN7
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6evESWg06n
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFim5FZCkWH
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLySgxfifPV
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhec3W2Goz
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkasal2fky
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1MudgRyZY
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgSwWeaSZn
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkhDzugOQA
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlEGqB7ryJ
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3NZ7cn3y6
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJ4gQLvGIB
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznJD8rWJEi
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzVr0fbuvN
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUd8UiD9Kr2
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglfZ4qZJ6r
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAadmS0btTe
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSiKKgNGKt
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0KnD9Q59m
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCjFUYq0l9
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lifoJUIwc
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2erVO6vNSm
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQB8WBgHukP
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNXhLWjtjJ
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQYPLVh1ZC
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuIOR0xXfj
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1oFSNLdWH
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTi0uSodRN
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zSBqGevbc
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRROcdxtmGK
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQIAEiUC1z
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Jdy4hYiIC
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSE4jbi9ic7
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72PEnR2uNl
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXx50M0uFx
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvKi9RpPdT
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsssieS9ybt
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1mycW9AMF
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimTY93L1Zo
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF4b939YfD
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Gr7K5S7gJ
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OFLCAxrmV
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSo7oNteHbV
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ttPld85bV
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ06hTAiWEi
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75y2ujHsvS
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYni93y40O9
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqPjuB8fhM
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early113Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZP6jZySJAN
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
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