Chapter 84

Chapter 84

RYKER’S PO.V

I could feel Camilla’s annoyance surging through our bond and it took everything for me to pull that wall between us down. I knew that she wanted to help but I wasn’t willing to risk her safety. She was safest behind those walls and if that meant gaining her anger then it was a good deal. I could feel Steven’s eyes on me but I ignored him and turned on my heels.

The guards and soldiers were already preparing with their weapons. I had very little interest in actually fighting a battle but if that was what Frederick wanted then so be it. As soon as the soldiers saw me, all eyes went on me and everyone went quiet.

“The important thing is to make sure they don’t get into the palace,” I reminded them. “Meet them as far away from here as possible. The guards will remain here in case something happens but remember that under no circumstance is anyone supposed to breach the palace walls. Defend it with your life, are we clear?”

There was a chorus of yes, your majesty before everyone dispersed. Steven kept close to me and I wasn’t sure if it was because he was used to it or if there was another reason. He explained that they were coming from the East so majority of the soldiers gathered that way. The closer, we got, the more I could hear them. From what I could shear, he had a substantial army with him.

I stood in front waiting for them to arrive. When they did, Frederick raised his hands and they all stopped. I looked through the men around him and I saw a few familiar faces but I noticed that there were also rogues present: I couldn’t help but wonder how he got so many rogues to agree to fight for him. He must have promised them something but the question was what.

“I didn’t think would come out to welcome me,” Frederick began with a small smirk on his face. “Where is

you sister? How is she doing? I was expecting to see her too. I may or may not have another special surprise for her.”

my

dear

I knew he was trying to goad me into making the first move and as much as I wanted to rip his face off, I had to force myself into silence. Camilla wasn’t here and he was never going to get to her- that was what mattered. Once I was calm, I looked up at him once more and I saw his smile waver from my lack of response.

“This is your last chance, Frederick, call this thing off. You don’t want to die like this.”

He scoffed. “This is my birthright; the road was opened for me. I was supposed to be king but Camilla came out of nowhere and snatched it out from under my nose.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“Haven’t you ever wondered how she just managed to go missing?” he asked and the entire forest went silent. I knew what he was implying but I wasn’t going to believe it until he said it. “My mother did everything to ensure that I had a clear path to the throne and it was working until she came back.”

“Your mother took her away, didn’t she?”

He smirked. “That’s enough talking, I will get my throne, one way or another and the way I see it, I’ve already won.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, you stepped right into my trap.”

Before I could ask what he meant, my world exploded. We were thrown back by the force of the explosion and I was lucky enough to not be at the forefront. My ears were ringing as I struggled to get to my feet and I saw Frederick’s men attacking. It took me a second to realize that the explosion wasn’t to hurt us but rather to throw us off balance. It was only by luck I was able to deflect the strike of the rogue who attacked me because my arms felt like lead.

I looked around trying to find Frederick but it was almost like he had disappeared. I muttered a small curse knowing he was heading for the palace. I wanted to go after him but it was like he had instructed his fllowers to crowd us so that we couldn’t follow him.

A rogue rushed me and I quickly side stepped and stabbed him with my sword. I saw Steven battling off two men and I

rushed to his defense. Once both were handled, I dropped my voice to a whisper.

“Cover me,” I instructed and he nodded then I darted off in the direction of the palace. The few people who noticed tried to stop us but Steven was quick to cut them down.

As we got close to the palace, I couldn’t help but know that he wouldn’t walk in through the front doors. I would have followed into the tunnels but I didnt know them as well as he did, they were his territory and it would be a sure recipe into dying quickly. I mind linked the spies and instructed them to assemble in front of all the tunnel entrances while I scoured the palace in case he had somehow already sl*pped in.

Thirty minutes in and he was still nowhere to be seen. I had received a mind link saying that the main battle was already over and his men had been neutralized. That didn’t give me as much comfort as I needed it to. Steven was still by my side like the trusted soldier that he was.

“Where do you think he is?” I asked and for once, he was completely speechless. “This doesn’t make any sense, why would he leave his army. Unless he knew that they were going to lose. He had to have known.”

“Maybe the army wasn’t his game plan, maybe he just wanted to get into the palace.”

“If you were Frederick, where is the first place you would go?”

He hesitated before speaking. “If I knew I was going to lose, I wouldn’t attack in the first place. He wants to be king but he has to know that he can’t.”

I facepalmed at how stupid I was. I didn’t know how I didn’t even think about it. “I know where he is, come with me.”

I didn’t wait for Steven as I ran towards the throne room. It was the only place that made sense considering that the one thing Frederick wanted was to be recognized as king. As soon as I opened the door, I saw him seated on the throne almost bored. I held out a hand to Steven and he turned to me in shock and confusion.

“Stay outside,” I told him and although it looked like he didn’t want to agree, he did as I asked. Once the door was shut, I made my way into the room until I was standing in front of the throne. “I should have known you would be here.”

“It did take you longer than I expected to find me. I was beginning to get bored.”

He sat up straighter on the throne and I noticed that he had a knife in his hands but from the way he held onto it, I doubted he knew how to actually use it.

“This doesn’t have to end this way,” I began slowly.

If it were up to me, I would have just killed him and been done with it but I knew that if Camilla were here, she would have offered him the chance for redemption. She would want her half brother to have a chance and I was willing to give him that chance but something told me he wouldn’t take it.

As expected, he sneered at me. “I don’t want your pity or sympathy. I want what was mine by birth. I want what I was owed.”

“You are not the heir to the throne.”

“I am his firstborn son.”

“What makes you think that?” I asked making him fall silent. “He could have easily had another child with someone else.”

“It is not my problem if they are too weak to rise up and take the throne.”

“You cannot have it.”

“Then I will die trying.”

He charged at me with the knife but all it took was one carefully planned maneuver and I had his own knife at his throat. A little pressure from me and he was going to die. I could tell the exact moment that awareness dawned on him because he slackened in my hold.

“This is the onloy chance at redemption that you will be given,” I reminded him. I desperately wanted to just slit his throat but I had to remember Camilla. I knew what he did to her but for some reason, she still had a soft spot for him. “Think about it, Frederick.”

“I would rather die,” he spat then he pushed me off. I expected him to attack me but to my shock, he lifted his hand and slit his own throat right at the bottom of the throne. I knew that image would be forever burned in my head.

I watched his b*dy slump against the floor and I took a step back so the blood wouldn’t seep into my shoes. I called in Steven and he took one ook at the scene and grimaced.

“Call someone in to clean it up,” I ordered. “But take me to my family first.”

We walked back to the painting in silence and as soon as the door opened, I was ambushed by a tiny b*dy. I held Audrey close to my chest wanting a semblance of normalcy with my child before I had to think about what had just happened.

“Did you beat the bad guys, daddy?” she asked and I nodded. How did I tell my daughter that the bad guy was her own uncle. “I knew you could do it.”

“Audrey,” Christine called out. “I think we should give your daddy and mummy some time.”

Audrey reluctantly released me and I saw Christine offer me a small smile of encouragement before she left. Steven disappeared with them leaving just Camilla and I. I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that Camilla was pissed at me. I reached out to her but she shook her head and I had to let my hands fall.

“Frederick?” she asked and I sighed.

“He’s dead, killed himself in front of the throne that he so desperately wanted.”

“What about his men?”

“I assume they’re all dead too. If any are alive, they will be in the dungeons.” I waited for a response but all she did was hum. “Camilla, I’m sorry.”

“Are you?” she asked and I fell silent. “You locked me in here without a second thought.”

“I was protecting you.”

“If you were then we would shave spoken about it and come to an agree ment,” she all but yelled. “You made a decision without me, that is what I am pissed about.”