Page 68 of Undertow
Maple snatched the list away from me. “I understand. I always thought the elders were heavy-handed and cankerous but never—they should all be dumped into the ocean with their wings bound.”
I couldn’t have agreed more.
While Maple worked on the list, not just ordering it, but writing out notes for us, Treena updated us on the project to get rid of Elira. Apparently, it was going smoother than we could have imagined. She was unraveling fast with all the attention I was getting, and each time she had a misstep she just tripped again.
The real turning point was when she was a bit too vocal about some of the coronation preparations and decorations being tacky or over the top… When they were tradition and she had even been instructed to use the same from my father’s coronation since they’d been in storage. There was no need for certain robes and whatnot to be reordered when we had them.
Plus, that all cost money even if the government was actually paying for the event.
Basically, while more people were warming up to me and accepting this was the new reality, impressed with how I’d handled the changes with grace, she was showing her true colors… And they were finally taking notice.
It was hard not to go rub it all in her face. She had to be drowning in jealousy that seventeen of the most eligible men in the nation would be doing whatever they could to stand next to me.
Fine, the queen, not me personally, but it was everything she wanted.
“I apologize for the interruption, but we have a situation, Your Highness,” one of Benson’s right hands said after knocking.
I nodded and hurried after him, the worry and upset practically oozing off of him. I understood why a few minutes later when I was standing in one of the suites used by an elder.
Because it was trashed. Like…Trashed.
Sconces were on the ground, the furniture barely standing, the bed frame shattered—and that was all I saw from the doorway.
“Excellent,” Myriam chuckled darkly as the rest of us stood in horror.
Then what she meant hit me and I snickered. I shared a glance with her and couldn’t hide my amusement.
“Fuel,” Maple figured out. “This just gave you all of the fuel to go at them harder. Most wouldn’t have the gall to do it and they assume you won’t risk it.” She sighed when I nodded and then touched my shoulder. “I won’t ever defend how you were raised, but just hear me that moments like this are exactly why I think your parents did what they did.”
I flinched but then considered her words as I took in the full extent of the damage. She made sense. Father was raised deep in the system where the elders were the voice of reason and their word was to always be heeded. He was—this was all he knew.
And if he didn’t know how to break that cycle, removing me from it might have been the only answer he had.
“I hear you,” I finally told her before looking at the guard. “Are the other suites like this? Only five have moved out, right?”
“Six, Your Highness, and yes,” he told me.
I smiled evilly. Awesome. They planned this and their next move. “Tell Benson that I’m ordering the others be removed and we will pack their belongings and deliver them to their capital residences.”
“They might want that,” Maple warned.
I nodded, knowing it could be part of the trap. “Find whoever we can to get in here to give me estimates of damages. Someone on staff or one of the guards has to have a contractor friend or relative who can do an informal report or assessment today. I want video and pictures of everything for my meeting tomorrow.”
“Guard the rooms so no one can try and say it wasn’t the elders later,” Treena suggested. “One of them could say it was Benson being lax after they weren’t living here or staff who tried to burglarize the place looking for anything of value the elders left.”
“Guards have been on the hallway the whole time,” the guard told us, his face going pale.
“Good, make sure it stays that way and the video is ready,” I told him. “Tell Benson that the castle is on lockdown and no elders are allowed in. No outsiders. Treena’s right and we’re not risking that narrative. I’m not letting their next ploy be going for his job and putting someone in that they think they can control.”
I swallowed a snort. More than they already did him. I was still miffed that he’d listened to certain orders of theirs after my parents had died. I didn’t care who ordered him to do what when I wasn’t there. The moment it was confirmed that my father was dead, I was theonly onewho could have given him any orders.
I forgave it because everything had to be a mess and he’d probably done the best he could, but… It wasn’t something to forget easily. I would stay alive by being wary.
And I planned to stay alive.
I was also annoyed because now I couldn’t go fight to earn more money. The manager of the fight ring had contacted Myriam to try and schedule a rematch since it was Saturday night, but now there was no chance of us sneaking away with the castle on lockdown. She handled it well, but… Fuck.
Though she’d handled it all amazingly and meeting Avior had really been some amazing luck to help.
