Page 81 of The Concubine King
Ethyr's thoughts pulled back to the present moment and he looked up at him.“Offer?”he asked, confused.
“To help you.Advise you.”
“You want to be made advisor,” Ethyr realized.“I was considering voting for you… but what about the other council members?Do you have their votes?”Lyrian was looking at him strangely.“What?”
“The council votes are near meaningless, Your Divinity.The king chooses his advisor—he gets the final and official determination.Of course, the king often follows the council majority, as priests are not exactly well-versed in government happenings.And since all the past kings were priests, they were more than happy to keep Yorith as advisor.When you were made king, he convinced the council there was no point in allowing you to choose, that it was common sense he remain your advisor, as he has held the role for so many decades now.”
“I could have chosen?”Ethyr’s surprise spoiled quickly to annoyance.He shouldn’t have been surprised anyway, knowing everything Yorith had skipped over.But mostly, he couldn’t believe Poyut hadn’t told him.She’d made it sound like the whole council chose—that, per usual, he’d get hardly a say at all.But why would she keep it from him?She always insisted so adamantly that she was on his side.He felt sick.
“Your Divinity?”
He stood.“Leave.I have a lot to think about.”
“Of course.”Lyrian stood to bow.“If you ever need to talk, or need anything at all, I spend most of my day in the forum.I understand you have a tough decision ahead of you; you shouldn’t suffer over it alone.”
When he had walked off, Ethyr sank back onto the seat, fingers gripping the sides.He couldn’t rip his eyes from the stone path as his mind turned over itself in time with the nauseating churn of his stomach.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
He recognized the knock on his door.He turned away from it, pulling the quilt up to his shoulders and resolving to ignore it, before abruptly changing his mind.He flung the covers off and yanked on a robe to open the door.
Poyut held a tray of food and an expression of concern.“The kitchen said you didn’t eat dinner or supper.”
“I wasn’t hungry,” he said coldly.
“You should eat something, Ethyr.At least a little.”
“I didn’t realize serving food was part of your job.”
“I wanted to check on you.And I didn’t think a servant telling you to eat would be effective.”
“What makes you think you telling me is any better?”
Poyut paused.“Is something wrong?”
“Yes, something’s wrong!”Ethyr had wanted to bring it up calmly, but hearing the question made it burst out of him with all the confusion and betrayal and anger he felt.“Why didn’t you tell me it was my choice and not just a vote!And why did you lie about Yorith choosing you to be my guard?!”
She only blinked at the outburst, but the questions furrowed her brow.“What are you talking about?”
“The servant girl!You helped her and Lyrian kicked you out of the cavalry but then Yorith hired you.Is it true?”
Her face fell.“How do you know about that?”
“So it is true.”
She sighed, shifting the tray, before deciding to place it on the ground to the side of the doorway.“Yes, I stopped a child from getting her hand sliced off, and got kicked out of the guard for it.I thought my life was over, but then Yorith approached me.He thought I had done the right thing, but he didn’t say more than that.I assumed it wasn’t the reason—or at least not the only one—for his choice, but I certainly wasn’t going to question it.”
“But why did you help a thief?She stole from a sick person!”
“I’m not saying what she did was right, but she was barely fourteen, Ethyr.She didn’t deserve permanent disfigurement for it.You didn’t do anything stupid when you were fourteen, careless of the consequences?”
Ethyr simmered down a little, but still muttered, “I wouldn’t have stolen like that.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t think it was that important.Frankly, I just wanted to put it behind me.”Poyut rested her hands on her hips.“So is it still something you want to be mad about?”
He pressed his lips together, not sure what to think.“Then why did you say you didn’t know Lyrian?”
“Because I don’t.”
