Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkmsL9oayZ
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDy2r6pBbs
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nMpclaJ98
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqarWCyJ2Pe
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeBnhlOqNQ
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUeJtgyBN2
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTZp0sru9R
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYn1wjlWDX4
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzhe1OPUjH
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFdIpAhAS7
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU2Qv0VaeF
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubvKIlbw7q
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlhORJHG9Y
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTEnYUNDZw
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1818FomPQ
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaR1VFBbw8
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo66zctGLlH
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddEqatzva4
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIgYMoKJt3
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB8vgnw12G
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnwBFp3Adg
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNRt36HIJX
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIZZMKX47k
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIuzZ2jIHj
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPFnq8iANi
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXj9PpEKnA
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSfCtTTgWy
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmUujuVVOs
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDvrEUGH9h
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaZENqisfR
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rcDZYIBGA
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgQKWPK6Ss
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaTQbasoJW
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSZHPcNzAN
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q6WM9yw2R
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmf6JDJ841
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEu3lTAqItG
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtksPowXAJL
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxlDwFnhuf
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCSfPgpELm
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCGQA5pVKW
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMkLigdT3U
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KJ54KvTFZ
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdALW1Jjh6
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2vVe6BJMr
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsbhbSP52p
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzByrmcOqK
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMG0Sp1dE0N
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIILPrR5ubJ
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tliy4S2Ab
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6xQU4fVcm
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEHiR8bqLE
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkaZtDre4J
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NFhJnsG8g
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTRI4Am0MH
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNSMJGkqmY
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW9MAsvo8o
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNuxRCZk7b
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0Q250cvh0
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkh5mV7agY
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODa90quWTJ
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8RgvlZ9eY
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARdDlur7TU
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBffXpzbTRi
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYkl7iFeJT
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqb354j7Ng
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡee4urpEJqG
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3zwWkRiLH
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL5ZHRIb99
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAx9AeZiNk
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUmkOPnP7b
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqjNj9PBED
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRII7HmJVZq
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaahU9sxTmU
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0XIGYW5ng
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFioJWjAZ5
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8r2JXjVuU
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPLCi6UPEH
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mdBeRGbdN
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjnon7KzD0
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsHNniUrz7
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnrAsVbsJF
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmbSUmgLGq
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMfVm6KRVQ
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsLnLP66sl
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Noj04BfD6
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhJtAL0HC6
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWIHr5zkgI
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZw3nqRyQQq
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26Nxvktcr4
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszSmilvkc8
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA2FpLjLoQ
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXf8RaTsF5
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7TwERIZ3n
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dwE7jNJL4
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUN1MoOZKjD
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPzzq0jIVF
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFt4BonhRJa
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF0xOxFY7b
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVT03t4FPE
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1UJO5olwe
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9k9MppXGWi
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxwFqWgo4E
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKo5kLzE1Yw
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvIdSYuzkg
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnYvjK7GQE
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSGZoNGhNf
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVEy2gd4sV
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4IkaKSdZB
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnuol0QVXe
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xJdA78aBW
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtHh5uw7o2
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNhnU2XZuR
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CuupcFB4g
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMEog2RPV3
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
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