The last couple of weeks had been stressful for Marcus. After the first messenger arrived, four more followed quickly after.

  One from Boltron claimed this boy—just an orphan, had provoked the Tempest Dragon, causing it to destroy its own temple, and precipitate a landslide that inflicted immense damage on the city, and that Felix Boltron was seeking to have the boy held to justice.

  What utter nonsense.

  Marcus had hoped to start from neutral, but every message pushed that hope further away. The one he held in his shaking hands right now sealed the deal.

  Not only did this boy—barely a year younger than his own son, already keep the company of a shadow cat said to have fought a dragon and won, he also had been seen by hundreds in the company of an unknown dragon that had apparently come from the heart of the Dark Forest.

  But now… now the boy had a visit from the phoenix.

  This report came from his most trusted guard. Marcus knew Liam wouldn’t add exaggeration, yet by his note, the boy not only stood in the same room as the phoenix, he was completely unaffected by its aura as she tested him—even when Liam himself was brought to his knees.

  How was that possible?

  Marcus read on, and the unbelievable news didn’t end there. Lord Emanuel Falcone had attempted to enslave Trevor using a debt, something that particular lord had reportedly utilised on nearly half his staff.

  All of Marcus’s plans to provide the boy with gifts were shattered. He wasn’t starting from a neutral position at all—he was starting with someone jaded from the beginning.

  Marcus continued, and the note only grew worse. It said that the boy had made a donation to the Temple of Fate. That in itself was not uncommon. The gods were real, but they didn’t interfere in mortal affairs. It was beneath them.

  Or it should have been.

  The donation had been taken—and answered. Not only for Trevor, but for his fire elemental companion too. Liam and the temple now believed he had been personally blessed by the goddess, although the temple couldn’t say what that meant. There were no known records of its happening before.

  Marcus set the note down. This was the fourth time he’d read it, and every time it hit him like the first.

  What could he do to navigate this situation?

  He couldn’t have someone in the kingdom far better aligned to the phoenix than he was and be at odds with them. The boy would have a stronger claim to the throne than even he did.

  And there was no chance of having this boy removed. With all his companions, and the reports from Grey Rock where he fell ill, any attempt on his life would be catastrophic for the kingdom—if they survived it at all.

  A soft knock sounded at the door.

  “Come in,” Marcus called.

  Gerald entered, holding a scroll, a frown on his face.

  “Your Majesty, I have a message here. However, I think it’s important to tell you this arrived far later than it should have.” Gerald handed over the letter.

  Marcus took it and began to unroll it. His hands shook as anger crashed over him.

  The letter described how Victor had run into the group on the road and been informed of a very serious crime. The report was a detailed account of his findings, including years of murder, torture, starvation, and abuse at the hands of the generals.

  “And the boy was involved in this?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes, Your Majesty. The two guards for the merchant are from the latest recruits and survivors, with one of their number being a casualty,” Gerald responded coldly.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “And what of Oliver’s reports?” Marcus asked, glaring.

  “They have been weekly, and have mentioned no issues—commenting that we have been making progress,” Gerald said.

  “Investigate him immediately, but quietly. If he finds out and tries to flee, kill him, along with anyone else who is with him. We must discover everyone involved.”

  “As you say, Your Majesty.” Gerald bowed. “What of the boy? He is on his way here now.”

  Marcus let out a deep sigh. “We need to be more forward. I will meet him outside the city.”

  The shock on Gerald’s face said it all.

  “Your Majesty, that is not safe.” Gerald tried to protest. “You’re the king. He will surely come to you. He owes it to you—you paid for the orphanage!”

  “Gerald, you’re no fool. You’ve read those reports. Claiming I had anything to do with that shithole orphanage and how poorly it was run will only ensure he despises me,” Marcus snapped.

  “But tradition, Your Majesty—” Gerald began.

  “No, Gerald. This must be done. If you’re concerned, pull some guards for protection, but we need to make a good impression on this boy. That’s not optional. And I suspect that being honest might be the best move.” Marcus ran his fingers through his hair.

  “While we’re at it, I want an investigation into all my overseers. It seems corruption is rife, and I have been far too lenient for far too long. It’s time we cleaned this mess up.”

  “The noble houses will not be happy with that, Your Majesty,” Gerald protested.

  “And they can come see me to protest, and I will personally look into them myself.” Marcus slammed his fists onto the desk. “Do you have a problem with this, Gerald? Is my own trusted adviser one of the corrupt fools?”

  “N-no, Your Majesty. It shall be done right away.” Gerald bowed, then hurried from the room.

  Rubbing his brow, Marcus muttered, “How are we going to fix this mess?”

  ***

  Standing at the front of the city, Marcus couldn’t help being annoyed at the formation Gerald had organised. He’d even employed the adventurers’ guild for it. They couldn’t look more hostile if they tried.

  “Gerald, I told you, a few guards,” Marcus hissed.

  “This is for your protection, Your Majesty. What if they are hostile?” Gerald whispered as the wagon appeared in the distance.

  “And what are any of these fools going to do to a shadow cat?” Marcus shot back. “I’m fairly sure I could beat them myself, alone.”

  “The cat wouldn’t be so foolish!” Gerald started, but Marcus cut him off.

  “The only person being foolish right now is you, Gerald. You have served me well, but I will not accept blood on my hands due to your actions. Is that clear?” Marcus began striding forward towards the wagon.

  “Please, Your Majesty, allow them to come to us,” Gerald plead.

  “Enough.” Marcus didn’t slow. “Liam. Kathrine. Join me.”

  ***

  Marcus sat in the dining room, his daughter beside him, having watched the boy and his party just leave.

  “Well?” he asked.

  Kathrine shook her head. “First off, I can’t believe what you just said, marriage really? But he doesn’t trust us, and I don’t think there will be trust unless we can make amends with that other one—Liane.”

  “You think she holds that much sway?” Marcus asked.

  “She’s practically a big sister to him from everything I’ve seen. If she’s angry at you, he won’t side with you,” Kathrine said.

  Marcus sighed.

  “What of Gerald?”

  “What about him?” Kathrine looked confused.

  “He’s stuck in his old ways, and he’s going to cause issues. I trust his advice—he’s a wealth of knowledge—but we can’t have him interacting with Trevor. Not after he insulted his companions, or the situation of their arrival.” Marcus rubbed a hand over his beard. “Then the avenue he suggested with Hari Lindberg’s family is completely pointless. I didn’t realise how fractured that family was.”

  Kathrine laughed.

  “What?” Marcus asked.

  “Everyone knows Gabriel Lindberg’s lifetime regret has been his actions against his only son.” She shook her head. “How you thought it would all be waved away so easily is baffling. You really are all muscle, no brain.”

  “Don’t talk to your father like that,” Marcus said, though a smile tugged at his mouth.

  But she was right. He should have known. Everything about this meeting, for that matter every dealing they have had with the boy, had been fumbled from the start.

  “So what are we going to do?” Kathrine asked.

  “I don’t know.” Marcus stared at the table. “Do you think your brother would get along with him?”

  “You’ll never convince Luis to act as someone’s friend, if that’s what you’re asking,” she said.

  “No. I meant actually getting along. Perhaps we could organise for them to cross paths.” Marcus exhaled. “Also, we need our own private audits. I don’t know who I can trust outside the family right now. It feels like forces are working against us… but I could just be paranoid.”

  Kathrine rose, stretching. “It’s possible. I’ll organise some of our people to do private audits of the houses. As for Trevor, we don’t have a lot of options, so maybe Luis will actually like him and they’ll get along.” She yawned. “Honestly, I thought he’d reject the house. But I need sleep—it’s getting far too late.”

  Marcus waved her off, still deep in thought.

  What did you give a boy who seemed completely unbothered by material goods, and completely unaffected by power?

  And what was he going to do with Gerald? The old man had nearly ruined the entire evening—and he still didn’t know if that was Gerald being too stuck in his ways, or if it was intentional.