Amaskan's Blood, Raven Oak [read me a book .TXT] 📗

Maybe not yet. This is going to be hard enough for her as it is to accept.

Adelei gave Margaret’s shoulder a brief shake. Her mouth flew open, and Adelei clamped a hand over it. Breath warmed her fingers as Margaret tried to both exhale and scream through the hand. “If I remove my hand, will you remain quiet, Your Highness? Your father sent for me. Take a good look at me,” she said. Margaret’s gaze landed on the dagger at Adelei’s side.

Margaret nodded, and Adelei loosened her hand. “Why has my father sent for you? And who are you to be in my bedchambers?”

“My name is Master Adelei of Sadai, formerly of the Order of Amaska.” A blank stare met Adelei’s words. Then Margaret’s eyes flitted to the bolted door of her bedchamber, and she sucked in a deep breath to scream. Adelei clamped a hand over her mouth again. “Do your people not talk of the Amaskans here? Great Gods, if I wanted you dead, you’d already be so; now hush, we don’t have long.”

“You are… an assassin?”

“Amaskan,” Adelei corrected. “Your father sent for me to protect you.”

“You’re here to kill me.” Margaret tried to move too quickly and slipped. When her hands grabbed for the bed curtains, several boxes and glass figurines tumbled to the floor.

I don’t have time for this. Adelei seized hold of her sister by her shoulders and leaned close to her ear. “Look, I’m not here to kill you, you ninny. The King brought me here to protect you as your body double.”

Margaret’s breathing stilled for a moment, her round eyes reminding Adelei of a tempest, a dark black whirlpool amidst a sea of brown. “Truly?” Color returned to Margaret’s face with a flash of pink.

Wow. She goes to trusting that fast? We’re definitely going to have to work on that. Still gripping her sister by the arms, Adelei braced herself for the protest to come and spoke again, a hushed whisper amongst the footfalls outside the bedchamber door. “There’s a real threat on your life—an attempt has already been made. It’s because of this that I’m here.”

“Surely not. No one would be so foolish as to attack me. With Father—”

“Can you recall when you met Prince Gamun of Shad?”

At just the mere mention of this name, Margaret flushed bright red and her lips parted in a sleepy smile. “Of course, his hair—”

“Please spare me his accolades. Do you remember how quickly you were forced from the drawing room?”

Her sister’s smile faltered, and her brows furrowed in exactly the same layout of lines that spread across Adelei’s own face when worried. “Y-yes, but they said the Prince took ill suddenly and—” She stopped and stared at Adelei. “Oh. That was why they hurried me away?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Your father brought me here because I’m the best. I can protect you like no other.”

“As my body double.” She stumbled over the words and paused as her gaze traveled across Adelei’s face. “How could you resemble me so? You have rougher skin and scars, but your similarity is bewitching.”

A pounding on the door caused them both to flinch. “Listen,” said Adelei, “My looks aren’t important. Right now, I must tell you something. Something no one else can know, not even your father. Your life may depend on it.” Guards attempted to knock down the solid wood door and failed. The thud shook Adelei’s teeth.

“I must take your place in the wedding.”

“No.” Quiet words whispered between something hard dashing against the door. Margaret crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at Adelei.

“I’m taking your place in the wedding, Your Highness. You’ll be present, but hidden. This is not optional, and if necessary, I’ll make it a royal order.”

Margaret’s quivering bottom lip stuck out. “You can’t make it a royal order. You’re not royalty. You’re nothing more than a dirty assassin, a murderer. I should call for the Boahim Senate right now.”

Don’t think about it. Deal with the job. Something slammed into the door again, and she withdrew her dagger. “It will happen, with or without your help, Your Highness. If you want to live, you’ll keep this knowledge secret.”

It’s probably the guards, if not His Majesty. Probably summoned by the servant. But just in case, I can’t take a chance that it’s the Tribor. Adelei held her dagger as she unlocked the door. As the knob turned, she put her back to the wall and waited.

Three men wearing royal guard uniforms rushed in, their own swords drawn. As one of them passed, Adelei tripped him and used the distraction to grab the second one from behind. She twisted his arm behind his back, and the third man skidded to a halt.

King Leon followed, his feet still bare and hair damp. Behind him, Charleena poked her head around his arm. Adelei kept her dagger available, but bit back laughter as her father slid a small kitchen knife in his robe. “Put up your weapons,” King Leon ordered everyone.

The guards listened. Adelei didn’t.

She released the guard, but positioned herself between the group and Margaret. “Captain Michael Fenton, this is Master Adelei of Sadai, and sepier to Princess Margaret,” King Leon said to the tallest of the three guards. The man’s blue uniform bore not only the royal insignia but also the trio of swords, showing him as the Captain of the Guard.

Captain Fenton bowed. “My apologies, Master Adelei. This woman swore there was an enemy to the crown present.” Fenton nodded toward Charleena, who bowed deeply and fled.

King Leon frowned at the dagger still in Adelei’s hands. “It was a misunderstanding, I’m sure. Captain, if you would make sure that all of your men know of Master Adelei’s new rank so that this doesn’t happen again. I was in the middle of a bath.”

“Yes, Sire.”

“Master Adelei, I am not the enemy,” said the King.

“Everyone is a possible enemy, Your Majesty. Until I know who is a danger, that includes kings.” She ignored Margaret’s gasp behind her and sheathed