Chapter 29
Council meetings were always the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRz8ZyertI
same. Those in attendance always complained about not making enough money off98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3h6zpjStxY
taxes or whatever business ventures they were bankrolling even though a good98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOXwIAmvG9
majority of the population, both inside and outside the city walls, were98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJbCVfrVIU
struggling. Between the guards forcing those to give them bribes to the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LHA19yETi
ever-increasing prices, more and more people find their pockets dwindling and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYldoovClN
unable to pay for even the most basic of necessities. But that wasn’t even the98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2K28crR6D
worst part.
Now that Malcolm had been buried98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHbRMCpMO4
in the crypt, several of them were discussing how to remove Cuvera from his98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ixCcB1gfO
seat as King and elect someone else. There was staunch opposition to this of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZZeMUv513
course, but those in favor were quite persuasive.
“He is still too young,” Anna98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7X92pXE4pM
Jilena argued. “And he just lost his father after he married a foreign98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0hOvy1lNC
princess. We don’t need her whispering in his ear while he is vulnerable.”98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0s7kzgiSS
Peyton never much cared for her. All she cared about was expanding her family’s98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cgGJUZzYI
influence within the city. Her husband was a general, her eldest son was98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNtVtxmAIZ
following him, and the youngest likely would have replaced her in twenty years98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudb8BMmJMz
if he hadn’t been killed.
Jeffery’s death was a sacrifice to98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Uis4okQeW
get the council, especially Anna, to force Vander into a corner to make him98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwF2k2j4yV
more in a hurry to clear his name by exposing the Serpents. However, in an98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCZcuPZgqB
unforeseen circumstance, she had ordered a hit on his head going against98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfa6pJ4F6w
Cuvera’s wishes. Once he found out he was furious and ordered it to be stopped,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWLR8dI2UO
but she went behind his back to keep it up.
“We all agreed to the terms of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5WLcKx5DD
peace term, Jilena.” Simeon Steele said, his deep voice quieted down the table,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBqGoHn9wp
but only for a moment. “And from what I’ve seen of her so far, she is more than98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjaAnndCVq
qualified to help him run this city.”
“And he is grieving.” Katherine98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc44F9P4Uby
Burnet, one of the oldest council members, said. “He had just lost his father98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp6ltHF0eo
to murder, by his best friend no less. So, excuse him for taking some time to98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FdbtdxweU
come to terms with it.”
“And I Iost my son,” Anna hissed.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlGFBlLS9k
“Yet I am here doing something productive with my time and not grieving.”
Peyton chuckled quietly to98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLrQi8LVhy
himself. That wasn’t the slam on the King as she thought it was. In fact, that98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10vD9wJVQd
reflected more on her than it did anyone else. Anna wasn’t someone he would98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLzmZklaqb
have considered warm, but she hadn’t even taken the week to properly grieve.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFGcWDG0l3
Instead, she got right to using Jeffery’s death as a political tool to bring98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrdCapr3SK
people to her cause. It was brilliant, but he would have respected her more if98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHumMVH2Zv
she wasn’t such a bitch.
“Maybe you should.” Bryce Kolmijr,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRHYL0O7Nl
the head of the smithing alliance that stretched the entire country, said.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCLMIWSSxw
Everyone turned to look at him. He was one of the more levelheaded members of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fbR9JIyo9
the council. He rarely talked, preferring to listen to gather intelligence98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtag8Hs1djK
before voting, so today was such a rare outburst from him.
“What did you say?” Anna’s voice98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsscAe5TW2
took on a dangerous tone. Bryce wasn’t phased in the slightest. He took her98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSItJnzWhkn
glared head on, giving her a small smile.
“Your son has been in the ground98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FXuiYt9b5
for many months now.” He knew he had to tread carefully. “Yet you haven’t taken98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVreGJidaEJ
a break to be with your family. Almost as if you care more about appearances98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirMILB1IGS
than your family.”
“How dare you.” She went to lunge98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWR7qSoqNk
over the table, but the brewing master Samuel Mills wrapped his arms around her98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTI7iMSVtu
waist keeping her rooted. Sighing, Peyton knew it was time for him to step in.
“Quiet down, all of you.” Anna98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4c4FTJaiq
opened her mouth to protest, but a single glare from him dried her retort in98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMJ8ybyK51
her throat. She slapped Mill’s arm to let her go then she sat in her chair and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KVm5Q8Gqb
folded her arms over her chest. “Bryce, I expect an apology to the Jilena98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8BF4R4JSn
family once this is done. What she does is her business, and you have no idea98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckWIHyCJHs
what’s going on in her private life.”
“I understand.” While he knew that98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLqDCV1EiF
Bryce would apologize, he wouldn’t mean it. He hated the Jilena family with a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfD967GerA
passion for reasons known only to him. However, it would have to do.
“Has there been any leads98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuilt346Rc
involving the Green Serpents?” Peyton addressed them, specifically Katherine98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWqpBSeGFf
who, despite her age, had a cunning spy network that was rivaled only by Ross98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKG19iM1mQR
in the lower district.
“No,” she said. “They have since98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXt8VkiVsVp
gone underground. My people haven’t been able to find anything about them.”
“That’s concerning.” Another98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaO148T9IS
council member frowned. “They got away with the poisoning and murder of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eKZMFAj1V
Malcolm, and we can’t find them?”
“There is no proof that Vander98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgZKgPdgtN
worked with the Serpents on the assassination.” Bryce spoke up. “This is purely98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7dexzRqwQ
conjecture.”
“It’s an educated guess.” Visc98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0upnzNtbj
said. Peyton wondered when the rat would speak up. He was being oddly quiet98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt98Su7tPfP
during the whole back and forth. “The Serpents were behind the poisoning, that98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxH7OfoOAN
has been confirmed by Topal, however Vander knew an awful lot about the poison.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CqhCO0voD
It’s a little suspect is it not?”
“Plus, he wasn’t in the city when98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26zOpYjgPF
it happened.” Lucas Brattle, someone on Jilena’s side of things, said. “He98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hhoyZ7wXJ
could have snuck in, poisoned the King, then framed someone else for it to98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejjHhUTfvi
avoid suspicion.”
“That’s a lot of speculation98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZqyFk5Hhx
without any proof.” Mills slammed his hand on the table. “I will prefer to hold98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEP97VQ4hkX
my judgement until I hear his side of things. There were of course two people98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qqljWaIJi
in the room when the King died, we aren’t sure who did it.” He glared up at98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOE7bsovuuh
Peyton. Peyton grinned inwardly to himself. Mills had always been a bright one98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6gMT8Mpug
and never much cared for the King’s advisor. If only he knew how close, he was98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4lm5XmqEE
to the truth.
“I suggest you hold the traitorous98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL54274eJjM
tongue of yours.” Visc stood up, though it did nothing to make him look98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8g9AfFds9q
intimidating. “Lord Cranton had been Malcolm’s friend since they were children,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzj0CdiAnG
how dare you imply he was behind the murder.”
“And Vander had been part of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYqsIGeB8p
Malcolm’s family since he was but a child.” Bryce fired back. “Yet you had no98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5MVE7JGqP
problem assuming the worse about him.” Before anything could get going again,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmz3vFK6oZ
there was a knock on the chamber door.
“Enter.” Peyton shouted. The doors98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpswHpRcnP0
were pushed open by the two guards allowing Leon Visc to enter the room.
If he was being honest, Peyton98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoqwbRk7jc
hated both Leon and his father. Both kissed the ass of whoever would give them98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Z06AtqubU
the most power and they had no loyalty to anyone except themselves. Peyton had98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU93Y93NPV0
watched Leon grow up to be spoiled child, picking fights with Vander and when98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLnSpGcopC
he lost, went crying to his father to fix things. He had been jealous of98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjn4zrhI8E
Vander, so much so that he was willing to ruin a happy union due to it. The98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbDvK2oJEN
country would be better off without those two in it, but he would have to deal98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5Z2GAzF0w
with that later.
Leon bowed before the table.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6KXnLjzjd
“Greetings council, I come with news.” He had grown into his new role poorly.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXZGdS8t5g
Using his power as head, not Commander, to flex his fight and fill his squad98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2xPMLoPZx
with people who would obey him without question. The Blades were supposed to be98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu23UK3ruqF
independent of the council, protecting only the King and his family, but Leon98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDo0QNjQojV
sold their services to anyone who would pay.
“What is it?” Peyton asked.
“The house in the eastern district98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkiZAvisI6
that had been broken into and the occupants murdered was discovered to be a98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIf2wOW8Fj
Green Serpents hideout.” He explained. “It looked like a savage animal had98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtkthHhGKx
slaughtered everyone inside.”
“Green Serpents?” Peyton and98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwlDfDHW2B
Katherine exchanged glances. “I thought there was no trace of them here at98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmPp5F11yd
all?”
“They had proper paperwork, so no98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlstGRAm3w
one questioned them. We are going through their house to see what they might98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EODPfVMAc
have been up to, but that’s not the important part.” Leon was practically98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivhj3Ub24d
jumping up and down with excitement.
“Spill it, man.” Viggo snapped.
“We found Vander.” Leon grinned. A98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yYO18Psq2
collective gasp rang out from the council. “Someone recognized him in the crowd98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8ta4PD0ep
looking as we took out the dead bodies, but Alexander convinced them that it98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8XnJCrPLG
wasn’t him, so they let him go. But one of my people told me as soon as he98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRfjXLFBRv
arrived back.”
“So, you didn’t see if for98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ008zuUqL6t
yourself?” Bryce asked. “Then how do you know?”
“My man followed Alex as he98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwFkYemOPX
slipped away from the scene.” Leon explained. “He followed him to the Orange98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Orl4EiH4M
Fox, one of Vander’s hideouts. If he is in the city, he would be there.”
“I thought we checked there during98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYAdKifAkb
the manhunt?” Anna asked.
“No,” Katherine said. “We don’t98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIKEVpke0b
mess with the Lower King’s domain he doesn’t mess with ours. That’s the way it98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q66Xtaexb
has always been.”
“And that was our first mistake,98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7ZUodbcM8
trusting a conman to be truthful with us.” Anna snapped back. “Leon, gather98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXRqOa9GLz
your men and bring him here. If he resists, do what you must, but don’t kill98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Dblxm967v
him, we need him alive.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Leon98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLZ1ElIZMn
grinned.
Peyton frowned. It was too early98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSya8aGDLEf
for this to be happening, but he had no choice now. It was out of his hands.
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnT06BYGfCu
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmMai0CH3f
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0DpoUDQBv
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTreoNCQKR
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NzIFAJeop
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql0Hl1sP79
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeSldRS4CG
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYch9m9eClc
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQggU9RzINg
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10XrYKId3M
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0ROA0amdp
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSU4n3pq8yW
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7oAkpsKzc
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvgoYmE2Uw
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1Hb0WSLqd
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8TaeG4EQr
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1byLSKZW4
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGxkGRpa5Y
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIQtXGr0AJ
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPShR7D2YzQ
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSwQf1rNxS
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7ANzTGdDe
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk8kzCIfMX
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNVJYi3J57
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszfgHwtWIG
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXxNN09KiP
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtH71Ak0fP
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9NBrQ4Yjx
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXltqs8yryP
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2cCicUOiL
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKAtGzSk3i
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpctX8GkFaD
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxPEH9uc8g
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKXBR5DZzd
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDjG3IfkfN
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlF5Gk329x
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKpHFw2u8e
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvumclMsO1K
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH57vUtAbU
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVRbYsfGof
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlb3W8InJ0
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwEg9AyC6w
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oRHNxAj9P
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgwGpgrl5V
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEldMwv5Yf1
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPiTqBpK3W
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrUykA3Gj9
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGTlmmoHXi
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3oodpWTNl
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGqqmclJe7
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1i8shopBg
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFqt3FRDvF
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsZh9UgWAn
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6frw5OGu8
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpWBzMrNrO
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQkyjiLSoW
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sDvY2h6TI
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr0vjEKtVs
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUSVR7pzlH
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Wj76lLkn7
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AIjf9oPOO
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpP4zeqq2mL
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21X8Tdh92d
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCun9yXkcNn
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFe4j6TuWH
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9w0qnBxYK
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtr9BepNqyF
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97DlEUve7j
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpDMw4TnDT
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnLeJaX6lF
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXp5oZaFQP8
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAu2V6bVtU7
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPR2CfiU42
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3Z3K9ndGz
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79IdUg1Yrt
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTam1ZBtSJ
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Iebmbk6da
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPOwOrckmn
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4BBLoRSGJ
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdvIXXc7X8
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7M3G8NARVR
98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeY2A2vZhJ
ns18.222.179.192da2
