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Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 107
“Where did your father’s Champion come from?” Roland asked, drawing Leonard’s attention back to the present.Leonard turned toward the castle, heading for a different entrance than the one Benjamin and Matilda had used. He still remembered the way they’d looked when he’d walked in on them embracing in her rooms after the duel, two months ago.“Matilda’s story is hers to tell,” Leonard lied. He just didn’t feel like explaining the competition to his cousin. It was bad enough that his father had ordered him to take Roland on a walk this morning. The only bright spot had been seeing Matilda so obviously contemplate ways to bury the young lord.“Is she for your father’s personal use, or do the other councilmen also employher?”“You’ve been here for less than a day, and you already have enemies to dispatch, cousin?”“We’re Havilliards, cousin. We’ll always have enemies that need dispatching.”Leonard frowned. It was true, though. “Her contract is exclusively with my father. But if you fee
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 108
The person outside the library probably had nothing to do with the king, Matilda told herself as she walked—still not sprinting—down the hall to her room. There were plenty of strange people in a castle this large, and even though she rarely saw another soul in the library, perhaps some people just … wished to go to the library alone. And unidentified. In a court where reading was so out of fashion, perhaps it was merely some courtier trying to hide a passionate love of books from his or her sneering friends. Some animalistic, eerie courtier. Who had caused her amulet to glow. Matilda entered her bedroom just as the lunar eclipse was beginning, and groaned. “Of course there’s an eclipse,” she grumbled, turning from the balcony doors and approaching the tapestry along the wall. And even though she didn’t want to, even though she’d hoped to never see Eleanor again … she needed answers. Maybe the dead queen would laugh at her and tell her it was nothing. Gods above, she hoped Eleanor
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 109
Eleanor —the queen.” “Of course she is. She’s been in there for a thousand years.” The skull’s eyes seemed to glow. “Don’t mock me, or I’ll peel you off this door and melt you down.” “Not even the strongest man in the world could peel me from this door. King Brannon himself put me here to watch over her tomb.” “You’re that old?” The skull huffed. “How insensitive of you to insult me about my age.” Matilda crossed her arms. Nonsense—fight always led to nonsense like this. “What’s your name?” “What is your name?” “Matilda Sardothien,” she ground out. The skull barked a laugh. “Oh, that is too funny! The funniest thing I’ve heard in centuries!” “Be quiet.” “My name is Mason , if you must know.” She picked up the candle. “Can I expect all of our encounters to be this pleasant?” She reached for the door handle. “Aren’t you even going to knock, after all that? You truly have no manners.” She used all of her self-control to avoid banging on his little face as she made three unn
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 110
She had planned to spend the rest of the day following Archer from a distance, but as they walked from the tea court, Bolton informed her that the king had ordered her to assist with guard duty at a state dinner that night. And though she could think of a thousand excuses to get out of it, any suspicious behavior on her part could draw the wrong sort of attention. If she was actually going to listen to Eleanor this time, she needed the king—she needed his entire empire—to think she was his obedient servant.The state dinner was in the Great Hall, and it took all of Matilda’s self-control to keep from sprinting to the long table in the center of the room and horking down the food right off the plates of the gathered councilmen and preening nobility. Roasted lamb rubbed with thyme and lavender, duck glazed with orange sauce, pheasant swimming in green-onion gravy … Truly, it wasn’t fair.Bolton had stationed her by a pillar near the glass patio doors. Though she wasn’t wearing the roya
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 111
Not bothering to say good-bye to Roland or the girls, he strode out of the Great Hall. He had better, more important things to worry about than what Matilda felt for his friend. He was the Crown Prince of the largest empire in the world. His entire existence was bound to the crown and the glass throne that would someday be his. She’d ended things because of that crown and throne— because she wanted a freedom he could never give her.“Leonard,” someone called as he entered the hallway. He didn’t have to turn around to know it was Matilda. She caught up to him, easily matching the brisk pace he hadn’t realized he’d set. He didn’t even know where he was going, only that he needed to get out of the Great Hall. She touched his elbow, and he hated himself for savoring the touch.“What do you want?” he asked.They passed beyond the busy halls and she tugged on his arm, slowing him down. “What’s wrong?”“Why would anything be wrong?”How long have you been yearning for him? was what he really
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 112
His training with the assassins must have paid off, because Leonard was across the carriage and brandishing a hidden dagger between them before she could blink. “Please,” he breathed, his chest rising and falling in uneven patterns. “Please, Laena.” She opened her mouth, ready to explain everything, but he was gasping down breaths, his eyes wide. “I can pay you.”A small, wretched part of her was fairly smug at the sight of him cowering. But she held up her hands, showing him she was unarmed—at least as far as he could see. “The king thinks you’re part of a rebel movement that’s interrupting his agenda.”A harsh, barked laugh—so raw that none of the smooth, lovely man was even recognizable in the sound. “I’m not part of any movement! Wyrd damn me, I might be a whore, but I’m not a traitor!” She kept her hands where he could see them, and opened her mouth to tell him to shut up, sit down, and listen. But he went on. “I don’t know anything about a movement like that—I haven’t even hea
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 113
She knocked once, then opened the door to Bolton ’s bedroom just wide enough to peer in. He was standing frozen before the fireplace, as if he’d been in the middle of pacing.“I thought you’d be asleep,” she said, slipping inside. “It’s past twelve.”He folded his arms across his chest, his captain’s uniform rumpled and unbuttoned at the collar. “Then why bother stopping by? I thought you weren’t coming home tonight, anyway.”She pulled her cloak tighter around her, her fingers digging into the soft fur.She lifted her chin. “Turns out Leonard wasn’t as dashing as I remembered.Funny how a year in New York City can change the way you see people.”His lips tugged upward, but his face remained solemn. “Did you get the information you wanted?”“Yes, and then some,” she said. She explained what Leonard had told her (pretending that he’d accidentally given her the information, of course). She explained the rumors surrounding the lost heir of Terrasen, but left out the bits about Vaness
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 114
It was one of the longest nights of Benjamin ’s life.Every second had passed by with horrific clarity—every agonizing second as Matilda lay there on the floor of his office, her bodice covered in so much blood that he couldn’t tell where she was bleeding. And with all the stupid layers of frills and pleats, he couldn’t see the entry wounds.So he’d lost it. Utterly lost it. There was no thought in his head beyond a roaring panic as he shut the door, took out his hunting knife, and ripped open her dress right there.But there were no wounds, only a sheathed stiletto that clattered to the floor and a scratch on her forearm. With the dress ripped away, there was hardly any blood on her. And that’s when the panic cleared enough for him to remember what she’d whispered: gloriella.A poison used to temporarily paralyze victims.Everything from then on became a series of steps: quietly summoning Ress; telling the young, talented guard to keep his mouth shut and to find whatever healers wer
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