The Adamantists (The Crown Prophecy Book 2)

by M. D. Laird

  “Perfectly.” Nathaniel grinned.

  “Good,” said the king, rising from his seat. “Good day, Prince.” He left the office.

  Nathaniel’s grin left his face as soon as the king was gone and he gritted his teeth.

  Who does he think he is? I will kill him before he gets his hands on my guild.

  He midspaced to his room. The thorian smiled at him.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” he said. “I’m going to have to leave, I need to visit Prince Thomas.”

  “Straight away?” she purred, pulling back the blankets. His mouth began to water, and Nathaniel growled hungrily as he tore off his shirt and pounced onto the bed.

  “At your service, Your Majesty.” Prince Thomas grinned at Queen Genevieve as he entered her office.

  “Thank you for coming, Prince Thomas.” She smiled at him. “Please take a seat.”

  He winked at her. “I hope you have something exciting to tell me to make the long trip worth it.”

  “Probably not,” she replied dryly. “I could have told you over the phone, but you don’t have one.”

  “I thought about getting one of your watch things, but then I would have the problem of charging it. Solving that issue seems a lot of work, it’s just easier to fly several thousand miles every time you want to speak to me.”

  “Well, we will hopefully be able to talk at leisure for a few weeks at least,” she said. “I have become concerned with the king of Axandria’s intentions towards me and I think it best if I meet with him in person to reach a compromise. I wondered if I might stay at your guild and if you might liaise with him to arrange a meeting.”

  “You want to visit the king?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I think it will be the best course of action. If I leave soon, I have a few weeks to resolve things before I have to be back here for the next CRM.”

  “What’s a CRM?”

  “It’s the Crown Revenues Meeting, formerly known as the Crown Reformation Meeting and the Crown Reintegration Meeting.”

  Thomas shrugged. He wished he hadn’t asked.

  “Is that okay?” pressed the queen.

  “You want to stay in my guild?”

  “Is that a problem?”

  The prince’s expression gave nothing away, but he answered, “That’s probably not a good idea.”

  “I’d rather not stay with the king.”

  “That’s a worse idea.”

  “Thomas, what aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “I’m just not sure if it is a good idea for you to meet with him.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he isn’t a nice man.”

  “I am a queen, Prince Thomas, I can’t afford to deal only with nice men.”

  “Who were you planning on going with?”

  “Just my guards.”

  “You want to discuss the alliance with the enemy without your quorum? That’s very undemocratic of you.”

  “Well, as my democracy is falling apart around my ears I think it is likely for the best.”

  “A word of advice off the record. The king is much older than you, much more experienced at ruling than you, and much crueller than you can imagine. You are new to rule; you are young and naïve. It is unwise for you to go alone. There must be someone in your quorum who you can work with?”

  “You’re right, I suppose,” she said thoughtfully. “I will ask Lord Tharazan, Lord Ezra and Son Jacob.”

  “I thought Hallward was your advisor. Perhaps you should take him as well.”

  “No,” she said. “Mr Hallward is preoccupied with other matters. May we stay at your guild?”

  “How many?”

  “There will be twenty-eight of us.”

  “You’re bringing your entire guard?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “They will need to take shifts as they follow their decree, but I want them all there when I meet the king.”

  “Very well,” he replied. “I don’t think we have twenty-eight free rooms so some guards may have to share. I only have two suites, but I can ask the princess to share with me, and you can borrow her room.”

  “There is no need to do that,” she said. “An ordinary bedroom is fine.”

  “It’s no trouble, she usually sleeps in my room anyway.”

  “If you’re sure she won’t mind. It will free up a room for the guards I suppose.”

  “When do you want to come?”

  “I will speak to the others, but I wish to visit as soon as possible—ideally tomorrow.”

  “I shall return home in the morning to make the arrangements. The princess and I are dining in one of your restaurants and spending the night in a hotel.”

  The queen smiled.“How romantic.”

  Thomas snorted. “It is not my idea,” he said. “The princess is fascinated with Arkazatinia.”

  “It is lovely that you indulge her even if, as Oscar Wilde says, the worst of having a romance of any kind is that it leaves one so unromantic.”

  Thomas shrugged to disguise his lack of interest and understanding in whatever it was the queen just said. “It keeps her from complaining. I’m sure she will be pleased to have you visit us, she will be happy to give you a tour of Axandria if you have the time.”

  “I would like that. Thank you, Thomas.”

  Nathaniel had caught up with Prince Thomas and his wife at the Guild of the Crown. He had not been able to get close to the guild without being seen as it was guarded by the queen’s angel and demon guards. He had loitered in a nearby café where he could keep an eye on the self-propelling vehicle Thomas had arrived in. He had two cups of tea before Thomas and the princess left, and he followed their vehicle in the midspace. He then waited outside the restaurant where they took their evening meal before following them to a nearby hotel.

  The vector stopped in front of a hotel, and Thomas reprogrammed it to park in an available space.

  “Do you think they have adjoining rooms?” he asked. “I think separate rooms would be risky if they are not close. Your father could have sent someone.”

  “Just get one room,” the princess replied. “You can sleep on the floor.”

  He grinned at her. “Has the power balance shifted now?” he asked. “You’ve had your way with me, and now you’re in charge.”

  “I apologise.” She smirked. “Please arrange for one room, my great and worthy ruler.”

  “That’s better.” He chuckled and held out his hand to help her from the vector.

  Nathaniel easily located the room the couple were staying in, and it was conveniently located on the top floor. He had left the midspace as Thomas would sense his presence and perched himself on the roof and sat silently listening to everything that was said in the room below.

  Eleanor was in the bathroom changing into her nightdress when room service arrived with the wine the prince had ordered.

  “It’s still in the bottle,” the prince grumbled. “Am I supposed to decant it myself?”

  Eleanor pulled on the complementary bathrobe and left the bathroom.

  “I hate fending for myself,” said the prince still grumbling about the wine as he poured it into the decanter. “Is it beneath princesses to decant their own wine?”

  “If I have my way there will be a revolution and all princesses will be decanting their own wine for the rest of their lives.”

  “Except you. You’ve married into a guild where you are waited on hand and foot.”

  “Yes. That was great planning on my part.” She plumped the pillows to support her back as she relaxed on the bed. The prince handed her a glass of wine before sprawling himself beside her. “I shall arrange to see the rebels when we return to Axandria. They deserve to know what has happened to James. I don’t imagine he will have been given a dignified funeral, but we can at least mark his passing together.”

  She dropped he
r eyes towards her glass and gazed at the contents. Every time she thought of James she found it hard to picture him as he was and instead saw his body chained to the wall and his head staring up at her from her feet. She closed her eyes.

  “How will you see them?” asked Thomas. “I can’t go with you; nor can I send any of my men. It could be dangerous for you to go alone.”

  “I will just have to take the risk.”

  “How will you contact them?”

  “Via lolite. We have coded correspondence. I will send a code that means we will meet at our headquarters the following night at seven. Jack—the leader—arranges everything else from there.”

  “They wait around for you?”

  “No, they all have roles, and they get on with things. I brought them news from the king’s guild.”

  “Do you really intend to fight?”

  “Yes.”

  “You will probably die.”

  “I know.”

  “You’re happy to die?”

  “No.” She laughed. “I’m not happy to die, but I believe that removing my father from the throne is the right thing to do and I will risk everything—including my life—to make that happen.”

  “Even my decree?”

  “No. There is no need to risk your decree.”

  “You risked it when you told me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said sadly, “but I couldn’t risk lying to you. Well…now I know you I probably could, but when we were first married, I thought you might kill me if you found I’d lied.”

  “I don’t know why we have such a bad reputation—we rarely kill anyone.”

  Eleanor laughed. “You would know if I was lying.”

  “I knew you were lying on the carriage ride—I didn’t care.”

  She stared at her glass. “I’m sorry I told you.”

  “Forget it,” he grumbled. “The queen knows of your revolution. She overheard us talking when we left the guild the first night we arrived in Arkazatinia.”

  “How? We weren’t followed.”

  “She hid a device to record our voices in your coat.”

  “Oh no! Soon everyone will know. I should never have spoken of this.”

  “I don’t think she intends to share it, though she did advise against installing your rebels as leaders and instead suggested reinstating the original Crown.”

  “But what of democracy?”

  “She said it works better on paper than in practice.”

  “I have no control over what happens. The rebels will make the decision, but I doubt they would go for that—they are very anti-imperialist.”

  “I imagined that would be the case. I hope for your sake that you do not make matters worse, though you will unlikely be around to see it if you do.”

  “Are you so confident we will fail?”

  “Are you so confident you won’t? Even if the revolution succeeds it is highly likely that inexperienced fighters, such as yourself, will perish.”

  “I know,” she murmured. “Would you miss me if I died?”

  He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “I don’t know,” he said finally. “I can’t imagine what that would feel like. I don’t think I have ever missed anyone.”

  “I know I shouldn’t think of it, but it hurts to know that no one in the world loves me and no one will miss me. James was the only person who cared about me.”

  “What of your rebel friends?”

  “I am useful to them, but they do not care for me. Even though I am working with them to remove the king, they still resent that I am nobility.”

  “That seems ridiculous. A person cannot help what they were born into.”

  She nodded and sipped her wine. She tried to push away the sadness that had come over her.

  I will make them pay for what they did to you, James.

  Prince Thomas said nothing and waited for her to speak. She sighed and changed the subject to a less emotive topic. They chatted for hours about nothing in particular until the second bottle of wine was finished.

  “Shall I order some more?” asked the prince.

  “You can,” Eleanor replied, yawning. “I need to sleep.”

  The prince rolled onto his side and rested his head on the pillow facing her. “If I sleep here will you promise not to fondle me during the night?” he asked, grinning mischievously.

  “I cross my heart,” she replied, turning out the light.

  Eleanor woke the next morning to find her head laid on the prince’s chest and her arms around him. Her head was heavy from the wine, and she could not force herself to stay awake.

  “I thought you promised not to fondle me,” said the prince.

  “I must have thought you were James,” she replied groggily.

  “Ouch.” He chuckled. “Then why aren’t you moving.”

  “Because I’m comfortable,” she replied. “Now shush, I need more sleep.”

  “It’s late, and we’ve missed breakfast.”

  “I don’t care, I’m tired.”

  “I’m hungry,” he said. “Let’s get up.”

  “You go and get breakfast and bring it back here whilst I sleep some more.”

  “Have you forgotten about the psychopathic daddy king who wants you dead?” he asked. “Come on. I never eat breakfast this late for a good reason.”

  She groaned. “Fine,” she said, sitting up and meeting his eyes.

  He grinned at her. “I secretly hoped you would do more fondling in the night, you know.” He laughed as she hit him with a pillow.

  The dynamic between them had shifted dramatically. It was not so long ago they were at war with each other and now they were friends and maybe lovers, though they had not been intimate again since that night she called at his room. She had not regretted spending the night with the prince, it was she who had asked the alchemist for an opal, but she had asked the prince if they could take things more slowly as it was too soon after James. The prince obliged her, though he accompanied it with his usual flirtation. She smiled as she brushed her teeth. She had found him lecherous and repulsive when she had first met him and never imagined that she would find herself enjoying his company.

  Thomas bought coffee and warm rolls from a nearby street vendor. He had suggested they eat in the local park, but the princess complained that it was cold, so they returned to the vector.

  “I hate having coffee at breakfast,” he grumbled, “but I dislike tea out of a paper cup even more.”

  “We could have eaten in a café,” the princess replied.

  “I spent last night being surrounded by people whilst I ate. Once is enough.”

  The princess laughed at him as the door of the vector was opened by Prince Nathaniel, who, carrying his own breakfast, climbed inside and took a seat beside the princess.

  “Nathaniel, what are you doing here?” said Thomas.

  “I thought I’d join you for breakfast.” He smirked before nodding to the princess. “Good morning, Your Highness.” Nathaniel bit into his roll and then, speaking with his mouth full, asked her, “Do you have somewhere you can go and maybe, I don’t know, go and look at shoes whilst I speak with your husband?”

  “It may not be safe for her to go alone,” said Thomas. “And you can speak in front of her.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Fine, we’ll talk in the midspace,” said Thomas, entering the midspace. Nathaniel followed him immediately. “What is it?”

  “I have had a visit from our esteemed ruler. He was expressing concerns that you are abusing his treasure and he wants me to spy on you.”

  “Treasure indeed!” said Thomas. “I have treated that girl far better than he ever has.”

  “I’m satisfied that that is the case,” Nathaniel replied nonchalantly. He sipped at his coffee before continuing. “I spent last night spying on you so I can confidently return to the king and report that his daughter is perfectly safe. I doubt that will
be the end of it, though, I think he is targeting the Guild of Verrine now. He offered me his next youngest as payment for spying on you, I regaled him with your theories, and he became annoyed and told me that if I did not spy on you, then he would consider me to have broken my decree and would evict me.”

  “You told him everything we discussed?” said an exasperated Thomas.

  “More or less,” replied Nathaniel. “I didn’t mention the adamantine, though I may have strongly hinted in that direction, and I didn’t mention the queen’s magic, nor did I mention the opal. I simply told him that you think he is trying to provoke you into attacking his daughter so he can evict you from your guild.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He didn’t deny it.”

  “He doesn’t need to. And his willingness to sacrifice another daughter to another demon prince is evidence enough to convince me. Have you married the girl?”

  “I didn’t think it wise. Speaking of wives, I did hear the odd thing last night that piqued my interest.”

  “Ah, the princess’ hopeless dreams for revolution.”

  Nathaniel flashed a grin.

  Thomas raised an eyebrow. “This will not get back to the king?”

  “What do you take me for?”

  “You did spy on me.”

  “Because he ordered me to, but he never ordered me to report on revolutions. I also had to be sure there was no truth to his claims.”

  “Fine. The princess has been involved with a band of rebels for some years. They are currently training and planning a revolution to throw the throne and put some kind of republic in place.”

  Nathaniel grinned widely. “I knew she disliked him because he killed her sweetheart, but I never imagined she had plans against him all along.”

  “It won’t get anywhere,” said Thomas. “They’ll all get themselves killed.”

  “Are you letting your wife play revolutionary then?”