answer won’t change,” Grayson replies, finally pulling his eyes from me, picking up his fork once again, and moving the food around on his plate.
A commotion at one of the other tables draws my attention. A woman and the person who I assume is her husband are talking, except she’s crying, her voice getting louder and more hysterical as he tries to calm her down. Eventually, they both get up and the man leads the sobbing woman from the hall. Everyone is watching the couple leave, except me, I turn and watch the king. His eyes are narrowed as he observes them, then he turns his gaze to one of the guards by the door, nodding his head slightly towards the couple. The guard and his companion nod, and after a few seconds, follow the couple down the corridor. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I easily could have believed that the guards were just going on patrol, but the sick feeling in my gut tells me otherwise.
“They won’t be the first.” Wilson’s quiet voice surprises me, and I realise he had been watching the king as well.
“I don’t understand why he’s doing this,” I say under my breath, making sure to only speak when the priests have passed us on their route by our table. “Won’t society rebel against this? He’s demanding people to put their children into slavery.” My mind can’t comprehend what’s happening.
“It’ll weed out those who might betray him, and by offering a ‘fee’ to be excluded, he’s rewarding those who are loyal to him. It’s a cruel way to do it, but he will use their deaths to control people. Fear is a powerful motivator.”
I look at Wilson in surprise, and he gives me a small smile before eating another mouthful of his food. “I’m not just a pretty face. Why do you think I’m a castle magician? I’m good with politics, and because I’m a little…different, people let their guard down around me.”
I want to protest, say that he’s not different, but I stop myself because that’s not true. He is different, but in all the best ways.
We go back to our meals, but it drags. No one else leaves, too afraid to upset the king. My thoughts turn to Vaeril, and I wonder how he’s coping down in the forge. I worry the guards will have gone back down there to hurt him, but I know he can look after himself, especially after I managed to break the spell on his cuff.
Something changes, the atmosphere around our table shifting, and it pulls me back to the present as I notice the stiff expressions of those around me.
“Clarissa?”
Turning in my seat, I see Jacob standing behind me, his whole body practically vibrating with tension.
“Prince Jacob.” I dip my head in the proper greeting. We had ditched formalities when it was just the two of us, but with his father on the warpath and many sets of eyes on us, it’s more important than ever to follow protocol.
“Would you please take a walk with me?” He’s trying to keep his expression smooth, and for those who don’t know him, it would work. However, I do know him.
“Of course, Your Highness,” I reply, pushing back my chair and standing, my skirts falling into place around me as I move past the others. A hand shoots out and grabs mine, causing me to gasp in surprise. Following the arm back to its owner, I see Grayson frowning at the prince.
“Wait.” I can tell he wants to refuse, pull me back to the table, and not let me go, but he can’t. “Look after her. Please.”
The prince nods at the magician as he links his arm with mine, starting to lead me away from my friends and towards the large doors. His footsteps are quick, but I get the feeling he’s trying to slow himself down. He really wants to run, yet he keeps his strides steady and measured.
“I have one more announcement before you all go about your day.” The king’s voice reaches us and my stomach churns with nerves again. What could he have to say to us now? Jacob has frozen, dragging me to a stop and slowly turning us to face the king who’s staring directly at us.
“I’m sorry. I was trying to avoid this, but I think I’ve made you a target,” Jacob tells me, his voice full of self-loathing.
“My son, Rhydian, will be the next king.” He pauses as he looks over