Chapter 0106
Chapter 0106
“We could release Jacob,” Lex suggests.
“Absolutely not,” Rainier counters. “He’s the only bargaining chip we have.”
This is true, and I cannot stand Jacob after what he did to Emory. He almost killed her in the library. I came so close to losing her over his terrible sister’s jealousy. Jacob will not leave my dungeons unless I
have no other choice.
Lex sighs. “What do you want to do, then?”
“We can’t give in to King Peter’s demands,” Rainier says. “He could go back on his word as soon as Jacob is back in his custody. He could still choose to attack us.”
“He could still attack us even if we have Jacob,” Lex points out. “He already has once. Let’s be honest here. King Peter has been looking for a reason to conquer Crimson Peak even before any of us were born.”
King Peter has an infamous mutual dislike of my father, King Michael. The details of their rivalry vary with who is asked, but there was a general consensus it might have had to do with my mother, Queen Agatha. The rumor is that King Peter wanted her hand in marriage, but King Michael had beaten him to it. My mother’s native kingdom of Cerise Port had been a wealthy land due to their several ports that made them a central trading hub. Whoever she married stood to gain a lot of money, and my father had won that privilege.
“All of this because of spices,” Lex mutters. “That old bat would have been at odds with Uncle Cyrus and gone to war with him too.”
Our uncle, King Cyrus, is not known for his prowess in battle. Cerise Port is wealthy but not particularly robust with their military. Crimson Peak has been sending down men to help them with that problem for generations. I doubt King Peter would have done anything but suck the kingdom dry of its wealth like a leech.
“Speaking of your uncle, have you talked to King Cyrus about helping with the war? Financially, at least?” Rainier asks.
“I was going to go see him in a few days.”
Lex’s eyes light up. “Can I come? I love going to visit Cerise Port.”
I stare at my brother, exasperated. “Does it have anything to do with Cerise’s red light district? I think you’ve done enough damage in that regard, haven’t you?”
Lex coughs uncomfortably. “I should go.”
My brother scurries off, and I don’t bother asking where he is going. Instead, I reach for the letter Lex has written and hand it to Rainier.
“Have this sent to King Peter,” I say. “And don’t bother waiting for a response.”
I get to my feet. Rainier stands up and follows me. We walk out of the room and down the hallway.
“Do you think your uncle can help?” he asks. “Didn’t he already send you money?”
“Hopefully, he’ll be willing to send me a little more until can think of a way to get King Peter off my back.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0106
“Do you think King Peter’s planning something terrible?”
“What else would he be doing?”
Rainier leaves to go send the letter, and I continue on to my destination. I largely avoid this wing of the castle. The nobles live here, and I already have to deal with their simpering at dinner every night. The person I want to speak to also stays here, so I can’t avoid it.
A guard standing by nods before he opens a door for me. It leads to a suite of rooms with antique dark, furniture. I have never been in these rooms, and they are simpler than I expected. Clark sits at a chair with a book in his lap. He looks up from his book, his spectacles gleaming under the light.
Clark was turned later in life, and his hair is mostly gray. Even vampirism hadn’t managed to fix his terrible vision completely, and he still needs spectacles to see. As a human, he worked as my father’s advisor before finally being given the gift of prolonged life. When I was a child, I used to see Clark as a foreboding, serious character with no sense of humor and no patience for little children.
