Chapter 0140
Shame makes me want to run away and hide, but I’m not a little boy, I’m a man who faces my mistakes head on.
“I’m sorry,” I say sincerely. “I’m for everything I did to you. I wish I could take it back.”
sorry
“Don’t!” She turns away, and her whole body shudders as she does er best to contain her sobs. “Just leave me alone. Apology not accepted.”
I don’t know what to say. I brought the book she dropped outside. I quietly put it down on the cart and move toward the doors. Willow’s hushed cries echo in the large room. I ignore them and walk away as she’s asked me to.
Kane
Every day is just another day I have to put out another fire. The attack on Bernard is concerning as that means Jacob has been able to leave his cell. I have interrogated the guards in the dungeons, and the never–ending problem of them being swayed by bribes has not gone away. While the feeders are being treated more humanely, Jacob has been helping himself to the prisoners of war. Some have died, and their bodies have been disposed of
I cannot sleep, so I decide to visit the current bane of my existence. Jacob sits on a thin cot in the corner of his cell, a far cry from the luxurious bedrooms he’s used to. His leg has healed after Dr. Martin reset his/ femur in the right place. He is wearing an old gray shirt and pants that look like they’ve seen better days, and he smirks at me as I enter his cell.
“Your Majesty.” He gives me a mocking bow from where he’s seated on the bed, but he doesn’t get up. He is chained to the wall, after all. “It’s been far too long since you’ve graced me with your presence.”
I don’t dignify that with a response. I grab the chair nearby and take a seat. I’m in no mood for games tonight. I want the truth from Jacob even if I have to beat it out of him.
“Who bribed the guards?” I question. “You don’t have any money on you, and guards don’t bother with promises of riches if they can’t have their gold immediately.”
He shrugs, still smirking. “Who says anyone bribed the guards?”
“Jacob, I could break your leg again and have Dr. Martin reset it. I could break both of your legs or your arms. As long as I have a doctor heal you afterward, I’m not in breach of the contract I made with your father,” I tell him. “So I will ask you again. Who bribed the guards?”
“I did,” he replies, unfazed with my threats. “I gave them my gold cufflinks and a watch. It’s vintage. It’s
worth a lot.”
“You didn’t have anything on you when you were dropped in here.”
“Thid everything up my ass. No one checked before leaving me here to suffer by my lonesome. Can you really blame me for trying to better my circumstances? A man does have to eat, Your Majesty.
I pull out the aforementioned cufflinks from my pocket They’re gold with the letter J written in diamonds. I have seen Jacob wear these before. The last time I saw them was the dinner before he and Opal
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0140
attacked Emory in the library.
“The guards told me the same thing when I asked them what they were bribed with. It was almost word for word, actually.” I just needed him to confirm it. It’s a crime to bribe the guards in my kingdom. For both parties.
Jacob smiles wider, and it looks like he’s baring his teeth. “I guess that means I’m telling the truth.”
“Maybe you are.”
I stare at him, waiting to see if he will break under my gaze. He fidgets slightly but keeps quiet. Eventually, I rise from the chair and walk away.
“Good night, Prince Jacob.”
“Good night, Your Majesty.”
When Jacob was imprisoned, I had his room ransacked. A maid had found the watch and cufflinks in his drawer which meant someone had taken them from his room and used the items to bribe the guards. I only had one suspect. A rat always sniffing for cheese is always close behind.
