A Guiding Light Page 22

  “Hey, Daniel? What’s the probability the rioting will hit the castle?”

  “It’s almost inevitable,” the RPS agent replied. “It’s one of the first things we’re trained in when becoming an RPS agent. Rebellion is unlikely, but should one happen, the kingdom’s seat of power is typically the first place hit. The rioters will likely hit hard and without much warning. Their goal will be vigilante justice. With so many talents out there, I expect the castle will be leveled unless the rebellion is smothered. At this stage, I doubt it will be possible to smother the rebellion. Too many want the king’s blood, and they’ve been given a good reason to go after it. Elites and royals underestimate the strength of numbers, and a thousand minor talents can overpower one stronger one.”

  “And middling talents?”

  “Twenty to thirty can overpower the average elite. If the elites join in, the castle will fall. The question will be if the king declares a state of martial law in time to reinforce the castle. If he does, it’ll be a bloodbath on both sides. The law requires North Dakota’s military to act on behalf of its current and rightful king. Even with your approved proposal, it’s treason for the army to act against the king until you’ve taken the throne by force. However, if we get the approvals, we’ll use the media to spread word. While it’s illegal for the army to act against the king, it is legal for them to refuse to fire on the general public, even under direct order of the king. Until you take the throne, you’re a part of the public. That won’t stop the mercenaries from slaughtering rioters, but it’s something.”

  “Unless the army agrees with the king.”

  “That’s a possibility.”

  “Any news on the number of North Dakotan RPS agents?”

  “It’s not good. There are no more than twenty active agents in service to the king. There are another fifty on leave. The file indicates the leaves were mandatory.”

  “What’s a mandatory leave?”

  “Unpaid suspensions.”

  “Are they likely allies?”

  “I’d assume so. Unpaid leave essentially means they were fired but can be called back into duty at any time. It makes it difficult for them to find new work, as their employers expect to lose them at any time.”

  “What’s the typical salary of an RPS agent?”

  “Seventy-five thousand a year.”

  I pulled up my thriving stocks and started doing the math. “Could they be hired under monthly contracts while still on leave?”

  “Yes, as long as the contract holder understands they may be called back to duty.”

  “Can they be called back into duty through a different kingdom’s branch of the RPS?”

  Daniel twisted around in his seat and stared at me, narrowing his eyes. “Yes, they can. There are rules for bolstering a kingdom’s RPS staff using those on leave.”

  “It’s going to kill my stock portfolio, but I can pay the lot of them for a month if they can be redirected through Montana back to here.”

  “Montana would be required to pay their salaries, but I’m certain you could come up with a repayment plan to Montana for the agents. While uncommon, it’s been done. You want all of the inactive agents?”

  “They have a lot to gain from joining—and a valid job, as they’d be in charge of helping the rest of the royal family. That many agents should be able to protect Veronica and her siblings, correct?”

  “It would definitely make our position stronger in Fargo. Most of the agents live here, as they can be called back at any time.”

  “Get them routed through Montana before His Royal Majesty remembers he can call them back,” I ordered.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  No matter what I did, I couldn’t win.

  While I’d heard about the fiasco in the king’s audience chamber, where Dr. Stanton had bluntly exposed my medical record to the elites in attendance, I hadn’t expected the media to broadcast it in its entirety. My doctor had taken her explanation to extremes, including graphic detail on the condition of my heart before and after her evaluation.

  It wasn’t until I saw her in action that I realized she’d given me the kinder version of her speech, one meant to win my cooperation rather than bludgeon me to death with her insistence on emerging the victor.

  She’d taken no prisoners and had left the king’s court stunned in her wake.

  As I’d been told, my parents had not reacted well to Dr. Stanton’s claims, and I stopped the recording so I wouldn’t be subjected to my mother’s indignant wrath.

  “It’s really brilliant. You should watch her. There’s an important lesson here: don’t screw with your mom. She can be mean.”

  “And no matter what she says, it’ll make her a target of the king.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Marshal replied with the certainty of someone who believed in the futures he’d seen.

  I wasn’t ready to start counting my eggs before they hatched, and I’d witnessed that Marshal’s dreams could change. I’d been the one to change them. No, I’d let him believe in the security of his dreams and do my best to prevent them from souring, but I wouldn’t trust in his foresight.

  It wasn’t infallible. If it were, Veronica would be dead along with the rest of Marshal’s family.

  “Daniel, the media’s running Dr. Stanton’s report of my medical file for the king’s court, and they have the clip involving my mother in it.” I hung my head and sighed. “This is a nightmare.”

  “I’ll make certain the RPS knows to heighten their watch on the Penshires. I’ll also make Dr. Stanton aware she’ll likely become a target, too.”

  “If you do manage to secure those extra agents, make certain Dr. Stanton is assigned a pair. Losing her right now would not be good.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Gritting my teeth, I resumed watching the video, which only showed a few minutes of my mother’s rant before the news anchor began reading the complete terms of the betrothal contract pledging me to Veronica as her consort with a focus on my parents, their talents, and why the king might want someone like me as an easily controlled puppet.

  Then the speculations began on why I’d been removed as Veronica’s consort and the betrothal nullified. The top conspiracy theory rang of the truth, and it chilled me.

  The king wanted a pawn with lethal-grade talents, and if I’d been the product of my parents’ gifts as he wanted, I would’ve been perfect. Then, in the ruthlessness I expected of the media, they disclosed my parents’ talents and revealed their marriage had been arranged to promote a stronger bloodline with a concentration of rare, destructive gifts.

  Someone had provided the betrothal documentation to prove it.

  Then, to add to the chaos, the media broadcast a very short interview confirming they’d been betrothed from a young age to capitalize on their budding talents. My mother had been fourteen, my father had been sixteen, and I’d been born shortly before my mother had turned twenty.

  “Hey, Daniel?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “How many elites do you think marry under betrothal agreements?”

  “Among the first born? Many. The younger children of an elite’s family may or may not be betrothed. If they have the right gifts, they’re married off for either financial or political gain. It’s a common practice. It’s more common among royalty, but many elite practice betrothals. It isn’t part of the RPS’s duty to monitor betrothals beyond security matters, but the security matters are a concern, so we’re typically aware when a new betrothal is proposed and accepted to ensure there’s appropriate security around the young couple.”

  I hadn’t even known my parents had been betrothed.

  It made more sense why they’d agreed to my betrothal in the first place. It was their normal. They’d been betrothed, resulting in my birth. An offer wouldn’t have been unexpected for them.

  It would’ve been normal. Expected. Sane.

  Just as Dr. Stanton had done, the media locked onto the situati
on with frightening ruthlessness, calling for the end of a practice designed to breed children for war—and that was all a betrothal of my parents could possibly be for: the chance to breed the ultimate weapon easily molded for a tyrant king’s use.

  The media made the situation sound even more vile than Dr. Stanton had managed.

  In some ways, I wondered if my parents had done me a kindness exiling me to a tiny town in a far corner of the kingdom. If I hadn’t been a leech, I would’ve had a chance for a life outside of the harsh realities of being an elite. I could’ve met someone. I could’ve decided for myself how to live my life.

  Many things would’ve been different had I not loved Veronica so much even then.

  I rubbed my temple and willed the growing rebellion—no, revolution—to disappear so life could go back to normal. “This is an unmitigated disaster. Was Dr. Stanton involved with this? Because I’m starting to believe this is something she’d do.”

  “It’s going to lead to some difficult questions later. This is going to spread like wildfire through the Royal States, though. It’s a quantifiable instance, and Dr. Stanton did a very good job of portraying your situation in such a way that it’ll be difficult for most kingdoms to continue the practice without harboring a great deal of disgust from the general public,” Daniel replied. “As for the possibility of her involving herself and making certain the media ran that broadcast? It’s entirely possible. The general public doesn’t practice betrothals. Dr. Stanton was not born into the elite caste. She’s technically a part of the lower-middle caste, but her specific skillset and education make her invaluable to the medical community. She’s in a rather unique position in that she has the authorization to evaluate someone’s rating without being an elite herself. According to our file on her, she’s treated like an elite by the general public and the elite while being in a lower caste. In a way, the lower castes have more freedoms than the upper ones. I wouldn’t consider it an unmitigated disaster, although you’ll be pressured to end the practice in North Dakota once you take the throne. It’ll need to be a priority.”

  “Maybe you should be the king, Daniel.”

  “I wouldn’t accept all the money in the world to take that job, sir.”

  “Do kings even get paid? I need a raise and I don’t even have the job yet. Do you think Veronica’s going to kill me when she finds out I filed those papers? I’m essentially stealing her job.”

  “You’re her partner, and you’re rehiring her with extra benefits,” he replied. “I wouldn’t classify it as stealing. Either way, she’ll still be queen.”

  “She gets extra benefits? Like what? Having to deal with this shit isn’t a benefit.”

  Marshal snickered. “You’re cursing, Adam.”

  I sighed.

  “As the primary monarch and head of the royal family, you’ll have the majority of the responsibilities. She’ll help, of course, but she’ll have the option to go back to bed on a bad day. You won’t.”

  Veronica would make the hassle worthwhile, but I already considered whether I could get rid of her father and then make a run for the border with her. I considered Daniel, wondering if ‘return runaway monarchs’ was part of his job description. “You’re not doing a very good job of convincing me this isn’t an unmitigated disaster.”

  “You receive benefits for having the job, including no one attempting to interfere with your bond. In fact, you’ll be pressured into having children almost immediately following your coronation. An heir will be considered critical in helping reestablish stability in the kingdom.”

  “What happens if a monarch decides to run for the border?” I muttered.

  “I doubt Her Royal Highness would let you get far. In case you’re uncertain, that goes into the benefit column.”

  “I’d take her with me.”

  “If it’ll make you feel better, we can plan a few training exercises where your goal is to escape the castle while we prevent your escape and return you to your rightful place.”

  “That’s the best I’m going to get, isn’t it?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Do—”

  A knock at the door startled me, and I banged my calf into the coffee table. Pain robbed me of breath, and I grunted, flexing my hands so I wouldn’t grab at my leg, which would only make it hurt more. Marshal winced and asked, “You all right?”

  I straightened my back and focused on my breathing until I could speak without my voice wavering. “I need to not do that again.”

  “Not a bad idea, Adam. You turned ghost white.”

  I bet.

  Daniel checked the peep hole before opening the door, and a pair of RPS agents came in dragging a suitcase—one large enough to hold a single, flexible person. After having been stuffed into a similar suitcase, I held hope they’d brought Veronica.

  Marshal bounced off the couch, undid the zipper, and pounced, knocking the suitcase over. Veronica yelped, and I chuckled at the prince’s enthusiasm in greeting his sister despite losing my chance to unwrap her from the suitcase, not that I wanted to get up and walk quite yet. “Maybe you should let her out before you become a living attachment, Marshal.”

  “Sorry!” He scrambled off his sister and helped her to her feet. “I got to hide when we came here. They put Adam in the suitcase. He didn’t like it at all.”

  “They make a suitcase big enough to fit him?” Veronica dusted herself off, giving me her undivided attention. “Are you all right?”

  Honesty would do me the most good, although I didn’t look forward to her reaction. “I’m all right. A bit bruised and achy but otherwise intact.”

  “How bruised? The recording made it look like you’d been tenderized.”

  “You’ll hurt his feelings if you run away screaming because his chest and back are black and blue,” Marshal said, grabbing his sister’s hand and giving a tug. “He slept really well last night, and he was only wearing one suppressor. He loaned me his other ones to help with my dreams. I had a good dream last night. He even let me sleep with him, but I get the couch tonight.”

  “Good. Are you all right, Marshal?”

  “I’m all right.”

  I wouldn’t betray his white lie—or tell his sister last night hadn’t gone as well as Marshal led his sister to believe. When he was ready to confide in her, he would—or she’d find out when we were carted off to a psychologist to make sure we emerged mostly intact and capable of handling the days to come.

  The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of unloading on a professional who might be able to make sense of the tangled mess my life had become.

  Veronica hugged her brother and kissed his cheek. “And your leg, Adam?”

  “I’d get up, but I really don’t want to. It hurts like hell.”

  “It hurts enough he let them give him three injections without running away this morning. He still flinched, though. And he may have whimpered, too.”

  I glared at Veronica’s little brother. “You’re not going to give me an inch, are you? Come on, you could at least let me pretend I handled that like a mature adult.”

  “I thought you did. You only flinched and whimpered.”

  “Take off your shirt,” Veronica demanded.

  Someone knocked, and within five minutes, Marshal helped unpack Ian from a suitcase. I waved at Peter, who saluted in return. “Thanks for the vest and the gun.”

  “We’ll be discussing the definition of point-blank range in the future, but well done getting His Highness out of a bad situation. If Her Royal Highness hadn’t gotten to you first, I’d recommend you apply to join the RPS.”

  “Sounds like a safer job than being—” Veronica cleared her throat, and pleased I’d tweaked her nose, I smiled at her. “Are you all right?”

  “I’ve had better days.”

  “Haven’t we all. Have you seen the news yet?”

  Ian stretched with a groan before flopping onto the couch beside me. “Not yet. Dare I ask?”

 
“The media is having a field day with this. It’s gone beyond rioting at this point. The king’s got a full-fledged rebellion on his hands. Any beliefs I have a private life have been thoroughly shattered, too.”

  Veronica grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault. Dr. Stanton gets the blame for this one, and I can’t even blame her for playing her hand. It furthers her goals. It’s also doing a really good job of inciting the general public. It may have done too good of a job of inciting the general public. There might not be a castle by the time this is over.”

  “Castles can be rebuilt, and a large construction project that employs a lot of people is a good start to a reign,” she replied.

  “That leads to the next problem,” I confessed.

  “What now?” Veronica bowed her head and sighed. “Don’t we have enough problems?”

  Ian threw back his head and laughed. “You did it, didn’t you? You really did it.”

  I elbowed the New Yorker in the ribs. “It seemed like a good idea at the time, although I’m having certain misgivings right now.”

  “Of course. That’s sensible. I’d be more worried if you weren’t having misgivings. I trust you sent to my parents for approval?”

  “Daniel recommended I file across the entirety of the Royal States, so that’s what we did.”

  Veronica jerked her head up. “What did you file, Adam?”

  “Can I tell her? Please let me tell her.”

  If Ian thought I’d reject a chance to avoid explaining the situation to her, I wasn’t going to refuse. “You probably understand the process better than I do,” I admitted.

  “Well, yeah. New York is a prime candidate to be challenged, and under New York law, the challenger has to tear through the entire royal family to take over. North Dakota only requires the base minimum of the monarch facing the challenge per the Royal States Foundation laws. I’ve been wondering if there would be grounds for a challenge.”

  “You challenged for the throne?” Veronica shrieked.

  “I requested tentative approval if he instated martial law or a state of emergency. I haven’t asked if it’s been approved. Honestly, I’m not sure if I want to know. Daniel thinks it was worth a shot.”