Whatever It Takes: The Royal Romance (Excerpt)

Chapter 11

Lamar knew what she was going to do. He had noticed the dagger hidden in a secret pocket on the lower back of her dress earlier but assumed it was just for self-defense. But as she talked to that asshole, her hand twitched a couple of times, checking that the blade was still there. A rookie mistake that in combat would ruin the element of surprise for her, but Dalton was apparently too stupid to notice. Or he didn’t think she would actually do it. To be fair, Lamar didn’t think she would do it either.

But he heard it in her voice, saw it in her expression, that she had finally made a decision. “Very well”, she said, sealing the man’s fate. Her hand grabbed the hilt of the dagger and she plunged the blade deep into Dalton’s chest. The lord huffed in surprise and gasped for air, blood quickly turning the front of his priceless tunic red. For a moment it looked like he was going to collapse right onto her, but the princess pushed him away. As she pulled the dagger out of his body, the blood sprayed her long white silky dress, making her look like a nightmarish apparition.

Lamar somehow managed to keep a neutral expression, stepping closer towards her just in case some of the lords were brave enough to avenge the asshole. Or that the guards would finally decide to try and arrest her. The Orellian captain had been sizing them up earlier, trying to guess how many he would manage to kill before they would get to Karina. But it proved unnecessary, the men seemed to be loyal to Marcos, and Marcos was loyal to the princess. When have they planned all this?

The princess was clenching her fists, making her look even angrier, but Lamar knew better. She just took her first life and she was trying to stop her hands from shaking. He remembered that feeling.

“So,” she said when the body on the floor finally stopped moving, the blood pool around it getting bigger and bigger, “anyone else wishes to question my authority?”

Lamar quickly scanned the crowd. Most men were shaken and frightened, eyes pinned down on the floor, trying to look invisible. A few were frowning and giving the princess angry looks, but upon seeing Lamar and Marcos standing next to her and the motionless guards all around, they wisely decided to keep their mouths shut. It was ironic, if someone had told Lamar a few days ago that he would play a vital role in a palace coup, he would laugh them off as too drunk or insane. And yet, there he was. And it looked like the princess was not done yet.

“Lord Jansen? Step forward, please.” One of the frowning men took a deep breath, but he straightened up and took a few steps towards the princess. The rest of the men quickly cleaned the center of the room, eager to get as far away from him as possible. Karina tilted her head, measuring him with a curious expression. “Lord Jansen, I understand you have often spoken against my father? Even to the point he threatened to have you removed from this council and stripped of your titles?”

Jansen did his best to maintain a stone-cold expression, but the way he glanced at the bloodied dagger in the princess' hand gave him away. He was scared. Who wouldn’t be? “As your father’s advisor, I merely advised him to the best of my conscience.”

A diplomatic answer, way better than any Lamar would be able to give in such a situation. At first, he was wondering what the hell was she doing, but it was quite obvious now. The princess was settling some past scores that Lamar, as an outsider, knew nothing about. The Orellian captain was almost certain Hayden wouldn’t like that, but there was nothing that could be done to stop her now.

“Hmm.” She stepped closer to the lord, a few drops of blood sliding down her blade, splattering on the ground. The sound was almost obscenely loud in the suddenly silent room. “And what does your best conscience tell you about my plan?”

Jansen had some nerves of steel, or maybe it was just the relative freedom of the person already condemned to death, but he looked her straight in the eyes, unwavering. “I do agree that we don’t have many options. But simply handing our country over into the hands of the Burning Fury and hoping for the best is insane.” He looked down at her dagger again and Lamar and Markos stepped to Karina’s side in unison. The element of surprise she had was gone; if Jansen decided to fight her, he would probably win.

“Interesting.” She actually did sound intrigued, even though the lord basically called her insane. “Kneel.” Her voice changed, turning the word into a stern command. Jansen opened his mouth to say something, but the look on her face stopped him and he slid down on his knees in silence. Lamar sincerely hoped the princess wouldn’t ask him to be the executioner. He has never taken a life outside of combat and the idea of striking an unarmed defenseless man repulsed him.

Karina raised her head, eyeing the rest of the men in the room. “So, who else?” All eyes were carefully studying the ornate floor tiles now, the frowning faces have dissolved into the sea of fear and nervosity. “Lord Pierre? Lord Kalani?” The sea has quickly parted, leaving the two addressed men standing alone like sad, frightened shipwrecks. “Weren’t you also often voicing your disagreement with your king’s actions? Why don’t you come and join lord Jansen over here?” Her words were phrased as a question, but it was obviously a command they couldn’t ignore.

The princess waited until they reluctantly shuffled across the room and knelt behind Jansen. “What about you, Otto?” There was a collective gasp for air among the men, surprise overshadowing fear in their faces for a few moments. Lamar noticed that even Markos raised an eyebrow. Again, the men have stepped away from the one in question, a grey-haired elder with an eyeglass, dressed more like a clerk than a lord.

“M-my lady?” He blinked in astonishment a couple of times.

Karina glanced at him and then looked around the once again quiet room, narrowing her eyes as if she was searching for someone or something. “King Hayden personally confirmed to me that he has had spies at this court for years. Were you one of them?”

“What?” Otto stared at her in bemusement. “My lady, I admit I often disagreed with your father, but I would never betray him or our country.” His words were heartfelt, he seemed offended she would even suggest such a thing.

Karina’s index finger curled towards her in response, commanding him to step closer, and then mercilessly pointed down on the floor. Shaking his head in disbelief, Otto walked over to her and joined the other men. Lamar couldn’t believe it. Was that girl seriously going to start her rule by murdering half of her father’s court? She didn’t strike him as so coldblooded and vengeful earlier. The princess leaned towards Markos and whispered a few words into his ear. Even though Lamar was standing close, he still couldn’t make out what she was saying, but Markos left her side for a moment to give some orders to the soldiers at the door.

A man pushed his way forward from the crowd, glaring at the princess angrily. “I suppose I’m next?” Even if he weren’t wearing a uniform, everything about his posture and movements screamed he was a soldier. “Or isn’t it customary for a forceful overthrow to take out the military leaders first?” He spat out the words with contempt.

“I wouldn’t know,” Karina shrugged, a smirk twisting her lips. “As lord Dalton here,” she waved the tip of the dagger towards the body in the center of a large blood pool, “pointed out, I’m just an inexperienced girl and this happens to be my first… what did you call it? Forceful overthrow, yes. I guess that fits. But I’m very glad you decided to step forward, general Rand. Why don’t you come here and join your colleagues?” Her tone was almost playful, but the threat underlining it was obvious.

The general didn’t move. “With all due respect, princess, I would prefer to die standing.”

“With all due respect, general,” Karina hissed at him, “we all would prefer this situation to play out differently. And yet, here we are. Kneel."

Rand spat in her direction and two guards who had been standing quietly beside the wall until now stepped in closer to him. "You do know you are technically still under my command?" he addressed them, but they seemed unmoved by his words.

"Technically." Karina nodded and watched him as he shook the soldiers' hands off his shoulders and knelt next to Otto before she continued. "Is there no one here that supports me? That actually agrees with my decision?" She threw her arms out, shouting her question to everyone in the room.

Several men rushed forward and voiced their support and unwavering loyalty. The princess smiled, but there was a strange glare in her eyes that Lamar didn't understand. "Thank you, gentlemen. I know you were eager supporters of my father. Move over there, please." She gestured towards an empty space near the main entrance to the room.

One by one, the rest were quick to speak the words, praise her plan, flatter her, compliment king Hayden even. All eager to reach the safety of the crowd again, carefully avoiding paying any attention to the men kneeling on the floor.

Only two men remained, one with an amused smirk on his face. Lamar didn't like him at all, but the princess seemed to feel otherwise. "Lord Huxley," she chuckled, "what do you think about my plan?"

"Well, I still think it was my plan." From the way he rolled his eyes at her it was obvious to Lamar they were quite familiar.

"Debatable." The princess shook her head and sighed. "Do you have any more names for me?"

"Burley and Oldstone."

Two frightened faces turned towards them. As far as Lamar remembered, they were among the last to join the crowd and their words of praise didn't sound very honest. The princess' finger curled ruthlessly again, drawing them out. They kept glancing at the guards around nervously but moved forth without objections.

There were seven people kneeling on the ground in front of her now, and about twice as much huddled in the corner next to the door. Plus the ever-smiling lord Huxley and one man at his side, nervous just as the rest, if not more. Chills were running down Lamar's spine. Not even Hayden would be so bloodthirsty against his own people. But then again, this was not a normal situation. If a few lives taken now prevent bloody rebellions in the future, then it was probably worth it. He just hoped he wouldn't have to be the one taking those lives.

Karina moved even closer to the kneeling men and Lamar stepped in to stop her. "My lady," he said quietly, "any man can be dangerous when facing death."

The princess gave him a warm smile and softly touched his hand. "Then it is a good thing these men are not facing death."

They weren't? The surprise on Lamar's face mirrored the looks of the men on the ground before he managed to regain his composure. Maybe just imprisonment then? Yes, that seemed like a more appropriate solution.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Her eyes slid over them, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. “You are my new council.” A wave of gasps echoed through the room and before it died out, she had already turned towards the rest over the lords, any sign of kindness or amusement vanishing from her face. “And you!” Lamar felt the anger building up in her again. “You loyal advisors, doing nothing but kissing my father’s boots all the time, agreeing with everything he did or said, whispering ill advice into his ears! You are the reason Levanta is in this trouble. I should have you all struck down where you stand. But there has been enough blood spilled already. Get out of my sight!”

Once again, all faces in the room stared at her in absolute silence. “You can go home or leave the country if you wish. But if you choose to do so, you will be leaving with the clothes you are wearing right now and what little gold is in your pockets. All your other property will be forfeited in favor of the crown.”

“What?” The first lord who rushed in to support her was raising his voice right now. “You can’t do that!”

The smirk that twisted Karina’s face was a cold and evil one and Lamar hoped he would never find himself on the receiving end of it. “Interesting. I just did. Captain Markos, please make sure that nobody leaves the city with more than a small sack of coins.” It was quite a vague order, but one Lamar was sure the common soldiers would follow eagerly. Markos saluted and went to give instructions to his men.