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Rian stood, the white shirt beneath his tailored jacket now stained red.

Hurried footsteps echoed outside the royal dining room.

It was time.

Blood rushed from Kallie’s face. Moisture licked the back of her neck. On trembling legs, she stood, joining Rian and grabbing a hold of his arm.

At her touch, he straightened, covering her hand with one of his own.

“What—what was that?” Kallie asked, pressing a hand against her chest as if she could prevent her heart from bursting out of it.

A Frenzian guard burst through the doors, sword unsheathed. Eyes blazing until they landed on Rian. “My King, are you all right?”

“Fine, but what’s going on, Laurince?”

Another guard rounded the corner, shouting, “Your Majesty! There’s been a—” The newly arrived guard chopped off his words once he spotted Kallie. He cleared his throat. “We uhm . . . we have a situation, My King.”

“Out with it then, Syrus,” Rian demanded.

“One of the servants has . . .” Syrus swallowed. “One of the servants has taken his life.”

Rian froze. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Show me.” Rian stepped forward but stopped when Kallie stepped with him. He squeezed her hand. “Kallie, please. This is not something I wish for you to see.”

Kallie pushed her shoulders back. “As I said earlier, your problems are my problems, My King. If there is an issue with our people, within ourhome, I want to know about it.”

Rian glanced at Laurince, who shrugged, before returning his attention to Kallie. “All right. But if it gets too much, we will leave instantly.”

She gave a small nod.

Despite what Rian may have thought, Kallie did not need to prepare herself. She already knew what she would see. Her target was dead, and Domitius’ assignment was complete.

Now, she needed to ensure its success.

* * *

When they finally reached thestorage closet in the servant’s quarters, a hand flew to Kallie’s mouth, and she gripped Rian’s arm tighter.

“Are you all right, Princess?” Rian asked, moving to shield her from the body on the ground. He brushed a stray hair away from her face, the small act causing his cheeks to flush slightly.

Kallie nodded. “I’m fine.”

Her feigned shock was only half false. While Kallie had known whom she would see lying dead on the floor, she had not expected it to smack her in the gut to such a degree.

Behind Rian, the healer rose from a crouch. “My King, perhaps the lady would do better if she was brought to her rooms?”

Rian looked at Kallie, and she shook her head. She needed to see this through.

“If the Princess says she is fine, she’s fine. Now, please, tell me what happened.”

The healer scratched the top of his head with a quill, “I cannot be too sure. No one was around when it happened.”

“Who found him?” Rian asked.

Trina, the servant from dinner, stepped forward, eyes now bloodshot and face tinted green. “I did, Your Majesty. I was returning from the washroom, and—” The woman choked on her tears, cutting off her words.