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Magda and Odie finally reached the fork and tore to the left. She prayed she had gotten rid of the guilds—for now.

CHAPTER 18

Dagmara

Dagmara pushed open the door to meet the Mad King. She had expected to enter a room on the opposite side. Instead, she emerged onto a balcony. The vast space, lined with silver rails, looked out to the kingdom beyond. On one side she could see the rolling plains and vineyards, and on the other was the calm sea, brilliantly blue. Purple flowers twisted up the columns and ran along the railings, with a few petals dusting the floor. She barely noticed the four guards posted around the balcony, two watching the horizon and two with their gaze set at the table in the center of the space. One of them was massive, easily a foot taller than everyone around him.

The table was small and round, already donned with place settings and a bouquet in the center. There were only two chairs at the table, and the king was seated at one. He rose from the chair before placing his hand on his chest.

“Princess Magdalena, it is an honor.” His voice was commanding, sending a chill down Dagmara’s spine, and his Ilusaurian accent was captivating.

King Claude Mirage.

She had thought out every possibility for this encounter, but somehow she had missed this one. The king of Ilusauri wasn’t a disgusting, scarred figure. He was stunning.

Only twenty-one years of age, the king was tall and slender with muscles in all the right places. He had a sharp jawline, and fierce, brown eyes. His skin was bronze and his hair was trimmed short. He was a picturesque version of a king, not resembling a monstrosity that had killed his parents at thirteen.

By the guardians, he was captivating.

She broke out of her stupor and curtsied clumsily. “Your Majesty.”

She expected him to examine every inch of her, taking in his prey, but his gaze remained on her face, unbothered. He gestured to the empty chair. “Please, have a seat.”

Immediately, one of the guards was moving from his post to pull out the chair, but Claude stopped him with a mere glance. Claude rounded the table and pulled the chair back to make room for Dagmara to sit.

If this was the man who had ordered Aleksy’s death, she didn’t want to have a casual lunch with him. Yet, she had no choice. This was all a game. She was only here to get close enough to Claude and find proof. For all she knew, she could find proof this evening.

She was an assassin, not an actress. However, she knew how to play a game of manipulation.

He, on the other hand, could be a great actor, presenting as kind until they were married and he had full access to Azurem. This would be a complicated dance.

Forcing a smile, Dagmara said, “Thank you.” She approached the chair, aware of the distance between them closing, before she sat down.

He pushed her chair in, and she was surprised by his strength. A sharp, sweet cologne flooded her senses, but the king didn’t remain near her long enough for her to truly take it in. He returned to his side of the table and took his seat, smoothing out the front of his shirt as he sat.

“Welcome to Ilusauri,” he announced. “I hope the journey wasn’t too arduous.”

“Not at all.” Dagmara folded her hands on her lap.

“To be honest, I’m surprised you agreed to my proposal,” Claude began. “I know we haven’t seen each other in over a decade.”

She eyed the guards over his shoulder before answering, “I acknowledge many of our trading routes were cut off when our kingdoms broke ties with one another, and there are medicines here we simply don’t have access to in Azurem. Marriage would repair all of that,” she said.

His face flashed with an emotion that was gone before Dagmara could detect what it was. His lips curled downward into a frown too ugly for his beautiful face. “I see you only agreed for political gain.”

“Why else did you propose this arrangement?”

“To protect one another.”

“That sounds political to me.”

The guard behind Claude shifted, and Dagmara sat up straighter.

“Don’t worry about them,” Claude said. “They’re here for our protection.”

Our protection or yours? Dagmara wanted to say. She held her tongue. That’s when she noticed there were three wine glasses on the table. Would someone be joining them?

“Let us save politics for another time. How have you been since the coronation?” Claude said. She couldn’t tell what she detected in his voice, but it put her on edge.