Page 87 of A Queen’s Game (Aithyr Uprising #1)

Chapter Fifty-Six

Marietta

M arietta woke the following morning, still naked and curled up on Keyain’s chest as golden morning light filtered into the room.

She brushed her fingers over his muscles.

She shouldn’t have thought of King Wyltam; she should’ve stopped when he wouldn’t leave her mind.

The game she played with the King was already dangerous.

To then think of the King when he wasn’t present—when another man was inside her—was troubling. More than troubling.

“Good morning, my love,” Keyain said, his voice gravelly with sleep. She pushed herself up onto him, sitting on his stomach. “Didn’t get enough last night?” Keyain smirked as his hands reached up and held her hips.

“I will never get enough of what happened last night,” she said, technically not lying.

Keyain lifted his hips against her, his eyes sleepy but ready for more.

“Don’t you have to leave?” she asked. “You’re usually long gone by now.”

Keyain jerked up, his arms wrapping around her to keep her from falling. He swore, realizing the time. “I need to go.”

He left the bed and walked to the bathroom. Running water filling the tub sounded from the room, followed by a loud thud and Keyain’s swearing.

“Anything I can help you with?”

“No, I just have a meeting I need to get to,” he said impatiently.

A few minutes later, he left the bathroom and dressed. Keyain was still pulling on his shirt as he walked into the dining room. Marietta threw on a gauzy robe from her closet and followed him.

In his office, Keyain unlocked a drawer and dug through its contents, pulling out a stack of files. “You’ll need to wear something else, so you don’t tempt me to skip this meeting and spend the day with you,” he said with a smirk, glancing up at her.

“Perhaps that’s what I’m hoping for,” she teased, leaning against the doorframe. It wasn’t, but the comment deepened Keyain’s smile.

When he finished, Keyain closed the desk drawer and strode over with a kiss. “When this war is over, I promise to give you every second of my time.”

“And until then? You’ll be better about not leaving me alone all day, every day?” Marietta smoothed the fabric on his chest.

“I promised you last night, didn’t I?” Keyain kissed her again and then walked past her back into the dining room.

“Will you take me into the city?” she asked, following.

“Into the city? Why?”

“I’d like to go to a play or dinner,” she said, twirling the end of her hair. “We could have Elyse and Brynden join us.”

Keyain set his papers down on the dining table, looking towards Marietta. “That’s a very random request. I don’t see the point since they’re no longer to be married.”

“Doesn’t mean Elyse wouldn’t like to see him again. It would make her happy, would it not?” Marietta needed to play into Keyain’s soft spot for her. “And you’ll be there to supervise. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Plenty,” he said, turning around and walking into the bedroom. “But I’ll see what I can do. Elyse always enjoyed getting out of the palace.”

Marietta rolled her eyes—of course she enjoyed getting out of the palace. Who in the hells would want to be trapped here all the time?

As she leaned against the table, Keyain’s files pulled her attention.

Intrigued, she peeked into the other room to check that Keyain remained distracted before lifting the top folder.

An alphanumeric name titled the page, and the document listed dates from a few weeks prior.

The name Olkia stood out to her but Keyain’s heavy footfalls approached.

She let the folder fall back into place, noting he didn’t lock the drawer of his desk.

Keyain walked back in, pulling on a pine-colored jacket over a white button-up shirt.

“I’ll be back by dinner tonight.” He picked up the files and kissed Marietta.

With his empty hand, he cupped her face.

“You are mine. I love you, Mar. Please, stay out of trouble today.” With one last kiss, he left the suite.

Anticipation thundered in her chest as she darted back to Keyain’s office, seating herself in his chair.

The wooden desk had drawers to either side, with a series of smaller drawers along the top.

She tried the center most top one first, sliding it out.

What she found made her heart stop. Half hidden among the charcoal and extra sheets of paper sat the nymph dagger—the one Tilan made her.

With shaky hands, she pulled it out and turned the blade over in her hands.

Though it had been cleaned, dried blood caked some of the details of the hilt.

Her stomach churned, remembering the blood that coated her hands.

Marietta shut her eyes, taking a deep breath as she cradled the dagger.

So many memories were tied to it; only the last had been traumatic.

To leave it in Keyain’s possession felt wrong, an insult to Tilan’s memory.

She placed the blade on the desktop, deciding she would keep it if not for herself, then for Tilan.

Marietta took a breath and focused back on her original goal.

She opened the drawer to the left first, finding rows of files.

The first folder she checked had rows of equipment, weapons, and other miscellaneous inventory for the army.

The date listed at the top was from a few months ago.

She pulled another one out at random, finding more of the same.

Though inventory might be nice to know, it was not the type of information Valeriya needed.

If Marietta had exclusive access to Keyain’s information, then there had to be more than just equipment lists.

Cursing, she switched to the other drawer, also finding it unlocked.

Foolish of Keyain, already letting down his guard.

She pulled out a file from the middle. The page had a series of notes referring to something as the creator .

Curious, she quickly read through the files.

Most of it was nonsense, just gibberish mentioning the creator and its progeny.

It almost read like an interview, but she couldn’t find meaning in the words.

It had to be some sort of code, some sort of hidden meaning beneath the wording. She set the document off to the side.

Digging deeper into the drawer, she removed a file from a different section.

The document inside was labeled “TR-1128.” Marietta opened it, looking over a series of reports, all dated eight years ago.

The location was listed as Olkia, that it was some meeting.

There was dialog from… no. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest, her breath pausing.

Tilan. Direct quotes from Tilan from a meeting.

If Keyain had notes from an Exisotis meeting, then that meant Satiros had a spy in the Exisotis.

Marietta dug for a file with a similar name, finding one dated a few months ago.

She flipped it open on the desk to find detailed notes of Tilan’s movements, including when he headed home, the time of day, when he saw Marietta, and when he was at Exisotis meetings.

Like the other file, this one had quotes from the meetings they held.

Keyain had an informant tracking Tilan. Marietta searched the drawer again, finding a file labeled the month he took her from Olkia.

The document shook in her hands as she opened it, knowing it was Tilan’s last moments before Keyain murdered him.

As she read, she remembered his long nights in the smithy, clearly marked as Exisotis meetings.

According to the papers, they were planning an attack on Satiros.

It was clear from the notes that Tilan played a crucial role, but it didn’t say how.

How would Tilan have had a vital part in their plan? In all the years they had been together, she had never seen him fight. Maybe it was his weapons? If Tilan took part in planning an attack on Satiros, then he was no better than Keyain.

Marietta scrubbed her face, unsure what to make of the information. Valeriya would want to know about this, as well as the coded document. Why would they hide insignificant information in code?

A thought hit her. If the Exisotis had a spy and the Queen of Satiros claimed to be working with the organization, could she be the one handing information to Keyain?

Marietta rubbed her temples. The court games and schemes were dizzying.

No, Valeriya wasn’t a spy—she would never side with Keyain or Wyltam.

Let alone how would she listen in on their meetings when she was in Satiros?

A quick knock rapped on the front door, followed by Amryth announcing herself. Marietta slammed the drawer shut and grabbed the papers and dagger, hurrying to the living room. She managed to shove the items under the cushions of the couch when Amryth came into view.

“Underdressed today, are we?” she said with a raised brow. Marietta forgot she had only thrown on a gauzy robe.

“Oh, I didn’t have time to change after Keyain left. You just missed him.” Marietta crossed her arms, trying to give herself some more coverage as she passed Amryth to the bathroom and started the bath.

“You wore that in front of Keyain, the same male that stole you from your home? The one that secretly married you, legally claiming you in Satiros because of some backward law against pilinos? The same Keyain who almost attacked Therypon’s paladin because you were getting help?

” She stood in the doorway, her back to Marietta as she got into the bath.

Gods, how did she not expect Amryth to find out? Marietta could trust her with most things, but treason would be too much, too big of a risk.

“The same Keyain I used to love and found attractive? Yes. It’s... complicated.” Marietta said as she lowered herself into the bath, cursing herself. From Amryth’s point of view, Marietta looked like a fool.

Amryth gave an unimpressed look. “Right. Complicated.”