Page 64 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)
Roksana
‘ Y ou can’t just barge in here. I don’t care who you are!’ Raised voices woke me from my sleep, so I sat up, stifling a yawn, trying to work out what was happening.
We returned to Truso last night after a journey that had technically lasted two days—but felt like a lifetime, thanks to the men around me. This morning, all I wanted was to stay in bed and let my aching muscles recover. But apparently, the world wasn’t going to allow that.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. That trip was destined to haunt my nightmares.
I couldn’t even blame Reynard—especially not with how Tova and Irsha had taken turns testing his patience, behaving like two overprotective brothers offended at catching him deflowering their innocent sibling.
My being exhausted didn’t help. So when Rey lifted me into his saddle, insisting on looking after me, a huge argument broke out.
It only ended when he’d banished them to the rear, where they spent the rest of the ride choking on road dust and horse farts.
The journey had taken even longer thanks to Reynard’s relentless need to dote on me.
How he managed it, I’ll never understand—but there was the bouquet of winter berries, the skittish rabbit he produced from gods know where, and even a cinnamon bun from a village baker where we’d stopped for the night who swore the king had saved his cousin’s life during the war.
Eventually, I released the rabbit back into the wild and gently pointed out that even the soldiers had started whispering about his reluctance to return home.
I pressed a pillow to my mouth and groaned, knowing I had myself to blame.
I’d kept him at arm’s length for so long, only to succumb to his touch in a moment of weakness.
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.
The only question now was what would happen next.
Rey seemed to share my feelings, which explained the many delays.
We should have discussed the future on our way back, but every time I tried, his little kisses, the nips that left faint marks on my skin, left me without a care in the world.
The thought of those moments led, inevitably, to the memory of our encounter, and with it came the pulsing desire between my legs. I squeezed my thighs together, pressing the pillow to my belly.
You can’t want the king, Sana. This isn’t some fairytale where the blushing orphan becomes his queen, especially not if this queen plans to train in magic and become the next poison chapter master.
The realist in me knew that it couldn’t be—we lived in two different worlds. Rey had to choose a queen that the court would accept. But my heart always guided my knife, and it seemed it had already made its choice.
Can I truly enjoy these stolen moments only to face heartache when it all ends? Or should I cut ties now, when it wouldn’t hurt so much? Another sigh slipped out. Gods, it’s already going to tear my heart out. Would losing him now or later be any different?
The commotion outside intensified. I got up to help Tova deal with our uninvited visitor when the door crashed into the wall and a silhouette appeared, framed by the light from the corridor.
‘Take her,’ he said, snapping his fingers, lighting up all the fae lights in my room.
‘I don’t bloody think so,’ I said. I reached under the pillow, but as I gripped the handle of the dagger, his fingers danced in the air, and with the simple sigil, a strand of aether flew from his hand, wrapping itself around mine.
‘Roksana Regnav, by order of the Court of Aether, you are under arrest. Surrender willingly and you shall be treated with all due respect. Resist, and you’ll be dragged through the city, bound and gagged,’ he said with a grim expression.
My eyes finally adjusted to the light, and I recognised the uniform. A battle mage enforcer. That could only mean the incident in Ostrava had come to light, and I had no choice but to face the consequences.
‘Right, of course,’ I muttered, standing up and pulling the covers around my body. ‘Would you give me a moment, please?’
‘Get the fuck out of our house! Sana, stay where you are. I’m sending a message to the king.’ A tousled head appeared behind the mage, and the flash of light from his axe was enough to frighten me.
‘Tova, no. I have to go. But please make sure Riordan and Ciesko know.’
It was the Court of Aether. As tempted as I was to appeal to the king, quarrelling with the Council of Mages on my behalf would only cause him trouble.
This was my battle, and I hoped the two men who’d introduced me to magic would have my back.
Hidden behind the privacy screen, I hastily dressed in my most comfortable gown, but as I reached for my alchemist’s belt, the battle mage’s voice stopped me.
‘No need for violence, Master Orenson. However, if you wish to use the blade, you are welcome to try, but please be sure you can stand your ground against the captain of the Court of Aether’s enforcers.’
The viciousness in his voice as he goaded Tova was enough for me to put the belt away. We had no chance when facing a mage whose only task was to kill monsters and subdue other wielders of the aether, but Tova was not so easily discouraged.
‘I’ll do more than stand my ground, you arrogant—’ he said, stopping when I rushed out from behind the screen to stand between them.
‘I’m ready,’ I said to the mage while gesturing to my friend. ‘Tova, remember when we discussed my magic? I told you this might happen,’ I said, hoping he still remembered the conversation on our return to Truso.
He was fascinated by his new hand and referred to his fingers as ‘living wood,’ claiming they felt as if he’d never lost their original counterparts.
His enthusiastic acceptance had made me hide how terrified I was—not just of the reaction of other mages, but also of my absolute lack of control over the power that had continued creating life, even against my will.
‘Fine, but . . .’ Tova hesitated. ‘I don’t trust him. I’ll go see the king’s mage. He’ll know what to do.’
The mage rolled his eyes at Tova’s stubborn expression. ‘You can go wherever you want, Master Orenson. Do me a favour—once you meet Riordan, tell him he is expected at the hearing.’
I followed the battle mage out and inhaled the crisp, early winter air that had swept in with the frost, painting the window in ephemeral flowers.
It was refreshing, but my empty stomach rumbled, demanding sustenance.
My custodian didn’t seem to notice the sound, and at the sight of a large black carriage with barred windows waiting for us, my hunger miraculously vanished.
I swallowed hard, stopping in my tracks.
The mage sighed heavily when he noticed my hesitation. ‘Mistress Regnav, please, let’s not make a scene on the streets.’
My jaw was so tightly clenched that I could only nod.
I climbed in when he opened the door, wincing as it slammed shut. I sat curled in the corner, barely breathing as I thought through every possible outcome while we slowly travelled through the streets of Truso. The silence that stretched between us felt too heavy.
‘Does the king know about this?’ I asked.
He looked at me, his hands tightening on his armrests before he shook his head. ‘His Majesty clearly isn’t objective. Besides, he has no dealings in the disciplining of mages.’
‘I think he has plenty of dealings—and keeping him in the dark to cover your ill-deeds will come back to bite you and your esteemed council in your distinguished arses. So, are you going to tell me where you are taking me, or should we see if my magic can turn you into a talking tree?’ I said, readying myself for whatever came next.
‘I’m taking you to be interrogated by the High Council,’ he answered. ‘Given that they’re letting you live, maybe you’ll even survive to have your geas ceremony. And I’ll pretend I didn’t hear your threat.’
‘Let me live? It was just a small magic flux. It’s not like I can shatter the kingdom. I’m just a potion-mixing commoner,’ I said, trying to convince myself more than him, especially since this man would likely have no say in the council’s ruling.
‘You are anything but common, Mistress Regnav. You changed the strands of aether so completely that a dead object became alive. You think you just repaired your friend’s hand, but what you did was create what commoners call a monster—a hybrid entity blended so perfectly that it cannot revert to its original parts.
How do you think biesy, manticores, 1 or harpies 2 came to be?
’ he asked, his expression earnest. ‘Only the gods should create new life, and you are no god. Vivamancy was eradicated for a reason.’
‘So, it’s submit to the geas or death?’ I asked, weighing my chances if I were to jump from the carriage. But that would mean being on the run, away from my friends, from Truso, never certain I wouldn’t wake up ensnared in magic.
‘Yes. Twelve mages have worked to energise the wards of the geas hall, as the council didn’t want to wait for the solstice ceremony. All for you. So at least some of them think you’re worth saving.’
‘Thank you for letting me know,’ I said with a shrug, hoping he didn’t notice how much I was trembling.
Calm down, I told myself. The last thing you need is for them to see you acting unhinged . . . Calm as a cucumber, Sana. Just be as calm as a cucumber.
I wasn’t sure why that particular vegetable came to my mind, but realising how much my mind drifted to ease the fear made me chuckle. My reaction must have surprised him because he frowned, looking at me as if he were assessing an exotic curiosity from a foreign land.
‘You are . . . not what I expected,’ he said.
I shrugged, falling back onto the carriage pillows, still shaking with quiet laughter. ‘Yeah, I hear that a lot.’