Page 34 of Queen to the Sunless Court (Brides of Myth #2)

Beneath What Is Known

Theron

Theron lingered, his arms wrapped around Calliste, turning her words over in his mind and adding up what he already knew.

It felt as if he had half of the picture. That her husband had likely divorced her because she couldn’t have children, he already knew from the divorce papers. But he’d also accused her of violence—which was puzzling, because her scars made it clear who was the violent one in their marriage.

And why had she married him in the first place? Had he always been violent? What drove him to such chilling cruelty?

What we have means everything to me right now.

Now that he had proper sleep, he remembered Xanthos mentioning the special report awaiting him.

He might have found Calliste’s husband. And if he had.

.. Theron’s conscience prickled a little, but he itched to piece it together, especially intrigued by the way she described her past as dark.

First things first. “We need to go to Knossalikon tonight.”

“Knossalikon?”

“It’s a province half a day away by horse, or likely a short flight if we take Nocturne,” he replied.

“It’s a stretch of fertile, rich lands outside of Anthemos, and it belongs to the Amyntasides House, but my father awarded many of those lands to the Houses closest to the court.

This is where Solon retired while you were unconscious. ”

“Oh. I see.”

He sat up, rising from the bed. “I’ll go and change, and I need to speak to Xanthos. You should eat. I’ll come back for you in an hour—is that enough?”

“Yes,” she said, sitting up and glancing at her crumpled robe and disheveled hair before bursting into a helpless laugh. “Gods, Theron. Maybe give me two hours. I look like a scarecrow.”

He smirked. “Next time, I’ll make sure to make an even bigger mess of you.”

***

He headed to his quarters, where he washed and changed. On his way to Xanthos’ office, he ran into Melitta in the corridor.

She grinned at him, lifting up the tray of delicacies. “Majesty? I’m bringing you supper for two.”

“I must be on my way, but I’m certain Calliste will take care of it.”

Melitta’s eyes sparkled. “She does have an appetite, but I doubt she can eat for two. So... anything?”

Theron inspected the tray. “Oh, is that Gaiane’s cheese pastry?”

“Creamy goat cheese, drizzled with honey. Fresh from the oven.”

“Lucky me.” Theron picked up two and smiled his thanks before walking away, savoring the heavenly, brittle crunch of pastry and the sweetness of honey blending with the saltiness of creamy cheese on his tongue.

He gobbled both as he made his way to Xanthos’ immaculate, spacious office, where his advisor was seated behind his favorite desk: large and not overly ornate, with discreet elegance emanating from every polished surface of the oaken masterpiece.

Stacks of scrolls rested on a carved rack to the left, alongside nibs and quills.

Xanthos glanced up as he entered. He wore his usual light-blue tunic with golden embroidery over a white robe.

“Working late?” Theron asked, stepping toward the two plain chairs opposite the desk.

“Sit in the left one,” his advisor pointed.

Theron raised an eyebrow. “What’s the difference?”

“The right one is more comfortable.”

“You don’t want me to be comfortable?”

Xanthos narrowed his blue eyes. “No.”

“Petty.”

“Oh, pardon me, Majesty,” Xanthos replied, his voice sharp enough to bore through stone. “I must be really tired.”

“I imagine you must be,” Theron said as he settled into the right chair. “Running a kingdom is a hard job. Ask me how I know.”

“Oh? You’ve always had me to rely on. I don’t have that luxury.”

“I remember advising you to hire a proper assistant ages ago. I can’t save you from your own choices.”

“Why won’t you save my floor from the flakes of who-knows-what you’re about to shed from your beard?” Xanthos asked sarcastically. “This is why civilized people eat from plates.”

“Gaiane’s pastry,” Theron brushed his beard. “So, any news about Calliste’s husband?”

Xanthos shot a disapproving glance at an offending flake that landed on the floor, then shuffled some papers on his desk. “Found him.”

Even though he had already guessed, the confirmation put him on edge. “Good. Now tell me he’s dead. It will spare me the trouble of killing him.”

“He’s alive. Since you were otherwise engaged, I passed the information about his whereabouts to Lykos.”

Theron straightened. “Is he bringing him here?”

“Possibly. Either him, or more information about him. My details are scant, limited to where he might currently reside.” He rubbed his eyes. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t spend more of my precious time investigating a matter that’s not a priority for me.”

Theron leaned back, scrutinizing his friend and noticing a bitter tone. “It’s a priority for me .”

“I’ve noticed,” Xanthos replied, looking away. “And I don’t know how I can get it through your skull that this is spiraling out of control in a disastrous direction—”

“Xanthos—”

“No, don’t waste your breath. I’d rather you tell me how I’m supposed to keep the Assembly under control without a mandate.”

“You managed it for nearly fourteen days when I was away at Mount Hellecon. I don’t see why—”

“Don’t even remind me. At least it was clear why you’d left, then.

And now? Not to mention that your time away certainly contributed to the chaos we’re in now, because we still haven’t caught up from that.

If you want me to keep this farce going while you’re spending all day in her chamber doing, well, whatever you’re doing, I truly don’t want to know—”

“Sleeping. Mainly.”

“...then you could at least give me proper authorization so I don’t have to spend another day walking the tightrope of fighting or delaying the Houses from passing minor laws and motions that would benefit only them, without your authority to do so.”

“Do they not follow the order of proceedings?”

“How can they? You’re the only one who can cast the final vote, and your absence raises serious questions and causes divisions within the Assembly.

I’ve been constantly pressured for a reasonable explanation, even though they know it’s because of a woman rumored to be your mistress, and I can’t tell them they’re wrong. ”

“They are wrong.” Theron raised his hand. “She’s not my mistress, and I’m missing because of Kalias.”

“That’s excellent to know now, since you’ve left me without any information—”

“Fine, I hear you.” Theron exhaled. “This is far more complicated than I can explain.”

Xanthos’ blue eyes glinted like daggers.

“Give me some credit, damn it. I can see your pendant—which Lykos told me was given to you by an immortal—and I noticed the steed you rode, clearly divine. It’s plain to me that you’re involved in something beyond my understanding, which I cannot mention in the Assembly without sounding deranged.

In a way, it’s a blessing everyone suspects you’re absent due to a tryst, but of course, it doesn’t make it any easier for me. ”

Theron sighed. “I can explain some of it, I think.”

“I dream of nothing else,” Xanthos replied, stone-faced, “but an explanation that makes sense. Because handling the Assembly is just one piece of the puzzle that falls apart in your absence. Ever seen how well a chariot fares without a charioteer?”

“Gods, fine.” He gathered his thoughts, suddenly realizing this must be how Calliste had felt when she’d had to explain everything to him.

Damn. That’s not easy. I feel like a madman saying all this.

“Kalias is asleep for a sinister reason that could affect us all: the entire kingdom. It originated in the Underworld and this is why I traveled there. I need to resolve it to save not only Kalias but also... us. Hesperis as we know it.”

Xanthos sat in silence for a long time, his hands folding and unfolding a scrap of parchment. “And this isn’t a jest or a hallucination?”

“No.”

Brows furrowed, Xanthos kept his gaze on the square of paper. “And Calliste? What is her role in all this?”

“She has been crucial in discovering that Kalias’ illness began in the Underworld. And now… now we’re working together to find out how to solve it.”

His advisor stopped fiddling with the parchment, leaned back, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s say I believe you. But if Calliste is that important, getting involved with her in any way is unwise. That’s one.”

“Xanthos...”

“No, let me finish. Will you be going to the Underworld again?”

Theron shifted in his chair. “Yes. As soon as she gets better.”

“Is there a chance you might not return?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because I wonder if you have a plan in case you disappear and Kalias doesn’t wake up, effectively leaving Hesperis without a ruler. Have you considered that?”

“Hmm... no.”

“Thought so. Since Calliste seems to be better at it and has immortal assistance, can’t she handle it on her own?”

Theron stared at him in stunned silence before finally replying, “Are you suggesting I let her fight my battle?”

“In short, yes.”

“That’s cold-hearted to start with—”

“It’s in line with any advice coming from me, and the word for it is practical,” Xanthos said, running his hands over the edge of the desk.

“It stems from an unbiased standpoint and is rooted in what’s best for Hesperis.

So let’s circle back to the part we’ve already touched upon: what happens if you don’t come back from the Underworld—for whatever reason—and Kalias remains asleep? ”

“I’m not planning on staying there or getting killed.”

“You’re making plans about something entirely beyond your control?

” Xanthos scoffed. “If those journeys to the Underworld are why Calliste was mortally wounded, there’s a good chance you might end up the same—or dead.

Do we have a plan for that? No. Can you imagine the consequences for the kingdom? Well, I can.”

There was a long silence, punctuated only by the crackling of the sconces.