Prim looked to Dante, who nodded in support. She positioned herself to face the prince fully and turned on that fire in her eyes. “The man who accepted the job was captured. Before he was executed, he was interrogated. He said the job offer--with your stamp--was for either the kidnapping or the assassination of the princess. A million golds for one, four hundred thousand for the other. Are you sure you didn’t have it in your mind that if you couldn’t have her, nobody could? And you’d only be out less than half as much money?”

Damn, Prim was a good liar. Dante could still tell with his gifts, but just barely.

Neros balked, shaking his head. “No, Lady Primrose. Of course not. That’s not possible. One million golds to keep her safe. That was the deal. That was the only deal.”

Dante tapped his nose.

Blukke took a step forward, and Kallia lifted her chin to him in permission to speak. The bowerbird shifter didn’t; instead, he walked around the square of chaises to stand behind the princess and whisper something in her ear only Dante could hear outside of the intended recipient. It was a good question. Blukke returned to the wall.

Kallia licked her lips, narrowing her eyes at Neros. “Did you share your plan with anyone?”

The prince hesitated, then gave in. “Outside of the envoy? Egan knew. It was for his benefit, too, after all.”

Dante tapped his nose.

Prim collapsed into the chaise, huffing a breath of incredulity. Kallia couldn’t marry either of them, then. Not after learning they’d both been complicit with a plot to have her kidnapped, even if the person who wanted her dead was still unknown.

Prim regained her composure, and Dante knew she was done with this shit, especially when she started rapid firing questions:

“Do you know who ordered Kallia’s assassination?” No. Nose tap.

“Do you know anything about Roan Hollan’s death--the kern who died?” No. Nose tap.

“Did Torra know about the kidnapping?” No. Nose tap.

“Does Torra have a lover or betrothed?” A very confused No. Nose tap.

“Would you ever hurt Kallia?” No. Nose tap.

“Would Torra?” A very confused How the hell am I supposed to know? Dante shrugged.

Prim stood up, folding her arms over her chest and looking at Kallia. “I think we’re done here. What do you want to do with him?”

Dante pushed himself off the wall to join his love at her side, looking down at the prince who looked like he was about to shit himself. “The aerial envoy you entrusted to be your messenger--are they here with you now? I’d like to speak with them.”

The prince clenched his jaw, hesitating. “They didn’t come back to Lanham. I wasn’t even certain if the request had made it to the man--Sol?--until I got here and learned of the turmoil the castle had been in because of it.” He turned pleading eyes to Kallia. “I apologize, Princess Kallia. That was never my intention. And certainly an assassination wasn’t. The man you captured must have been mistaken.”

Well, there goes that lead. Dante ignored the man’s accusation that he was mistaken, not wanting to admit that he was that man.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

But Prim didn’t. “He wasn’t mistaken. So you might want to figure out how your stamp got on an assassination order.”

Dante brushed her arm with his elbow. She was so sexy when she got authoritative.

Neros eyed her suspiciously and Dante’s amusement winked out immediately. Why the fuck was he looking at her like that?

“What exactly did the man say the stamp was?” Neros asked.

Prim kept that confident air about her as she answered. “A star in a circle. Same as yours.”

Neros stared at Prim a moment longer, his eyes narrowed and his lips slightly parted. Dante subtly angled himself between the two and Neros’s gaze flicked to him. Not so subtly, then.

“I wouldn’t hurt her either. I wouldn’t hurt anyone. I’m a prince, not a rogue,” Neros said, straightening his collar in emphasis.

Truth, though Dante didn’t think it was appropriate to tap his nose while the prince was staring straight at him.

The prince angled his body toward the princess. “If you will give me another chance, I swear I will spend my life making this up to you.”

Kallia snorted. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

Neros started at her candor. “Princess--”

Kallia stood up swiftly. “Prince Neros, I won’t have you executed. I won’t have you tortured. We’ll keep this our little secret on one condition. You leave me and my handmaidens the fuck alone and you tell your parents that neither you nor Egan are worthy of me. Trust me, I’ll be telling mine the same thing.”

He shook his head. “Egan is not, that’s true, but I can be! You have an obligation to unite our countries. I was very clear about the instructions! You were not to be harmed. You have to believe me.” The man slid so far to the edge of the chaise Dante thought he might actually slide off and onto his knees to truly beg.

Kallia smiled. “I do believe you. Which is why you will never be King of Wassalia. You made a stupid plan that would have never worked and required you to trust criminals you never even met to escort me around the world. You entrusted someone else with setting up said plan and never followed up when you didn’t hear back from them. And you didn’t even do anything to cover your tracks.” Kallia gestured to the parchment on the table and her smile fell away, revealing a dangerous, harsh expression. “You’re a careless, shortsighted idiot. Now get out of my sight.”

The prince stared at Kallia for another moment as if he might try to persuade her again. Indeed, he did drop to the floor on his knees. “But our countries…”

Kallia looked down on him as if he were nothing but a slug. “You foiled our countries’ union. Not me. You can tell your parents I might consider Torra if you’re so upset over it.”

Neros blinked. “Torra can’t give you children.”

“And you can’t give me a partner fit to rule by my side. Now get out. If I have to tell you again, my generous offer to not kill you might expire.”

The prince looked at her a moment longer before slowly rising. “We have a week before the announcement is made--”

“There isn’t going to be an announcement,” Kallia interjected.

Neros ignored her and continued. “I will prove my worthiness to you before then. I will uncover who ordered your assassination. You have my word.” He bowed low, his dark hair falling across his forehead in the motion. Then he straightened and looked at her again before leaving. Dante used a phantom hand to shut and lock the door behind him.

Blukke sidled up from his place on the wall. “That was hot.”

The handmaidens laughed and Dante followed suit, though he certainly didn’t disagree with the shifter. He knew Blukke was mostly talking about Kallia--and Dante was impressed with the princess--but Dante only had eyes for Prim.

The princess didn’t laugh right away, still reeling from the conversation, but then she dropped onto the chaise and let out a snort of her own. “Well, you heard him. Call off the search. He’s going to take care of everything,” she said sarcastically.

Prim wrapped her fingers around Dante’s and she tugged softly. He turned to her with a raised brow. Her face no longer held amusement as she looked up at him with a sad, soft smile and round eyes. Dante didn’t know what this was about, but he knew it wasn’t good.

“Yes, my love?” At his words, her face brightened and his heart fluttered. It felt amazing to cheer her up with something so simple as a term of endearment.

Prim chewed her lip. “Do you have to go to the Bench right away?”

He should. He and Blukke had a lot of paperwork to get through. Again. But he couldn’t refuse her. Not when it was clear she had something important on her mind. “No, Bear. What do you need?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m ready to talk to Helena.”