"Where the hell have you been?" an icy yell wakes me up from calm sleep on a beautiful Sunday morning.
It's been a little over two weeks since I left this house to see Ro and I just returned yesterday, not really having energy to talk to anybody, I headed for the bed. Hell, I didn't even bother taking my shoes off.
Now, I guess, I have to face the consequences of leaving without notice for a considerable amount of time, but hey, at least no more quiet treatment, right?
"Out." I groan in protest, my voice still husky from sleep.
"Out…" he breathed out, exasperated. "You've been gone for nearly three weeks! I was looking everywhere for you?"
"Aw," I said mockingly, finally raising my head from the pillow and taking a look at the handsome figure in the doorway, "was your highness worried about me?"
He scoffed.
The bitch scoffed.
"There are cracks in these walls that mean more to me than you."
Ouch.
"I had three assignments planned for you in this time and had to postpone them all, compromising the progress we finally made! All because of your selfishness!" He yelled at me, advancing in the room from his place by the door. "I could've brought king to his knees, broken his reputation completely. But, no. Miss Diana had a sudden urge for vacation, once again putting herself first, not caring for anyone else!"
Em…what?
His finger in front of my face, his eyes accusingly scorching mine, I didn't dare to speak. To be honest, I may have, actually, slightly fucked up this time. And he may have been, slightly right about that, not that you'll ever hear me admit that.
After a few more intense moments, he took a step backwards and inhaled deeply. "Don't ever leave like that again. Next time, at least tell me." As those words left his slouched figure, Covyn sounded quite different from before, tired and almost defeated. Damn, is he actually not having his guard up around me? Did I really fucked up this badly?
"We have a meeting downstairs in fifteen minutes." Were the only words he said before he suddenly recomposed himself and left the room. Deciding its best not to upset the prince anymore I got ready and headed downstairs.
--
"An assassination attempt?" Melian exclaimed doubtfully, "on your father?" Her face was the picture of pure disbelief and I honestly couldn't blame her.
This meeting just started ten minutes ago and I've already felt a whole pallete of emotions: embarrassment, anger, excitement and now disbelief.
"Covyn…" Evren started calmly. "You cannot be serious?"
I, however, wasn't so sure. I mean I saw the way the prince looked at the king, there was no love in that icy gaze, no respect either. In fact, Covny's expression towards his father reminded me a lot of mine, full of hatred and disgust.
"The key word is 'attempt', Evren, and yes, I am dead serious" Covyn replied coldly and I could swear I saw Evren shiver. "I do not want my father to actually die, not that she could actually pull that off," he looked at me with distaste as I glared back.
Like I get it, you're angry…but no need to insult me like that.
"We just need to stage a serious attempt, show the court that the king is vulnerable and is not even capable of protecting himself, let alone protecting the kingdom."
I have decided to stay quiet, no need to test the prince today. He was certainly in a mood.
"Are you seriously that hungry for power?" Melian shook her head, apparently feeling the exact opposite. "He is your father!" The disbelief and accusation was clear in her tone.
"He is nothing to me!" Covyn roared and the entire world quivered. "He is a piece of shit! A pathetic excuse of a king and a curse to these lands."
Major daddy issues alert! (Not that I didn't agree).
"And you have no right to question me, peasant!" He hissed at Melian and I swear I would've snorted at how ridiculous he behaved, if I haven't noticed the terror and hurt in the eyes of my two companions. I guess they didn't see this side of him often.
"Covyn," I started carefully, being very mindful of the thin ice I was standing on, especially after the look he send me, "we are just scared that you may be a bit over-um… that this plan is a bit extreme and would just like to make sure you know what you're doing." I tried to keep my tone as soft as possible without making it seem like I am trying to calm down the deranged animal.
He rolled his eyes: "If you heard me out, you would have seen how I have everything planned out and that this is, in fact, an incredible plan."
He looked each of us in the eyes and after he noticed we won't interrupt him anymore he continued: "The monthly assembly of king's generals will occur in four days. Which creates a perfect opportunity for us to show the generals how the king's rule has weakened, making it possible for assassins to infiltrate the court. The court prides itself with its power and reputation. If someone were to make a death threat in the core itself and the people found out about that, the riots that would follow would turn the iron fist that the king rules with into a more of a cotton little finger. Not to mention how much would an assassination attempt crumple the image of our kingdom beyond our borders. My father has enemies that just can't wait for a sign of weakness from him."
As he finished explaining I had to admit that the plan was in fact good, but there was just one thing I didn't really understand. "Why not just assassinate him? Why fake an attempt?"
"Yeah, why not get rid of the problem altogether?" Melian joined.
Covyn sighed, and for once it wasn't the oh-you-are-so-stupid-how-don't-you-understand kind of sigh, this sigh was…tired. Which I noticed, was becoming more common lately. Is he okay?
"We can't just kill him, because there would be no stable authority till my official coronation and as I've said before, there would be riots and war threats."
I nodded in understanding. We had to do this discreetly, no one but the generals are to know about the attempt, or the entire kingdom will crumble down.
Don't get me wrong, I am very much supporting the idea of protests and some actual change. But war?
No, the war would ravage the country to the core. People are already dying of hunger, not many would survive the war.