Court of Blades by Tanya Bird

Author:Tanya Bird [Bird, Tanya]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Tanya Bird

Chapter 22

Tatum and Alveye stood inside the warden’s quarters, waiting for him to arrive.

‘He does this to make you nervous,’ Alveye whispered. ‘You end up waiting until your anxiety renders you useless for the conversation ahead.’

Tatum glanced at the array of weapons hanging on the wall, knowing Shapur Wright had mastered every one. ‘Maybe he’s just busy.’

He had barely gotten the words out when the door flew open and the warden’s large frame filled the doorway. Shapur looked between the two men, appearing to immediately disapprove of their presence despite giving specific instructions for them to wait for him there.

The defenders saluted.

‘At ease,’ Shapur grunted, closing the door and making his way over to the large wooden table that took up half the room. It was covered in neat stacks of parchment and carefully placed maps. He insisted on order in all areas of his life.

‘You actually obeyed orders for once,’ he remarked.

‘Like loyal dogs, sir,’ Tatum said before he could stop himself.

Shapur pinned him with a glare. ‘I was very sorry to hear that Lord Oliver Livingston took his own life. He was a good man, by all accounts. For once, the blame does not land on your heads.’

The man loved to assign blame.

‘It was very sad for the family,’ Tatum said.

Shapur nodded. ‘I can only imagine.’

‘Might I enquire after Hadewaye?’ Alveye asked. ‘We’ve been waiting for him to return to Dinefwr.’

‘And I have been waiting for you to catch the Earl of Cornwall’s killer. Not so much as a lead, I hear.’

Tatum had been expecting him to bring that up. ‘General Blackmane has been—’

‘Yes, yes.’ Shapur took a seat and began sifting through one of the piles of parchment. ‘He was preparing to depart for Carmarthenshire when I received a letter from Lord Wybert.’

Tatum tensed at the mention of him. ‘Really? And what did he have to say?’

‘His letter stated that the Livingston family is now settled and safe in Carmarthenshire. Princess Charlotte has made strong progress. He seems to think your services are no longer required.’

Fucking Wybert.

‘And he said some other things too,’ Shapur said, staring pointedly at Tatum. He held up what appeared to be the letter and began to read from it. ‘He goes on to describe, and I quote, “an inappropriate relationship with Princess Charlotte while she was in a vulnerable state”.’ He lowered the parchment and stared at Tatum, waiting for him to explain himself.

Alveye looked down at the ground, which acted as confirmation that Tatum was guilty.

‘The duke doesn’t know what he’s talking about,’ Tatum said.

Shapur’s face darkened. ‘Did something happen between the two of you or not?’

The commander reached up to loosen the collar of his uniform. ‘Not… in the way Lord Wybert is making it sound.’

Shapur rose, chair scraping. ‘You were there to protect her.’

‘I did protect her.’

‘Before or after you seduced her?’

Tatum thought about all the things he could say in his defence but realised none of them would be sufficient. The warden had already made up his mind that Tatum had behaved inappropriately, and that was that.

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