“Don’t engage him, Nolan.”

Andrew frowns at me from behind his desk as I shake my head, furious and barely controlling myself.

“They were aggressive,” I say.

“They always are.”

“But Hazel wasn’t prepared. You should have seen her face. One of the fucking assholes even told her to go back to America in English.”

Andrew’s frown deepens. “In English, huh? I didn’t know those vermin could speak more than Polovian.”

“Neither did I.”

“Apparently they’re evolving.”

“That, or Julian made them memorize a phrase.”

Andrew sighs and leans back, spreading his hands out. “You have no proof of that.”

“Do I need proof? We both know it was him.”

“Maybe.” He hesitates. “But he still has power here.”

“Why?” I demand, suddenly furious. “Why does anyone follow that fucking joke?”

“Because they don’t have a good alternative yet,” Andrew says softly. “You know that.”

“And I need to be that alternative.”

“Yes,” he says. “So go back to your room. Spend time with your new pretty wife. Don’t do anything fucking stupid.”

“Right.” I stand up and nod at him. “Good talk.”

He sighs again. “You’re not going to listen, are you?”

“We’ll see,” I grunt at him before waving and leaving the room.

The whole fucking castle is afraid of Julian Eder, everyone except for me. I don’t know why they’re so fucking terrified. Julian is a pathetic excuse for a man. He’s crafty, that’s definitely true, and he does have a wife and some kids. Those things count for something. But he’s weak and sniveling and was a fucking crybaby when we were kids. I hated Julian back then and I can’t say I like him any better now.

I don’t know what happened to this court since I left. Back then, the strongest were rewarded. Julian was always picked last for games because he was weak and pathetic. Instead of trying to improve, he always just whined and ratted us out to our parents for bullying him. The little shit constantly made things worse for himself, all because he couldn’t grow up and get a little tougher.

Now we’re adults, and I know that playground shit doesn’t matter anymore, but I can’t help it. I keep seeing that whiny little brat who tattled the first chance he got. I remember trying to help him back then, tried to explain to him that he couldn’t cry or whine, that he had to be tough. Julian ignored me then just like he’ll try and ignore me now.

But I can’t have that. I haven’t been coming after Julian, at least not directly. I’ve been biding my time, playing the political game, showing my father that I’m a sincere man and should be taken seriously.

I don’t know how patient I can be anymore. Not after this dirty trick. Julian will never come after me directly, but he’ll find ways to annoy me. He’ll try and knock me off balance and force me to make a mistake.

Maybe he’s right. I’m furious sand I can barely breathe or think. I should go back to my rooms and fuck my pretty wife, but I can’t do that, not yet. I need to do something. I have to be productive. I can’t keep sitting around, smiling and pretending like shit isn’t falling apart in this goddamn country.

I stop in front of the door, breathing hard. I’m probably making a miscalculation here, but I’m done being safe. It’s time to take some risks.

I knock three times and wait. After a second, the door creaks open and I take a sharp breath.

Jessie looks surprised to see me. “Nolan,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Are you alone?” I ask her.

“Yes,” she says.

“I need to ask you something.”

She hesitates but steps aside. I walk into a sitting room very similar to my own, though decorated to fit Jessie’s style. It’s very bohemian, with lots of lace and natural decorations. I pace over to the kitchen and turn to face her.

“Do you support my cousin over me?” I ask directly.

She looks surprised and hesitates. “That’s a bold question,” she says.

“I’m done dancing around the subject. I need to know where the nobles stand.”

She walks over to me, her arms crossed. “What you’re saying is dangerous.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Since when did you back down from danger?”

She comes closer to me, a little too close, and I take a step back. But she follows me until I back right up into the counter. She leans forward, her mouth coming toward mine, and my eyes go wide.

I’m about to pull away when she stops, her lips near mine. “You think he’s not listening right now?” she whispers. “Damnit, Nolan. Follow me.”

Slowly she pulls back, a smile on her face, and she takes my hand. She turns and we walk back into her bedroom and into her private bathroom. She shuts the door, turns on the shower and both the faucets, and stands close to me.

“Idiot,” she says, her voice barely audible over the water.

“What the fuck is all this for?” I whisper back.

“We think Julian bugged our rooms,” she says. “We haven’t been able to prove it yet, but there have been strange… coincidences.”

“Like what?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she hisses at me. “Listen, you idiot. Yes, we support you, the young nobles at least, the ones that I control. And a few of the older guard too, but mostly because they hate Julian.”

“How many?” I ask.

“Not enough. But do you understand now why we haven’t been talking openly about it?”

I nod slowly. “I underestimated him.”

“He’s a sly fucking fox, Julian is,” she says. “But now you know. We’ll support you, but you have to be smarter than this. Understand?”

I nod my head and stare into her eyes. “I won’t let you down,” I say.

“Damn right you won’t.”

I turn to leave, but she grabs my hand and laughs. “Where are you going?” she asks.

“I need to get back.” I cock my head at her.

“We’re fucking right now, idiot. So unless you want Julian to think you’re pathetic, you better sit in here with me for a while.”

I sigh and nod. She hops up on the counter, pulls out her phone, and starts scrolling through it. I sit on top of the toilet seat and lean back, my eyes closed, thinking.

The young nobles and a few of the old guard support me, but that’s not enough. There are hundreds of nobles, and it sounds like I have the support of maybe thirty. Julian clearly has an iron fist around everyone’s fucking balls, and if he’s been surveilling these rooms, he absolutely has dirt on pretty much everyone.

That’s how he’s been keeping control, I realize. It’s not because people agree with his agenda, or even that my father likes him and takes him seriously. It’s because he’s been blackmailing the fucking nobles into submission.

He’s a dirty fucking rat, just like Jessie says. I’m not going to beat him just by smiling for some cameras and playing the good guy. I’m going to need to find something on him, something I can use as leverage. Everyone has a flaw, and I just need to find his.

After about a half hour, Jessie hops down off the countertop, turns off the water, and faces me.

“Not bad,” she says loudly.

I grin at her. “Rocked your world.”

“Sure,” she says, rolling her eyes.

I nod at her and she nods back seriously. I open the bathroom door and get the hell out of there before I get locked into another fake sex session.

I hurry back to our room, but Hazel isn’t there. The steward, Thomas, is standing in his usual position outside the door, though. “Thomas,” I say to him. “Where’s my wife?”

He half bows to me. “She’s gone for a swim, sir,” he says.

I raise an eyebrow. “Indoors or out?”

“Indoors, I believe. The private room.”

I nod. “Good. Thanks.” I hurry away from him.

The castle has several swimming areas, but the private area is for the royal family only. My mother and my father never use it, so I know she’ll be alone in there, and we’ll have privacy.

Which is exactly what I want. As soon as I swipe my key card and step into the room, I spot Hazel sitting in the hot tub. She smiles as soon as she notices me, and I know exactly what I want. I can’t help it. Her dark hair is piled high on her head and she’s wearing a dark blue bikini that barely covers anything.

She stands as I approach.

“I was wondering where you went,” she says to me.

“I had some business.”

“Sounds ominous.” She comes over to the edge and leans out.

I get a great view of her tits pressed together, and my cock is rock fucking hard. I kneel down in front of her and tip her face up toward mine.

When I kiss her, I know there’s no turning back. Not for any of us. This castle is going to change, and I’m going to make sure that happens soon.

But for now, I’m going to take what I crave.