Twisted Bonds

Chapter 5

~~Drew’s PoV~~

I wasn’t informed that the reception we’re attending tonight is outside of the prince’s castle, and I’m not happy about it.

“I need to check the security before we go anywhere,” I tell Carter as he changes into his formal wear. He already met with the prince briefly but they will speak further at the party tonight, along with everyone else who wants to meet him.

“The prince’s men are looking after the security,” Carter assures me. “Relax, Drew. We’re at peace, remember?”

I do remember, but I also remember the odd way the delegation from this kingdom behaved at the party for the prince’s mating ceremony, which was the last time we had any direct contact with them. Even though I never found any evidence that anything unusual had taken place, something about the whole situation still strikes me as strange, as though things weren’t exactly what they seemed. That feeling lingers over me as I look out the window of the guest room at the castle where Carter is staying.

“I’d like to go to the house ahead of time and have the prince’s men brief me on their preparations,” I insist, not willing to let this go. “Just because we’re at peace doesn’t mean some crackpot with a personal grievance can’t do a lot of damage. My job is to keep you safe, Your Majesty. This isn’t a vacation.”

He waves his hand to dismiss me as he focuses on his bowtie. “Go ahead, then. We’ll wait until we hear from you to come over. But are you really wearing that?”

I glance down at my usual black-on-black button-up shirt and dress pants. It helps me blend in, as much as I can with my bionic arm. My legs are less noticeable since you can’t see them beneath my pants and shoes; nobody would realize at first glance that they’re both artificial as well. “What’s wrong with it?”

Carter raises his eyebrows at me before shaking his head. “Never mind. I’ll see you soon, Drew.”

Leaving him on that note, I go to speak to the other members of the security team who have come with us. One agrees to come with me while the others stay with Carter until I send word that it’s safe for them at the party.

The landscape here in the southern kingdom is very different from the empire, I notice as we drive over to the party location. There are no lush green forests or lakes or meadows. The ground is rocky, growing more mountainous in the distance, and apparently, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are relatively common. Low shrubs are the primary form of vegetation with the occasional dead tree forming a lonely silhouette against the darkening sky.

Perhaps the overall look of the land adds to the feeling of foreboding that is growing in me the longer we spend here.

And yet, when we arrive at the house where the party is taking place, the gardens are green and vibrant with exotic flowers and shaped topiary. It must cost an absolute fortune to keep it in this state when it goes so completely against the natural habitat.

We are stopped by security when we arrive, which is a good sign. I introduce myself and my colleague and tell them why we’re there, and they check our names and ID against the guest list, and that pleases me too. Perhaps Carter was right that they have things under control but it never hurts to double check.

The house belongs to one of Prince Henrik’s advisors, his foreign minister, a man by the name of Dalton Bancroft. My research on him didn’t turn up much other than that his family is very old and very wealthy. Besides working for the prince and the wealth of his family, there’s no mention of him online or in the public records I have access to. He has a mate, apparently, but there’s no record of her name or a mating ceremony between them, which seemed strange to me until I realized the same was true of most of the king’s advisors. There is hardly any record of the women of the kingdom at all.

As for Bancroft himself, I couldn’t even find a decent picture of him, the only one available was grainy and several years old. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but the image wasn’t clear enough for me to place him. He was probably part of the delegation that came to the empire three years ago.

When we reach the house, the head of Bancroft’s security team comes to meet me and runs me through all the preparations for the evening. Their on-site security room has cameras positioned throughout the house and grounds with men stationed at every entrance and exit point. They are taking security very seriously, which I appreciate, and the man’s sure and competent explanations help to ease my concerns.

He even brings plans of the house for me to review, laying them out on a small table in the security room. As I scan them, I notice a small room in the basement with no windows. “What’s this space here?”

“Storage,” the head of security tells me. “It’s secure, there’s only one door in or out. Nothing to worry about.”

I’m about to return to the plans when something catches my eye in the security feed over his shoulder. A slender woman follows a couple of other women up the stairs, and though I can’t see her face, something about her is familiar to me. I take a step closer to the screen, trying to change the angle I’m seeing her from even though it’s impossible, but she disappears out of shot before I can get a clear look.

“Is there a problem?” the man I’ve been speaking to asks, but before I can answer, something on a different screen catches my eye: a man and woman having what seems to be a heated discussion in the main reception room.

“Who’s that?” I ask, pointing to the screen.

The security guard winces as he follows my pointing finger, only for a second, but enough that I notice it. “That’s Mr Bancroft,” he answers me stiffly.

“And his mate?” The man’s back is to me so I can’t see his face, but I can see the woman clearly. She’s beautiful in that very manicured way that so many women of high society are; she reminds me of my own rejected mate, Katherine. They don’t look alike, but they seem to share the same priorities. Perhaps that’s a superficial assessment, but I can’t stop it from popping into my head anyway.

“No, that’s… someone else.” The man’s vague answer raises more questions, but he does his best to move on before I can ask them. “She’s known to the staff here and not a security risk. Where do you want your men positioned this evening?”

Although I’m still curious about the arguing pair, my priority is the prince’s security, so I push my questions down and get back to business. When I’m satisfied that everything’s in order, I call back to the rest of the team and tell them they can bring Carter over whenever they’re ready.

The sooner we get this party started, the sooner we can leave, I hope. Despite all the security, something about this place makes me uneasy, and I’m more certain than ever that I won’t be relaxing tonight.