Free Marcael: A Terraneu Novel, Book Five by Stormy McKnight

wryly, “I am not a child Marcael. I know that
the likelihood of me surviving whatever comes in the next few hours isn’t that
high.” She leaned back with a sigh, “I must have really muddled up the plans
you had for defeating my uncle. Trying to keep me alive is going to cost you
the advantage and I realize that.”
    “That is not—” again Brennae interrupted him.
    “True?” She was getting angry that he wouldn’t treat her like an equal,
“If it had been anyone else sitting here, you would be talking strategies
instead of trying to sugar coat our predicament for my sake. Stop trying to
protect me! I’m not some porcelain doll that can’t think!”
    “Okay.” Marcael leaned forward and put his hands on hers, “You want only
the truth?” He sighed, “It would have been easier to initiate my plan without
having to worry about you on this ship. Our odds of success are diminished, but
not by as much as you seem to think. I still believe that we will be successful
in ending this nightmare.”
    “I don’t suppose you will tell me this plan you have?” When he just
raised his eyebrow and smiled Brennae sighed, “Okay...so about my grandfather?”
    Marcael bit out a laugh, “You are persistent.” He leaned back and his
eyes locked on hers, “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
    “Yes, I’m sure.” Brennae didn’t hesitate. She waited patiently for
Marcael to start talking.
    Marcael took a drink of his water and leaned back on the cushions. “I was
a street orphan when your grandfather found me. Five other boys and myself had
stayed together to protect each other from the other roving gangs. We were so
young I knew it was only a matter of time before we were killed, or sold into
prostitution.” He smiled at her, “I even accused your grandfather of that when
he offered to take me off the streets.”
    Brennae had just taken a drink of her water when he stated that. She
gasped and immediately started coughing, waving him back when he moved to help
her. “I’m okay.” She rasped out, “You didn’t really do that!?”
    He laughed again, “Yes, I did. Though I will admit at the time I thought
he was just a High Lord. I had not realized he was the King.” With a
mischievous glint in his eyes he said, “Actually, I am not sure it would have
mattered. I was terribly rude at that age.”
    Brennae smiled at the thought of a young Marcael telling her grandfather
off. “How old were you?”
    “I do not know, maybe nine or ten years old at the time. I had been
abandoned in the streets. There is no way for me to know how old I was
exactly.”
    Brennae’s smile dimmed. “So young?” She whispered.
    “Yes, well your grandfather saw to it that I was trained and educated.
When I achieved the honor of being Knoet’un I thought my heart would burst from
happiness.” Instead of having a radiant smile at the memory, Brennae was
surprised to see him frowning. “It was not long after the Knighting Ceremony
that I was chosen for the assignment that eventually led me here. You see your
grandfather was very smart. He knew that the Queen would accept me more readily
because he had guessed at my parentage. Though I did not know exactly who they
were, it showed in my features that I was from Aekaetum. It was easy for me to
say that I had been cast out due to my connection to the country we were
warring with.” Rubbing his hands over his face he continued, “I was able to
work my way into the Queens guard. They believed I had been stripped of my
status as Knoet’un because of my race and was therefore bitter toward the King
and Kingdom. I quickly earned a place at the Queens side where I stayed getting
as much information to the King as I could. When the day came that they brought
the King before the Queen, I was working as a guard at her side. They dragged
your grandfather in and made him bow to his wife. I could see something was not
right. He was not the same man. Instead of hearty and full of life, he was