Double-Edged Words

CHAPTER THIRTY

"We got it. We have the evidence." Leyla announced as soon as she caught sight of us between the trees.

Calim stepped forward. "Great, let me take a look."

Reggie swatted away his outstretched hand. "It's in a safe place for now. Let's go."

"You wouldn't have known those existed if I hadn't told you. So, it's our right to have them in our possession."

Reggie mounted her horse with ease, and without a glance in Calim's direction, she responded with ice in her voice. "Even if I wanted to, I can't produce those papers now. Well, unless you want us to disrobe in front of you."

Leyla smirked at Calim's obvious discomfort. "What Regina is trying to say; is that they're in our stays."

Impatience crumpled Reggie's face. "Get on the horse, boy."

Calim's face went stiff with stubbornness. "You know you're speaking to a high-ranking military official, right?"

She rolled her eyes, "Leyla, dear, get on." Without giving it a second thought, Leyla hopped on Reggie's horse, and spurring the horse forwards, Reggie threw the words behind her back. "You're right. High-ranking officials only travel with other high-ranking officials, so you two should share the horse."

Calim scoffed and turned to look at me with eyes full of incredulity.

"I'm not moving. You're sitting on the back."

⚜⚜⚜

"This is very detailed," Reggie muttered with elation while she perused the documents. "Citizen complaints. Denouncements of noblemen's abuse of power. Even statements from a couple of palace servants, talking about their unsavory and downright inappropriate encounters with the king. We might actually have a chance."

"The old man was very thorough," Calim mumbled back to her, looking through his half of the stack of parchment.

"Oh, you got to hear this. Apparently, the king has a thing for creating misunderstandings between his palace staff for his own amusement. To the point he had a 'relationship' with ten different palace maids—who did not know about the others, I would like to add—and promised every one of them that they would be the next queen. Only to, later on. Break up with them with the excuse that he fell in love with one of the other girls he already broke up with so they will fight amongst themselves. What an egomaniac." Her own gasp interrupted her words. "One of them even committed suicide."

I covered my ears with the palm of my hands. I can't believe the friend I cared about and admired for such a long time; turned out to be such a monster.

A soft, delicate hand took hold of mine and rubbed soothing circles on the back of my battle-scarred one. "How didn't anyone hear about this?" Leyla asked.

"Probably paid them to keep their mouths shut. They all came from an impoverished background." Reggie answered absentmindedly.

"He really isn't bright; all he is doing is creating division in his household. Which one day will end up biting him in the butt." Calim tsked.

An idea illuminated Reggie's eyes. "Can we use that to our advantage?"

"How can we identify those who are not happy with the king? It's not like they wear sashes that say 'I hate the king' around the palace."

"Well, I can go to the capital and ask around."

"There are more than five hundred people in that household, and they won't trust you that easily anyway."