Chapter 175: Book 4. Liam - Royal Palace 4

The Scorpion was the ruler of the Order, the one who now ruled the kingdom—from the shadows, at least. Few knew of his existence.

Liam suddenly lost his appetite. While he was a skilled swordsman, he knew little about war. “Of course.”

“Your cousin, Joziah, is to receive the title of the late Count Dickman,” the Dog kept talking.

A grin appeared on Joziah’s face. “I hope I don’t have to keep that ugly family name. I prefer the one my father gave me—Levron.”

“Yes, yes,” the Dog dismissed Joziah with a flick of his wrist.

It took Liam all his willpower not to stand, flip the table over, and bury the fork he was holding into Joziah’s neck. At least he and Joziah didn’t have the same family name. “Anything else?” Liam asked the Dog. He thanked the Gods his voice was steady.

“Since Joziah will be a count, he will need a wife,” replied the Dog.

“All the young women from noble houses had been married. I am afraid there is no one left,” Liam informed the Dog.

The day after Athea fell in the hands of the Order, all the single women from the high society had been called to the palace, and the Dog told them who they were supposed to marry. Many of them have been forced to say yes to men twice their age, all of them members of the Order and from noble houses. Not all the men were from Athea, some were from other towns, other kingdoms even.

Those from the middle or poor class had been enslaved and were working in the houses occupied by the Order. Many had been sold to kingdoms from other continents or sent to the salt mines.

The Dog laughed. “There is one lady that remained unwed.”

Liam furrowed his brow. “Who?”

“Ivy De Bellisle.”

Liam knew that name. Earl Emilio’s daughter. Mina’s friend. “I am afraid Ivy together with her father, disappeared the day the Necromancer ordered his army of undead to attack the city.”

The Dog’s mocking grin grew larger. He snapped his fingers, and the two undead guards that stood on each side of the double doors opened them.

“As you all know, Kaj is trying to find out where the bastards and those that vanished that day are hiding. Last night, two of Kaj’s demons were searching the sewers. They found something… interesting.”

As if to validate the Dog’s words, two demons entered the dining room dragging two women after them. Liam recognized both of them—Ivy and Essy, the young woman that used to work in a tavern in the port. Both of them were covered in bruises and cuts, and Ivy’s eyes were red and puffy, a sign that she had been crying. Shackles were around their wrists and ankles.

“The Scorpion thinks Lady Ivy will be a perfect wife for Joziah. The wedding is to be held in two days,” the Dog informed Liam.

“You can’t do that, she’s already—” Essy started saying, but the demon holding her slapped her so hard she fell to the marble floor.

Tears ran down Ivy’s face.

Joziah studied Ivy from head to toe. “Even though you refused my marriage offer two years ago, I guess you will still end up being my bride. I do hope you are still pure.”

Ivy spat at his feet. “Go fuck yourself!”

Joziah narrowed his eyes. “You will get on your knees and clean up the mess you made with your tongue.”

Liam blinked. He had never heard Joziah speak that way to a woman before.

Ivy’s face turned pale. When she refused to obey, the demon behind her grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to kneel in front of Joziah.

“Lick the tile clean. My boots also,” Joziah snarled.

It was clear Joziah thought men were superior to women, and they were to be disciplined when they did something ‘wrong.’ Liam did not share the same beliefs as the Order. In fact, he hated the way the men from noble houses had been treating their wives.

The Order not only thought that women should submit to their husbands but that humans were superior to the other races. From the little Liam learned the Scorpion was planning to slowly spread his ideas in the entire world and, ultimately, to have the other races bow to humans. But what Liam didn’t understand was the Scorpion’s obsession with marrying the ladies of noble houses with members of the Order—as they too were from the high society.

Ivy refused to obey Joziah, and the demon pushed her head down to where she had spat. She still refused to do as Joziah ordered her.

Those around the table watched in silence Joziah grabbed a handful of Ivy’s hair and forced her to meet his gaze. “Do as you are told!”

Liam stood, not wanting to see the women get abused while he could do nothing to protect them.

“Before you leave,” the Dog said, and Liam looked at him. “The Scorpion wants you to sire another child with Queen Rosalyn. He thinks it will be good for maintaining peace in the kingdom.”

The idea of having to touch Rosalyn again made Liam sick. He had to find a way to send a parchment to the Mercenary King as soon as possible.