Chapter 437: Unfinished Business

Chapter 437: Chapter 437: Unfinished Business

Arik had just decided the rest of the night belonged exclusively to Liam when someone knocked on the bedroom door.

Arik stopped with one hand beneath Liam’s shirt.

Liam, already half beneath him against the pillows, opened his eyes.

Neither moved.

The knock came again.

Arik stared toward the door with the expression of a man considering whether ignoring imperial security was an acceptable use of sovereign authority.

Liam’s mouth twitched.

"You should answer."

"No."

"You heard it."

"I heard nothing."

A third knock followed, accompanied by Mezos’s voice.

"Arik."

The emperor closed his eyes.

Liam started laughing.

Mezos continued from the other side.

"I value my life, which is why I would like to make it very clear that I do not want to be here."

Arik pushed himself upright.

His white shirt was open almost to the waist, black hair disordered from Liam’s hands, and the smoky caramel in the room had deepened enough that any sensible person outside should have understood exactly why interruption was dangerous.

"Then leave."

"I would love to."

Liam covered his face with one hand.

Mezos apparently took the continued silence as permission to risk the next sentence.

"Unfortunately, Gerard is still dead."

Arik looked at Liam.

Liam looked back.

Liam lost the battle and laughed harder.

"That tends to persist."

"I am aware," Mezos said through the door. "The problem is that he died at a royal wedding, in Wrohan, after being seen walking onto a balcony with you."

Arik’s expression became increasingly hostile.

Liam reached up and pushed a strand of black hair away from his forehead.

"Go."

"No."

"Arik."

"I killed a king two hours ago. I think I earned one evening."

"You killed him at Rex’s wedding."

"He insulted you."

"That is very romantic and politically inconvenient."

Arik stared at him.

Liam smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Go clean up the international incident before the press discovers you bashed Gerard’s head into palace architecture."

"That phrasing is unnecessarily graphic."

"It is also accurate."

Mezos knocked once more.

Arik looked ready to remove the door entirely.

Liam caught the open edges of his shirt and pulled him down for one last kiss.

Long enough to make Arik briefly forget why he was angry.

When Liam released him, Arik remained close.

"We are continuing this."

"Later."

"Tonight."

"If you finish before sunrise."

That was apparently sufficient motivation.

Arik stood.

Ten minutes later, he walked into one of Wrohan’s secured operational rooms in a fresh black shirt, dark trousers, and an expression that made everyone present immediately understand he had been interrupted at a very bad time.

Mezos was waiting beside the central table.

Severin stood opposite him with a tablet in hand.

David, Rex’s special forces commander, occupied the far end of the room, broad-shouldered and severe in a black tactical uniform that looked entirely out of place among the polished wood and antique paintings of the royal palace.

And beside him sat Mirelle.

Arik stopped.

Mirelle looked up from a cup of tea.

"Good evening."

Arik stared at her, only to move his golden eyes between her and Mezos.

"Why?"

Mirelle’s eyebrows rose.

"That is rude."

"What are you doing here?"

David answered before she could.

"She knows which guests saw Gerard leave the ballroom."

Arik looked at him.

David’s face remained perfectly serious.

Mirelle took another sip.

"I was sitting near three ambassadors, two women who know every scandal before it happens, and one journalist pretending not to be a journalist."

Arik slowly looked toward Mezos.

Mezos spread one hand.

"She was useful."

"I am surrounded by lunatics."

Severin glanced at him.

"You killed a king during a wedding reception."

Arik ignored that.

The room had been converted quickly into a crisis center. Gerard’s movements from the ballroom to the balcony appeared on one screen, while another showed the palace exits, guest accommodations, and the small number of people who had noticed his absence.

David enlarged the western wing.

"His personal guard knows he has not returned."

"How many saw the body?" Arik asked.

"Rex, Liam, the physician, two Wrohanian guards, and us after removal."

"Gerard’s people?"

"Not yet."

Mezos folded his arms.

"They believe he left the reception early after feeling unwell."

Arik nodded once.

"That works."

"For tonight," Severin said. "Not tomorrow morning when the King of Lirya fails to wake up."

Mirelle set down her cup.

"Then he should wake up somewhere else."

Everyone looked at her.

She shrugged.

"Not literally. I am not suggesting necromancy."

David rubbed his forehead.

Arik became more interested.

"Continue."

"Gerard already had a reputation for storming out of events when offended. People saw him drinking. He disappeared from the ballroom. Let the story become that he left the palace privately."

Mezos understood first.

"Move the body."

Mirelle nodded.

"Preferably somewhere his own delegation controls."

David looked toward the map.

"The Liryan diplomatic residence."

Severin frowned.

"Too many internal guards."

"Not if his staff believes Gerard returned through the private entrance after midnight."

Mezos was already examining the security routes.

Arik looked at Mirelle again.

"You think like a criminal."

She smiled.

"I have sisters."

That explained nothing.

Somehow, nobody asked.

David enlarged a service route connecting the palace perimeter to the diplomatic residences farther down the royal district.

"We can move him without crossing public roads. My people control the underground security corridor."

"And cameras?" Severin asked.

"Wrohanian systems."

Arik’s mouth curved.

David pointed at him.

"No permanent deletion. Rex does not want gaps that scream cover-up if someone audits the records."

"Then loop ordinary traffic."

Mezos nodded.

"Gerard enters his residence alive on existing footage from yesterday. We do not need new imagery if the internal staff is told he returned privately and demanded not to be disturbed."

Severin looked toward Arik.

"And tomorrow?"

Arik leaned against the table.

"Tomorrow Gerard is found dead."

David’s expression hardened.

"Cause?"

The room quieted.

Arik thought of the physician’s assessment.

Catastrophic intracranial trauma was difficult to turn into a peaceful death.

"He fell."

Mezos grimaced.

"Twice?"

Mirelle looked between them.

"How badly did you hit him?"

Arik gave her a flat look.

She lifted both hands.

"Fine. None of my business."

Severin checked the medical report.

"Alcohol in his system. Significant head trauma. A fall down stairs is plausible if the injuries are consistent enough."

David considered the diplomatic residence layout.

"There is a private staircase from the upper suite."

Mezos looked at Arik.

"You are very lucky Gerard was drunk."

"I am beginning to think Gerard’s only useful contribution to this evening was dying inconveniently."

Mirelle laughed into her tea.

Arik checked the time.

"If we are doing this, do it now."

David nodded and began issuing quiet instructions through his communicator.

Severin gathered the medical documentation.

Mezos started coordinating the Liryan staff movements needed to clear the residence for several minutes.

Mirelle remained seated.

Arik looked at her.

"You are not coming."

"I had no intention of moving a corpse."

"Good."

"I am going back to the reception wing and making sure everyone remembers Gerard leaving in a foul mood."

Arik paused.

That was actually useful.

Mirelle smiled.

"Go back to your husband when you are finished. You look irritated."

Mezos coughed.

Severin turned away.

Arik stared at her.

Mirelle collected her shawl and stood.

"I have been married before, Arik. I recognize interrupted plans."

She walked out.

Silence followed.

David looked at the door.

"I am going to pretend I did not hear that."

"Excellent instinct."

Mezos was smiling.

Arik pointed at him.

"Finish this quickly."

"For international stability?"

Arik’s expression flattened.

"No. Liam is waiting."