Reborn as the Queen's Captive: The Shadow Courtier System

The summons arrived less than an hour after the dead guard was dragged from the blood lotus thicket.

The entire harem of consorts was escorted to the grand audience chamber of the Sunless Throne. The room was a cavernous monument to intimidation. Towering pillars of polished black stone reached up into the shadows of the vaulted ceiling. At the far end of the hall sitting atop a raised dais was the obsidian throne.

The consorts were lined up in a neat row at the base of the dais. Most of them were trembling. The sudden death in the gardens had shattered their illusion of safety.

Lysander stood to Silas’s right. The golden haired consort was trying desperately to maintain his mask of serene beauty but a thin sheen of cold sweat coated his forehead. His breathing was shallow and erratic.

Silas stood perfectly still. His posture was relaxed and his breathing was deep and even. He had one hundred and fifty System points to his name and a mind forged in the fires of corporate warfare. He was ready.

The heavy iron doors behind the throne groaned open.

Queen Ravena entered the hall. The temperature in the room immediately plummeted. She wore a plunging gown of midnight silk that perfectly accentuated her voluptuous figure and generous curves. Her raven black hair flowed behind her like a dark cape and her glowing silver eyes swept over the line of terrified men.

She did not walk. She glided. She took her seat upon the obsidian throne crossing her long legs and resting her chin on her pale hand. She looked like a bored goddess deciding which mortal to smite first.

"A tragedy," Ravena said. Her soft melodic voice echoed effortlessly through the massive hall. "I am told one of my elite guards tripped and fell into a thicket of toxic flowers. A man trained since childhood to fight in heavy armor defeated by a weed."

Silence hung heavy in the room. No one dared to speak.

Ravena slowly stood up and descended the steps of the dais. She walked along the line of consorts her silver eyes dissecting each of them.

"I do not believe in accidents," Ravena purred stopping directly in front of Lysander.

Lysander swallowed hard. His throat bobbed visibly. "Your Majesty it was a terrible sight. The guard simply lost his footing."

"Did he?" Ravena asked leaning in close. She inhaled deeply savoring the scent of his fear. "You look pale Lysander. Are you unwell? Or does the scent of death simply ruin your appetite?"

"I am perfectly well Your Majesty," Lysander lied his voice cracking slightly. "I only worry for your safety."

Ravena smiled a cold predatory smile. She reached out and patted his cheek with condescending affection. Then she moved down the line and stopped in front of Silas.

Silas met her glowing silver eyes without flinching.

System, Silas thought. Activate Poker Face.

[Poker Face Level 1: Activated. Suppressing physiological response.]

"And you Silas," Ravena murmured her gaze dropping to his chest and then back up to his eyes. "You have only been here a few days and already you are surrounded by spilled wine and dead guards. You are either incredibly unlucky or incredibly dangerous."

"I am merely observant Your Majesty," Silas replied his voice smooth and steady. "The gardens are beautiful but the paths are treacherous. I simply watch my step."

Ravena tilted her head studying him. She knew the guard had not tripped. She knew someone had orchestrated the attack. She was testing them to see who would break under the pressure and confess. Lysander was cracking but Silas was a fortress of absolute calm.

"Observant," Ravena repeated testing the word on her tongue. "I value observant men. The rest of you are dismissed. Return to your quarters."

The other consorts bowed hastily and practically ran toward the exit desperate to escape her suffocating presence. Lysander hesitated for a fraction of a second shooting a look of pure venom at Silas before turning to leave.

"Not you Silas," Ravena commanded.

Silas remained standing at the base of the dais as the heavy doors slammed shut leaving them entirely alone in the massive hall.

Ravena walked slowly around him circling him like a predator evaluating a prize catch.

"Captain Thorne reported that the guard tripped," Ravena said stopping behind him and trailing a single cold finger down his spine. "But my personal spies reported that the guard lunged at you. They said you moved with the speed of a striking viper and swept his legs out from under him."

Silas did not deny it. Denying it would be an insult to her intelligence.

"He lost his balance Your Majesty," Silas said carefully. "I merely helped gravity finish the job."

A low dark laugh escaped Ravena’s lips. She stepped in front of him closing the distance until her voluptuous body was pressed lightly against his chest. She looked up into his eyes her silver gaze burning with a mixture of dark amusement and genuine desire.

"You are a liar Silas," she whispered her breath ghosting across his lips. "And a killer. You hide a monster behind that handsome face. I think I am going to enjoy peeling back your layers to see what you truly are."

She reached up and gripped the collar of his tunic pulling him down slightly.

"Come to my chambers tonight," Ravena ordered her voice dropping to a husky command. "And do not keep me waiting."

She released him and turned walking back up the steps to her obsidian throne. Silas bowed deeply hiding the cold triumphant smile that spread across his face.

Lysander had tried to kill him and in doing so had handed Silas the ultimate victory. He had secured the Queen’s undivided attention. Now he just needed to survive her bedchamber for a second time and secure the evidence he needed to destroy Lysander for good.