Ryley's jaw tightened as the truth settled fully into place.
So this smug bastard was the reason his servants had been removed.
A cold, disbelieving scoff slipped from his lips.
"Wow," he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "It seems sending you to Egypt and keeping you away from Morgan was far too generous for a punishment."
He looked down at Mervyn without the slightest attempt to hide his disdain. The difference in height only made Mervyn appear smaller, though the fury twisting across his face was anything but.
Mervyn let out a sharp, almost manic laugh.
"You think you can get rid of me that easily?" he snarled.
His chest rose with excitement as he leaned forward, intoxicated by his own sense of victory.
"The Sovereign has appointed my son as regent while he is away," he declared. "Morgan is the eldest heir, after all."
His lips curled into a vicious smile.
"That means…" His eyes gleamed with naked ambition. "My time to rule has finally come!"
