Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Victor laughed and grinned wickedly at Everand’s flushed face. “Is he? Are you so sure about that? You’re not worried that I could win his heart from you?”
“To hell with this. I’m done with both of you.” Hugo spurred his horse forward at a gallop, leaving his traveling companions behind as he left the road and plunged into the forest. He didn’t know where he was or where he was going, but it didn’t really matter. All he knew was that he was done being a pawn for them to fight over. There was no way he was going to let them make him the new reason for yet another war between Branem and Wulia.
Yes, he might have found Everand’s possessiveness sexy and flattering, but it couldn’t continue. Possessiveness like that rarely risked the lives of thousands of people. Everything was different when one dated a member of the royal family.
And here he’d thought he’d be lucky to catch the eye of some country squire. No, he had to go land a prince and a king. Thank the gods his mother still knew nothing of this. There weren’t enough smelling salts in all the land to help her recover.
Shouts of his name rang out through the forest, the sound growing more frantic and desperate with each passing second. Cursing himself, Hugo stopped in a meadow and took a couple of deep breaths to calm his racing heart and to clear his head.
King Victor found him first, but the king didn’t berate him as he expected. He moved his horse as close as he could and held out his left hand to Hugo. “Give me your hands,” he commanded softly.
Hugo had forgotten that his hands were bound by a rope like Everand. He’d just wanted to get away from their nonsense. With a sigh, he put his hands into Victor’s slightly trembling fingers. The king pulled a sharp dagger from its sheath and carefully sliced through the rope.
“Forgive me,” Victor murmured. “I didn’t mean to cause you distress.”
“Only Prince Everand,” Hugo sniped.
“Well…yes.” His full lips twitched as if he were trying to hold back a smile. He put away his dagger and pulled off the rope. Dexterous, calloused fingers massaged Hugo’s wrists, soothing away the mild pain from where they’d been rubbed raw. “But I shouldn’t have. I’m the king and should be above such petty feelings.”
“Yes,” Hugo agreed, but his heart might have softened. Victor was king, but he was also human. Who wasn’t a little petty every once in a while?
“However, you are not to ride off like that, my friend. There are dangerous creatures in this forest. Not to mention, your hands were still bound. If you had fallen, you could have been seriously injured. You are not to take your safety so lightly.”
Hugo’s pulse skipped when Victor called him “my friend,” but his heart soared to hear Everand’s voice.
“Finally, something we can agree on.”
Hugo twisted in his saddle to see that Everand and the other guards had caught up with them. Prince Everand flashed him a look full of regret and apology.
“I’m sorry, my treasure. I’m an idiot for you,” Everand said.
“Look at that.” Victor released Hugo’s wrists and smirked. “Another thing we can agree on. At this rate, we might have a civil conversation.”
Hugo groaned. “I’m leaving.”
“I’m going with you,” Captain Ryze muttered under his breath.
“Forgive me…again,” King Victor stated.
“Me too. I’ll behave,” Everand promised.
Hugo’s gaze shot to Captain Ryze, who was sitting straighter in his saddle, his eyes wide with shock. For a couple of heartbeats, no one spoke. The truce felt too good to be true. Victor even motioned for the guards to remove the rope from Everand’s wrists.
“We should get moving,” Everand urged. “We still have a long distance to go, and I wish to be there prior to midday. Otherwise, we could be camping on the way back.”
The remainder of the ride was “civil,” which wasn’t that difficult since people rarely spoke the rest of the day. Hugo knew it was too much to ask that Everand and Victor find some common ground or at least pretend to be nice to each other. Victor had a justifiable grievance against Everand’s family, and he was picking a fight with Everand by poking at his one vulnerable spot—Hugo.
It was shortly after midday when they reached the cliff. From the base, they could barely make out the white marble building between the trees. Captain Ryze and two of the guards who’d accompanied them used their magic to zip from the bottom of the cliff to the top, leaving one man behind to watch their horses and set up a temporary camp.
Hugo approached the round white marble crypt slowly, taking in the slender stained-glass windows that sparkled in the sun. It had a rounded dome roof that shone as if it were made of gold.