Page 44 of Of Monsters Of Kings

Toil’s chins wobbled. “Somewhat claimings carry a weight of unofficial complete claiming about them, lady.”

So I’d heard. “What does it mean to be claimed by a king?” I ventured to ask.

Sigil caught a shard tossed to him by Hex, then replied, “Why, that King See wants you for his princess.”

I looked directly at them before I could think better of it, and quickly glanced away though my mind didn’t shimmer or squeeze. “Princess, you say? He wants me as his wife?”

“A wife,” Hex murmured. “That is a commoner concept, lady. A princess demands more and less of a king. More protection for you, and less vulnerability for him. There is not the friendship that commoners find in the arrangement of marriage. At least that is how it is with our liege and his princess.”

There were princesses. Or one. Were they monsters too?

“Why on earth would he want me as his princess?” I blurted. I couldn’t be a princess. I didn’t have the makings of one.

“Ah,” Sigil said in pure mourning. “You do not see yourself clearly. Would that I were a king to claim such a prize, Lady Patch, and yet my heart knows you are above me and I must not try to claw you down to my level and diminish your shining.”

“I do not see you as inferior, nor myself as superior,” I answered, feeling the flush in my cheeks.

“My heart, she blushes ink for us again,” Toil hushed. “It’s as if tiny squids live in her cheeks, wouldn’t you say? Glorious.”

I tucked my head against my knees and hoped they wouldn’t capture me just at that moment. “If I reject King See’s claiming, then what does that imply? Please speak truth because I sense this is important, or your liege wouldn’t have asked that I do it.”

Sigil smiled. “You have no protection and could be captured by our king.”

“We weren’t meant to say.” Hex elbowed him sharply.

“Ow! Don’t do that. She already knows about the capturing.”

“I know for a fact that doesn’t hurt, blob.”

“Don’t call me blob! The little ripples hurt. You know they do.”

Hex sighed. “I do. Please try to do a little better, though.”

Sigil glared at him, and Toil shook his head at their interaction.

“I could be captured by your king or the others? For what purpose? Surely the other kings are not in search of a princess, too, and even if they were, then why would they ask me? And you said that King Bring already has a princess. He won’t require a second.” I spoke my thoughts aloud. “I could simply turn more offers down.”

There was a silence—the telling kind.

“Could I not?” I demanded.

Hex asked his fellow princes, “Does she not know that a monster king will plague and terror and scratch until he gets what he wishes? Though you are right, our liege has a princess and cannot take a second. That would not deter him from capturing you, lady.”

This was a complicated business. “I’m willing to reject King See’s claim, but I would need to talk directly with King See to do so. In return, I will need King Bring’s solemn and binding oath that once his snuffing share is returned to me that he will not take it, change it, or ruin it by any means possible.”

There was every chance that by rejecting King See’s claim, he would snatch away his snuffing share. However, if the other four kings would only deal with an unclaimed version of me, then I’d rather gamble for four-fifths of my treasure than cling to one shaky fifth.

“I’m certain our liege would be glad to accommodate your request,” Hex answered happily. “We shall take your answer to him.”

Sigil slid the last shard of mirror into place, and I admired their work. Both walls done, and now there was only the roof to consider protecting.

“How wonderful of you to spend your evening this way,” I told them. “Especially when you were meant to drag me before King Bring.”

The three princes gasped.

“Our liege will be furious,” Sigil groaned, peering up at the moon. “Is the night nearly gone then?”

I glanced at the sky, which was lightening, but the crushing need to sleep was more telling of dawn’s approach. “Yes, Sigil. I’m afraid so. He won’t punish you, will he?”

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