Page 38 of I Destroyed the Elf Prince's Harem

“Governor Brimsey has invited you to break your fast with him this morning. He has sent his personal carriage to fetch you. It is waiting in front of the inn,” the guard stated, loud enough for all the occupants of the third floor to hear. Lovely. That helped my efforts to keep a low profile so much.

“Fine. Fine,” I muttered, holding on to my spoiled and annoyed royal persona while I freaked the fuck out on the inside. “Go away while I get dressed. I’ll be along shortly.”

The guard gave an additional bow and retreated along the hall and disappearing down the stairs. The second he was out of sight, Nylian’s door whipped open, and he hurried across to my room, still pulling on his shirt while his hair was a messy gold curtain behind him.

“What the hell are we supposed to do?” I demanded in a harsh whisper as I closed the door behind him.

“We need to get out of here. Best to sneak out the back and try to lie low on the east side of town until I can find us a caravan to join,” Nylian stated.

This all made sense. If I went out trying to pretend to be the real Prince Victor Montcroix, I was going to be caught. But was running the best option? Or were we missing out on a great opportunity to dig up some valuable information for Nylian? It was risky, but it could prove worth it.

“Pack your things and get ready to go. I’ll?—”

“What if I go to breakfast with the governor?” I asked.

Nylian had paced over to the window and peered out through a slit in the curtains, probably checking to see how many guards were surrounding the inn. He twisted around, his eyes wide. “What? Have you lost your mind?”

“Would it be that hard to impersonate him? It’s not like their first thought is going to be that Prince Victor’s body is now inhabited by a man from another world.” I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Plus, you need information on what the Edros royal family is scheming. The king and Prince Rufus have a relatively good relationship with Wolfrest, but we all know Prince Victor is the loose cannon everyone has to worry about. Maybe this Governor Brimsey is in cahoots with him, and I can get the dirt on what Victor was planning.”

Nylian pulled away from my grip with a scowl. “You’re insane.”

Except he hadn’t said it with the force I would have expected. It was soft and thoughtful.

“You know I’m right. The entire purpose of going to Galinaes is to find out if the royals are plotting against your family. You need the same damn information about Edros. It was the entire reason you allowed me to ‘tag along.’ Except you didn’t get that information from me because I’m not Victor, and I don’t know what the fucker was planning.” I chased after him as he paced the room, his expression growing darker with every step.

Nylian spun, getting right in my face. “The only problem is that if your performance doesn’t convince the governor or if you say the wrong thing, you’re going to be thrown into the dungeon, or worse, executed for impersonating the prince. I won’t be able to save you if you get into trouble.”

That was true.

“It’s worth the risk,” I said. “If we can mark Edros off your list of potential threats, you can focus your attention on all the others.”

“Lockhart—”

“We don’t have time to argue about this,” I cut him off. I didn’t want to listen to any more worries that might chip away at the confidence I’d cobbled together. “The carriage is waiting. While I get dressed, I want you to tell me everything you know about the prince. It’ll help my improvising.”

Nylian frowned at me, not liking this plan at all, but in the end, he nodded and began listing every detail he’d experienced personally or heard from another. Sadly, it wasn’t much more than the vague details that I knew from my own plans.

Victor Montcroix had been born the second son and middle child of King Gerald and Queen Cordelia. He was a spoiled brat with an inferiority complex when it came to his older brother. While only twenty-four, he was completely confident that he could run Edros far better than his brother and conquer all the other kingdoms, starting with Wolfrest.

Unfortunately, there were plenty of nobles who held the same belief as Victor, or who at least believed they could manipulate him far more easily than his brother Rufus. The problem I faced was that I didn’t know in which camp Governor Samuel Brimsey fell. Was he pro-Victor who wanted to steal the crown, or was he pro-Rufus?

The carriage ride across town was slow as it wove its way through the busy streets, heading to the south side where the homes grew larger and the roads were spotless. There were more trees and flowers in pots, adding bright, vibrant colors to the world.

Not surprisingly, the governor’s mansion was the biggest building on the street, with a separate iron fence around it and several guards standing watch. Yep, there was no escaping cleanly from this place if things went horribly wrong. I prayed Nylian had listened to me and gone to the wharf to work on the caravan issue. Even if I got stuck, he could still move forward with his plan to sneak into Ulmenor.

I climbed from the carriage and schooled my features into a look of boredom as I walked past the two rows of bowing servants. A man in a somber but expensive navy blue pants and tunic ensemble and a neat mustache standing just inside the door bowed, but not as low as the servants. This man was likely the governor. At least, I hoped he was.

“Your Highness, you honor me by gracing my home with your presence,” Samuel Brimsey greeted in a gravelly voice edged with the roughness of age. His hair was salt and pepper. It was receding at the temples, giving him a pronounced widow’s peak, adding to the shrewdness of his expression.

“This felt less like an invitation and more like a summons,” I sneered, clinging to the pompous-ass persona. “I don’t care for being summoned. I don’t even like when my father summons me.”

The governor had begun to straighten, but dipped into a second, even deeper bow. “Forgive me, Your Highness. When I got word of your unexpected visit to Riverhold, I was eager to make you feel welcomed. If you had but notified me, I could have made ready rooms for your personal use. Something far more comfortable than the inn where you?—”

“And maybe you should have considered that I was keeping a low profile for a reason,” I bit out in a low voice as I stood over the man. With a dismissive noise, I stepped back. “But the damage is done now. I was told we were breaking our fast. Let’s get this over with.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Samuel murmured and straightened, motioning for me to accompany him through a set of incredibly tall double doors where a long table had been set with shining porcelain plates and sparkling silverware. Candlelight danced at the end of pristine white candles all along the table while brilliant sunlight shone through the wall of windows. It was a gorgeously appointed room, and it felt ridiculous for just two people.

I walked to the head of the table, followed by a servant, while Brimsey started for the other end of the table as the host. I stopped dead in my tracks, closed my eyes, and let out a sigh loud enough to be heard in the next house over.

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