Page 40 of I Destroyed the Elf Prince's Harem

By the time I was done, the governor was pale and sweating. The poor man even got up, stuck his head out the door, and shouted for someone to bring him some alcohol. Not that I blamed him at all. I’d been wanting another drink since that night at the first inn, but there had been little opportunity for it.

The poor servant arrived with the liquor, and Samuel grabbed the bottle from him and bellowed for him to get out. Only after he splashed some amber liquid in our now-empty water glasses did either of us dare to speak.

“I need you to understand my goal isn’t to steal the throne from the king or Prince Rufus.” I threw back a swallow and coughed my way through the burn. When I tried to continue, my voice was hoarse and low. “I don’t want to rule anyone, and I don’t want power of any kind. From what I’ve heard, Prince Rufus is a great guy. Let him have the throne after the king passes away. Besides, he’s got to be twenty-six, twenty-seven, right? He’ll be married any day now and popping out little princes and princesses, which will put me even further down the succession line. My goal is to help Prince Xeran clear his name and find the real threat to his family.” Leaning in close, I dropped my voice to a whisper. “By the by, you don’t happen to know if Prince Victor had a hand in that, do you?”

The governor shook his head as he reached for the bottle to pour more alcohol into his empty glass. “Not that I’m aware of. I might be stationed here in Riverhold, but I have some reliable sources in Gushan. Prince Victor made no secret of his happiness over the turmoil that struck the Wolfrest royal family. He’s been pushing for the king to give him command of our armies so he can march them south to invade Wolfrest, but King Gerald refused. We’ve been at peace with Wolfrest for over a decade. No one wants to rush into another war for no good reason. After we heard Prince Xeran was exiled, Prince Victor left Gushan, taking a battalion of his trusted men. There hasn’t been a single word of him in weeks, and many have feared the worst.”

Fantastic. Prince Victor had decided to go rogue, steal Prince Xeran, and start a war. Instead, it was likely that he’d run into a bunch of ogres, gotten himself killed, and provided me with a new princely body to inhabit.

I stared at the alcohol that was still in my glass, trying to decide if I wanted more or if it was better to stay clearheaded. “What are you going to do next? What will you tell the king?”

Samuel scowled. “Unfortunately, I have to report that I’ve spoken with you. You waltzed right through the front gates. My men are loyal to me, but I know there are still spies about and one of them has certainly sent word to Gushan.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. But until I encountered that Barnaby guy in the alley, I didn’t know I was in Prince Victor’s body.”

A whimper escaped Samuel as he massaged his temple with one hand and drained his glass again. I kind of pitied the man. Now that he knew everything, he was stuck in a nasty position.

“Fine. You said you’re leaving here in a couple of days and taking that elf prince with you?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

“Good. Leave with that prince.” Still holding his glass, he pointed one finger at me. “I’ll tell the king that we spoke, and that you hadn’t been to Wolfrest as far as I knew. After our meeting, you left Riverhold but didn’t tell me where you were going. I’ll tell him that I assume you’re returning to Gushan.”

I sat up, my brain struggling to believe that I was hearing. “And you won’t tell him I’m a fraud?”

“Repeat that crazy story you told me? Not on your damn life! He’d never believe me.” He set his glass on the table with a heavy thud and dropped into his seat with a sigh. “Your performance is believable. Watch for slipups with servants and you won’t have any problems, even if you go to Gushan.”

Really? He was going to allow me to assume the role of Prince Victor Montcroix, second in line for the throne of Edros. That was insane. Fucking insane.

“Boy, I’m fifty-seven years old. I fought in the last war with Wolfrest, and I have no desire to do it again,” Samuel continued, narrowing his eyes at my skeptical expression. “King Gerald is a good man, and a lot less impulsive than he used to be. Prince Rufus is level-headed and patient. And considering your current relationship with Prince Xeran, it seems like you’re in no rush to drag our kingdoms into a war. I can live with that. Riverhold has just enough prestige to it to do my ego good, and it’s not so chaotic that I’m worn to a frazzle each night. I’m trusting you to not fuck up this comfortable life I’ve settled into.”

My brain got locked up on the word “relationship” with regard to Nylian, but I let it go fast enough. He was right. I didn’t want anyone to go to war, but we weren’t off the hook.

“What about Barnaby? He suspects that I’m not Victor. He’s got to be halfway to Gushan by now to whisper in the king’s ear.”

For the first time, a slow, sly grin spread across Samuel’s face. “Barnaby would be the first to recognize you for a fraud. He’s served as your personal attendant for over a decade. You can’t hide shit from that little weasel.”

“Fuck,” I groaned. I’d suspected I’d blown it with him, but everything had happened so fast yesterday. There hadn’t been enough time for me to work out a sensible plan.

“However, after meeting up with you, he came running to me with his doubts. I’ve kept him locked up so I could safely sort this nonsense out.” Samuel’s smirk grew into something more sinister. “Accidents happen on the road all the time. If ogres killed Victor and no one has heard from the rest of his battalion, does it make sense that the coward survived? I think not.”

I bit my tongue to hold in the argument that he didn’t need to die over this, but deep down, I knew he did. If Barnaby was sure I wasn’t the real Prince Victor, there was no way in hell he was going to keep that a secret until the end of his days. The fewer people who knew, the better—and right now, Samuel had a pretty big incentive to keep my secret. He had a comfortable life that would carry him through his golden years. Why fuck with that?

“Got it. I’ll try to stay away from Gushan so I don’t stir up suspicion. Keep a low profile.” It was for the best. Besides, there was a good chance I wouldn’t come out of this adventure with Nylian alive. If I were lucky and I survived, maybe I could disappear in a small town somewhere as a bookshop owner.

“Though…” Samuel paused and tapped on his lips with one finger. His thoughtful expression scared me more than his sly one.

“What?”

“If you are so close to Prince Xeran and he is reinstated to his rightful place, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for the two kingdoms to form an alliance. It would be a good marriage for both countries.”

I choked on the air. It was time to get out of here. The governor had lost his mind.

Chapter 13

Unexpected Guests

The tavern Nylian had chosen to meet at in the early evening reminded me a lot of the place where I’d made my infamous distraction in Misty Pass. The lighting was low and loud burly men crowded the tables, drinking ale and shouting at each other. Barmaids carried enormous tankards and shouted at the patrons who dared to make grabs at their rear ends. One even received a swift kick to the head without her spilling a drop of alcohol. The scents of cooked meat, body odor, ale, and old smoke mixed to create a smell that was both repulsive and familiar. Wow, I had been in this world for too long.

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