Page 71 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

It doesn’t take long for the fake smile to drop as he rubs his hand across his face, letting me see his true feelings written on his features.

“Fine. You are going to think that I am mad, but . . .” He scans the room as though to find inspiration. “Something just feels off today.”

“What do you mean?” I don’t laugh at him like he expects me to, taking him seriously. I often get gut feelings about situations, and they have never been wrong. If Joha is getting a warning, then he should listen to it.

“I’m not sure.” He huffs out a breath, looking more dishevelled than I have seen him in public before. “I am on edge. It feels as though something is going to happen.” Laughing without humour, he attempts to brush it off. “I’m being paranoid.”

I don’t agree. Gut instincts should be taken seriously. Cursing internally, I glance around to see which guards are on duty today, searching for one male in particular. When I don’t see him, alarm bells begin to sound in my mind.

“Have you told Orion?”

Joha nods, a concerned frown pulling at his brows. “Yes, I told him when I left my meeting to come here. He assigned me extra guards and is scouting the area for anything amiss. He will join us shortly.”

I nod my head. That’s good. If anyone is going to find anything, it will be Orion. Luckily, I am here with Joha, and I will make sure he is safe until his friend arrives, then I can start to investigate.

“Your Majesty!” The shout fills the air, impossibly loud considering there is no one close to us, but perhaps it only seems loud compared to the hushed conversation we were having.

Joha groans quietly as he glances over his shoulder to see who called out to him. My eyes narrow on the newcomer. He looks vaguely familiar, but I think it’s just because he looks like all the other young lords I have seen over the last couple of days. There is nothing particularly spectacular about him, nothing that makes him stand out in any way, yet I automatically dislike him. He’s tall and slim in build. His brown hair has a floppy element to it that annoys me, his every move making it jiggle. I want to cut it off and remove that stupid smile from his face.

Why I have taken an instant dislike to this young male, I don’t know, but it is pretty strong. From the reluctance written all over Joha’s face and his tight smile, I know I’m not the only one.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you, Your Majesty,” the young male states, not looking the slightest bit apologetic as he bows in greeting. “Could I trouble you for a moment?”

Taking half a step back, Joha turns towards the newcomer. “I suppose so, Jules. My betrothed and I just finished our conversation.”

The lord glances at me, dismissing me instantly.

“Fantastic,” the young lord, Jules, caws with entirely too much sarcasm.

Placing a hand on the king’s arm, he guides him away. Watching from the alcove, I lean against a pillar and keep an eye on the two males. I expect them to continue to the other side of the room, yet Jules stops them in the middle. An odd place for a conversation, I think to myself.

I should return to the dais, yet I cannot make myself move. I tell myself that it’s because I don’t want to return to the monotony of the conversations of the court. However, my gut is telling me that the king is right and something is wrong.

Staying in place for another ten minutes, I continue to watch them. The king looks bored. Six of his guards are placed strategically throughout the room, interspersed with regular guards who protect them all. He is in one of the most guarded areas within the palace grounds, so there is no way anyone could hurt him here. I am being paranoid.

With a sigh, I straighten my spine and brush my hair from my face, preparing to return to my throne.

As I turn, a strange glint catches my eye, momentarily blinding me. Shielding my eyes, I scowl and try to find the cause of the bright light. Two guards are standing by the door, the sunlight streaming in from the window above shining off the silver buttons on their uniforms. Normally, I would dismiss it as an accident and move on, yet something about it makes me pause. The guards seem to be standing strangely, as though one is hugging the other.

No, that’s not right. It looks more like one guard is holding the other up.

What is going on here? Has one of the guards fallen ill? I recognise the one slumped over as one of Joha’s personal guards, yet I can’t place where I’ve seen the other male’s face. I am pretty sure I have never seen him on palace grounds before, his startling blue eyes making him stand out, which would mean I know him from the city. Why would a guard from the city be here in a standard court session?

My instincts scream at me that something is wrong, and I search harder for whatever is setting off my internal alarms. Something gleams, once again catching my attention, and I see what looks like the tip of an arrow appearing from the male’s cloak—an arrow that is aimed straight at Joha.

That’s why the two guards look strange—one of them is clearly dead or unconscious, and the other is holding a crossbow under his cloak.

Joha was right, and he is about to be killed.

I hear the thud of the bolt being pulled, and I know I only have moments. There is no time to plan or even think about the risk to myself. All I know is that I have to save Joha.

Without a chance to think about it, I run towards the doors and the would-be attacker who is positioned by them, the perfect place for him to make a swift escape. Time seems to slow down as I move, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to do something before it is too late.

The attacker is so focused on his target that he only realises I am barrelling towards him when I appear right at his side. Leaping towards him, I knock into the male at the same moment he pulls the trigger.

Thankfully, the momentum of my hit sends us tumbling to the floor, knocking the arrow off course, burying itself in Jules’s chest. Seeing that Joha is safe for the moment, I turn my attention to the attacker I just dragged to the floor. He’s bucking beneath me, trying to throw me off, but I know a thing or two about keeping my seat on a man.

I want to use my blade to stop him and put an end to this, but if I do that, it will raise too many questions. The princess of another land and king’s fiancée would not be carrying a dagger. Keeping my identity a secret is vital to keeping the king alive, something that is becoming much more difficult than I ever imagined.

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