Page 6 of Crownless King

The air around us seemed hotter somehow, sweltering under the thick clouds above. His foot slid between mine under the table, and I felt his leg press to the inner side of my knee.

His gaze heated. I reached to brush his hair out of his face, but he grabbed my wrist before I could touch him.

“Sparrow.” There was so much in my name slipping from his lips. His voice rang with passion, torment, and plea—all at once.

Only what was he pleading with me for? Not to touch him? Then why did he keep holding my arm, his thumb gently gliding over the sensitive skin inside my wrist?

Mesmerized, I couldn’t take my eyes off his long, deft fingers, thinking about the one and only time he’d had them between my legs and how amazing it had felt. With a soft sound deep inside my throat, I squirmed in my chair, pressing my thighs together.

“Don’t,” he exhaled sharply, suddenly rising to his feet.

Letting go of me, he turned around and promptly left the patio, leaving me drowning in confusion.

What had just happened?

Did I do something wrong?

I hadn’t done anything that didn’t feel right at that moment. Did he not feel the same?

The cheerful clicking of Brebie’s hooves against the patio stones announced her arrival.

“Good girl, you ate all your breakfast.” She started gathering the dishes from the table.

“Brebie? Do you think Voron is angry with me for something?”

Voron had never been easy to read. He made sure of it, putting a lot of effort into remaining unreadable. But lately, he acted outright confusing. One minute he was gentle with me, almost affectionate even. The next, he’d push me away like he resented me fiercely.

Brebie paused. “What? Why would he be? Did he say something?”

“No, but…” There were some valid reasons for Voron to resent me. “He prefers Elaros to this place, doesn’t he? And now, he’s stuck here because of me.”

He’d rescued me from the royal dungeon, and I would be forever grateful to him for that. But maybe he was having second thoughts now, having been faced with the consequences of that decision?

“Pff.” Brebie made a face. “Who in their own mind would prefer a bunch of spoiled nosy nobles to the serenity of the countryside?”

Not me. But Voron was one of those nobles. The court was where he belonged.

“Shouldn’t the High General be at the palace, next to the ruling monarch? But he’s exiled here, out of favor with the queen.”

“Voron isn’t the High General anymore,” she blurted out.

“What?

ThatI could not imagine. In my mind, there could never be another High General but Voron, for as long as he lived.

“The queen stripped him of the rank,” Brebie explained. “She took away his position at the court and all of his properties except this one.”

“Why not this one?”

“Vensari belonged to Voron’s mother,” she said. “The queen couldn’t just take it from him, even if he’d gone against her wishes. The rest of his estates and palaces were given to him by the crown for his service to the king. Those have all been taken back.”

I focused on helping her clean the dishes rather than face the fact that Voron had some grave reasons to hate my guts right now. He’d paid dearly for his act of kindness toward me.

“But don’t you worry, honey.” Brebie patted my shoulder reassuringly. “Voron knew the risks before he made the decision to get you out. I’m sure he isn’t blaming you for what happened.”

I wished she was right. But there was a difference between knowing the consequences and actually facing them. Voron was an ambitious man. He’d worked hard, literally risking his life for everything he’d gained. He sold his freedom for the power he had.

And now, he’d lost it all.

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