Page 28 of The Kingdom's Crown

Humphries, obviously aware of what was brewing between Bryony and me, hurried ahead of us to open the narrow door. We entered the study Aric had claimed for his own and found the man scribbling at a desk, five books open around him. His head shot up at our entrance, eyes narrowing immediately.

"What's happened?"

"Put me down now," Bryony said, patting my shoulder.

"Assassination attempt. She healed me." My voice rose over the screech of Aric's chair as he leapt up. "I want you and Farraque to go down and find Piper and the others in the dungeons. Make sure the interrogation isn't muddled."

Aric's expression tangled, mouth opening, perhaps to argue with me, and he took one long step forward. I squeezed around Bryony as he reached out for her, my hackles rising, and then Aric paused and took a slow breath. His palms turned out, and he stepped forward again, face smoothing.

"All right," he said slowly, watching me as he approached.

He wanted the same reassurance that I did, to know Bryony was safe and whole, and I had to restrain myself from snatching her out of his reach. His hand stroked her shoulder, and she leaned away from me to accept his soft kiss on her lips.

"There's a bedroom with only one entrance around the corner," Aric said, catching my eye.

I nodded. "I know the one."

"Better not tell the others yet, or you'll have—"

"I know," I snapped, losing my patience.

Bryony's lips twitched, and she sank back into my chest, soothing the snag of frustration in my chest. Aric nodded and eyed the guard over my shoulder.

"Want me to ward the door?"

I wanted him toleave, but he was right. We had Piper's word that Humphries was trustworthy, but the entire castle staff were unknowns. I nodded and let Aric lead the way through a hidden door in a bookcase, down a side hall and to a small private room. He flicked his hand, and the fireplace flashed into life.

There were no windows in the room and only the one door we'd entered through. I turned, and Aric remained on the other side of the threshold, a knife out and scratching marks into the frame.

"Bryony will be the only one who can open the door while she's inside," Aric said, brow furrowing with concentration.

"Is that something you could make for the queen?" Humphries asked.

Aric and I exchanged a look, and he frowned. "Not without using the queen's magic," he said without looking back at the other guard. I thought it might've been a lie, but at the moment, I didn't care one way or another. Aric was making Bryony a safe room, one that would be powerfully useful in the future if we needed it.Ifwe could convince Bryony to hide. That would be the real battle.

"Don't stay trapped in here all day. The others will hear about the attack and go into a panic," Aric said, finishing his work and stepping back, a slow smirk growing over his lips. "But enjoy yourselves in the meantime."

Bryony snorted, and Aric swung the door shut.

I didn't wait another moment. The bed was only a few feet away, and I crossed the space with two steps. I didn't know what color the walls were, what pattern the tiles made on the floor. I didn't care about the fire or the furniture, although the massive mirror hanging on the wall opposite me was worth noting. All I could really see was the woman in my arms, smiling up at me with perfect understanding in her eyes.

"If I'd thought an assassination attempt would break your restraint, I would've—"

I stopped her teasing with my mouth over hers, feasting on the lips I'd been denying myself for weeks, sucking on the wicked tongue that taunted and tempted me. Bryony moaned and arched beneath me, her arms circling around my shoulders, hips bucking into the air and searching for mine. My arms still cradled her, pushing her across the bed, my knees bracketing her hips as I followed above her.

I pulled away as she began to whine, fighting my grin as she gasped for breath. The fire made her golden and bright, and now I saw that the bed was blue velvet, a dark contrast for all her gleaming shades.

"You won't change your mind?" Bryony asked, a little narrow line appearing on her brow.

She was probably right to ask. I hadn't objected to becoming one of her Chosen lightly. I wanted to be the one responsible for Bryony's safety because she was the most precious piece of my life now. As her guard, she'd been mine in a way she didn't belong to any of the others. My responsibility. My princess. My duty.

I wasn't sure I would be able to entirely surrender that role to someone else, but Piper had proven that my focus was already too close to Bryony to guard her properly. I'd gladly put myself on the sharp end of a knife again, one hundred times, regardless of Bryony's objections. But just in case she couldn't save me next time, I was going to make sure I died knowing the full force of Bryony's love, and sure that she knew mine.

"I'm your Chosen, my princess," I said, slipping one hand out from under her to smooth the line on her forehead. I dipped and caught her lips, gentling the kiss, settling my weight on top of hers to pin her to the bed. Bryony's sigh was sweet in my mouth, her legs trying to part beneath me, still trapped by my knees on either side.

I knew a torturous amount of detail about Bryony's sex life for always placing myself outside of it, and I knew how impatient she was with her Chosen. I'd heard her demands and pleas, her cries of pleasure and triumph. I knew exactly how often and quickly she got her way.

So I ignored her urgent wiggling, kissing her in languid strokes and sucks until she trembled for breath, savoring her whimpers as I followed the muscle of her throat with my teeth and tongue.

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