Page 26 of The Time Of Kings

I closed my eyes, already pained by the idea that anything could befall her breakable, mortal body. Hence why I finally conceded.

“Very well, Seeker, we will play this out your way but, be warned, these bounty hunters of yours better not harm her in any way, for if they do, they will have me to deal with, understood?!”

“And that, too, will be their Fate should they be foolish enough to defy us both.”

I gritted my teeth at that, not liking the sound of his reply. But before I could say more on the matter, he slapped his handsto his knees and jumped from the seat with the kind of natural grace possessed by a cunning feline.

“Then it looks like I have a job to do…My King,”he said before he spun his cane, allowing it to rest across his belly as he bowed his farewell to me. I jerked my head in response before releasing a deep sigh after he had gone, knowing how much trust I was granting the fool.

For I was soon left with nothing but that dangerous hope blooming within my chest. A hope that, this time, would favour me my Chosen, and Fate did not mean that she was…

Forever destinedto slip through my fingers.

12

MUDDED TRUTHS

Afew hours later and I believed that such a thing of her slipping through my fingers had in fact happened. Especially when the captain of my guard returned empty handed with the news that they had been led astray…just like the fool had said they would.Of course, despite knowing this plan of his was coming to fruition, I still couldn’t help the furious roar of anger I displayed upon hearing my own men had failed.

For I had no idea who the bounty hunters would be, nor whether Marcus’s vison of Fate would play out the way he said it would, and she would arrive here unharmed. Besides, I wasn’t accustomed to being made to wait, nor was I used to feeling anxious or worried. As admittedly, the emotion had never had the cause to arise before. Which meant that being a stranger to such feelings made it the longest few hours of my eternally long life so far.

The wait, thankfully, didn’t last much beyond this furious point, as one of the maids was found screaming about an intruder entering my home. And one unskilled at that, for they led me straight to them.

Which meant that after following the muddy footprints, I quickly realised they eventually led straight to my own bedchamber. However, when I saw them journey to an open window and no further, my irrational mind took over, along with my anger.

Because unless I was dealing with a Supernatural being, then no mortal could have survived that drop. But like I said, my irrational mind had taken over and ultimately led to my discovery. I allowed my frustrations to be known when lashing out at the nearest object I could find. A destructive reaction that quickly revealed my cunning little thief hiding under my bed.

My hearing, superior enough to make out the small yelp of shock when hearing of my anger, made me quick to take pause, and I was now calm enough to hear the rapid heartbeat for myself. One I had admittedly missed in the mist of my rage.

But with my discovery, I decided two could play at this game of hide and seek. And seek I certainly would, as I closed the door in hopes that whoever was hiding under my bed would miss the lack of footsteps taking me there. Oh, and wouldn’t luck have it, for that was exactly what happened. Giving me the chance to stand on the bed just waiting to jump down the second my little thief started to emerge.

The echoing thud of my feet landing the moment I saw them crawling out was enough to cause them to react in their panic. Because of course, as soon as they saw my feet, they desperately scrambled back to try and retreat once more into their hiding spot. Little good this did them, as it was too late for them now.

Something they knew the second I reached down and grabbed the slight frame of my thief, lifting them with startling ease. At first, I was left believing it was a slender, short male for there was so much mud that covered them, most of their features were masked.

However, what I had not expected upon my discovery, was that the first words uttered would be to swear upon a man’s testicles. Hence why I couldn’t help my reaction as I tipped my head to the side in a confused gesture, questioning whether or not I had heard them correctly.

“Looks like I just found my thief… albeit a short one,” I commented dryly before my eyes lowered to take in the rest of the small man I now held firmly in my grasp. My shocked reaction was made even more so when I looked down and discovered it was in fact a woman I held at my knife’s edge. The realisation of which came after finding the tempting curves of a deliciously sinful body that could not be hidden, even when wearing men’s clothing. The sight made me remove my blade instantly.

“You’re a woman!” I shouted the obvious, unable to contain my shock. Yet it was her witty reply that also added to that of my increasing astonishment.

“Last time I checked, yes,” she said, taking a step away from me the moment I unhanded her.

A feeling of regret in doing so overcame me instantly. My mind racing with too many new emotions to process, with the main one being if this was really possible?

Could this really be her?

Of course, every single fantasy on how this would happen and how I would eventually find her played out in my mind. But alas, I was left with the truth being presented to me. That this was about as centuries-far from those dreams as I could get. Hence why I was quick to question,

“Who are you?” I folded my arms as I allowed my disbelief and scepticism to lead the conversation.

“Well, I am certainly not a bandit, that’s for sure,” she huffed pushing some of her mud caked hair back from her face as it hadcome loose from its binding. Which was why, given her state of both dress and dirty complexation, I scoffed the insult.

“Nor do you look like a lady.”

She presented me with an adorable frown in response, one I would have liked to have seen in all its entirety. For most of her features were unfortunately still hidden from me. Her stunning grey-blue eyes, however, were bright and shining like a storm was brewing within her. It was fascinating to the point that I could barely tear my own from them.

“Well now we have established that I am neither a bandit nor, in your opinion,a lady, you won’t mind if I just see myself out,” she said in response to the status snub, making me wish I could have beaten myself about the head for doing so. As like I said, if this truly was my Chosen, then this wasn’t the first meeting I had always envisioned it would be. Her first impression of me certainly seemed to be lacking.

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