Page 30 of Queen's Griffon

“That treachery was Benoit’s doing. That pretender lied and killed to have me ousted. As soon as I am done with my task on Verlora, I will be removing him from my seat.”

“You and what army?” someone else drawled. “Seems to me you ain’t got shit.”

“I’ve got the truth on my side, and the fortitude to fight back.” The little queen did not cower or relent. Admirable, if stupid.

“Rumor has it you’re worth an awful lot. I wonder who would pay us the most to have you dumped at their feet.” The crude male would of course be the first to suggest auctioning her off.

Griff had heard enough and pushed into the room, stating, “Anyone who thinks to remove Avera from Saarpira will regret it. The little queen belongs to me.”

His statement fell with a thud in a room gone silent.

“I thought the so-called pirate king didn’t believe in selling folks,” blustered the crude man.

“Who says I’m selling her?” Griff crossed his arms and arched a brow.

The sailors glanced at each other before one ventured to ask, “Why else would you have taken her?”

Lacking an excuse, he blurted the first thing that came to mind. “Might be time I took a wife, and who better than a royal with Verlorian blood?”

In the shock that followed—which included Avera with a dropped jaw—Griff grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her out of the tavern. As they hit the street, she found her voice.

“Marry? I don’t think so.”

“Don’t worry. I wasn’t planning to. However, it’s best the sailors believe I might.”

“Why?”

“You have to ask why?” He glanced at her. “Did you not notice how poorly they received your attempts to bribe them to transport you?”

“They didn’t seem too receptive,” she mumbled.

“Because they want to live. Because they’re scum who are only interested in the easiest route that earns them the most money. Given the choice between risking themselves for a disgraced queen with nothing to her name or exchanging her for a bounty, what do you think they’ll opt for?”

Rather than reply, she retorted, “Why are you following me?”

“I wasn’t. I happened to see you and wondered what you were up to. Apparently, trying to make yourself into a tempting target.”

“Simhi says kidnapping and murder aren’t allowed here.”

“Aren’t allowed doesn’t mean it doesn’t occasionally happen.” Griff reserved the right to roll his eyes later at her dumb remark.

“You can’t be mad at me for trying. I told you I would try to find someone to take me.”

“Who says I’m mad? More like astonished you could be so stupid. Then again, I should have guessed you lacked mental capacity given your insistence on going to Verlora.”

“I’m not giving up,” she huffed. “Every day I spend here is another day Zhos machinates to get free.”

“So you keep claiming, but did you ever stop to wonder if this Opal, who strongly insisted you go, might be working for Zhos?”

She blinked at him. “She’s a guardian trying to prevent his escape.”

“According to who?”

Her mouth opened but she said nothing.

“According to her. A person you yourself claimed to have only met that one time. A stranger, and you believed everything she said.”

A flustered Avera blurted, “Opal wasn’t ensorcelled like the others doing Zhos’ bidding.”

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