Page 27 of To Claim a King

She turned to find Rhey Vasili walking towards her, smiling in a way that made her stupid little heart bounce in her chest.

“This armor is crafted this way because they were made my men.” His piercing eyes scrutinized her from the tip of her toes to her shoulders, and he looked directly into her damn soul as he told her, “It suits you.”

Then, as though he hadn’t just effortlessly made her swoon, he turned to Vincent. “We’ve delayed the hunt overmuch already. Is she ready?”

“You want to bring her to ahunt?No. No way, no how.”

Well, that was offensive. Her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed, she interjected, “What’s a hunt and why can’t I go? I’m supposed to stay with you.”

“You’re supposed to stay alive - and you remember how you freaked out when I just threw you a tiny fireball? That’s why you can’t come.”

Ouch. That hurt.

“Enough Vincent,” the King said. Then, he took a step towards her, his height topping hers. “A hunt is just a way to say that the King is accompanying his Knights, Guards and Warriors on a patrol mission. We call it such because everything seems to happen when we monarchs show our faces - those we want off our lands take it as a challenge. There will be a lot of violence, a lot of fights, and it will be dangerous, but you’ll also learn more than Vincent can teach you within the safety of those walls. If you’re ready, I’ll have you accompany us.”

Wow. That was a pretty big thing, apparently. But he was asking her, directly, and despite herfriend’sdisagreement. He was trusting her. She gulped, “I’d like to go.”

“Good,” he replied, giving her a full blown smile. “Demelza will accompany us, and you will stay between she and I - Vincent will be right behind us, along with a dozen Guards, and hundred Knights and two hundred Warriors. It won’t be safe, but you’ll live.”

He said it like there was no other alternative and she found herself trusting his word. She’d live. Good.

“Bring Laria with you.”

“Oh, I meant to give it back to you,” she blushed because shehadmeant to, but she was also dreading it; she couldn’t explain it, but she loved that damn sword like no other possession she’d ever had, all the while knowing it wasn’t hers to keep.

Probably because she’d never owned very much, except some clothes. She wore her necklace, but it wasn’t expensive, nor precious; she’d found a pretty blue stone one day, and she’d managed to make it a pendant with some metal strings and a bit of leather.

Yet, Demelza’s very fine weapons, her impressive and clearly expensive jewelry, didn’t make her feel anything; the sword was another matter.

It was a great relief when Rhey said, “A King doesn’t take back what has been given, Alexandria.”

She loved her name on this tongue.

He walked away, showing off that pretty ass of his again.

“We leave at dawn. Catch some rest, and get ready - both of you. We may be gone for days.”

She had no clue what made her do it. Could she plead insanity?

“Wait.”

How fucking embarrassing, but it was too late, because he did, in fact, wait.

Her hands were shaking a little when she dropped her cheap necklace in his palm.

“As a peasant there is nothing I could give a King that a King may want to possess, but you offered something of great value to me, so here we are. A gift for a gift.”

She would have sworn that the King’s eyes flashed gold, although they were usually grey. Then, he laughed. He actually laughed at her. She was blushing wish shame, but he chased it away immediately.

“The first gift I received since I was a boy. I thank you. I shall treasure it.”

And to her absolute fucking shock, he then put it around his neck, and under his shirt, before finally leaving the room.

“I may barf,” Vincent said.

“Oh shush. I’m still mad at you.”

Then, because she couldn’t make sense of just about anything that had just happened, she asked, “Do you think he liked it?”

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