Page 169 of Enchanted Kingdom
I let out a long breath and turned back to that painting above the fireplace. So I wasn’t alone. Owen was here. All I had to do was wait for Keir and then I was out of here. One night down, one to go.
Minutes later, I heard footsteps in the hall and let out a relieved sigh.
I was so close to being done.
“Jorah from Nerede.”
My eyes went wide, and I had to give my head a quick little shake before I turned toward the king.
“Your Majesty.” I bowed slowly and properly.
“My business in the throne room ended up being short,” he provided. “Are you the only one left?”
I nodded and tried not to let him see my rising panic. “Prince Keiran said he would return shortly.”
He gave me a nod. “Well allow me to assist. I can walk you out.”
There was no way I wanted to go anywhere with him. He was still after my blood, after all. A little of it? All of it? I had no idea.
I shook my head. “You don’t need to bother, Your Grace. I am sure you have much more important matters than to dismiss me.”
He smiled. “Nonsense. There is not a thing more important in Wylan right now than the Assemblages. Come along.”
With a sigh and a glance at Owen, I moved toward the king.
I couldn’t get out of this. I was forced to follow along and only hope he wouldn’t drug me this time. As our footsteps began tapping against the glossy floor, he didn’t seem inclined to chat. I was grateful for it, though wondered if this was yet another ploy of his, somehow. To intimidate me in the silence. To give me time to fret. Maybe he wanted me to panic just to dismiss me. There was some sort of game going on here, I just didn’t know what kind.
“You did well tonight,” the king finally offered minutes later.
I was sure we needed to take the hallways in the opposite direction, the same way I had come in, but then again, I wasn’t familiar with this part of the castle. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. If the king saw I was bothered, he would only enjoy it.
“Thank you,” I finally answered while saying a silent prayer that he wasn’t taking me into the mountain with gods knew what excuse.
“Did you know that you remind me of my late queen sometimes?”
That made my gut churn in the worst of ways. The queen and I didn’t look even remotely alike. “Me, Your Grace? Is that so?”
He nodded and rocked on his heels while turning us down another hallway. “Yes. She was... affectionate with the staff and Savaryn families like I see in you.”
We went down a set of stairs and across another long hallway. “She was gracious in every way a queen should be.”
It wasn’t the words themselves, but the way in which he was saying them that was making my skin crawl. Where was Keir’s wing? Were we even going in the correct direction?
He turned a corner, a glint to his beady eyes. “And like you, there were just some lessons she needed to learn.”
He stopped at the end of the hallway and spun toward me.
I faced him before hearing Aiyana’s voice. My head snapped that direction, my body unable to help it.
I turned and saw them arguing in front of what must have been her door. Keir was shaking his head, his back to me.
Aiyana had her arms around his neck. “Come on,” she begged.
“No, Aiyana. No more,” he argued. “I asked you to give me space. I expect you to respect it.”
“But I miss you, My Prince,” she cooed.
For a moment, her eyes locked on mine. She saw me and the king. She saw that he had brought me there. She knew. She knew the king had set me up to see the two of them.
