Page 102 of Enchanted Kingdom
“He had already been arrested,” Owen explained. “I hid and used my magic to knock out some guards so Krew could get to him. But even if we would’ve let Laurent run, he would’ve been hunted down in the forest, starved to death climbing the mountain, or got caught at the Savaryn wall. There is no second chance in Wylan for anyone suspected of being a disloyal.”
I thought on that a moment.
“Laurent was going to die,” Owen told me plainly. “Krew offered a quick way out instead of being made a spectacle of.”
I had heard the man begging, but had it actually been for Prince Krewantokill him? Rather than allow him to be tortured to death? I swallowed, trying to make sure my voice wouldn’t come out shaky. “So why wouldn’t any of you just tell me that? Why would you let me believe Prince Krewan murdered a man that was no more a traitor than me?”
“I didn’t know for sure you saw it until Krew told me you asked him to not murder you when the king drugged you,” Owen answered.
I vaguely remembered that. Everything leading up to passing out was a little fuzzy.
Prince Krewan finally turned his attention to me. “And because I have neither the time nor the energy to put into making sure you don’t hate me. Not when so much else is at play. If you’d like to hate me, be my guest.”
Owen took a deep breath. “When Keir met you that first night, well both Krew and Keir actually, they both suspected you were a disloyal. We have a handful of you in Nerede.”
They thought I was a disloyal because I ate more than three times the number of truffles any sane person would? “Why?”
Prince Krewan said, “Because your countenance screamed defiance. Every time you so much as looked my father’s direction, you looked at him how I always feel. Like you wanted to strangle him.”
Owen added, “And considering you were only interested in the food, the only woman in the entire roomnotenthralled by the princes. Add in that you have Iron Will, and we were sure you were an ally.”
“Oh.” I could see where they were coming from. “But I wasn’t.”
“No,” Prince Krewan stated with a smile that oozed with mockery. “You’re just naturally that feisty and defiant.”
I glared at him.
“But youare,” Owen argued. “You just didn’t know it.”
Prince Krewan threw an arm over the back of the seat he sat on. “So welcome to the dark side, love. Your Iron Will had you in danger, and this knowledge and label takes that tenfold.” He repeated with thick sarcasm, “Welcome, welcome, welcome.”
I ignored His Royal Bratness and took a deep breath. “I have so many questions.”
Owen gave me a little smirk. “I’m sure you do. And now you can finally ask them.”
So Keir, Krew, Owen, and others were all part of a group of people trying to take down the king. “Why are you called disloyal?”
Owen snorted. “The disloyal? It’s what the king calls us. He thinks it’s an insult. We rather take it as a compliment.”
That did sound like something the king would say. I took another deep breath. So the king had no idea that his sons were part of this group. Or possibly even leading the charge.
Holy hell.
I thought back to that first night. Prince Krewan warning me I shouldn’t make an enemy I wasn’t prepared to face. I thought at the time he meant himself. Had he really been warning me about his father? That I should tone down or mask my obvious distaste for the throne?
But then I remembered what had led us to this strange argumentative carriage ride. Warrick and Krew. And Owen apparently so sick of me being left in the dark, that he took pity on me and allowed me to barge on in, hoping I would figure it all out on my own. Which I did.
Warrick.That poor boy who was so kind and optimistic about being adopted by a family someday. My eyes were stinging. “But why?” I croaked at barely a whisper.
The men looked to each other, both seeming confused about what I was asking that was making me so emotional.
“Why?” I bit out. “Why would you do that to that poor little boy?” I glared at Prince Krewan. “He should’ve been raised in a castle, not an orphanage.”
His head went back, clearly exasperated with me, as he snapped, “It’s keeping him safe, Jorah.”
I felt my own rage at the surface, even if there was no magic to slide through my veins. “That little boy is wise beyond his years. He is kind. He is charismatic. He is so damn smart.” I sniffed. “He has stayed optimistic he’d get adopted over the years, only to see child after child after child get adopted. Only to feel that no one wanted him.”
“He won’t get adopted,” Owen said softly. “He has to stay with Hattie.”
