Page 31 of Enchanted Kingdom
My eyes drilled into his eyes as I snapped, “Yes, I am uncomfortable with Enchanted. I am from Nerede, you know. And if that wasn’t enough by itself, an Enchanted killed my father.”
He tilted his head as his face went sober, the jovial smile that seemed to be permanent disappearing at last. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know or I wouldn’t have used magic like that without more of an explanation of what I was going to do.”
I shrugged. “At least I know you can’t kill me with it.”
“Jorah,” he began, his voice quieter. “You are safe. The king is not going to kill you. I am not going to kill you. You can sleep tonight. I’m here.”
I squinted as he moved to head back to his spot in the hidden hallway. “But how will I sleep with your snoring going on?”
He laughed. “I can’t put a barrier on the entrance like I just did to your door, or I wouldn’t be able to hear you, so I guess you’re just going to have to let it serenade you to sleep.”
“Lovely,” I groaned.
He spun back toward me. “Would you prefer Wallace or the snoring?”
My eyebrows jumped up. “Those are my only two options?”
He nodded.
“The snoring, I suppose,” I admitted.
He laughed. “Well. Back to my post I go. Sleep well tonight, Jorah.” With a quick wiggle of his finger, the magical green barrier fell.
While he moved the bookcase back, I headed back to my bed and fell into my numerous pillows. That entire day and night had been a weird series of events tossed together, but after Owen left, I found I was able to relax enough to finally sleep.
CHAPTER13
“Now what?” Gwen sighed after she and Renna finished their puzzle the next day.
I was wearing a yellow day dress as Prince Keiran’s women were in yellow today. And with more sleep than the previous night, even considering how late I fell asleep, I felt much better about the day.
“Another puzzle?” Renna asked, though it sounded like her heart wasn’t in it.
“Another book?” Molly asked, sounding perfectly fine with the idea.
“I’ll be right back,” I said before shutting my book and striding over to the bookshelf. There were a few decks of cards sitting there that I had seen earlier. If the others were really so bored, we could play cards to pass the time in the common rooms. I picked up a deck.
“What are you doing with those?” Gwen asked curiously as I made my way back and sat down.
“Pick up your puzzle, let’s play some cards.”
I received three blank stares back.
“What?” I asked as I began shuffling the cards.
Renna shook her head. “Like the ‘whose number is higher’ game we all played as children?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s called bingle and consists of making sets and runs within your hand. And maybe eventually we could play five-card Draw if we can figure out something to use as chips.”
Again, the three of them just stared at me.
“What?! Do you all hate cards or something?”
Molly shut her book and moved to sit next to me. “No. We just don’t know how to play.”
“What?”
Renna shrugged. “I don’t know how to play any of what you just mentioned.”
