Page 53 of Enchanted Kingdom
Will’s eyes met Owen’s. “Who’s we?”
“I am her guard,” Owen snapped. “Who are you?”
“No one,” Will snapped back.
“Good. Keep it that way,” Owen said rudely.
“I’m fine though, Will,” I said, trying my best to sound cheery and diffuse the situation.
“Are you really?” he asked quietly.
I was but I wasn’t. I didn’t know how to answer that. “I’m okay, Will.”
He didn’t really look that convinced.
“A word of warning,” Owen said strongly, taking one step forward. “Jorah is now a consort for one of our crown princes. If you should ever see her in public again, it would be advisable to not act sofamiliarwith her.”
“Why?” Will said with a defiant tilt upward with his chin.
Owen took a step toward him. “I am trying to keep her safe, you chump. It isn’t about you. It’s about keepinghersafe.”
That seemed to make him falter as his eyes finally darted down.
“We will be going now,” Owen grumbled.
I gave Will a smile and a wave and headed with Owen to the carriage.
As soon as the horses were moving, Owen ran a hand over his face. “Really?”
“What?”
“Who was he?” Owen demanded.
“A friend,” I stated innocently. Then seeing Owen’s face, I amended, “A friend I used to...date?He proposed to me a few days before I was to leave for the castle. To save me from being tossed into the Assemblages.”
He squinted at me. “Tell me exactly how involved the two of you were, should it ever come up again. So I can properly defend you. Or handle it.”
I rolled my eyes. “We slept together on and off for a year or so. It’s been over for a long time. Because he thought he fell in love.”
Owen’s eyebrows went up. “So you don’t return the sentiment?”
I shook my head. “No. Nor have I ever.”
“Okay, good,” Owen began. “Trust me when I say you want to avoid being arrested for any reason whatsoever. I thought for a moment you were wanting these trips to see your lover.”
I sighed. “No, just my mother.” After a moment, I added, “She’s all I have.”
“I’m sorry I overreacted,” Owen began with a hand in the air. “Your mother is rather great, that’s not the problem. Just trust me, Jorah, the king wants a reason to arrest you. He wants a reason to take you into the mountain and detain you. We need to avoid this Will character for a while. No run ins with any ex-lovers, all right?”
“Intothe mountain?”
“It’s a jail,” he gritted. “Of sorts.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay. Stay away from Will. Got it. He really is just a friend though. We haven’t beeninvolved for quite some time.”
“I believe you,” he said. “I just don’t want the king to get word of how he looks at you. The king considers all the consorts property of his sons. Which sounds as horrible as it is, I know. But still. No matter how innocent it is, you need to keep your distance from Will if we are going to be making any more trips here.”
“So we get to come back?”
