Page 61 of Enchanted Kingdom
Keir grinned. “Yes. Something like that. I’ll think on it.”
I leaned back against the couch. “This all got so complicated so quickly. A mere week ago I was just a baker.”
“You were never just a baker,” he informed me.
I smirked. “Still.”
“So.” He leaned back lazily. “Do you want to tell me about this Will character?” He again just sounded curious.
“Do you want to tell me about the other twenty-seven women in your harem?” I fired right back.
He laughed. “Okay, fair point.” He paused. “I hope I can tag along on a trip to Nerede sometime.” He held up a hand. “Not because I care at all about that guy, but just because I’d like to see your bakery and meet your mother. I’ve been to Nerede many times before, but never in the spaces you were.”
“You’ve been to Nerede?” For some reason, that surprised me.
He nodded. “Yes. We have random monthly visits to certain places throughout the kingdom. Father quit personally going years ago, so Krew and I took over. Krew goes more often than me. He gets... restless.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t realize that.” I laughed. “After I got here and you were, well, not a royal ass, I wondered what I would’ve thought if you were just any other man in Nerede.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Oh. And? Did Nerede Keir win your affections?”
I laughed. “And here we are. I’m in a castle swimming with Enchanted and a king that hates me. So you must have.”
Keir grinned.
I looked to my hands. “How long is this going to take? The whole thing? And if you are going to start pulling back, do I need to become nervous about more women going home? Shouldn’t I worry I’ll be one of them?”
Keir shook his head. “Two more women went home from each Assemblage this evening, so technically there are only twenty-five other women. But no, you needn’t worry.” He paused. “As for the timing, the last Assemblage my father drug out almost two years.”
“Two years?!”
Keir nodded. “But that is my father for you. Why choose one woman to be queen when he could keep a handful of consorts around?”
I didn’t bother to disguise the disgust that was surely on my face.
Keir reached over for my hand and gently moved aside my silk pajamas on my arm to check my bruises. “Neither Krew nor I have any desire to draw this out that long.”
“Oh?”
He nodded while still looking at my bruises. “We will play the game as long as we need to. As long as it takes to ensure that our father will step down as soon as we have a new queen.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
His eyes flew to mine. “Let’s just say he’s going to. One way or the other.”
That sounded nothing short of ominous. “And Prince Krewan agrees with this plan?”
He snorted. “Yes. Krew is the mastermind behind all the plans, Jorah.” He looked again at my bruising before putting my arm back in my lap. “In case I haven’t made it abundantly clear by now, I loathe my father, Jorah. And I am still...” He cut off and I could again see his magic rippling up his veins. “I am still so furious he thought he could do this to you.”
“Am I safe here?” I asked him. “Today Aiyana tried to insinuate Owen and I were close to try to get me into more trouble.”
“She what?”
I shrugged.
He shook his head. “If it gets any worse, you can just stay with me.”
I tensed with what he was implying. Staying with Keir? As inin his room?
