Page 132 of Enchanted Heir
I’d played a lot of card games over the years, but I couldn’t help but think this would be the most important one of my life.
CHAPTER33
“Jorah,” the king’s voice boomed.
Owen had moved in to talk with me as I waited for Keir and Krew to finish dismissing their harems.
I gave Owen a look of warning and a fake smile and then headed over to the king, bowing nicely before him. “Yes, Your Grace?”
“Would you like to join us?”
I caught a few heads snapping back and strange looks at the mere thought of a woman playing cards with them.
So it wasn’t a lie when I smiled at the king and said, “I’d love to, Your Majesty.”
He gestured to the chair to the left of him, the one I imagined Michael Noyer had always sat in. I fought off the urge to wipe down the chair before sitting in it.
The king placed the card deck in front of me. “Pass the cards out, would you, dear?”
Without thinking, I shuffled them. “Yes, Your Grace.”
The game was five-card draw. Which was fine. They were of course wagering real coin rather than playing with tokens like we did in Nerede. The king placed a stack of coins in front of me, so I knew he’d covered my buy-in. I felt annoyed, knowing this game was going to take a while. Unless I sabotaged myself so I could leave early.
Where was Krew anyway?
“Do you know how to play, lovely?” Tyrian asked kindly. “I can deal the cards for you if not.”
I gave him an unimpressed look before glancing at the king.
The king gave me a conspiratorial smile. “She knows.”
A man I didn’t know as well but knew the name of, Sasha Girard, offered from where he sat to the left of me, “Ahh. But the question is: is she any good?”
I started dealing the cards out. Ignoring him entirely.
“Have room for one more?” Keir asked as he walked back in from walking Gwen out. He took a chair on the opposite side of the table and a chair down. The last open chair. There were seven of us playing it seemed.
Gods this was going to be a long night.
The king nodded. “Of course.”
I folded on the first hand despite it being halfway decent, content to just watch my opponents and learn their ticks. Thomas Varga was also at the table, sitting opposite the king on the far end.
My guess was that one or more of these men would wager big in the beginning, trying to impress the king. They’d get sloppier as they drank more as the night wore on. So I needed to bide my time.
I heard footsteps. The cadence being sharp and purposeful, I knew my dark prince had finally returned.
“Krewan,” the king greeted as he gestured for a servant. “I’ll have them grab you a chair.”
Krew put up a hand in the direction of the servant already in motion. “That is not necessary.”
He scooted my chair out and I stood. He held a hand out for me, which I took and moved aside as he plopped down in my chair. Then he simply pulled me back in and onto his lap.
I was sitting sideways, my back to the king, my weight on Krew’s right leg. He had one arm wrapped around me and resting on my thigh, the other free on the arm of the chair.
While the bidding at the end of the table continued, I whispered to Krew, “You’d like me right here? For this entire game?”
“Yes.”
