Page 41 of The King's Bodyguard
Hugh?
“I will not stand by and let Corrin bleed out to death. He was placed in my care. Only because of Lord Morne’s interventions was I separated from him. At the very least, we will deny Lord Morne’s victory by ensuring Corrin leaves the castle on his own two feet.” Hugh’s voice brooked no disagreement. “Corrin has made a name for the Munni—and not just by bedding the King. He saved the crown time and time again. You may rest assured that I will care for Corrin while you enjoy the celebrations. I believe there is another feast tonight?”
“Yes,” my mother said softly, recovering her serene facade. “Of course, we leave Corrin’s detainment to your discretion, Ser Hugh.”
“I suppose we should go ready for the feast.” My father agreed truculently. “Will I be required to change? Some newfangled outfit?”
“It’s called evening wear, and, yes, you are not about to show up in your hunting garb. Let us go, Jan.” My mother turned toward my general direction. I did not attempt to look over and instead glared at the wall. “Rest well, my son.”
“Stay out of trouble, brat.”
With that, my parents stomped out. Now alone, Hugh heaved a sigh.
“I’m going to arrange to have you cared for, Corrin. You aren’t going to be left alone down here. I might even get you somewhere nice. I’ll be back in half an hour. I promise. That rat bastard Lord Morne isn’t going to be able to stop me this time. We’ll make him pay for what he did to you and Landis.”
I grunted.
“Hu-” I tried again. “Hugh?”
“Yeah?”
“La-landis? Safe?”
Bloody drool dribbled down my chin as I coughed up a bit more blood.Dammit.I didn’t feel all that great.
“He’s… he’s holding up, but he’s safe. Lord Elthorne has wrested back control of the court, and everything is back to normal.” Hugh paused and then added, “Well, almost everything. Stop talking and rest. I’ll be back with Aileen.”
Chapter 19
Landis
The day of my wedding dawned bright and beautiful. The sky was a perfect blue. There were white puffy clouds slowly drifting by. A wind from the southwest brought the last scented breath of a late summer breeze, perfect for any outdoor wedding. Honestly, for anyone looking forward to tying their marital knot, this day might seem blessed by the gods. To me, however, the beauty of the morning felt like a personal affront. I would have been more cheered up by rain and mist. Maybe a bit of thunder and lightning as well.
It was not to be.
Thankfully, I didn’t have much time to think about it. Almost as soon as I had stretched, peeked gloomily out of my window, and looked around, my bedroom door was thrown open to admit my valet, two assistants, and a maid. I was allowed a quick breakfast, followed by an elaborate dressing ritual, where I was fitted into a white shirt, a gray-blue vest, a robin’s egg blue doublet, cream buckskin breeches, knee-high black dragon-skin boots, and a small matching blue beret. The fancy silk tie that cascaded down my chest from my collar took a full fifteen minutes to knot.
Preparation felt like an eternity, but somehow, I managed to extricate myself before unnecessary amounts of paint or accessories were plastered on me. I found Gareth waiting for me at the carriage. No sign of Hugh. I glanced around as I got in.
“Where’s Hugh?”
“He’s checking in on Corrin.”
I dropped heavily on the padded leather seat and stared at Gareth. There was a dark tone to Gareth’s voice. I tensed instantly.
“Checking in?” My voice rose a little. “Is Corrin not alright?”
Gareth considered me.
“There will be time to discuss the matter after the wedding. Ah. Here is Hugh with a positive update, I am sure.”
Hugh climbed in, whacked the roof twice, and the carriage began to roll out of the courtyard, flanked by rows of guards. I suppressed a wild impulse to throw open the door and roll out of the carriage. My hands curled into fists, and I glared at Gareth. Then I shifted my look to Hugh, who sighed.
“What did you tell him, Gareth?” He asked.
“Nothing.”
“Then why the hells is he staring at me like I murdered the family pet?”
