Page 122 of I Ran Away to Evil
“You’re going to do it in front of everyone, including her parents?” Rufus let out a laugh. “Not the most romantic, but it will serve them right.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to figure out how to talk to Henrietta without messing things up.”
“I still think you should just marry her and be done with it,” Rufus called after the Dark Lord, but Keith was already walking out of the dungeon.
CHAPTER 73
You Don’t Look Like a Sadistic Freak Bent on Destroying Our Lands
Henrietta
[Quick Readcooldown 01:45:13. Current Reading Speed: base 400 words per minute x Intelligence 17 = 6800 words per minute.]
Shortly after Keith left, I went to his office … our office to finish up the pile for Requires Review. I was tempted to look through his Requires Response or Requires Immediate Action pile … but that would be a bit rude; I wasn’t queen of the Dark Enchanted Forest.
Yet.
I told myself not to think of that. My king of the Dark Enchanted Forest seemed like he was having second thoughts, but maybe I just didn’t know how this all worked. Maybe he had gotten upset at something else? Maybe he had indigestion? Or bad breath?
Or maybe the kiss had only been good for me?
Thirty minutes passed with me just awkwardly sitting there doing nothing, and then I pulled out and reread the battle plans over again. At some point, a shy lizardkin maid shuffled in.
Winrith was in a bit of a panic.
“Your Viciousnesss!” She stopped short when she saw that it wasn’t Keith sitting behind his desk. I was expecting her to continue, but she simply froze. Now that I knew she was undead and I’d spent time with more lizardkin, I could see the subtle tells. Her eyes, when you could see them, glowed green and leaked wisps slightly at the edges. Her pupils were pits of the unnaturally vibrant green as well.
She was averyhigh-level undead.
“He’s gone to check something, Winrith,” I told her. When she remained in place another minute without saying anything, I offered, “I could take a message? I’m sure he’ll be back—”
“Ria!” Keith walked in. I was glad; I thought Winrith was going to faint soon. “I need to talk to you!”
“Keith.”
“Your Viciousnesss!”
“Winrith?”
The maid stammered, “I’ve b-been sssent to t-tell you. The guardsss have captured sssomeone from Drendil!”
“What?” Keith and I said at the exact same time.
“They h-have them in the g-guardhouse by the c-castle g-gate,” Winrith managed. Honestly, this was the most I’d ever heard her speak aloud. “What are your ordersss, M-Master?”
Keith and I shared a look and then he said, “Lead the way. Let’s see this enemy spy for ourselves.”
I could name all of my father’s top spies. I knew every knight or combatant in his service who had any skill. I had even memorized the features of all the relevant mercenaries the king of Drendil worked with.
None of them were sitting in the guardhouse drinking tea with Sithli.
“Brownie?!” My best friend’s name escaped me. “What are you doing here?”
The bard kicked back from the table, laughing. “It’s good to see you too, Henrietta! Or should I sayprincess?”
When the woman stood up, she dwarfed everyone in the room by a head. Her father was a half giant—it’s where she got her strong build—and her mother was a priestess, which is where she got her angelic voice. Not that being a priestess gave you an angelic voice. Brownie’s mother just happened to have one.
Brownie also got her violent brown curly hair streaked in red from her mother. And when she smiled, she lit up the room with her high Charisma score.
