Page 196 of I Ran Away to Evil
After tonight, he didn’t want to be separated from her side for even a second, and traveling with the Heroine of Justice gently snoring in his arms was a perfect way to keephimawake.
There was so much to think about. And plan. Three hours was more than enough time to get it done … and to satisfy his greed for cuddles.
Chloe and Julia met them at the city gates three hours later, escorting them back to the palace. Mostly because Chloe was too impatient to politely wait for them in the parlor. Usually, only the watch and the bakers would be up this early, but Duchess Calisto’s palace was vibrant with life. Hostlers prepared transport for any of the previous night’s visitors hoping to get back home early, and many a man-at-arms hustled to load carriages with luggage. That wasn’t even counting those in North Sumbrian colors. The grand duchess had hired many attendants to be ever ready for her guests, especially during the festivities.
Everyone watched wide-eyed as they rode onto the palace grounds. They were an interesting sight, to be sure.
At the front, the Dark Lord held the Heroine of Justice, who was snoring, in his arms. They were accompanied by the Paladin of Light, Countess Julia von Slyke, and her fiancée, Necromancer Chloe Watercress. Next, two dozen of the duchess’s royal guard rode with a bridge troll. And everyone was still dressed in their finest.
Third, Chadwick, a Servalt marquess not worth mentioning, and his attendants were tied together in pairs and riding a few heavily guarded horses. The marquess had woken up partway through their trip and had tried to escape. It hadn’t gone well for him.
And of course, the king and queen of Drendil were there. But they were thrown over a saddlebag like luggage and hardly worth mentioning.
And finally, Lieutenant Franni took up the rear.
Everyone had gone quiet, watching them ride up. Keith didn’t want to wake Ria, so he activated his powerful [Flight] spell to get down and gently princess-carried her inside. The grand duchess met them halfway up the stairs.
“You’ve made it back! And all in one piece; how splendid.” Calisto noted her attendants carrying in the sacks full of royals and made a disapproving tsk. “Or, at least, everyone important made it back in one piece. Shall we go in? It’scold.”
“Before we do,” Keith said quietly, conscious of his sleeping princess. “Can I confirm how many of the council are still in residence?”
He would make sure that as many as possible would be there for his morning audience, if he had to unpack their carriages himself.
“All of the ones who attended the Spring Ball are still here,” Calisto assured him. “We decided to add tonight’s events to the meeting. Head off any wars, rally the forces for a continental search and rescue, so on and so forth. Luckily, you rescued yourselves. I have it on good authority from the council that there would have been much lording-it-over-thou from whomever helpedyouspecifically. Not to mention requests and favors.”
Keith shivered, imagining just what kind offavorsTheir Royal Highness Rowen of Peldeep would demand if they’d managed to rescue him.
“Before you go,” Duchess Calisto waved at their baggage. “What am I doing withthose?”
“We’ll raise King Simon and Queen Thalia when the council meets,” Keith replied. “The marquess is tied to a horse outside. He’s good with portals and is subordinate to someone very powerful, so be sure to keep him locked up safe.”
“I see.” Calisto shared a nod with Keith before bidding them all a polite good morning.
Keith went and took his princess to bed.
CHAPTER 119
Screw Propriety: I Need Portable Tea
Henrietta
I woke up stiff and sore and still tired, with a pair of long arms wrapped around my waist. Keith breathed deeply into my hair, and when I pulled away to look at him, he mumbled a rough, “Good morning.”
This … wasn’t what I had expected to wake up to, but I wouldn’t complain. We were both fully clothed, and cuddling him in bed beat cuddling him on a horse.
“Good morning.” I ran my fingers through his messy morning hair. Black locks had bunched around his horn, as they were wont to do, and I carefully detangled them.
His eyes were closed against the soft light that seeped into my room through the curtains. It made him look like some kind of black-horned seraph. I smiled as I leaned forward and kissed him on the nose.
That got his attention; blue eyes opened and stared at me fondly. “None of that, or I’ll—Well, whatever we do, it’ll have to be after abath.”
I dragged my eyes down his body and gasped. “Oh no! The sheets!”
Fighting a bunch of slave traders, blasting through a dungeon wall, breaking a magical dimension, and riding cross-country for hours on end wasnotthe way to stay pristine or clean.
My stunning blue-purple dress was torn, muddy, burned in places, and caked with so much dust and grime that I had no doubt that the servants were going to need magic or a burn pit for the bedding. Someone had taken off my boots, at least.
“I’m sorry. I was so tired, I just barely got us to bed,” Keith said, sheepish. “[Cleanse].”
