Page 78 of I Ran Away to Evil
Lady Amy listed them off on her fingers. “Royalists during the Sumbrian revolution, the Servalt first prime minister’s private army, Her Eminence Feliwyn’s shadow corp—”
“Wait?!” I interrupted. “Sorry, did you say Keith’s godmother was trying to kill him?”
“I don’t think she was trying to perma-death him. She was just sending shadow assassins after him.”
“Not to kill him?” I asked, again.
“More like training?” Lady Amy shrugged. “It’s the usual upbringing for prospective rulers of the Dark Enchanted Forest. You can’t be weak if you want Lithnilheim to acknowledge you.”
“Who is Lithnilheim?” I could understand the training. It was actually a wonder my parents hadn’t thought of it.
“The forest.” Lady Amy nodded respectfully to the general area around us. “It’s the elven name for the Dark Enchanted Forest, and where Nilheim comes from. The elves were here first, serving the Hollow, long before the towns or the castle.
“They learned that Doreen the Devourer, Demon of Gluttony, had been mortally wounded and hid in the forest to spend the last of her days. After a few raiding parties tried and failed to drive off her and her minions, a sort of truce was formed because she only had some fifty years to live before her wounds would overcome her.
“But then she had children—a lot of children—and more groups settled here. There have been a mix of kings and queens of all races going back hundreds of years, but every once in a while, the bloodline breeds true and a powerful demon resurfaces. King Keith is only a demi and could have easily been overthrown as a child if Her Eminence hadn’t stepped in. But it was a bloodless rise to power, since she did.”
“Unless you count the assassins,” I said.
“Yes.” She chuckled. “But who counts assassins?”
CHAPTER 50
Keith Is Going on a Date
Keith
Keith gently pushed the knife point away from his throat. “Itoldyou; I’m not cursed. I already checked!”
“Exactly what someone who is cursedwouldsay,” Julia tsked. “[Identify] him, Chloe.”
Chloe already had her hands up casting the spell. Behind them, Rufus was doubled over trying to hold in laughter. After this, Keith was going to find the most boring problem under the dark moon and send Rufus to go fix it.
“Don’t fight it,” Chloe ordered her king. “Or we’ll have to resort to drastic measures.”
“Yes, yes, just get on with it already.”
Chloe cast [Identify] and then [Dispel] and then [Soul Link] and Keith let her. In the back of his mind, he was actually relieved to have secondary confirmation that he wasn’t under some kind of spell.
He passed all the tests, but Julia still looked unconvinced. “Maybe we should also test for poison?”
“Julia, he’s not cursed.” Rufus finally stepped forward. “Keith is going ona date.”
Awareness dawned. “With whom?”
“Princess Henrietta of Drendil,” Keith cut in. “And if I’m going, it’snow. So would you please sheath your blade?”
Julia took the point off his neck. “Well then, congratulations. Henrietta is a good sort.”
“Thank you.” Keith nodded and shook out his cloak. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be back in a few days. Send any important updates to Gren’s Keep.”
“Wait!” That’s when Chloe started yelling. “Youcan’tleave now!”
“Watch me.”
Keith left a hot mess of confusion and anarchy behind. Among his generals, at least.
His workspace was clean, organized, and primed for his absence.
