Page 99 of Spirit Trials
He opens the large bag hanging off his side. “You travel with all that?” I ask.
He scowls at me. “I have to because of people like you.” He steps forward and grabs hold of my bow. I whirl around, but he keeps it out of my reach.
“What are you doing?”
He stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. “You are not taking your bow and quiver.”
“How will I defend myself?” I argue.
His eyes nearly bug out of his head. “It’s a ball!”
“Yes, and I’m the Champion. Shouldn’t that mean...” I stop talking at the look of horror on his face. “Fine,” I huff, putting my bow and quiver in the coach. “I still have my knife anyway.”
Vallis closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I don’t know that,” he mutters to himself. I shake my head at his drama. He goes to work, and it feels like he’s ripping the hair from my head. “Ow,” I say and pull away after a particularly nasty head tug.
“I’ve done children who were more cooperative than you,” I hear him mutter. My head is tugged again, but I stay quiet. After he finishes my hair, he digs in his bag. “Purse your lips,” he orders.
I look at the bottle of lip stain. “Didn’t we already do that back—”
“Purse!” he demands.
I immediately stick my lips out. When he finally finishes, I pull back and look towards the castle. “Do you think anybody is still in there, or do you think they’ve all gone home for the night by now? Shouldn’t we just go back home?”
Vallis turns his face to Rysden. “Prince!”
Rysden smirks. “I’ve got her. Come on, Lady Mercy, before you give Vallis a heart attack.” Rysden puts out his arm, and I slip my hand into the crook of his arm. We start up the steps, and I immediately stop and reach down to pull up the front of my dress so I can walk up the stairs without tripping.
“Not so high!” Vallis whispers in horror from behind me. I lower my dress some, noticing what the other females are doing and copying them. When I glance over my shoulder, Vallis is wiping his face with a hankie and muttering into it.
“He certainly is dramatic,” I say to Rysden.
Rysden looks straight ahead. “He is at that, but he’s also the best of the best.” It doesn’t take us long to make it to the top. Each of the couples ahead of us are stopping at the door and talking to the doormen before heading inside. When it’s our turn, we stop at the first man.
“Name,” he says without looking up.
“Prince Rysden and—” Rysden doesn’t get my name out before the man visibly startles.
“Your Highness,” he bows low. “I didn’t realize you would come this way,” he says once he stands. “Won’t you be entering with the King and Queen?” I look up at Rysden, but he doesn’t look the least bit ruffled or bothered. “No, I will be entering with my mate.” The air in my lungs seem to get thinner at those words, and I force myself not to fidget. “And our wolves as well,” Rysden adds a moment later.
The man doesn’t bat an eye. “Yes, Your Highness.” He scribbles a few things down and then nods to us. “You may proceed.”
We walk forward, and the two large stone doors leading to the castle are pulled open by two men. I see the man who spoke to us hurry over to another man and shove a piece of paper at him. I watch as both men appear flustered before looking up atRysden. “You seem to have caused a commotion, Prince,” I say under my breath, knowing he can hear me.
He nods and lowers his voice, so only I can hear. “You must be rubbing off on me.”
“Are you saying I raise a commotion?”
“Everywhere you go,” he says in a low voice right before the doorman opens the next door for us, and we join the line of waiting couples.
“I don’t,” I say in response to his comment. “Why are we waiting in line? Why can’t we just go in?”
Rysden pats my hand. “I forgot how impatient you are.” I elbow him in the side, but he barely moves. I grunt at the impact.
“We are waiting our turn to be announced,” he says quietly.
I sigh quietly. “This is so overkill.” I turn to Rysden and study him a moment. Sometimes, I forget just how tall he is and how broad his shoulders are or just how muscular his chest is, and who could forget those biceps? I take a breath and turn away from him quickly, scolding myself mentally.Stop ogling the Prince.It doesn’t really help because his powerful image is burned into my brain now. I take a deep breath, which ends up being a mistake because I get a lungful of Rysden...all Rysden. That woodsy smell just after a fresh rain. I fight the urge to let my eyes roll back in my head. Rysden moves forward, and I almost miss taking a step with him. He glances down at me. “You good?”
“Yep.” I don’t meet his eyes and will the line to move forward.
