Page 1 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
Chapter One
KALLE
There are times when being able to talk with animals is a desirable and useful gift.
Now isn’t one of them.
All I’ve got is secondhand embarrassment and firsthand cringe.
Glancing up at the dark, pointed tips of the fresh-scented Sitka spruces that line the river, I rub my forehead, trying to stave off a headache.
Gods, why me?
A voice in my head that sounds suspiciously like my mother’s answers: Because understanding animals on this level is a rare gift. Instead of complaining, I should be grateful.
But she spends most of her time in the castle. Or maybe the animals treat her with more discretion than they do me. She forgets that I have to put up with absolute garbage like this the moment I leave the castle’s hallowed grounds. I clench my jaw and tune back in to what Roy’s saying as we walk along the river by Wakerobin Village.
“So, after fucking Marlo, I was banging Gisele,” the hare continues, “and she started kicking her feet all over the place. Just … thump, thump, thump. Totally got me off my rhythm,man. Er, Your Highness. I had to hurry up and fuck her fast so that I could come, you know?”
Pulling the hood back from my hair so he can see my narrowed eyes, I force a smile. The skin pulls tight at my scar. “Roy, are you familiar with the term ‘TMI’?”
Roy wrinkles his nose. “Yeah, yeah. I know. But I had to tellsomeone.”
Swiveling my head to our right, I pointedly study the crowded Blazingstar Inn, which has patrons spilling from its doors, drinking ale and enjoying the sunshine. Squirrels chitter and chase each other among stacks of firewood. I look back at Roy and raise my unmarred eyebrow.
Please take the hint.
“But I likeyou. And you’re the closest person I can actuallytalkto.”
Sigh.
“I wish I weren’t,” I mutter. “I’d be perfectly happy to pass off the job of being everyone’s confidant.”
Like that’s going to happen. Conversing with our animal subjects is part of my core royal duties.
And, okay, I do enjoy some of the blue jays’ gossip. And maybe the wisdom from the bears.
Still, I continue to glance at the rough wooden buildings surrounding us, clustered in the shade of the towering conifers: the inn, a few log cabins, a trading post, and a gathering hall with a steep, pointed roof. I wish I could find someone to use as an excuse to gracefully end this conversation. The members of my security team accompanying me don’t count.
They’re on duty, scanning for a variety of threats. Rumblings from the Fire Realm have us all on high alert. Despite our uneasy arrangement—and written contracts—with the other realm, they still like to remind us of their power. If we don’t finalize ouralliance, will the fire queens cause another eruption? We’re still recovering from the last one, which was three years ago.
As I peer over the treetops at the silhouette of Mount Pátu looming in the east, my breath catches and my muscles tense. From here, the volcano appears dormant and benign, with snow on its peak and a wide base, but looks can be deceiving. I cock my head. Doesn’t seem like there’s any more volcanic activity than usual, but it’s hard to tell. There’s always steam coming out of the vents. And even a small lava flow can cause devastation that’s too much to bear. Bottom line: I don’t trust the Fire Realm.
With my eyes on the distant volcano, I don’t watch where I’m going. My boot knocks against a rock, and my faithful sword jostles on my hip, forcing me to return my attention to the trail. My scuffling makes my security gray fox, Hazel, turn to look at me, her ears pointing up.
“I’m fine,” I grouse. “Don’t mother-hen me.”
She nods and continues on, her tail swishing.
Right. Quit getting distracted. Lure someone over to save me—er, us—from Roy’s monologue.
But … no luck. I’m not getting out of spending the rest of my walk with an oversexed subject who lacks a filter. That sucks.
Sigh.Again.
“What’s wrong with lending an ear?” Roy asks.
I throw out my hands. “Nothing, it’s just that I know way too much about everyone’s sex life, digestive tract, and plans for murder. Trust me, I could stand to know much less than I do.”
