Page 26 of Quest for her Knights
I nod my head, and he sighs in return. “Fuck, man. That was… brutal. Did she tell you anything?”
“No, she just asked me to hold her and cried. She’s really shaken up from it.”
“I’m not surprised. We told her she’d be safe here, and someone breaks into her room while she’s sleeping and tries to kill her. Fuck, what a mess.”
“Who was he? Where is he now?”
“We’re not sure. He’s being taken care of by Ranger and Blaze.”
“Good.” Attacking a royal only had one outcome, and I was thankful for it.
“You should get some sleep. I’ll stand watch,” Arrow tells me.
“I don’t want to move her,” I admit, looking down at her snuggled against me.
“You don’t have to. I’ll give you a pillow for your head so you can stay there with her.”
I lean forward as Arrow tucks a pillow behind me, and I’m grateful for it, finally able to rest my head with Elora held tightly in my arms.
The way she fell asleep with me after such an ordeal tells me how much she must trust me, and something about that thought makes my chest warm. I slowly trail my fingers through her hair as I close my eyes and let sleep overtake me.
Chapter eleven
Elora
The carriage bumps along the road, and I stare out into the trees, trying to stop myself from reliving last night. It’s hard not to think about it, someone tried to kill me. Waking up with some strange man’s hands around my throat, choking the life out of me, isn’t something I’ll easily forget.
I’ve never experienced anything so terrifying in my life. Nobody has told me anything about him. Where is he now? Will he come after me again? Why did he want to kill me? The questions bounce around my head with no answers.
My thoughts drift to this morning. I was more than shocked when I woke up lying against Draven, of all people, his arms wrapped tightly around me. When he woke and saw the position we were in, he practically threw me off him and bolted from the room. Last night is a little foggy, but I think I asked him tostay with me. Lord, he probably hates me now for forcing him to lie beside me all night.
I shake my head at my own actions as I remember the conversation after breakfast. Ranger apologized profusely for the attack, promising it would never happen again, and that someone would always be stationed outside my door from now on. That didn’t exactly ease my fears. But I told him I was fine, that it wasn’t their fault, because it wasn’t, and I pretended to be my normal, bubbly self.
The problem is, I don’t feel like myself. For the first time since arriving here, I feel scared. Worried. They keep telling me how dangerous this world is, but I never really understood how serious they were, until now. Well, as they say, fake it ‘til you make it. I’ll just keep pretending I’m not terrified for my life… and maybe eventually, I’ll believe it.
We’ve been on the road all day, only stopping briefly for lunch, so when the carriage finally slows and stops in what looks like a small clearing, I feel both relief for the break and dread at having to put my game face back on. I take a deep breath and plaster on a smile as I wait for one of them to open the door, like I promised Ranger I would.
He doesn’t make me wait long. When he opens the door and offers his hand, I take it and climb down to the forest floor, looking around. I try to focus on the beauty of the forest, but my eyes keep drifting back to the four gorgeous knights, now decked out in full armor. Another thing that has me on edge.They’re expecting trouble. Why else would they be dressed like that?
I have to admit, they look delectable. They’re wearing long shirts of thin chainmail, with the Silverthorn crest, a horse’s head in blue and white, displayed prominently on the front. The crest is echoed in the blue edging around their necklines, sleeves, and hems, all paired with matching blue trousers. Their black leather boots lace partway up their calves.
I can’t remember ever reading a romance book about knights, but I was definitely craving one now. If only one of their horses was white...
“Princess, you should stretch your legs,” Blaze says, snapping me out of my daydream. Right. Stretch my legs. I nod and step further into the clearing, eyeing his giant sword sheathed at his side. All of them have swords on their hips and shields strapped to their backs, except for Arrow. He has a bow and quiver slung over his shoulder, which makes me wonder if “Arrow” is just a nickname.
Draven, on the other hand, is absolutely bristling with weapons. He’s wearing so many, I can’t even see the crest on his chest. Thick straps across his torso are filled with daggers, and he looks more like he’s preparing for war than visiting some lords. Are they planning to stay dressed like this for the entire trip? They must be really worried.
“Come on, Princess, let’s stretch those little legs of yours while the others set up camp,” Arrow says, motioning for me tojoin him. He leads me around the edge of the clearing, his eyes constantly scanning our surroundings.
That doesnotmake me feel any better. In fact, it makes me feel jittery and tense. What’s out there? Are there more men trying to kill me? Dangerous animals like bears? I hate not knowing what they’re watching for. Pretending to be okay is making everything even harder.
I wanted to talk to Arrow about something else, to distract myself, but he seems just as distracted as I am, and I can’t find the words to speak, so I stay silent.
Eventually, I’m led to the campfire, where I sit beside Blaze as he tends to the flames. Arrow disappears for a while, returning with a small, skinned animal. A rabbit, perhaps?
Nobody talks, and the silence only adds to my anxiety. I know it will take us a few more days to reach Carlington, but at this rate, I’m going to arrive as a ball of nerves and stress. I hate feeling like this. It’s not like me. But I don’t know how to shake it. Maybe if I knew more about the attack, it would help calm me. The unknown definitely isn’t helping.
“What happened to the man who attacked me?” I finally blurt out.
