Page 6 of The Stolen Princess
“I think it will be fine if I missonemeeting. I doubt anyone will even notice. It’s not like I’m allowed to say anything at these meetings anyway.”
He closed his eyes again. “You don’t need to say anything. You’re only there to learn.” He peeked one eye open, smirking at her. “I’ve been surprised, at the meetings you’ve attended, that you’ve been able to keep that sharp tongue of yours under control.”
Myka pursed her lips together, trying to bite back a smile. She glanced away from her father, determined to act like she was mad at him. “When have I ever had a sharp tongue?”
“Pretty much every time you don’t get your way.”
“I never get my way,” she huffed. If she had her way, she wouldn’t be stuck inside Tolsten House like a prisoner, but her father had said it was necessary for her safety.
Her father’s rule was that she was to have a guard with her at all times when she was outside of Tolsten House. Notoutside, outside. Myka wasn’t allowed outside of the Tolsten House walls. It was her father’s way of protecting her. The thirty-foot exterior walls around the palace grounds were like a prison to her, and the worst part was that her father didn’t think that was a problem.
“Do you know how big the grounds are?” her father had asked four years ago when he had first instituted the rule. “You could ride your horse around in a circle for miles. You even have the woods to explore on the east and west sides of the property.”
It was true, the Tolsten House grounds stretched on for at least two miles in every direction, and there was a wooded forest surrounding it, and all of that had been exciting when she was a child. Now that she was eighteen, the grounds had lost their luster. She wanted to explore her kingdom beyond the walls.
“We need to ensure your safety,” her father had said, which was actually quite endearing. “It will only be for a little while until the political unrest between Tolsten and some of the other kingdoms fizzles out.”
That was four years ago.
It had been four years since Myka had accompanied her father anywhere, visited a High Ruler’s province, or had a party thrown at Tolsten House. Her father didn’t allow any of that anymore. And now that the princess of New Hope had been killed last year at her own wedding, things had gotten worse.
Myka had seen in the newswriters an article about the beautiful princess killed at the altar on her wedding day. She was young, only two years older than herself. But just because one princess in a neighboring kingdom had been killed, didn’t mean Myka would be next.
Even though her father’s rationale wasn’t justified, Myka would have to settle for her once-a-month secret visits to Rommel and Joett. For now, that was all she was going to get.
Her eyes darted back to her father, and his smile widened at her fake anger. It was good to see him smile—her resolve to be upset faded.
She raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know why Commander Stoddard gets to speak in every meeting. Isn’t his job to run the king’s guard, not run the entire kingdom?”
Ever since her father had fallen ill, the commander hadn’t left Tolsten House. He was everywhere. She wouldn’t be surprised if Stoddard was crouched behind the chair she sat in at that very moment. She could imagine him slowly rising up, his bald head glistening with perspiration and his beady gray eyes doing that creepy squint thing that he’d perfected.
“Commander Stoddard is my most trusted man,” her father said.
Myka rolled her eyes. If she really was going to be queen someday, Stoddard would be the first person she’d get rid of.
“What’s that look on your face?” he asked, lightly squeezing her hand.
“I’m sick of Stoddard. He bosses everyone around, and he slinks around this place like he’s a vampire waiting to attack.”
Her father let out a weak sigh. “The commander is harmless and simple-minded. He’s not waiting to attack anyone or anything.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Stoddard gives me the creeps!”
“Your Majesty,” Stoddard said behind them as he walked into the king’s suite.
Myka jumped in her chair like she was a pre-Desolation jack-in-the-box. She inclined her head to the side. “Commander Stoddard, what a surprise.”
His menacing eyes zeroed in on her. “Princess Mykaleen, don’t you have lessons…or something?”
“Don’t you have yourownhome…or something?” she said with a syrupy sweet smile.
The commander’s expression turned smug. “Tolsten House is my home.”
Her brows creased together. “That’s funny. I don’t recall you being elected as king.”
Stoddard’s cold expression contradicted his laughter.
“My...ka,” her father hacked, “was just leaving.”
