Page 43 of The Rejected King
“Yes, I just hate to send girls home.” Queen Arillia sighed, but then her worried expression faded into something mischievous. “Shouldn’t you be leaving for the one-on-one right now?”
“I don’t want to leave you to handle this mess alone.”
The queen mother pushed Emree’s shoulders, shoving her toward the door. “Nonsense. Everything is under control here. You go see if they’re ready to leave.”
Emree was lost. Why was the queen mother acting so weird? She made her way out to the front of the castle. Four royal coaches waited out in the courtyard with a team of horses attached and ready to go. For this activity, King Davin and Marigold Yates were going to a local bookstore to read to working-class children. Emree was especially excited about this date. Maybe Queen Arillia had recognized that, and that’s why she was so insistent.
Several guards sat atop horses, waiting to accompany them into the city. Emree’s eyes caught sight of Portlend. He sat tall on a brown mare, with a sword sheathed at his side. He nodded in Emree’s direction, giving her a slight smile.
The past few weeks that Emree had worked at the castle, she hadn’t seen Portlend officially guard the king. He was always assigned to other activities or was off training new soldiers, but today they would be together. And by together, she meant that they would be in the same proximity. Not speaking. Or interacting in any manner.
King Davin exited the castle with Marigold Yates on his arm. She was short, with long blonde hair parted down the middle. Her eyes were blue, standing out against her pale skin and the smattering of light freckles on her cheeks. She gave Emree a big smile as if she had some say in who the king would choose at the end of the week.
Millar walked up to the king, quickly bowing. “Everything is ready, Your Majesty.”
The king nodded. “Millar, I’d like you to ride in the carriage with Miss Yates and me.” Then he turned to Emree. “And you too, Miss Dutson.”
Emree looked around as if somebody could explain the sudden change in the seating arrangements, but there wasn’t anyone.
The king helped Marigold into the carriage and then offered his hand to Emree. She swallowed, quickly glancing at Portlend, but his attention was elsewhere. The king followed her gaze.
“How nice to see Officer Ricks joining us today,” he said. “I’m sure you’re pleased with his assignment.” There was the slightest bit of hurt in his voice.
“Yes, I’m thrilled.” She placed her hand in his and butterflies in her stomach flickered to life. They stared at each other for a moment, then the king looked away. Of course he looked away, because the woman he really wanted to spend time with was already in the carriage, waiting for him.
King Davin and Millar climbed in behind Emree and shut the door. Millar knocked on the padded walls of the coach, signaling that they were ready to leave.
“Miss Yates, are you comfortable?” the king asked, looking at Marigold.
Emree tried not to let his interest in Miss Yates bother her, but then Marigold used his direct question as an excuse to move closer to the king, grasping his hand. “Yes, thank you.”
Emree forced her eyes out the window as King Davin peeled his hand out from under Marigold’s. He pushed the curtains by the window, opening them more. “There, now we can all see better.”
He glanced at Emree, but it was her turn to look away.
“So what are we doing at the bookstore today? I mean, besides reading books,” Marigold asked.
The king looked directly at Marigold. “Well, Queen Arillia has purchased two hundred books to donate to an excellent cause.” Then his intense gaze fell on Emree. “I believe it’s a book exchange for working-class children. After we read to the kids, we’re going to go pick out the books that will be donated to the book exchange.”
Emree’s heart melted into a mushy mess inside her chest. More books? He’d already given her two hundred books from the castle, and now she would get two hundredmore.It was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for her. He had said it was Queen Arillia paying for the books, but Emree couldn’t help it; the gesture made her go all fuzzy inside.
Davinhad set this up.
Davin? She suddenly decided she was okay with the familiarity...in her mind, at least. Anyone who went to so much effort to make her dreams come true deserved to be called by their first name.
Davin
Davin read aloudto a group of working-class children who had come on a field trip to the bookstore. Afterward, he announced to newswriters and guards that they could all pick out ten books for Queen Arillia to donate to the book exchange. He suspected if he’d left the selection of all two hundred books to Emree, they’d be there all day.
Davin followed Marigold around the store, half-heartedly listening to her ramble on about how she didn’t like books and didn’t know what to choose. Through the shelves, he could see Emree walking with Officer Ricks. He looked about as lost in the bookstore as Marigold was.
“What about this one?” Marigold asked, shaking a book in front of him.
Davin gave her a tight smile. “Whatever you think.”
Marigold added the book to the pile in her arms.
Emree held up a book for Portlend, smiling up at him, but he shrugged like he was bored. Then her eyes flashed to his, and Davin had to look away. She probably thought he was some kind of creep. Why couldn’t he stop staring at her? Thinking about her?Likingher? He scratched the top of his head vigorously as if he could somehow scratch her out of his mind. From now on, Davin would throw himself into the Promenade. That’s where his future was, and he had to make it work.
