Page 44 of The Rejected King
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Emree
Emree stood in front of a crowd of newswriters in the corner of the grand hall, answering questions. Behind them, the casual nightly dinner wound down. Queen Arillia and Davin walked around the room, mingling with the ladies while music hummed in the background.
“Miss Dutson, the king has had three days of one-on-one activities, and none of them have been with Patrice Kenson. Can you explain why the king hasn’t chosen her for private time yet?” Mara Jeppson asked.
Emree gave them all a reassuring smile. “I can tell you that there’s still one more individual activity scheduled for tomorrow. The castle archaeologists have discovered a pre-Desolation safe that the king and his guest will open together.”
Fiona Rudd stepped forward. “Miss Dutson, are you hinting that the king will be inviting Patrice Kenson on that outing tomorrow?”
Emree liked to keep a little intrigue among the newswriters, especially when it came to Miss Rudd. “I can neither confirm nor deny that Miss Kenson will be invited on the one-on-one activity tomorrow.”
“What’s inside the pre-Desolation safe?” Darl Bitter asked at the same time his hand shot up into the air.
“We don’t know.” Emree shrugged. “Tomorrow will be the first time it’s opened. Next question, please.”
Emree looked at the newswriters, but none of them seemed to care about her or their questions anymore. They stood on their toes, craning their necks to see something behind her. Emree turned around, and that’s when she saw it. Davin had his arms wrapped around Patrice’s waist, holding her close,dancingwith her. Emree hadn’t seen him dance with any woman during any of the dinners all week, so why now? And why with Patrice?
Emree’s stomach clenched together as they both swayed to the soft music. A crowd of onlookers circled around them, whispering about the award-winning couple.
Emree’s breath came out tight and labored. Davin was supposed to fall in love with Patrice. That was the narrative of the Promenade, but seeing it play out in front of her eyes was too much. Davin smiled down at Patrice—the trademark smile. Then Patrice laughed, using the motion to scoot her body closer to his.
Emree’s heart lurched, feeling as though a ton of bricks had suddenly been lodged inside. She assumed that this was what a broken heart felt like. But why did she even have a broken heart? It didn’t make sense. It’s not like she had given her heart to the king. No, she had given it to Portlend years ago. She stood at the edge of the grand hall, her feet rooted to the wood floor, watching as Davin moved back and forth with Patrice in between his arms.
Then he looked at Emree.
His movement faltered, and his brown eyes cut into the center of her soul.
She couldn’t look at Davin while he held Patrice. Instead, Emree had to get out of there and find somewhere where she could breathe easier.
She turned on her heels, desperate to leave. She rushed to the door, looking back at Davin one last time. His dancing had slowed, and he looked like he was reaching out to her, but Emree had to escape. She turned back around.
SMACK!
Her head hit the side of the doorframe, and everything went black.
Davin
Davin sat in a chairbeside Emree’s bed, watching her sleep. It wasn’t exactly his fault that she had run into the door, knocking herself out, but he still felt awful. She’d seen him dancing with Patrice, not that she would care. She had been pushing him toward Patrice for days, but then Davin swore he’d seen a sting of hurt in her eyes.
Don’t be an idiot.
Why would she be hurt?
As soon as she hit the doorframe, Davin had rushed to her, picking up her drooping body. He carried her to her own room, immediately calling for the castle doctor.
The doctor had looked Emree over, but besides a bruise and a headache, he said she’d be fine. He gave her some strong medicine for the headache, noting that the treatment would make her a little loopy and tired, but that she would be herself again by morning.
Davin hadn’t left her side. Something about Emree’s lifeless body made him anxious.
“Your Majesty,” Millar said behind him, “if you’d like, I can stay with Miss Dutson so you can go to your own room.”
Davin rested his elbows on his knees, keeping his eyes on Emree. “No, that’s fine.”
Davin straightened as Emree let out a soft groan. She kept her eyes closed as she brought her hand up to her forehead.
“Emree?” Davin scooted out of his chair, sitting on the bed beside her. “Are you okay?”
