Page 38 of The Forgotten Queen
“You’re Kase Kendrick,” Marx finished for him.
“Yeah.” Kase laughed nervously, still lost in Sydria’s eyes. “I’m the king’s personal…”
“Guard,” Marx said, finishing his sentence for him again.
A small glimmer of amusement showed behind Sydria’s trained smile. “Officer Kendrick, you are the epitome of focus and discipline.”
Had Sydria just made ajoke? The thought did something funny to Marx’s stomach.
Kase smiled, thinking she’d given him a compliment, and he took her hand, bowing to kiss the top of it. As he straightened, he gave Marx a look that said he’d hit the jackpot when it came to beautiful brides, so much so that Kase had turned into an idiot in front of her. Marx couldn’t argue with Kase’s stare or the impressed expression on his face. Sydria was one of the most beautiful women Marx had ever seen, but he hoped there was more to her than that.
He needed more than beauty. He needed an ally to get them both out of this mess.
“Your Majesty,” Warren said, bowing before her next. “I’m Warren Bradshaw, and I don’t believe King Marx knows what a treasure he’s married.”
Sydria’s dark eyes flashed in his direction. “I don’t think he does.”
Marx swallowed, a pathetic attempt to stay composed. Her gaze was enough to completely undo an entire army.
Warren took her hand and kissed it. “I will have to remind him daily how lucky he is.”
Marx’s lightly snorted in disgust. It was one thing watching Warren flatter women they’d grown up with, but it was another thing to watch him turn his tricks on Sydria. She deserved better than that. At least he assumed she did from what he knew of her.
“Gentlemen, may I steal my brother for a minute?” Dannyn asked as she approached the group.
Marx looked at Sydria. He didn’t want to leave her alone in her first thirty minutes of wedded bliss, but she nodded back at him.
“I’m sure your friends will take good care of me,” she said.
Without another thought, Warren offered her his arm. “Can I accompany you to the drinks, Your Majesty?”
“Certainly.” Sydria gave Marx one last look before looping her arm through Warren’s, allowing him to whisk her away.
Irritation boiled inside of him as he watched Sydria leave with his friends.
“When I went to bed last night, my brother was a single man. When I woke up this morning, he’s suddenly to be married to some random girl. What am I supposed to think about that?” Dannyn asked.
Marx sighed. “If I had known this was happening, I would have told you.”
She folded her arms, raising an eyebrow up as if she wanted more information than that.
“What?” he shrugged. “Obviously, this was Dad’s idea.”
Dannyn peered across the room to Sydria. “Why her?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t know anything about her.”
“She’s pretty. Very refined.”
Marx glanced at Sydria, noticing the proper way she carried herself.
“How come I’ve never met her before? Who’s her family?” Dannyn asked.
All of her questions made him feel like he was on the defense. “I don’t know who her family is.”
“Where’s she from?”
Marx shook his head. “I don’t know. I doubt she even knows that.”
