Two guards stepped forward, giving her the answer.
Cedric squeezed her ass as she slid off and stood. The other girl joined her, both staring adoringly at Cedric as the guards escorted them from the room. Now with the loveseat to himself, he spread out his legs and drank more wine.
“Must you always ruin my fun, Father? I hoped to take them to bed tonight.”
“What you do behind closed doors is your right,” the king said. “However, did you think it appropriate to invite your bedmates here?”
“I don’t see why not. You invited a commoner.” Cedric went to take another drink from his goblet, found it empty, then tossed it to the floor. The loud clatter made me flinch. “How he can sit before us with such ease, as though he were our equal, is more repulsive than the dreadful cake he brought to feed us.”
“Evan’s talents are known all throughout the kingdom,” King Eidolon told him. “And personally, I find his pastries to be the finest I’ve ever tasted. He’s more than earned his place here.”
“Defending him, are you?” Cedric huffed. “I wonder why you feel the need.”
“I only speak the truth.”
The compliment warmed my chest.
“The pebble has a decent reputation for his little pastries.” Cedric dissected me with cold, green eyes. “Yet, I find them best suited for my hounds. Not fit for human consumption.”
I shifted on the cushion and found the pattern on the rug suddenly interesting. Talking about me instead oftome made it clear to everyone in the room he thought me beneath him. A little pebble he’d love to snatch up and throw out to sea. Or feed to one of his hounds.
The scent of black cardamon strengthened, and my gaze snapped back to the dark corner. The shadows had thickened and appeared to be swirling.
Oh god, please don’t use the Bone Crusher on the freaking Crown Prince.
“Leave him be, Cedric,” Sawyer said.
“You dare givemeorders, baby brother?” Cedric sat forward, and that unsettling gleam returned his eyes. Similar to the one I’d seen up close and personal when he’d had me shoved against the staircase railing. “Seems to me that you’ve forgotten your place.”
“Evan is our guest,” Sawyer’s tone didn’t waver in the slightest. “And you will treat him with respect.”
“Respect?” Cedric spat through clenched teeth. “You expect me torespectlowborn scum like him? Perhaps you should crawl back into bed, baby brother, for you must be out of your head with fever.”
“Why are you so cruel to him?” Sawyer’s composure slipped. “Evan has done nothing to wrong you. Your treatment of him is despicable.”
A dark glint of amusement sparked in Cedric’s eyes. “Despicable? One day when I’m king, I could have your tongue cut out for such a remark.”
Sawyer glared. “That would make you a tyrant, not a king.”
“And you believe you’d be better?”
“Cedric,” King Eidolon said. Just one word, but it held a note of warning. “You speak of your brother forgetting his place when it’s you that’s forgotten yours. You may be heir to the throne, but you aren’t yet king. You still have much to learn before then. Carry yourself with more grace.”
“My apologies, Father. It seems I’ve indulged in too much wine.” Cedric bowed his head, yet the edge of his mouthtightened. “I can only hope to be as wise of a king as you are one day.”
King Eidolon stared at his eldest son before nodding to me. “Apologies for that spectacle, Mr. Clark. You may be excused.”
Cedric’s gaze flickered back up to mine, searing into me. He clearly wanted to spout off a hateful remark, but the king’s presence was my saving grace. Keeping that mean mouth of his shut for once.
Relieved to be dismissed, I bowed to them and left the room, passing a servant in the hall. A peppery scent then filled the air.
“Want me to stab him?” Rowan said from the shadows. “The eldest prince. Not the nice one.”
I snorted. “It’s rude to spy on people.”
“You have your talents. I have mine.”
“No stabbing.”
