Page 67 of The King's Weapon

"Attractivetwin brothers." Myra beamed at her in the mirror.

"Gross, Myra. We're related. Is that all that matters to you?" Kallie asked.

"I mean, it sure helps make matters a little more . . . interesting?"

Kallie rolled her eyes and Myra giggled, a noise Kallie hadn't even realized how much she had missed.

"The other one isn't too bad either," Myra mused as she detangled a difficult knot.

"The other one?" Although Kallie's tone was neutral, she could not prevent the heat that rose to her cheeks.

Myra glared at her in the mirror, one brow cocked. "Don't play the fool. It does not look good on you."

Kallie's hand went to her scalp as Myra tugged on her hair. "Graeson's an arrogant ass."

"Oh, so he is just your type then."

Mouth agape, Kallie swiveled around in her chair. "Myra, may I remind you I am engaged?"

"To a man you have not yet met." Myra turned Kallie's head forward. "No one said you couldn't. . . I don't know, look?"

Kallie shook her head in disbelief. Her friend was unbelievable. While Kallie had not thought of King Rian much, Kallie had made a promise. A very public promise.

Then Myra whispered, "What King Rian doesn't know, won't hurt him."

“Enough of that." Kallie laughed and tucked her legs under her. She cleared her throat. "Did you run into any trouble on your way?"

Myra pursed her lips and the light tone vanished from the conversation. "No, not really. Some soldiers were looking for you, but when they realized the only commonality we had was our height and accent, they dismissed us rather quickly."

"That's good." Kallie picked at her nails. "We also ran into some soldiers."

"And?"

"All dead but one."

Myra's eyes grew wide, brush mid stroke and Kallie raised her hands. "I didn't kill them." Her friend’s gaze softened slightly, and Kallie added, "The others handled it, but it was . . . difficult."

Myra squeezed one of Kallie’s shoulders. "Well, I'm glad you are safe, at least."

Safe for now, Kallie thought.

"So are you going to tell me what happened with Alyn?" Kallie asked in an attempt to change the subject.

Myra sighed. "Nothing happened. As I said, it's fine. Our trip was short. We arrived about a week ago, and soon after we arrived, he ran off on some other trip. I've been spending my time getting familiar with the palace, while a couple of the other guards stayed back and kept me company here and there. But I'm happy you are finally here, Kals."

Kallie smiled as she reached back to squeeze her friend's wrist. "Me too."

Then Myra worked Kallie's detangled hair into a loose braid that hung down the center of her back. Small pieces had been pulled out and framed her oval-shaped face that drew attention to her kohl-lined eyes.

Kallie changed into an emerald floor-length dress Myra had chosen. It had a deep plunge in the center of her chest and a slit on each side of her legs, stopping at the middle of her thigh. The fabric felt like rose petals against her skin, which was a stark contrast to the dresses she had donned back home that restricted her movements and weighed her down. And for once, she didn’t mind the change.

While the Pontian palace may have been foreign to her, she felt more at home in her skin than she had in weeks. She let that confidence fill her body as she stood at the threshold of her bed chambers beside Myra.

"Do you have a plan for what you are going to do?"

Kallie straightened, a smirk pushing to the surface. "Always."

Chapter21

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