Page 56 of To Charm a Dark Prince

Lancelot joined her in a laugh. “Were your parents good people?”

“Yeah.” She smiled a little sadly. “I miss them. I wish I could tell them that I was okay.”For now.She sighed. “I promise I’m not a child.”

“I never said you were.” He reached out and gently pulled her into an embrace. She went stiff for a second, but figured he was just trying to console her. She rested her head on his shoulder. “You have been thrust into a terrible, untenable situation. Your future is uncertain, and your past has, for lack of a better phrase, gone up in smoke. You love your family, and for that you should be commended. Anyone would be upset, my lady.”

“Thanks.” Gently pushing away from him, she did feel a little better.

“Let us regale the others with the tale of your bravery today.” He smiled, his silver eyes shining.

“It really wasn’t that big of a deal.” Gwen fell in step beside him as he headed back into the keep. “It was just a stupid black bear.” Eod, however, was acting like he was the new King of Avalon, and was running in front of her, prancing and proudly greeting everybody he saw.

“That mutt adores you now, you know.” Lancelot lowered his voice. “He may not be the only stray dog in the castle who has taken a liking to you.”

“Oh come on, you’re hardly a stray,” she teased.

“I wasn’t referencing myself.” He grinned wickedly. “I—”

“Ah. There you two are.” Mordred was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Eod ran up to greet him, and the Prince in Iron scratched the dog’s head with a gauntleted hand. “I was wondering if you would be gone all day and miss our appointment.”

Lancelot bowed to the prince. “I have returned her to you, unscathed and on time, my liege.”

Gwen wondered if she was supposed to curtsey or something. She suddenly realized she had no fucking ideahowto do that, even if she wanted to. So she just smiled shyly. “It was a nice time. Thank you, Lancelot.”

“It has been my pleasure, my lady. But now, I shall take my leave.” Lancelot bowed to her in turn and, with a bit of a playful smirk, left her and Mordred alone. Well, with the dog, but she doubted Eod counted.

“Do you need to rest before we begin?” Mordred walked up to her. Damn it if she didn’t keep forgetting howtallhe was. She had to crane her neck to look up at him.

“I was hoping to take a bath, if possible.”

“Perhaps once we are finished. Lest I render the first one moot.” His expression was cold. Something had upset him again.

“Come.” He turned and walked away with no other pomp or circumstance.

Sighing, she followed after him, Eod walking beside her. She wasn’t sure if he was a monster or a tyrant, but he certainly wasn’t wrong about his moods.

Great.She was gonna be bruised to hell again once this was done, wasn’t she? “Are you okay?”

“You should not feel the need to ask me such things.” He didn’t glance back at her while he led the way. “You are my prisoner, and I, your warden. My happiness should be the least of your concerns.”

“Actually, your happiness probably has a great deal to do with whether or not I’m going to walk away from this afternoon limping.” She chuckled half-heartedly. “Or stuck in the Crystal. I’d say it matters a lot to me.”

“Fair point.” It was clear he didn’t get that she was teasing. “I could see why it would be of a high concern to your own interests.”

“That—I’m sorry, that isn’t what I meant. I was just playing around.” She frowned, and reached over to pet Eod’s fur. At least she had the dog around.

Mordred’s shoulders slumped slightly. “And I am not one who frequently jests. Nor am I in the mood to do so today.”

That much was clear. “If you want to skip training today…”

“No.” He brought her to the same courtyard as before. “We are nothing if we are not our discipline.”

Letting out a wavering breath, she started wondering if seduction wouldn’t have been the easier option. Certainly, less painful. Or at least, she’d hoped it would be.

But probably would wind up with the same amount of bruises.

She snickered.

“What is funny?”

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