Page 37 of The Frost Touched Queen

Maybe because we are so similar, I’ll be able to find a chink in his armor.

I guess there is only one way to find out and that is to test Inessa’s theory.

“Very well, Inessa, send word to the king. Tonight, we dine.”

She bows to me before rushing out of my tent to deliver the message.

“Your Majesty, if you would allow me,” Anya begs, her tone still apologetic. “Let me get you out of your garments and into something that will leave your king breathless at the mere sight of you.”

“He’s not my king, Anya. He’s my servant,” I quip, but let her lift me from my seat and lead me to the other side of the tent where my bed and garments are.

“True, that he is. And if all goes well, he’ll be serving you in more ways than one tonight.” She giggles, her bubbly personality starting to come through.

I don’t have the heart to reprimand her for her choice of words. Especially since I had been so harsh with her before, but even I have to admit the cold blood coursing through my veins is uncharacteristically warm with the idea of Levi serving me in any capacity.

Anya begins to peel my coat off me and then proceeds to pull at the strings of my corset.

“There will be no need for such a constricting thing on you tonight. Most men like easy access to their women,” she singsongs. “I’ve even had a few where their hunger for me had been so severe, they ripped my clothes off my body with ease.”

“I doubt King Levi is such a slave to his desires,” I mutter, hating how she planted the animalistic image of Levi tearing my clothes off with his teeth in my head. It only serves to cloud my thoughts.

Completely unabashed now, Anya giggles and leans into my ear.

“By the time I get you ready for dinner, he won’t be ablenotto.”

“Do you have such strong faith in your abilities?” I reprimand, my throat feeling oddly parched.

Her face screws in puzzlement at my statement for a spell, her gaze softening afterward.

“No, Your Highness. It’s not in my abilities I have faith in. It’syou.I have faith in my Winter Queen. Always and forever.”

Chapter 12

Levi

“I’ve heard enough,” I grunt, annoyed. “Take two soldiers outside with you and bring him to me. I’ll deal with his betrayal myself.”

As the young squire quickly retreats out of my tent to do my bidding, I don’t miss how Brick stares a hole into the back of his head. My general looks like he’d love nothing more than to kill the messenger of such ill tidings just so he could expel his aggravation now rather than later.

“This isn’t good, my king. If she knows…” Brick begins to say once we’re alone.

“We have no idea what she knows,” I cut in before his pessimistic nature gets the best of him.

“Oh, we know.” He scoffs with a frown. “There’s no way the boy wasn’t telling the truth,” he adds, referring to the squire who was lucky enough to leave with his head attached after bringing us such news. “I know the girl he was talking about too. You can’t miss her when she’s walking about the camp. The woman oozes sex,” he groans, pouring himself a glass of wine to drown his sorrows.

“Does she now? I hadn’t noticed,” I reply, playfully stealing his cup out of his hand.

“I’d rather you had,” he snaps.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, intrigued.

“Maybe the real question you should be asking yourself is why you haven’t noticed that red-haired perfect piece of ass when she is all your men can talk about?”

“Maybe because I have more important issues to worry about than to notice such things, dear friend. You do know that not every male thinks with his dick, right?” I chuckle.

“Bullshit. We all think with our cocks. Especially when there are beautiful women walking about. The real reason why the queen’s handmaiden has skipped your attention is because someone else already has it.”

“And by someone, you mean…” I bait.

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