Page 45 of Gilded Crown

If Jari asked, would he be willing to use his knife? He remembered that time in Aurelius’s room when the Prince had held it to his throat and how excited that had made him. The Prince had also seemed quite pleased to hold something sharp against him.

In the carriage on the way to David’s, he’d even mentioned tying Jari to his bed.

Aurelius noticed him staring. “What the fuck are you looking at?”

“Nothing. My mind wandered off for a second thinking about…where we’ll go next.”

No. Definitely not. For fuck’s sake, Jari needed to stop thinking with his cock.

“Aurelius?”

“What?” The world slithered out with a touch of malice.

“I don’t intend to make falling asleep on watch a thing, but if it does happen, and you get up before me, please wake me and tell me if you plan on going out of sight.”

“What am I? A toddler?”

“I was afraid something happened to you,” Jari snapped a little harsher than he meant to. “I literally thought someone snatched you in the night and dragged you off through the grass. I was barely awake, and I fucking panicked. What if somethinghadhappened when you were by the creek?”

Aurelius watched him for a few seconds with an unreadable expression. “All right. I’ll tell you.”

Chapter Ten

Jari wasn’t used to lolling around and doing nothing all day. Work had pretty much been his life since Mother died. He’d been old enough to start doing stuff around the farm at the time, and with only him and Father, they’d had to make meals and take care of the basics around the house.

He’d done his best to work the plots and plant some crops once Father had started going off for “work.” That hadn’t lasted long since he’d been forced to come along at sixteen. Afterward, he’d done jobs so he could eat and have a roof over his head in some fashion. He never understood why some men complained about work and would rather spend a day lying around. For some, perhaps it was because they had families and preferred to be home with them.

Aurelius seemed to like it since he found a sunny patch in the grass near their spot and fell asleep in it. Then again, with everything he’d gone through in his life, maybe sitting and doing nothing was an absolute fucking treat. Jari didn’t let his eyes or thoughts drift over to the Prince.

He felt better the next day when they were on their way once more. The horses were energized, and they finally entered Wockston. Grassy plains lay ahead, and mountains loomed to their right as they kept east, although they’d have to go south in a day. Ahead, it seemed like the fields would never end, although farther south and past the King’s home, he knew the lands grew rougher with less grass and more dirt.

He didn’t want to go that far south, especially with Aurelius.

Jari had worked in the capital of Kozat before, but he’d never been to the Castle in the center of the city. A massive wall surrounded the city itself, and another went around the Castlegrounds. Jari was afraid they stuck out like a sore thumb. They hadn’t met trouble, but he had no doubt Novans had gone to Wockston to search. Zylem had likely also sent out notices to find his brother and guard.

Of course, no one knew who they were when they entered. The streets were crowded, and a fair was going on. Great. Jari led Aurelius to a slightly less crowded part, and they paused by a notice board. Sure enough, there was a notice for the Crown Prince Aurelius with his description, and Jari was right next to him. Sketches showed them both, and with the dark lines and the eyepatch, Aurelius appeared positively evil. Even Jari looked like a villain. The reward was pretty hefty. They wanted Aurelius alive if possible, and Jari could be dead or alive.

Of course, there would be one here since it was such a big city and the type a person might try to get lost in.

Jari adjusted his hood as they moved on. He knew where a cheap, decent inn was located, and they got a room there.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Jari said as he sat on his bed. Aurelius had the other. “You might go up there, get three words out to the gate guards, and find yourself in prison while a note makes its way to Morning Glory. After a bit, you’ll be making your way there too under guard because Zylem will either want to imprison you or watch you dangle from a rope. He’ll happily pay King Darlim a fat amount if it means getting his hands on you.”

Zylem might do other things to Aurelius that Jari didn’t want to think about or say out loud.

“I’ve told you, I’ll do what I need,” said Aurelius. “Besides, I’ve also told you that King Darlim is rather lazy, but he’s fair enough. You grew up here.”

“I know that, but you’re basically a bag of money, and he might prefer to get favor with Zylem and see if that keeps thepeace. Who knows if that shithead might decide to go to war because he can and doesn’t think of long-term consequences?”

“I think we should go out tonight and enjoy the fair.”

“Did you listen to me?”

“Yes, Jari,” Aurelius said coolly as he lounged in his narrow bed. “Since we’ve kept entirely to ourselves for so long, we haven’t heard shit lately. We should remedy that with a visit to a tavern. Besides, I could certainly demand an audience with the King. I’m sure he’d prefer to look his bag of money in the eye before he sends it back to certain death.”

***

“Enjoying the fair” didn’t seem like something Aurelius would be into, but he appeared pleased by it. They stuck close to each other as they moved through the crowded area that night. Most of it was around the north side of the city, and the members of the traveling fair had set up various things throughout the streets.

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