Page 36 of Of Skulls Of Shackles

“He had seen that he would enter your chambers,” explained Is, grimacing after.

Pawns.“I am sure that saying so suited him.”

The seeing pawns stared, then stared at each other.

“Did he lie then?” demanded Has Been.

I entered the room and left pawns in an endearing kind of baffled state.

“King See,” I called, striding through the larger lounge to where he waited before the fireplace in the smaller sitting area. “Personal chambers become less personal when they are more public in nature.”

“This is our space within your queendom for now,” he answered.

King See turned from the fireplace.

My chest tightened at the towering chalkiness of him. The inky contrast of his hair, and even the simplicity of his circlet crown. Amongst all kings, See exuded the most regality. The most intrigue. He inspired the least uncertainty in me, and the most too.

I was enticed. Struck speechless as always since I had grown powerful enough to view him in fullness.

He walked forward and took my hand, and the nearness of him robbed my senses and air. His gaze dragged over the buckles covering my arm, but he did not comment on them, instead pressing his lips to the back of my hand.

King See ran his thumb over the stitch at the base of my third finger, and I gasped at the shock of resentment that blasted me. That mother held a grudge against her ancient purpose, truly.

“Has dusk treated you well?” He stood tall again.

I tilted my chin to keep his face in my sights. “Dusk has seen me engaged in queendom, sir.”

“In queendom and in buckles.”

I sucked in what air I could in his proximity. “In buckles too. And you?”

“In kingdom, of course, though no buckles. You meet with King Bring near dawn.”

Not a question. “I do. I must delay his war efforts a while longer.”

See had not released my hand. He flipped it, and started to trace the stitches of my palm.Hope, determination, sadness, cunning.I felt each stitch in turn, and the barrage of emotions on top of what this king inspired all by himself pressed at the confines of my ancient mind.

I parted my lips to ask him to stop, but he interlaced our hands.

“You believe meeting with him will achieve this,” See murmured.

I understood Bring’s rhyme and reason, so yes, I knew a meeting would achieve what I wanted. “You are here to tutor me in war, I remind you. Or do you mean to seduce me to avoid it?”

“I had wondered the same of your buckles.”

Their purpose was obvious to me. King See had to be unhinged to reveal what I needed. But I must take care not to be unhinged by him too.

I untangled from him and strode to the couch. He could view the buckles covering the back of me that way. And I could breathe for a moment. “It occurred to me that this learning of war need not be a chore. I will unbuckle buckles as you interest me. So interest me, See.”

His thin lips curved. “Indeed. I am filled with the desperate urge to do so.”

We paused at a whispering in the walls.

I perched on the armrest of the couch after. “You may begin.”

See focused on me. “What is your game, exquisite queen?”

“Must I have a game?”

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