Page 12 of Once Upon an Enchanted Kiss

Before Phillip could answer, Jeffrey said, “His wedding.”

Charles’s face lit up in a bright smile. “You’re getting married?”

“Shh,” Phillip said, sitting forward. The front legs of the chair banged against the floor. “Keep your voice down.”

“Isn’t this a time for celebration?” Charles asked, still completely oblivious to Phillip’s annoyance.

“No, it isn’t,” he groused.

“It is,” Jeffrey corrected. “He just doesn’t want to admit it.”

“Why not?” Charles lowered to the chair opposite Phillip and slid one of the tankards toward him.

“Because it’s an arranged marriage,” Phillip said. “I’ve never even met the girl.”

“That’s not true,” Jeffrey corrected. “Youhavemet her.”

“Meeting her when she was six months old does not count,” he snapped.

He remembered the day well. He and his parents had traveled to the Myst Kingdom to witness the christening of the princess. At the time, Phillip was six years old and was more interested in riding his horse and shooting his bow and arrows than anything else, much less attending a boring thing like a christening. In fact, he was bored most of the trip and even more bored when he was forced to stand at attention next to his parents during the ceremony. When he fidgeted, his mother pinched his earlobe to make him stop.

He recalled with some clarity the Fae royals arriving in grand fashion. It was somewhat of a special occasion as the Fae royals never left their own Courts for anything. But somehow, King Stephan had enticed them to come to the baby’s christening. His father said it was an invitation of good faith because, for whatever reason, King Stephan believed the Fae wanted to invade Stonebridge and expand their borders.

His father, however, thought that was nothing but folly. Even so, he had agreed to marry Phillip off to the princess. A cherub faced little squirming thing with pink skin.

Honestly, he never thought his father would go through with the betrothal. The last few weeks, though, he and his mother pestered him about the wedding and visiting Myst to meet his bride now that she had almost come of age. She would be eighteen soon and then they would marry.

It was why he snuck out early one morning with Charles and Jeffrey to go on a hunting expedition. A hunting expedition that was really nothing more than him avoiding his royal duties.

“So, when do you meet her for real?” Charles asked.

He had no idea what was going on inside Phillip’s head as he brooded about the betrothal.

“He’s supposed to be meeting her now,” Jeffrey said in his most helpful voice.

“He is? But he’s hunting with us.”

“And that’s exactlywhyI’m hunting with you.” Phillip reached for one of the tankards in the center and pulled it to him, frowning down into the amber liquid.

“You have to face it at some point,” Jeffrey said, a broad smile on his face.

“No, I don’t.”

Jeffrey chuckled. “Your mother asked me to escort you to Myst.”

His head snapped up. He gaped at his friend. “When did she ask you that?”

“Before we left, actually.” He took a sip of his ale. “She said I should let you have this one last…” he paused, searching for the word, “adventure, but then to please make sure you arrive at Myst Hall in a timely manner.”

Phillip scowled. He clutched the handle of the tankard and then quaffed the entire thing in one long gulp.

“It’s amazing that you can do that,” Charles said, his voice tinged with awe.

Phillip slammed down the tankard, then looked at his friend. “It’s a gift.” He took in a deep breath, then blew it out. “Perhaps it’s time for me to return home and prepare for my…” His words drifted off.

“For your upcoming nuptials?” Jeffrey chuckled. “I heartily agree.”

“Oh, can I come too? I’d love to see Phillip wed at long last,” Charles chided.

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