Page 45 of Once Upon an Enchanted Kiss

“Yes,” she said on a breath.

He continued his probing. He grasped her stockinged foot in one hand and then gently flexed her foot.

“Does that hurt?” he asked.

“No.”

Satisfied, he released her and sat back on his heels. “It doesn’t appear to be broken. That’s good news. I think you merely twisted it.”

Behind him, Charles said something to Jeffrey who was busy rolling out a bedroll he’d pulled from the saddle bags. Charles had an armload of wood and dropped it on the ground, then built a small pyramid for a fire.

“So, who’s Edward?” she asked, thinking of the alias he gave her.

“Edward is my grandfather’s name.”

She kept her gaze fixed on the two men working together.

“Are these your hunting friends?” she asked, watching as they built a small campsite.

Phillip glanced back at the two of them. “You might say that. I grew up with Jeffrey. Charles is his younger brother.”

“And it’s true Jeffrey was to bring you to Myst Hall?”

He met her gaze and gave a nod. “Yes. I managed to slip away for a ‘hunting expedition,’” he puthunting expeditionin air quotes, “when my parents were leaving to make the trek to your kingdom. I thought I could avoid my duties if I were not there to accompany them.”

He moved to sit next to her, stretching out his long legs and crossing them at the ankles. He reached for a long stick with several green leaves on the end and picked them off one by one.

“You didn’t want to go,” she said, though it wasn’t a question.

“No,” he admitted.

“And you ran away,” she said. “Like I did. Because you, like me, did not want to get married.”

His gaze met hers. That feeling she had when they first met resurfaced, making her gut clench with a feeling she had not had before until she met Phillip. She didn’t want to admit how handsome he was or even how comfortable she was when she was with him. He made her feel safe, even when they were in Olga’s strange magical cabin that was clearly an illusion.

“Once again, your highness, it appears we are not so unalike.”

“It would seem so.”

She looked away, her hands clasped in her lap to keep from fidgeting. Her palms had broken into a hot sweat and yet still felt clammy. They watched Jeffrey and Charles continue to build the campsite. Charles started the fire, the flames tiny at first. He blew a breath to stoke the fire and moments later, it caught.

“So, I suppose we are to return to Myst Hall, then,” she said, her voice flat.

Her heart thrummed at the thought of returning home with the prince, the very man she was supposed to marry. How would her parents react? Overjoyed she had managed to return with Phillip? Her birthday was day after tomorrow and then, a few days after that, the wedding.

Phillip picked a leaf off the branch, then tore it into tiny pieces. The pieces fluttered from his fingers into his lap. He brushed them away, then pulled off another leaf and repeated. His gaze was distant. Though he saw Charles and Jeffrey, he really did notseethem.

“I suppose we are,” he said at last, his voice as flat as hers.

He sounded as disappointed as she felt. Clearly, he did not want to marry her either. She couldn’t decide if she should be insulted or not.

The thought of returning to her boring royal life did not bring her joy. The idea of an adventure hunting for dragon’s treasure was now nothing more than a dream and a wish.

A shout rose up from Charles. He was on the other side of Phillip’s horse and then emerged with the smashed rolled-up map in his hand, a broad smile on his face. Phillip growled, a sound low and deep in his throat. He shot to his feet and hurried toward Charles as he was unrolling the map.

“Well, what have we here?” Charles said it more to himself than anyone else as he crouched on the ground to examine the map.

“Put that back,” Phillip shouted. He snatched the map from Charles and began to roll it up again. “That’s not your concern.”

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