Page 55 of Once Upon an Enchanted Kiss

And then there was the old hag, Olga and her mysterious cabin had conveniently appeared within the woods when they needed food and shelter. When she mentioned the dragon and its treasure, a thrum of excitement went through him almost immediately. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. As though he had a sudden need to find this treasure and live out a boyhood fantasy that he never knew he had.

Then there was the troll that seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Trolls did not normally roam these woods. It was merely something he said to frighten the princess a little. To make sure she needed him to protect her.

Turns out, she didn’t need him to protect her at all. She had wielded his sword as though she were a master. He’d watched in fascinated horror as she stuck the thing in the eye, killing it.

Even so, where had the troll come from?

It was early nightfall as he neared the makeshift camp that had popped up. He was relieved to see the other two horses had not escaped and were running wild somewhere deep in the forest.

“Should you go after him?” Rosamund asked. She sat on the ground next to Charles, clutching her elbows. “It’s almost dark.”

Jeffrey was perched on a rock opposite them. In between them, a crackling fire.

“He’ll be fine,” Jeffrey said in his most bored and annoyed voice.

“Will he?” Phillip called out as he approached.

He caught sight of Rosamund as she sat straighter. Her face lit up when she saw him. It was clear she was glad to see him which did something to his insides. He paused to analyze that for a moment and realized it was happiness.

Yes, he was happy to see her, too. Though he was not too happy to see her sitting next to Charles who swooned over her since the moment he met her.

“About time you showed up.” Jeffrey stopped what was he was doing to give him a stern look. “We were beginning to think you left us.”

He noticed Rosamund got to her feet and limped toward him. She was favoring her twisted ankle still. Other than that, she appeared to be unscathed from the troll attack.

“Only Jeffrey thought that,” she said, correcting Jeffrey and giving Phillip a smile. “I’m glad you’re back.”

His heart stuttered with her words and for a moment, he forgot they were promised to one another. For a moment, she was merely a lovely young maid who currently caught his attention.

Phillip came to a halt and dismounted. “It was a bit of a hike to find the horses. They made it to a far meadow.”

“Charles, come tend the horses,” Jeffrey ordered.

“Leave him be. He’s injured,” Rosamund snapped, fire flashing in her eyes.

A look of surprise flickered over his friend’s face. He was unaccustomed to being told what to do.

“Perhaps you should take care of the horses, Jeffrey,” Phillip suggested.

With some reluctance, he took the reins and led the horses away to remove their saddles and feed them. That left him with the princess, something with which he was not opposed. When she hooked her arm with his, shock went through him.

“Were you bored without my company, princess?” He made a point to glance down at her stocking foot. “You’re still limping.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Even as she said it, she leaned into him to keep as much weight off her foot as possible. If they were in any other place, under any other circumstances, he would whisk her into his arms and carry her away from these two. Perhaps find a secluded camp of their own so that he could properly woo her.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, he shoved it away. He had to remind himself she was no ordinary tavern wench. She was much more than that and deserved to be treated better.

“I think you took poor Jeffrey aback,” Phillip said, glancing his friend’s way. He was frowning as he tended the horses.

Rosamund clutched his arm tighter. “Charles needs rest after hitting his head.”

“Do I detect a note of affection for him?” He was teasing her even though he shouldn’t. He was also aware of the bit of jealousy that had surfaced when he saw them sitting together.

“Nothing more than friendship,” she replied, her tone even. She wasn’t going to let him to rile her. “Though I daresay he seems to like me more than I like him.”

She cut him a glance through her lashes and gave him a wicked smile. As if she sensed his jealousy and wanted to make sure he knew it. He lifted a brow.

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