Page 17 of Of Blood & Bone: The Young Queen

“Just say the word, Your Majesty, and I will end them,” he says, addressing the prince.

“Put down your bow, Captain,” the prince replies. “They will hang here as a warning to all those who plot against the royal family of Ellerban. Leave them for the forest rats.”

With that he turns his horse around and heads off in the direction of Bawna, thankfully on a path through the forest that will take him in the opposite direction to where the rest of the Khaleeni are hidden.

I watch as the eagle on his back disappears into the dark of the night and feel a sense of relief he is not the prince I am taking back to Ardvalla. Not only did I not feel any sense of connection with him, but the opposite is true. His sadistic cruelty revulsed me to the point I need to swallow the bile burning in the back of my throat.

We wait until he and the last of his soldiers are well out of sight and then we rush over to the two unfortunate soulshanging from the tree. We cut them down and lay them gently on some blankets from the back of our horses. They don’t make a sound as we handle them, not even a groan, and it’s clear they’re grievously injured. Ailish begs me to take them with us to Ardvalla, and even though they will slow us down and make our return journey even more dangerous, I agree. However, as we bring their battered bodies with us, I wonder if they will even survive the night.

Chapter Six

“Kes, exactly how much nightlily did you use?” I ask my trusted commander as we stare down at the prince who is still slumped unconscious in the back of the cart. We've been riding for hours and I would have expected him to have awoken by now, but there hasn't been a peep out of him.

“The normal amount, my Queen, however the effect of the nightlily is increased with the consumption of wine and it seems he had consumed a lot of wine.”

“Indeed,” I agree, “but we need to check if he is still breathing.”

She looks at me with a dubious expression. “Are you sure, my Queen? He seems fine, and if we disturb him I imagine it would be like waking a sleeping bear, and we don't want to attract any attention his roars might bring.”

She has a point. The fact we have him with us and now the two injured soldiers means we have had to take a much shorter, alternative route back to Ardvalla than the one we came on. We need to get out of Ellerban as quickly as possible, but this means entering Greythorne’s province in a highly patrolled part of the border. We are currently making camp on the Ellerban side of the border where we will stay for the remainder of the night and continue on our journey at dawn. I have sent front riders to scout for Greythorne’s patrols and to report back before we ride. However, I have no way of knowing if there are currently Ellerban tribes in the area or even Greythorne scouts. Therefore, no fire is being lit, and communication is permitted in low voices only.

Kes is right, the last thing we need is an Ellerban prince making a commotion and attracting unwanted attention. Still, I'm concerned as to his well-being, and I move closer to the cart to see if I can hear him breathing. I hear nothing and I wonder if it's normal for a man to sleep so soundly. Having never spent the night in a man's bed, I have no way of knowing.

I move closer again and lean over him a little.

“Careful, my Queen,” Kes cautions, “the prince is a highly trained warrior and has a fearsome reputation.”

I hear her words and understand her caution, but a part of me needs to know we haven’t accidentally poisoned one of the princes of Ellerban to death.

I lean in just a touch more, in the hopes of hearing even the smallest breath leaving his mouth, thereby gaining the reassurance I need. However, I should have heeded Kes’ warning. In the blink of an eye his bound hands shoot forth from the cloth covering him and he wraps his arms around my neck.

“Now, witch,” he growls into my ear, “tell me who you are and where you’re taking me.”

“Unhand the queen!” Kes orders but he doesn’t relinquish his hold by any measure.

His lips brush the sensitive skin of my earlobe and yet again, at a time when he is restraining me and I should feel fear, I am feeling the stirrings of arousal instead.

“I said, unhand the queen,” Kes repeats and this time he loosens his hold enough for me to slip my head free of his arms. I smile when I spy her dagger on his manhood and realise it’s the reason he changed his mind so quickly. He turns his head and looks at Kes.

“I presume you're the one who hijacked me back at the castle and the main reason I find myself lying in a cart in the middle of nowhere.”

Kes smiles. “You presume right.”

He then turns to look at me. “If it's my seed you're after then you’d do well to inform your henchwoman here to keep her blade free of my balls.”

I have to admit I'm more than a little surprised at how alert he is for a man who was knocked out with nightlily and I have to wonder how long he has actually been awake. I'm also impressed he remembers the speech I gave him regarding who I am and my need for his seed.

“So, you remember who I am then?” I ask.

“Apparently, you're the queen of Ardvalla,” he replies, “and, for some reason I fail to understand, you say you want my seed and, if it proves good, you intend to make me your king. Do I have that right?”

I nod. “Yes.”

He shakes his head. “Well, my Queen, it doesn't matter how many times I hear those words, they still sound crazy to me. So, forgive me if I think you and your henchwoman here aren't exactly telling the truth. With all the lords available to her in Ardvalla, I have no idea why the queen would need an Ellerban prince as her king. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get out of this sack you have me in and have a moment of privacy to relieve myself.”

Kes and I exchange glances and it's obvious there's no doubt in either of our minds that he may or may not need to relieve himself, but he definitely intends to try to escape. Kes calls two of the Khaleeni over and instructs them to remove the sack from around him.

“Of course you may be afforded a moment of privacy,” I inform him, “but my guards shall accompany you and ensure your safety. You are our guest, my lord, and we have no intention of subjecting you to ill-treatment of any kind.”

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