Page 163 of Enchanted Heir
I wrinkled my nose. “Might as well get it over with, huh?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
The portrait above the fireplace had never been as haunting as it was that night. Granted I had always felt haunted by that portrait, but now I knew the queen better. I knew she was witty. I knew she was charming and cared for others, and I knew she’d had no say once her husband had taken a turn toward some dark behaviors. He’d even burned her personal journal. She’d been helpless, voiceless.
Krew was still quiet. I had no idea what his father had said to him earlier, but I was sure the king was to blame. Owen and I had exchanged four or five confused looks, as if both of us were trying to figure out what was going on with Krew.
None of Keir’s Assemblage had been asked to dine tonight it seemed, as Keir was seated at his side of the table already, drinking a water. Krew moved to sit across from him while I wanted to take a look out the window before having to sit through another awful royal family dinner.
Looking back at the portrait, I looked for items on the king’s person. There was the crown itself of course. And the rings the king always wore. I supposed it had to be one of those things, or a necklace he wore under his tunic and tailcoat. Something of the sort.
The king breezed into the room, so I left my spot by the window and took my seat next to Krew. His hand immediately found mine under the table.
“Sorry I was late,” the king offered. “I was busy in the throne room.”
Keir’s eyes went to Krew’s briefly before they met mine. I wondered if he was thinking of the time I was in that throne room.
The king gestured for the servers to bring in the salads. The meal was relatively silent. More so than usual. I wondered if this was how all the dinners were since what happened to Owen and me.
As dessert was arriving, the king tapped his goblet on the table and turned to me. “I owe you an apology, Jorah of Nerede. You have been nothing but cooperative in handing over your blood. You did not deserve what happened after the attack. Officer Raikes perhaps. Those responsible in Nerede, yes. But not you.” He paused. “I will have my vengeance soon, but it did not need to fall upon you.”
I felt the anger building in my stomach. How dare he apologize like it was just a simple misunderstanding. He hadbeatenus.
“Well?” the king asked me.
“Well what?” I snapped. “Would you like me to tell you it’s okay, because it certainly is not, was not, nor will ever beokay.”
The king squinted. “No, I’d like for you to keep giving us your blood and Krewan here has stopped delivering it to me.”
That was news to me. I guess it had been a long time since Krew had pricked my finger. I hadn’t known it’d been an intentional move by him to show how pissed he was at his father.
I took a drink of my cold ice water, wanting to crush it in my hands if I could. I set it back on the table slowly and forced my eyes on the king. “Fine.” I paused. “But let it be known that if you ever so much as raise a hand to me again, I will disappear. There will be no finding me. There will be no finding my blood nor my body.”
It was all a lie, but he needed reminded that he did need me. He might loathe the fact, but he did.
I felt Krew’s magic buzzing as if it wanted to come out and play, but I squeezed his hand in mine as if reminding it to stay away.
The king’s eyebrows went up. “You’d kill yourself rather than live through another lashing?”
“No,” I squinted at him. “I’d rather kill myself than becomeyourplaything.”
“Impressive.” The king tapped his fingers along the table as if bored. “Look at that defiance.” He gave a shrug. “And Krewan, you should probably pry yourself out of bed with Jorah long enough to spend more time with your other consorts as to not cause a scene.” The king switched his attention to Keir. “And you should start narrowing down which of your consorts you’d like to spend most of your time with.”
Neither brother said a word.
“Understood?” the king asked more loudly this time.
“Understood,” Krew managed to get out.
“Keir?” the king asked.
Keir sat back in his chair, his arm lazily draped across the empty seat next to his, his magic starting to slither up his forearm. “You don’t get to decide how the Assemblages go, Father. It’s in the law.”
“Iamthe law,” the king snapped. “And if either of you even mention the word abdicate to me again, I might just kill you both.”
Keir cocked his head. “Not if we kill you first.”
The king’s magic was immediately flying toward Keir. At the same exact time and as fast as I possibly could, I swung my foot under the table out until it hit Keir’s leg.
