Page 33 of Enchanted Heir
He smirked. “How dare they.”
“May I ask you a question?”
He gave me a nod. “An easy one or a hard one?”
“Easy,” I offered. “Why is it you never curse? Owen does often, I even do on occasion, but you rarely do.”
He shrugged. “My father does frequently. You see him in king mode for the most part, but when alone with him, it really comes out. I’ve been called every name and been cursed at so often, I decided not to use those words.” He paused. “Just another way I actively choose not to mimic him.”
“A noble cause.” While his father was intentionally cruel with every step, Krew was always intentionally plotting, down to his very word choice, in an effort to be nothing like his father.
Heart heavy, I almost moved to lay back down, but then he added, “Tell me about this Harvest Festival?”
So I did. For the next hour we discussed the Harvest Festival in Nerede. He kept asking me random questions until I was so tired, I couldn’t respond.
* * *
Needingsomething to do the next morning, I headed back to the kitchens after feeding Rafe and checking on the lake again. There was no change. And it bothered me. I knew the first bloom had to be related to the blood I tried to put into the lake that day. There were coincidences in life, sure, but this was no mere coincidence. Yet nothing had happened to the second spot yet.
And patience never was something I found myself fond of.
So I had Maurice put me to work, and I ordered Tilly to sit down on a stool for a moment. As soon as my knuckles hit that dough, I felt that sense of peace wash over me again. It had been too long since we’d gone to Nerede. But only another day and I would be home again.
“I have a meeting in ten minutes,” Owen said hours later as I began washing the dishes, the bread all either in the oven or waiting to go in.
“Okay, I’ll hurry,” I told him with a smile.
“You’ll do no such thing,” Tilly said and scooted me away. “I can do the dishes. You did my entire workload for the day.”
“Well, I didn’t have to be pampered for hours upon hours today,” I laughed. “So what else was a girl to do?”
She looked at me over the top of her glasses she rarely wore. “How about get lost in the arms of a prince?”
I wrinkled my nose. “He’s much too busy for that, I’m afraid.”
Owen snorted. “False.”
I laughed. “Well thank you, Tilly. Have a great rest of your day.”
Owen and I took the stairs, even though we didn’t have to. I was pretty sure it had to do with the fact that Owen had a fresh out of the oven dinner roll in each hand and was making noises to it like it was a woman and not mere bread.
As soon as Krew’s door came into view, I slowed to a stop.
“Jorah?” he asked, though it was barely recognizable because of the amount of bread in his mouth.
I spun slowly toward him. “I have a question.”
“Okay.” He lifted a finger and a wave of green magic blocked both the door to Krew’s room and the stairs behind us making a dome around us. He was making a safe place for me to talk. And though I still was hesitant around magic, I found it thoughtful all the same.
“I don’t know if I even want to ask this question or go down this road...”
“This ought to be good,” Owen told me.
I rubbed a temple. “Is it possible to find out who killed my father? I know he is gone and there is no bringing him back. I know that it was five years ago. But there are some things at this castle I don’t entirely hate, Owen. I’d just like to know that it wasn’t you or Krew.”
His head went back. “So you want to know if Krew or I killed your father?”
I closed my eyes. “Yes.”
