Page 103 of Poisoned Kingdom
I didn’t know how to defend myself from the warmth that flooded my body at the sight of him, but my eyes searched for the dwarf.
‘Where is he?’ I asked when I reined in my horse, facing the king’s guards.
‘Calm down. We’re heading there now. It’s a long journey, but the soldiers who found him are heading back—’ he said just as my horse reared under me. Irsha’s hand landed on my thigh, and I followed his command, tightening my muscles and shortening the reins to calm the animal.
‘Your Majesty,’ one of Rey’s officers said, ‘if we leave now, we can be in Ostrava before nightfall. That is, if Lady Roksana and her . . . eh . . . servant can endure the ride.’ He turned to Irsha. ‘You can ride at the end of the column, good sir.’
I was about to point out the man’s error when Irsha spoke first.
‘I’m Irsha Vilkor, Master of the Blades. I’m here at the request of Grand Master Boyan of the Dark Brotherhood to escort the Lady Roksana. And we can both endure the ride.’
I frowned, eyeing Irsha with surprise at his strange formality—but his sharp glare was aimed at the officer, staring him down as if he were questioning the man’s intelligence.
The officer shifted uneasily, glancing towards the king. Reynard’s brows had climbed so high I half expected them to vanish into his hairline. After a beat, Rey nudged his mount forward until it stood beside mine.
‘Master Vilkor, you’re welcome to stay, of course, but since my men are here, your skills might be better suited to aiding the grand master in the city,’ he said, an amused smirk arching the corner of his lips.
‘Perhaps, but right now, my duty is to Roksana, both by choice and by the grand master’s command. I hope we won’t have thisdiscussion again, sire,’ Irsha answered calmly, his expression matching Reynard’s.
Oh, for the gods’ sake, not this again.
I wanted to bash their heads together for delaying our departure. I was clinging onto my sanity by a thread when Reynard’s smirk widened at the challenge, and I wondered when they’d draw their blades to find out who was the bigger arsehole.
‘I swear, I’ll dose both of you with sleeping powder if you don’t stop,’ I hissed quietly, before adding loudly for the soldiers’ benefit, ‘Sire, Irsha is my longtime friend, and I would feel better having him beside me in case the situation is . . . worse than expected.’
I placed my hand on Irsha’s forearm, frowning when Reynard’s eyes narrowed, the amusement vanishing from his expression.
‘Fine, Viper, but your bodyguard will ride with mine while you will travel beside me,’ he answered before addressing Irsha. ‘I hope that isn’t too objectionable, Master Vilkor?’
Reynard was behaving oddly. His gaze lingered on my hand on Irsha’s arm, his expression darkening with each passing moment.
‘Please do as he’s asking,’ I murmured to Irsha before moving closer to the king. ‘Can we go now, please?’
Reynard’s hand landed exactly where Irsha’s palm had been on my thigh, thumb trailing lightly over my skirt before he moved away.
‘When you visited my camp . . . I should have insisted on your promise,’ he said, signalling his men to move. My confusion lasted for a moment before I remembered him asking me not to let another man touch me. But Irsha wasn’t a man; he was a friend. Besides, I didn’t promise Reynard anything.
‘But you didn’t,’ I whispered, nudging the horse into a trot to match the king’s gait.
‘And we’ll have a talk about that later. For now, we need to go. Are you ready to go faster?’ he asked, his eyes on the road ahead.
‘Yes. After you, Your Majesty,’ I answered, my voice trembling with anticipation.
‘No, not after me—beside me, Viper. You’ll ride beside me, and you’ll keep the pace.’
That was my only warning before the warhorse leapt into a gallop, and I had no choice but to match it.
‘I’ll find a way to repay your kindness,’ I said softly, gazing at his face before staring at the cloak that billowed around the king like black wings.
It would be a harsh ride, but even with stiff, aching muscles and a headache from my sleepless night, I couldn’t stop wondering how the man I had blinded had found a way to break through the walls I’d built around my heart.
1.Upiór /pron: u-pi-oor/— an undead being that arises from one cursed upon their death, appearing as a freshly deceased corpse.
Chapter 36
Reynard
Roksana was swaying in the saddle, barely upright, when I called for a stop to feed the animals. The dark circles under her eyes had only deepened as we travelled.
