Page 70 of Quest for her Knights
“Oh, yes.” He nods enthusiastically. “If anyone is having a problem, they come see us and we help them as best we can.”
“What kind of problems?” Do they act like police? Or more like mayors?
“If someone is having a problem with their neighbor, we can help mediate. Or if there’s an ogre or wild animal wreaking havoc, we’ll make sure it’s dealt with.”
“You fight ogres?” I ask in surprise. I didn’t realize they were warriors. Maybe that’s not the correct term… swordsmen, perhaps?
His eyes dart to the other side of the room as his voice lowers. “We make sure they’re taken care of.” I turn to see he’s looking at Arrow and Ranger. Didn’t they tell me that was part of the knights’ job? They get called around Dyconia to deal with criminals and unruly beasts?
I decide not to question him about it, knowing that if I ask Blaze later, he’ll tell me the truth.
Rowan continues telling me how they help the locals, and I start to get the feeling he’s boasting to try and impress me. I just nod along until he’s finished, and eventually we make our way to lunch.
I hate eating without the knights. I get that I’m supposed to be a princess and I shouldn’t be eating with them, but we always eat together on the road. Besides, it makes me feel like I’m putting myself above them, and that irritates me.
By the time we’re finishing, I decide I need a little bit of space from the lords to decompress and excuse myself from the room.
It’s still Arrow and Ranger with me as the three of us head toward the back door.
“You doing okay?” Arrow asks, moving up to walk beside me.
“Yeah, I just need a break.”
He nods, and it’s Ranger who speaks next. “You did good today.”
I glance back at him in surprise. “Really?”
He nods. “Yes, you were kind and engaging with them, and you acted like a princess… for once.” His lip twitches at the end, and I turn back around to watch where I’m walking as I internally jump for joy. Getting praise from Ranger is like being bathed in sunlight. You forget how good it feels until you step outside and the sun hits your face again.
Arrow pushes the door open and I step outside, taking a deep breath of air. The smell reminds me of the emberroot I picked for Blaze. I slide my hand into my pocket but stop short when I realize it’s empty.
“Oh, shoot,” I mumble, quickly checking my other pocket, but I remember now. I took it out when I sat down to play checkers with Jeremiah because I didn’t want it to get squashed. I must have left it in there.
“What’s wrong?” Arrow asks as he and Ranger stop in front of me.
“I forgot something, I left it in the parlor. I’ll be right back!”
“As if we’ll let you go alone,” Arrow says with a laugh from behind me as I head back inside.
“I’ve got her. You can let the other two know we’ll be back in a few minutes so they don’t have to come switch with us,” Ranger says.
I walk quickly toward the parlor with Ranger on my heels. When we get close, the sound of Jeremiah’s voice has me stopping just short of the doorway.
“...and those sleeves?” He lets out a laugh. “What was she thinking? They look ridiculous.”
My stomach drops.
“Don’t worry,” Edwin tells him. “When we’re married to her, we’ll make sure she’s dressed appropriately.”
I take a small step back, bumping into a large body. Ranger’s arm wraps around my shoulders, holding me against him in support. I know I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but since Ranger isn’t pulling me away, I feel like I need to hear more. Is that the worst of it? Does Rowan feel the same way?
“You should have seen the way she got excited over some emberroot,” Edwin continues. “I showed her all the rare apples and a damned weed is what caught her attention?”
“She’s fucking weird,” Jeremiah says.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I hate that word. Strange, weird, people were always labeling me one or the other when I didn’t meet their expectations of how I should act or dress.
“At least she’s decent to look at,” Rowan adds.
