Page 71 of Quest for her Knights
“Yeah, if it wasn’t for those damn knights, I think I could get her in bed with me pretty quickly,” Jeremiah says. I cover my mouth to stay silent as Ranger’s arm tightens around me. I can tell from his body language alone that he’s not happy with what was just said. Neither am I.
“You’re right,” Rowan agrees. “And I think as soon as she sleeps with us and sees firsthand how good we can make her feel, she’ll agree to marry us.”
“We need a plan,” Edwin adds. “A way to distract the knights later so Jeremiah can whisk her away.”
“She’s weird, so she’s probably into some pretty strange stuff in bed. You’ll have to figure that out,” Rowan says.
I can’t take it anymore. I pull away from Ranger’s embrace and walk into the room. Three sets of wide eyes stare at me in surprise.
“Princess—” Rowan starts, but I cut him off as I reach down and grab the emberroot off the table and shove it in my pocket.
“I just came to grab myweeds.”
They’re silent as I pivot and march back out of the room, Ranger right beside me the whole time.
We’re both silent as we keep a brisk pace down the hall, and when I finally step outside, I can’t hold it in any longer. A sob bursts from me, and both hands come up to hide my face. Ranger’s arms surround me as he hugs me to his chest.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you,” he whispers, rubbing my back as he holds me close. After a few more seconds, he lifts me up, and my shortened dress allows my legs to wrap around his waist as I cling to his shoulders and cry into his neck.
I feel like such a mess. I hate crying, especially over something so stupid like what these guys think of me, but I can’t help it.I feel Ranger moving and assume he’s carrying me back to the guest house we’re staying in.
“I’m so proud of you, baby.” My chest tightens with joy at his words. “Keeping your composure until you got outside, it’s just how a princess would act.”
My excitement drops. I don’t want to be a princess. It’s what got me into this mess to begin with. I want to be free to make my own choices, to be my own person. I hear a door open right before the others' voices surround us.
“What happened?”
“Is she okay?”
“Who do I have to kill?”
That last voice was Draven’s, and it was startling enough for me to lift my head and look at him in surprise.
“You’d kill someone because I’m upset?”
He shrugs as he takes in my tear-stained cheeks and red eyes. “Yes.”
Why is the thought of someone killing for me such a turn-on?
I’m so messed up.
“What happened?” Arrow asks again as I unhook my legs and let Ranger place me on my feet.
Blaze passes me a glass of water, and I sit on the couch, taking small sips as Ranger answers for me.
“We overheard the lords saying some completely unacceptable things about Elora.”
“Shit,” Arrow mumbles as his pitying eyes meet mine. I quickly look down at my glass of water, feeling miserable and sorry for myself. I didn’t want anyone to pity me, for anything, but this feels like a particularly hard blow.
I glance up and see similar looks on all their faces. They all pity me.Poor little Elora, nobody likes her, her only value is as a princess, and she’s not really one, anyway.
Ranger gives them a little more details about what was said, and hearing it again makes my hand tremble, and the glass slips from my hand, landing on the rug and spilling everywhere.
“I can’t even hold a cup properly,” I grumble as I lean forward to grab it, trying to wipe the constant tears from my eyes with my other hand.
Someone’s hand reaches the glass before me and I tilt my chin up, meeting Draven’s intense stare as he squats in front of me.
“Fuck the cup,” he blurts out, making my eyes widen in surprise. “It doesn’t deserve your hand. Neither do they.”
