Page 32 of A Hunt So Wicked
"Speaking of our royal bachelors, they are out in the woods at this very moment!"
Cheers and whoops of excitement rang out, filled with wishes of safety and success.
"After breakfast, you will return to your rooms to get dressed in clothing suitable for outside. From there, all of you, including your guards, will make your way out to the forest to join The Hunt!"
I wasn't sure what the point was with having all of us go out there. Everyone who had a lick of sense knew that the more people, the more noise. Hunting was all about being quiet and stalking your prey. I didn't see how that was ever going to happen if we had fifty people traipsing through the woods.
"I can see that some of you are concerned," King Ero continued, speaking over the conversations that were happening. "But several of your guards will be with you at all times, and everything will be fine. I will leave you now to finish your breakfast. The head guard of the Keep, Liam, and my sorcerer, Corvus, will meet you all at the wall surrounding the Keep in an hour. Please, try to be on time."
With that, he turned and exited the Great Hall, Liam and Corvus following a respectful distance behind him.
Riv looked down at me from her seat. "Bit strange, isn't it?"
"What is?" Isla questioned.
"The fact that we're going on a hunt... with a huge group of people. If they think we're going to actually get anything, I think they'll be sorely disappointed," I explained, shrugging. "It's their call. The Hunt is all for show, anyway."
Isla hummed. "I think they likely just want to see which of us will willingly do what's being asked and how we act once we're out there."
"Yeah, you're probably right." As we finished our meals, I made a mental note to continue my mission of being the most undesirable maiden of the lot. I'd made it through the ball, so now I just needed to really seal the deal.
*****
We were all fairly quiet after breakfast as we changed into clothes better suited for the forest. I would've loved to have unearthed some trousers, but I wasn't surprised in the least that there were none to be found in my wardrobe.Women are to wear dresses and look pretty at all times.I rolled my eyes at my own cynical thoughts. Last night Alasdair had spoken of tact and responsibility, his duty to his family and kingdom. In fact, each royal I spoke with had mentioned something along the lines of duty, and it made my anger flare each time I thought about it. Their duty consisted of what? Attending balls and social gatherings, deciding how much to tax their people, choosing what was to be done with prisoners and criminals? And all this while they slept in their massive, warm beds, safely surrounded by the stone walls of monstrously huge castles. How rough it must be for them.
King Ero was the worst of them all, though. His promise to ensure my school supplies was most definitely empty. He was exactly as my father had described. Pompous, arrogant, manipulative. I had a pretty good eye for spotting narcissists, and that king was the biggest one I'd ever encountered. He was dangerous. I'd never trust someone with that level of power. And it wasn't just him, either. All the men in that room last night thought very highly of themselves. Power corrupts. It twists even the most noble of people's minds into something unrecognizable. Not that I'd ever been around royals before, but all I had to do to learn was pick up a damn book and read it. It was one of life's oldest lessons.
"You doing okay?" Kael's question interrupted my negative thoughts.
"Yeah, just thinking," I replied.
Rivka and Isla were a ways ahead of us now, headed toward the grand doors that would lead us outside.
Kael huffed. "You don't say."
I shot him a narrow glance.
He laughed. "I'm fairly certain the animals in the forest could hear your thoughts with how loudly you're thinking over there."
"I've never been good at hiding what's going through my mind," I admitted, frowning. I probably should work on that.
"At least you can admit it. One must know their own weaknesses in order to achieve growth."
"And what's your weakness?" I teased.
Kael leaned down and whispered, "Large, red-haired men."
I cackled and held my belly. "You know, I'm so glad we met."
He grinned. "Me too, Eves. Me, too."
We joined the group of people that were waiting at the gate. The weather was beautiful, if a bit warm. Luckily the trees would provide decent shade.
"I'm just so excited," one of the older girls said to no one in particular.
"Me too," another squealed.
"Ugh, well, I am not. This is ridiculous," Belinda all but snarled at the two girls, shutting them up immediately as she stormed past them.
