Page 5 of The Broken Elf King
He raised his eyebrows. “That was fast.”
I shrugged.
He glanced at the parchment, took the quill, and made a few notes next to my arithmetic problem as if checking my work. “Well done.”
I beamed.
He folded his hands before him. “My council is insisting I get married. The courting process starts soon. I will need you to keep detailed notes on each woman I meet with and help me decide which one to choose.”
My eyes nearly fell out of my head.
“You… you want me to help you pick a wife?”
He nodded nonchalantly. “It’s the only way to get the council off my back.”
Wow, lucky lady. He seemedreallyinto marriage.
“Well, sure, I can do that.” If it kept my head attached to my neck I’d do just about anything. “What are my other job duties? I’d like to write them down,” I told him.
He looked impressed at that. He handed me a clean parchment and quill. I jotted down what he’d already told me.
Find wife.
“You’ll accompany me to meetings, remind me of people’s names and jobs. I like to know my staffs’ birthdays but I can’t be bothered to remember them.”
“Of course.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Oh, my old taste tester died, so I’ll need you to fill in until I can hire a new one.”
I froze. A taste tester to royalty was one of the most dangerous jobs in the realm. They were constantly poisoned.
“You… couldn’t heal them?”
He frowned. “Not in time. It’s a common misunderstanding that elves can heal anything and never get sick.”
“What about one of the other slaves you just bought?” He had eight of them.
He shook his head. “I don’t trust any of them.”
Did that mean he trusted me? If so, why?
Okay, it was only part-time until he could find a more permanent one.
Find wife.
Remember names, birthdays.
Attend meetings.
Taste tester.
“Anything else, my lord?”
He nodded. “If I am to trust you and you are to work closely with me, I will need you to take a Vow of No Harm.”
My eyebrow raised. I didn’t know what that was, but I knew the elves and fae took vows seriously.
“Okay,” I said timidly. Ten minutes ago I’d kneed my captor in the balls and now I was in a job interview with the king of the elves.
