Page 123 of The Concubine King
Ethyr blinked, taken aback.“What?I didn’t write to you.”
“Well someone did, requesting if you could visit.”
Hazy confusion dawned to choking realization.He whipped to look at Poyut, who had the same frantic understanding in her eyes.
“Kavor,” she called to the stable boy checking the horses’ hooves.Of course she’d learned all the servants’ names in six days.“Get my horse tacked immediately.Now.”
The boy looked up, frightened by the angry authority in her voice.“H-he’s already tacked.”
“Then bring him out.”Poyut turned to the other guard.“The king and I are going ahead on my horse.Stay with the carriage.”
“Is something wrong?”Verusias asked.
“No,” Ethyr said on reflex, then closed his eyes.“Yes.Just… we have to get back to the palace.Thank you for your hospitality.”
Kavor led Poyut’s white stallion from the stable, groomed, braided, tacked with the ornamented saddle and bridle for a palace retinue, not a mad dash across the Walklands.
“Your Divinity.”Poyut crouched and laced her fingers together.He stepped into them and let her hoist him onto the front of the saddle, then she swung in behind him and picked up the reins.
“It was just six days,” he said, holding onto the mane.“He couldn’t have done much damage in that time, could he?”
“Almost eight days, by the time we get back,” Poyut said grimly.“I’m sure he utilized every second.”
“Farewell,” Verusias called, voice light with uncertainty, as Poyut spurred the horse into an immediate canter.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
They made much faster time racing over the grass instead of relying on the roads and slow carriage.Still, no matter how well-rested her gelding was from the past few days, he was a guard horse, not a race horse, and they had to let him drop to a walk every few minutes and guzzle water from whatever farm they passed, with a lytha tossed to the farmer.
They made it to Mahyria with dusk taking hold.Poyut pushed their poor mount up the ascending streets, climbing with strained exhaustion to the top of the mountain where, finally, he came to a dead stop in front of the palace doors, sweating and heaving.
Poyut dismounted and pulled Ethyr down, then gestured at one of the door guards to come forward.“Take my horse to the stable and get him—” She did a double take.“Who are you?”
The guard dipped her head.“Varia of Tunyr.Palace guard.The Guard Master requested you be brought to him as soon as you returned.”
“Of course he did,” Poyut growled.She stepped away when Varia reached out, holding an arm protectively in front of Ethyr.“Do not touch us,” she said venomously.“Or you’ll lose your hands.We can see ourselves to Lyrian, thank you.”
“I insist we accompany you,” Varia said.Poyut clenched her jaw.
“As guard steward and King’s Guard, I am ordering you to step down.”
“You are no longer the guard steward,” the woman said smugly.“The Guard Master has dismissed you for conspiracy against the council and the king.”
“I’mthe king,” Ethyr bristled.“The only conspiracy against me is Lyrian’s!I did not approve Poyut’s removal from office.”
Varia looked at him, unmoved.
Poyut’s sword rang from its sheath and the palace guard finally stepped back, hand going to her own hilt.
“We’re going to see Lyrian anyway,” Poyut said through her teeth, seething.“Either it’s without your escort, or you can accompany us missing your sword hand.Your choice.”
Varia glanced at the other guard, who looked too indecisive to be of any help.Her grip slowly relaxed off her hilt and she stepped aside.
“Good,” Poyut said coldly, then ushered Ethyr into the palace, sword still brandished.
They went right for the advisor study.Lyrian stood in the corridor in front of the doors, chin lifted, hands behind his back, waiting.Expecting.
“Lyrian, what do you think you’re—” Ethyr started to charge forward but Poyut grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
