Page 34 of The Last Guardian

No way I was going to let him go. I followed his trail, caught up with him, and stopped him.

“Why did you follow me into the woods?” I looked at him, squinting. “Why did you rescue me and take me on a boat instead of leading me to the palace?”

“Seeing you bolt in the gardens like that, from where you were coming? Let’s say I was curious to know what happened there…” Zaidkiel stopped, letting the words hang, his smirk saying more than any explanation could.

Oh, he knew what he was doing.

Prick.

Did Zaidkiel suspect something with Haedeon? Did they know each other?

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

Zaidkiel breathed loudly, annoyed by the conversation. “You know what I mean. If you will exc⁠—”

“Why did you save me?” I insisted. “I don’t know you. What do you want?”

“Perhaps I wanted to save a damsel in distress,” Zaidkiel smirked once more, but his eyes didn’t match his words.

“Fuck you!” I retorted, balling my fists as hard as I could.

Zaidkiel chuckled. “Such crude language coming from such delicate lips.”

“Is that what you want? A little princess giving praise for saving her?” I roared at him.

Zaidkiel laughed, turning his gaze when a soldier came near us with a grim face. “Commander Kaenington,” the soldier addressed him, “the meeting is now in session.”

I stilled.

What did⁠—

Commander Kaenington?

No, no, no, no.

How was this possible? How could he be…

Zaidkiel gave a nod to the soldier as his gaze met mine. The amusement glinted again in his green eyes. My head spun.

“So fun to catch you off guard, Princess.” Zaidkiel grinned and followed the soldier.

HUNGER HAD LEFT my stomach as I stared at the porridge in my silver spoon. I had eventually found the dining room. It was deserted except for the cooks on the opposite side of my table. Ten long wooden tables were arranged in the center, with enough chairs for fifty people. At the far end, a bay window looked out onto the horizon.

I would have liked to enjoy the view, but everything was too much. My heart raced as if I had been running for hours, panic swelling over me.

I was stuck on a ship with Commander Kaenington.

Father’s biggest enemy within our own kingdom, the one who never knelt. Did he kidnap me to make a statement? To bargain for something with my father for my return?

Zaidkiel had saved me from the wolf. But why? And how could he be so young? Arthur. Did he know from the start who Zaidkiel was? Why was he friends with him?

The other day, on the upper balcony, Arthur had told Father he hadn’t seen the commander, yet he had wandered the streets of Lorath with him for more than a week. Zaidkiel had even been present at the first ball, before Father’s eyes.

I stayed there for about an hour before deciding to return to my room. I passed several decks where soldiers practiced sword-fighting and dagger skills, and others where sailors laughed and shouted as they played dice.

Their voices echoed over the crashing waves, the smell of sweat, steel, and sea mingled in the air—the raw smell of salt.

I needed to find a way to get out of here. I didn’t know what Zaidkiel wanted with me, and I couldn’t care less. I had other issues to attend to than spending my time here, around an ass like him.