Page 20 of Royal Hunt
A dry laugh escaped Ellis. “No one’s going to believe a lady subdued me.”
Fury rose in my veins. He could have respect for this princess of the Eastern Realm, but not for the girl who’d literally saved his life? I drew myself up to my full height, my face twisted in disgust. “They won’t believe a woman could overcome a sick, drooling drunk? Please.”
I flicked the reins, and Flare took a few steps away from him. His hand left my leg, and I shook myself from feeling any sense of loss. I waited a few moments for a snarky comeback, but nothing came.
I turned back toward him, but he didn’t look angry. He didn’t look like anything at all. He stood stiffly, as if each muscle were clenched tight. His face was hard, and his eyes so cold I pulled back on the reins, and Flare took a step back. Ellis bent to retrieve a fallen dagger, no doubt his from the gaudy jewels embedded in it. Flare and I both watched uneasily as Ellis approached us, then paused at our side.
“Scoot back,” he demanded imperiously.
I made space.
Without looking at me, he placed a foot in the saddle and I automatically held out my hand. His fingers felt like ice against mine as he leaned into me without a word, swinging his leg over the saddle and settling in front of me, rather than behind me. I shifted a bit, adjusting to the unexpected position.
“Take the dagger and hold it against me when we approach,” he ordered.
Ellis handed the jewel-encrusted weapon over casually, and I fumbled to hold it in one hand and the reins with the other. I felt the overwhelming need to apologize to him, even though I had no idea why. He’d been rude first.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Let’s go,” he said forcefully. “I’m too weak to be sneaking around the palace and crawling through tunnels. We will give them what everyone expects—the drunken, lazy dead-beat prince. That's all I am after all.”
I swallowed heavily, but snapped the reins. We headed back toward the castle, my heart sinking further into my stomach the closer we got.
Seven
It was too easy.
The guards at the front gates of the castle saw me coming and launched into a flurry of movement. “I have captured the prince!” I called out to them, poking the glittery dagger into the side of Ellis’s neck. “He tried to escape, but I—”
“HALT!”
I jerked back on the reins in my right hand, and Flare snorted in irritation as she was quickly surrounded by guards. They poured out of the front gate and sweat broke out along my lower back. I’d never in my life had so many swords pointed at me.
I expected a smart remark from Ellis, but he’d gone limp in front of me, barely clinging onto the horn of the saddle as his head lolled to the side and sagged back against me. Fear sliced through my chest, and I glanced down quickly at where I held the dagger to ensure I hadn’t actually slit his throat.
The guards parted as the shouting from behind the gate picked up. With a groaning lurch the iron bars parted, and Lord Trenton stormed through with Gregory close on his heels.
“Eve! What on earth—”
Gregory snapped his mouth shut at a gesture from Trenton, who locked eyes with me. A bolt of fear went straight to my toes, but I forced myself to meet his gaze calmly. Confidently. Trenton snapped his fingers, and then there were hands all over me, yanking me to the ground and prying the dagger from my fingers.
“Hey!” I protested, having hoped to keep the dagger to give back to Ellis, or at least hold onto it for myself. The stones alone had to be worth at least a small fortune. The guard twirled it between his fingers before tucking it away. I stomped on his unprotected foot, and he let go of me with a hiss of pain. I glared at the other man holding me, and he let go of my other arm without a word of complaint.
Guards grabbed Ellis and hauled him down after me. He didn’t resist as they tore his damp tunic over his head and shoved him to the ground. The only movement he made was to flinch slightly as his tunic was ripped to pieces in front of his eyes, and divided among the men guarding him.
One of them popped a button and bit down into it. A second guard rolled the rich brocade between his fingers, a greedy glint in his eyes. “Real gold in the tread gents! Here’s your bonus!”
They all laughed, and I wanted to punch them in their faces. This was a horrible idea. I knew we shouldn’t have come back. They were going to kill Ellis and make me watch.
Trenton smirked, holding up a placating hand. Then his eyes narrowed in on me. “Lady Eve. Explain yourself.”
I threw my ruined braid over my shoulder before I glanced up at Trenton with what I hoped was wide innocence and not deranged anger. His dark eyes were furious—so different from Gregory’s kind gaze. I hid my fear and straightened my underdress, the flushed faces of the guards around me a reminder that I was strutting around in my underwear. I refused to cower.
“I was going for a ride to clear my head after all of the … excitement. The prince emerged and attacked the guard I was with. I managed to overpower him and brought him back for justice.” I put a worried expression on my face. “I do hope the guard is alright.”
At least what I said could be corroborated if they found the guard by the stables or if he’d already woken up and reported back.
The stares of the guards and other men weighed on me. My hair was a snagged mess, my underdress had tears and stains, and I’d proudly rode toward the gate astride my horse, the bare flesh of my calves and thighs on display for everyone to see.
