Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Not you.”
Hugo lifted his eyes to find King Victor pointing at him. Oh, this didn’t feel good at all. He stopped and edged back to the exact spot where Ryze had left him.
“You can leave, Ryze,” King Victor said a bit more lazily as he returned his attention to the papers in front of him on his desk.
Ryze retreated a step and bowed. “With respect, Your Majesty, I must protest. He’s a prisoner. Someone needs to be here to protect you. It’s my sworn duty.”
“I promised to behave.” The words jumped from Hugo’s tongue.
Ryze shot him a dark look. “You also threatened to fill every part of my body with glass until it crushed my organs. Not to mention, you could have rammed a glass needle through my heart.”
Hugo winced, his shoulders slumping. His stomach still turned queasy at the memory of what he’d said. In the heat of the moment, he’d meant every word, but it was something he prayed he’d never have to follow through with. His reply to Ryze was low but firm. “Yes, but I only said that because I needed you to understand how serious I was. I couldn’t let you take Prince Everand without me.”
There was a rough bark of noise that drew Hugo’s gaze to King Victor. It took him a heartbeat to realize the king had laughed.
“Go, Ryze. I can still kill him before he can kill me. Wait outside the door.” Ryze bowed and moved past the desk, not appearing happy at all. “Besides, he knows hurting me won’t save his precious prince from a death sentence.”
A chill ran down Hugo’s spine at those harsh words. He did know that. If anything happened to the king while Hugo was alone with him, he and Prince Everand would pay the price.
After the door thudded heavily behind Ryze, a suffocating silence blanketed the room. Hugo remained standing right where he was while the king’s attention returned to the work in front of him. He hadn’t been called forward, so he wouldn’t budge an inch. He refused to give the king a reason to find fault with him.
“You can come closer.”
Hugo took three steps, moving to the center of the room, but still quite far from the king.
Another minute passed, and the king tossed aside his pen, heaving a sigh. “I’m not going to fill you with knives if you come closer.”
Hugo took a few more steps, cutting the distance between them in half, but it was still quite far from the desk.
King Victor leveled a dark look at him, making it clear that Hugo was trying his patience.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I’m not trying to be difficult. It’s just that it has been a very…busy three days, and I’m aware that I don’t smell…good. I would prefer not to subject Your Majesty to that.” Hugo bowed but jerked his head up as low, rumbling laughter rolled out of the king. To his surprise, the king looked even younger when he smiled. The light that entered his blue eyes reminded Hugo even more of Everand.
“I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Sorry,” Hugo mumbled.
The king rose gracefully from his desk and strolled to a table where an array of finger food and pitchers had been set out. “That answers my question about whether you’re another courtier or a noble’s useless son. They would have come up with some pretty flattery.” He poured himself a drink and then held the pitcher next to a second glass. “Wine?”
“Oh, yes please,” Hugo said, only to have curses immediately slip out. “Crap! No! I should be doing that, Your Majesty. Here…I…” But Hugo’s fumbling only caused King Victor to chuckle again as he continued to pour.
“Definitely not a noble’s son,” Victor repeated. He picked up both glasses and carried them to Hugo. As he got within a few feet, he made a noise and wrinkled his nose. “Yes, you are foul.”
“Forgive me.” Hugo wanted the floor to swallow him up so he could disappear from this world. He’d never imagined that he’d be talking to the king of Wulia one day, and he would never have imagined that he’d do it while smelling so horrible.
“Father had me running in the woods and training with soldiers from the moment I could bend a bow and heft a sword. I know what it’s like to be surrounded by men who hadn’t seen a cake of soap in more than a month. You’re not as bad.”
“That’s a small relief,” Hugo replied, accepting the glass of wine. He took a sip and hummed with delight. It was a rich, bold red that seemed to warm his soul as it hit his chest.
The king crossed to the front of his desk and leaned against it, staring at Hugo with a speculative gaze. A lock of white-blond hair had escaped where it was tied back and now hung down to brush his cheek. The king had cheekbones so high and sharp, they could have sliced through stone. His chin was also a sharp weapon, giving him a very cold appearance. “So, if you’re not a courtier or a noble’s son, who are you?”