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TWELVE
I'm not exactly sure how I've ended up here.
Kailor sits in front of me as we ride in one of his royal carriages, heading toward a nearby village. It was only last night that he proposed to me that if I wished to stay with him, I would have to work for it. Tai adamantly protested, but I agreed to do it after Kailor explained to me what he required.
It's simple, in reality. He requires me to show face at one of his speeches, where he coerces small villages into siding with him, trying to get enough support so people will be willing to turn into rebel sympathizers.
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The King’s Seduction THIRTEEN
Wrapping my gown around myself tighter, I peek in through the doorway.Tai stands in the middle of the room, fiddling around with a small object wedged into an unfamiliar mechanical item. Most of the space is consumed by the large wooden benches and tables, all stacked with tools and half-done projects."It's late,” I murmur, leaning against the doorway.Tai glances up from what he is working, eyes vibrant as he drinks in the sight of me. He wears just a shirt with no jacket, the cotton fabric clinging to his arms and abdomen. Sometimes I forget how much hi
The King’s Seduction 14
I walk down the hallway toward Tai's room, having not spoken to him since last night in his workshop room. It's afternoon now, after I spent all morning hiding away in my room, not wanting to risk bumping into anyone.Yet it seems now I may be out of luck, as I look up to see a figure approaching, likely heading back downstairs to all of the main rooms. For a moment I don't recognise them, until I realise it's Elan, the Summoner I stabbed in the arm after he pretended to be Zavian. He wears a dark shirt, arm bandaged.Dipping my gaze to the floor, I hold my breath to walk past him. I didn'
The King’s Seduction 15
I can't get Zavian out of my head.Last night, he refused to tell me much more, encouraging me to go inside before the blood kicked in. Out of fear I did, sneaking back into my room where I locked my door, tossing and turning all night, unable to get the sight of Zavian with blood all around his mouth out of my head.Now Tai stands in front of me, pacing. Afternoon has glided into evening, a fuchsia tinted light drenching the floor around us, distorted slightly by the lace curtain fluttering in the breeze.&nbs
The King’s Seduction 16
I knock gently on Tai's door, glancing over my shoulder to make sure the hallway is still empty.The door opens, so I slip through, pressing it closed tightly behind me. It feels sinful sneaking up to his room like this, so late at night, even if my intentions are just to come up here to speak to him.His room is bathed in moonlight, the milky beams shifting the usual colours of his room to something else entirely. Otherwise, his room is perfectly simple, despite being oddly shaped. This may be his childhood room, yet nothing in here suggests it's ever been lived in.
The King’s Seduction 17
The autumn leaves crunch under foot as Elan and I walk through the forest toward the nearby village.Having a Summoner as an escort to this town is bad enough, it just so happens I don't trust him, and he doesn't trust me either. I just have to remember that I'm doing this - going into the town to look for rebel sympathisers - for Kailor's trust, and to eventually take down Marek and Vaia."I was hoping we could be friends," Elan says from beside me, pulling a branch up for me to duck under. We may be walking a common track, but it isn't exactly a well-kept. If we took a carriage, it would
The King’s Seduction 18
I don't look over my shoulder until I've weaved through a few streets and emerged back onto the main road further into town.Marek will be following me...I know he is. I just have to get back to Elan as soon as possible. I doubt Marek will appear when I with someone else, since he hasn't done so before, and as Kailor's personal guard, Marek may be intimidated by Elan. Although I doubt it. I can imagine how a stand-off between those Summoner's would go.No one takes much notice of me as I walk down the cobblestone streets, pulling my hood up over my head some more. Everyone here is going ab
The King’s Seduction 19
Defeated, I have to fight the urge not to collapse onto the ground in a heap. Instead, I wipe at the blood splattered across my face.“Of course,” I mutter, throwing my hands up. “Of damn course.”Marek sighs, leaning down to wipe the blade of his knife on the shirt of the now deceased man. I watch, stomach churning as he slips the knife back into its place behind him, unbothered by the dead bodies that litter the clearing, thick scarlet blood pooling in the grass. I fight the urge to throw up, knowing what I must look like.
The King’s Seduction 20
I walk through the forest down the worn path, unable to shake what just happened.The ghost feeling still lingers on my skin from Marek’s touch, contrasting with the dried blood still smeared across my face, my elbows and knees scuffed from my tussle with those men. Knowing now that there are people who want me dead that aren’t Vaia and the rebels...I don’t know what to do.And what about Marek?Marek has to
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