“No,” he had replied. “Because I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have warm eyes.”
Now he met her eyes with his before she lowered her eyes again.
“What is she doing here?” Vetta asked the king. She did her best to keep the anger
off her face, but it was difficult. Danika had ruined a wonderful day for her again.
Why did she have to be here!?
The king didn’t say a word, instead he jerked at the reins of his horse, which
caused the horse to move down the path. She glared hard at his back.
“Let’s go,” King Moreh stated.
All of them started moving. Danika walked to the empty horse in the corner and
climbed on it. For the first time, she was thankful that she and Sally had learned how
to ride all those days they used to sneak out of her room. Riding was much better than
walking on foot, which was usually the fate of a slave.
They all jerked on the reins, and the horses sped up to a run. Vetta was so angry,
smoke would have come out of her eyes if she had been a witch.
She had been happy that she would spend quality time with the king. Now, Danika
had ruined it for her again!
Later, they reached the hunting ground and got down from their horses. King
Lucien’s guards and the other king’s guards were there waiting. King Valendy’s
guards supplied them with bows and arrows. They raced off in search of a deer to
hunt.
“So, she’s the daughter of Cone?” King Valendy asked King Moreh as they rode.
King Moreh glared at Danika. “Yes, she is. Useless whore.” He spat on the ground.
“You should have attended her introduction. The bitch is one sweet ride; she isn’t a
just a fine face.”
King Valendy’s brows knitted. “You know I don’t enjoy such occasions. I don’t
understand what is so fun about taking pleasure from an unwilling woman.” His eyes
found Danika’s. “She might be the daughter of a beast like Cone, but she didn’t
choose her father.” King Valendy urged his horse forward and rode ahead of King
Moreh.
King Moreh glared at his back. Valendy had always been an ass of an old man.
Moreh couldn’t understand how the man didn’t like most of the ‘fun’ they had.
Well, not all men are real men.
Hours later, the guards carried the three deer they killed back to the camp. They
maintained a respectful distance behind the kings as instructed.
The kings were happy that the hunt was a successful one, but Vetta was still
seething. Anytime she glanced at Danika, her eyes only narrowed in loathing.
King Lucien got Valendy on his side for his cause, which made him feel a little
better. That had been the main reason for the hunting trip. He had five kings,
including himself, on the side to abolish some awful traditions against slaves and put
up some laws to protect the lowborn.
There were two remaining kings to convince, and the petition would go into effect.
There were twelve kingdoms with eleven kings, and five kings already agreed. Just
two more kings.
“These borders. They have been closed for so long.” King Moreh observed the
land and the big fence far away from them.
Lucien’s jaw hardened. “It was Cone. I haven’t been in this part of the kingdom
since I took it back.”
Danika shifted uncomfortably on her horse. It always made her uneasy when her
father came up.
King Moreh looked around the forest. “Once I heard that Cone filled this place
with land mines and traps because it led to the border. Bastard was afraid that a king
might decide to ambush his kingdom one day-the way he did to King Conald.”
The reference to King Lucien’s father didn’t make Danika feel better. But Vetta’s
bad mood dissolved at her discomfort.
“Yes. He didn’t want to experience what he did to others,” Vetta snarled, throwing
a glare at Danika.
“No one invited your mouth. Know your place,” King Valendy said angrily. “How
dare you disrespect us that way?”
Vetta’s eyes widened at the unexpected reproach. She bowed her head immediately
in apology. “I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
King Valendy’s mouth pursed in a thin line, his wrinkles standing out. He stared at
King Lucien. “Which family is your mistress from, Lucien? That family didn’t groom
their daughter well in manners or behaviour.”
It was Vetta’s turn to be very uncomfortable. By ‘family’, the king meant which
privileged home did she come from? King Lucien just shrugged, saying nothing.
Always a man of few words.
Of course, King Moreh was the exact opposite. “Nah. She’s from no family. Saw
the lass during an introduction of the king’s slave which Cone hosted several years
ago. Was an unclothed slave serving drinks.”
“Oh. I should have known.” King Valendy dismissed her and urged his horse
ahead of the group.
Vetta felt so embarrassed, she wished the ground would swallow her. Danika, on
the other hand, almost felt pity for her. She forced herself not to feel that. The woman
hated her, and she had purposefully tried to make the kings pick on her by speaking
about her father. The first lesson a lady of class learns from her governess is never to
speak when the kings are speaking unless spoken to. Or commanded to.
After King Valendy moved away from the group, King Moreh joined, too. And
then King Lucien.
King Lucien saw the landmine too late. His horse stepped into it and screamed in
pain, suddenly uncontrollable. He raised his front hooves high from the ground and
lowered them. He raised them higher again; the horse needed to throw the weight
from his back.
King Lucien tried to control the beast, but the horse stepped into another trap in its
agitation, and that was when he threw King Lucien from his back.
“Protect the king!” Chad shouted far behind them, already racing his horse closer
to them.
But it was too late.