Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
It’s frustrating for me but even more so for Xaren.
“Listen to me…” He leans down and stares the Stable Master dead in the face, his golden eye flashing. “Elaina is my wife. One of the men who works here tried to injure or kill her—I want that man! I want him fucking brought to me the minute you find him!”
“We can look, Prince Xaren, but I’m telling you, I ain’t got nobody like that on my staff!”
I can’t tell if Xaren believes him or not but there’s a sullen look in the man’s eye. Almost like he’s holding a grudge against the Dark Prince. Again, I remember Tanzy’s story about the milkmaid and the stable boys. Maybe the Stable Master is still mad about that.
“You find him and bring him to me,” Xaren demands. “And in the meantime, nothing had better happen to my wife. She’d better not even stub her toe on the mounting block or there’s going to be Hell to pay—and you’ll be the one paying it.” His golden eye gleams. “So be sure you tell your staff—all of them—that she’s under my protection. I will personally punish any man who even looks at her wrong. Am I making myself clear?”
“Very clear, Your Majesty,” the Stable Master mutters. He casts a baleful look in my direction and I feel my stomach knot. Something tells me I’d better give riding a rest for a while. I don’t think I’ll be welcome in the stables for some time.
But also, hearing Xaren claim me as his wife is doing funny things to me. I feel butterflies fluttering again, but in a good way. Dorian has certainly never claimed me like that—the Crown Prince can barely be bothered to notice me. Then again, he has Henri, who seems to be enough for him. And Xaren has no one. Except maybe me? I don’t know—I’m so confused.
At least we seem to be on good terms again…or so I think.
12
ELAINA
But despite defending me and saving me from being thrown off my horse and killed, Xaren ignores me at dinner that night. And when I show up at his door that evening, I find it locked against me.
I have to pound my fist on the wooden door for five minutes while calling his name before finally, grudgingly, it opens. He’s dressed in long, dark sleep trousers and nothing else, his broad, bare chest on display. I try not to look—I’ve seen a man unclothed before—well, half unclothed—but the stable boy back home was nothing like the Dark Prince.
“What do you want?” Xaren looks down at me like I’m an annoyance. Whatever happened to being all protective and calling me his wife?
“It’s not what I want—it’s what your mother wants,” I say, stung by his tone and the way he’s glaring at me. “I’m supposed to spend every night in your bed and she sends her servant to watch and be sure I’m obeying her orders.”
The man is up there right now, at the entrance to the staircase that leads down to Xaren’s rooms. If I tried to sneak past him, I know he’d go straight to the Queen.
The Dark Prince glares down at me for a moment more, then sighs and grudgingly opens the door wide enough for me to come in.
“Fine,” he says. “Take your side of the bed and don’t bother me.”
I feel hurt all over again.
“I’m sorry to be invading your privacy,” I say stiffly as I come into his bedchamber, lit once again only by the witch flame. “I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t forced to.”
“I can well believe that,” he snaps. “After the way you acted last night.”
“What about the way you acted?” I demand. “You scared me half to death!”
He gives me a look.
“You lied to me. Tried to pretend you wanted me to take you. I don’t like being lied to, little dove.”
“What am I supposed to say?” I nearly shout at him. “Yes, I lied. Your mother told me to offer myself to you. Because apparently, I’m supposed to pretend I’m excited for my first time! But how can I be? I know it’s going to hurt—that’s scary!” I have my hands on my hips as I glare up at him. I wish he wasn’t so tall!
“Scary, is it?” he growls.
“Yes—it is.” I flounce over to his bed and get into “my side.” I’m elaborately careful to keep to the edge and not go anywhere near the middle. Why does everything have to be a fight with him? Why can’t he be kind to me, like he was earlier today when he saved me and defended me at the stables?
Xaren gets in on the other side and turns his back to me. I think we’re both just going to lie there in icy silence—and I do mean icy because, just like last night, it’s freezing in his rooms. I shiver quietly until I hear his deep voice floating over the void between us.