The Forsaken King

As if they knew I didn’t belong there.

Strong, tall, and proud, he walked beside me, feet between us like we weren’t lovers in the slightest. “Hungry?”

“You should know me better than that by now.”

He hardly ever smiled, and whenever he did, it was a half smile, just a subtle change in his lips. But the smile he showed me now lit up his entire face, gave him a boyish charm that was so handsome it hurt. “Then let’s get breakfast.” He walked up to a small building with a slanted roof, the windows showing the tables full of patrons. The waitress seemed to know him the second we walked inside because she was eager to rush over and help him.

She was pretty too.

I felt that ugly green monster rear its head inside me again.

This time, I kept my shit together.

She took us to a table and told us what they had. “Two orders?”

“Yes,” Huntley said. “And coffee.”

She took off to the kitchens.

We were beside the window, and I noticed the people behind him turning their heads to look at him, recognizing his face or the symbol on his uniform. She brought the coffees a second later, and then the breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs wasn’t far behind.

I stared at my food for a second, my eyes practically popping out of my head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful…”

He was already eating, taking big bites of everything and scarfing it down.

We ate in silence, but it was a comfortable silence, the kind I had with my brother. “I’ve never done this before.”

He looked up as he chewed.

“Gone out to eat in town. The only time I’d go into town was to help with the animals. Never gone out with a guy either.”

“I’m happy to be your first.” He gave a playful look before he dropped his attention back to his food.

I ate everything on my plate, every single crumb, and felt my belly stretch my pants when I was finished.

Whatever. Worth it.

We left and took a long route back to the house. HeartHolme rose from the gates at a slight incline, climbing higher and higher until it reached the edge of the cliff. That was where the castle stood, and I imagined the view was breathtaking. Huntley didn’t offer to take me there, and I was certain the area was off-limits to me.

We approached his home, and he unlocked the gate. I could tell he didn’t intend to come inside because he lingered in the street. “When will you be back?”

“Not sure. Before dark.”

“Well, I’m gonna need food. Don’t expect me to stay put and starve.”

He gave a quiet sigh as if he’d expected that. “Don’t draw attention to yourself, alright? Queen Rolfe wanted you in the dungeon, but I dissuaded her. Don’t run. And don’t kill anyone.”

“Uh…why would I kill anyone?”

“Don’t ask me.”

“Your mother thinks I’m a psychopath, doesn’t she?”

He gave a shrug.

“Alright. I’ll try not to kill anyone.”

“The pub next door serves the best steak I’ve ever had. If that’s what you’re in the mood for. There’s money in the nightstand.” He shut the iron gate, still visible through the sections of the bars, and locked it. “I’ll see you later.”

There wasn’t much to do while he was gone. He didn’t have any books, which didn’t surprise me because he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who spent his free time reading. I took a long bath, kept the fire going, and then when my stomach started to growl, I decided it was time to get that steak.

I opened his nightstand and found the money he’d referred to. Some of it was made of paper, and the rest were coins. I took a bit of everything and headed for the stairs.

Then someone knocked on the door.

I stilled at the sound—because Huntley hadn’t mentioned anything about visitors. And obviously, it wasn’t him because he wouldn’t knock on his own door. Whoever it was, they were there for him and not me, so I decided not to answer it.

The knock sounded again. “Asshole, open the door.”

It was a woman.

And that piqued my curiosity.

She knocked again, making a beat like she was recreating a song. “Huunnntttllleeeey.”

I should ignore it, but now I wanted to know who it was that was so desperate to get his attention. I opened the door and came face-to-face with a brunette. A very pretty brunette.

She stilled when she saw me, as if she was just as thrown off by my appearance as I was by hers.

Dark hair. Green eyes. Fair skin.

I saw the resemblance instantly.

She must have too, because she was dead quiet.

There was a long bout of silence, a long exchange of stares.

I was the first one to regain my footing. “Um…are you Huntley’s sister?”

Her eyes shifted back and forth as she looked at me, as if her mind was trying to determine whether this was real or not. “Who are you?”