The Forsaken King

“It’s not too heavy—”

“Come on.” He forced the hilt into my hand then grabbed the rest of his supplies. Food, water, compass, and a bedroll. “Ready?”

I gave a shrug. “I’ll never be ready to leave a soft bed and a warm fireplace.”

“The bed won’t be soft, but it’ll still be warm.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

We walked through HeartHolme to the gates where we’d originally entered. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon, chasing away the frost that took the leaves in the middle of the night. Both dressed for the wild, we looked out of place compared to everyone else.

We made it to the bottom of the incline, back to the stables and battle stations. The rest of the city wasn’t manned with cannons and quivers of arrows, so all the attacks on HeartHolme must come here—to this enormous stone gate.

I didn’t see how anyone could conquer it.

A beautiful chestnut mare was waiting for us, saddled and ready to go, supplies in her saddlebags. Huntley added his things to the compartments.

But there was only one horse. “Where’s mine?”

“We’ll share.”

“She’s going to take both of us and all our stuff?”

“It’s a horse.”

“We’d go a lot faster on two.”

He stopped preparing for departure and faced me head on.

“You still think I’m going to run?” I asked incredulously. “Really?”

“You can get pretty far on a horse.”

“Not when I don’t know where I’m going.”

“Don’t play stupid with me. I know you’re a lot more resourceful than that.”

“Yes, I can just head north, but what will I come across along the way? Sure, I can piss on a yeti again, but I don’t think it would work out like last time…”

He didn’t crack a smile.

“I’m not going to run, Huntley.”

“That’s exactly what you would say if you were.”

“Not me.”

He watched me, his eyes observant.

“I said I would help you. Let’s do that…and then figure out our next plan.”

The stare continued, as hard as stone. Then he addressed one of his men. “Saddle another horse.”

They got to work.

He gave a sigh and turned away.

The carriage arrived, and Queen Rolfe emerged in a long-sleeved dress with the feather crest in the center. A chain dropped at her neckline, the clasp to her black cloak. Black pants were underneath, along with dark boots. The feathers were in her thick hair, dark ones that looked as if they had once belonged to a crow.

I looked at her differently now.

Her eyes were focused on Huntley entirely, my presence excluded. She approached him, and her hands reached for his arms with a delicate look of a mother. “Please be careful.”

A foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier, he was a monster in comparison. Hard to believe that he was born of her womb, that her body could sustain the boy that would become this man. “I will.”

“Don’t trust the wilds. And don’t trust her either.”

It was like I wasn’t there at all.

He gave a subtle nod.

Her hands cupped his cheeks, and he automatically dipped his head to her so she could kiss him on the forehead. “I love you, my boy.”

“I love you too, Mother.”

She embraced him with a warm hug, her face moving to his shoulder, the emotion visible in her eyes. “You have my full confidence. You will prevail.”

“I will.”

She stepped away, and when there was space between them, she was cold once again. Her eyes turned on me, and I knew I would be the recipient of her wrath.

I held my ground and held her stare.

She walked to me, shoulders back, head held high.

Huntley didn’t turn to watch.

She moved right into my personal space, her nose just inches from mine. Out of nowhere, she withdrew a dagger and placed it at my throat, so close to cutting an artery and bleeding me dry. “Do anything to my son, and I’ll carve your eyes out of your goddamn face. Understand me?”

I did my best not to swallow, to hardly move when I spoke. “Yes.”

She yanked on my hair and bent me down, bending me over the knife. “What did you say?”

I spoke louder, the dirt up close. “Yes.”

She withdrew the knife and shoved me to the ground.

My knees hit the dirt, and my palms planted against the earth so I wouldn’t topple over.

As if that wasn’t enough, she kicked me in the ribs.

That made me topple over.

I saw her boot aiming for me again, ready to kick me in the stomach.

“That’s enough.” Huntley’s deep voice steadied her foot, stopped it from swinging right into my stomach and making me lose my breakfast.

She gave me an angry look before she walked away. She entered her carriage then took off, heading back to the castle at the top of the hill.

I groaned before I pushed off the ground to my feet.

A hand appeared, a hand that touched me every night, that brushed the hair from my face.