Felix hung over the side of the ship, trying his best not to fall into the choppy waters below. He looked up to watch the seabirds swirling, and saw that, among their numbers, was a golden hawk.
Perhaps a Watcher was overlooking his suffering.
He felt someone slap him on his back, and he turned around to cast an unfriendly glare on the offender.
It was Milo Iagaris, a former palace guard who’d been accused of aiding the rebels, a crime for which he’d been sent to the Auranian dungeon, where he’d remained until very recently. Upon his release, Milo hadn’t been told that it was Felix’s fault for stealing his uniform.
It would be best that Milo never learned that little detail. Felix thought he wouldn’t be nearly as forgiving as the king had been.
He’d been partnered with Felix as a bodyguard for this journey. Felix had to admit that Milo, made of muscle on top of muscle, did have the right build for the job. Also, from the conversations they’d had over their days at sea, Milo seemed more than ready to remorselessly inflict pain whenever it was necessary. And even when it wasn’t.
“Still seasick?” Milo asked.
“What does it look like?”
Milo laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes. I can’t believe you’ve never been to sea before.”
“Believe it. Now go away and leave me to die.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t be much longer now. I can see land from here.”
Felix managed to raise his bloodshot eyes to see that, far in the distance, across miles upon miles of churning, open sea—
His stomach flopped and gurgled.
—was the edge of land.
“Praise the goddess,” Felix groaned. “I think I might stay in Kraeshia forever.”
“I imagine we’ll soon find out exactly why the king decided to come here,” Milo said.
“You don’t think it’s just for the sand and sunshine?”
The two shared a droll look at the thought of the King of Blood caring about anything so mundane. But it did trouble Felix that he had no clear idea as to why the king wished to set foot in the capital of an empire that had crushed more than a third of the known kingdoms in the world.
Finally, the ship came into port and docked. Felix followed the king closely as they proceeded down the gangplank, trying not to give into the compulsion to throw himself down on the wooden dock and kiss it.
Here it was, the Kraeshian Empire. Or, more precisely, the capital of Kraeshia, known as the Jewel of the Empire, a city carved out of the natural, exotic wonders that made up this large island that was roughly the size of Auranos. Felix had heard tales of Kraeshia’s beauty, but after a life spent mostly in cold, stark Limeros, no mere description could have prepared him for experiencing it in person.
The tall trees were rich with thousands of shiny thick green leaves, each the size of a man, and the sand sparkled like jewels along the shore. In the far distance, along the beach, he was certain he saw a cluster of women basking under the sun, as naked as ice-lizards.
The king had decided that, for the duration of the trip, Milo and Felix would not wear official Limerian guard’s uniforms, which would have made them stand out like two red weeds in a garden of fine flowers. Instead, they wore tailored finery fit for a lord—leather trousers, bleached linen tunics, and the finest cloaks Felix had ever laid his eyes on, made of woven lamb’s wool—and seemingly as light as air.
Now that he stood on solid land, Felix found that he felt more like a Cobra than ever, ready and eager to protect the king in this unfamiliar territory.
The King of Blood. One who harms the innocent, who enslaves the poor, who tortures the weak.
His cheek twitched.
Get out of my head, Jonas, Felix thought.
He saw a figure waiting for them at the end of the docks, and suddenly his steps faltered. He straightened his shoulders and held his head high as they approached a dark-haired beauty.
Felix didn’t believe in love at first sight—but lust at first sight? That was an incredibly real concept, and one newly proven by this gorgeous creature standing before him.
“Well, do I dare believe my eyes?” King Gaius said, stopping before the beautiful girl. “Princess Amara Cortas, come to officially greet me? I admit I’m surprised to see you.”
Princess Amara.