Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
However, that wasn’t the case this time. We climbed to the next floor and walked down a short hall to a set of double doors that opened as we approached. It was here that I spotted a couple of people who were in plain dark-blue uniforms that looked more like servants than soldiers or soldiers in training. Apparently there were servants working in the castle, but they were few and focused their attention on the needs of the duke and his family, if he had any living here with him.
“Fine. Fine. Leave us,” a rough, deep voice that sounded like little more than broken gravel after a long lifetime of bellowing orders at soldiers on chilly, mist-filled fields growled.
I jerked my attention from the elegant decorations mixed with ancient weapons to the stout, broad-shouldered elf with long white hair standing in the center of the room next to a much younger elf with pale-brown hair.
The second the last soldier exited the room, and the doors closed behind him, the white-haired elf’s cold exterior cracked into an expression of intense relief, and his shoulders slumped. “Nephew,” he exhaled, and that single word carried what felt like a lifetime of worry and pain in it.
Nylian took three swift steps across the room and wrapped his uncle up in a tight embrace. “Uncle,” he choked out, hugging him and patting him on the back. “I’m safe. Have no fear. I’m safe and I would never—”
“No, no. None of that. I didn’t believe for a fucking moment you had anything to do with what happened to Orian. Utter nonsense,” the duke cut him off. He squeezed Nylian tightly once and then took him by the shoulders. With a step back, he looked over Nylian as if needing to see with his own eyes that his nephew was, in fact, safe and well.
The soldier beside the duke loudly cleared his throat and pointedly stared at me before taking a step forward and bowing. “It is an unexpected honor to have Prince Victor Montcroix visiting our town.”
Oh, shit. Yes, I’m the prince. I keep forgetting. Especially since Nylian never referred to the fact that I was in Victor’s body or that the rest of the world might see me as the prince.
My lips twitched into a smile, and I returned his bow with a small dip of my head. “Thank you. It’s an honor for me to be here.”
Yeah, that sounded as bad as it felt. This didn’t feel like the place to be Victor’s typical asshole self, but I also didn’t know how a prince was supposed to act outside of being spoiled and entitled. Right now, all I wanted to do was grab Nylian and pull him to me, where I could more easily protect him from the unknown.
“It’s okay, Uncle, Captain.” Nylian left his uncle’s side and gave a brief nod to the man who’d spoken as he came to stand by me. It was like he could sense my growing anxiety. “Prince Victor is with me.”
“What does that even mean, Xeran?” the duke demanded, tossing his hands up in the air. “From all we know from spies, Prince Montcroix left Gushan intending to kidnap you. Now he’s traveling with you? What is going on?”
“When I say that Prince Victor is with me, I mean he is with me. He is mine,” he stated, crushing those critical words between his teeth. My brain skipped at the use of Nylian’s real name, but it was forgotten as a flush burned the tips of my ears and flowed to my cheeks and neck.
I leaned toward Nylian and tipped my face up so that my lips were near his ear. “Not one to mince words, are you? Couldn’t even go easy on your uncle after everything that’s happened?”
For the first time since we’d entered Blackscar, he flashed me a real, brilliant smile. “It’s necessary to air the most important bits, so Uncle understands no one is to harm a hair on your head.”
“Is this you flirting with me in front of your family?”
“No, this is me staking my claim in front of my family.”
“Gods, just put me in your dungeon now,” Adeline moaned. She poked her head around Nylian to look at the duke while Jasper gasped and attempted to hide farther behind me. “They have been like this nonstop for weeks of traveling on the road. If I have to hear one more ‘You’re mine’ or cooing over a scraped hand or a splinter, I’m going to lose my mind.”
So, maybe the entire trip hadn’t been about walking and learning to sword fight. Following the shift in our relationship in Ulmenor, Nylian had been decidedly more hands on with me. Not that I was complaining. The attention was heavenly. I’d never known anyone so tender or playful, and I tried to return at least some of it. Dating and being outwardly affectionate were not my strong suits, though I was learning what I could from my lover.