The Last Dragon King (Kings of Avalier #1)(41)

I did a curtsy, bowing my head as well for good measure. “I accept your gracious offer.”

He frowned, looking a bit disturbed with my eagerness. “You do realize that you are a queen by birthright and I will be relegating you to my service for the rest of your life?”

I nodded eagerly. “I’m no queen. I’m just a hunter who wants to take care of my family. I’ll follow you wherever you lead, Your Highness.”

His face went slack, his breathing slowing. Something I said had struck a chord with him. I didn’t say anything bad, so I wasn’t sure if I should apologize or not. He looked deeply into my eyes and it felt like the air had magnetized around us. It was thick with something tangible. I had the strongest urge to reach out and touch him, to stroke his neck like I’d stroked his dragon that day.

That brought my thoughts back to our kiss. Had it also been him in the May Day tent? That was crazy, right?

His gaze fell to my lips as if he too were thinking about the kiss, and I swallowed hard. “Can I have my knife back?” I asked, reaching out and hoping to break whatever spell had been thrown over me that was causing me to want to touch him constantly.

He cleared his throat and handed it to me, but not before he looked my body up and down. “It’s a fine hunting knife, but you’ll need a proper sword soon. A bow and arrow too.”

The joy of getting new weapons must have been evident on my face, because the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

“I hope this new arrangement suits the both of us. Good day, Arwen.” He tipped his head.

“Good day, my lord,” I said, feeling giddy with the prospect of joining the Royal Guard.

“You may call me Drae,” he said, and then walked away.

First name basis with the king? This couldn’t have gone better. Not only was he not going to kill me, I was going to be joining his Royal Guard!

Narine’s sister’s wedding floated into my mind then and I called after him. “Wait!”

He stopped, looking over his shoulder at me.

“Is there a salary for the position in your army?”

He appraised me. “Of course. One hundred jade coins per moon.”

That was exactly how much Narine needed!

“But I’ll be able to stay in the castle and eat for free?” I questioned.

He nodded. “You will.”

“Can I possibly have an advance on my first moon’s payment? There is something really important I need to buy. It cannot delay.” I swallowed hard. Asking a man for money never felt good. Asking the king for an advance on a job I hadn’t started felt awful. But I wanted to surprise Narine with the payment for her sister’s wedding in full.

His brows drew together. “Do you have a gambling problem I don’t know about?”

I laughed. “No, and in the spirit of no more lying… it’s for my maid’s little sister’s wedding.”

He stared at me for a moment, maybe reading into my answers, and then his brows drew together to form a knot in his head. “You would pay an entire month’s salary to a maid you’ve known less than a moon?”

I nodded, hoping he wouldn’t say no or tell Annabeth.

“Very well. See the castle merchant tomorrow,” he said. “I will clear it.”

When he finally left, I couldn’t believe how much my luck had changed. I’d be able to send most of the money home every month to my mother and sister, and I’d have the job of my dreams. The king would get his heir with Joslyn and everything was going to work out…

Then why did it feel like someone had carved a hole in my chest with a knife?





THIRTEEN





“What’s this?” Narine asked, wide-eyed as I tossed the pouch of one hundred jade coins into her open palm. I’d gone first thing this morning to the castle merchant and he’d had a bag of coins all ready for me.

“That is your sister’s wedding payment, and you have the rest of the day off to go deal with your affairs,” I told her, unable to keep the grin off my face.

“How!?” she shrieked, laughing as she opened the bag to peer inside. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she looked up at me.

“I got a job. That’s my first moon’s advance,” I stated.

She shook her head, trying to hand me back the bag. “No, I can’t. It’s too generous. You have your own sister’s wedding to pay for one day.”

I chuckled. “Weddings in Cinder Village cost ten jade coins, and everyone brings a dish of food to share. Trust me, I can afford this.”

She chewed at her lip, shaking her head in amazement. “I… I don’t know what to say. What job did you get? Here in Jade City?”

“I’ve been asked to join the king’s Royal Guard. I start my first practice in an hour, after I pledge loyalty to the king.”

Narine’s brown eyebrows hit her hairline. “The king asked you to join his Royal Guard after all that?”

“I know. Crazy, right?”

She nodded. “I’ll say. Did you hear the news that he’s marrying Joslyn?”

I inclined my head, trying to keep the emotion out of my face.

“I heard he’s desperate for an heir but no one knows why. He grieved over Queen Amelia so hard, no one thought he would remarry so soon, but…” her voice trailed off.