Page 101 of The Prince's Fealty

“Princess Adexa traveled with several guards, and two accompanied me as well. There may have been a misunderstanding that led to some of them being incarcerated. I wish them found and sent to us.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“See to it at once.”

Idun bowed deeply, whirled around, and made it out of the room at a very fast walk. Pel was pretty sure he would have run if he’d thought he could get away with it.

“You know,” Tor said conversationally, once the door had closed behind the man, “there are actually moments where I’m very glad you’re the High King.”

Prince Rinil turned a laugh into a very unconvincing cough. Tor smirked at his brother, who smiled back at him.

“It should have some uses, shouldn’t it?” the High King said placidly. “Shall we go see if we can leave?”

It turned out to be as easy as walking out the front door. Most of the guards had already disbanded, and any they encountered bowed extra low when they saw them.Under other circumstances, Pel might feel bad for the groveling, but just at the moment, he was relieved.

It was daylight outside.

Pel had known that time was passing, but somehow, it had felt like the night that wouldn’t end. He hoped the rising sun dawning on a new day was a good omen for what was to come.

There was still so much to figure out, but this was a great way to start.

Apparently, they were heading back inside, though.

Tor rolled his eyes at his brother. “Really?”

“Would you like to travel with no supplies for the baby? I assure you, it doesn’t go smoothly at all.”

Tor made a face. “Yeah, no, that actually makes a lot of sense. Let’s get ready properly.”

Fernila looked uncertain. “I think we’d be more comfortable in the carriage. It’s better for the baby.”

Pel was well aware of how Tor felt about carriages and the people who rode in them, but all he said was, “That’s a good idea. I can see to that.”

Prince Rinil nudged him. “You can go say goodbye to Nawila. I’ll go check on the carriage.”

Tor made a face, but he didn’t try to argue, and Prince Rinil and Princess Terila headed off to the stables. Maybe Pel wasn’t the only one who didn’t feel eager to go back inside the castle. Nostex was gone, and he was the real threat, but… there were a lot of things about the last few hours that Pel would rather forget.

“I’d like to get some fresh air,” Ada said.

She still looked unnaturally pale, but a little color had come back to her cheeks.

To the surprise of exactly no one, King Stronex said that he would stay with her. Pel was quite certain that no one would get to Ada with King Stronex watching over her. Even Tor and his anxious eyes didn’t argue this.

Beluna set off to get Denil, King Stronex’s guards, and the horses they’d left in the woods, and Tor and Pel headed back inside, along with King Varex, Queen Fernila, and the baby.

They separated once they reached the family wing, though, Tor’s family heading off to begin packing.

Pel watched tension tighten Tor’s shoulders as they approached the sitting room, but he straightened and pasted on a smile as they approached Cavun and King Stronex’s guards, who nodded at them.

“Everything went fine. We’re preparing to leave,” Tor told them.

They nodded once more, and Tor and Pel passed inside. Nawila and Pamuna were now sitting on a small couch together—faced away from the bodies—and Pamuna was sipping water while Lady Nawila watched anxiously.

They both looked up at his and Tor’s entrance.

“Out of curiosity,” Tor asked, “were you actually unconscious that whole time, or did you just decide that you didn’t want to get into the middle of it all?”

Pamuna’s cheeks went red, and Pel stifled the urge to laugh. Such an idea hadn’t occurred to him, but he couldn’t say that he blamed her.