Queen Sized by Kane Jessa

Author:Kane, Jessa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-22T16:00:00+00:00

6

Corbet

Cheers echo through the valley, bouncing off the mountain face.

Spectators form a huge pack at the top of the steep hill, some of the more brazen among us gambling on who they think will win. The tenth or so time I hear Gwen’s name uttered by one of these fools, I grind my back teeth and vow to carry her off as soon as this infernal competition has come to an end.

The water carrying competition has garnered the attention of the entire Joining.

But it’s not only my presence at the event that has stirred interest.

It’s the fact that both kings have come to watch.

Thrones have been carried over for each of us, though sitting still is killing me.

I regard the king of Lavere thoughtfully, wondering why he has chosen to attend, instead of languishing in his tent and drinking wine, as he’s wont to do. He leans to one side and speaks to his advisor, his eyes sharp on the women who wait at the bottom of a hill for the challenge to start. Is he interested in one of the women, too?

He has only recently taken the throne, like me, and does not have a wife.

But surely he is not thinking to purchase one from the auction.

Tightness creeps into the back of my neck and I begin to rise from my seat, determined to solve the mystery, when two young girls begin a loud conversation just behind me.

“Gwen is going to smash them all,” says one. “Just you watch.”

A sniffle, followed by a sob. “But I don’t want her to marry one of this smelly lot, Viola. Why can’t it just stay the three of us?”

“Because we had bad luck with the crops,” explains the first one, patiently. “Now we have to join someone’s coin with our own, so we don’t have to sell the farm.”

“Can’t we just get jobs?” says the girl who is obviously younger.

“I suggested that, but Gwen wants us in school, Sadie. So we don’t have to depend on anyone but ourselves when we’re older, she says.”

A long sigh. “I love Gwen.”

I clear my throat several times but can’t seem to rid myself of the lump.

When I asked—or demanded, rather—that Gwen become my mistress, I didn’t really take her sisters into account. What of them? Would their judgment of Gwen change if she takes the position I’m offering her? What will they think of me?

I force some steel into my spine and sit up straighter in the throne.

These are not problems for a king.

I have combative forces to contend with. Power-hungry enemies. Crops of my own. An army to build. Kingdom walls to reinforce. I have no time for these worries.

Two dirty faces peer past the arm of my throne and I immediately see the girls’ resemblances to Gwen—the same stubbornly set chin and black hair—and something odd moves in my chest.

Again, I clear my throat, but it remains crowded. “Can you see from there?” I ask the children. “Or would you care to stand in front of me for a better view.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.