The Becoming Beauty Trilogy: Before Beauty, Blinding Beauty, Beauty Beheld by Brittany Fichter

Author:Brittany Fichter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Classical Kingdoms Collection, Books 1-3

34

KING

Launce heard the voices before he could see them, but there was no time to try and conceal either himself or the queen.

“ . . .Still don’t understand why you couldn’t just tell us where he was from the beginning,” Rafael said as he and about a dozen others crested the hill. Olivia sent Launce an apologetic look as she answered her father.

“I thought you would be busy with the banquet preparations.”

“When you and Launce didn’t emerge from the walkway, Alejandro came to get me.” Rafael frowned at his daughter, then at Launce. Launce felt himself blush under the scrutiny of the king, but Kartek spoke for the first time. Her voice was still weak, but she looked much more confident than Launce felt.

“They came to help me, Sire. They heard me calling for help.” As she spoke, a tall man emerged from the crowd, pushing his way through. He had darker skin than anyone Launce had ever seen, and he looked nearly as muscled as Everard. If his physique didn’t intimidate, however, the glower he wore certainly would. As he drew nearer, Launce also noticed the dried blood at the corners of his eyes as well. Apparently, Kartek hadn’t only removed her glass. Immediately, the big man knelt down and gently scooped the queen up in his arms.

“Who did this to you?”

“I was walking, and I tripped and fell upon a sharp piece of wood.”

Launce exchanged a glance with Olivia. Surely the others wouldn’t buy such a blatant lie, but it was obvious the queen didn’t want to discuss what had happened in front of everyone. He wondered why until he spotted another familiar face in the crowd.

Bronkendol now wore an ice-blue robe lined with a thick fur trimming along the arms, neck, and bottom edging. He seemed to feel Launce’s eyes, and turned to smile at him as though nothing was wrong, as though he were actually delighted to see him.

“I think it best if we return home, my queen,” Apu said.

Kartek looked from Apu’s face directly into Launce’s, and he knew what she was telling him. Once she was gone, he would be alone. Everyone else, even Norbert, Cerise, and the other guards could not be trusted now that the enchanter was back and everyone had the slivers. Well, Launce thought to himself, all but one. He would not be alone after all.

“Now that we know the queen will be seen to,” the king turned to his servant, “I would like you to escort my daughter and young Launce to the throne room. I have an announcement to make.”

Everyone began to walk back toward the palace, including Olivia, who was now too surrounded for any more real conversation to take place. Launce, however, held back. He noticed the enchanter pausing as well. Bronkendol’s eyes never left his face, and it more than unnerved him. Launce leaned over and whispered as fast as he could before the enchanter could make his way down into the ravine with them.

“Don’t go home.

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