The Imposter King by Eli Hinze

Author:Eli Hinze
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Regale Press

12

Once Belshun and the rest of the Mesdi deemed the palace secure, Ahsan’s spirits felt more at ease. Though the threat wasn’t gone, at least he could breathe easily enough to plot how he and Nirah would go on their outing. It took some prying, more swearing to her up and down that he would not escape, but a few days later, they had at last concocted their scheme and worked up the nerve to put it into action. They were not committing treason, not killing anyone, but the act felt so devious that the mere mention of it set his skin tingling.

To slip out of the palace without being noticed though, they needed inside help.

Ahsan had thought to borrow clothes from the kitchen workers and slip both himself and Nirah out as the staff went home for the evening, but they had refused, shriveling at the thought of the guardsmen’s reactions. When he had asked the laundresses, they had been no more willing to help either, and, by that time, his scheme had already reached Belshun’s ears.

“Do you want to get murdered?” Hands knotted tight behind his back, Belshun had paced along the rug in Ahsan’s quarters so thoroughly that he threatened to wear a hole in the weave. Since Ahsan was technically his king, the Gal Mesdi couldn’t raise his voice too severely, but half of him wished the man would simply yell at him and be done with it. “Shall I present you on a bronze platter for your murderer’s convenience?”

“I didn’t think they would be so talkative,” Ahsan murmured.

“Palaces are no different from anywhere else. Everyone talks, about everything and everyone from sunup to sundown. Any guard worth his rations listens to it.”

“Wasn’t it you who told me to spend more time with Nirah?”

“Lady Nirah?” For a moment, he looked dumbstruck. “Are you serious? Is that what this is about?”

Ahsan swallowed, blinking up at the hulking mass of man, but gave a slight nod. Should he have been embarrassed? He was, but Belshun had always seemed like a man with little to no shame for himself or others.

“Aha! Romance!” Like a revelation had dawned upon him, his face changed, lit from within. Belshun had thrown an arm around his shoulders and slapped him on the back. “A worthy pursuit, but I’m afraid I cannot ignore my post and leave you two to run off. Especially not after the recent incident with the spy.”

“Tail us, if you must.” Ahsan heaved off the other man’s corded arm. “I promised Nirah I would not use this to escape, no matter how many opportunities I came upon.”

Belshun folded his arms and had the audacity to look hurt. “Why have you never made me any such promise?”

Ahsan folded his own arms in response. “Because I wouldn’t mean it.”

“Must you have a city excursion? If you really want to impress a woman, you ought to grow a beard first.”

“Mine is patchy. It looks bad.”

“Have you considered oiling it?”

“No—my beard is beside the point.

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