“That's where I live.”
“Where?”
“The Forgotten.”
“The Forgotten? Is that a street?”
I snorted. “It's the dangerous part of your city, Your Majesty.”
“The Forgotten,” the King murmured. “That's . . . fuck, that makes me feel awful.”
“Why? It's not your fault some people are criminals.”
“It's the poverty that concerns me most.”
“You're not responsible for other people's fortunes either. Unless you deliberately destroy them.”
He snorted. “But this is my city. My kingdom.”
“And you do what you can for it. No one expects you to perform miracles.”
“So you don't blame me for the bad parts of the city?”
“Without the Forgotten, I wouldn't have a home.” I grinned. “It's not so bad. If you're a little bad yourself.” I waggled my brows at him.
The King chuckled. “I can be bad.”
“Can you, King Cyn-ric?” I emphasized the “sin” in his name.
He laughed harder. “I like that. Sin is a part of my name. How have I never noticed that?”
“I guess you're not bad enough,” I teased.
“Yet,” the King tacked on. “Cyn and Ru. We're well matched.”
“I'm Ru without the E.”
“Ru without the regret,” he murmured. “And I'm Cyn without the—”
“Fun?” I cut him off.
“I can be fun!”
“Prove it.”
“You will not bait me into running away.” King Cyn leaned forward to add, “No matter how much I want to.”
“Then how will I keep you safe?”
“You'll have the help of my King's Guard.” He widened his eyes and slid his stare to the right.
I followed his stare to see a Dragon knight standing behind a pear tree. He wasn't trying to hide, just be unobtrusive. That I hadn't noticed him disturbed me. I noticed everything.
“Shit,” I whispered.
“What?”
“You distracted me,” I said without thinking.
