“Ugh!” I flailed.
Someone chuckled.
I peered through the curtain of flowering vines at King Rory. Then I glared. “Are you just going to stand there and laugh or are you going to help?”
“Hmm?” Rory rubbed his chin. “I haven't decided yet.”
“I could just burn this bed to ash, but I was trying to be a good guest.”
“Oh, very well. Don't go burning anything.” The King waved a hand, and the vines slithered away.
With a huff, I fell back onto the mattress, arms flopping. “Thank you. I haven't gardened like that since the heavy rains that hit Hawaii in 2006.”
“What?”
“Never mind.” I sat up. “Thank you for the guest room.”
“You're very welcome. Would you care to break your fast with me?”
“What about Rivella?”
He sighed. “Last night, we came very close to doing exactly what you threatened just now.”
“Burning the bed?”
“Yes. She's fiery, that one.”
“Uh-huh.” I grinned.
“She's also skittish it seems.”
“What do you mean?”
“I woke up to an empty bed.”
“She took off?” I gaped at him. I'd basically promised the girl that she would become the Queen of Earth. And what did she do? She ran!
“It would seem so. All she left was a shoe.”
I had to clear my throat to keep from laughing. “A shoe?”
“Yes. Just one. In her haste to depart, she forgot it. It was on my side of the bed. Maybe she didn't want to risk the walk to my side.”
Well, that explained it. The story was progressing as it should. Thank goodness.
“Was it a pretty shoe?” I asked.
“Pretty? I suppose so. It's made of crystal. Looks uncomfortable to me. I don't know how she danced in it.” Rory scowled at me. “You expected this?”
I pulled an imaginary zipper across my lips, locked it, and tossed away the key.
Rory frowned at me.
“Oh, for Mcflurry's sake,” I huffed. “It's like going through Arach all over again.”
He frowned deeper.
“I was showing you how I was sealing my lips, locking them, and tossing out the key. In other words, you'll get nothing out of me.”
