I try to give him a mock salute, but my right arm feels like lead.What was in that ale?I wonder, while simultaneously trying to forget the fact that I drank over half my body weight in alcohol. Maybe that’s why I feel like someone’s encased me in stone.
The walk back to the inn seemed longer than the walk to the bar, but once we’re in Max’s room, Will shoves me off into Bennett’s bed.
I can hear the voices around me, but my brain is far too fuzzy to decipher what they’re saying.
SNAP! SNAP!
“Hey. Hey, royal pain in my ass.” One of the voices gripes. I clumsily swat at the hand above my face.
Keeping my eyes open is going to be a feat at this point.
Someone’s foot kicks at mine to startle me out of my state, and I grit out a loud, “wha-what?!”
“Sit up, we have news.” Max barks.
“News...?” Millie asks tentatively.
Will and Max share a look before Will takes a step forward, “word from Obsidian.”
“No.”
“Rorin.”
I sobered up quickly after they announced that they had heard from Felix.
Someone at the Consulate recognized Will from one of our trade meetings, and apparently, after a lot of negotiating – and some bribery for new trade – he got our two men inside the door.
“The council is demanding you come back. Bereasonable!” Will shouts, his face turning a bright red.
“I’m not going back without her,” I say firmly.
It’s laughable for her council to expect me to returnwithouttheir true sovereign. I know they were against my going at first, but with Felix remaining at the helm, I figured they’d be happy. I’m a Vellaran after all, they didn’t want me in charge in the first place.
I look over at Will, his hand is threaded through his sandy, cropped hair, and he looks ready to explode.
“What does Felix say. Or Armond?” I ask desperately.
“They’ve both offered to take your place here.”
Unbelievable. Theyhadthe chance to come with me. But as extra companions, at no point was there ever an option that I entertained that included me staying behind, playing the role of dutiful king.
“I made a promise to bring her back.”
Will scoffs, his hands flopping down to his sides. “You’re impossible.”
I shrug. He can be angry with me all he wants; I’m not going back to Obsidian without her at my side. I willnotreturn a second time queenless; we can’t afford for that to happen again.
“Does Armond plan to stay back if I don’t return? Or is he going to join us anytime soon?” I leave the question open to either one of them, and Will looks at me incredulously, like he can’t possibly believe I am changing the topic.
“Uh–ha. No, he said he will stay put and be there at the portal for when we have her. He doesn’t think it’s wise for us to trek back to Obsidian on foot, and I am inclined to agree.”
My head bobs up and down. It was risky getting the Consulate involved, alerting anyone to the fact that we were here and why, considering Baelor has his spies lurking all over this realm was risky. But the quicker we get back behind our lines with Eveera and the… princess – who, for all I know,isone of his spies – the better.
Glancing over at her, I see her chair-bound inside of Millie’s shield. Her head hangs between her shoulders with a defeated expression painted clearly on her face.Pathetic choice in spy,I think to myself before returning to the conversation at hand.
Where Pruella looks defeated – Millie looks nervous, Max’s head shaking slightly at her.
“Millicent…” I pry, her eyes dart up to me and then back to Max, who shakes his head again. “Millie–”
