I moved my shoulders and tried twisting at the waist. “It feels great.”
“It has several protection spells on it, but it would be best not to test them,” Rigel said.
“That’s fine. It looks like everyone has either a bow or a crossbow.” I glanced back at the other monarchs, who were still clustered together. “Obviously they didn’t hear about the time I nearly shot Lady Chrysanthe.”
“You brought your pistol?” Rigel asked.
“Yep! Skye helped me find a way to hide it in the fancy tack of my saddle.”
Skye slightly bowed her head when Rigel glanced at her. “Chase helped,” she said. “He was highly motivated to have Queen Leila properly armed.”
“Good,” Rigel said. A breeze brushed his silvery hair. “Just don’t shoot Fell because he irritates you.”
“That’s a really difficult promise, but I’ll try.”
I happened to glance over at the monarchs and had to do a double take when I noticed Spring was approaching them.
Barely recognizable with a dull brown tunic that would let her blend in with the forest, and her beautiful blond hair tied back in a no-nonsense knot tied low on her neck, Queen Verdant strode toward the other monarchs.
Like me, she held a black helmet, and she wore knee-high black riding boots.
“Whoa,” I whistled. “Someone is serious about winning this hunt.”
Skye’s forehead wrinkled. “Yes. She is well motivated.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Queen Verdant, I am so very happy to see you have finally arrived,” King Fell said. “You certainly took your time.”
Queen Verdant slowly tipped her head to the Autumn King. “King Fell,” she said, her voice husky and rough.
I glanced at Skye, who nodded encouragingly at me, then meandered up to the other monarchs. “Do we get started now?” I asked.
“Not hardly,” King Birch sniffed. “The prey must be brought here.”
Birch and Fell had done an extra good job of annoying me today, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to force a bright expression for what I had planned next. “We have some time, then? Excellent! Oh Rigel!” I called in a sing song voice.
“If you start to praise his abs or the width of his shoulders or rattle on about artists and portraits being unable to properly capture his glory, I will retch on you,” King Fell grumbled.
“Fret not, King Fell.” I rubbed my hands together as I eagerly started rolling out the bait.
This is going to make him squeal.
“I’ve turned over a new leaf,” I said.
“Have you?” King Birch said with disinterest.
“Yes.” I planted a hand over my heart. “I realized that by focusing on his admirable—yes, even beautiful—physical traits, I was doing a disservice to Rigel. One might have thought the only thing I valued about him was his physical appearance.”
I waited until I saw King Fell relax slightly, then I struck. “Because I love him forsomuch more than that! The nobility of his temperament, the loyalty of his personality—and he is deadcharming. That doesn’t even touch how skilled he is at fighting and magic—and so knowledgeable, too!”
King Solis stared at me as if I was a creature he’d never seen before, but I thought I saw Consort Flora’s lips briefly twitch—in a smile or a frown I wasn’t sure.
“And he is very thoughtful,” I continued, glancing at Fell out of the corner of my eye to see if I’d flummoxed him yet. “And attentive—he is truly a dream husband. I can’t even say I’m sorry that I’m bragging, because I’m not! No one will ever be able to silence me because of my great, overwhelming love for him—which I just can’t help!” I gave the dreamiest sigh I could muster—which I’d actually been practicing in my bathroom for the past two weeks.
I snuck a peek at Fell and Birch again.
Bingo—their brains are broken.
