What he didn’t see was the queen herself.
“Who leads this assault?” Baldur shouted down to those preparing to battle them.
A centaur wearing unblemished armor rode forward with a standard bearer following three steps behind him. He wore his long brown hair loose around his shoulders, mostly because he knew he wouldn’t be fighting in battle. With an impeccable mustache and short beard, his aristocracy was an affront toevery creature surrounding him. They’d been paid to bleed in his stead.
Prince Ferox. Dash remembered that bastard well. Meara’s eldest son and the one centaur besides Meara he’d like to gut and leave bleeding at his feet.
Fleabitten little shit. Which was the color of his equine half. From tail to hoof to torso. Shit brown.
And it took everything Dash had not to take the bow from Tova beside him and send an arrow straight into the centaur’s throat.
With the pompousness that could only come from someone who’d never been told no, Ferox made his demands. “We have no issue with Alarium, King Baldur. We just want a word with King Dash. If you’d be so kind as to inform him that we’re here to speak with him. Thank you.”
Baldur laughed at his request. “Princess Ragna said that she wanted to speak with her sister. I’m very confused with so much royalty visiting my humble kingdom without any warning. Wish word had been sent on ahead. I’d have prepared a feast and declared a national holiday.”
“No need to put yourself out. Dash and I are old friends.” He smiled coldly. “Please fetch him.”
Old friends, my ass.Dash exchanged a smirk with Dove who rolled his eyes in response.
Yeah... the fury in Dove’s eyes said it all.
He was having the same fantasy of ripping the centaur apart. Ferox had no idea that he was standing in front of three creatures who had spent years trading stories on how they’d end his life if they ever had the opportunity.
Dash had no idea how they were restraining themselves either. It was taking an act of supernatural strength for him. He could only imagine how difficult it was for Dove and Ryper.Especially given the fact that Ryper had the power and ability to land a blow even from this distance.
Baldur sighed heavily. “Well, Ferox, sorry you traveled all this way in vain. You just missed him. Sadly. He left last night. Again, had you sent word...”
“He’s lying! I saw the king when we arrived.” Ragna flew lower. “I don’t see him now, but the unicorn was there earlier.”
Baldur arched a brow at Dash. “How did they know you were here?” he whispered.
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Dash glanced around at the group.
Someone, probably a gryphon, had sent word to his enemies that he was here.
Question was which one.
Baldur’s cheeks reddened as he realized that he had a traitor inside their gates. Maybe more than one.
Someone who could be unlocking said gate for their enemies even as they were talking.
Ferox came a bit closer. “Where is King Deciel?” He looked straight at Dash.
How fun that he had no idea. Then again, it’d been a long time since they last saw each other, and even then, Dash had only been in human formveryrarely.
And only when Meara had tortured him into it.
While the elves present were all aware of his shape-shifting abilities and forms, not all races knew unicorns could shift. Because unicorns and centaurs were both equine races, the unicorns didn’t usually fight centaurs as humans. They never had. Unicorns had considered it dishonorable. Same with dragons. Since unicorns were weaker as humans, they’d never fought them in human skin.
But when it came to fighting a race like the elves who used magick and swords against them, there were advantagesto shifting from unicorn to human and back. A human body allowed them to have certain attacks they couldn’t manage as a unicorn.
And even those races that knew they could shapeshift didn’t necessarily know what a unicorn looked like in human form. At least not as a rule. Most unicorns kept their human features secret from most non-unicorns. Hence why the wanted poster wasn’t a good likeness.
Hidden in plain sight.
Baldur held his hands up. “I’d be glad to let you in to look about if you want, prince.”
Ferox snapped his fingers. Another centaur stepped out from the group to prance to the prince’s side. Dash didn’t recognize the older soldier. If he had to guess, he’d assume it to be an advisor or general the prince was conferring with.
