Page 76 of Uncrowned

“King…” The word was so low, as if she was still weighing it. “May I?”

“…What?”

Penelope turned to me, her face hard—distant.

“They’re about to quarter. May I participate?”

My mouth opened, only to shut.

“You want to help quarter the guards?”

“Before you walked in here, you said this was part of training. That I⁠—”

“Watching is training enough. Dismembering is not easy work.”

The loud thunk of the axe connecting with wood had her gripping to her nightgown. The executioner picked up Gordon’s arm, tossing it in the fire.

“I wish to participate. I’ll toss the body parts in for them.”

This wasn’t right. Even as pride swelled, my instincts were going crazy with red flags.

I stood, holding out my hand. Penelope took it. When we headed closer to the platform, The Judic and Reeve turned to face us.

“My future queen wishes to participate.” I gestured towards the executioners who paused and waited for her to stand between them.

I didn’t miss how her skin was losing its color again. Penelope may have appeared strong, but the moment she took the other arm of the blond, no amount of masking could hide her true thoughts from me.

Penelope wanted me—she didn’t want this. I had had such hope, but her true nature wasn’t blood and body parts. It was masquerades and costume balls. Tea and tennis. My Penelope was meant to live the best of lives—she’d been groomed for it. Her place was in the light. She hadn’t been conditioned for the dark. After seeing her face my world, I wasn’t sure she’d ever be.

CHAPTER 25

King Lawrence

There was something about time.

It slowed. It flew. It stopped.

What I knew about the clock was that no matter the situation, it never did what we wanted. For months I’d waited for some sort of update on Penelope, and for months there was no news to be told.

At first, the days dragged by. They took forever. They were full of buried guilt and demanding calls. I had her picture on every news station. Posters on every restaurant and department store. But then those days turned to weeks.

Time passed a little faster. The news found other stories, cutting the segments about the missing Taylors from in-depth details to brief mentions. The chaos of everyday life carried on. The guilt eased.

Then… months.

Hyperspeed kicked in. Duties carried on stealing most of the time. Old habits came roaring back. Ones… spiked with fantasies of her, just like they always had since I’d first laid eyes on her in person.

Whack!

Whack!

“Please! Your Maj⁠—”

Whack!

Whack!

“Your M-Majesty!”