Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
But after that night, all True could think was…
Fuck his mother.
He looked to Bruce and Simon, who were sitting with them, enjoying an end-of-evening port, and he smiled at the men.
They returned his smile.
The band had stopped playing perhaps twenty minutes before. Half of them were gone, the other half were enjoying well-earned ales or whiskies at the bar.
Other than that, most of the rest of the folk in the pub had cleared out, including Florian and Luther, who had both found maids to share the remainder of their evenings with.
In fact, Bram was chatting one up a few tables away, and True suspected he soon would be enjoying the warmth of her bed.
Alfie and Wallace were sitting at the table with Farah and True, Bruce and Simon.
Although Farah was at the table, she would more aptly be described as sitting on his lap.
This had started with her lifting her feet there, for they were “killing her,” and as others joined and left them at the table, it somehow naturally progressed to her having her arse in his lap.
It fit perfectly there.
But having it was killing him.
“It will be talked about for decades to come, when Prince True and the Lady Farah danced the night away at The Antlers,” Bruce declared, contentedly eyeing True with Farah perched in his lap.
“I would prefer it talked about, providing lumber from this region to the ports cities in the north and west to build ships so our wool and wheat and pewter can sail across the Green Sea, now that King Aramus has given us leave for ships to sail, selling our goods to the Northlands and Southlands,” True replied quietly.
“Oh, that will be talked about as well, Your Grace,” Simon replied.
“We had already heard of it,” Bruce shared. “Birds are flying. And you know how they like to gossip, so pixies are late to finding their trees. They have so much to talk about, they’re flitting all over Wodell.”
He did know this, and in this instance, he was glad the pixies had this penchant.
“The quakes are concerning. Though they seem to be coming less now, the last one was very powerful,” Simon noted.
“We are told these are borne of magic,” True informed them of what he’d been telling others along their journey, and as the pixies and birds were flying, they probably knew. “And we are hard at work with the Great Coven to put an end to them.”
The men nodded, seemingly appeased by this information, as had been all the others.
Bruce looked to Farah before he nudged Simon and remarked, “We shouldn’t keep you from your bed any longer, my prince. Thank you for gracing us with your presence and thank you for the honor of meeting our future queen.”
“The honor was mine,” Farah murmured, catching True’s attention, for her tone sounded sleepy.
Yes, it was time for bed.
“Kind to say, milady, but trust me, ’tis untrue. The honor is all ours,” Simon replied to Farah before pushing out of his chair.
Bruce followed him.
True tightened his arms around Farah as he made to do the same, but both men held hands up to him as Simon urged, “Please, keep your seat. We hope the Lights shine for you while you’re here and we hope to see you again in our village soon.”
True remained seated, nodded to the men and watched as they took their leave.
When they were gone, he turned again to Farah.
“Is it time to find our room?” he asked.
“Are there others you wish to speak to?” she asked in return.
He scanned the pub.
All that were left were in the final throes of flirting with intent, doubled over drafts they would probably pass out before finishing, or already passed out.
He also caught Bram’s chin lift to Alfie as he led his maid out the door.
True gave his attention again to Farah.
“No.”
She grinned and slid off his lap, grabbing his hand and feebly beginning to pull him out of his seat.
He did not make her work at this and came up, glancing over his shoulder at his men.
Both nodded as he led Farah to the stairs that would take them up to their room.
“Are Bruce and Simon important personages in this village?” she asked after they were up three steps.
“Not that I know of. Indeed, I’ve never met either until tonight.”
She seemed to startle, and he pulled her closer with her hand at his elbow as she did so, looking down at her.
“All right?” he asked.
“You usually talk to leaders,” she said instead of answering.
He was bewildered.
“I do?”
She appeared just as bewildered.
“You don’t? You are friendly to all around you, but sitting and having serious chats like the one you just had with Bruce and Simon about affairs of the realm, they are not chieftains or barons or…whatever you call them in this land? What is it? Lords?”