Chapter 21
Twenty-One
The soldiers moved frighteningly fast, swarming Hugo and Everand.
At first, they attempted to pull them apart, dragging them in separate directions, but Hugo fought like a crazed toddler in desperate need of a nap.
He kicked, bit, and clawed his way to Everand.
The prince seemed to catch on and mimicked his behavior, sending the many guards scrambling to get them under control.
Mr. Ringleader groaned, swearing under his breath. “Leave them together! They caused enough problems in the palace. Just tie their hands and shove them in the carriage.”
Hugo winced as the guards wrenched his arms behind his back, and rough rope tightened around his wrists.
But all the discomfort was worth it so long as he remained at Everand’s side.
He still had no idea how he was going to protect the prince, but that was okay.
If they were together, he had a better chance of keeping Everand safe.
The man who led this escapade stomped over to where Hugo and Everand stood together.
He leaned in close to Prince Everand. “King Victor stated we were not to harm you. However, he said nothing about your fiancé. He doesn’t even know about this man.
So, his state when or even if reaches the castle is up to the both of you.
Personally, I’d like to slit his throat and leave him in the woods for the wolves to sort out. ”
“Understood. We shall abide by your wishes so long as they are reasonable,” Prince Everand agreed with a regal nod of his head.
Mr. Ringleader rolled his eyes and stomped away. “Get them in the carriage.”
Guards hustled them to a waiting carriage—Hugo a little more roughly than Everand—and stuffed them inside. Heavy curtains covered the windows, leaving the interior of the carriage pitch black. The air was stuffy and warm. Hugo sat on the bench beside Everand, their legs rubbing together.
The carriage rocked under the weight of Mr. Ringleader as he climbed in after them and dropped onto the opposite bench. The door shut, and the head of the guard knocked on the ceiling, ordering the driver to get them moving.
“Hugo? Are you all right? They didn’t hurt you?” Everand whispered.
“I’m fine. You?”
“I’m well. But I am sorry about all this. Why did you demand to come with me? You could have remained at the palace. My parents would have protected you.”
Mr. Ringleader snorted in the darkness but said nothing.
Hugo understood his derision. The king and queen had been struggling to protect themselves, though it was likely the palace guards would have broken into the ballroom within the next minute or two, thoroughly outnumbering the Wulian soldiers.
Hugo wouldn’t have captured the notice of the Wulian men until Everand had called him his fiancé.
“I had no choice. You get into so much trouble when I’m not with you.
You need me to save you,” Hugo teased, knowing full well that it was the other way around.
Sure, he might have saved the prince from a racing carriage, but it had been Everand’s fast thinking that had saved them from the Wulian scouts in the woods.
“Mmm, yes, that is quite true,” Everand agreed with a hint of amusement in his tone. He bumped his knee into Hugo’s and continued in a more serious tone. “But no more silly heroics. I don’t want you to come to any harm.”
Hugo didn’t reply. He wasn’t making any promises he couldn’t keep. His primary focus was protecting Everand and getting him home.
“How did they get us out of the palace and to Wulia so quickly?” Hugo inquired. It seemed safer to change the subject.
“Remember the bellpull in the changing room and the servant appearing?” Everand leaned on him, resting his cheek on Hugo’s shoulder.
The urge to hold the prince was overwhelming, but he couldn’t with his arms tied behind his back.
The best comfort he could offer was resting his cheek on Everand’s head.
“It’s the same kind of magic,” the prince continued. “We have protections against people magicking into the castle, but I’m guessing they acquired some fraudulent invitations and walked into the ball as guests.”
“I would have expected that type of magic to be rare. It’s surprising King Victor’s army has so many with that gift. There were at least a dozen soldiers in that room.”
“It is rare, and there were nearly two dozen soldiers,” Mr. Ringleader snapped.
“But only three of us possess that type of magic. The rest of my men laid down their arms after we left and surrendered to the king. When it comes to the care of my men, I hope King Hubert recalls we hurt no one during our little invasion.”
“Didn’t hurt anyone, but you kidnapped the crown prince!” Hugo shouted. His outrage bubbled over until he could no longer hold his tongue. He wanted to continue to rage at the soldier across from him, but Everand pressed a kiss to his shoulder.
“Shhh, it’s okay, my treasure,” Everand coaxed. “I’m okay. No one was hurt. That’s all that matters. I’ll talk to King Victor and get this sorted out.”
Hugo grunted. While no one was hurt, he still didn’t care for the idea of Everand being kidnapped and taken across the kingdom to Wulia, where they would have to face a clearly mad king.
“Sergeant…?” Everand started.
“Captain Ryze,” the soldier filled in, his voice low and gruff. There was a noise from the other side of the carriage, as if he were sitting up on the bench seat.
“Captain Ryze, my father will not harm your soldiers so long as I’m not harmed. They’ll be questioned and thrown into the dungeon, where they will wait for my freedom to be arranged with King Victor.”
Captain Ryze made a noise of agreement and fell silent.
The carriage creaked and rocked as they traveled away from the camp, heading closer to Onisa, the royal capital of Wulia.
Hugo had never thought he’d see Onisa in his lifetime.
Branem and Wulia had been at each other’s throats for as long as he could remember.
He wasn’t sure of the reason. There had been some border disputes.
Trade disagreements. His mother seemed to think it all went back to some scandal between the two families, but even she refused to talk about what little she knew.
For years, Onisa and Wulia had been off-limits to all but the bravest of merchants and accomplished diplomats.
What trade was done between the two kingdoms was handled in border towns and then shipped to the rest of the country.
Despite all the danger they were in, Hugo had to admit that he was excited to glimpse the forbidden city.
“Hugo?” Everand whispered.
“Hm?”
“That thing you said in the ballroom. About filling him with glass. Can…can you really do that?”
Hugo bit the inside of his cheek until he could no longer hold in the bubble of laughter. He glanced over at Captain Ryze, who had become still. The man’s breathing had slowed and evened out in the past few minutes. He might have drifted off to sleep.
“I have no idea,” Hugo admitted, matching the prince’s volume. “I’ve never even thought of doing such a thing to another person, but I was willing to try if it meant protecting you. Do you think less of me now?”
“Never,” Everand replied. “Would you think less of me if I told you I thought you were sexy when you were making your threats?”
“By the gods!” Captain Ryze moaned. The large man shifted on his bench seat, stomping his booted feet on the floor so that the noise filled the carriage like thunder. “Can you two be more disgustingly sweet?”
“I’m sure we could,” Everand mocked. “Would you like us to try? We’d be happy to.”
“Ugh! No! I’m feeling nauseated enough already.”
“You’re jealous you don’t have anyone who adores you as much as I adore Prince Everand,” Hugo taunted.
“I’ll have you know I have a husband and a wife at home who think I’m greater than the sun in the sky, but we still manage not to be as disgusting as you two.”
Hugo’s heart squeezed, and he sat up straighter. “You’re married?”
“Is it that hard to believe?” Ryze sniped.
“No, but I was thinking that if things had gone poorly tonight, you could have died. Your husband and wife would never have seen you again,” Hugo murmured. He’d even threatened the man’s life. He could have robbed those two people of their love.
“So? I’m a knight of Wulia. I follow my king’s orders. Even when he sends me on a possible suicide mission.”
Hugo fell silent. He didn’t doubt Captain Ryze’s loyalty.
The same could be said for the knights and soldiers of Branem.
They all obediently followed the king’s commands, believing he was doing what was best for the kingdom.
And yet, Hugo had to wonder if either king stopped to think about the families of these soldiers as they issued these insane orders.
“Get some sleep. It’ll be a few hours before we reach the castle,” Ryze grumbled.
Everand bumped against Hugo in the darkness and brushed a kiss to his shoulder. “Everything will be okay. Don’t worry.”
The only problem was that worrying was what Hugo did best.
Hugo missed seeing Onisa.
Captain Ryze refused to allow him to peek out of the shaded windows. Upon stepping out of the carriage, guards ushered them into the castle, giving Hugo only glimpses of great stone walls and battlements but not much else.
Their hands remained tied behind their backs as they were jostled and shoved through the castle in the early morning hours.
Hugo blinked his tired, burning eyes and glanced around, trying to take in his surroundings.
It was so different from the palace in Branem, which was filled with marble, white walls, and golden adornments.
The palace of Wulia was all cool gray stone, iron sconces, and elegantly painted ceilings.
Hugo wanted to linger so he could admire the exquisite paintings of woods, fae creatures, and even some celestial beings.
But dawdling wasn’t permitted, and all too quickly, he was pushed into a grand study filled with books and swords.
Augustine would have loved this room. Not for the books, but for the swords.
His youngest brother loved all kinds of weapons, but mostly the sharp, pointy ones.
The passing thought of his brother caused a sigh to well up in his chest as his mind wandered next to Dorian and his mother. Would news of what happened at the ball have filtered to his family yet? What kind of horrible son was he not to think of them when he was attempting to protect the prince?
No, it was his duty to protect the prince. Dorian could look after their family in his stead.
“Who is that?”
Hugo’s gaze darted to see a man half-hunched behind a massive desk, pointing at him.
Captain Ryze stepped forward and bowed. “He is Crown Prince Everand’s fiancé, Your Majesty.”
That was the king? He hadn’t expected to be taken directly to him.
“My name is Hugo Baker, Your Majesty—” Hugo stated. He bowed, but Everand took a step in front of him, blocking him from the king’s line of sight.
“It is an honor to meet you at last, King Victor,” Everand stated, bowing his head. “I wish it were under more agreeable circumstances. If we could but discuss—”
“Agreeable circumstances?” The man behind the desk rose to his feet and stalked around the desk.
As he drew closer, Hugo took in the man’s startling white hair.
At first he thought that King Victor was an old man, but as he looked closer, he saw the king appeared to be roughly the same age as Everand.
His hair was such a pale shade of blond that it was white.
He wore a severe black suit that outlined strong, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. But Hugo’s stare kept returning to his face. Particularly his eyes and the shape of his eyebrows. They were familiar.
Too familiar.
Was it possible that he was related to Prince Everand?
No! That couldn’t be.
“What agreeable circumstances would that be?” King Victor sneered. “When Wulia conveniently forgets about the theft Branem perpetrated more than fifty years ago? Still hoping we forget the debt of honor that is owed by your family? The years of trauma your family has caused?”
Everand’s eyes flared, and a muscle ticked in his jaw as if he were grinding his teeth.
“Don’t worry,” King Victor continued in a silky-smooth tone. “I have a solution to ensure that the debt is paid at last. Just hope your father will sacrifice you. If not, my next step is to see that Frostbourne is burned to ashes.”
“No!” Everand screamed.
“What do you mean, sacrifice?” Hugo shouted at the same time. Both he and Everand attempted to lunge at the king, but guards grabbed them and pulled them back.
King Victor’s gaze fell on Hugo and a slow smile formed, causing shards of ice to form in Hugo’s stomach. That was not a kind smile.
“Good work, Captain. You acquired your target and the very best kind of spare.” King Victor shifted his attention to Everand. “Behave, Your Highness, or it will be your fiancé who suffers.”
He turned to his desk and gave an absent wave of his hand, as if all the energy had drained out of him. “Put them in the dungeon. I don’t want to look at them any longer.”
Without another word, the guards dragged them away, shutting down any chance of negotiation. And no chance to find out more of this bad history that lingered between the two kingdoms.
At the very least, Everand had to know something of it. Maybe he could get more information from the prince once they were alone in the dungeon.
Hugo mentally sighed. A dungeon.
To think not all that long ago, he’d been anticipating a sexy night in bed with his lover. Now he was in Wulia, being escorted to the dungeon. His life had become far too unpredictable.