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Chapter 16: Storm Battered
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The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 17: The Past Catches Up
The hour-long horseback ride to the palace took Violet to new heights of discomfort. The more they shared magic, the easier she sensed Eden. His steady breathing, his focused gaze, his stiff posture, all determined to stay away from her.She'd just trampled his heart, but at least he understood now. She couldn't remain in the city, maybe not even in Basharr. This was the best thing for both of them—Eden would be free to focus on Chione while Violet could move on from the Monarch."I have no idea how to do that," she muttered to herself, watching the king from behind.His hair was still drying under the cloudy sky. His linen clothes clung in wet patches to his skin. She could almost imagine him as another elf, not the Storm King, with no reason to marry someone he didn't want to. She smiled sadly at the thought. If there was one thing Eden could never be, it was ordinary.He pulled on the reins of his horse to slow down next to her. "I've been thinking where you can serve until the wedd
The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 18: One Is All You Need
Violet tightened the straps on her quiver. The gold-tipped arrows seemed bland beneath the cloud cover. A storm loomed on the horizon—it had been there, threatening to drench the capital, since Chione pulled Eden into her wedding planning. But the dreary day matched Violet's feelings about sharing duties with Florian.They were in a cleared-out, three-story market, waiting for the royal procession to pass by. King Eden and Queen Chione were making their way through the capital so the people had a chance to see the couple firsthand. Violet and Florian were on hawk-eye duty, sequestering themselves on the roof while the streets below teemed with eager citizens.Violet watched Florian slip his bow into the sheath on his back. She hated sharing anything with him, but she couldn't deny his archery skills."So, you're really going to do this?" she asked.He ran his fingers through his hair as he turned to her, reaching down to lace his boots. "Get dressed? Yeah, I think I will.""I mean serv
The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 19: A New Post
Queen Chione summoned Violet to her rooms the next morning. Violet's wrist was still hurting after the clocktower stunt but the swelling was down and she refused to leave her bow and quiver behind, especially when heading inside the palace. Each hallway felt jeweled with memories, waiting to blindside her with their brightness. She wanted to be armed against whatever she met.Thankfully, Jasmine was the first familiar face she crossed."Even when you move out of the palace, you're all this place talks about," Jasmine beamed, wrapping her arms around Violet."You heard about yesterday?" Violet guessed."You rescued the Queen! All the attendants think you're going to be promoted. Some of the courtiers think you'll move back in. I'm hoping you'll show me how you flew across the royal parade."They kept walking, Violet catching sight of some of the Lords. She gave a slight nod. They completely ignored her. Staying in the barracks did have some perks."The Queen summoned me," Violet whisper
The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 20: Shots Fired
A crescent moon stood watch over the archery range. Violet looked up at the stars. Wispy clouds drifted across their light. A cool breeze rustled the trees. Her thumb ran over the arrow fletching in her hand.This was the one place where peace reigned supreme. Queens and kings met their match in Violet when she carried a bow. She hummed softly. The songs of Eloy marched through her mind, lending their melodies to the vowels her lips formed. She stomped her feet to keep time, letting the music slip between her heart and her wounds.Dried blood stuck to her uniform. A nasty cut on her forehead still stung. But her song took her away from the pain and anger. She kept humming, stringing an arrow.The target was small in the dark distance.She anchored her right hand to the corner of her mouth and let the shaft fly.Bullseye.Another arrow.Another perfect shot.She nocked one after the other, humming the whole time. The quiet cut by sharp arrowheads whizzing through the air. She strolled
The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 21: A Visit To The Tailor
Only two days remained until the wedding.Basharr Palace hung heavy with blooms strung from the ceilings of every room. Creamy roses, buttery peonies, and blood-red poppies filtered through seeded eucalyptus, saturating the court in their floral scent. Matching ribbons wrapped around the musical statues, chair legs, the stems of glasses, and the wrists of every courtier. The garden didn't escape the streaming fabric, either. Everywhere Violet turned ribbons seemed to be on a conquest, symbolizing the tying together of two souls. Chione had brought the tradition from Parvara and the entire capital was lapping it up, letting the ribbons spill from the palace into the streets.For Violet, they felt like funerary wrappings to entomb her heart. Eden had kept his distance, as requested. She hadn't seen more of the king than the swish of a cloak around a corner in a week and a half. Even if he hadn't been in the middle of getting married, he'd be busy with news pouring in from Petros and o
The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 22: Clouds of Gold Dust
Aveline and Juno had been a landslide of information. Violet still felt like the earth teetered beneath her. She carried a receipt in her pocket with Chione's original and current measurements written on it from her fittings at Darrow's Tailor Shop. They'd directed her to a physician down the street who had seen to Leander's burns. He refused to admit to more than treating Leander, but Violet could tell by his fear Chione had been there. Violet had listened silently as the designer and assistant made all sorts of conjectures about Eden and his obsession with Chione since childhood. She knew they were lusting for more gossip from her own lips, but Violet refused to indulge them. Now, she was on horseback, leading the queen and her maids back to the palace after the fitting.They had left the city behind, climbing the steep road carved into the mountainside. This was the only place free of prying eyes. Violet wouldn't get another chance like this.She turned her horse, blocking the road
The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 23: Finally An Equal
Basharr's prison was carved directly into the sheer sides of Blackwood Mountain. It was known as the Forbidden Wing of the palace. It anchored the brilliant glass of the palace to the stone the capital was built on. Violet had never been before and now her first time was as a resident, with shackles around her wrists. She stumbled over the uneven rock floor."Keep walking," Dana growled.The captain had decided to personally escort her."I really don't deserve such special attention," Violet said flatly. "I would hope you had better things to do than put innocent people in cells.""You expect me to believe Queen Chione buried herself in a pile of gold. I'm not kind-hearted like the king—I have no tolerance for your stories.""I was defending myself. Don't I have that right, even if my attacker is royal?"Dana scoffed. "Even a borderlander like you knows assaulting a member of any royal house is forbidden. The fact you did it as The Eye lets me toss you in the deepest, darkest cell we h
The Elf King and His Bodyguard Chapter 24: Suddenly Vulnerable
Violet's day in court dawned laden with rain and wind. Sunlight barely made it to the earth, leaving a gray shroud over everything. The palace burst with noble guests from both Basharr and Parvara, setting the gossip off like wildfire through the halls.King Eden had changed Queen Chione's plan last minute, cutting off the gluttonous courtiers from their hoped-for meal by holding the trial in the council chamber. Only a select group of nobles would act as judges and witnesses to Violet's case, with the King and Queen having final say.Captain Dana walked Violet through the palace corridors, dozens of judgmental courtier eyes on her and her shackles."That's what happens when a commoner is raised above their station," tutted Baroness Helaine, fresh in from Eloy for the spectacle."Now the freak will get what she deserves," Odessa crooned, making a slicing motion across his throat as Violet walked by."I couldn't agree more," Dana hissed in her ear.Other courtiers stepped back when Viol
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