Page 52 of King Foretold (Realm of Four Kingdoms #2)

“Thank you, Jang Sanggung,” I choke out, squeezing her free hand. Her fingers feel as cold as ice. She doesn’t have long. “You don’t know me, but you saved someone precious to me today. I can’t ever thank you enough for that.”

“You are very welcome, my lady,” she says kindly before grimacing in pain. “You are someone precious to him too. I can tell by the way he looks at you.”

“I guess he likes me okay.” I half laugh, half sob. “And don’t worry. You were right about him. He is good and kind like the queen. Please be at peace knowing that the people of this kingdom will be safe under his care.”

“I am at peace. At long last.” Jang Sanggung’s eyes focus on the blue sky past the hole in the roof. Then she faces me again and smiles with sweet innocence. “You came back. I’ve been waiting for so long. Can we go to the harvest festival now?”

“I’m not ...” I look helplessly at Ethan. She’s hallucinating about someone she obviously misses and cares about. After a brief hesitation, I decide to help ease her passing. “Y ... yes, we’ll go to the harvest festival. As soon as you get better. I promise.”

“I am so happy you are back, dear friend.” She coughs until her body convulses. When the coughs finally subside, she grips Ethan’s hand with both of hers. “I must leave you now, Your Majesty.”

“Jang Sanggung, I will not let your sacrifice be in vain,” Ethan says in a rough rasp. “I will serve the people of the Kingdom of Mountains with honor, integrity, and compassion. I swear to you.”

“Ethan.” I hold back a sob and rub my hand down his arm. “She’s gone.”

He nods, taking a shuddering breath, then passes a gentle hand over Jang Sanggung’s unseeing eyes to close them for the final time.

“You are so moved by the loss of a worthless life,” the old king murmurs as he nonchalantly plucks out my acupuncture needles from his torso. “I cannot decide if it is touching ... or nauseating. Your mother was a pathetic bleeding heart like you.”

The royal guards flanking him stumble back in alarm, even though he’s restrained under the silvery net. The tyrant can’t break free. Still, goose bumps spread down my arms at the sound of his chilling voice.

Ethan moves so fast that I barely stop him from reaching through the net and wrapping a hand around his father’s throat. He strains against my hold, and I tighten my arms around his waist.

“I will kill you,” he snarls.

“Well, that did not take long.” His father smirks and continues in an insufferably snide tone, “So much for reasoning with me to avoid bloodshed. You are much too eager to spill my blood.”

“He’s baiting you,” Jihun warns. “He wants you to breach the net because he can’t touch you otherwise.”

“This isn’t you, Ethan,” I whisper, pressing myself against his back. “He isn’t worth it. Think of your people.”

Little by little, the tension seeps out of his body. After a deep breath, he lightly pats my hand. “You can let go now, Sunny.”

When I drop my arms from his waist, he tugs me close to his side and laces his fingers through mine. Then he nods at Jihun and Captain Ha. “Captains, secure him in the dungeon. Let no one approach him. I will deal with him when I’m ready.”

“You won’t last a day on the throne,” the tyrant seethes even as he’s dragged away. “My generals will remain loyal to me. They will come for you.”

“Jihun, does that net come with a matching muzzle?” I mutter.

“ I will come for you, boy. And your pretty pet will be the first thing I kill. Slowly. I will enjoy watching you suffer—”

Before Ethan can lunge for him again, Jihun aims his palm at the old king, abruptly cutting off his words. The tyrant grabs his throat with both hands, his eyes bulging. Growling through gritted teeth, Jihun closes his fist, gagging him with invisible binds.

“Gods, he’s powerful,” Jihun pants. “But that should keep him quiet until we lock him up.”

“I’ll take that.” I glance at Ethan’s shuttered face before turning back to Jihun. “Thank you, and be careful. I wouldn’t let my guard down around him if I were you.”

“I appreciate your concern.” Jihun arches a cocky brow at me, humor twinkling in his eyes. “But like you said, I’m okay at what I do.”

I give Jihun the middle finger, the vise around my heart relaxing at this hint of normalcy. But I cringe when Captain Ha frowns in confusion at his side. I quickly morph my hand into a friendly wave, but the captain’s frown grows even more confused. Wait, do shinbiins wave at each other?

“Please lead the way, Captain Ha.” Jihun saves me from further awkwardness, but his lips twitch in amusement.

“Of course.” The captain turns to the royal guards. “You two, take Jang Sanggung to her assistant court lady so she can prepare her body for a proper burial. The rest of you, guard the king with your life.”

“Yes, Captain,” they answer as one.

The king’s chambers grow quiet. The remaining guards form a wide half circle around Ethan and me and turn their backs to give us privacy. I bring Ethan to a semi-intact corner of the chambers, away from the blood staining the floor, and tug on his hand until he sits down next to me.

Miraculously, I spot an unbroken teapot on a low table.

Shifting on my ass, I reach for the pot and pour some fragrant tea on my apron.

I pick up one of Ethan’s hands and wipe the blood from it, then I clean his other hand.

He believes his hands will always be covered with the blood of those who sacrificed their lives for him. He doesn’t need literal blood on them.

I wipe my own hands clean, then pull the apron over my head and throw it to the side.

Without a word, I climb onto his lap and nestle against him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He gathers me close and presses his cheek against mine.

A sigh tumbles out of him, like he’s been holding his breath.

I drop one hand from around his neck and press it against his chest. I close my eyes as I feel the reassuring thump of his heart against my palm.

“We’re here. We’re alive,” I whisper against the warm skin at his neck. “We get one more chance to hold each other. I’m counting today as a win.”

“Gods, I love you.” His arms tighten around me. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m never letting you go.”

“My best guess is that you’ve lived a life of debauchery.” I quip, even though I am swooning inside like a total dork. “I’m your penance for all your sins.”

He chuckles, and his breath ruffles my hair.

I shiver against him with a quick indrawn breath, and his laughter fades.

He shifts under me, his fingers flexing against my waist. I’m tempted to kiss him even if the guards perish from embarrassment, and I have a feeling Ethan wouldn’t mind.

But even I know making out in front of his royal guards isn’t the best way to kick off his reign as the King of Mountains.

“Has anyone told you how adorable you are?” He bites his lower lip.

“No.” My eyes drop to his mouth, and I barely hold back a whimper. “No one would dare utter such blasphemy unless they have a death wish.”

“Quit talking about death.” He grins crookedly. “I thought we’re counting today as a win.”

“Shut up.” I can’t help smiling back at him. “But I love you and all that.”

“Oh thank gods,” Hailey says. “You finally put the prince out of his misery.”

“Ahh!” I let out an unholy scream and nearly climb up Ethan’s torso. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I must be wondering what the hell Hailey is doing in the Kingdom of Mountains. But my animal instinct is out front and foremost, telling me to run for my life.

I don’t know how I recognize her as Hailey because she is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.

She is floating into the king’s chambers as if on a cloud of dry ice, her eyes glowing bloodred.

Her face is as white as snow, while her hair whips around her like a dark shadow. She looks creepy as fuck.

“It was hard watching you two hurt for so long.” Wisps of icy fog spill from her mouth as she speaks, and the royal guards shake like leaves even as they hold their ground.

“Wh ... what are you doing here?” I sputter. “And what the fuck, Hailey? Why do you look like that?”

“Look like what? Oh, oops.” She changes back to herself before I can blink. “That was just my grim reaper thing. I couldn’t think of a faster way to get past all the security.”

“Oh gods.” I drag my fingertips down my face. “I feel like I need to claw my eyeballs out.”

“Hey, you’re starting to hurt my feelings.” Hailey pouts. “My jeoseungsaja doesn’t look that bad.”

“I beg to differ,” Ethan rasps. “Your jeoseungsaja is terrifying.”

I scramble to my feet and run toward Hailey. Now that she’s back to her beautiful self, my friend is a sight for sore eyes. But the royal guards spread their arms out and block me. “My lady, it isn’t safe.”

“It’s okay. She’s a friend,” I tell them, but they cast uncertain glances toward their king.

“Let her through,” Ethan says. “Lieutenant Gim is a suhoshin, and a friend.”

“What are you doing here?” I ask again, tugging her into my arms as soon as they let her through. Apparently, I’m a hugger now.

After squeezing me tight, Hailey pulls away and looks over my shoulder at Ethan. “You two might want to sit down for this.”