Page 29 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown (Kingdom of Bellhollow #1)

I sigh and close my eyes for a couple of seconds. There is no way of getting around this. He knows something is wrong, and he isn’t going to let it go.

“I had some lessons at the palace, and I was nervous. I didn’t want to mess up,” I gently say.

That is part of the truth. I spent the whole morning leading up to Prince Archie coming to my house as a nervous wreck. I didn’t want to get into trouble and bring something bad upon my family.

“Lessons about what?” He cocks his head to the side.

“How to eat properly,” I mutter. “Apparently, I don’t know how to eat properly and need to be taught.”

According to Hilga and Maria’s standards, they are correct. I would stick out if I ate like them in Bellhollow. That is not how we eat here and never will.

“Let me see your hand.” Kieran holds his own out.

I take a step back, anxiety rushing through me. He knows something is wrong with my hand, and by the look on his face, he isn’t going to give this up easily.

Calmness spreads through me like it has done so many times, and I look at Kieran, confused. Is that him? Is he the one who keeps making me feel calm? I felt it once today when I was heading to the palace, but it was very short and didn’t help much.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” he soothes. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to see your hand. I want to make sure you are okay.”

I shake my head once again. “It’s really nothing. I am fine. I really should get home now.”

Kieran just stares at me for several seconds. “Can I please see your hand?” he asks politely.

I stop myself from taking a step back. Kieran has never done anything to hurt me, and he isn’t going to start now. But it’s natural instinct to want to move back and create distance.

“I don’t want you getting angry,” I honestly reply.

“I saw your hand earlier when you thought no one was with you,” he informs me. “Let me see it.”

I pull my left hand out from behind me, and he gently places it on top of his. He examines it, taking everything in.

“A stick?” he asks.

“Yes.” My voice breaks.

A small stick that hurt every single time she brought it down on my hand. I thought my hand would go numb at some point, but it never happened. I felt every. Single. Strike.

“I’ll kill them if I ever see them.” His voice is deadly calm.

“It’s okay. I messed up multiple times,” I try to justify the corporal punishment.

“There is no excuse for that,” he brushes off my comment.

He releases my hand and takes a deep breath. After a few moments, I search his face, but all I can see is anger. He’s angry just like I thought he would be.

“That should have never happened to you,” he growls and closes his eyes, taking yet another deep breath. “You should have never have been struck.”

And I agree with him. I didn’t want it, but the prince has left Hilga and Maria in charge of teaching me and that is their method.

“Keep applying the gel. If I had my magic, I would heal it immediately so you wouldn’t be in any more pain. If I had my magic, I would make sure this would have never happened.” He kisses my forehead. “They will suffer when I see them. They will not get away with this.”

And I believe him.

“I have to go back next week,” I whisper, not knowing why I am admitting that.

He growls once again, filling the forest and silencing all the animals.

Kieran takes my other hand, placing something in it. I look at him puzzled, but he doesn’t say anything.

“What was that?” I ask.

“Do not look at it until you get into your house and into your room. Promise me that,” he implores me, looking me straight in the eye.

“I promise,” I say without thinking.

Curiosity runs through me as I try to think of what it could possibly be. It’s round, yet a little rough. It could be a rock or a gem. I won’t know until I get home and can finally look at it.

“If I could do anything, I would go after them right now and teach them a lesson. I would teach everyone a lesson not to hurt my mate, not to touch my mate. It is unacceptable.” His hand tightens around mine, anger coursing through him.

“No one should dare mess with another person’s mate.

No one should harm anyone and yet here they have,” his voice comes out softer this time.

“You care that much?” I ask, not fully understanding.

I care about Kieran, but his feelings seem to run deeper than mine. His emotions toward me seem to be a lot stronger and more primal than everyone else’s.

“You mean the world to me, and knowing someone is hurting you and not being able to do a thing is killing me. I want to fight them off, show them who is in control, but I can’t.” He sighs. “And for that I am sorry.”

My eyebrows pull together. “You don’t have to be sorry.”

It’s not his fault the prince has taken an interest in me. I know if Kieran had his way, none of this would be happening right now.

He looks down at my injured hand. “Make sure you put the salve on it again, several times. It will help with the healing and make sure not to use it too much.”

“I will,” I reply.

“Now, go home. It is far too cold out here for you to be walking around with only a thin coat on.” He looks thoroughly unimpressed with my choice of clothes.

But it will not deter me from walking out in the forest in winter. I love it too much.

“Go on.” He lets go of my hand. “Go home.”

“And I will see you again?” I can’t help but ask.

He smiles. “You will.”

I turn around and make my way back home, clutching whatever Kieran has put in my hand tightly so I don’t lose it.

“Ah, you’re back,” my mother greets me as I walk into the house.

“Yes, I need to change, then I can help you,” I reply, going straight to my bare room. I have a single dresser for my few clothes and my bed, but nothing else.

The curiosity is burning inside of me. I want to know what I am holding. I want to know why he told me not to look at it until I got home.

I close the door behind me and open my palm, my eyebrows scrunching together as I look at what’s in my hand.

A ring.