Page 6 of Quest for her Knights (The Lost Souls of Dyconia #5)

Chapter five

Arrow

“ E lora, I know this is a very unusual situation for you, and for all of us, but there are a few ground rules we need to discuss,” King Ian says as the royal family gathers around the dining table.

Draven, Blaze, and I stand off to the side, silently watching and ready to take action if any threats arise.

“Sure, what are they?” Elora asks casually, shoving more food into her mouth. I try to hide my laugh. She definitely doesn’t eat like a princess, and for some reason, that makes me like her a little more.

When she offered for us to sleep in her room last night, I almost climbed into that bed with her right then and there.

Luckily, with one look, Blaze reminded me why that was not only a bad idea, but also completely crossing the line.

She was a princess, and I was a knight. There would be no going there with her, no matter how much I wanted to.

It didn’t help that since she arrived, she’s been constantly smiling and batting her long eyelashes at me.

Fuck, this woman is nothing like the old Elora.

Although they technically look the same, this Elora is so much warmer.

I can feel the positivity radiating from her.

I really wanted to talk to her more last night, but Blaze made it clear she needed to go to sleep the second she came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a tiny silk nightdress.

Was she trying to kill me?

King Cole’s voice brings me back to the conversation. I’m eager to know what they plan to do with her.

“Outside of this room and the knights, nobody will know you come from another realm. The same goes for Freya. It gets complicated trying to explain this to an entire kingdom, so you’re not to mention it to anyone else.”

“No problem, I won’t tell anyone,” she agrees easily.

“For that reason, you should refer to us as Father and Mother at all times. It’s easier than trying to remember to switch how you address us when others are present.”

“Okay… Father Cole,” she says with a smile before taking a sip of her orange juice.

He nods at her, and King Lewis continues. “The next part is a bit more complicated. Before our daughter… betrayed us, she wa s about to begin the process of meeting potential suitors. It’s something she delayed for years, and she’s really left it too long.”

Princess Freya helpfully chimes in. “Women tend to marry pretty young here, as there are so many options. They can’t live on their own; it’s too dangerous. If they want to leave home, they need to get married.”

“Wow, that’s rather… old-fashioned. But I guess it makes sense for this realm.”

King Lewis continues. “In light of these circumstances, we had arranged a formal suitor tour for Elora, a journey throughout the kingdom during which she would be introduced to potential candidates for marriage. We were hoping that you might be willing to participate.”

My stomach clenches at the thought of her parading around Dyconia, meeting all the eligible noble bachelors. From my experience, being noble doesn’t automatically make you a good person.

“You want me to choose husbands?” she asks in surprise, finally stopping her meal to look up at the king with wide eyes.

“I know this must be strange for you. Is marriage something you were interested in, before you arrived here?” the queen asks gently.

“Well, yeah. Marriage doesn’t scare me, as long as I get to choose?

” she asks. Her eyes quickly dart in our direction before moving back to the queen, sending a strange sensation through me.

Why did she choose that moment to look over here?

Does she feel the same connection to me that I feel toward her?

“Of course. You can choose any of the men we’ve scheduled for you to meet.”

“What if I want to pick someone not on your list?” Elora asks carefully.

“I can assure you, all eligible lords, and even a few noblemen, are already on the schedule.”

“But what if I want to marry someone who isn’t a nobleman?”

Did she have someone in mind, or was she just trying to get clarity on the situation?

“Elora,” King Chase says, drawing her attention. “You have to remember you are a princess here, you can’t marry commoners.”

“Why not?”

I watch as the queen and king’s expressions turn surprised. They don’t answer right away. Instead, they exchange glances before the queen responds.

“Elora, my dear, it’s just not done. I promise you, there are quite a few men on the list. I’m sure you’ll like some of them. In fact, you might find you have too many choices.”

Elora’s eyes meet mine across the room, and I sense unease there. Her gaze moves over my friends standing beside me before she looks back at the queen .

“But I—”

“No, Elora. You will marry someone from the approved list, and that’s final. You are a princess now, and you need to start acting like it,” King Lewis says firmly.

Elora drops her fork and stares at her plate, clearly not liking the answer.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. We have it all planned out for you. You’re leaving tomorrow morning. We’ll have your bags packed so you can spend the day relaxing,” King Chase tells her, trying to ease the tension.

“Actually, maybe we can get Gerald to give her some etiquette lessons today. If we want her to act like a princess while on tour, she needs to be instructed on how to behave properly,” the queen suggests.

“Good idea,” King Chase replies. “Is there anything you need, Elora?”

She looks up at him like she’s a little surprised to be asked.

“Oh, actually, yes. Would I be able to get some sewing supplies? A couple of needles, some thread, and scissors?”

“Sewing supplies? Whatever for?” the queen asks in surprise.

“I’ve been making my own clothes for years. I’d love to alter some of the dresses in my closet to suit me a bit better.”

I have to admit, the long dress she’s wearing today doesn't suit her nearly as well as the short dress she arrived in yesterday did. But it was hard not to stare at all that skin on display, so this dress is probably more appropriate for a princess, or any woman in this realm .

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Those dresses were made by the best seamstresses in all of Dyconia, and they are perfectly suited for a princess,” the queen tells her firmly.

Even from across the room, I can see the disappointment in Elora’s eyes.

“Alright, everyone is excused, except you three,” King Ian says, motioning to Draven, Blaze, and myself.

I watch as Elora silently leaves the room, and I’m happy to see Freya trying to comfort her as they exit.

When the door shuts and it’s just the kings, queen, and the three of us, they motion us over to the table.

“We are sending you three as her personal guards on the tour,” King Cole says, surprising me. When he sees my expression, he continues, “We trust you. But because of her curious nature, I think it’s best if we send someone else with you to oversee this expedition.”

I hold in my groan, knowing exactly who he would task with this, my older brother, Ranger.

Our mother had a hard time conceiving a second child and died in childbirth.

Because Ranger was six when I was born, he took her death hard, but he never held it against me.

If anything, it was the opposite. He always looked after me, took me to play with his friends, helped with my studies, and supported me when I enlisted in the royal guard, just like him, as soon as I was of age .

We were close, but he always acted more like a protector than a brother or best friend.

I always tried to make him laugh, thinking he needed more fun in life, but after joining the guard, he grew less tolerant of my antics, telling me I’m a knight and need to act like it.

He’s still there when I need him, but we don’t talk much these days.

And now I was going to have to go on the road with him for months?

This was going to be a long trip.