Page 83 of When the Duke Met His Match

Wright commanded his orders, and the men were shackled.

Without needing to worry about the ambush any longer, Theophilus let the adrenaline take over, and he pushed himself from the wall. With Odette’s help, they shuffled over to the scene.

Being there was a risk itself, but it didn’t seem to matter then. It was finished, and he didn’t have it left in him to be defensive.

While she moved with more hesitance, surely from being a prisoner to the English crown before, Odette still guided him forward until several of the soldiers nodded respectfully in their direction.

The commotion that circulated through the room hushed the moment the king walked in, guarded by at least two other lieutenants. He glanced around the room, somewhat shaken yet only covered in dust. Otherwise, he looked unharmed.

His gaze darted between the destruction, the rebels, and the men who helped save his life from imminent danger.

To Theophilus’ great relief, Eric emerged from the crowd of soldiers with an exhausted smile on his face, hair slicked back with perspiration.

“Am I ever glad to see that mug of yours,” he murmured, putting a supportive hand against Theophilus’ shoulder.

“It seems you fared better than I did.”

Eric chuckled and wiped at his forehead, returning his attention to the bewildered king.

“You,” the king murmured, pointing toward Lieutenant Wright as he moved further into the room. “You saved my life, Lieutenant. How can I ever thank you?”

Wright bowed his head toward the king respectfully. “It is my duty to guard your life with my own, Your Majesty. Yet, it is them you should thank.”

To his surprise, the lieutenant’s finger pointed at Theophilus, Odette, and Eric. He gave them the faintest hint of a grin. “Despite the bounty on their heads, they risked their freedom to alert me of the planned assassination they discovered in Dover. With their aid, we were able to prepare ourselves for the attack. You owe your life to them.”

The moment the king’s eyes were on them, Theophilus felt as if Odette shrunk into herself, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze to help keep her grounded.

Astonished by the reveal, the king blinked back at them.

“You two…traitors…saved my life,” he managed to say, voice trembling with emotion. It couldn’t be easy to survive an assassination and live to tell the tale. “Perhaps you are not traitorous after all. I don’t know how to thank you.”

There were many things Theophilus wished to say to the king, yet with the adrenaline ebbing out of his system, his wounds began to ache all over again. He managed a weak smile with a hand against his heart. “It was an honor to serve you, Your Majesty.”

A fresh wave of pain forced his legs to buckle beneath him, collapsing into Odette’s arms before he could catch himself. Theophilus took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.

Odette kept him steady with her careful hold around his back, eyes unmoving from the king. He heard her harsh swallow.

“We did what needed to be done,” she announced, voice wavering from the weight of it all. “For the king and our country.”

The king’s gaze remained on the trio as several soldiers moved in around them with other shackles in their grasp.

Theophilus had hoped it wouldn’t come to their arrest, but it seemed that fate was out of their hands. He released his held breath and saw no sense in fighting it.

A hand went into the air, and the soldiers halted. Eyes set on the king, Wright managed to stop them before they could cuff them.

“That won’t be necessary,” the king decided, hands folded behind his back.

Theophilus’ heart squeezed, full of hope once more. An overwhelming sensation coursed through him, stinging the corners of his eyes. They truly had done the right thing, and his intuition helped guide them in the right direction.

“These people…” the king said, voice traveling through the room full of rubble, rebels, and soldiers. He pointed at the three of them, boasting a grateful smile. “They did what an entire army could not. They are heroes, not traitors. I expect them to be treated as such.”

Closing his eyes in disbelief, Theophilus found the situation surreal. Despite the unlikely chances they faced in the beginning, they managed to spare the crown from a multitude of chaos and undoing. As a result, they had been pardoned directly by the king himself.

He never imagined he’d ever find himself in such a position. Ever since he knew the weight of being concealed within his brother’s shadow, he only wanted greatness. Through the trials and tribulations, he found a love greater than any other desire and embarked on a more exhausting journey than he had anticipated.

By then, he only wanted rest and tranquility—the chance to slow down and exist alongside the woman he held above all else.

“Have the real traitors removed from this place,” the king directed his soldiers, gazing upon the rebels with contempt. “We will decide their fate another time.”