AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No one leaves that late in the day.” Night was when we hunkered in our safe spots, hoping the monsters didn’t sniff us out.
“No point in waiting.”
“Speaking of waiting, I’m starved. Can I at least be fed first?”
“Of course. I’ll return shortly.” He left, a crazy monarch who truly believed he could dream of the future.
Me, I wanted to find my friends for a chat. But I wasn’t about to leave his room dressed in a flimsy robe and my face uncovered. I searched his room for a way to cover myself. His wardrobe held several robes, much too large for me but workable. I chose one of his black veils to wrap around my head.
I held my ear to the door for a listen. Heard nothing and so I cracked open the portal to blink at the sight of Palla locked in a passionate embrace with a giant.
She sprang away as she sensed my arrival with a flustered, “Ash, you’re awake!”
“And you’re kissing a giant.”
Yaanik blushed. “I’ll go tell Jrijori you’re awake.” He fled, and I raised a brow at my friend.
She gave an unabashed grin. “You never mentioned how handsome the giants were.”
“How long have you been…?” I waved a hand in gesture.
“I met them after they dropped you off at the castle. Jrijori and Qynn used them as go-betweens.”
“I’m happy for you.” I really was. Palla deserved to find happiness. “But could you have kissed himafterrescuing me?”
“I don’t understand. Rescue you from what?”
“The King!”
“Wow. Did you ever wake up stupid. The King isn’t out to hurt you.”
“He kidnapped me.”
“He saved your life!” Palla hotly exclaimed. “You would have died if it wasn’t for him.”
The fact she defended him led me to asking, “What happened? I don’t remember much after the dragon slammed my head into the wall.”
“I don’t know about you, but I didn’t know anything was happening until someone came running in while Tizana Triple Nipple was finishing her routine. Screamed monsters were attacking. At first, we thought they meant the lower levels. Only when we went outside, someone saw one flying back and forth in front of your window.”
“Which explains the pounding that almost got me killed.” My dry thanks.
“Sorry, I panicked when I couldn’t get in.”
“I was kind of dealing with a monster at the time.” A shiver hit me at the reminder of how close I’d come to dying.
“Anyhow, when I realized that thing was inside with you, I went looking for an axe. And that’s when the King came bursting inside, looking crazed. He went pounding up those stairs to your room.”
“And chopped down the door to get to me,” I surmised. “Must have been a big and sharp axe, given how quickly he got inside.”
“Actually, no. Never did find an axe. The King slammed into the door once with his shoulder, and when that didn’t work, he stepped back, flung out his hands, and bam!” Palla exclaimed.
“Bam what?”
“The door exploded.”
“Good thing I wasn’t behind it.”
“Oh, he’d never hurt you. First thing he did was use himself as a shield between you and the monster. I swear it’s like he knew exactly where you were. He sprang into place, wielding his sword.” Palla mimed the motion and added sound effects.
