I didn’t respond, my eyes on Royce. Could a king love? Did he want to? Surely, they didn’t want to not go through life without feeling some sort of affection, having someone care about them so deeply that it made them feel purpose in life.
Or were their lives so much different that love never was in the equation? None of the kings up until now had really talked about anyone with much affection.
Well, except themselves.
Royce pulled off his shirt and the crowd cheered, the girl next to me making a sound that had me grating my teeth together. I had no claim on Royce or Arthur, yet there was a ball of fury that welled up in my chest as Royce flexed for the crowd, riling them up to a frenzy.
When his eyes landed on me, his lips lifted into a grin.
No, I wasn’t going to take it that he was glad I was here. I wasn’t going to play into the feelings that had been swirling inside me for quite some time. This was a king, a dangerous guy who was going to squash my heart.
I just knew it.
I rolled my eyes at him instead and he turned away, his expression growing cold as he looked at his opponent. The other guy in the ring was impressive looks-wise, and clearly outweighed Royce by a few pounds. He tossed his sword from hand to hand and I saw Royce narrow his gaze, doing the same. He was sizing up his opponent, standing on the balls of his feet so that he could attack quickly once the bell sounded.
All the things he had trained me to do.
The bell sounded and I watched as Royce launched a flurry of attacks, the swords clashing violently, but not quieting the crowd in the slightest.
His opponent was surprisingly light on his feet and was giving a good show. When Royce lunged, he nearly was clipped by the other guy’s sword, dodging out of the way in time to avoid another cut on his skin.
I gripped the railing tightly as I watched him move about, his expression intense as he studied his opponent’s moves. I made the moves with him in my mind, trying to find a flaw that he always tried to exploit in me, but finding none in either opponent.
A well-matched fight.
Finally, the opponent made a move and my heart leapt in my throat as Royce saw an opening, nicking the other man’s skin with his sword before stepping back, breathing hard. The crowd went wild as his arm was held up, signifying he had won.
A king had won. That was what it was all about.
Which king would win me? Did I want one of them to?
***
Despite my better judgment, I hung around until the fights were over and Royce was walking out, his bag slung over his shoulder. “Hey, pauper,” he said, walking over to where I was waiting. “What did you think?”
“You nearly lost,” I teased. “Maybe you’re losing your skill.”
He grinned, tossing his keys in the air. “Is that what you really think?”
“It was a good match,” I said instead, desperately trying to ignore the rapid beat of my heart.
Royce looked around. “Where’s Jo? I thought she was with you.”
“A bunch of freshmen decided to cut out early and go to a party,” I supplied, crossing my arms over my chest.
Royce took a step toward me. “But you didn’t.”
“I didn’t.”
When his hand cupped my cheek, I closed my eyes, loosening a breath in the process. I shouldn’t be doing this with him.
This would only complicate things further.
Royce was confusing the hell out of me.
His lips touched mine and I made a sound low in my throat, torn between pulling away and throwing him on the ground. His mouth fitted over mine and for what seemed like hours, we just kissed, heedless of anyone that might see us. I wanted to pretend that he was just another guy and I was just another girl, and, in this moment, we were.
Royce was the first to pull away, pressing his forehead to mine. “Damn, pauper, I fucking want you.”
Realizing that my hand was fisted in his shirt, I removed it, my body shaking with need. I couldn’t give in to Royce, not right now.
Oh, but I wanted to. “I can’t.”
He let out a breath. “I could talk you into it.”
I knew all too well he could. Forcing my feet to move, I put distance between us. There was no mistaking the heat in intense gaze and I felt my resolve start to crumble, knowing that for a little while, he could make me forget who I was and what was going on in my life.
But having sex with Royce wasn’t going to solve anything. If nothing else, it was going to complicate it.
“I’m going to let you walk away, pauper,” Royce said softly, his voice laced with tension. “Only because I see the war you are having with your own mind. But next time you fucking kiss me like that, I won’t.”
I gave a jerky nod and walked away quickly, the taste still on my lips. Royce was right about one thing. I was warring with myself, which wasn’t going to help me out at all in my fight with Isauros.
Apparently, neither were the kings.
Chapter 5
Anna
Winter gave way to spring in the blink of an eye. Though the kings were still being overprotective of me, they had backed off some with their need to protect me all the time.
Plus, they were all busy with their own classes, so I saw them nowhere near as much as I had been. Besides that, the rumors had nearly died off now that the kings weren’t spending all their time with me, though it was quite funny to hear the new set that were whispered in the corners of the academy.
The kings were bored with me.
I thought I was too good for them.
They had tied me up and started crazy sex games that I had freaked out about, leaving them alone to their own vices.
Heck, there was even one where the kings had a basement full of women like me, taking on their next victim.
It was all crazy, but I imagined that the kings were basking in the rumors.
Me? I wasn’t going to lie; it was nice to feel like I was just a normal student again.
Johanna and I had grown closer than ever. Without the kings occupying my time, she and I had done things together like normal girlfriends would with the other freshmen. I had even made another friend or two, though the stigma of my American background still hung over my head. Not even my alliance with a princess or my fledgling relationship with the kings could erase the fact that I was out of my league here.
Well, until I took my rightful title.
Even Isauros had backed off. Of course, I had stayed out of her way, especially since I would be fighting royal families if I tried to go after her for the threats on my life.
All in all, I was just lying low.