Prince Bernd crowded me, and I forced myself to remain still. I’d done nothing wrong. Rounding my shoulders, I stood tall, which was relative where the prince was concerned, but still. I lifted my chin, and he looked down at me, his lips tugging at the corner as he met my gaze.
“You’re not scared of me, are you?”
I shook my head. “No.” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat, trying again. “No, Your Highness.” I worried my bottom lip with my teeth, and his eyes dropped to follow the movement before darting back up. He cocked his head to one side, our bodies so close I could feel the heat coming off his huge frame. His shoulders and chest were impossibly wide, and despite being younger than me, he had an old soul, as if he’d been around centuries longer than I had. I supposed it was part of his heritage. Bear shifters had been around for so long only King Alarick knew for certain when they’d first walked the earth.
“Who are you?” he asked again, his words quiet and filled with curiosity.
Unable to take the intensity of his gaze, I averted my eyes and turned my face away, pretending I was looking at something else. His fingers under my chin sent a shiver through me, and I hated that I couldn’t stop from visibly trembling. He chuckled, a low rumble that seemed to reverberate up from his chest and went straight to my sexy places. Moving my chin, he gently forced me to look up at him.
“Now, Saer.” His voice was a low purr, and I all but melted. “Why don’t you tell me what a pretty little thing like you is doing wandering my palace?”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “Really? Pretty little thing? You giving that medieval armor behind you a run for its money on flirting old-school style?”
Prince Bernd blinked at me before letting out a bark of laughter, which seemed to surprise him just as much as it did me. He shook his head, as if trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
You and me both, buddy.
“I’m sorry,” he said, taking a quick step back. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just meant, you’re in my palace, and you’re pretty.” He cringed. “Sorry. Not what I meant. Whether you’re pretty or not has no bearing. Not to my question, anyway. I wasn’t trying to be, um, never mind.” He laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, it’s been an eventful morning. Can we start over?”
“That sounds like a great idea.” I couldn’t help my smile. He was adorable when he was flustered.
“I’m Prince Bernd.” He took my hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss as he bowed over it. Did he always kiss the hands of those he met, or was it just me? Considering how I was all but ready to swoon, I’d hazard a guess it was me and my not-so-subtle reaction to him. My cheeks burned, and I swallowed past the lump in my throat.
“I’m Saer. I—”
The large doors to the prince’s study opened, and the king’s advisor, Lord Eldrich, appeared, his smile warm. His chin dropped in the direction of our hands, and I wondered how he knew. Lord Eldrich had lost his sight some time ago, yet I’d never known anyone so attuned to the world around him.
“Prince Bernd, young Saer, the king is ready to see you.”
Prince Bernd released my hand and frowned down at me. “You were summoned?”
I nodded.
The prince opened his mouth to say something, most likely ask me what the hell the king wanted with me, but then seemed to decide against it. No one wanted to keep the king waiting.
Inside the sitting room, I couldn’t help but smile at our king. He was an odd duck for sure, but that just made him more interesting in my book. Today he wore a dark fuchsia three-piece suit with a matching tie and white shirt, his black cloak hanging regally from his shoulders. He ran a black-gloved finger over one of the intricately carved designs on the wood bookshelf in front of him.
“Absolutely exquisite,” King Alarick said, turning to us with a bright smile. “Prince Bernd, I hear every piece of furniture in your personal collection is quite the gem, each telling a story from one of your favorite books.”
Prince Bernd stared at King Alarick, his expression stunned. “That’s right.” He didn’t bother asking how the king knew that. King Alarick knew everything. I studied the king, wondering what that little smirk on his face was about.
“You must be an exceptional storyteller for the carpenter to translate your words into such imagery.”
“Oh, I don’t tell the carpenter what to create,” the prince replied. He shrugged. “He’s been the royal carpenter since I was a boy. I suppose he just knows me very well by now.”
King Alarick raised a brow. “I see.” He glanced at me before moving his gaze to Lord Eldrich, who stepped up to the bookshelf and brushed a thumb over one of the carved roses.
“So much love poured into every stroke.”
I made a choking sound, and everyone turned to face me. Smooth. So smooth.
The king’s smile gave nothing away. “Do you have something to say, young Saer?”
I shook my head. Nope. Nothing at all. Not one peep.
King Alarick playfully nudged Lord Eldrich’s cheek. “Didn’t know you were such a romantic, Jean.”
Wait. Was Lord Eldrich… blushing? Granted, I didn’t know the king’s advisor well and had simply heard stories about him. King Alarick was the only king I knew who didn’t need an entourage of bodyguards, and not because he was the powerful King of All Shifters, but because he merely needed one man: Lord Eldrich. Anyone who believed the king’s advisor had stopped being one of the fiercest warriors around because he’d lost his sight was in for a very painful surprise. For centuries, rumors followed the mysterious man. No one knew what kind of shifter he was. Was he even a shifter? I’d tried several times to sniff out an answer, but he didn’t smell like any shifter I knew. Rumor was, not even the king knew, but he trusted Lord Eldrich like no other, and no one was as fiercely loyal to the king or as protective.
Lord Eldrich cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should get on with it, Your Majesty.”
“Of course.” King Alarick took a seat on the elegant love seat before them, Lord Eldrich standing beside him. They made quite the handsome pair. So much power in one room. It struck me then how small and insignificant I was. I was in a room with a shifter prince, the King of All Shifters, and a powerful shifter warrior.
“This is a mistake,” I blurted.
The king’s smile was kind. “I don’t make mistakes, young Saer.”
Lord Eldrich coughed into his hand, and King Alarick elbowed him gently in the ribs, making Lord Eldrich laugh softly. I couldn’t help my smile. They were sort of sweet together. In a very scary kinda way.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Prince Bernd said, looking from the king to me and back. “Who is he, and why is he here?”
The king crossed one long, regal leg over the other, then laced his fingers on his knee. “Prince Bernd, the time has come for you to prove you are worthy of your title. You may take only what you can carry on your back, with one exception.”
Oh Goddess, here it comes. I closed my eyes and braced myself.
“Saer will accompany you and serve as your guide.”
Nothing. I cracked open one eye and peeked up at the prince. He was confused, and I didn’t blame him. I’d had the same expression on my face when I received my summons.