Again, the nameless man was knocked backward. Sunlight glinted off the dueling swords. Beads of sweat rolled down Euric’s face as he swung again and again, so fast he didn’t take a moment to catch his breath.
The stranger merely defended the blows, standing tall and unmoving. Several tense minutes passed without a gain for either man. Finally, the stranger took a small step forward, and then another.
Euric’s cheeks had grown red, and his breathing came out in labored gasps. He’d expended all his energy, and the stranger knew it. The nameless man made quick work of his opponent, slashing his sword in a wide arc and causing Euric to reposition his center of balance in order to block the move. The stranger used the moment to his advantage. He struck fast with the broad side of his blade, hitting the back of Euric’s knees. Euric fell forward and hit the ground hard.
The crowd quieted.
Euric’s eyes went wide as he rolled onto his back and looked at the stranger with complete surprise.
“There will be no rebellion today,” the man said and turned away. He sheathed his sword, then crossed to the porch where he grabbed his cloak.
Behind him, Euric got to his knees, then stood, still holding his sword. Rage replaced the shock on his face. Without warning, he lunged for the stranger.
Before his sword tip could impale the stranger between his shoulder blades, another sword blocked it, knocking Euric backward. Euric’s jaw slacked open as he stared at the man who had blocked the blow.
The man who held the sword walked out of the crowd and into the open courtyard. He stood a head taller than the rest and wore a dark brown cloak with a cowl, but when he pushed the cowl back, a gasp came from the crowd.
“The king,” they whispered.
My heart sped up as I stared at the familiar, shoulder-length blond hair and piercing blue eyes of the man who held my heart. When had Kull arrived?
Again, the timing seemed uncanny, and I had visions of Kull and my stepfather sitting around and planning just such an escapade.
Euric stumbled into the courtyard, looking confused as his eyes roved the crowd. “Your… Your Majesty,” he said as he stumbled into a sloppy bow. “I am sorry. I did not know… none of us knew. That is to say—”
“Euric, is it?” Kull asked, his voice commanding attention.
Euric bobbed his head. “Please, spare my life. The words I said were spoken out of ignorance. Had I known you were here—”
“Had you known I was here, your words may have changed, but your heart would have remained the same. Do you know what I do to traitors?”
He knelt, his eyes focused on the ground. “No, Your Majesty.”
“In days long past, the punishment for betraying one’s country resulted in a public beheading. But as you have said, now is a new age.” Kull sheathed his sword and extended his hand.
Euric glanced up, confused, but then he took Kull’s hand and stood.
“Your king has not forgotten you,” Kull said. “You would be wise not to forget your king.”
Euric nodded quickly. “I understand.”
“Good.” Kull smiled, then turned to the crowd. “I’m thirsty. A round of king’s mead for everyone!”
The villagers clapped and cheered. Most of them crowded around the king, hoping to get a glimpse or possibly a handshake from him. I wasn’t sure if Kull had noticed I was among the crowd as I wandered into the building and found an empty seat near a window, giving me a good view of the crowd outside. With the throng of townsfolk surrounding the king, it took a full twenty minutes for Kull to get back inside. The mood had changed. Half an hour ago, the townsfolk had been ready to renounce their country, and now they crowded around the king as if he were their hero.
Kull finally managed to take a seat in the center of the room. After several rounds of drinks, laughter, and a few bawdy jokes, the Wult crowd seemed in their element. I found Euric standing at the edge of the room, his arms crossed and his eyes dark.
I was sure this wasn’t the reaction he’d envisioned when he’d planned his speech. As morning turned to afternoon, the crowd thinned. With his back to me, Kull still hadn’t noticed I was in the room. I watched him from my spot in the corner, admiring the way he handled what could have been the start of a rebellion.
A shadow loomed over me, and I looked up. The stranger stood at my table with the gray wolf waiting at his side. As I got a close-up look at the guy, I was glad my heart belonged to Kull. Otherwise, it would have been hard not to ogle him. His quicksilver eyes glittered with flecks of purple. He had high cheekbones, a square jaw, and thick, almost seductive lips that looked as if they were holding a carefully guarded secret. He wore his long brunette hair in a low ponytail that fell down his back. Muscles corded his lean frame, and although he didn’t have the bulk of a Wult warrior, his toned body suggested that he must have been physically active. His tanned, smooth skin had the texture of porcelain, and as he shook my hand, his fingers were cold, reminding me of glass.
“Are you Olive?” he asked.
I nodded, and he took a seat across from me. He turned to his wolf.
“Grace, mauir phenine.”
The dog sat at his side, keeping its eyes on me.
“What sort of creature is it?”
“She.”
“Excuse me?”
“You called her it. However, Grace is female, so the proper term is she.”
“Okay. What sort of dog is she?”
“She is a mix of a grimwelt and Canis lupus—or wolf—from Earth Kingdom.”
“A mixed breed from Faythander and Earth Kingdom? How is that possible?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Really?
