Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“What is it?” I grumbled. Thankfully, I didn’t have to fake my early-morning grumpiness. There was nothing more terrifying than finding the cops on your doorstep first thing in the morning.
“Governor Brimsey has invited you to break your fast with him this morning. He has sent his personal carriage to fetch you. It is waiting in front of the inn,” the guard stated, loud enough for all the occupants of the third floor to hear. Lovely. That helped my efforts to keep a low profile so much.
“Fine. Fine,” I muttered, holding on to my spoiled and annoyed royal persona while I freaked the fuck out on the inside. “Go away while I get dressed. I’ll be along shortly.”
The guard gave an additional bow and retreated along the hall and disappearing down the stairs. The second he was out of sight, Nylian’s door whipped open, and he hurried across to my room, still pulling on his shirt while his hair was a messy gold curtain behind him.
“What the hell are we supposed to do?” I demanded in a harsh whisper as I closed the door behind him.
“We need to get out of here. Best to sneak out the back and try to lie low on the east side of town until I can find us a caravan to join,” Nylian stated.
This all made sense. If I went out trying to pretend to be the real Prince Victor Montcroix, I was going to be caught. But was running the best option? Or were we missing out on a great opportunity to dig up some valuable information for Nylian? It was risky, but it could prove worth it.
“Pack your things and get ready to go. I’ll—”
“What if I go to breakfast with the governor?” I asked.
Nylian had paced over to the window and peered out through a slit in the curtains, probably checking to see how many guards were surrounding the inn. He twisted around, his eyes wide. “What? Have you lost your mind?”
“Would it be that hard to impersonate him? It’s not like their first thought is going to be that Prince Victor’s body is now inhabited by a man from another world.” I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Plus, you need information on what the Edros royal family is scheming. The king and Prince Rufus have a relatively good relationship with Wolfrest, but we all know Prince Victor is the loose cannon everyone has to worry about. Maybe this Governor Brimsey is in cahoots with him, and I can get the dirt on what Victor was planning.”
Nylian pulled away from my grip with a scowl. “You’re insane.”
Except he hadn’t said it with the force I would have expected. It was soft and thoughtful.
“You know I’m right. The entire purpose of going to Galinaes is to find out if the royals are plotting against your family. You need the same damn information about Edros. It was the entire reason you allowed me to ‘tag along.’ Except you didn’t get that information from me because I’m not Victor, and I don’t know what the fucker was planning.” I chased after him as he paced the room, his expression growing darker with every step.
Nylian spun, getting right in my face. “The only problem is that if your performance doesn’t convince the governor or if you say the wrong thing, you’re going to be thrown into the dungeon, or worse, executed for impersonating the prince. I won’t be able to save you if you get into trouble.”
That was true.
“It’s worth the risk,” I said. “If we can mark Edros off your list of potential threats, you can focus your attention on all the others.”
“Lockhart—”
“We don’t have time to argue about this,” I cut him off. I didn’t want to listen to any more worries that might chip away at the confidence I’d cobbled together. “The carriage is waiting. While I get dressed, I want you to tell me everything you know about the prince. It’ll help my improvising.”
Nylian frowned at me, not liking this plan at all, but in the end, he nodded and began listing every detail he’d experienced personally or heard from another. Sadly, it wasn’t much more than the vague details that I knew from my own plans.
Victor Montcroix had been born the second son and middle child of King Gerald and Queen Cordelia. He was a spoiled brat with an inferiority complex when it came to his older brother. While only twenty-four, he was completely confident that he could run Edros far better than his brother and conquer all the other kingdoms, starting with Wolfrest.
Unfortunately, there were plenty of nobles who held the same belief as Victor, or who at least believed they could manipulate him far more easily than his brother Rufus. The problem I faced was that I didn’t know in which camp Governor Samuel Brimsey fell. Was he pro-Victor who wanted to steal the crown, or was he pro-Rufus?