Twisted-Games

seeing he’d gotten under my skin. “I have no intention of abdicating, stepping
aside, or handing my responsibilities to anyone else.” No matter how much I
want to. “One day, I’ll sit on the throne, and you’ll have to answer to me—if
you are still in power then.” Erhall’s face darkened at my not-so-subtle dig.
“Therefore, it’s best for everyone involved if we have a civil relationship.” I
paused, then added, “On that note, I suggest monitoring your tone when
speaking with me or any member of the royal family. You are a guest here.
That’s it.”
“You—” Erhall took a step toward me, then blanched and quickly
stepped back.
Rhys came up beside me, his face expressionless but his eyes darker than
a thundercloud. “Is he bothering you, Your Highness?”
Erhall glared at him but wisely kept his mouth shut.
“No. The Speaker was just leaving.” I flashed a polite smile. “Weren’t
you, Mr. Speaker?”
The Speaker’s lips thinned. He gave me a tight nod and a curt “Your
Highness” before spinning on his heel and marching away.
“What did he say to you?” Menace rolled off Rhys in palpable waves, and
I was certain he would hunt Erhall down and snap his neck if I gave the okay.
“Nothing worth repeating. Really,” I repeated when Rhys continued
glaring at the spot where Erhall had stood. “Forget about him.”
“He was about to grab you.”
“He wouldn’t have.” I wasn’t sure what Erhall had planned to do before
Rhys showed up, but he was too savvy to lose his cool in public. “Please,
drop it. I just want to sleep. It’s been a long night.”
I didn’t want to waste more energy on Erhall. He wasn’t worth it.
Rhys complied, though he didn’t look happy about it. Then again, he
rarely looked happy.
He escorted me to my room, and when we arrived at my door, he pulled
something out of his suit pocket.
“Your birthday present,” he said gruffly, handing me a rolled-up sheet of
paper tied with a ribbon. “Nothing fancy, but I had it and thought you might
like it.”
My breath caught. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
We never bought each other birthday presents. The most we did was buy
each other a meal, and even then, we pretended it was for something other
than the other’s birthday.