The Lost King

by Leilani Love

  The Lost King

  Saving The King

  Leilani Love

  Copyright © 2018 by Leilani Love

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Also by Leilani Love

  A King’s Tale

  Saving the King

  The Lost King

  * * *

  The Dragon Ruby Series

  Violca’s Dragon

  The King’s Fire

  Violca’s Vow

  Kassandra’s Wolf

  Warrick’s Hope

  Ally’s Guard

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Amanda called down to Arthur as he walked out of the Madam’s house. Arthur turned and winked up at her as she leaned out the window, a flirty grin on her lips and her breast spilling out of the frayed red robe she’d put on after he left.

  “Arthur, you come back real soon, and ask for me,” she cooed, before she blew him a kiss.

  Arthur’s chest puffed up with pride as he winked at her, then he stepped back and bowed. Once he straightened he noticed that one of the women he had met briefly downstairs was now in the window next to Amanda. “Next time you come Arthur, Amanda will have to quit being so selfish and let the rest of us have a go.” With that, she stood up and parted her robe, baring her overly large breasts for the world to see. His eyes widened in appreciation. As he took another step back, he slipped on a pile of mud and landed on his back with a plop.

  His eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath. The sound of laughter from Amanda and her friend forced him to open his eyes and look up to find a woman as lovely as the famed goddess Venus peering down. She was wearing a white fur cloak that covered her from the neck down. As his gaze scanned up, he noticed perfectly shaped, bow lips quirked up into a soft smile. When his gaze finally met hers, he found himself getting lost in a pair of slanted, sapphire blue eyes framed by thick, long lashes. One of her brows arched up in amusement and her midnight black hair had two perfect ringlets that framed her lovely face.

  Still trying to catch his breath he opened his mouth, but no words came out as he watched her turn her head and look up to the windows above. Her cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink and she quickly averted her gaze. A quick glance showed him that Amanda had chosen not to be outdone by her friend, and Arthur blushed trying to get up to apologize.

  Before he could get to his knees, a giant of a man appeared behind her and whispered something in her ear, making her nod and walk away from him. He followed her with his gaze as she walked to a carriage, and the giant man talked to the driver. A little boy no older than five years came running past and grabbed something from her cloak. Before he could yell, the mountain man grabbed the kid and held him in the air by the collar of his shirt.

  He gave the child a sympathetic look as the goddess walked up to him and placed her hand on his arm. Too far away to hear what was being said, he watched as they exchanged words until the boy pointed to a nearby shop. The blonde woman who had been standing near the carriage door gave the giant a nod and disappeared to where the boy pointed, and then reappeared from the corner with a younger girl who was covered in more mud than the street he was lying in.

  The man set the boy on his feet and kept a hand on his collar, so that he couldn’t run. The dark-haired Venus opened the door to the carriage and the giant man swore under his breath and used his free hand to help her in before he picked up both children and put them inside the carriage. The lady’s blonde companion was grinning away as he helped her, and he could see the man’s irritation by his stiff jaw and jerky movements. He couldn’t hear what the man was muttering but if he were a betting man the words were not fit for mixed company.

  Arthur wished he was close enough to hear what had just happened and where she was taking the kids. When he stood up, he noticed a man who looked to be chuckling at the scenario that had just happened. “Who was that?” Arthur asked hoping the man knew.

  “That was Princess Guinevere,” the man said as he walked toward him. The big smile he gave Arthur showed his dimple on his right cheek. His hazel eyes danced with mischief and his wavy hair blew out around his face.

  There was something about him. Arthur was curious about the man, but more so about the woman who’d just left. “Princess Guinevere? The one who is expected to marry the crown prince?”

  The man gave a short nod, “The one and only.”

  Arthur turned to look as the carriage started to leave and the children were no longer in sight. “Did she just kidnap those two children?”

  The man laughed. “It depends on whom you ask, some say she kidnaps them and bathes in their blood for beauty, others say she rescues them.”

  Arthur shook his head. He had heard rumors about the Princess Guinevere, but he never could have imagined she would appear before him like a Venus. He heard his cousin Lancelot chuckle as he walked up behind him and claspped him on his back, “She is way above you, cousin. You have a better chance of sleeping with the queen herself than getting near the Ice Princess.”

  When Arthur turned around again, the man had vanished. “I don’t know about that dear friend.”

  Guinevere tried not to smile as Bors gave her a dirty look. His brown eyes narrowed as he took the young girl from Elizabeth. Elizabeth was Bors’ only daughter, and her companion and she also appeared to be having a hard time not laughing at the situation.

  “Milady, you can’t rescue every thief you find on the street,” Bors said, giving her a stern look even as he reached into his bag to give both children a piece of bread.

  It tugged at her heart to see the young boy only take a few bites so that his little sister could have more. “Bors, they are hungry. We couldn’t leave them out there.” She leaned forward in the seat and gave the boy another slice of bread. “What is your name?”

  “Marcus,” he whispered.

  When the little girl yawned, she tried to sit on her brother’s lap. Bors grumpily pulled her from his lap and tucked her onto his. Marcus looked like he wanted to complain, but then his sister looked up at the giant of a man who held her and curled up closer to him before closing her eyes. Marcus sat back but kept a wary eye on the man.

  “Marcus, can I have my purse back?” she asked, reaching out her hand.

  With a swallow, he reached into his sleeve and pulled it out, handing it to her. “You have very quick fingers Marcus, I almost didn’t feel it.”

  “I—I am sorry,” he stuttered.

  “Where is your mother? Your father?” she asked, curious.

  “They passed,” Marcus answered as he looked down.

  Guinevere nodded. Lately there had been more and more orphaned children. Bors often accused her of trying to save them all. She sat back in her seat and avoided looking at Bors. Despite all his complain
ing, she knew he would never leave the children out there alone. Elizabeth pretended to be busy, but Guinevere could almost feel her smiling.

  “Milady, what are we going to say to the Prince when we show up with two children?” Bors asked, as he adjusted the girl in his arms, so she could rest comfortably.

  Guinevere sighed. He was right. Prince Gregory was known for a lot of things, but his generosity and love for his people was definitely not one of them. Guinevere was here visiting with Gregory and his family. The last discussion of when her and Gregory’s wedding would take place resulted in a promise from her father that she would spend more time at Camelot. It looked like her father’s attempts to stall the wedding were causing a rift, and Guinevere knew that soon she would be forced to fulfill the obligation of her wedding contract.

  Not one to wallow in self-pity, she looked at the boy and the little girl across from her sleeping soundly on Bors. “Before we get to the castle, there is a widow who lives outside. We can stop by her house and drop the children off there. Give her some money to clothe and feed them, we’ll have her keep an eye on them until we can figure out what to do.”

  Bors nodded and Guinevere stared out the window. When they neared the widow’s house, Bors tapped on the carriage wall, telling the driver to stop. They had been to the widow’s house enough that the driver must have guessed what she wanted and pulled up to the house. Bors’ hands were full of the two sleeping children, so the driver opened the door and helped Guinevere out. When he took her hand, she gave him a bright smile, “Thank you.”

  Murphy’s cheek turned bright red and he bobbed his head, “You’re welcome, milady.”

  Guinevere took a step forward as she straightened her dress. The widow’s name was MaryAnn and she had two children of her own. They were older, ten and twelve, if she remembered correctly. They’d met when the two boys had decided to run in front of a carriage that she was in with the Prince. Since the Prince was driving his new open carriage, he wanted to teach the boys a lesson. MaryAnn had come out begging him to show mercy and Guinevere herself talked him out of the lashing he’d decided they deserved.

  MaryAnn stepped from the cabin, giving her a warm, welcoming smile. When she started to bow Guinevere quickly took a step forward taking her hand in hers to stop her. “MaryAnn, I was wondering if I could impose on you to do me a favor.”

  “Anything Your Highness,” she said, nodding eagerly.

  “This is Marcus and his sister. Would you mind helping by keeping them with you until I can find them a home?” Guinevere asked as Bors helped the sleepy boy down while still holding Marcus’ little sister in his arms.

  “It will be an honor, milady.”

  Bors helped her bring them in and Elizabeth paid her several gold coins. Guinevere took MaryAnn’s hand smiling, “Thank you so much for your help.”

  MaryAnn blushed, nodding, “. You saved my boys and have helped my family so much. I owe you so much more than just watching over two children who look like they need some motherly care. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  Guinevere nodded and let Bors lead her back into the carriage, fussing over her like an old mother hen as he told her that they were running late. Sitting properly in her spot, she adjusted her dress and looked out the window, wishing there was something else she could do for her people besides honoring a contract her father had signed with the previous king. She wished he’d never signed it. How could he have promised her to a man before either of them had even been born?

  Chapter 2

  Guinevere sat patiently as Elizabeth finished pinning up her hair. Once finished, she stood and checked her reflection critically. The dress was green with gold ribbons throughout. Elizabeth had done a beautiful job weaving even more gold ribbons into her hair.

  “You look beautiful milady,” Elizabeth said, standing behind her.

  “Thank you, Elizabeth. It is only because of your hard work,” she said, giving her friend a smile.

  Elizabeth snorted and gave her a look that said she didn’t believe her.

  “Are you ready to go down?” Elizabeth asked.

  She nodded as she fidgeted with her skirt one more time. Guinevere couldn’t help that nervous feeling she had in the pit of her stomach.

  With her shoulders back and her head held high, she left the room. Music, and the buzz of speech echoed up through the walls as she made her way down the long hall. When she arrived at the East Wing, she stood at the top of the stairs looking down. From there she could make out King Edward sitting on his throne, two of his women companions draped over him, while Queen Madeline sat like a statue, pretending not to see them.

  A glance to the left revealed Prince Greggory, his mistress, Rebecca, on his arm like she belonged there. Her long blond hair was pulled up on the top of her head with a few ringlets framing her heart shaped face. Rebecca saw her first. Her full red lips lifted in a smirk, while one of her perfect brows raised, and her brown eyes locked with Guinevere’s. Everyone knew who Rebecca was to the prince. The fact that she was there on his arm was meant to put Guinevere in her place. The joke was on them, Guinevere would have gladly let Rebecca marry him in her place.

  Greggory followed Rebecca’s gaze. As much as Guinevere hated him, she had to admit he was a handsome man. He had soft sandy blond hair, seafoam green eyes, and an olive complexion that made them stand out even more. His full lips had her wanting a kiss when the two of them had first met.

  With a glance at their linked arms, and back to his face, she tilted her head and bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling at Rebecca’s pout as he untangled himself from her, excusing himself. He walked up the stairs, straight to her. Guinevere noticed how everyone parted for him, giving him room. When he reached her side, he gave her a smile and brought her hand to his lips. “Milady, you look beautiful tonight.”

  “Thank you,” she said politely. “I was just thinking the same about Rebecca.”

  “Guinevere, you know her beauty pales compared to yours. She was just expressing her interest in being one of your lady companions, once we finally take our vows.”

  She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her.

  “The arrogance of men never ceases to surprise me,” Guinevere replied giving him an overly bright smile while she watched the color drain from his. Replaced with an angry flush, she watched as he narrowed his eyes and felt his grip on her hand tighten. Did he really think she would agree to have his mistress as one of her companions?

  When he recovered from her words he turned so that they were both facing the crowd, fake smiles plastered on both of their faces as the crowd cheered. She could feel Rebecca’s gaze on her. If looks could kill, she bet she would have gone up in flames.

  Greggory led her down the stairs to the King and Queen. As they walked to the throne, the King whispered to both women on his arm. The women untangled themselves from him before crossing in front of the Queen in a sign of disrespect as they walked away.

  When Guinevere and Greggory stood before them Guinevere smiled at the Queen. She had to look hard to see the woman she had met years ago. That woman was vibrant and alive, always smiling, laughing, and often singing to herself. Outwardly, she was the same woman, only with some streaks of silver in her brown hair and a few age lines set into her face. But slowly she had seen the sunny disposition of the queen change into a woman she didn’t recognize. Guinevere had been back for two weeks and had never once seen the Queen smile.

  “Your Highness, you look beautiful tonight,” she said.

  The first hint of a real smile graced the Queen’s lips before the King stood up and she physically backed away.

  “Guinevere, always so kind. It is no wonder that the people all love you.” The King offered her his arm and led her to near the orchestra, while she glanced over her shoulder.

  Every step they took felt like it was pulling her closer to her future, and it took more and more effort to fight the urge to run away. A hush fell over the cro
wd as a servant brought forth a tray with three goblets of wine. She knew he had planned it.

  She took the glass he offered her as they turned to face the crowd. Flanked between both the Prince and the King, Guinevere’s heart pounding so hard she couldn’t hear anything else as her legs shook under her. Sheer will kept her head held high. She gripped the glass tightly to keep her hand from shaking. The King raised his hand and smiled. “I am so glad you all could attend tonight to celebrate my son Greggory and Guinevere’s engagement. I wanted to be the first to tell you that the wedding will be held here, in a fortnight, and I wanted to take this time to invite you all personally.”

  Guinevere felt all the blood leave her face as the crowd cheered, the sound faint compared to the loud ringing in her ears, as her world began to spin. Her hand raised, as if on its own, to toast with the crowd. As she brought the glass to her lips, she had a clear line of sight to the queen sitting alone watching them. That need to run had almost overtaken her when Greggory grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on the back of it as he held it tighter than was proper, as if sensing her need to flee.

  The rest of the night went by in a blur. Guinevere danced first with Greggory, then with the King. After that, she was passed from lord to lord, by order of importance. She dutifully danced until it was acceptable for her to leave.

  She snuck away, back up the stairs, down the long hall, and to her room. When she opened the door, Elizabeth was sitting in the chair by the window doing her needlepoint. Her friend looked up, and the smile left her face. “What happened?”