My Royal Pain Quest (The Lakeland Knight series, #2) by Laura Lond Page A

my mind. I no longer wished to do him in, but that did not mean I was eager to see him again, let alone help him.
    Yet what Triar was saying made sense.
    “What has the idiot gotten himself into?”
    “The prince’s father, King Ramian, sent him to the Tenebrous Valley .”
    I arched a brow. “Since when does he want his son dead?”
    “Ah, so you know who lives there. Yes, Pergalacks, a man-eating tribe. Prince Kellemar was carrying something of importance to their ruler, Morgard. I don’t know exactly what, but I do know that Morgard demanded Kellemar to deliver it personally, or he’d ravage southern areas of Dalvanna.”
    I knew Morgard through the Villains League, and I couldn’t imagine what he could possibly want from King Ramian. Also, why he would act in such an unusual way? Morgard was a warrior, strong and rather straightforward. If he wanted something, he’d go fight for it. Why threaten to attack Ramian’s lands instead of just attacking them? Why demand that Kellemar come to his domain? I was intrigued.
    “Prince Kellemar is dependant on white towers,” the hermit went on. “They are the only thing that can protect him from the monster, as you know. He’s managed to make it all the way to the valley staying close to them, but there are none ahead. The prince hoped to hire men to build more white towers for him as he goes on, but no builders agree to venture into the Tenebrous Valley , no matter how much he offers to pay.”
    “So His Highness is stuck.”
    “Yes. He fears to go forward and he is too ashamed to go back. Meanwhile, his time is running short. Morgard has given King Ramian three months.” Triar smiled. “Until today, I thought no one would be able to help the prince.”
    I saw what he was getting at. “No one but me. I am a walking white tower.”
    “Precisely. The monster can’t come near you.”
    I spent some more time weighing it. It was no use to ask Triar how certain he was that this would count as the second deed. I remembered the rules; there was no certainty. However, it did look like the opportunity was there.
    “This whole thing was a pain to begin with, now it’s turning into a royal pain. Very well, I will escort the prince through the valley and back, to the safety of a white tower.”
    I turned to Cassandra, who had not spoken a word during this whole conversation.
    “You’ve been unusually quiet.”
    “I suspect she does not want to go with you this time,” said Triar.
    Cassandra shot an uneasy glance at him, but made no retort.
    She’s not going? I was surprised at the intensity of my disappointment. It turned out I’d grown accustomed to having her around, more than I realized. Cassandra’s company was making this stupid quest tolerable… But she certainly had the right to quit whenever she didn’t feel like risking her life anymore.
    “Well, if man-eaters are a bit too much for you, I understand.”
    She shook her head. “It’s not man-eaters that bother me. It’s Prince Kellemar. We’ve met, and not under the best circumstances.”
    “Oh? Tell me.”
    “There’s not much to tell. I borrowed half a dozen horses from his stable, and he didn’t like it.”
    “You made it into the royal stable? And managed to get out with six horses?” I chuckled. “Quite an accomplishment! Well, if that’s the only problem, I wouldn’t worry. Kellemar’s got other things on his mind. He probably won’t even remember you.”
    “Oh, he will. He took it rather personally. Vowed to hang me with his own hands.”
    “I won’t let him touch you.”
    Cassandra seemed pleased to hear that, but she still wasn’t convinced.
    “You’re going to have enough trouble with him as it is. My presence would make things even more complicated. I guess I shouldn’t go…” She paused, thinking. “Unless I come up with a good disguise?”
    “Hey, that’s an idea. We can dress you up as a fellow—say, a servant of mine.”
    She loved it. “Yes! I can cut my hair