Trick (Foolish Kingdoms, #1)

by Natalia Jaster

Since I couldn’t do it myself without rousing suspicion, I silently motioned to one of the servants, who headed toward Briar with a bowl of strawberries.

To hell with this. We needed to appear impartial to each other, but I should have risked it and delivered the fruit myself instead of involving someone else.

I mean, nobody values the company of a piece-of-shit. That would provide extra room in the villages.”

“When you choose to shackle a topic—enslave, torture, and ridicule it—you’re not confronting it or being diplomatic,” I hissed. “You’re only telling the world you’re not equipped to solve it in any other creative or intelligent way. You’re admitting that you’re the fucking fool.”

No more, and never again. Once more, me against them.

Three, forgive the professional fool for thinking he was doing something special for you.”

“Tell me, then. Tell me what I am to you.”

Without noticing it, I’d let her too far into me.

“Stop talking down to me, Poet. I’m not a lost child who will never grasp the difference between left and right. I’m not Nicu!” Dead. Silence.

I staggered back, one clumsy step, like a fool. Like a fool.

This, after treating my son with kindness, after tricking me into thinking her above them. Panic pushed her toward me. “Poet, I’m sor—” My palm snapped up, halting her. With my jaw locked, I swatted my finger once, making it clear. Not. Another. Word.

Good riddance, for I strode past the woman and left her behind. We were done. So very, fucking done.

I wanted his heart. I wanted to give him mine.

“Now I know the reason why.”

damn, why'd you have to bring up her dad

Yet for a few beautiful weeks, I had forgotten.

I approve.” I swallowed around the knot in my throat. “I’m honored.”

He stared at me like I belonged to him, like he belonged to me, like we belonged to each other.

I’m crying because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.

we survived this, I would teach her later how to impale an enemy. For now, I had two darlings to protect, and this dagger would provide backup in case I failed to rip our opponents in half first.

If you want what’s mine, you’ll have to kill me first. That is, if I haven’t extracted your heart by then. And if you do take him anyway, my ghost will sever this world in half getting him back. Don’t you know that, sweeting?

Be good and happy. Be loved elsewhere.

“Excellent. I’d prefer death by old age.”

However, there was nothing casual about his expression as he leaned in. His instructive voice could have sliced through rock. “Sweeting, if the princess doesn’t want to be touched—” he increased the pressure on the guard’s trachea and enunciated, “—you do not touch her.”

Not that it’s ever been high concerning you and my offspring.”

This is it, sweeting.”

And she’s falling for him.” “And I’m loving her.”

Poet whispers, “Right now, I’m loving her … because I do, and have, and will.” My hands shook as they clasped his face. “Poet.” “I love her,” he hissed, capturing my mouth.

With that harrowing thought in mind, I jerked away from the brute. “I’m going, dammit,” I snapped. “I won’t fight. Only take your infernal fucking hands off me!”

“He makes me laugh. That shouldn’t be forbidden.”

“I do not give myself,” I told her gently but surely. “I share myself.”

No matter what they made us do, we would not break.

His deadly glower said one other thing. Touch the princess, and I shall impale you. My own deliberate scowl said something rather similar. Touch the jester, and I will shatter you.

Her touch has always been irresistible, as have my deceptions. However, combine the two and drop them into the midst of a revel, and ’tis a whole new marvel. Before the congregation, we threw one final trigger at the court, gave them one more felony to talk about …

Mine. She’s mine now.

My sharp lady. My Briar. I curled my fingers, beckoning her. “Closer.”

“The softer you moan, the deeper I’ll fuck you.”

“I’ll be your Court Jester. I’ll entertain and advise. I’ll gain countless fans and foes, as befits my station. And on some fateful day, I’ll watch you marry an archetypal suitor with immaculate teeth and table manners. And whilst the wedding guests fill themselves with bucketloads of alcohol, I’ll mock everyone within a twenty-foot radius, and they’ll despise me for it, as much as they’ll lust after me for it, as much as they’ll resent me for it.”

It wouldn’t be difficult. Nay, it would be instinctual.

“Indeed, those will be on the agenda. If so, I’ll need my energy to dismember anyone who gets near you or Nicu. Where you’re both concerned, I tend to do things thoroughly, which means however much I’d love the task, I can’t have my stamina depleted by making you come every night.”

“You’re willing to forsake a king in favor of a fallen jester,” I summarized. “A lowborn orphan with a so-called bastard ‘fool’ of a son. There couldn’t be a worse combination to toss at the people.”

“The court won’t disapprove forever. You’re Poet. You can bewitch anybody. And I’m a smart leader. I can sway the rest. And when the day comes, I’ll appoint an heir, because I don’t have to give birth to one. I’ll be married to Autumn and loving you.” My throat contorted. “That’s not enough.”

Briar puffed and squared her shoulders. “You’re a coward,” she clipped. “You said if I wanted things to change, I should change them. You said I shouldn’t cling to past ways. You told me that you loved me.”

“And you said loving took courage. We have the chance to become something different, yet you insist upon tucking tail. Well, I won’t let you. You might beautify your words, but I stand by mine. If I make a vow, I do not break it. My will is as strong as my promise, and if you don’t know that by now, then you don’t know me!”

“I swear I won’t abandon either of you. Nicu will have my adoration every morning. He will have me at his bedside every night. I will sit with him. I will listen to his stories. I will tie ribbons through every corridor. I will hold his hand and bring him to the dais, so that he may see his father dominate the great hall. I won’t let anyone harm him. I’m his. I’m yours. You come first because you’re my family, as are my mother and my father and Eliot. You are my family.”

“I’m not ashamed to love you, and I will fight for that with everything I am, and I won’t hide it. I have pretended long enough. I’m not afraid of Autumn’s judgment or retaliation. “And this isn’t purely for us, it’s for the people. Someday we’ll make a difference together, be a finer nation for it, and show them that no other match could have existed for me than with you. We’ll rule and love like warriors.” Briar sucked in air. “All right?”

For such an adept person, I’d proven remarkably fucking stupid. If Briar chose me, she chose my son.

None wanted us as she did. None wanted her the way we could. To deny this was to deny our worth. That would be lying.

Sinking to one knee, I leveled myself with Briar. Then I twisted her hand to brush my mouth over her knuckles, to drop a ...

I watched, my heart knotting as he tied the length of red material around my leather-bound wrist.

I’m a superior father for the world to see. I’m a lover to only one.