Return of the Warrior Read Online Free PDF Page B

king is corrupt, then villains will overrun his shire and imprison him wrongfully. He will have no forge, no dignity. It is our destiny to defend them.”
    He was just as quick with his retort. “A king sits on his throne far away from the shire and has no knowledge of what happens there. But I know because I am in the shire, and so long as I am there, no one will ever hurt the smith.”
    She let out a long, tired sigh. “You are indeed apolitician, whether you wish it or not. Few men can argue better than you.”
    “You know, my queen,” Lutian said thoughtfully, “there is another solution that I see.”
    She turned to look at Lutian, who was riding just behind them. “And that is?”
    “All you truly need for proof is Prince Christian’s heraldic emblem. Return home pregnant, with it, and they will have no choice except to accept your word for the baby’s father.”
    Christian was even more aghast at that proposition than he’d been at Adara’s. “And just who would be the father of her unborn child that she would pass off as mine?”
    Lutian straightened up in the saddle. “I humbly submit myself to Her Grace’s will to use my meek and virile body in any manner she sees fit.”
    Adara squelched a laugh at his kind offer. Leave it to Lutian to come up with such a solution.
    But if looks could kill, Lutian would be severed in twain by Christian’s heated glare. “I beg your pardon, fool?”
    Adara was almost amused by the anger in Christian’s tone. It would be nice if she could attribute it to jealousy, but she knew better.
    “Aye,” she said, wanting to nettle her husband even more. “It just might work.”
    Christian gaped at her. “You would bed the village idiot?”
    Lutian snorted at that. “Pray tell who is the greater idiot? The man who would see his son kingor the one who is holding a beautiful woman in his lap, with full matrimonial rites to her, who refuses her, a throne, and a wealthy kingdom full of people to do his every bidding? I think, in the grand scheme of this, I am by far the wisest man here.”
    Lutian kicked his horse abreast of theirs and bowed low in his saddle to Adara. “Take me, my queen, and I will give you your heir. I will gladly lay myself down for your pleasure.”
    Christian’s nostrils flared in warning. “You lay yourself down for her pleasure, fool, and you won’t be getting back up. Ever.”
    Lutian went pale as he reined his horse away from them…out of Christian’s direct reach. “Very good, then, my prince.” He shifted his gaze to Adara. “My apologies, my queen, but you’re on your own.”
    “Lutian,” she cried in feigned outrage. “What about my problem?”
    Her fool took it good-naturedly. “Well, my lady, ’tis your problem. Sorry. I…um…I intend to live a long and fruitful life.”
    “Fruitful?” Christian asked with a gimlet stare.
    Lutian twisted up his face as he contemplated his choice of words. “Did I say fruit ful ? Methinks I spoke too soon. Suddenly I fear I may be impotent. Truly, I can no longer rise to any occasion. I shall be old and fruit less . My fruit is shriveling even as we speak.”
    Adara turned to glare at her husband and hisuntoward reaction to Lutian’s plan. “This I don’t understand. Moments ago you couldn’t care less about Elgedera or my people, so what do you care now who sits on the throne?”
    Christian fell silent.
    “Answer my question.”
    He turned that angry stare to her. “I am not one of your subjects, Majesty. I suggest you take a kinder tone to me.”
    “I am sorry,” she said sincerely. “But I would like to know why you won’t allow this.”
    His gaze burned into her, but beneath the anger she saw something else. Something she couldn’t place or name.
    “First, my necklace is the last piece of my mother that I have in my possession. I have guarded it in the deepest pits of hell to make sure that no one stole it from me. Therefore I have no intention of letting it go now for any