slung it over her horse and led it back on foot, getting back well after dark covered in mud and bone-tired, only to find the entire palace lit from within with torches and candles.
“What’s going on?” she muttered to her horse.
He shook his head and didn’t answer.
“Fuck it,” she said. “Let’s go take a bath.” As she led the horse off, the doors of the main hall opened and the king strode out, preceded by the same two guards as always.
“Back so soon!” he said. Behind him, Klea could see dozens, if not a hundred or more people craning their necks to see around him. In the middle of it all was a pack of teenage girls, head to toe in white. It was the presentation of the maidens to society. Of course.
“Boars aren’t too smart,” said Klea. “Easy to catch.”
“The centaurs were helpful?”
“Quite,” she said, and gave him her best yes-your-majesty grin. “Perfect gentlemen.”
“Glad to hear it,” he said, and gave her one of his up-and-down looks that she hated, a look that said both I despise you and I’ll jerk off thinking about you tonight . If Klea were perfectly honest, it was probably the same look she gave him. “Go clean up and feel free to join us,” he said. “You must have quite a story to tell.” With that, he swept back inside the hall, doors closing behind him.
“Ugh,” Klea said to the horse. The horse nickered.
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