Page 36 of The Barbarian King's Assassin (Magic and Kings 1)

“Because.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It is to me.” His next non-reply.

I glanced away. The road neared a town I remembered passing through on the way. It was close to the bridge. How could we already be here? I glanced down at my horse while rubbing my ribs. A hard run would have jostled me, and I’d have been feeling it.

“We’re almost to the bridge,” I remarked. “Where are we going?”

“Over the border to my country. I have a summer home nearby where we’ll stop and stay before heading north for the Temple of the Frothy Falls.”

“So you’re planning to actually go through with the wedding.”

“Would I have come to Feoria if I wasn’t?”

“And during all this travelling, when are you deciding my fate?” What kind of time frame did I have to either kill him or escape?

“How about right now? I’ll forget you tried to prick me with your little knife if you work for me.”

I must have misunderstood. “My knife is not little.”

He snorted. “I cut my meat with a bigger one at home.”

My lips pursed. “Are you offering to give me something more appropriately sized?” I could think of a certain sword I wouldn’t mind owning.

“Only if you promise to use it in defense of me and my people.”

I blinked. “Hold on. Are you trying to hire me as a soldier?”

“More like a personal guard.”

“To protect you?” My confusion deepened. I’d seen the man fight. He didn’t need me.

“As the wedding nears, I can only assume the attempts to kill me will heighten, endangering those around me. My horde and I are used to fighting enemies in the open. Less so those that lurk. That’s your specialty.”

“Yes, but—”

“No but. You will accept the position as my personal guard, and I will forget you ever tried or wanted to kill me.”

“You can’t just demand I work for you. I already have a job. I will find a way to collect on it.” A hollow statement to make.

He called me out on it with a disparaging noise. “We both know that won’t happen. And why work for some faceless coward when you can make more money with me?”

“You’re going to pay me more than the bounty?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t even told you how much your life is worth.”

“Mine, nothing, but my family is everything. Bringing harm to me will spill over to them. You are not the first to try. There have been ten attempts since negotiations began with the emperor six months ago.”

“Ten?” I repeated faintly. “What happened?”

“Most are dead. One of which is to your credit.”

“Meaning you succeeded in rebuffing them.”

His lips thinned. “I did, but there were casualties. I’d rather avoid that if possible.”