Trusted by Jacquelyn Frank Read Free Book Online

him to see her suffer so. It had hurt him to lose her. The world was a lesser place because of it.
    “I will find out what families are ill straight away, my king,” Hannibol said. “Dakon, you will guide me to your family lands in the southlands.”
    “Yes, my lord. Right away,” Dakon said. He was simply relieved the king had not taken his sister’s rebuff the hard way. He had been dreading this moment, knowing instinctively that his sister was wrong. The king was not likely to forget her until he had had his fill of her. She was in the king’s sights and he was about to hunt her down. Dakon could practically hear the baying of the hunting hounds.
    The gong for night’s meal rang, but the king was heading out the door.
    “Hannibol, fetch my horse. I’ll ride with you.”
    “Surely you do not mean to go where there is fever, my king?” Hannibol asked, concern dripping from his tone.
    “I mean to do exactly that. Fetch medics to come with us.”
    “Yes my king,” Hannibol said. He knew better than to question the king a second time. The king had made up his mind to go and that was the end of it.
    They rode as a huge party in the dark towards the southlands. There was both farms and wilderness between here and there, so the ride was long and sometimes rough in the darkness. It had no doubt taken his sister and mother half the day to get to their lands in the south.
    The riding party made it in several hours. Dakon led them all to the manor house that sat on their lands, stirring the household that had not been expecting them…never mind expecting the king. Luckily with his mother’s attendance earlier in the day, the house had been made ready to accept the coming of the lady of the house and they were not completely taken off their guard.
    They strode into the manor house as a noisy group.
    “Anabile!” Dakon called for the head housekeeper. She came into the main receiving room on a huff of breath.
    “Lord Dakon! We were not expecting you or your guests!” she said, her discomfort at being caught off guard clear in her body language. Then she recognized the sigil on the king’s cloak and realized who she was standing in front of. She hastened to drop a deep curtsy, her slightly rotund body wobbling on weak knees.
    “Where is the lady of the house?” the king asked directly.
    “She is at the farms. She was supposed to have been back already, but—“
    “Which farm?” the king interrupted her.
    “Lalo’s farm,” she said to Dakon, knowing he would know who Lalo was.
    “That’s not far,” Dakon told the king.
    “Take us there.”
    Dakon didn’t argue.
    “But my lady should be back soon. Would you not prefer to wait for her in comfort?”
    “Madame, do I look like a man who cares about comfort?” the king asked in hard tones.
    “No, my king,” she hastened to say. “I-I only meant that you should be treated as a proper guest.”
    “A proper guest would see to it that his hostess was well. I will be a proper guest once I have seen to that.”
    The king and the medics and Dakon and Hannibol all went back to their horses and rode for Lalo’s farm.
    It was a small farm overall. A few acres only. Barely enough to support Lalo and his six children. But the man was a hard worker and always paid his rent on time. Provided he was well. Dakon hoped that Lalo was not the one with the fever.
    “If Lalo is down with fever, the entire family could become destitute in a matter of days,” Dakon said to the king as they rode up to the farmhouse. “He is the sole provider. If he should die or become lame in some way…”
    “His family would starve,” the king said grimly.
    “We would help them as much as we could of course. The children would be orphans as they are already without their mother. They would need to find new homes or live in the orphanage.”
    The king nodded as they reached the house and dismounted. The king strode up to the door and banged his fist against it. To Dakon’s relief,