The kingdoms crown inher.., p.1
The Kingdom's Crown (Inheritance of Hunger Book 3), page 1
The Kingdom's Crown
Kathryn Moon
Copyright @ 2020 Kathryn Moon
The Princess’s Chosen
Inheritance of Hunger - Book Two
First publication: Dec. 29th 2020
Editing by Meghan Leigh Daigle
Formatting by Kathryn Moon
Cover by Covers by Combs
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Kathryn Moon
ohkathrynmoon@gmail.com
Created with Vellum
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This is a Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance and is not suited for those under the age of 18.
Created with Vellum
To my pack babes,
Lana, Chloe, Crystal, and Aleera
Contents
1. Bryony
2. Thao
3. Bryony
4. Bryony
5. Bryony
6. Aric
7. Bryony
8. Cresswell
9. Bryony
10. Bryony
11. Cosmo
12. Bryony
13. Wendell
14. Bryony
15. Thao
16. Bryony
17. Owen
18. Wendell
19. Bryony
20. Bryony
21. Bryony
22. Bryony
23. Bryony
24. Daniel
25. Bryony
26. Bryony
27. Bryony
28. Bryony
29. Bryony
30. Bryony
Epilogue
Also by Kathryn Moon
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1
Bryony
“Is that a note to Griffin? Bryony, it hasn't even been a day since we left," Wendell chuckled, leaning in to watch me scribble quickly against the rocking of the carriage.
"I know, but I was so busy with Lady Prudence that I barely got to—Oh!" I hissed as the carriage jostled roughly and my pot of ink toppled, spilling across the page.
Cosmo and Wendell both leaned in to help me as Thao snorted from the opposite seat.
"I think correspondence can wait for us to rest for the night, little muse," Cosmo murmured, his lips twitching as he took my writing desk away and Wendell disposed of the ruined page.
"I just wanted to suggest to Griffin that she might—"
"The hawk will have schemes of her own," Thao said, cocking an eyebrow.
I hummed and glanced out the window. That was probably true. Griffin had only winced when I'd proposed a caper to unite my somewhat fractured thieves' court. It seemed diplomacy was more complicated when it came to rogues.
Owen and Daniel passed us on their horses, laughing easily with one another, their cheeks flushed with the cold weather.
"I like him better than I expected, although I'm not sure I can say why," Wendell murmured, watching with me as the two men passed.
"Would it have something to do with how ridiculously huge his—"
"Thao!" I cut him off with a gasp and a laugh.
Thao only shrugged and smirked at me. "If you'd mentioned it earlier, I might've been more understanding when it came to you finding yourself unexpectedly taking him for a ride."
"That had nothing to do with it!"
Cosmo had his mouth covered with his hand, a poor attempt to hide his laughter, and Wendell was not so subtly kicking at Thao's shin, but our prince was piled with blankets and didn't seem to notice.
"If I hadn't seen for myself how well you take him, I would've sworn it wasn't possible for him to fit," Thao continued, so obviously enjoying teasing me.
I blushed, which was absurd after all the acts I'd committed with these men, and resisted the urge to lunge at Thao and cover his wicked mouth. I knew where it would lead, which was perhaps Thao's aim.
"Mmm, I had my reservations about Daniel, but that was an attractive show," Cosmo said, nodding to Thao, who took the statement as a victory.
Wendell wrapped an arm around my shoulders and bundled me into his side. "Ignore them, love. They're just jealous."
Cosmo chuckled, but Thao's mouth dropped open in offense.
"That you don't get to enjoy him yourself, of course," Wendell added, grinning at Thao, who hmph'ed.
"Well I have you, my darling, and you are certainly adequate," Thao said tartly.
"I suddenly understand the need to protect you all from your own statistics," I said on a sigh. "Daniel's cock had next to nothing to do with why he is my Chosen now."
Cosmo's knee nudged against mine. "Ignore us. Anyway, Thao is just nervous for tonight."
Thao's eyes widened, and he shot an utterly betrayed look in Cosmo's direction.
"Are you?" Wendell asked, voice bright with surprise.
We'd made it down from the mountain, leaving the Winter Palace in the care of Lady Prudence and Sam, and the thieves' court with Griffin, and we were on our way to Wendell's family home to rest for a day. As eager as I was to see my grandmother in the south, there had been a tender tentativeness in Wendell's suggestion that we stop there for a night. One that left me certain of how much it would mean to him to see his family again after being so long away in Mennary.
It was only now occurring to me what this brief visit might mean for Thao as well, who had never met his lover's family before.
Thao shied away from the question, trying to find something else of interest within the carriage and failing. "A bit," he admitted, and both Wendell and I froze at the two words. From Thao, they revealed a great deal. "But the focus will be on Bryony, so I can relax into the background."
You hate blending into the background, I thought and resisted saying. I glanced at Wendell, who was wearing a soft smile that Thao refused to notice.
When Thao and Wendell had joined my Chosen, they'd belonged solely to one another in heart. It was more equal now between us and even Cosmo, but Thao and Wendell had meant so much to one another for so long and lived with it secretly. Which meant that whether he liked it or not, I was going to find a way to thrust Thao into focus at some point during the visit.
"I think my mother is equally flustered over both of you. The Popes have never hosted royalty."
"I hope they aren't going to too much trouble," I said, frowning.
All three men scoffed at the idea, and Wendell squeezed my hand before I could object again. "I did my best to reassure her that you are very humble and agreeable and of all your loveliest qualities," he said, leaning in to press a kiss to my forehead and another to the tip of my nose. "I doubt it did any good."
"Speaking of new Chosen," Cosmo started.
"I thought we'd moved on from that—"
"How is Cresswell? I have trouble reading the pair of you," Cosmo said.
I groaned and Wendell shifted, letting me hide my face against the soft sweater he was wearing, his hand soothing over my back.
"I hardly know," I mumbled. "I thought we'd reached some moment of understanding days ago, but he's barely touched me since. He takes his position very seriously and seems to be under the impression it leaves no room for us to be together."
"You could remove him from your guard," Thao said with a shrug.
I lifted my head from Wendell's chest and shook my head. "It isn't that I haven't considered the idea, only that it seems cruel. It means a great deal to him."
"As much as I want you to be happy with him, I'm relieved he's coming with us to the south as your guard," Cosmo said softly. "I'm not sure there's anyone I trust with that duty as well as him."
I nodded and sighed, glancing out the window as if I might see Cresswell passing by. He was probably at the back with Aric. "Unfortunately, I feel the same."
"We will find a way to make time for the two of you to come together," Wendell said, twisting a finger through a loose curl over my shoulder.
"I should think two tigers and a mage ought to do as well as one head guard in protecting you," Thao said, nodding.
"I object to violence, but I am very handy with a chisel," Cosmo said lightly.
I smiled to hide the sting the words conjured in my chest. Cosmo seemed to either have reconciled himself to my killing Emory, or was able to effectively ignore the memory. I wasn't sure the same could be said of myself, the man's face appearing in my thoughts at the oddest moments.
I wanted to put Emory and his death behind me, but I was too aware of the weight of the future. Camellia had tried to leave Sam in my court in a poorly considered assassination attempt. Sam had proved too happy to be liberated
Whether Camellia was the direct threat, or she found another vessel, I was afraid Emory's blood was not the last I would wear on my hands.
"Bryony," Wendell murmured, and I startled, realizing all their gazes were fixed to me.
I shook myself and forced a smile. "I think an unconsummated love affair is the least of my worries, really. Cresswell and I will find our moment."
The Pope estate rested in the heart of the Highminster Woods, just south of where the foothills seemed to roll to a weary stop. We'd only rested for a brief picnic, and it was very late and the woods were dense, but the modest manor home we approached glowed sweetly within the canopy. A pair of servants appeared in the doorway before we rolled to a stop, and they hurried down the small front steps to meet the carriage and take our bags.
"This is very pretty, Wendell," I said as Thao and I crowded the window to peer up at the house.
Daniel had joined us in the carriage, taking Wendell's seat, who moved to squeeze in with Cosmo and Thao.
"It's not Danser Hall but—"
"But it's probably in a great deal less debt," Daniel answered to Wendell wryly.
It was smaller than Danser Hall, but also less austere. Rose trellises rose up along the front facade of the pale brick, and even though it was too late in the year for any blooms, the greenery gave the place a pleasant wildness.
"It looks every bit as you described," Thao said, his usual energy subdued.
A figure appeared in the outline of the open door, tall and feminine, and Thao jerked back from the window suddenly.
"There's Mother," Wendell said.
The rest of my Chosen, including Cresswell, appeared in front of the carriage door, and it was Aric who opened it for us, Thao stepping out and handing me down. My mage looked weary and windswept from the long ride of the day, and a sharply cold cheek rested against the top of my head as I leaned into him.
"I know I said we shouldn't spare so much time here, but I'm relieved at the thought now," Aric grumbled softly.
"You know you could sit in the carriage," I whispered back, restraining my laugh as he let out an offended grumble. Aric was far too opposed to luxury for his own good.
"Wen!" the woman on the stairs cried as Wendell's long frame ducked out of the carriage.
Wendell's mother, Miriam Pope, rushed down the steps of her home and across the grassy drive as Wendell jogged to meet her. He bent as she rose to her toes, enveloping him in a fierce hug. It was too dark to tell if her hair was a lighter shade of blonde than Wendell's, or if she had his blue eyes, but it was obvious in their embrace her own joy and relief at seeing her son again. Wendell lifted his mother off her toes briefly, the pair of them laughing as he set her down just as quickly.
My heart ached at the sight of them, a strange kind of jealousy rising up inside of me.
"Bryony?" Aric asked, and I smoothed my expression.
"It's nothing," I said quickly, not wanting to explain the source of my discomfort.
Wendell's mother kissed his cheeks twice before they settled, her smile catching some of the light from the lamps in the manor windows. He stepped to her side, and Miriam's hand rose to rest over her chest. She was every bit as elegant and beautiful as her son, with creases in the corners of her eyes the only clear sign of her age.
"Oh, excuse me, Your Highness—"
"No, please!"
"It is such an honor to-to have you all visit here. And to—" Her words failed her, and Wendell's arm wrapped around her shoulders as she beamed up at him.
I moved to join them, and Wendell's hand squeezed on her shoulders, thankfully keeping his mother from falling into a curtsy for my sake. "It's my sincere pleasure, Mistress Pope. And please, call me Bryony."
Wendell and his mother released bright laughs at the same time, hers a little panicked. "You'll have to forgive my mother when she can't help herself, love," Wendell said, turning his smile back to his mother. "Have you driven Cook mad rearranging the dinner plans a hundred times yet?"
"I—maybe a bit. Speaking of dinner, I went ahead and asked for suppers to be sent up to the rooms we prepared for you. I'm afraid accommodations are a little tight—"
"It's fine," Wendell and I said at the same moment.
I had the oddest impulse to step in closer, to claim a hug from the woman with the same ease that Wendell had, but her nerves were obvious and she leaned into him for support. Thao joined me, one hand cupping over my shoulder, and Miriam's eyes widened.
Not even Wendell could stop his mother from the low curtsy she fell into then. "Oh! You must be Prince Thao. Wen always had such wonderful things to say about you and how at home you made him feel in Mennary. I am so grateful to you and so happy the both of you were Chosen!"
Thao answered the curtsy with a deep bow, and Miriam flushed and nearly tottered over until Wendell pulled her up. "I can assure you the praise is mutual and I've long looked forward to meeting you as well, Mistress Pope."
Thao's gallantry met awed silence, and I took the opportunity to introduce the rest of my Chosen.
"Please come in, you all must be so tired from the traveling," Miriam said, her wide eyes flicking back and forth between Thao and I as she clung to Wendell's arm and he guided her toward the doors.
"Father?"
"Oh, he said he would make it to your arrival, but he fell asleep immediately after his—"
"His port," Wendell finished, chuckling. "Glad to know that hasn't changed."
Cosmo and Thao joined me on the way in as I drank in Wendell's family home. It was more modern than the Farraque estate, with larger windows to look out into the woods, and there was something sweetly comforting about the space. The carpets were a little worn, and ample bouquets rested on every available surface, overflowing with greenery that looked as though the mistress of the house had arranged them herself.
This is what a lovely home must look like, I thought, thinking of scenes and settings from the books I'd read. If I'd been a heroine in a novel instead of a princess, this might've been the hall where I'd greeted guests at a dinner party, and that might've been the staircase I raced down as a girl.
Miriam Pope's eyes slid in my direction, a self-conscious flinch in her gaze. "It's not mu—"
"It's beautiful," I said quickly.
"It reminds me of Wen," Thao said, making our lover blush.
"It's late. You should join Father. I can see our party gets settled in," Wendell said. "Tours and longer introductions can wait for the morning."
It was an awkward procession up the stairs with Miriam trying to excuse the little faults she kept discovering in her home. Wendell had the best luck with reassuring her, and Owen, who declared in his most sincere way that the manor made much more sense in its size than the Winter Palace.
Wendell sighed and gave me a sheepish grin as his mother retreated into her room, and he led us further down the hall. "I warned you," he whispered.
"She's lovely and every bit as kind as you. I hope she'll be more comfortable with me in the morning, but either way, I'm glad we're visiting here so she gets to see you," I said.
"I'm afraid the more charming you are, the more flustered she'll be. Come, let's find these suppers waiting for us," Wendell said, taking my hand.
Thao's fingertips stroked absently over mine as we both lay awake. The only sounds breaking through the silence of the house were Wendell's deep breaths.
