The Emerald Prince Read Online Free

if the prince picked up on that, he picked up on the fact that he couldn’t possibly beat Blaine. But still, he demanded a fair match.
    “Forgive me your Highness. If you give me another chance, I promise to beat you — thoroughly.”
    Prince Elliot grinned and picked his sword back up. He came at Blaine with a ferocity the knight hadn’t seen before. Blaine hadn’t been the only one holding back. Blaine managed to score the first point, getting the prince on the stomach when he raised his arms too high. The prince managed to get the next point, slapping Blaine’s back with the practice sword. His back had been turned to the enemy; his father would never let him hear the end of that one.
    After Blaine got a second point, he pushed hard for the third, determined to end things quickly before he made another mistake. When the prince stumbled, he was sure he had him. But the bastard kicked him so hard he’d be limping to his wedding and scored another point on top of it. They were tied. Whoever got the next point would be the winner. Blaine was embarrassed by his overconfidence. The prince had toyed with him, playing up weaknesses he didn’t even have, and Blaine fell for it. The knight pushed all thoughts from his mind. All that mattered at the moment was the fight.
    The prince took the initiative and came at Blaine. Turning just in time to avoid the prince’s hit, Blaine managed to touch his side with the sword as he went past. Three points. He’d won.
    The prince stood hunched over and panting. When he caught his breath he walked over to Blaine and shook his hand. “Good fight. I guess what they say is true. You really are the best.”
    The moment they touched, his heart began to burn with a desire deeper than any he’d ever felt before. It was as if the Goddess Isla herself were whispering in his ear, “This is the one. This is the one I fashioned for you.”
     

Chapter Four
     
    Blaine tossed and turned. Images of the prince’s smiling face were torn to shreds in his mind. Over and over he’d run towards Elliot, calling out his name, but never quite reaching him in time. Sometimes, the prince would break into a million pieces like shattered glass. Other times, he’d lay in a pool of his own blood, looking up helplessly at Blaine. His eyes asking one question… Why?
    The knight was snatched from his fitful dreams by a knock at the door. Raking his hand over his face, he got up to answer, wondering who would be stopping by at such an hour. He opened the door to find, much to his surprise, Princess Zariya standing there.
    “Your Highness?”
    She stepped into his room, forcing him to step back if he didn’t want to press up against her. “May I come in?”
    Blaine peeked out the door, hoping no one saw her come to his room at this hour, and then closed it shut. “Is there something I can help you with, Your Highness?”
    “I wished to speak with you.”
    “In my bedroom, in the middle of the night? You know how this looks.”
    The princess strolled around his room as if it were her own, handling his things, running her fingers across his armor. “It couldn’t be helped. I had to make sure you were alone.”
    “What is it that you wanted to tell me?”
    “How can I say this? I think you’re marrying the wrong sibling.”
    Blaine’s mouth fell open. Had he looked at the prince too longingly? Smiled at him too much? Failed to pay enough attention to Princess Victoria? How apparent had he made his feelings to everyone watching them? His throat began to tighten and his heart pounded in his chest.
    Princess Zariya casually sat on the couch and patted the spot next to her.
    Half-aware, Blaine’s feet moved him forward until he was sitting with her. “Wha…What makes you say that?”
    The princess shrugged. “It’s obvious where your affections lie.”
    “Even if that were true, and I’m not saying it is, there is nothing to be done about it.”
    The princess brushed her fingers across his cheek,