The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 6 by Bella Forrest (books for men to read .TXT) 📕

while this may not be a haven, this is the royal palace, a place in which my duties, sadly, extend to those of a chambermaid. It isn’t glamorous, but there it is. Satisfied?”

Alex frowned uncertainly. Scrutinizing her closely, he began to wonder if it was possible that she was able to exist in multiple places at once. Either that, or she was extremely good at keeping tabs on him. He supposed she was supposed to be his guardian, after all, so perhaps she was simply following him around, using royal appointments as an excuse to watch over him.

“So, you’re not working for the king?” he pressed, utterly confused.

“I am and I am not,” she remarked. “But, since we’re on the subject, the king wishes to see you now. Please dress appropriately from the wardrobe I have selected for you—I’ve made some exceptional choices, and I’d hate to see them go down the drain. Your own clothes have been taken and destroyed because, frankly, I’m surprised they didn’t walk off of their own accord. He expects you in twenty minutes. I shall await you outside.”

With that, she was gone, leaving Alex to fear how the king would receive him.

Chapter 21

After rummaging through the antique wardrobe tucked away close to the bed, Alex picked out what he thought might make him look presentable. There wasn’t much to choose from, but he settled on a pair of navy trousers, a white shirt, and some dark shoes. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he knew he could do with a good shower, but twenty minutes didn’t exactly give him long enough to prepare. Besides, he didn’t care what Julius thought of him. After the massacre at Starcross, he wanted to make the king feel pain, and being forced to dress to the nines for him as an “honored guest” made Alex feel a fresh wave of fury.

Distinctly uncomfortable in the new, more formal attire, he went to the large double doors and stepped out into the hallway. One of the guards opposite smirked, but Alex ignored him, looking for Siren Mave instead. She was standing a short way down the hall, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. She looked up as Alex approached, an exasperated expression on her face.

“That took you long enough, didn’t it?” she remarked, tapping the clock-face of a gold wristwatch.

“I had to find something suitable,” Alex replied defensively.

She looked him up and down, evidently unimpressed. “Well, I suppose you’ll have to do,” she grumbled, setting off down the corridor. As she walked, Alex could hear her muttering to herself. “There were some beautifully tailored pieces in there. Such exquisite suits, and he chooses that? Young people these days—no fashion sense.”

He tried not to seethe as he followed her, feeling the anxiety building inside him as he hurried after the small, surprisingly swift figure. His new shoes squeaked when he walked, the stiff collar scratching his neck, the trousers slipping from his hips, being just that little bit too big. He was beginning to suspect it was all a ploy to make him feel as uncomfortable as possible before he met with the king.

At the end of the hallway, they came to a set of broad spiral stairs that seemed to go up and up to never-ending heights. Two golden statues of goddesses stood sentinel over the bottom step, and it was past these Alex and the toady woman walked, his heart sinking as he realized they were going all the way to the top. On the climb, they passed what seemed like a hundred other floors, some of them leading off to long hallways like the one Alex had come from, others simply stepping off at glass solariums where people could pause on the long walk up the stairs.

At long last, with Alex’s lungs burning, they reached the top floor. Ahead of them lay an enormous foyer with an arched roof made of glass, showing the beautiful azure sky above. Aside from that, there wasn’t much else in the room, just a solitary desk in the center and an imposing set of doors behind. A beautiful young woman sat at the desk, and she looked up as Alex neared. A fearful expression passed across her face, unnerving Alex even further.

“You must be Alex Webber?” she asked, her voice clipped and clear.

Alex nodded. “I believe the king is expecting me?” he replied, trying to steel himself against what he was about to endure.

She nodded. “Yes, His Royal Highness is expecting you. I would hurry if I were you—you are nearly late,” she whispered, her eyes wide with concern.

“Noted,” said Alex, before following the old woman toward the vast double doors at the far end of the extensive foyer.

Upon opening the door, Alex was met with one of the most beautiful rooms he’d ever seen. A glass dome rose over the center of what he guessed to be the throne room, considering there were two very large, very ostentatious thrones in the middle. They were similar to the ones he’d seen at Starcross Castle, though these were forged from intertwining vines of gold, silver, and bronze. One was raised slightly above the other, with a golden crown placed on top of the chair’s back. Julius was sitting in that one, lounging backward with a book in his hands, flipping the pages casually. The throne beside it had a smaller crown on top, sculpted from silver, and on the plush cushions sat the beautiful form of Venus, her eyes looking straight ahead at Alex, a welcoming smile on her face.

Fountains trickled crystalline water down into a small network of streams, with quaint bridges arching over them, which had to be crossed to reach the central island where the two thrones stood. In the water, beautiful fish swam lazily, their scales shining in a myriad of colors. On the walls, paintings and tapestries hung, depicting ancient battles and previous rulers. The face of Julius’s father loomed at the back of the