The Scarecrow King: A Romantic Retelling of the King Thrushbeard Fairy Tale (26 page)

My heart was in my throat and I jumped to my feet. “Where do you think he is?”

Imogen’s eyes went wide. “Why…loitering outside the castle, I imagine.”

I tore from the throne room, ignoring the maids and guardsmen that moved out of my way. My sister called after me, but I ignored her, my heart pounding so hard in my chest that I could barely think. Hope pounded through me, and I crossed the bailey of the castle, shoving my way past the guards to the courtyard of Threshold, where the minstrels were forced to wait.

It was empty.

My hope crashed. No one was here. No Alek. I took a few steps forward, disbelieving, my fists clenched tight as I staggered through the doors, my rich skirts dragging through the churned-up mud. “Alek,” I whispered, my heart breaking anew. I scanned the empty courtyard one last time before turning to go back inside.

A bright flower appeared in the corner of my vision.

I turned.

Alek stood there, surrounded by Lioncourt soldiers. He must have been talking to them when I’d emerged, and I’d moved right past them. He moved toward me, an uncertain look on his face. He carried a bright orange flower, and a lute was strapped across his back. His clothing was worn and travel-tattered, his guise of a minstrel once more.

The words I’d hoped to say to him died in my throat as he dropped to his knee in front of me.

“Alek,” I began.

“Rinda, I was wrong,” he said, interrupting me. “I was wrong to not trust you and tell you exactly what was going on. That makes me a fool.”

“Alek,” I tried.

He shook his head and kept talking. “I should have told you what was going on, but I was worried that I’d lose you. You were so proud and beautiful and I was just a bastard soldier that happened to have a king for a father. I’m not noble. I don’t know courtly manners, and you were so elegant and pretty that I thought you’d never want to be with me. I thought I would lose you, and in losing you, my kingdom.”

The flower in his hand shook slightly.

“Alek–”

“And I thought losing my kingdom would be the worst thing possible. But I was wrong. Waking up every morning knowing that you hate me is the worst thing imaginable. Losing the woman I love is more painful than losing my throne a thousand times.”

“Alek,” I said softly.

“So here I am,” he said, holding out the flower and looking up at me with sad, dark eyes. “As a minstrel. The man you married. And if it keeps you in my life, I will give up Lioncourt and everything it means as long as I get to continue to be your husband. You are worth more to me than a thousand kingdoms, and I will happily follow you to the ends of the earth and live with you in a hovel if that is what it takes to win you back. Because when I am with you, I am happy. And when I am not with you, I am nothing.”

“Oh Alek,” I said, grabbing his flower and tossing it aside.

He looked shocked, but I wasn’t done. Now that his hands were free, I grasped them and pulled him to his feet.

“Alek, I love you. It took me journeying home to realize it, but being at home and being a princess wasn’t what made me feel happy, or valuable, or needed. Being with you is all I have ever needed. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

His hands went to my waist, his expression one of hope. “And we’ll live together in Balinore?”

“In Lioncourt,” I told him, showering his face with kisses. “And we’ll be king and queen and be ridiculously happy, no matter how rich or how poor we are.”

Epilogue

As the king and queen of Lioncourt, we returned to our kingdom amidst much fanfare and joy. The people were happy to see their young and handsome king return to the throne, and delighted that he’d married me, a princess with wondrous magic and a brave heart (or so the minstrels told it).

With my Birthright of luck, the kingdom knew a prosperity that it had never seen before – wars were ceased before they even began, the poor did not go hungry, and in time, even the kingdom of Balinore grew to admire Lioncourt. As queen, I took dear Annja to my side as my lady in waiting, and her family prospered out of her friendship to me. Alek and I had many friends at court, though none as true as Talis and Annja.

Together, we made the court of Lioncourt happy and prosperous. There was not a day that passed that Alek and I were not constantly together, and he became known for his good and noble heart, and I for my quick wit, occasionally sharp tongue, and forthright manner.

In time, we even had children – a boy and a girl. They were beautiful, as royal children always are, with dark hair and fine skin and even smaller amounts of Birthright magic than me.

And that was perfectly all right, too.

***The End***

Story Notes

If you’re not familiar with the King Thrushbeard fairy tale, it’s one of my favorites. It’s the story of a spoiled princess who’s forced to marry an uncouth man…who is a king in disguise. I love the romanticism of it. However, the original also has a very ‘teach the little woman a lesson’ vibe to it, which I am not a fan of. So I wrote this in an effort to replay the fairy tale in the way I thought it should be done. The princess has a mind of her own and King Thrushbeard may ‘teach her a lesson’, but he’s taught one in return.

Also, if you’ve read any of my other novels, you might be wondering why this one is a very sweet, closed-door romance. My other books? Not so much with the closed door. But I’m a firm believer in that the book calls for what it calls for, and this book didn’t want to be anything other than what it was – a genuine fairy tale. I hope you enjoy it that way! I know I enjoyed writing it.

And if this is your first experience with one of my books, the others are very much
not
closed-door in the romance department. If that’s your thing, great! If not, well, fair warning.

From the Author

Thank you for reading this book! If you are the type that likes to review what you’ve read, I’d love for you to leave me a review. Reviews are like crack for authors. We are always looking for our next fix.

About Jill Myles

Jill Myles is the pen name for USA Today Bestselling Author Jessica Clare. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance. She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?) As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals.

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You can visit Jill/Jessica’s website at
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