Knight (Chess Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Prophecy

  Son of a Biscuit Eater

  Playboy Prince

  Hotty Toddy

  Discovering Coffee

  Learning to Fight

  The Ugly Duck

  Evil Pink Wand

  Knight Returns

  Bite Me, Eddie

  Coming Home

  Betrayal

  First Kiss

  Girl Fight

  Prophecy (Gretchen’s POV)

  Hidden Secrets

  Not A Pawn

  Peace Offering (Edrick’s POV)

  MIA

  Piggyback

  What’s In A Feather

  Back To Basics

  Why Hide

  Respect

  Not Affected (Winston’s POV)

  Renegade Raid

  Goose Egg

  Sleeping Knight

  Confessions

  Big O

  Priorities (Colton’s POV)

  All Wrapped Up

  Mother 101

  Slippering Suckers

  Unwanted Help

  A Night With My Knight

  Stuck On The Sidelines

  Taken (Shelby’s POV)

  Not What He Seems (Shelby’s POV)

  Playing By My Rules (Rook’s POV)

  Hello Princess

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Knight

  Riley Walker

  First Edition, 2018

  Copyright ©2018 by Riley Walker

  Editor: Erin May

  Cover Designer: Francesca Vance, Reaper Designs

  Formatter: HJ Bellus, Small Town Girl Formatting

  ISBN-13:978-1985198104

  ISBN-10:198519810X

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Thank you for respecting the work of Riley Walker. Don’t be a jerk.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  To my husband who made sure I had a bottomless glass of wine.

  Love, Biscuit

  Thank you for being so understanding with the insanely long and very late night phone calls while we were writing, editing and yelling about this book. This is for you Richard Earl…

  Forever yours, Kelly

  Music Muse

  Halsey, “I’m Bad At Love”

  Gun -N- Roses, “Used To Love Her”

  Nelson Brothers, “After the Rain”

  Twisted Sister, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”

  Aqua, “I’m A Barbie Girl”

  Adam Lambert, “What Do You Want From Me”

  Christina Perri, “Human”

  Jonas Brothers, “When You Look Me In The Eyes”

  Carpenters, “I Just Fall In Love Again”

  Carl Douglas “Kung Fu Fighting”

  Ivy Levan, “Biscuit”

  Valerie Broussard, “A Little Wicked”

  Table of Contents

  Prophecy

  Prologue

  1. Son of a Biscuit Eater

  2. Playboy Prince

  3. Hotty Toddy

  4. Discovering Coffee

  5. Learning to Fight

  6. The Ugly Duck

  7. Evil Pink Wand

  8. Knight Returns

  9. Bite Me, Eddie

  10. Coming Home

  11. Betrayal

  12. First Kiss

  13. Girl Fight

  14. Prophecy (Gretchen’s POV)

  15. Hidden Secrets

  16. Not A Pawn

  17. Peace Offering (Edrick’s POV)

  18. MIA

  19. Piggyback

  20. What’s In A Feather

  21. Back To Basics

  22. Why Hide

  23. Respect

  24. Not Affected (Winston’s POV)

  25. Renegade Raid

  26. Goose Egg

  27. Sleeping Knight

  28. Confessions

  29. Big O

  30. Priorities (Colton’s POV)

  31. All Wrapped Up

  32. Mother 101

  33. Slippering Suckers

  34. Unwanted Help

  35. A Night With My Knight

  36. Stuck On The Sidelines

  37. Taken (Shelby’s POV)

  38. Not What He Seems (Shelby’s POV)

  39. Playing By My Rules (Rook’s POV)

  40. Hello Princess

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Prophecy

  Fated mates shall unite with their Golden Queen,

  or peace shall not be seen.

  If the bonds are not eternally made,

  evil in our realm shall raid.

  Two Kingdoms will undoubtedly fall,

  if the Golden Queen heeds not her call.

  For only love shall change this fate,

  between the Golden Queen and her fated mates.

  Prologue

  For millennia, Royals in both the Light and Dark Fey Kingdoms were destined to marry their Fated Mates. Until a century ago, when a Renegade uprising forced the Royals to make a dire choice: forge alliances to keep the Renegades at bay, ignoring their destined pairings. In a bid to keep their lands safe, arranged marriages became the norm throughout the Realm…

  1

  Son of a Biscuit Eater

  I am standing in front of a gold leaf trifold mirror, scrutinizing my appearance for what is likely the tenth time. Today is my sixteenth birthday. My last day of freedom.

  Why?

  As it stands, the two Fey Kingdoms, Light and Dark, are divided in resources and power. Where the Light Fey, my Kingdom, possess the forest, drawing power from the earth and water; the Dark Fey hold possession over all minerals, and draw power from air and fire. Our kingdom is flat and covered in foliage, while the Dark Kingdom is rugged and surrounded by mountains.

  The entire realm needs the two to join, not only for peace, but for trade. Being the Light Fey Princess, the honor of fulfilling such a union falls to me. Or, at least, that’s what the Fey leaders, including my parents, have decreed. That I would marry our kingdoms by wedding the Prince of the Dark Fey.

  An arranged marriage leaves much to be desired in terms of freedom. Which is not to say that it is uncommon. It is tradition in the Fey Realm for royalty to have arranged marriages, then be introduced to their betrothed at the female’s coming out party. It is an old, stupid, archaic tradition if you ask me. Because on top of such an arrangement, the bride must stay pure until their wedding night. Of course, this part of the law is not pertinent to the behavior of my future husband. Damn traditions.

  Regardless, tonight is my coming out party and I will finally meet my soon-to-be husband, Winston, the Dark Fey of my future.

  So here I stand, staring at the mess that is me. I am not ugly by any means, but I am far from the typical model image of the Fey. I am on the short side, standing at just 5’4”. And I definitely do not boast a lithe figure. I have curves and I just cannot lose that last bit of baby fat. My shoulder length, golden hair tends to go frizzy if you even glance at it. However, I do have one redeeming feature, my father’s crystal blue eyes. I have been told they are so clear, my soul is on display for those who choose to look closely…

  “Franchesca, what is taking you so long? You
know how your Mother is! She will not take kindly to having to wait on you. Again.”

  Gretchen, my nanny since birth, is not exaggerating. My Mother does not like it when I keep her waiting, and I am perpetually running behind. I take a deep breath, pat the frizzy strands in an attempt to control the mess on top of my head, and open the door to my bedroom.

  “You look lovely, Franchesca.”

  I hear his gravelly, masculine voice before I see him standing directly behind Gretchen. Edrik, the Knight assigned to protect me, is all man. He is a statuesque 6’2”, with wide shoulders that taper down to a slim waist and the tightest ass I have ever seen. What? I may be untouched but I still have eyes. Eyes that catalog every morsel about my guard: his chiseled face with its slightly-weathered, olive skin and constant five-o-clock-shadow along his jaw, his chestnut hair, and his chocolate brown eyes you could melt into.Those eyes, with their rich golden flecks, haunt my daydreams. They have for years.

  Edrik has the kind of muscles you can only get from training. It is rather convenient that he trains with the other Knights right outside my balcony. Watching him spar has become one of my two favorite pastimes, the other being reading. Sadly, he takes my protection much too seriously. He is broody and treats me with a distant respect, mostly like a little sister. This is probably due to the five year age gap between us. Even the compliment he uttered seems to be an afterthought because he is currently monitoring the hallway action with a tight expression.

  “You should not take life so seriously, Edrik. Your attitude, and the permanent scowl you prefer plastered to your face, will definitely not help in finding a mate.”

  My stomach sinks thinking about the day he will decide to settle down and leave me. In an effort to ignore the twinge of sadness the thoughts ignite, I walk out of my room and begin the descent down the foyer’s winding, center staircase.

  “And you, my princess, should be more serious. You are almost a grown woman, moments away from meeting your future husband.”

  Ugh… why did he have to remind me?

  As I enter the ballroom on the main floor of our home, the decorations and fanfare steal my attention. Mother outdid herself this time. I’m in awe of the tables draped in gold cloth and vases filled with lilies. There is a chocolate fountain in the far-left corner, surrounded by a variety of sweets and every fruit available from our lands. An elaborate buffet table in the right corner is overflowing with meats, vegetables, and an assortment of breads. A stage is being occupied by an eight-piece orchestra, softly playing classical Fey music.

  My attention soon shifts to my Mother, the Queen of the Light Fey and most powerful earth manipulator. She is, as always, a picture of perfection. Her golden blonde hair, the same shade I inherited, is pulled back into a chignon and without a single grey strand. No doubt it is terrified to betray her in such a common way. Her emerald green eyes are more prominent tonight, accentuated by the luxurious emerald gown she is wearing. Her normally wrinkle-free face now exhibits a look of utter disgust, aimed in my direction. She probably does not like my choice of attire.

  I’m decked out in a ruby red, sweetheart-neckline mermaid dress that I thought showcased my assets nicely. I had chosen the style so my curves would appear more womanly than chubby. Apparently, it wasn’t working for me. The red flats on my feet probably were not endearing me to her either. I have told Mother time and again that heels and I do not mesh. Unless she wants me stumbling face first down the stairs, flats is what I will be wearing.

  “Franchesca, honey, what took you so long? I would like to introduce you to Winston, Prince of the Dark Fey and his parents, King Richard and Queen Isabelle.”

  Mother is using the “Queen Voice.” Which means, “Be polite, stand up straight, and do not dare embarrass me.”

  “I see your father over by the fireplace with Lord Henry. Richard, Isabelle, would you care to join me and let these two get to know each other better? Prince Winston.”

  The prince accepts my Mother’s hand with a slight bow as she dismisses us both. That is all the introduction I get before I watch her back disappear into the crowd around us.

  Two years my senior, Winston is a notorious womanizer. But I deign to gloss over this fact, for the moment, as I examine my betrothed and the future King of the Light and Dark Fey. At 6’, with alabaster skin and champagne blond hair, he is absolutely gorgeous. But his eyes are what capture my attention most. Striking, deep blue eyes. Eyes full of mischief. Eyes like whirlpools that could suck you in for hours.

  Maybe this arrangement won’t be such a hardship after all.

  “Prince Winston, it is a pleasure to meet you,” I say as I extend a small hand towards him. He takes my offering to place a chaste kiss upon my knuckles. He is not focused on me at all but peering over my shoulder. I dare a quick peek to see what could have caught his attention. It is not a what, but a who: a tall, slim, snowy-haired bimbo with hooker-red lips. Her body tucked into a gaudy, crimson dress that would not even fit one of my old baby dolls. He promptly drops my hand like I have some sort of flesh-eating virus and proceeds to walk right past me, up to the bimbo.

  Fabulous. My future husband is a douche. Who will now be referred to as “The Asshat.”

  Determined not to let said asshat bring me down, I walk off, snatch a glass of champagne from a passing server, and start searching for my best friend. The life of a princess does not allow a lot of liberties, considering I am rarely allowed out of the castle. Such a lack of freedom breeds a lack of friends. So Bianca is not only my best friend, but my only friend. Her Father is an advisor to my dad, which is why she has always spent a lot of time in the castle. Most of that time was spent causing havoc after our homeschool lessons. I miss the carefree days of playing hide-and-seek in the servant’s tunnels and hopscotch in the garden.

  She is my complete opposite, meaning the perfect example of a Light Fey female: tall at 5’8”, with a slender, statuesque body. Her long, auburn tresses always have the perfect waves that I could only dream of achieving. Her gleaming jade eyes are sometimes described to be cold and calculating. She is my confidant, my shoulder to lean on. Without her, I would have gone mad ages ago.

  “Bianca! Thank goodness you are here. I just met Prince Asshat and let’s say, I was not impressed.”

  Bianca slides her eyes to me in a glance full of confusion, “Who is Prince Asshat?” After a pause, “Wait, do you mean Winston? I have told you, Franchesca! He is just older and having a little fun until your wedding. Give him a break. Instead of complaining, why not be happy you are betrothed to the hottest, most eligible bachelor in both Kingdoms?”

  Bianca is always in-your-face honest. Some may think her harsh, but I have learned to overlook the rougher aspects of her attitude and appreciate that she will tell it like it is. She does not believe in sugarcoating anything. Even when speaking to her kingdom’s Princess. Probably because she is not held to the same standards as me.

  Some days she keeps me sane, some days I detest her.

  But in this, I know she’s right. He is older, and having your life planned from the moment you were conceived isn’t easy. I should know. I need to remember this and let him be. After all, we have years to get to know one another. Maybe he is just as nervous as I am? Is he just using that bimbo to get his head straight before coming back over and trying to speak to me?

  Long after the last guest has left, I’m lying in bed wearing my favorite tiger pajamas, replaying the events of the night. How dare Winston dismiss me the way he did?! Who does he think he is? Bianca believes he is acting that way to look more manly in front of all the dignitaries, but something tells me it is more. Maybe he did not like what he saw. Maybe he doesn’t want me.

  The more I think about it, the more upset I get and this makes me hungry. What can I say? I like to eat away my troubles. This is probably why I am not able to lose that baby fat. I get out of bed and head downstairs.

  I enter the main kitchen, flipping on the lights and stop for a moment to take
it all in. The massive stove and three ovens, all in stainless steel, are a chef’s wet dream. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to use any of it. The last time I attempted to utilize the gleaming appliances, I ended up burning a kitchen towel and all the cupcakes Gretchen had been teaching me to bake. The entire kitchen filled with a burning-cloth-and-sugar-scented smoke and I was banned from furthering my culinary skills.

  On one of the gleaming counters, I find a large slab of my leftover chocolate birthday cake. Mmm….. my favorite! Not bothering with a plate, I pick up a fork and dig right in. Just as I’m about to put some of this culinary masterpiece in my mouth, I hear the door swing open. My dad walks in, scaring me half to death.

  “Someone needs to put a bell on you.”

  He laughs at me. Those crystal blue eyes I inherited from him are twinkling, finely complimented by his tawny hair. Bastian, my father, King of the Light Fey and most powerful water manipulator, is a very large man. It’s not his height, though he towers over me. Simply put, he is built like a tree. Not fat, not muscular; just big and broad. Combined with his geniality, I frequently refer to him as an overgrown teddy bear. He gives the best hugs when I need them.

  “Hey, Frannie. What are you doing up so late?”