Chapter 29: Bom POV – A Royal Reveal
Iceswords.
A name that chills the tongue before it even hits the air. Cold didn't describe it — the entire kingdom was wrapped in frost, snow piling high on rooftops, breath forming crystals in the air. The streets were slick, quiet, and painted in gray-blue shadows. Beauty, yes, but the kind that bites.
And worse?
No chicken.
Not even one grilled wing. This place should be banned.
We stashed the calèche in a quiet alley behind an abandoned smithy and wrapped ourselves tighter in our cloaks. The capital buzzed with its usual activity — weapon stands, heavy fur markets, potion stalls lining every street. But we weren't here for fur. Or magic.
We were looking for Bob.
Faye walked beside me, quiet, eyes searching.
"I hope he's okay..." she whispered.
Clavis added softly, "Same."
I nodded once, keeping my gaze forward, though something tight pulled behind my ribs. Hector and Regis walked ahead — no emotion, just stone-faced. Typical knights and drama kings.
Then Clavis stopped abruptly.
"There!" he pointed down a side street, "That's the slave market!"
He ran. We followed.
The slave market wasn't loud. It was... haunting.
Rows of cages under heavy blue cloth, steam rising from the nostrils of chained beasts, witches in enchanted muzzles, men and women in shackles whispering their names like prayers. It was colder here — not just the air. The silence was heavy.
We searched.
Each row, each cage.
Nothing.
No Bob.
I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Where are you, idiot...?"
Clavis's eyes glistened. He clenched his fists.
Faye just... sat down. On the frozen ground. Lost.
And then—
"Iceswords Wallpaper! Get your news! Headlines hot as dragon breath!"
A kid with wild hair waved a roll of paper in the air, shouting from behind a stand.
I ignored him at first — until a flash of something caught my eye. The paper rolled slightly as he waved, and I saw... a figure. Familiar. Blurry.
Wait.
I spun. "Hey, kid!"
Everyone turned.
Regis raised an eyebrow. "You want... a newspaper right now?"
"Shut up," I snapped. "This is important."
I stalked up to the kid. "How much?"
He looked me up and down like a merchant judging horse meat. "For you? Seventy brots."
"Seventy?! It's usually twenty!"
"Take it or leave it."
Faye leaned in. "Is he really buying this?"
I didn't answer. Just shoved the coins into his tiny frostbitten hand and unrolled the paper.
First thing I saw? A small headline at the bottom.
"Daggermine Town in The south of Zerathune Mysteriously Burned Overnight — Source Unknown."
I smirked. Guilty. Next time, they'll learn not to try to eat me ! .
But then I froze.
The top of the paper was dominated by a massive photo.
There stood Bob.
Naked.
Only one hand covered his family jewels.
His Other Hand posed awkwardly like a misunderstood fashion model.
The headline above read:
"THE QUEEN IS A KING!"
I burst out laughing. Loud. A laugh from the soul, from the lungs, from the part of me that had seen too much and finally got dessert.
People stared.
My team rushed in.
"What's so funny?" Faye asked, eyebrows pinched.
I flipped the paper toward them like a proud parent.
They leaned in.
And then—
Faye. Clavis. Regis. Even Hector.
"BOBBBBBBBBB?!" they all screamed.
I couldn't breathe from laughter.
Clavis was frozen in shock.
Faye's jaw dropped.
Regis covered his face.
Hector said nothing, but he blinked twice, which for him is basically fainting.
I held up the paper again and tapped the photo.
"Guess we know where Bob is."