Read Online Beast in Shining Armor by Cassandra Gannon - Free Book Online

I read them.  As soon as I took over the Northlands, I studied everything I could
on how to rule a kingdom.  I wanted to do a good job.”
    “And
so you turned to my relatives for tips?”  He rolled his eyes.  “You poor
girl.”
    “Adam
was a brilliant man.”  Belle insisted.
    Avenant
grunted.  “I’m feeling far less charitable towards the drunken lunatic.  Especially
since I’m standing in the middle of his ridiculous mousetrap.”  Avenant ran a
finger over the blocks of ice that made up the wall.
    Belle
was beginning to rethink the idea that the ice was filtering daylight and
causing the eerie illumination.  The walls themselves seemed to glow.
    “You
know, if you really wanted to help the Northlands, you should’ve had this
stupid maze closed down and left my dungeon alone.”  Avenant told her.
    “I
never even thought about the labyrinth before our court hearing.”  Belle had
been focused on the parts of the Northlands with the actual people in them. 
She hadn’t paid any attention to some relic tucked away in the farthest corner
of the kingdom.  No one ventured up here unless they were stupid or desperate. 
“I don’t think anyone remembered it existed, at all.  Except you.”  She shot
him a suspicious frown.  “How did you come up with the idea of a contest of
valor right off the top of your head, anyway?”  Even her lawyer needed to look
up what it meant.
    “When
you’re an actual ruler and not a usurper, you intuitively know things.”
    “I
intuitively know you’re lying.”
    “You’ve
always been a bitter person.”  He said sadly.  “You should try to let go of the
past and focus on your future.  You have so little of it left.  It only seems
smart to make the most of the scant days that remain before your execution.”
    Belle
stopped walking and turned to pin him with a serious look.  “If we’re going to
be stuck with each other for a while, do you think you could stop sniping?  Do
you think you could attempt to make this partnership work?”
    “Can
you?”
    Belle
sighed.  “I’ll try not to kill you if you try not to kill me.  Deal?”
    He
considered that.  “Give me a reason.”
    “Simple. 
Unlike you, I didn’t just leave Adam’s journal sitting on its dusty shelf.  I
brought it along with me, because it has instructions on how to solve this
maze.”  She dug the journal out of her coat pocket and held it up.  All life’s
answers could be found in books.  Belle believed that completely.  “If you’re
civil, I’ll share what I’ve figured out so far.”
    Avenant
stared at her.  “That’s a good reason.”  He allowed.
    “I
thought you’d see it my way.”  Belle flipped to the section she’d marked.  “Now,
I read it all over and it seems like it’s in a code.  Like riddles only… not.”
    “Coded
not-riddles written by a drunken lunatic.”  Avenant sighed.  “I’m suddenly
remembering why I hated those tedious stories my mother used to tell about my
tedious ancestors.  I should just turn everyone into an ice cube and win the
contest by process of elimination.”
    Belle
ignored that.  “The journal talks about how the labyrinth was built as a test
for princes.  Solving it is supposed to prove their worth.”
    “Uh-huh.” 
He checked his watch again.
    “It
has three different parts to it, all of them needing different skills.  We’re
on the ice level.  It’s designed to test the first quality that every prince
needs.”
    “Money?”
    “No.” 
She held up the page so he could see.  “It says it ‘A prince must burn through
an icy heart and help those around him.  By focusing beyond his own selfish
desires, he shows he is worthy of victory.’”
    He
leaned closer to her.  “Which means what exactly?  Aside from the fact that
Adam had real potential as a fortune cookie author.”
    Belle
tried very hard not to notice his perfect profile.  When she was this close to
Avenant, it was hard to breathe.  It