Duty & Monsters

Duty & Monsters Royalty & Romance: Book 2 J.L. Meyrick Copyright © 2023 by J.L. Meyrick All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact [email protected] The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Book Cover by Artscandare Formatting by Star Child Designs Editing by SJS Editorial Services Images by pch.vector on Freepik 1st edition 2023 Table of Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Dedication To those who insisted on hearing more about Grace and Freddie, Crowns & Swords was meant to be a standalone, now it’s a fully-fledged series! Content Warnings If required, please keep these content warnings in mind when reading Duty & Monsters. - Grief - Fear - Parental death - Graphic bloodshed. Author Note To my family, because I know some of you will read this, this is your friendly reminder that this book contains explicit scenes of a sexual nature. Should you decide to read them, please don’t mention it to me, it’s far too embarrassing! I’d much rather believe you skipped over them. Chapter One Grace Rough waves battered the ships in the harbour, trying with all their might to push them over and claim them for themselves. It was a futile effort. The masts stretched to the sky, sails restrained until they were called for once again. Feet pounded across the decks, shipmates darting about their daily tasks. The Sea Dragon, amongst others, was stuck in the harbour for over a month since the recent incursion, waiting while their captains worked to rebuild the small community island. Gusts of icy wind flew up the harbour and through the small town, patchwork buildings dotted around the courtyard. Well-weathered planks next to freshly lumbered wood were the only evidence of a recent altercation. The town was almost back to its odd sense of normal after the brief incursion of Valentine and his crew. The prince-turned-captain had taken control of the small community for a short time, attempting to turn them into his own private army. His high-born arrogance turned into determination to make his mark in the ongoing war between the three kingdoms. His victory was short-lived. A swift uprising amongst the island’s inhabitants had seen to that. Muldotrens continued to roam the seas, attacking both Venetian and Ablunoran ships alike. The attacks had started randomly some time ago. Information about the war was scarce in the pirate community, even with their own princess hidden in their midst. Captain Grace Peregrine had spent some time with the former princess, trying to work the war to her own advantage. So far, the only plus was being able to avoid warships, their paths being laid out for Freddie to snoop before her escape the night before her sham of a wedding. Sadly, that information was now worthless in the face of an ever-evolving wartime landscape. “Captain?” a deep voice shook Grace out of her internal monologue. “Yes, Hawthorne?” she replied, shaking the memories of the recent past from her mind. Her right-hand man stood beside her, towering over her head. To a stranger, Hawthorne appeared to be a terrifying man, broad and dark skinned. But Grace knew the man to be endlessly kind and protective of those he considered family. “Your presence is required in the hall,” the towering quartermaster informed her, gesturing behind them to the building standing as the central meeting point for their small community. Grace nodded and led the way. Ever since her defeat of Valentine, the townspeople had looked to her for guidance. Their former leader, Jaques, fell at the start of the incursion, Valentine took him out personally. It wasn’t a role she ever envisioned for herself, but it was required for the town to get back on its feet, so she did what she could. The heavy wooden doors stood open already, waiting for her to enter. The strong winds outside would make their closing difficult, but the promise of an incoming storm made it a sensible step. Hawthorne, inevitably thinking the same, ordered them to be closed. The groan of the century-old wood echoed around them as they walked deeper into the building. Grace couldn’t help but feel trapped as the echo rattled off the walls. A ruckus of voices called out from the inner hall. The townspeople were waiting for her to voice their concerns. Grace used to attend these meetings a couple of times a year, sitting to the side, invisible in the wash of faces. Now, a place awaited her, at the head of the room, all faces pointing towards her. The chair sat empty, waiting for her to sit and begin the meeting. Grace could feel the eyes of the room on her back, the pressure of her assumed role weighing on her. Her heart beat a little faster despite her not moving, her palms prickling with nerves as she made fists. She was happy at the helm of a ship, calling orders down to her crew. But this was a step too far into power for her liking. A hand brought her out of her inner thoughts, placed on the shoulder of the chair that sat in front of her. Glancing up at the owner, she met beautiful brown eyes. Freddie stood ready to support her, a small smile encouraging her to sit. Her heart calmed;