Page 27 of Court of Rivals (Their Dragon Rider #1)

It takes him a long minute to answer. “Because I wanted to.”

“Okay,” I say, filled with uncertainty.

Why in the world would he want to dance with me when he hates me so much?

It’s clear that as a handsome prince he can’t possibly be struggling for female attention.

In fact, even as I glance about the room, I see ladies staring after us with envy.

So if he doesn’t need female attention, what could he possibly be up to?

“Is this going to end with me being punched in the face again?”

Prince Alaric inhales sharply, and his lips curl into a frown that does nothing to take away from his classically handsome face.

“I do not hit women. I mean, I’ve never hit a woman before, and never intend to again.

But if you’re in combat with one of us, you can’t expect us to go easy on you just because you’re a woman.

We’d hardly be preparing you for battle against the Hollowborn if we did. ”

“Oh, wow, so I was just the lucky, lone woman who got battered by you?”

He winces. “Listen. I–well, I just, it’s like this.” I watch as he struggles painfully to figure out how to answer me. And if he was anyone else, it’d be darling. “I apologize for hitting you. That wasn’t my intention.”

“You’re apologizing?” I ask, sure I misheard him.

Those soft brown eyes of his find mine again.

“I’m apologizing for hitting you. I lost my temper fighting with you, but I’m not sorry for everything else.

I want you to understand that I consider it a personal affront to my honor that my father has allowed an untrained commoner to become a dragon rider, someone who hasn’t been working for this since you were a child like all the rest of us, and simply expects us all to accept you as one of our own when you’ve done nothing to earn your position. ”

“How do you know I’ve done nothing to earn my position?”

Anger flashes across his face. “I mean nothing on your knees.”

Yanking my hand from his, I go to leave the dance floor, but he catches me again, and forces me back into his arms. “The dance isn’t over yet.”

I laugh angrily. “It is for us.”

“You know what I was saying,” he mutters, tightening his grip on me.

“Yeah, you were implying that I sucked someone’s cock to be a dragon rider, when I’ve done nothing of the sort.

Not your precious little dick. Not the king’s.

And sure as fuck not Ebron’s. But I will have you know that for all your training and all your nights of hard work, I can hold my own with all of you.

Because, guess what? I haven’t spent my life lying around in silk britches while servants attended to me.

I’ve worked hard. I’ve saved lives and ended lives.

I’ve been out in the world, surviving against challenges most of you never experienced once in your pathetic, privileged little lives. ”

His eyes are wide. His mouth hangs open, and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. I’m sure he’ll come up with some arrogant, asshole response, but for now, I enjoy seeing him stumped.

Then, he seems to gather himself. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe that comment was out-of-line, but I’m still not wrong that dragon riding isn’t right for you.” He sighs. “I mean, wouldn’t you rather focus on getting married? On babies?”

I stare at him. “We’re nearly the same age. Are you focused on marriage and babies?”

He bristles. “I’m not a woman.”

“My vagina isn’t a magnetic dragging me to a wedding ring.”

He looks frustrated. “You’re a woman . You’re not a fighter.”

“I’ve been holding my own against you just fine.”

His hands tighten on me. “You can’t possibly compete with a lifetime of training.”

“And yet, I am. Aren’t I? That’s what’s bothering all of you the most.”

He opens his mouth, then closes it.

The song ends, and I’m immediately pulled away from Prince Alaric and into another pair of broad arms. My eyes travel up those thick arms and broad shoulders to land smack dab on Prince Gareth, whose expression is positively thunderous.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, then, louder. “What do you want?”

“Why are you dancing with my brothers?”

“Did I look like I had a choice?”

“I don’t trust you.” His hands tighten on me. “You’re plotting something.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh yes, you gorgeously intelligent man you, you’ve figured out my sinister plot to dance with two assholes I can’t stand, and spend more of my time being insulted by idiots.”

His expression shifts. “Gorgeously intelligent?”

“ That’s the part of what I just said you’re focusing on?”

He smirks. “I’ve never been called gorgeously intelligent before, but I like it.”

I smack his shoulder lightly. “I did not call you that. You’re missing the point.”

“I think I got the point,” he says, and there’s amusement in his gaze.

It’s strange. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Prince Gareth looking happy before. He’s always all doom and gloom, like the lone rain cloud on an otherwise sunny day. Not that my time here has been a sunny day.

I’m about to call him some very colorful names to replace the ones he thinks I called him when someone rings a bell.

The band stops playing, conversation dies, and all eyes turn toward the king.

Prince Gareth glances down at me, his grip tightening for a minute, before he seems to reluctantly let me go.

I shift away from him, feeling like I can breathe for the first time since coming to this ball room.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” King Stormvale begins cheerfully. “Thank you for coming here today to celebrate our dragon riders and all their hard work. They are the only thing that stands between us and the Hollowborn, and we thank the gods every day for all they do to protect us.”

Everyone begins clapping and cheering, and I’m not sure how to feel. They’re not exactly celebrating me. I’ve just barely joined the academy. I know just as well as every dragon rider here that I haven’t earned that kind of respect just yet.

“But today is also special for another reason,” the king says, and I tense when his gaze finds me. “I know many of you have heard the rumors, and they’re true. We now have a male dragon at the academy, along with his female dragon rider, Harper Nightborne.”

There’s more clapping and cheering as everyone turns to look at me, and I feel my cheeks heat. I was not at all expecting this kind of attention. Some attention, yes, because Roland had said as much, but not for the king to talk about me. Not for every eye in the room to focus on me.

As the cheering dies down, King Stormvale continues, “Since the arrival of Harper, our Memory Keepers have been working feverously to gather all mentions of male dragons and female dragon riders in the archives. Our research has already provided some interesting revelations.” For some reason, I hold my breath, wondering what this could possibly mean for Ebron and I.

“We found references of three different dragon riders of this combination. Well-known dragon riders to us all. Rowena Thalor, and her dragon Morrath, Tamsin Eryss, and her dragon Skareth, and Thessaly Renna, and her dragon Zyphira. All three went on to change the course of the war against the Hollowborn, bringing about a time of peace until the end of their lifetimes.”

There’s more clapping, but I’m barely paying attention to them. Ebron and I are supposed to bring about peace between the Hollowborns and our people? That’s a hell of a lot of pressure.

“What’s more, the arrival of the female rider, male dragon combination will mark a large change within the dragons.

Male dragons tend to join in the battle for one primary reason, because their solitary lives are coming to an end.

They want to find their mates among our dragons.

Once they do, dragon babies will be born within the academy walls.

” There are gasps and murmurs. “Additionally,” his gaze focuses on me.

“In the past, if a male dragon made several females his mates, the female dragon rider would then end up as the mate to those female dragons’ riders .

This is an extraordinary thing, and very rare, so I’ve made a decision.

I will bestow upon Harper Nightborne an honorary title, making her Lady Nightborne, along with appointing her lands and wealth.

This will do two things. It will ensure that her status reflects her importance within our great nation, and it will make sure she can stand as an equal to the men that become her husbands. ”

My head spins. What? It’s overwhelming, but it’s also incredible.

If I end up with lands and wealth, how will this affect my family and Arthur?

I’ll be able to help them in ways I never imagined.

But as much as I just want to celebrate that fact, I’m kind of freaking out about these random husbands that will be selected for me by my dragon.

It sounds like I won’t have any say in it at all.

“How many husbands will she have?” Someone calls out.

The king grins. “According to the history books, any number is possible. It all depends on how many mates her dragon chooses. Apparently, because of the dragon-human bond, Harper will grow to love the dragon riders of her dragon, Ebron’s, mates.

There’s no way to fight it. It will simply happen.

Then, we will have a lady of the dragons, and her husbands’ position will match hers. ”

I’m going to have multiple husbands? I’ll be elevated to the status of a lady?

This is too much. I need to talk to Ebron.

I need to figure out how much control I still have over my own life, because my instincts are screaming that I should say, the hell with this, and do whatever I think is best for myself.

It takes effort not to let my knees buckle.

My gaze darts around the room, and I find that all the dragon riders are staring at me. Fuck. As much as they hate me, will they want me now, just because of what I can do for them? I’ve had a mark on my back since I got here, but the mark has changed. Become something else. Something worse.

“Harper,” the king says my name softly. I look at him. “Come here,” he says, holding out a hand.

I go to him, unable to refuse a king. Climbing up the stairs to his throne, I take his hand, and he turns me to face the crowd.

“This is our Lady of the Dragons. She will bring about peace to our kingdom. She will bring baby dragons, born within the academy grounds. And she will be united with powerful men from noble families, making them even more powerful.”

Everyone around us is cheering. Cheering and staring. Maybe I should be happy. Maybe I should be excited. But all I feel is dread.

What does this mean for my future?