Page 22 of Court of Secrets and Flames (Dragons of Tirene #2)
Chapter Twenty-Two
The king has the nerve to stand there and meet my ire with a bland expression. “Would you allow me the honor of escorting you back to the castle?”
Oh good. He’s going to pretend he didn’t just announce to all of Tirene that he plans to breed his future wife like a prize broodmare. A fact that would be alarming even if the broodmare in question wasn’t me .
I regard the elbow he offers with the same enthusiasm I’d show a venomous snake while I struggle to rein in my temper and muster a reply that won’t land me in shackles.
He can’t possible think for one second that I’ll agree to marry him.
Through my dragon bond, I can sense the creatures’ growing restlessness and realize they’re reacting to my turbulent emotions. I must be really pissed to be riling them up so much. “Sorry, but I think I’ll pass. You’ve given me so much to think about. I mean, it’s not every day a king tells you and everyone within hearing range that he wants to impregnate you for the good of the kingdom.”
Shit. Shit shit shit. So much for controlling my temper.
Scared to see his reaction, I turn back toward the crowd and find something that forces my already shaky nerves into earthquake mode. Pushing through the masses with grim determination stamped on his features is Knox, and boy does the crown prince look pissed. He stalks toward us, giving off strong strangle first, talk later vibes. And as much as I want to cheer him on over his brother’s what-the-fuckery, my concern for his safety outweighs my desire to watch him rip the king a new one.
This could get ugly fast.
Desperate to prevent the imminent collision, I swing back to the king and clutch his arm. “On second thought, I’m a little tired and would like to return to the castle for a nap.”
I give a little tug in hopes of guiding him in the right direction, but Jasper doesn’t budge.
He focuses his attention on his brother, who’s now close enough for me to spot the tic in his jaw.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
With a deep breath, I throw a hand to my forehead and release a loud moan. “I don’t feel so well all of a sudden. My head keeps spinning, and I think I might pass out.”
Both brothers’ heads swing toward me, and Jasper puts a steadying hand around my waist. “You probably overdid it this morning…using your wings for the first time takes a lot out of you. Here, can you walk if you lean on me?”
Thus far, my plan is working. I just need Knox to play nice so this whole thing can blow over. I can tolerate King Bear My Heirs’s attentions for a little longer in the name of diplomacy.
When I peek at Knox, though, my heart sinks into my boots. That twitch in his jaw keeps going as he glares at his brother’s hand placement. This from the man who can don an unfeeling mask with the best of them, and who usually exercises complete control over his emotions. Does the idea of me with the king really upset him enough to fray the leash on that control until it snaps?
And why, oh why, do I find his unraveling over jealousy kind of hot? Because I shouldn’t.
“Lark?” The king’s prompt snaps me back into our surroundings.
“I’m not sure if I can walk, but I’ll try.”
I heave an internal sigh, fully prepared to swallow my pride and feign a faint to prevent a brother-to-brother reckoning, but a shout stops me in the nick of time.
“Let us through! We need to speak to the king at once!”
Alarmed murmurs grow in volume as the crowd parts to reveal two men clad in black from head to toe. The one with blood streaming down his face leans on his companion.
Jasper immediately barks for someone to help me back to my chamber.
Knox steps forward. “I’ve got her.”
“No,” the king snaps without even glancing our way, “I need you with me to deal with this. Get one of your men to take her.”
A thundercloud has nothing on the stormy expression that reigns over Knox’s face, and for a heartbeat, I’m terrified he’ll refuse.
Then Blair steps forward and wraps a gentle hand around my shoulders. “I’ve got her,” he says in his calm way. “I’ll make sure she gets back to her chamber safely.”
Knox tenses but jerks his chin at his friend. “I’m counting on it.”
After scanning me one more time to reassure himself I’m in no immediate danger, he takes his place by the king’s side as the pair staggers up.
With the upmost care, Blair gently steers me toward the closest path. “Please give me a warning if you think you’re close to passing out so I can keep my promise. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” He glances around and lowers his voice. “Nice performance, by the way. You missed your calling on the stage.”
My gaze flies up to his amused face. “How did you know?”
“I have a little sister who used to fake being sick all the time to get out of chores or trouble. Plus, I knew as soon as the king mentioned your future offspring that we were going to have a problem. I tried to get to Knox before he could make a big mistake, but I couldn’t reach him in time. Quick thinking on your part.” He gives my arm a momentary squeeze. “He’s different with you, you know. In our entire history, I’ve never once seen him come close to losing his cool over a woman.”
I try not to let that comment affect me, but it’s no use. A warm glow fills my damaged heart and attempts to mend some of the cracks.
Lost in my head, I don’t realize Blair stopped walking until his hand jerks me backward. When I whirl toward him, he puts a finger to his lips and tips his head at Knox, the king, and the two other men. I catch on and stop, too, pretending to lean on him for a momentary rest while I strain to listen in on the conversation behind us.
“…another raid…out of nowhere…two others injured…”
I frown. What raids? I had a vague memory of overhearing a magenta-haired woman mention raids the other night, but that conversation slipped my mind with everything else going on.
The king’s baritone is easier to hear. “Were you able to capture one of them this time or confirm which kingdom they’re from?”
“No, but sure…Aclaris…”
A long pause. “Come, let’s take you to the healer. We can discuss this more in private.”
Blair nudges me into motion again. Moments later, guards clear the path. We scoot off to the side and watch as the king and the two men pass. Knox brings up the rear, cocking a knowing eyebrow at Blair and me as if to say we aren’t fooling anyone with our snail’s pace.
My mind spins as we trail after them. “Aclaris is raiding Tirene? Since when?”
Blair opens his mouth. Closes it. Shakes his head. “I’m not sure the prince would want me to?—”
Crying interrupts him, and I crane my neck to see a blond woman in a green dress hurrying up the path behind us. When she draws abreast with us, she slows and turns her head. The hatred blazing in her eyes freezes me in my tracks.
“This is your fault,” she hisses. “If you went back to where you belonged, my husband wouldn’t be injured right now!”
Leaning over, she spits at my feet before rushing off toward the castle.
“What in the world?” I mutter.
Most of the Tirenese within hearing range go to great lengths to avoid looking at me, and a few of the ones who don’t toss sympathetic glances my way. At least one couple eyes me with similar disgust as the woman did, though, and their expressions trigger a bout of self-consciousness.
I grasp Blair’s arm. “Do you know what she’s talking about? Why is she blaming me?”
His muscle contracts beneath my hand, his reluctance to reply all but oozing out of him. He clears his throat. “Perhaps you should wait and ask Knox…”
When the truth hits my whirling mind, I gasp. “King Xenon. He’s raiding in retaliation for Knox whisking me off to Tirene. That’s what’s happening, isn’t it?”
Blair sighs. “Maybe, maybe not. That’s the prevailing theory but since the raiders don’t wear any identifying colors and use unmarked ships, we can’t know for sure.” When I just gawk, he groans. “Fine. The timing makes Aclaris the most likely culprit. We dealt with raids every so often before this, but things really ramped up the day after your arrival.”
Guilt needles me in the gut. “I hate the thought that anyone is getting injured because of me.” My shoulders slump. “Just when it seemed like people were starting to accept me too. Now they’ll all hate me again.”
“They won’t all hate you. The two we just passed happen to be vehement nationalists, which means they basically hate anything that’s not one-hundred-percent Tirenese and would just as soon never interact with another kingdom again. A little short-sighted considering we’re an island and rely on trade to obtain the things we can’t grow here, but I suppose no one claimed they were particularly bright.”
The knowledge that the typically quiet soldier strung all those words together to spare my feelings helps lessen the sting a little. Still, the notion that my presence here could be hurting innocent people doesn’t sit well on my head, even if their prince didn’t exactly ask my permission before hauling me out of Aclaris.
The nobles we pass on our trek back to the castle chatter amongst themselves, their voices hushed as they cast frequent glimpses in my direction. I catch snippets of conversation about wings, queens, and foreign attacks. My mind races in different directions, and part of me wishes I could race back to the dragons and soar free into the open sky with them, untethered by the politics of men.
Once inside, Blair offers to escort me to my room, but I decline in favor of a stroll in the gardens. I’m not ready yet to be trapped alone with my thoughts in my bedchamber. Hidden from the castle behind tall, expertly manicured hedges, I trail my finger over soft, purple petals and inhale the flowers’ sweet perfume. I’m not sure how long I wander the lush grounds before boots crunch the path behind me.
The hot buzz of awareness inflaming my blood informs of the intruder’s identity without any other cues, but the rich, velvety voice proves it. “Blair told me I’d find you here.”
“Your meeting with the king over? Or should I say, my future husband and sire of my unborn children.”
A strong arm bands around my waist and yanks me backward into a hard chest. His tone harshens. “Unless you want to see me come unhinged, don’t ever say that to me again.”
I’m not sure why I did. After faking a dizzy spell to stop him from lashing out at his brother earlier, provoking him now over those same words seems senseless. My only defense is that between the king’s unwelcome comment and learning about the raids, I’m not at my best. “Sorry. I’m a little out of sorts. It’s not every day you learn that you’re betrothed to a king. Any idea where I can go to get a wedding gown made around here?”
Knox’s hands slide to my hips and squeeze. “Don’t get caught up in Jasper’s bullshit. Because I promise you that a marriage between you and him will never happen.”
“How can you promise that? Last time I checked, king trumps prince.”
“And I don’t give a flying fuck who trumps who. I’d rather commit treason than see you married to my brother.”
I cast a nervous glance over my shoulder. “Shh, don’t say stuff like that out here. Although, can’t say I’m particularly thrilled about becoming your future sister-in-law either.”
His chest rumbles with the force of his anger. “Are you trying to piss me off? Stop. Talking.”
I ignore his command. “Maybe I need to figure out a way to return to King Xenon.” My skin crawls from even uttering the thought aloud, but what kind of person am I if I allow other people to suffer on my behalf?
“What the fuck?” A snarl hits my left ear as Knox whirls me around and treats me to his dark scowl. “You can’t be serious. Return you to Xenon? You must be out of your mind if you think I’d ever allow you to rush headfirst into danger like that.”
And I guess this fight is on. “ Allow me? Since when do I require your permission to do things?”
His nostrils flare, and he exhales a loud sigh as he struggles to control himself. “Poor wording, I’ll admit. But, Lark, you must realize I’d rather die than let Xenon get his claws into you. It’s not safe. Why would you even suggest such a fool-headed thing?”
While I could point out that Tirene hasn’t proven to be all that safe either, I hold my tongue. “Because I don’t want people getting hurt over me. What if me being here gets more people injured, or worse, killed? What if Xenon plans even more raids?”
The hardness to his features instantly softens. “Then we’ll deal with it as it happens. If you do go back, though, I’m going with you.”
I gawk. “You’re being completely unreasonable. That’s the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard since the king literally saw you sprout wings and steal me out from under his nose.”
“Really? And what do you call handing over the one person who might be the key to Xenon becoming the most powerful ruler in all the kingdoms? If that’s true, you stand to doom a lot more Tirenese than a few raids.”
His valid point only frustrates me more. “Right. I should have known that your real worry was about Tirene. It’s not like you care what happens to me.”
“I never intended to care, but I should have known better. You hit me like an alicorn hoof to the chest from the very first moment I laid eyes on you. And after that run-in, I knew I was in trouble. Why do you think I behaved like such an ass?”
I roll my eyes. “Hmm, let me think…oh, I know! Because you are an ass?”
His mouth twitches. “That too, but mostly, it was my attempt to keep you at arm’s length…even though for the purpose of the mission, buttering you up and trying to get close to you was a much smarter strategy.”
At the mention of his mission, familiar pang stabs my chest, and I start to spin away. He stops me and tugs on my braid to tilt my head back. “Don’t. Please don’t shut me out. Yes, you started as a mission, but the gods must have laughed that day because I wanted you from the very start, in a way that I’ve never wanted any woman before.” He trails his knuckles down my cheek. “I tried to fight it, for all the good it did me. Now, let me escort you back inside.”
His words leave me reeling the entire walk back to my chambers. Does he actually mean those things, or is this merely another game?