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“W hat is this?” The queen’s voice was like daggers in my eardrums.

“Mother!” he acted embarrassed, but I knew if his act didn’t fool me, it surely wouldn’t fool his mother. He grabbed my hand and held it down near my hip.

“Explain this.” The queen pointed at me. “How could you be out here kissing the help?”

The help ? If not for the thought that this would get me out of my unwanted arrangement with the prince and back home to Clayhorn, I might have said something.

“This,” he paused and turned to smile at me. “This is the reason I don’t want to entertain your proposals.”

“What?” the queen echoed the question in my head.

What the hell was he talking about?

“I’ve found someone who brings me joy.” Asante’s smile beamed across his face. Very convincing.

The queen looked me up and down. I could see the disgust on her face. I did not measure up in her opinion. I stood there, a low-level chef in my flour-dusted uniform, the smell of baking bread filling the air. Her disapproval pierced deeper than any argument with my mother had ever done.

I pulled my hand away from Asante as his mother stepped closer.

“We need to talk about this.” She scrunched her nose as she glanced at me. “Alone.”

Taking the not-so-subtle hint, I bowed and ran the hell out of there. As I dashed back to my room. I was sure this was it. The queen would issue an order for the aides to send me away!

Asante had tried to change the game, but his mother still ran the court.

I made it back to my room, cleaned up, and changed into my travel clothing. I’d twisted my long, thick locs, which now reached nearly my waist, into a neat bun and pinned them at the crown of my head when a knock came on the door. The sound echoed through the quiet room.

“It’s me.” Asante’s voice, quieter and less confident than before, called in to me.

“Come in,” I answered, ready to be told the Queen wanted me gone.

When he walked into the room, the joy for my anticipated freedom dissipated and a renewed anger replaced it. Once the door was closed behind him, I marched over to him and slapped him right across the cheek. The sound echoed around us as he grabbed his cheek and cursed under his breath.

“Have you lost your mind?” He looked at me, his own rage in his eyes.

“Never kiss me without my permission.” It was all I could do not to hit him again. “I don’t care who you are or what crown you wear on your head. I’m not a toy to be used when you want to upset your mother.”

“You’re right. I was out of line.” He nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Why would you do that?” I huffed. “Why would you put me in that position?”

“I saw an opportunity to shut my mother up, and I took it.” His callous words did little to calm my nerves.

“Shut her up? You think this is going to shut her up?” I stepped away from him. “How does making me look bad shut her up?”

“In hindsight, probably not.” He adjusted his collar. “You saw how she is. Pushy, overbearing.”

“I can’t say from what I just saw that I would classify her as anything but a mother shocked to see her son kissing—a stranger. Besides, even if that is the case, do you think that means you can just have your way with anyone?”

“I apologized and yet you’re still going on with it.”

“You call that an apology? You know what, you’re right. I shouldn’t continue with the topic. Instead, I’m going to pack my things and leave.”

“What?” He grabbed my arm when I turned from him. My eyes dropped to the point of unapproved contact, and he let me go.

“I’m not staying here, and you can’t force me to.” I boasted.

“Technically,” He started, surely about to throw his weight as prince in my face.

“Technically, maybe. But do you want to explain to your mother why you’re forcing the woman you kissed so freely to stay here?” I challenged him. “Do you think I won’t make a fuss for everyone to hear? I’m sure it will make it back to her. Just like my walk made it back to you.”

“What exactly do you have that’s so good to go back to?” he asked. “I can provide everything you need here.”

“Let’s see, my life … freedom !” I threw my hands up. “I would think you would understand that?”

The prince took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. I watched him as he considered how to continue the conversation. What could he possibly say to convince me not to leave?

When he looked back at me, his eyes pleaded for my empathy again. “Please, just stay long enough for the games to be over. Once that is done, I’ll deal with my mother. But as long as you’re here, I think she will stay off my case. If you could just pretend to love me, I will let you go as soon as this is done.”

“You want me to pretend to love you?”

“Yes, it’s called acting. You’ve heard of it, right?” he smirked. “I’ll even make sure you get all the time you want to roam in the fields like you seem to love to do. As long as you make your treats for me. The real ones, not those things you served me today.”

“How long?” I contemplated his offer. Maybe there was a way I could get something out of this arrangement for myself.

“What?”

“How long will it take?

“The tournament is in a month.” He nodded. “After it is done, this will be over.”

I left him waiting as I weighed his request against what I needed for myself. What could I ask for as a bargain for staying? Simply going back to living in obscurity didn’t seem like enough. I needed more than that.

“There has to be something you want.” He offered before I could even form the words to ask. “Whatever it takes to make this work, I’ll make it happen.”

“I want to leave.” My heart ached a bit, but that was what I truly needed. An escape.

“What?” he scoffed. “I mean, yes. I will send you home.”

“I don’t mean back to my home.” I corrected him. “That’s not good enough. I need to leave Saldann for good. Can you help me do that?”

“Why?” I frowned. “What are you running from?”

“That isn’t your concern.” I scrunched my nose at him. “That is the condition for me to stay here and help you fool your mother.”

He stared into my eyes, looking for some glimmer that my stare would betray my secrecy before agreeing. “Okay, yes. I can help you. Where would you want to go?”

“Aghon.” I thought of the land of the orcs. It would be the best place for me. Far enough away from Saldann that no one would think to look for me there. It would also allow me room to let my dragon free.

“You want to live with the orcs?” He frowned in judgement of my choice.

“Is that a problem? Why does it matter to you where I live?”

“Fine. I can make that happen.” He agreed. “That’s a fair exchange.”

“Promise it.” I squinted at him and pointed to his chest. “A real promise.”

“Is my word alone not good enough?”

“After what you just pulled?” I crossed my arms. “No. It isn’t good enough.”

“Fine,” he sighed. He lifted his finger, and it shifted to dragon claw. He then opened his shirt and dragged the nail across his chest. “I promise to uphold my end of this bargain. I will personally escort you away from Saldann to the land of the Orcs when our deal is done, where I will leave you to live free and in peace. As you wish.”

I couldn’t believe he’d actually done the dragon’s promise. This was binding .

If he didn’t keep up his end of the deal, his lie would form into a poison. One that would wrap around and strangle his heart until he died. I peered into Asante’s eyes, the silence heavy between us as I waited for some betraying tremor. Some subtle shift to reveal his true intentions.

A sharp, loud rap on the door shattered our eye contact, making us both jump.

“Come in.” Asante called out and when the door opened, the pest entered.

Domin, the annoying man who clearly hated me, eyed the fresh scar on the prince’s chest.

“Sir, there is something that requires your attention.” He glanced at me, then back to the prince. “Queen Toci requests your presence.”

“What is it?” Asante asked.

Domin looked at me again, a slight tremor in his hands betraying his reluctance to speak before me.

“You can say it. It’s fine.”

“An injury with one of the trainees.” He paused. “And a problem with the trolls at the borders.”

“They’re here again?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “Their boats touched ground last night. The scouts reported it not too long ago.”

“I’ll be right there.” Asante stared at Domin until he left the room and then turned to me. “So we have a deal. We’ll talk about this more when I return. Stay here until someone comes to let you know it's safe.”

“What’s going on with the trolls?” I had heard nothing about trolls visiting Saldann. If they were showing up unannounced, it wasn’t a good thing.

“It’s nothing, just political nonsense. Don’t worry about it.” He closed his shirt and adjusted his collar. “Stay here, please.”

Each minute after he left stretched into an eternity. I kept waiting to hear a voice assuring me of safety, but none came. Finally, I looked out my window and saw the prince, his shoulders slumped in solitude on the training grounds. The late afternoon sun painted the scene in hues of orange and gold. Maybe he had forgotten about me. But it certainly didn’t look like there was trouble approaching.

Bored with my room, I decided this was the best opportunity to show him I could keep up appearances. If this was going to work, I would have to be seen with him. It had to look as if I cared. A sullen prince needed to be comforted. Who better to do that than his pretend love interest?

I left my room, dressed in a flowery gown that told a story of budding love with each step I took. With some effort, and directions from a passing woman carrying armfuls of silk, I found my way to the grounds where he stood sword in hand and pained expression on his face.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I approached. “You’ve been out here by yourself for quite some time now.”

“Working through my thoughts.” He looked up at me and, for a moment, smiled. “Domin was right, one of our men was hurt. He fell off a cliff and broke his arm and leg. He won’t be able to fight or shift for a long while.”

“I hope he heals quickly. Are you able to replace him?”

“No, not really. We just have to hope the healers can fix this. I’m not confident it will be in time for the tournament.”

“Do you plan to stay here until they do?” I pointed at the empty grounds around us. “Will you sit here in protest?”

“No.” He chuckled. “But I’m not sure what else to do with myself now.”

“Well, I’m supposed to be your love interest here.” I tapped my chin with my finger. “I guess I should come up with something to take your mind off things, right?”

“Really leaning into the role, huh?”

“I do nothing half-assed.” I lifted my chin. “A loving woman is supposed to care for her man. That’s what I’m here to do.”

“What do you have in mind?” He straightened then spoke with a teasing tone. “Oh loving woman of mine.”

“Nature.” I didn’t let his dropped smile deter my enthusiasm. “We need to get to nature. It is healing and provides clarity. Can we do that?”

“Nature?” He looked around at the grass. “This isn’t enough?”

“No, I mean real nature . With animals, trees, bugs, and dirt. All of it, not this carefully manicured lawn.” I corrected his thinking. “Extra points if there is a waterfall nearby. It's how I center myself.”

“Alright, we can do that.” He grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”

Asante led me to the stables where the serabringers were. These creatures were the product of the stagnant dragons that had interbred with an equine species that once lived on our island. Serabringers combined reptilian scales, powerful equine legs, and a long, serpentine neck. The quadrupedal creatures possessed medium-sized wings, which aided their running speed, though they were far too small for flight. The beating of their wings made a whirring sound as they ran.

Their creation was one of those things shifter dragons didn’t talk about much. While Serabringers were a part of our bloodline, we chose to ignore the actions that led to their existence.

I loved Serabringers and missed the ones we had in Frostspire. The only difference was the color of their hair. In Frostspire, they had a blend of white and brown hair, which often grew longer to brush against the ground as they walked. But here in Starwell, serabringers had bright red hair and strong features.

“They’re all so beautiful.” I smiled as he pulled two of the creatures from their stalls.

“I used to love hanging out in here with them. Until I grew too old for such games.”

“You’re never too old.” I took the reins of the smaller one, who nuzzled my jaw with her nose.

“Tell that to my mother.” Asante smirked and helped me onto her back.

“What’s her name?” I patted the enormous head in front of me.

“This is Synth,” he told me before also introducing his. “And this is Kune. Kune was my brother’s.”

“I’m sure they're both ready to ride.” I smiled.

After an hour, we found ourselves in a picturesque, wooded area, thanks to Synth and Kune. We secured the serabringers to a sturdy oak post before setting off on our hike through the dense, fragrant forest. The scene was beautiful: meticulously carved paths worn by previous visitors snaked through the landscape. With each step we took, I felt my soul heal. This trip might have been to help him, but it was doing wonders for me.

As we walked, Asante talked about his family. His father who was away on royal duties, his mother who buried herself in meaningless tasks to avoid her mourning, and his brother who had recently passed away.

“What happened to him?”

“Trolls happened.” Asante focused on Kune as he spoke. “He went out there hoping to broker peace. The reports that came back were inconsistent. Some said the trolls attacked, others claimed it was an accident caused by a storm. That they never even encountered trolls. So, because of the inconsistencies, we can’t take any direct action. Especially since he wasn’t supposed to be there. Tarak took the trip against my father’s wishes, and it cost him his life.”

Asante took careful steps away from me as he continued. “I believe it was an attack. The state of his body, that wasn’t simply because of a storm. The healers even ruled it out. They said all evidence pointed to an assault. But because of how the reports came in, my father chose not to take action. And every day I think that was a mistake.”

“And now the trolls are here again?”

“They were, but they’ve turned back. Peace continues. At least for now.” The silence stretched between us until Asante turned the questions on me. “What about your family? Where are they?”

“I don’t know.” I told the lie I had been perfecting for years.

“You’re out here all alone. With no one to watch out for you?”

“A lot of people are alone, Asante,” I said. “Some of us choose to be that way.”

“Why would you choose to be alone?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I have been honest with you.” He stopped walking. “Why are you hiding so much from me?”

“You don’t need to know that much about me. I won’t be here long, remember?” I circled him and then began my climb up the small, grassy slope, and inhaled the scent of pine needles that filled the air. Though I tried to appear confident, his question had thrown me off and it suddenly occurred to me I had no way of escaping him. Distracted by my thoughts, I missed the danger ahead of me. After only a few steps, my foot twisted into the decaying vine and I tripped. The sudden impact jarred my ankle as I fell. The yelp, a sharp, involuntary sound, escaped my lips as I stumbled backward.

As I braced for impact, a wave of mortification washed over me. This would be the second time I fell on my ass in front of the prince. But I never hit the ground.

Asante was right there, cradling me in his arms.

I looked up at him. His dark eyes felt less intimidating. There was something else there, something I saw the first time I met him. It betrayed the hardened edge the prince held onto. It was soft, vulnerable, and it made my stomach flutter.

“You can keep your secrets,” he whispered. “One day you will trust me enough to tell me.”

“I-,” I started, but he cut me off.

“Please don’t slap me for this.”

Asante leaned in and kissed me again.