Page 12 of The Ruby Dragon Prince (Omega Fairy Tales #1)

Chapter

Eleven

Rufus

N obody took my omega and got away with it.

Even though we’d run in different directions, Tovey leading the farmers to safety and me distracting the guards to enable him to do so, I continued to feel my feisty omega through our bond. I could feel the excitement in his heart as his part of the chase continued, and I could feel when he’d given himself up in order to save the farmers, though the exact reason for the mix of emotions that came from him wasn’t clear at first.

Disposing of the guards who had chased after me was simple. A few agile turns and sprints down narrow alleys, not to mention a hint of magic, and I had them so confused that they would likely spend the rest of the day wandering the streets, trying to find their way back to the market square.

By the time I was finished with the guards, Tovey had already been caught. I hurried back through the town, following our bond, to find him at a house that must have belonged to a nobleman or a prosperous merchant. I could have barged in and snatched him away from his father and Lord Groswick, but for once I thought things through before acting.

Causing a scene would cause immense trouble for Tovey and his brothers. Waiting and following as Lord Groswick took Tovey out of the city gave me the perfect opportunity to rescue my amazing omega in perfect style.

“Dragon!”

The groom likely couldn’t see the vicious grin that spread across my dragon’s muzzle as I swooped and soared in the air, mostly showing off. His call did precisely what I hoped it would do. Lord Groswick stumbled out of his carriage to investigate, and Tovey scrambled out after him.

“Idiot!” Lord Groswick shouted at his groom. Then, instead of shouting at him some more or beating him, which he looked like he wanted to do, he glanced up and saw me.

I roared, blowing fire toward the men on the ground as I twisted in the air, then zoomed straight toward them. I was much too far away for my fire to come anywhere close to them, but it was enough to have Lord Groswick, his groom, and his driver screaming and cowering. The bastard Groswick even dove under the carriage.

If not for the horses that were fastened to the carriage, I would have lunged for the vehicle, grasping it in my claws and tearing it away to expose the nasty coward. The horses were innocent, though, and I didn’t want to risk accidentally hurting Tovey in my efforts to teach Groswick a lesson.

Tovey was the only one on the ground who wasn’t trembling with fear. “Rufus!” he shouted, awe and delight painting his face.

I sent a burst of pride and fun toward him through our bond, winking one large dragon eye as I did. Tovey returned the feelings with amusement and gratitude.

He did more than that. As the others panicked and did their best to hide, he rushed forward. I did a few more swoops, diving close to the carriage, which moved and rolled as the horses danced and startled, exposing Lord Groswick again, then landed several yards away.

“You came,” Tovey gasped as he ran toward me. “You found me and you rescued me.”

He reached me and threw his arms around my neck, which was at its thickest, since I’d made myself as large as possible for full effect, and rested his cheek against my scales.

“Did you doubt me?” I asked him in my low, rumbling, dragon voice.

“No,” Tovey said, leaning back and smiling at me. He blushed and went on with, “Well, perhaps for a moment. I’ve never been able to rely on anyone to come rescue me before.”

Those words pierced my heart and made me angry at men like Lord Groswick and King Freslik all over again. It was a great injustice that my Tovey and his brothers had been treated so badly in their young lives.

No more. Tovey would never lack for a champion to come to his defense ever again.

“Climb on,” I told him, lowering one shoulder so that he could step up onto my back. “And hold on tight.”

Tovey laughed and muscled his way onto me so that he could sit astride my shoulders, his arms wrapped around my neck. “I’ve never ridden a dragon before,” he said breathlessly.

I laughed heatedly as I ascended slowly into the air. “Next time you’re in heat, I’ll lie on my back and you can ride me until we’re both soaring.”

Tovey laughed as well, then gasped as I sped up my ascent. I used just a touch of magic to keep him fastened to me so that when I wheeled back to roar and spit fire at Lord Groswick again, he stayed firmly in place.

I could feel Tovey’s heart beat in time with mine, both of us filled with a sense of triumph and justice, as I turned then dove for Lord Groswick once more. The driver had attempted to settle the horses while Tovey and I had been talking, but instead of accomplishing that, he’d climbed back into the seat, the groom joining him, and the two of them had let the horses run freely, carrying the carriage away as fast as they could run.

Lord Groswick tried to run after them, calling out, “You curs! Come back! I order you to come back!”

I dove down to block him from running, letting a jet of fire nearly singe him. Groswick screamed, then backpedaled, falling over. He scrambled to get away, turning to his hands and knees and crawling for a few paces before standing and running again.

“I’ve always wanted to see him crawl,” Tovey laughed from my back.

“Whatever you desire, my love,” I said, then swooped low again, pushing Groswick back to his hands and knees.

Groswick crawled, shaking and weeping as he did. “Go away!” he shouted. “Leave me alone! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“You’ve attempted to steal a dragon’s mate,” I bellowed at him as I swished around to land in front of him.

Groswick screamed and wheeled back. The front of his breeches were wet and an awful smell emanated from him. “You can have the bloody omega! I don’t want him anyhow. He’s a whore.”

I roared and shot fire at him again, losing my temper in earnest. My intention was to burn Groswick to a crisp, but my flames spread out to the sides, like an invisible shield protected the bastard.

I was confused until Tovey called out, “Don’t hurt him!”

I twisted to send him a confused look.

“I don’t want you to have blood on your hands,” Tovey said. “And besides, a quick death is too good for him. There are better ways to punish Lord Groswick and to make an example of him in the process.”

I didn’t mind having the bastard’s blood on my hands, but the idea of worse punishments than death for the wrongs that Groswick had committed intrigued me.

“Yes, yes!” Groswick cried out, shuffling forward on his knees, his hands clasped, as if in prayer, in front of him. “Listen to the omega. Mercy. Show me mercy.”

“You insult my mate by calling him names and now you appeal to him for mercy?” I boomed.

“Yes, mercy, mercy!” Groswick wept.

“We need to take him to my father,” Tovey said, righteousness radiating from him. I wasn’t certain what good it was to take one villain to another for punishment, until Tovey went on with, “He must confess his plot to steal from the farmers and turn them against each other publicly. Everyone in the kingdom needs to know of the duplicity that Lord Groswick and my father have planned.”

I grinned, understanding what Tovey intended. Groswick’s public confession and implication of King Freslik could save the farmers and weaken the king’s iron grip on his people.

“As you command, my omega,” I said, lowering my head in a show of obedience.

It was partly for show. I wanted Groswick to see that Tovey had power, that I would do whatever he commanded me. It was partly because Tovey actually did command me and I would move heaven and earth in all the worlds to make him happy.

“I will confess all,” Groswick said, sobbing and groveling. “Just let me live.”

“Maybe,” I said, then pushed off the ground.

Groswick gasped and choked as he watched me rise up in front of him, then screamed as I swung around and grasped him in my claws. I launched into the air as he flailed and screamed, like he believed I might drop him at any moment. I wouldn’t, of course. Unless Tovey ordered me to.

We flew to the edge of the city before landing. It would do no good for everyone to see a dragon swooping through the streets. I could conceal myself and those I carried if we were at a distance, but it required too much magic to remain hidden from the eyes of everyone in the city at close quarters.

I landed and quickly transformed back into my human form, conjuring clothing, too, once I’d dropped Groswick. Tovey was still on my back, but he untangled himself and stood on his own by my side, laughing as if we’d been out for a playful ride.

Groswick tried to run, but I lunged and grabbed him, saying, “Oh no, you don’t. You’re going to march ahead of us, declaring your duplicity for everyone to hear.”

“I…I….” Groswick shivered in fear, his eyes wide and glassy.

“Tell me about my father’s plan to tax the farmers,” Tovey said, stepping forward and glaring at the man.

It was just the prompt Groswick needed.

“The plan was to increase the tax on non-alpha farmers and female alpha farmers to eighty percent of their yield after the king made a declaration that only male alpha farmers have the right to own more than an acre of land. Anyone who disobeyed the command would be penalized more, and rewards were to be given for any alpha who reported on their neighbors.”

Tovey made a sound of disgust. I could feel his anger as if it were my own.

“Say that,” Tovey said, pointing forward toward the street leading into the city. “I want you to walk into the city, repeating your and my father’s horrible plan as loudly as you can to all who we encounter.”

“But…but people will be angry,” Groswick said.

“Of course they will be angry,” Tovey shouted. “Your plan is evil and elitist. You would impoverish anyone who does not conform to your narrow definition of entitlement and you would turn neighbor against neighbor.”

“It is the way of things,” Groswick wept, trembling like a leaf. “Alphas are better than anyone else. Men are better than women.”

I huffed and shook my head. The man believed what he was saying, regardless of how vile it was. It would take more than one act of bravery on Tovey’s part to change the minds of people whose minds were in such darkness as Lord Groswick’s was.

“March!” I shouted, pointing Groswick into the city. “And speak as you march.”

Groswick appealed to Tovey, but Tovey, too, pointed forward, ordering Groswick forward.

It took a bit of prodding and some growling on my part to convince Groswick to move and even more to force him to speak, but before long, we were parading along the town’s main street with Groswick shouting to all who would listen to him about his and the king’s plan.

“The farmers were to be turned against each other,” he cried out. “They were to be taxed into poverty so that they would be too weak to oppose the rule of a tyrant. I was going to build the most beautiful house by the sea.”

Everyone stopped what they were doing as we marched past. Men, women, and children, alphas, omegas, and betas, turned to see what the commotion was. As Groswick made his confessions, they gasped and muttered to each other. Most of them followed us, and by the time we reached the market square, a large crowd moved to fill in the space as we approached the dais where King Freslik, his councilors, and the other five omega princes sat.

“What is the meaning of this?” King Freslik shouted, gesturing for the entertainments they’d been watching to stop. “I thought you had left.”

“You tried to get rid of me, Father,” Tovey shouted bravely, marching straight up to the front of the dais. “You tried to silence me and my brothers when we learned the truth of your plan to tax and ruin the farmers in order to enrich yourself.”

A gasp went through the crowd. King Freslik looked murderous, his councilors confused, and the princes hopeful.

“Lies,” King Freslik shouted, glancing around the huge crowd of his subjects that had formed. “All of this is lies. Omegas aren’t trustworthy.”

“And alphas are?” Tovey demanded. He didn’t wait for an answer before saying, “Then Lord Groswick will tell you. He’s an alpha. You’ll believe what he says, right?”

Groswick whimpered and looked like he wanted to run. His enormous nose was dripping, making him look like an overgrown child having a tantrum because he could not get his way.

“Tell them,” I ordered the man, poking him in the back.

Groswick cried out, then turned in a circle, saying, “It’s true. The king has a plan to bleed the wealth of the farmers into his own coffers and to take away the land and the right to work it from anyone who is not a male alpha. He plans to turn farmer against farmer in his efforts to enrich himself and impoverish his subjects.”

“Liar!” King Freslik shouted. “How dare you say such wicked things against me? I would never seek to harm my subjects. I love my subjects. They are great and wonderful people. The farmers are the foundation of everything our kingdom has accomplished.”

Tovey caught his breath and turned to stare incredulously at the king. Everyone in the crowd murmured and whispered in confusion as well.

“Guards, seize this man at once,” King Freslik went on, pointing straight at Groswick. “This man has spread lies. He is a traitor to his king. He will be stripped of all his lands and titles and thrown into the dungeon. And if he should trip and fall down the stairs on the way there, well, that cannot be helped.”

“No! No, you cannot do this!” Groswick shouted.

“I can do whatever I want, I’m the king,” King Freslik said with a sniff. “Take him away.”

“No! No!” Groswick shouted, but it was all in vain.

The king’s guards surged forward and four of them grabbed him. They tugged and pushed him off to the side, presumably taking him to the dungeon.

“Wait! Wait!” Groswick cried out, digging in his heels when he was at the edge of the dais. “That man is a dragon! Tovey is a sorcerer who controls him. They are the evildoers here! They are the ones who should be locked away. That man is a dragon!”

A sharp gasp went through the crowd and all eyes shot to me and Tovey in horror and disbelief.

“A dragon, you say?” King Freslik said, rubbing his chin in thought. It was hard to tell if he believed the accusation, but I wouldn’t have put it past him to use the claim as a way to punish Tovey.

I was about to step forward to protect my mate, perhaps even transforming to show the evil king just what a dragon could do, when one of the king’s councilors stepped forward, laughing.

“Your Majesty,” he said as if the situation were ridiculous. “Everyone knows there’s no such thing as dragons.”

I narrowed my eyes. There was something decidedly familiar about the old, stooped, grizzled councilor. He had a long, white beard and a slightly hunched back, but the more I stared at him, the more I could see that wasn’t his true form.

“Dragons are beasts of myth and legend,” the old man went on. “Clearly, Lord Groswick is so overcome with fear, because his attempt to undermine you has failed, that he will say anything to try to save himself. There are no such things as dragons.” He lifted his hand and waved his fingers slightly.

“There are no such things as dragons,” King Freslik repeated, as though the notion was his idea. “Take this man away and lock him up at once!” he shouted, pointing at the guards.

“What? Your Majesty, no! No!” Groswick shouted. “After all we’ve been through together? We were going to take over all of the surrounding kingdoms, you and I! We were going to be?—”

Whatever they were going to be was lost as the guards dragged the man away and silenced him.

I peeked back at the dais, catching the eye of the old man who had convinced the king to declare there were no such things as dragons. The old man winked at me.

“Argus, you devil,” I muttered, recognizing my cousin at last.

“My good people,” King Freslik said, pretending to be gracious. “I apologize for the interruption to our celebration. I can assure you that no harm will come to the farmers. Let it be known this day that King Freslik is the savior of the farmers and that I and I alone have stopped all of you from being cheated and diminished by that wicked councilor!”

The crowd burst into applause, smiling at their king.

“What?” Tovey demanded, incredulity blazing from him. “Didn’t any of them listen? It was my father who caused the problem in the first place and now they believe that he is the one who saved them?”

“For now,” I sighed, shaking my head. “People want peace, and sometimes they’ll take it in any way they can get it, whether wisely or not.”

“It isn’t right,” Tovey said. “I’m not certain I want to live in a world where people are like this.”

I smiled sadly, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Fortunately for you, you do not have to.”

Tovey turned to smile at me. I could feel the love in his gaze and I replied with as much reassurance as I could send through our bond.

“Tovey! Tovey!” Prince Rumi called to him, as he and the other princes gestured for us to join them.

“Come on,” I said, resting a hand on the small of my omega’s back and nudging him forward. “Your brothers need you. Now is the time for us to celebrate the small victory we have gained.”

I believed it, even though I knew more victories were needed before justice was done.