Sold to the Prince of the Meldanians

by Hollie Hutchins

  Amelia was smiling, which made Eldan frown. “What is it?”

  “Nothing, it’s just…” She laughed. “You called me Ame. That’s what my family calls me.”

  “Is that okay?”

  “It’s fine,” she said. “I like it.”

  “Good,” he said. “Ame it is.”

  “Now about that back up plan,” she said. “Do you think you could help me sneak back in if it comes to that?”

  Eldan pursed his lips and looked out the window. “I don’t know. That’s a lot to ask. It’s one thing to give my buddies a tip in exchange for them giving me a tip about what the wolves are up to or something. It’s another to ask them to look the other way while I sneak in a fugitive, whom I helped escape in the first place. There’s no guarantee that they would honor any deal we made anyway, especially if I’m dead and there is a new Meldanian King in charge.”

  Amelia let the hopelessness of that one possible future sink in for a moment, then, instead of letting the dread take over, she shifted her focus. “Okay, so what you’re saying is I am pretty much screwed if your brother wins. Just like all the other humans in Meldania.”

  “I’m sure we could come up with a better back up plan if we think about it for—”

  She shook her head. “There’s no time. We have to figure out how you are going to win, because that is the only way I am going to make it through this week alive. That’s what we need to focus on. Now, earlier you mentioned that Lendir is not above cheating. Do you know how he usually does it? Have you seen him fight before?”

  “Plenty of times,” said Eldan. “He used to pick fights in school all the time. His go to move was to dip his claws in poison. It was nasty stuff. He would only use enough to stun his opponent, incapacitate him. That way Lendir could pound on the guy until he surrendered. In the fight against me, I’m sure he’ll use a lot more though, probably a lethal amount.”

  “Won’t he get caught? Couldn’t they tell he was using poison?”

  “The stuff is practically invisible, and it’s near impossible to determine if someone is struggling because they were ripped open by massive, razor sharp claws, or because they were ripped open by massive, poison dipped, razor sharp claws. By the time they might figure anything out, I would already be dead and Lendir would be King.”

  “Okay, how are we supposed to combat this then?”

  “We’re going to have to out-trick the trickster,” said the Prince. “If we could find out where he keeps the poison, we could take it and switch it out for something else.”

  “Brilliant!” Amelia clapped her hands together. “Smart and attractive. Once you become King you’re going to be a triple threat.” She winked at Eldan who reached a hand out to her. She let him pull her close and kiss her.

  “There’s another advantage I have over my brother, other than knowing what he may have up his sleeve.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I have something worth fighting for.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “I have you.”

  The two lovers spent the rest of the afternoon planning how they were going to break into Lendir’s bedroom, which he always kept locked, and look for his poison. They had coffee and food brought up throughout the day, and the Prince never did manage to get fully dressed. The one time he did start to pull on his pants, Amelia stopped him mid-way and they found themselves in between the sheets once again.

  As the sun started to set, Garcia returned and started to ask the Prince some questions regarding the funeral arrangements for his father. Amelia knew this was something very important to Eldan, and she thought her presence in the room was becoming a distraction, so she excused herself and went to go shower and change her clothes.

  She took a longer shower than she usually did. Standing under the hot water, she wondered what life would be like after Eldan won. That was how she was framing it in her head. No longer was she using the word if, only when. She thought about how amazing it would be to live in a city where humans and shifters were equal. She would find a way to get her family and Victoria, if she wanted, out of District Eight and into Meldania.

  She even humored the idea of being Queen and starting a family with Eldan, but quickly she shook that idea away while she shook some of the shower water out of her hair with a towel. That was a long ways off, and there was a lot that needed to happen before she and Eldan had their “happily ever after.” Day-dreaming about that future now would just cause her to lose focus on what was happening then, which she couldn’t afford to do.

  Now clean and in a fresh set of clothes, Amelia let her growling stomach decide what to do next. She would head down to the kitchen and make something for her and Eldan, which they could eat together in bed. She stepped out of her bedroom and into the now dark hallway. It wasn’t too late, just after sundown, and usually there was a light on in the hallway or downstairs, but instead, it was pitch black.

  Amelia slowed her pace and she walked down the hallway, running her hand along the wall, feeling for a switch. Instead of a switch, her hand grazed over what felt like fabric.

  It was a person.

  Before she could so much as squeal, a pair of inhumanly strong arms seized her, one of them wrapped around her neck, and they started constricting the breath from her lungs. She couldn’t breathe any new air in. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and all she could think in the seconds before going under was, Seriously? Again?

  END OF PART TWO.

  10

  An “Easy” Target

  For the second time in a matter of weeks, Amelia woke up locked in a room she didn’t recognize and only dimly aware of what had happened to her. She didn’t like that this was becoming a habit of hers and she made a mental note to get some sort of self-defense lessons if she ever got out of there.

  Thankfully this time Amelia wasn’t in a cage. Nor was she stripped down to her underwear. She still had all her clothes and she was quite certain she was in Lendir’s bedroom. His room was in the basement of the mansion, Amelia knew that much, although she’d never seen it. There were no windows and she could tell the walls were cement. Nobody upstairs would hear her scream and not many of the staff members were brave enough to venture down here; they were all a little afraid of Lendir. Being rescued didn’t really seem like an option. She would have to find her own way out.

  Lendir’s bedroom door had a lock with a keypad. It was much fancier than the other locks in the house. Even Prince Eldan only had a deadbolt. On a whim, Amelia tried the handle, just in case Lendir was actually as stupid as she thought. He was at least somewhat smarter than she wanted to give him credit for, the handle didn’t budge. She thought maybe her best bet would be to acquire some sort of weapon, anything but a lamp, hide somewhere in the room so when Lendir got back she could pound him over the head and run.

  She was mid-way through her search of Lendir’s room when she heard someone punching numbers into the keypad and the door opened. The eldest Prince waltzed into the room wearing the condescending expression of a father who just caught his kid sneaking an extra piece of candy after being told no. Amelia tried to mask her disappointment and opted for a smile instead. She wasn’t sure what Lendir was capable of, but she didn’t exactly want to find out. She figured she’d try not pissing her captive off for a change.

  “Hello, Lendir,” she said. She was bent over his desk, her hands still inside the top drawer through which she had just been riffling. “I was just trying to help you get organized. I figured since I had some time to kill, being locked in here and all, I might was well get things tidied up.”

  “That’s very sweet of you.” Lendir was smiling and clearly ready to play this little game with her. “Maybe you do serve some purpose after all. I may keep you around after I become King.”

  “Your mother probably wouldn’t be too keen on that idea.” She stood up straight and closed the drawer with her hip. “And the word in the mansion is that you do whatever the Queen wants, no questions asked.”
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br />   He smirked. “I see what you’re trying to do. It won’t work.” He stridded towards her, hands in his pockets. His skin was more red than Eldan, but up close they did look eerily similar. “I will not be baited by you.”

  Amelia raised her arms, palms out. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I was just letting you know what everyone else has been saying.” She spotted a small wooden box on a shelf on the wall behind Lendir, and suddenly she remembered about the poison. The box had beautiful carvings on it and there was a thin layer of dust forming on its lid, as if it was only opened on special occasions. It looked totally out of place with all the other decorations and trinkets in the room. It was too pretty, too expensive looking. She had a feeling that was where the poison was. “Really,” she said. “I’m not looking for a fight. Just tell me what you want from me and I’ll do it.”

  “That’s funny,” said Lendir. “I didn’t take you for the submissive type.” He sighed. “It’s a shame, really. I thought you were different from the other humans. I thought you had a fire in you. It was very attractive. But if you’re just some pathetic girl who gives up at the first sign of trouble, then I don’t see any reason I shouldn’t kill you right here on the spot.”

  He was serious. He would do it. She could tell by the way he was looking at her that he had been waiting for this moment for a long time. It was time to change tactics.

  Amelia let one corner of her mouth curl, forming a seductive smile. “Now look who’s trying to bait who.” She took a half a step towards him, leaving about two feet of space between them. “Okay, I’ll bite. I know you’ve wanted me since the first time you laid eyes on me.”

  “I would never lie with a human,” he said and spat on the ground next to her feet. “You are disgusting creatures.”

  “Oh, c’mon,” she said. “You’re not just a little curious? Don’t you want to know what all the fuss is about? You have to wonder why Eldan is so obsessed with me… Did it ever occur to you that I may be just that good?”

  He hesitated before answering and she knew she had him. She pressed her body against his and started kissing him. She had to wait for the perfect moment, when he was totally absorbed by the kiss but not quite at the point of wrapping his arms around her. She felt his muscles tense, his arms about to lift, and then she threw her right knee into his groin as hard as she possibly could. Lendir let out a loud, angry groan, but Amelia had already side-stepped out of his reach and gone for the box. She cradled it the crook of her elbow and dashed out into the hallway. She practically tackled two surprised members of the cleaning staff on her way up the stairs, but she didn’t stop to apologize. She went up the stairs two at a time and as she rounded the corner on the main level to ascend the staircase to the second, she full-body collided into Eldan. The box fell to the floor, busted open, and out rolled a small bottle of clear liquid.

  “There you are!” he said, holding her shoulders. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You just disappeared last night!”

  At that moment, Amelia realized the sun was shining through the windows and it was the next day. “It was Lendir.”

  He looked down at the contents of the box. “Is that the—”

  “Yes.” She bent down and grabbed the poison before anyone else could. She slipped it into her pocket and kicked the box under the small table which was pressed up against the wall. She didn’t want anyone besides Eldan knowing she’d taken it.

  In between labored breaths she started to explain what happened. When she got to the part about having kissed his brother, the Prince’s mouth was in a tight line across his mouth and one of his hands balled up into a fist. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I had to. It was the only way to distract him so that I could get the upper hand. You understand, don’t you?”

  Eldan nodded, but he still looked upset. “I understand.”

  There came an angry growl from behind Amelia followed by the sound of heavy footsteps making their way up the stairs. Eldan stepped in front of Amelia, putting himself between her and his brother. Lendir came around the corner. His eyes were narrowed and his claws had grown slightly longer. He was on the verge of transforming.

  “Let me have her,” said Lendir. “Just give her to me, and this can all be over, brother.”

  “No,” said Eldan. “I will not let you hurt her.”

  “Why are you doing this!” Lendir bared his teeth. “You are choosing a human over your family. That was not how we were raised! Father would have—”

  “Father would have done exactly what I am doing and you know it! He wanted all Meldanians, human and dragon, to live together in harmony. He would be ashamed to see what you have become. His heart would break to know what a horror the love of his life truly is.”

  “Do not speak about mother like that!” Lendir advanced on his brother and went to slash.

  Eldan stepped back and avoided the blow. “Are you sure you want to do this, Lendir?” he asked. “We don’t have to. Just because this is how the throne has been passed down in the past, doesn’t mean we have to continue the bloody tradition. We could rule together, you know?”

  Lendir laughed. “Is this an idea she put in your head?” He pointed a long, sharp claw in Amelia’s direction. “Before you met her, Meldania and your people were all you ever cared about! You would let nothing stand in your way of becoming King and fulfilling all the great promises you’ve made to the Meldanian dragons. I would have surrendered the throne to that Eldan. But this Eldan… I don’t even know him.”

  “I’m the same Eldan you’ve always known, and I am doing what’s best for the Meldanian dragons. We need the humans. You know this.” Eldan kept his composure and lowered his voice. Amelia, having stepped back a few paces, had to strain to hear what he said, and once she did, she felt a little guilty for having eavesdropped. “Mother may think you are stupid and easily manipulated, but I don’t. I know you are intelligent and you have too much to offer our people. Stop letting her use you. Tell me, Lendir, what do you want? Do you want to fight me? Do you want to rule alongside mother?”

  Lendir was quiet. His claws even started to retract. He was calming down.

  There was the sound of a door slamming, the main door, and the Queen shouting. “Where is Eldan? I need to speak with him at once!” She walked into view and took stock of the scene before her. “Boys,” she said with a smile. “I thought the fight wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow?”

  “There’s been a change of plans,” said Lendir.

  “Is that so?” asked Queen Clarin. “Well, you cannot expect to have the duel in here. You will make a mess of the place. Shall we go to the arena?” She was speaking as if this fight, which could quite possibly result in the death of one of her sons, was just some pleasant afternoon outing.

  “Is there going to be a fight, Lendir?” Eldan asked, eyeing his brother. “Or are we going to call this whole thing off like civilized leaders?”

  The Queen laughed. “What are you talking about?” She looked from Eldan to Lendir. “Len, dear, what is he talking about? Of course there is going to be a fight. How else are we going to determine which of you sits on the throne?”

  Lendir didn’t say anything. Clarin frowned and went to her eldest son. “Lendir, answer me. What is your brother talking about?”

  “We thought we might do away with the dueling tradition, mother,” said Eldan. “It seems very barbaric and we couldn’t help but think there might be a better way to go about things.”

  Clarin stared down at her eldest with fury. “It this true?” Again, Lendir remained silent. She slapped him hard across the face. “You rotten, ungrateful fool! After everything I’ve done for you! After every advantage I’ve given you, this is how you repay me? No.” She folded her arms. “I will not accept this.” She grabbed Lendir’s face in her hands and pleaded with him. “You cannot do this to me. I am your mother and you are my son. You have a duty to protect me. By doing this, you are putting me in danger. Is that what you want?”

  “No,�
� said Lendir.

  She let go of his face. “Good. Then it’s settled. The fight is back on.” She turned on Eldan and sneered. “And just so you don’t have time to use any more dirty mind tricks on your poor, simple brother, we will move the fight up to this afternoon. You will meet us at the arena in three hours. Agreed?”

  Eldan nodded, still composed. “Agreed.”

  The Queen turned on her heel and called for Lendir to follow her. “Come along. We need to get you ready.” They headed downstairs and out of sight.

  “I’m sorry, Lendir,” said Amelia. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t been so stupid and got caught off guard, none of this would have happened.”

  “It’s not your fault,” he said and pulled her into a hug. “I was going to have to fight him eventually. Might as well get it over with. I’m just glad you’re safe. I was worried sick.”

  There came a loud yell from the basement. Amelia heard the Queen calling her son an idiot for having lost “it.” Amelia had a pretty good idea what “it” was and she took that as her cue to get the hell out of there. “Listen,” she said. “I’m going to pack a bag and head to the nursery. I want to say goodbye to everyone… just in case. I’ll also get rid of the… you know.” She reached underneath the table and retrieved the box. “You go to the arena and get ready. I’ll meet you there later, okay?” She’d never actually been to the arena but she knew where it was. It was sort of hard to miss, seeing as it was nearly two acres long and smack-dab in the middle of town.

  “Okay,” said Eldan. “Be careful.” He looked worried and Amelia wished she had more to offer him in terms of comfort. “I guess this is goodbye then,” he said. “For now.”

  “Yes.” She held his face in her hands and kissed him. “Goodbye for now.”

  “He really did think of everything,” Amelia said to herself. She had gone to her room to pack a bag only to realize she wasn’t sure she even had a bag to pack. She checked the closet, where there hung new coats and sweaters that Eldan purchased for her a week or two back, when the weather in Meldania started to change. Pushed up against the back corner was a small canvas and leather duffle bag.