Northern Realm Royal Dragons Shifter Boxset Bks 2-5

by Lisa Daneils

  Leaving is for the best. As soon as she thought that, Nissa slipped out the window and slowly made her way down the side of the tower. She knew that it would be incredibly difficult for anyone to see her leaving from this side of the palace at such a late hour. If anyone did notice, they would likely think it was something in preparation for the next festival, and it would be too late once they realized what it was they had actually seen. It was a good bit more difficult to rappel down than previous attempts because of her clothing and the fact that she was now carrying a sword. The way the clothes scratched her skin was distracting, and the cloak would occasionally flutter in the way as she moved down the side.

  As soon as Nissa’s feet touched the ground, she hurried to the garden where she had met Nicolas so many times over the last few months. He wouldn’t be there today because he had no idea that she was ready to elope. There had been no way to get word to him. Still, she had a rough idea of where he was staying in one of the towns around the city. Exactly which town, she wasn’t entirely sure because he had always come to see her, and when they were together they mostly talked of love. Her attention was on enjoying their time together, and avoiding thinking about him being apart from her.

  Her mind went back to that first night they had spent together, and a blush rose on her cheeks when she considered that soon every night would be like that one.

  Hurrying, she stepped onto the banks of the river at the base of the garden. She gave a quick look around her before stepping out of the shadows and following the stream that flowed from the lake.

  The princess managed to make her way to a large village before deciding she should stop for food. Running away had taken a lot more of her energy than she had been expecting. She had always been very active, learning how to fight and do many different masculine activities, and her father had humored her. But nothing she had done had prepared her for scaling down the tower and then spending a couple of hours running along the stream. Her shoes were soaking wet and she didn’t have anything else to wear on her feet. Stopping for the night was out of the question because she knew that her father would send people out to find her as soon as word reached him that she was gone. All she needed to do was get some food, then she could keep going. Nissa had been sedentary for a couple of days, so at the moment, she was really enjoying being on the move. The thought of meeting up with her lover was more than enough motivation to keep her going forward.

  She stepped onto a street and began to look for an inn. All of the stories the servants had told the princess growing up started with an inn that was open at night (or that was how it felt now that she was doing it herself). Aware that a part of her was trying to romanticize the experience, she strove to be more aware of the reality. There were still many things to overcome before she would be with Nicolas. One of the biggest differences between the stories and reality were the streets, which proved far less friendly than she had thought they would be. The streets were cobbled with stones that were very different sizes and shapes, something that was much harder to notice in a carriage or on a horse than when walking in very wet, uncomfortable shoes. Usually the roads in stories were dirt, and it made Nissa wonder just what else was different. Of course, her kingdom had more than enough money to make sure that even towns and villages near the capital were well kept. One of the few things she was certain, when it came to her father’s insistence for her to wed his friend, was that it wasn’t about money. A small consolation, considering.

  Roaming around the streets, Nissa began to notice a few people watching her. It was not a good idea to draw attention to herself, particularly at this hour, so she moved closer to the buildings, hoping to quickly find an inn.

  A raspy voice to the side caught her attention. “Is that a little lost lamb I see there? How precious. But what kind of reward would that lamb offer to be kept safe?”

  Nissa turned, her hand on the sword under her cloak. “No lost lamb here, sir. Just a wanderer in need of a place to eat.” As she spoke, she made sure to lower her voice and to expose the hilt of the sword. There was no chance that anyone would mistake her for a man with her voice, but she could definitely pass as a teenage boy.

  A couple of shadows emerged from the shadows of an alley. “Oh, the lamb has learned to bite. We had best approach it with caution so as not to lose a finger. It would be a shame to accidently butcher such a poor creature.”

  Her sword was out and pointed at them just as one of the knights had shown her. “Come and see just what this little lamb can do. You will find that your fingers are not the appendage you should be worried about.”

  There was a laugh from behind her, and Nissa very nearly dropped the sword. However, it was the look in the eyes of the figures in front of her that caught her attention. Whoever stood behind her was not one of theirs. Nissa adjusted her position so that she could see the newcomer and her would-be attackers.

  The newcomer had a smooth, low voice as he said, “It appears you boys may have bitten off more than you can chew.”

  “Who are you? We saw the boy first, so back off.”

  The laugh was much warmer this time; it was clear that he was finding all of this humorous. Nissa was trying to keep her would-be attackers in her line of sight, but she couldn’t help but notice how tall this new player in the scene was. He was more than a full head taller than her. His body was thin, but not boney, and from the way his chest heaved as he laughed, she could see muscles rippling under his strange clothing. Forcing herself to focus, Nissa looked at the men who had tried to attack her, but kept the sword between all three men.

  With an easy stride, the newcomer moved forward, ignoring Nissa. “I am quite certain you did not see the boy first, but I feel equally certain this will be the last time you attack anyone.”

  If the men who had approached her were scary, this man was absolutely terrifying. Nissa didn’t see a single weapon on him, but there was an air emanating from him that was far more intimidating than anything she had encountered before. Of course, her life had been fairly sheltered, so it wasn’t like she had encountered much danger in her 20 years.

  What happened next was almost too much to register. One of the men lunged forward, leading with a small sword. The tall man moved so quickly that Nissa couldn’t have said just what had happened, only that the man had disappeared into the alley with a loud thud.

  “You bastard!” the other man shouted. It was clear that he wasn’t sure whether to attack or to run.

  “I assure you, I am no bastard. My birth was entirely legitimate. A point of pride, really, with my people.” The man moved again, and the second figure disappeared with a loud crunching sound into the shadows of the alley.

  “If you are looking for the inn, I can escort you to it before anyone else sees you so obviously lost. Roaming the streets. At night.” The man turned his eyes to look at her, not even trying to mask what he thought of her actions. For a moment, Nissa was frozen. He had long, chestnut-colored hair that was pulled back in an elegant braid. His eyes shone under the bright moons, and under the light they looked almost blood-red. When she didn’t respond, he tilted his head to the side. “I promise, madam, I will not bite without being asked to do so.”

  “What?” Nissa scrunched up her nose.

  The man laughed again, “There you go. I was half expecting your heart to explode from fear given how fast it is going, and that you were just waiting to topple.”

  Nissa closed her eyes, her hand lowering without her noticing. “What? What are you talking about?”

  “Would you like an escort? Or do you prefer to sit here asking questions until your stomach gets the best of you?” The amusement was entirely clear on his face.

  As if in response to his question, her stomach growled. She knew that her face was hidden, but she felt how red her cheeks were getting under the hood. “How do I know that you are going to take me to an inn?”

  “What could I possibly gain from abducting a human woman? No, I can assure you that you are
at no risk, and I swear that you shall reach the inn safely if you come with me.”

  Nissa looked at him for a moment, but something about what he said was bothering her—she just couldn’t quite figure out what it was. She lifted the sword a little more as the man turned to walk away. “Why should I trust you? What did you do to those men?”

  The tall man turned back to look at her. “Two very different questions.” His eyes moving down to the sword, he said, “That is a much nicer sword than what those two had, but I must warn you that it will be no more effective than a strand of hair if I were to attack you. I really do not care if you trust me or not. I have no business at the inn, so if you want to carry on stumbling around the streets until you are either fortunate enough to find the inn or unfortunate enough to be slaughtered, it has no bearing on my life. So, if you don’t have need of my assistance, I do have my own concerns.” He turned and began walking in a different direction.

  Nissa frowned, “You didn’t answer my second question.”

  The man stopped and looked at her with an expression of sympathy, almost like he thought she was a child. “I killed them.” She gasped. The man laughed, “Well, they aren’t quite dead. Give them a couple more minutes and it will be over. I suppose if you really want to save them, you may be able to do that if you have any magical talents.” He snorted as he said that, then turned to walk away.

  “Do you not care that you killed them?” Nissa stood dumbfounded by how cavalier the man was about something so serious, something so final.

  A heavy sigh escaped him, but the man again turned around. “The question is why do you care? They were going to rape and kill you. And yes, they were stupid enough to think you were a boy. Imagine what would have happened once they realized you were a woman. Now…” he shrugged, “don’t get me wrong, I’m not an exterminator, but I’m not a fan of people who prey on others. Now, if you don’t have any more inane questions, I am not in this kingdom as a tourist, vigilante, or instructor. I do have a rather pressing matter to attend to.”

  Nissa’s eyes looked around her for a moment as she made up her mind. Slowly, she started speaking, “It is clear that you are some kind of nobility, judging by your attitude. Usually, that would make me a bit more wary of you. However, the fact that you can kill so easily and quickly without a weapon, yet haven’t done anything to me…” she looked at him, then slid her sword into its scabbard. “I trust you. Will you please escort me to the inn?”

  The man tilted his head again, as if trying to see her from a different perspective. A smile spread across his gorgeous face. “Of course. It’s this way.” He turned more like a dancer, his motions smooth and graceful. As he walked toward her, Nissa felt her heart beat a little faster, though she wasn’t sure if it was because of what had just happened, or if it was because for a moment it almost felt like she had just invited a predator into her life.

  Chapter 2

  The Unusual Cost of an Expert

  Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed his arm. It was entirely normal for the nobility to offer their arm to her, and at some point she had stopped being conscious of it. Now it was second nature, even if the man did not offer his arm. Walking arm in arm was just the way a man and woman walked, regardless of their relationship. She didn’t notice the look of shock that passed over the stranger’s face as her eyes took in her surroundings in more detail. Before she had been looking for the inn, so Nissa had not really paid much attention to the things around her. She quickly became bored as the scenery did not change much from street to street.

  Her eyes drifted up to the moons. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to really look at the moons without lighting everywhere making it look a little… less. The stars just give such a nice accent to the beauty. The moons really are pretty when the stars surround them.”

  “Indeed. But we will be losing one of them in the next few hundred years.”

  “What?” Nissa’s face snapped to look at the stranger. “Why do you say that?”

  He looked down at her. With exaggerated motions, he pulled his arm away from her, then pointed up to the smallest one. “That one is drifting further and further away. Within the next millennia, it’s going to leave our orbit. Don’t worry, it’s not going to happen in your lifetime.”

  “I talk about how beautiful the moons are, and you talk about one drifting off away from us. You are quite strange.”

  “My apologies for not being more enthralled by the night’s sky—I am accustomed to a much better view.” He kept his face looking up as Nissa stole a glance. “Besides, you are the one who decided to grab the arm of a stranger. That seems far stranger than shifting the topic from aesthetics to science.”

  Nissa frowned, “Well, isn’t it natural to—”

  “No.”

  “You didn’t let me finish.”

  “I didn’t need to let you finish. No one where I am from is in the habit of grabbing onto strangers, noble or not.”

  “Well, it’s normal where I am from.” Nissa was blushing a little, knowing that she was being a little petulant with what she was saying. This guy was proving very difficult to understand. He had saved her, but really did not seem interested in her at all. Trying to discern his motivations was like trying to carry water with a sieve. This was certainly a good thing since she really didn’t need to know why he was helping her, but he could be a little nicer as she tried to keep a conversation going as they walked. Then she began to wonder if perhaps it would be better to just walk in silence. The stranger didn’t seem averse to talking, but he didn’t seem particularly interested in the topics either. It was only the criticisms of her that seemed to engage him emotionally.

  To her surprise, the man slid his arm under hers, holding it up in a way that was very proper for someone of a higher station. He had just said this was not natural for him, yet here he was doing it in a way that was far more proper than most of the men she had known. After calling her strange for doing this, why was he engaging in what he had already said was not normal behavior where he was from? Nissa had no idea what to say as the stranger continued, “I would think you would avoid doing things like this out in public, though. It is a bit of a dead giveaway that you are fleeing from whatever situation you have back at home.”

  “Oh my divines!” Nissa pulled her arm away immediately. “I hadn’t even thought of that. Geez, that—thank you. Sorry. I am going to have a bit more trouble with this than I had thought. It’s so difficult to fight habits, but I shall be more aware of them now. I really appreciate your advice.”

  The stranger laughed, “It’s not a problem. You seem a little quicker than most, so you’ll probably be alright. Just keep your current situation in mind so that you aren’t more open to people who would use you for ransom.”

  “Point taken. Thank you again.” She fidgeted with her pants under the cloak. They were quite uncomfortable compared to the dresses she was accustomed to wearing or the specially made pants she wore when training. These pants were those of commoners so that she wouldn’t stand out. Her mind latched onto what sounded like an insult, but she decided not to bring it up. A part of her was curious about what he had meant by “quicker than most” because he seemed to be of the same class, or at least something comparable. Then again, that would also mean he had more right to be critical considering her behavior to that point. Something began to bother her about the current situation, and she almost didn’t hear what the stranger was saying.

  “No need to thank me. I have a good bit of experience traveling incognito, and I’m willing to give you a few pointers since you are clearly a novice at it.”

  Nissa giggled a little at the thought. “I really tried, but this is so far outside the realm of my personality, I guess I’m not pulling it off the way I had hoped. I realize that I am not adept at this, but you said you have some important things to tend to. Do you really have time to be trying to teach me?” She pointed ahead of them, “I mean, I can see the inn from here,
so you could be rid of me now, your duty to a fellow problem child complete.”

  The stranger gave her an odd look before chuckling, “Ah, I suppose we are, I suppose we are. Compared to my brethren, I am the second most mature, but yes, I can see how I could be considered a problem child.”

  “Well, if you are well practiced in sneaking around, not traveling with a retinue, and generally acting like a vigilante—despite claiming to not be one,” she cut him off before he could protest, “I dare say you are more of a problem child than I am. As you already know, I’m a novice.”

  “I can hardly believe this is the first time you have gone against an expectation or a parental demand.”

  “No, you are right there. But if you would have told me that I would be sneaking out to run off with a man a few months ago, I would have told you that you were an idiot or a fool to believe that was possible.”

  “Yet here you are, doing just that. Perhaps it was a matter of you not knowing yourself.”

  Nissa thought for a second, “No, it is more of a problem of not understanding my father. Or perhaps underestimating the influence others could have on him.”

  “Ah, did your father approve of your lover, then change his mind because of others?”

  “I wish that were the case. Had he simply told me he didn’t approve of someone I thought I loved, I would have been willing to listen to him. His experience with matters of the heart is woefully short, but I do respect his ability to judge a person’s character. Any deficiencies he saw in someone I thought I loved could point to me being willfully blind. Or perhaps I should say I once respected his ability to judge a person’s character. He seems to be getting rather rusty in that department as he ages.”

  “So he selected a suitor for you, then? And you decided to flee with your lover than to marry a stranger.”

  Nissa looked up as they approached the inn. “No, I know the man he wants me to marry, and I object very strongly to what is happening.” She turned to look at the stranger, “Thank you very much for everything.”