“Lady Arianwyn,” he murmured.
“Thank you for your gift,” she responded, breathless.
He nodded in acknowledgement. “Don’t run next time,” he said under his breath as he escorted her to the side. She blushed and he resumed his place at the top of the Dais, awaiting the next lady. Arianwyn watched the king perform the same niceties with each lady. After Lady Vespa came out, he mounted the Dais again and addressed the crowd.
“Welcome to my ball.” Arianwyn blinked and looked around. Lady Alyssa still was not present. “Tonight, we will feast and dance. And I will choose my bride.” He sighed dramatically, causing the men to chuckle and the women to titter. “So let’s get this over with.” He descended the dais and headed toward the double doors in the mirrors, now open. The thanes stepped forward to escort their daughters into the Grand Dining Hall. Ethelinda nudged Arianwyn.
“Move!” she hissed. Arianwyn flushed and followed quickly in the king’s path. She had been so busy looking for Lady Alyssa that she forgot she was to lead the procession of thanes and their daughters into the Dining Hall behind the king. She continued in, searching the crowd. The king and all of the ladies would sit on one side of the table, facing more rows of tables set up for the lesser nobility and wealthy merchants. A sharp hiss caught Arianwyn’s attention.
She glanced at the servant who had hissed at her. He looked meaningfully at the table. She stopped and looked over, then flushed again as she realized she had almost passed her seat. She shot him a grateful look and turned to stand beside her chair. Lady Ethelinda and Lady Blythe were flanking the king. Arianwyn was next to Blythe and Vespa was next to Ethelinda. The thanes were sitting at a table set just below the king’s table, facing them.
The King stood by his seat, waiting until everyone was standing by their chairs. When everyone was in place, he sat down. Servants stepped forward to assist ladies into their chairs and everyone else sat. The first course was brought out. A low murmur erupted in the room and the clatter of dishware broke the silence.
“What are you doing?” Blythe asked as Arianwyn continued scanning the crowd.
“I can’t find Lady Alyssa,” Arianwyn said.
“Oh. She’s not feeling well. Her father has already asked the king to forgive their absence.”
Arianwyn felt ice form in her stomach. The food she had managed to eat turned to ash in her mouth. She stared hard at the table, thinking. “What direction are the suites Lady Alyssa is in? Do you know?” Blythe looked at her oddly, but indicated the direction. Arianwyn took a deep breath and focused on earth. “Earth. Allow me to see through stone,” she muttered, fingers crossed.
Her vision changed to the browns and greens of earth. She looked in the direction Blythe had indicated and the rock seemed to shimmer into a perfect window. She nearly jumped out of her seat when she saw Alyssa. The girl was huddled and crying, her father standing over her, enraged. In his fist, she could see a piece of paper. He raised his hand to Alyssa.
“What are you doing?” Blythe hissed, catching her attention. Arianwyn realized she was half out of her seat and people were staring. There was a break in conversation and several raised eyebrows. She sat back down, staring at the Earth-grayed table, thinking.
“Stop,” she muttered. “I have to get out of here,” she whispered to Blythe.
“Are you deliberately trying to insult the king?” Blythe whispered back.
“No, I have to save Alyssa.”
Blythe looked at her like she was crazy, glancing to the side to where the king kept glancing in their direction. The frown was growing more fierce on his face, the scar whitening across his forehead. “You could pretend to faint,” she said, finally.
“Great,” Arianwyn answered. “How do I do that?”
“Are you serious? Haven’t you ever fainted?”
“Maybe once. I was falling from a cliff, though,” Arianwyn replied, distracted.
She was so focused on trying to figure out how to get to Alyssa that she missed Blythe’s startled look. “You were falling...” her voice trailed off. She darted a glance up the table again. “Just sort of…slump forward or to the side or something. Try not to mess up your hair or make-up.” Arianwyn looked at her, amazed. Hair and make-up? Is that really all ladies cared about?
She sighed and followed Blythe’s directions, slumping over onto Blythe’s shoulder, closing her eyes. She felt ridiculous. “Now stay still,” Blythe muttered. She heard Blythe catch the king’s attention, voice sounding worried. Ethelinda made some comment that Arianwyn missed. She didn’t doubt it was insulting, but she did not care. She felt the urge to fidget. What was taking so long?
She finally felt arms picking her up carefully and someone was moving out of the dining hall. “That has to be one of the worst faints I’ve ever seen,” she heard Edmund remark.
Her eyes slit open carefully. They were out of the dining hall. “You can put me down now, thank you.”
“Any particular reason you needed to leave? Disappointed, perhaps that you weren’t chosen to sit by the king?” he teased. Arianwyn ignored his teasing. She kicked off her shoes and picked up her skirts, dashing down the hall. She heard Edmund call for her to wait, startled, and ignored him again. He caught up to her easily, grabbing her arm. “What’s going on?”
“We have to hurry. Trust me.” She shrugged off his hand and hurried through the halls, skirts billowing out behind her, and up the stairs until she came to Thane Julius’s suites. The guards standing outside stared at them with jaws agape. “Open the door,” she ordered.
The guards looked at each other. “Thane Julius has commanded us—“
“Open the door, now!” she said, straightening her back.
“Begging your pardon, lady, but we can’t—“
Arianwyn focused on air. “Air. Open the door,” she said clearly. The stream of air from her mouth formed a ball and burst easily through the door, sending splinters flying into the room. The guards ducked out of her way, shocked.
Arianwyn marched into the room and headed straight toward one of the bedrooms, throwing the door open. She was vaguely aware of Edmund and Halvard following on either side of her shoulders, menacing glowers on their faces. She entered the room. “Stop!” she commanded again, both the Air and to the man standing in the center of the room.
Thane Julius looked up, jaw dropping. Alyssa was still huddled on the floor, sobbing, arms covering her head. Julius’s eyes narrowed to slits and his mouth snapped shut. “How dare you enter here, peasant!” he spat. Arianwyn walked up to him, furious.
“How dare you beat your own daughter!” She knelt down next to Alyssa, gently moving her arms to see the damage. Her eyes were swelling shut. Her face was bruising. Arianwyn couldn’t see any other damage because of the clothes. She gently helped Alyssa up, carefully cradling her in a protective embrace. Alyssa wrapped her arms around Arianwyn’s neck, burying her face in Arianwyn’s shoulder.
“Put her down,” Julius lunged forward furiously. Arianwyn flinched back, turning so her shoulder would absorb the attack. Edmund was between them in a flash, throwing Julius to the floor contemptuously.
“You can be certain His Majesty will hear of this,” Halvard said angrily. “You had best think quickly of your defense. His Majesty will not be happy of your treatment of the child, let alone attacking a dragon-Bonded noble.” His icy comment seemed to pierce Julius’s rage. His eyes widened slowly and his jaw dropped. Arianwyn turned and walked out, one arm around the limping child.
“Wait, wait!” Julius plead. “It was an accident! Alyssa, tell them it was an accident! I would never hurt her, she’s my daughter! Come back and let me explain.” Edmund closed the bedroom door, shutting off his pleas. Arianwyn was surprised to exit the suite and see more Keep guards standing there. She paused uncertainly.
“You don’t run through the Keep without catching the attention of the guard,” Halvard remarked, wry amusement in his tone. A quick glance showed the amusement in his voice alo
ne. His eyes were chips of ice. He pushed her gently forward, hand in the small of her back. She walked gingerly, careful of the splinters of wood littering the floor.
Arianwyn blushed under the stares of the guards and held Alyssa closer, heading toward her suite. Edmund stopped her. “You should return to the ball. I will take her back to your quarters and have some of the Keep guards stand watch,” he murmured. “Tess will see that the king’s physician sees to her.”
Reluctantly, Arianwyn turned Alyssa over to Edmund, and then followed Halvard back to the Dining Hall. A servant stepped forward as they approached the doors, holding her shoes out to her. “You left these,” he said quietly.
“Thank you,” Arianwyn said, slipping her feet back into the shoes. A maid standing next to the servant stepped forward, quickly repinning Arianwyn’s hair and cleaning up her smudged make-up.
“Dinner is over and everyone has retired to the Ball Room,” she said quietly. “You should be able to enter unnoticed through the double doors, though.” Arianwyn nodded her thanks again and walked into the Dining Hall. Through the doors, she could see everyone dancing and laughing, unconcerned.
She took a deep breath and turned to Halvard. “How do I look?”
“Fine, go in and watch your back. I will report to the king and return.”
Arianwyn nodded and entered. She was immediately swallowed up in the crowd. She moved carefully through the the press of bodies, trying not to be seen. With the dragon across her arms, it was not very practical. A small bubble formed around her wherever she went, people staring openly at her.
“Lady Arianwyn.” She turned. A servant was standing, waiting. “His Majesty requests your presence.” Arianwyn followed the servant through the crowd until they arrived where the king was waiting. He was surrounded by the thanes, each still encouraging the king to choose their daughter. When he saw her, he stepped forward and out of the circle.
“Lady Arianwyn, I am glad to see you feeling better. Shall we dance?” She curtsied and accepted his hand. They walked out onto the dance floor and he began a slow dance with her.
“I would be very appreciative if you would keep the steps simple, Sire,” she commented, flushing and avoiding his gaze.
“Of course.” He continued leading her, apparently not paying attention. “How is Lady Alyssa?” he asked in a low voice. The sudden question caught Arianwyn off guard and she missed a step. Only the king's solid hold kept her moving in time with the music.
“She’ll live,” Arianwyn replied quietly. “I will not let her alone with that man again,” she said, eyes flashing. She stiffened and tripped slightly on the hem of her dress.
“I would be disappointed if you did,” he replied evenly. Rael tightened his grip, compensating for Arianwyn’s stumble. He smoothed the move into a spin, still seeming to pay little attention to her. “Relax. It makes leading easier.”
“I must ask your forgiveness,” she said, flushing. “I’ve never pretended to faint before.”
He shrugged. “At least I will always know when you’re lying to me. And you shouldn’t tell me you were pretending; it’s insulting.”
Arianwyn glanced up at him, not sure how to take his cavalier attitude. There was a slight twinkle in his eyes. “Forgive me, Sire, but aren’t you going to lecture me?”
“What would I lecture you about?”
“My duty as a lady to the nobles in the court, that I have a place to be and it isn’t running though the Keep, misuse of my dragon gift…I’m sure there are a number of rules that I broke. Again,” she finished with a sigh.
He finally looked down at her, spinning her in the dance. The dance ended and they stepped apart from each other. “You did. However, you kept the most important rule.” He turned and walked away, the thanes immediately surrounding him again. Arianwyn moved to the side of the dance hall, confused by his cryptic comment and relieved that most of the men she saw looked disinterested in her.
She found a side table where servants were waiting to serve drinks to the dancers. She moved closer, indicated her drink, and turned to watch while sipping. Halvard appeared nearby. Her mind kept reviewing the king’s final comment. She was confused and apprehensive. Her grip tightened on the cup as she fought again with her nerves.
At the far end of the hall, Arianwyn saw King Rael ascending the King’s Dais. The rest of the attendees quieted down, turning to face the king. She set her drink down and moved toward the front, taking her place beside Ethelinda. Although she knew she was not the king’s choice, she could feel her heartbeat increasing. Briefly, she caught Blythe’s gaze. Blythe gave her a questioning look before facing forward.
The king observed each of them closely, clearly considering his choices. “Tonight I will choose my bride.” He paused, walking down the steps to look over each girl up close. Arianwyn stared at her hands, hoping he wouldn’t say Ethelinda’s name, even though she was wearing the fire diamonds. “A queen has many duties to fulfill. Her most important duties include caring for her people. She must be willing to sacrifice her comforts to ensure the safety and survival of her people. I am certain many of you will hear of the events that transpired this evening at breakfast tomorrow. Those events have heavily influenced my decision.” He paused in his speech at a sharp intake of breath. Arianwyn’s eyes flicked to the side. Ethelinda’s eyes were wide, her mouth opening in protest. “For this reason, I will uphold tradition. I will marry a dragon Bonded woman.” He stopped in front of Arianwyn. She looked up at him, wide-eyed, shaking her head silently, begging him not to say her name. “Lady Arianwyn, you have until the spring to prepare yourself for marriage.”
Rael
Rael was not allowed to go straight to bed. The thanes crowded around him, protesting and arguing. Only Cael seemed content with the decision. Rael noted the man's behavior and reminded himself to express appropriate gratitude for his support.
“Push them back,” he ordered Rynert and James. The group of four men circled the king, interposing themselves between the thanes and him. The thanes did not dare push in on the bodyguards, knowing they would push back with whatever force they deemed necessary. Rael left the Ballroom, making his way upward to his chambers. Edmund met them partway up.
“She's in a panic,” he said.
“Is she going to run?” Rael asked.
Edmund rubbed his jaw. “I don't know. Halvord is watching the door now, but he's heard nothing on the inside.” Rael nodded. Edmund hesitated before continuing, “Lady Alyssa is in bad shape.”
Rael clenched his hands together behind his back. He would lash out if he didn't keep a grip on himself. “On the bright side, the girl is a terrible actress,” James inserted. Rael nodded again.
“I've never seen such a terrible faint,” Rynert snickered.
Rael took a deep breath, struggling to get his temper under control. If his bodyguards were teasing him about the girl, then his temper was worse than he thought. “It will be some time before she learns to lie to me.”
“I don't think she'll run,” Rynert said. Rael frowned at him. “She was willing to run into danger for the girl. I doubt she'll leave her here alone.” Rael nodded slowly.
“Did I make the right decision?” he asked no one in particular.
James laughed. “Probably not. The court is going to be a mess while the thanes try to figure out the balance of power again.”
Rael winced. “I should have chosen Ethelinda like I intended.”
“She's pretty,” Edmund agreed.
“She looks like Mother. Besides, Charon doesn't like her,” Rael said.
:No, I don't,:Charon agreed. :I do like the new female.:
:That's only because she's bonded to a dragon,: Rael responded.
Charon turned the idea over in his mind, allowing Rael to feel his ruminations. :No, I like the female herself. She is brave. She will make a good queen.:
Rael raised his eyebrows. “What's Charon saying?” Rynert asked.
“He thinks the girl will m
ake a good queen.”
“Her name is Arianwyn,” Edmund said.
Rael frowned at him. “I know what her name is.”
“She's small, but she's a full grown woman,” Edmund continued, his tone conversational.
Rael stopped, scowling at the man. “Are you championing her?”
Edmund grinned. “Perhaps. I haven't decided yet.”
Rael shook his head. “Get back to her door. Don't let her leave.” Edmund saluted and left. Rael made his way back to his chambers, closing and locking the door behind him. He grabbed a blanket and made his way up the tunnel to the Dragon Cave.
Charon opened one eye as Rael approached. The silver dragon lifted her head, studying him. Rael stopped in his tracks and frowned at her. She continued where she was, watching him watch her. :I invited her to stay. She thinks it a fine cave.:
“Shouldn't you have consulted me first?” Rael asked, continuing on his walk to Charon.
:No. She will be my mate, not yours.:
“That's not what I meant. How do you know you can trust her?” The silver dragon growled low at him, upper lip curling back to reveal her teeth. Charon whuffed back to her.
:It is how he is. He is suspicious of everything,: Charon said. Rael heard the comment, but knew it was directed to the female dragon. She rumbled a bit more and lowered her head. Rael shook his head. He reached Charon and lay down, the dragon helping form a small bed for him. The silver dragon turned her head away, facing the opening. :She says the girl will stay.:
Rael twisted to make sure he was facing the silver dragon. “Thank you,” Rael said to both Charon and the silver dragon. She flicked her tail in response.
The King's Treasure Page 11
