The King's Treasure

by Carol M. Vaughn

  Arianwyn stood. Marie jerked back and frowned at her. “Next time warn me. I almost smudged your make-up!” Arianwyn jerked her head to the door and Marie “oh'd” in understanding. She stood up, curtsying and shooing the younger girls out the door ahead of her.

  Arianwyn pulled the neck of her robe a bit closer, staring up at Rael. She frowned. “You're wearing armor on our wedding day?”

  He grunted in response, turning away from studying her dress. He circled her once, frowning as he studied her. “Are you ready?” he asked her, pacing back and forth in front of her. She felt like a lamb before a wolf the way he watched her.

  Arianwyn reached out to stop him in his pacing. “I think so. Are you?”

  Rael frowned down at her. “You think so? What kind of answer is that? Of course I'm ready.”

  “It's the best answer I can give right now,” she snapped back, snatching her hand back from his arm.

  “Has Lysander been over the marriage vows with you?” He crossed his arms, feet braced apart.

  “Yes, I know what to do.” She folded her own arms and matched his scowl.

  “This is your wedding day. You should be happy,” he muttered.

  “The same could be said to you, Your Majesty.” He blinked and looked down at himself. To her surprise, he grinned at her, relaxing his arms back to his side. “Is there some reason you stopped by? Or were you hoping to make me late to our wedding?”

  Rael chuckled. He took her by the shoulders and pulled her in close to him. His armor dug into her skin, but she didn't push away. She hugged him back, clutching at him to keep her hands from shaking. Rael tilted her chin up so that their eyes could meet. “No matter what happens, no matter who is present, focus on me. I will protect you.” He leaned down and kissed her before leaving. Arianwyn clutched her hands together to keep them from shaking for a different reason as the servants returned to the room.

  Arianwyn was half tied, half sewn into her dress. The tiara she would wear was carried in on a velvet pillow. “This is merely your wedding tiara. You will be crowned queen following the ceremony, where your tiara will be replaced with a crown by His Majesty.” The tiara was intricately wrought in silver and studded with more fire diamonds. It was fastened into place after Arianwyn’s hair was braided, curled, and tied up onto her head, leaving her back and shoulders bare to reveal the dragon marking. A silver silk ribbon was braided around her right forearm, the ends trailing to the floor.

  Arianwyn was rushed through the halls to a waiting room off the Great Hall. She could hear music playing and people talking beyond the door. She clasped and unclasped her hands, pacing behind the door. “Don’t trip this time,” Lysander reminded her for the umpteenth time. He was standing just as nervously to the side of the waiting room. A light fanfare of trumpets quieted the throng. Arianwyn moved to her place in the center of the doors, ribbons fluttering behind her. The doors were thrown open, framing Arianwyn. She took a deep breath, looking across the vast hall to Rael waiting at the far end.

  The room was filled to capacity. The various monarchs were standing closest to Rael, their honor guards surrounding them. Then the thanes lined the walkway. Nearest Arianwyn was a jumble of minor nobles, guild masters and merchants. To the side, the windows had been flung open wide, allowing the dragons to perch on the side and watch. Just beyond them, Arianwyn could see the other Totems peering in. Arianwyn took a deep breath and walked down the aisle, staring straight at Rael.

  Like Arianwyn, Rael was dressed entirely in black and silver. His clothing, however, was his hardened leather armor. Silver dragons were painted onto the front, eyes flashing red in the light. He was wearing boots and his sword was strapped to his side. His shield hung from his back. A gold crown circled his head, diamonds and rubies glinting in the metal. His left arm had black silk ribbons braided around it, trailing to the floor from his wrist.

  Arianwyn reached him, feeling her breath constricting in her throat. There was a blur of faces around them. What faces she could make out were masks, though the eyes looked disapproving. And she could not blame them. She was just a peasant girl. :I thought we were over this,: Parvati muttered.

  :It wasn’t real before this!:

  :Oh, get over it! If you will continue to be honest with him, things will be fine. You seem to like each other, so stop complicating the whole marriage thing.:

  Arianwyn took a deep, steadying breath and looked up at Rael. He held out his hand to her and she accepted it. Her fingers clutched his. She had to remind herself to breath in and out. It was while breathing that she felt Rael's hands. They were the fire to her icy hands. He was gripping her just as tight as she him, his palms sweaty. Some of her fear leeched away when she realized she was not alone in nerves. They faced each other in front of the crowd, right and left hands clasped together. Arianwyn focused on Rael’s face, ignoring the blurred faces below them.

  “I hereby declare before the Totems and those gathered that I have chosen this woman to be my queen and mate. I have made this choice of my own free will,” Rael said loudly, looking down at Arianwyn. His hand gave hers a small squeeze as he wrapped one of the ribbons around their joined hands.

  Arianwyn met his eyes. “I hereby declare that I have chosen to marry this man and accept him as my king and mate. I have made this choice of my own free will,” she stated. “I pledge my life to yours,” Arianwyn continued, wrapping one of her ribbons around their joined hands.

  “I pledge my soul to yours,” Rael responded, wrapping one of his ribbons around their hands. They continued speaking, pledging and wrapping until their hands had been joined. Once the pledges were finished, Arianwyn relaxed a bit. It was done. She smiled up at him.

  Rael guided her to his side, beckoning to Tad, who had been standing discreetly to the side. Tad immediately came forward, carrying a black velvet cushion with another golden crown on top. Lady Alyssa stepped to Arianwyn’s other side, holding an empty velvet cushion.

  Rael removed the tiara with Alyssa’s assistance. He placed it on the cushion Lady Alyssa carried. He picked up the crown, holding it over Arianwyn’s head. “Gathered Totems, I give you my queen. May you receive her as your equal. May you ever be wary of the protection provided by our Totem as we are wary of Yours. Nobles and people of the Dragon Totem, I give you your queen.” Rael placed the heavy gold crown on Arianwyn’s head. The crowd burst into applause and the dragons roared.

  Distantly, Arianwyn could hear the people of the city cheering. She looked over those present, her lack of fear rushing back. One other, she noticed, had not joined in. He stood near the back, shoulders stiff and eyes boring into hers. She looked away first and stepped nearer Rael. She did not see the other woman glaring at her.

  Want to read the next book? Visit my website and join the newsletter to keep updated on its release!

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  Finally, turn a few more pages and find an unedited sneak peek to Totems: The Sword and the Shield.

  Happy reading!

  Acknowledgements:

  I don’t know what I’d do without the people around me. A special thanks goes out to my brother-in-law, Jeremy. He kept telling me I should be a writer, even when I thought I had things figured out.

  Thank you Pam, Elaine, and Leisa. The more eyes see this before it goes out, the better! You guys kept me encouraged and kept the book decent, at least. Thanks for reading it and giving me your input.

  Erica Crouch, the cover is awesome! I love it! Thank you!

  Thank you, Marc. Although you teased me, I could tell you were proud of me. Thank you for putting up with me writing and getting excited about works of fiction and fantasy. Thank you for reading my books (even when you said you wouldn’t). Thank you Alex, Aaliyah, and Richard. You’re an awesome group of kids who help me see the world more clearly.

  Finally, thanks have to go to you, the reader. The
re would be no point in telling stories if you weren’t there to read it.

  Sneak Peek of Totems: The Sword and the Shield

  Chapter 1

  The month following the wedding was even worse for Arianywn than the month following her rise to nobility. Her lessons in deportment, history, mathematics, reading, dance, and riding continued. Now she had the duties of a monarch piled on top of her studies. And Parvati was becoming restless for the eggs to hatch, even though there were still years before they would be ready.

  Arianwyn was tired all the time, running from one responsibility to another. Being tired made her irritable. So did Rael. She paced her room, kicking a pillow out of her way. A large bed dominated the room, tapestries of dragons hanging from the wall. A privacy screen hid away one corner of the room. Lace and frills and all things soft decorated the room. Arianwyn took a deep breath. She refused to sleep in the Queen’s Chambers. It simply was not right in her mind.

  She stalked out of the room, glancing to her right. The King’s Chambers were three doors down from her own. The lack of guards told her he was not in residence. She went to his study, trailed by Sigurd and Wymond. “Looks like she’s going to try again,” Sigurd murmured behind her.

  “How long do you think it will take?” Wymond asked.

  “For the king to cave?”

  “No, for her to give up.”

  Sigurd snorted. “The King will fold before she does.”

  “Would you like to make a small wager on that?”

  Arianwyn ignored them both. She was focused on her coming battle with the king. “It’s ridiculous!” she said, throwing open the door. She stopped with fists on hips in front of his desk. “I should be sleeping with my husband.”

  Rael threw down his quill and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and scowling. “For peasants, that may be acceptable. It is not for the nobility.”

  “I am a peasant, Rael. It’s how I grew up doing things and I see no good reason not to continue it. Besides, why should you be the only one with access to the dragons?”

  :An excellent point,: Parvati agreed. :I’ll have Charon second that one.:

  :Besides, you two get to sleep together. Why can’t Rael and me?: Arianwyn argued. Parvati chuckled and relayed that message as well. “A husband and wife belong together,” she said out loud to Rael.

  Arianwyn knew when Rael received the message from Parvati. He threw his hands up in the air. “Fine! Sleep wherever you want. The stables, for all I care, so long as I no longer need hear of this subject.”

  Arianwyn smiled, her mood changing with his concession. She walked around the desk and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” She left the room, smiling.

  “I take it he finally gave in,” Sigurd commented. She grinned at him. He laughed, holding out his hand. Wymond sighed, dropping a silver coin in Sigurd’s hand. Arianwyn laughed at them, sending a page to fetch Tess.

  She stood in the hallways, watching the servants move her things to Rael’s room. Tess stood to the side, giving her an update on happenings within the Keep. “Lady Ethelinda continues in the western suites.”

  Arianwyn scowled. “That woman…” She crossed her arms, turning to glare out the window. “If it weren’t for her father, I’d throw her out!”

  “Lady Arianwyn, that is hardly a statement befitting your station.”

  “I know it’s not, Tess. It’s a statement befitting my heart, though.” She turned back as a servant staggered under a load. Automatically, Arianwyn stepped forward to steady the woman.

  “Move!” Wymond snapped. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her back from the woman. A flash of light glinted and a knife skittered across the top of Wymond’s arm guard. Sigurd leapt to the front of them, sword out to defend. The woman screeched in anger, diving again for Arianwyn. Her foot caught on the hem of her dress, the force of her dive sending her through the window behind Arianwyn.

  Wymond grabbed Arianwyn’s arm, dragging her down the hall at a run. “Slow down!” she gasped. Wymond ignored her. They arrived at the King’s Study. At the sight of Sigurd’s blade, the king’s bodyguards drew their swords. One opened the door and thrust Arianwyn into the room.

  “What is it now?”Rael snapped. He glared up at Arianwyn. His eyes fell on Wymond.

  “Attack on the queen. We go to secure the castle.” They closed the door without waiting for Rael’s response.

  Rael cursed, coming to his feet. He lifted his sword belt from the chair it was hanging on, belting it on as he headed to the door. “If you’re going, I’m coming with you!” Arianwyn said.

  Rael tugged on the door. It did not move. “They’ve locked us in. I thought they might, but hoped they would forget,” he grumbled.

  Arianwyn took a deep breath and sat down. “We could break the door down.”

  Rael grunted, returning to his desk. “We could. But Rynert is little better than an old lady. He would scowl and complain the rest of our days if we did so.”

  Arianwyn chuckled. “So who’s really in command here?”

  Rael grinned back at her. “Don’t let anyone else know.” He leaned forward, grin fading. “What happened?”

  Arianwyn sighed. She should have known he was not going to let her just wait things out. “We were standing in the hallway, moving my things to your room. A serving woman jumped out at me from the line. On her second lunge, she fell through the window.”

  Rael winced. “Windows are expensive.”

  “Windows are…what about me?”

  Rael looked down, hiding his grin from her. “Wives can be replaced. Windows…well, they’re more difficult to care for.”

  “Why you—“ The door opened, cutting her off. She glared at him to let him know what she thought, then turned to face the interruption.

  “The body is gone,” Rynert reported. Sigurd stood to his side, scowling.

  Rael leaned back. “So there were at least two involved in the attack. How did the other remove her body so quickly?”

  “Most likely they went straight to the body while we brought Lady Arianwyn here.”

  Arianwyn frowned. “How did they know so quickly that she had failed? What did Tess say about the woman?”

  “We have not completed the investigation,” Sigurd said.

  “But the Castle is again secure,” Rynert added.

  Rael grunted. “Report to me when you discover more.” Sigurd and Wymond saluted, stepping from the Study. Rael stood and held his hand out to Arianwyn. At her startled look, he said, “It is time for lunch.” Arianwyn accepted his hand and fell in step with him to the Dining Hall. Two of Rael’s guards and Sigurd and Wymond surrounded them. Rynert and James were nowhere to be seen.

  Arianwyn sighed to herself when they entered the Dining Hall. Ethelinda was there, along with the heads of the Merchant’s Guild and the Farmer’s Guild. Rael gave her hand a soft squeeze. He pulled out her chair and settled her before sitting himself. Once he sat, the rest of the group followed.

  “Your Majesty, might I have a moment of your time after lunch?” Ethelinda asked from his other side, one hand resting lightly on his wrist.

  Arianwyn glared at the hand. :Tell Charon to tell him no.:

  “Of course,” Rael responded. Arianwyn tried strangling her fork. “We need to discuss your return home.”

  Ethelinda let out a strangled gasp and Arianwyn smiled, letting her fork live. “It has been so nice having you visit, but I’m sure your father wants to oversee your marital arrangements,” she added. Rael kicked her under the table. Arianwyn added more sweetness to her smile, and then turned to the Farmer’s Guildmaster. “How is your food, Master Abel?”

  He beamed at the attention from the queen, proceeding to point out which products came from which regions and how they had improved them over the years. Arianwyn nodded absently. Rael cleared his throat into his napkin. She glanced at him, to see if he was going to announce something.

  Rael’s eyes were redrimmed, his skin turning blotchy just above t
he collar of his shirt and rising. She dropped her fork, jumping out of her seat and stepping towards him. Rael’s silverware fell from his hands and he clutched at his throat. “Fetch Hammurabi!” she snapped at a servant. “Everyone else, out. Lunch is over.”

  The bodyguards escorted the guildmasters from the room. “Sigurd, fetch Rynert and James immediately,” Baldur, one of Rael’s guards, snapped. He helped Arianwyn get Rael from his seat. Rael’s breath wheezed in and out, his face now bright red. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his tongue was protruding.

  Hammurabi came into the room at a run. Arianwyn met his gaze. “He isn’t breathing.”