Queen of Dragons: Steamy Fantasy Erotic Romance (Dragon nights Book 1)

by Tasha Bell

  “Sir Robert!” She exclaimed. “What an unexpected pleasure. My, that is a fine robe, you should wear cerise more often. It really brings out your colour.” Sir Robert blushed with pleasure at the compliment from the beautiful highborn lady, Viviana continued in her most convivial tone, “I was just about to take a drop of brandy, will you join me?”

  “Lady Viviana, as beautiful as always.” He said, stooping to put a sloppy kiss on the back of her hand, she tried to keep herself from shuddering as the tip of his wet nose pressed against her wrist. “I really won’t have any brandy, I’m afraid this is not a social call.” he paused for a second. “Though actually, I suppose, if the bottle is open then it would be rude not to keep you company.” He reached out and poured them both generous measures of the amber liquid.

  “Oh not a social call? How sad, then to what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked, trying to sound disappointed that she wasn’t going to be treated to any evening of boring stories about Sir Roberts’s youth and patronising advice about how she ought to be running her estates.

  “I’m afraid I’ve had some rather upsetting news.” Said Sir Robert taking a deep sip of brandy, he sighed with pleasure after swallowing the potent liquid and Viviana could smell his breath from where she sat, even mixed with the heady fumes from the alcohol it smelt like something was rotting inside him. “I’m sure you know this already,” he said. “But last week some of the men of Amvale returned from the Northern Wars. Blasted shame what’s happened to them up there I say, they can’t seem to work at all since they got back, I’ve had to flog three of mine already.”

  “I was aware they had returned.” Viviana said, trying to keep her contempt for Sir Robert’s style of governance from her voice. Four years ago the Vale had been brought to the edge of rioting when Sir Robert had drunkenly whipped a young father to death in front of his family because, in his own words, “he looked at me funny.”

  “Of course, of course,” said Robert. “Dare say you’ve been having the same problems I have, except you don’t flog yours do you?” He leered at Viviana, staring unashamedly at her chest. “Dare say you’ll come round to it when you’re a bit more experienced. Anyway this morning I had a visit from one Captain Bates, he served with the regiment in the Northern Wars, nice chap, highborn. He told me that he had been sent back to the Vale as part of King John’s…” Sir Robert paused, trying to remember the tricky phrase. “As part of King John’s Post Conflict Resolution Party.” He said triumphantly.

  “His what?” said Viviana. “The war is over. Why is the King sending men back to the Vale? We pay our tithes, he has no right to have military men stationed here.”

  Well it’s all very worrying,” slurred Sir Robert. “Apparently over the last few years of fighting a bit of disillusionment crept into some of the men. King John’s spies have told him that across the armies certain ideas have been spreading. There were those who didn’t believe they should be fighting at all and who were questioning the authority of the King and his commanders to make them. Captain Bates has been charged with hunting down the known troublemakers who returned our region. Good thing to I say, can’t have the simple folk running around getting ideas just because they waved a sword at a couple of northerners.”

  Viviana kept her expression neutral she thought back to the things Christian had said to her a few days previously about being owned by no man. “It doesn’t seem like King John to let the plotters get that far,” she said. “Why didn’t he just kill them as soon as he heard the rumours of insubordination?”

  Sir Robert gave a short laugh and poured himself another brandy. “Oh my pretty little Viviana wars cost a lot of lives,” he said patronisingly. “No point in wasting good bodies when you’ve still got to northerners to kill. Of course now it’s different, can’t have those ideas spreading to rest of the peasants” he took another long sip of the brandy and continued speaking: “anyway Captain Bates requested help putting together a party to hunt down the undesirables. I’ve given him some of my serfs to use, one Matt Tindall and his sons. Tindall should be safe, he didn’t go away to fight and I’ve used him as my foreman before. Handy with a whip and far too thick to get any ideas above his station.”

  Sir Robert took another sip of brandy. “There’s some question of theft as well. Apparently something went missing from Castle Ranchester. Something that wasn’t supposed to be looted by the men.” The drunken lord leaned in conspiratorially, Viviana did her best not to gag on the smell of his breath. “Something magical,” He whispered. “Bates won’t tell me what it was, but he says King John is enraged. It’s a hanging issue for sure.”

  “Do you know who they’ve been told to hunt down?” asked Viviana, thinking again of the speech Christian had given her in the grounds of his cottage, if people had been making trouble it seemed very likely he had been involved, she was reminded of the mysterious leather bag he kept on him at all times.

  “I do actually,” Robert replied. “According to the King’s spies there are five suspected insubordinates who returned to the village and surrounding farms; David Rawls, Chris Jenson, Kit Fairfield, he’s the innkeepers son, a stranger by the name of James Harper, and one of yours, Christian Gardner. I’ve told Bates he can execute them all, but seeing as one belongs to you I thought I’d better do the polite thing and come and let you know.”

  “You’ve done what?” Shouted Viviana. “When? When are they going to be killed?”

  “Tomorrow hopefully,” Said Robert. “They’re out there rounding them up now. Bates said they’ve caught Rawls and Jenson already, and Matt said he could lead them to your man Christian Gardner, so they should be out there picking him up as we speak, then it’s down to the tavern for the other two and perhaps a pint or two.”

  Sir Robert leant over to refill his glass a third time and was surprised to see Viviana run past him and out of the room.

  ***

  Viviana could smell smoke, thick and acrid in the autumn air, as soon as she left the hall. As she ran through the grounds towards the gardener’s cottage see was horrified to see tongues of flame licking across the thatched roof. “Christian!” she cried. She was readying herself to charge at the burning door when a tall moustachioed man stepped into her path and gripped her tightly by the tops off the arms.

  “Lady Viviana I presume.” He said in a calm voice. Behind him Viviana could see the smirking faces of Matt Tindall and his sons. “I’m terribly sorry about the damage to your property,” he gestured behind him to the now blazing cottage where Christian had been born and raised. “Rest assured that King John will fully reimburse you for the damages.” He let go of Viviana’s shoulders and took a step back, staring at her with his chilly blue eyes.

  “What have you done with him?” She shouted.

  “With Cristian Gardner?” He said. “Nothing my lady, he wasn’t at home to receive our visit, and we don’t think he’d been there for a while. The hearth was cold when we arrived. But don’t worry yourself, we’ll find him and your estate will return perfect peacefulness.”

  “You have no right to be on my land.” Viviana said. “And you have absolutely no right to take any of my men. If someone needs to be disciplined I am more than capable of taking on that responsibility.”

  The handsome moustachioed man reached inside his leather jerkin and pulled out a tightly bound scroll. “I have a royal warrant,” he said calmly. “As the kings agent I have every right to be on this land, and every right to take any man I please.” He turned and starting walking towards the village, his men following close behind.

  ***

  When Viviana burst through the door the Inn fell into complete silence, some of the men drinking were in her direct employment, they stood up, taking their caps off as a sign of respect, it was rare to see the Lady of Loxley Hall in the Bull Tavern. Viviana paid them no attention, she was in a state of wild dishevelment, having run through the woods to get ahead of Bates and his men. Her hair was untamed, she had discarded her shoes to mak
e better progress on the soft forest floor and her dress was ripped where it had caught on a branch. She knew that warning the two men in the tavern would make a traitor in the eyes of King John, but she couldn’t bear to see a man like Kit, who she had known all her life, taken by the likes of Captain Bates and Sir Robert.

  “Alexandra, Alexandra!” She shouted, not caring or thinking about her appearance, or any of the ways in which a highborn lady was supposed to behave.

  Alexandra looked round, she was sitting with the huge broad stranger that Viviana recognised from the square, her hand on his upper thigh. “My goodness Viv,” she said with a laugh. “What on earth have you been doing? I thought you’d grown out of all that stuff, is this Christian’s influence?”

  While Alexandra spoke Viviana strode over and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her away from her new man towards the back yard. “I need to talk to you right now.” She said between clenched teeth.

  In the darkened yard she quickly filled her horrified friend in on what Sir Robert had told her and said “You have to tell you brother to get out this very moment they are going to kill him.”

  “What about Christian?” Asked Alexandra.

  “I don’t know,” said Viviana. “I’m not sure where he is, but I’ll take care of him, you just need to get your brother out. Was that man you were talking to James Harper? They are going to execute him too, he should run with Kit. There’s a man from King John’s army called Captain Bates who has been sent to look for them, he’s already burnt down my gardener’s cottage and caught two men he claims are plotting an uprising, the others need to go right now.”

  “Wait a second,” said Alexandra. “I’m not sure I understand, my Kit is plotting a revolution? That can’t be right.”

  “It doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t plotting a revolution,” said Viviana urgently “The King thinks he is and he’ll be killed for it either way. I think one of them may have taken something the king wants.”

  “Right” said Alexandra. “I’ll tell Harper. Go and get my brother, he’s in his room. Tell him to meet us by the door.” She ran back into the public bar.

  Viviana took the stairs up to Kit’s room two at a time, she burst through the heavy wooden door, not pausing to knock, and saw two faces staring up at her. Kit was down on all fours with a pretty redhead sitting on his back just like she was riding a horse. Apart from a pair of leather boots and some leather gloves he was completely naked. Kit spluttered for a moment before he managed to spit the cotton gag from his mouth.

  “Viviana what in god’s name are you doing here!” He shouted, his face reddening from embarrassment. The red-head giggled mischievously.

  “Come and join us Lady Viviana.” She said.

  Viviana could see that she was holding a birch twig in her hand like a riding crop, it was probably the reason Kit’s flanks and backside were bright red.

  “Kit some soldiers are coming to kill you and their coming now. They think you’re a subversive. You have to leave the village this instant.” Her voice rose in in volume until she was almost shouting. Kit looked panicked, he reached for some trousers and bent to start putting them on. Viviana grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door. “No, no time for that,” she said. “Go! Go now! Alexandra’s waiting outside for you, go.”

  Downstairs the pub fell silent for a second time that night, this time because the old landlord’s son, appeared to have just ran through the public bar red-arsed and completely naked bar a pair of knee high leather boots. After some momentary confusion the pub broke into gales of laughter, and men were still holding their sides and wiping away the tears of mirth when Captian Bates strode into the bar.

  “Good evening gentlemen.” He said. “Please don’t mind me, King’s business.” He signalled with his hand and Matt Tindall’s three sons ran past him and thundered up the stairs. Matt stayed at his side leering menacingly at Viviana, who was by now sitting at one of the tables, sipping a half pint of ale and trying to look nonchalant despite her bare feet, flushed face, wild hair and torn clothes.

  “Lady Viviana,” said Captain Bates. “I was not expecting meet you again so soon, what a pleasant surprise, we didn’t see you pass us on the road.”

  “Yes I took a stroll through the woods,” she said. “After you mentioned heading down here I thought I might pop down myself, always good to know what one’s dealing with on one’s estates you know.” She held the Captain’s eye, knowing there was no way anyone could possibly believe her, but suspecting that Bates would not call out a highborn lady in front of a room full of simple folk. “Unfortunately the men you’re looking for don’t seem to be here, what a pity. Perhaps they decided not to come back to the village at all, will you join me for a drink?”

  Captain Bates cast his cold eyes over Viviana’s ruined dress and up to her dishevelled hair - so neat and coiffured when he had spoken to her in the grounds of Loxley Hall earlier - “I understand completely.” He said.

  Matt’s eldest son reappeared in the doorway with his forearm around the neck of the red-headed girl. “There weren’t no soldiers up there,” he said. “Just this one.”

  “Right,” said Captain Bates, addressing the assembled drinkers in the front bar. “I’m looking for Kit Fairfield the son of this tavern’s old innkeeper and a man by the name of James Harper. Has anyone seen them tonight?” Everyone stayed silent, Bates continued “has anyone seen them at all? Do any of you know who I’m talking about? There will be a substantial reward payable in cold right here,” he hefted a heavy purse. “For anyone who give information.”

  Eventually an old man mumbled into his tankard: “We aint seen nobody, Sir.” Other voices joined in.

  “Nobody here.” Said one.

  “No, mustn’t have come back from the wars, poor souls.” Added another.

  “They’re lying!” Shouted Matt, staring wildly around the room. “They were here. I know they came back here I saw them myself.”

  Captain Bates spoke to him calmly. “Send men to the roads out of the village and block the bridges.” He nodded towards the red-headed girl struggling in the arms of her captors. “We’ll take her with us.” He turned towards Viviana and said; “my lady, again, a pleasure to see you, I won’t join you for that drink now, but if you would allow me I will call on you at Loxley Hall tomorrow.” With that he spun crisply on his heel and walked from the bar.

  ***

  Alexandra, Kit and Harper ran across the bridge over the swift and cold running river Am. On the other side the land ran roughly uphill towards the foothills of the Borset Mountains, with their dark crags and ancient abandoned dragon nests. Beyond the lanes and well-tended fields of Amvale Village it was a rough country of large boulders, scrubby woodlands and deep ravines. Easy to get lost in, easy to lose a trail in. Alexandra was certain that their pursuers would be able to work out which direction they had left the village in, their path was strewn with a trail of gawping villagers staring at Kit’s receding buttocks, but she hoped that in the rough wilderness they would not be able to follow their trail.

  Once they reached the open countryside Alexandra pulled them off the road and down into the shade of the hedge that ran between the fields. They could speak for the first time since they had left the tavern, all three of them were wild eyed from adrenaline and exertion.

  Alexandra struggled to catch her breath, it felt like there was not enough air in the world to fill her aching lungs, and then panted: “Viviana says you’re being hunted by King John, both of you,” she paused to draw breath and the two men looked at each other. “She told me that you are part of a subversive organisation plotting an uprising.” The two men said nothing. Kit stood with his hands over his genitals, slightly embarrassed to be so naked in front of his sister, while Harper stared back in the direction of the village, his eyebrows lowered like he was spoiling for a fight, Alexandra could see that he wasn’t the type of man to run away from trouble, and that it would get him killed if he wasn’t careful.

&n
bsp; “She told me they had sent a man called Bates to look for you.” She continued.

  “Shit.” Kit said. “Captain Bates?”

  “You know him?” Asked Alexandra.

  Harper stepped in. “Oh we certainly know him, we served with him in the regiment,” he said. “He’s a highborn prick and a real nasty piece of work, one of the only men I met in those years of war who seemed to take real pleasure in all the death and pain. He was the bastard who blinded those men at Othem Moat.”

  Kit looked pale and worried. “He’s not the kind of man to give up,” he said. “He once marched us three days and three nights from Dunstanine to Clawstone to track down some deserters, by the time we found them we were all falling asleep on our feet, but he stayed up another three days and nights torturing them. Sometimes I didn’t think he could be human.” He paused and looked back towards the village “I hope he didn’t find Miranda in my room.”

  Alexandra patted her brother’s arm. “She’ll be fine,” she said. “If Miranda Carter knows anything it’s how to survive. I’m more worried about what we are going to do.”

  “What we are going to do?” Said Harper. “You are not a part of this Alexandra, this is our problem, mine and Kit’s. You’re going to go back to the Inn and keep pouring pints. Try to forget we ever came back to Amvale at all.”

  “Go back to the village and wait for Matt to come back for me?” She said indignantly. “Without you and Kit around I might as well just go and give myself to him now. I’m coming with you, Mother can run the Inn without me.” Harper looked hard at Alexandra, it broke her heart to see it, but he seemed genuinely angered at the prospect of having to take her along with him.

  “Are you sure about this?” He said. “The life of an outlaw is not a happy one, I’ve lived it before, it’s a life of hunger and paranoia, of constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering where the next meal is going to come from, do you really want that?” Alexandra looked up at him with a determined chin and nodded.