by Jade White
The door squeaked as it closed behind me. I looked up to see one of the chambermaids look up at me as her feet scurried across the floor.
“I didn’t realize that you were here, Prince Merek. I apologize, but I have orders to make the bed.”
I smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Cedany, I was just leaving for town.”
Rowan stopped me as I entered the corridor. “Are you ready to find yourself a bride?”
I started laughing. “Of course, I am ready to please Father. Are you going to accompany me on my journey?”
“Are you joking? I think this one you have to do on your own! You have to find the truth of who you are before you run away with some good looking girl and forget about all of us.”
I had to admit that Rowan’s wording was quite odd. I actually found it quite disturbing after my surprise letter from my mother. Rowan however, never was one to be normal.
I looked at Rowan, shocked and confused. “What are you babbling about? I know who I am! I am Prince Merek, son of King Athalos. I think I can boast about that all day and the battles in which I led and won.”
Rowan didn’t answer me. He looked up at me and shook his head.
“I really would like to know this one, Rowan.”
“You are always running away from the idea of being married and having children. That is all I meant by what I said.”
I had a feeling there was more to what he meant, but I was hoping that wasn’t true. I just didn’t want to deal with any of this at the moment.
“Are you kidding me, Rowan? You have been the worst liar since we were children! I am unsure what you are hiding, but whatever it is I will find out. Don’t you dare jump to conclusions on why I never got married and had kids!
“Before Mother gets home, I will be courting or married to the most beautiful woman. Even you will want to get married right after I bring her home.”
“Do you have a woman in mind?” Rowan asked, changing the subject.
“I will know her when I see her for the very first time. She is going to take my breath away.”
“Please tell me that you don’t seriously believe that! You seriously live in a fantasy world if you believe in such a thing! I think that is completely disturbing!”
“I would rather pretend that I will find a wife like that, compared to bringing one home that looks like Lord Crewe’s wife.” I giggled when I said that.
Our aunt had the nickname “Cyclops” since one eye seemed to wander. She was heavy-set, with one tooth that stuck out. No one knows where Lord Crewe found her and to tell the truth, I don’t want to know. She looked like she was a witch, to be honest.
My father was screaming in the other room as I passed the study. I wasn’t sure what he was screaming about this time, but this was the type of man he was. I was often jealous of the common folks in the kingdom because they didn’t have a tyrant as a father.
“It sounds like Lord Crewe and Father are once again fighting.” Rowan pointed out.
I started laughing. “When aren’t they fighting? Lord Crewe still thinks it is unjust for him to be only a Lord and have nothing to do with the kingdom.”
“You are correct. I hope when we all move to our kingdoms that we don’t try to kill each other like Father and Lord Crewe.”
“I don’t know, just don’t oppose war on me and I won’t have to kill you.” I lightly hit Rowan on the shoulder.
If Rowan knew I was a dragon shape-shifter, he hadn’t shown a sign of it at the moment, although his words still haunted me. I was still trying to figure out if our father ordered him to kill and if he was capable of doing so.
I once again felt completely lost and uncertain. I tried very hard to hide it, since I knew anything that I showed would accompany suspicion at the moment.
The wind blew gently as I walked to the stables and Rowan followed me.
“When will you be back from town?”
I mounted my horse and looked at him and shrugged. “I don’t know. I have to find a bride and court her. I asked if you wanted to join me, but you have refused my offer,” I said, teasing.
“Father wants me to take extra archery classes. He wants me to practice before we kill Maelyss. No one has figured out a way to kill him yet.”
I let out a sigh. “At least I know I am not the hated son. At the moment he hates you more than me. No one has returned from chasing Maelyss.”
“I have to go on this quest, Merek. If I don’t, there will be another heated fight and he will be positive that I am a dragon and kill me since he believes that prophecy.”
“Do you ever wonder if this is the reason why Mother takes long trips to get away from him?”
He nodded. “Who could put up with Father for long?”
I continued to watch my brother’s face. Concern seemed to be written all over it. There was no way to hide what he was feeling. It was as if my brother seemed to be afraid of something and he was hesitant of me leaving him. I knew just as much as I wanted to escape, he wanted to as well.
“Rowan, it won’t always be like this. Soon you will be king of your own kingdom. We won’t be battling for our father’s crown. You will actually be able to breathe, compared to having to train as our father’s secret military weapon.”
“I hope you are right, Merek. I don’t mind defending what we have, but some of these quests are quite pointless. I feel as if he is trying to kill me off.”
“I don’t think you are the only one he is trying to kill off. Look at me! He wants me to hurry up and get married. He has to make sure the woman is of royal blood and I am not damned with a dragon child or he will kill it.”
“It is hard to admit, Merek, but sometimes I feel as if I don’t even know who our father is anymore.”
“Who says we knew who he was at all?”
Rowan nodded at this. “You are probably right. I don’t recall him ever spending much time with us as children. Perchance, we never did know who he really was. It has always been Mother who has been there for us.”
“I can tell you from being the first of King Athalos’s sons, that it isn’t pleasant being the eldest, either. Father never treated me like the other three of you.
“Mother was determined that I would be a scholar and study, as well as having battle knowledge. It seems as if that was against his wishes and he brings it up often.”
“Merek, are you scared about ruling your own kingdom?” Rowan asked.
My youngest brother seemed to have a lot on his chest, but he refused to open up. I just knew he was petrified of living up to our father’s standards.
I laughed. “I get the freedom that I never tasted here. I think I can say safely I am overjoyed about moving to my own kingdom. The only thing I am afraid of is getting married. I always thought this day would be different.
“I thought I would already have a beautiful lady in my life that I would greet often with a kiss. You do realize after I get married that Father will expect the rest of you to get married, right?”
“Don’t remind me! He has instilled it in each of our minds that we have to get married or the whole world will come to an end.”
“Be thankful for the quests that we can go on at the moment and be able to breathe. It takes us to different places, but I do believe you trying to kill Maelyss is downright foolish. You will never succeed.”
“A dragon is only vulnerable in one major place and that is his heart,” Rowan pointed out.
I suddenly felt incredibly ill when he said that. How could he speak of killing as if it was just a strategic game? I didn’t understand why anyone would wish to do something like that. I could only justify any of this if Maelyss came and tormented the town, but he didn’t torment any of us.
“I don’t get why you would even want to kill Maelyss. Have you not seen that our father has kept you in the dark this whole time?”
“I hate to point this out, Merek, but the fact is, he is keeping us all in the dark. I am afraid of the fact he is playing us against each ot
her. Sometimes it is hard to face that he is quite devious in his plan. I just don’t understand why he would want to do something that would split this family apart and start a bloody battle between his sons.
“I feel if he continues to go down this road, he will not only destroy our kingdoms, but he will also end up killing one of us. I know it isn’t up to us if Father tells us to kill one another, that would be up to him and we would have to obey his requests.”
I looked out at the view of our kingdom. I knew he was right and I was at a loss for words.
“I guess, Rowan, that would be a sorrowful day. I am just hoping that we all would know what is right and what is wrong. As adults, we will have to make the choice if we could live with killing one another. I know I wouldn’t be able to.”
*
The town seemed to look at me, horrified, as I began to ride through it. Most of the time, one of the princes only came down to demand something in one way or another. I didn’t come to the town often. I was usually too busy with my studies to even think about it. I guess this was no different. I was demanding a bride to marry me.
“What can we do for you today, Prince Merek? The sons of King Athalos only come around if they want a something,” the bartender mumbled as I walked into the pub.
“You can start with a shot of whiskey.”
The bartender shook his head as I put a couple pieces of gold on the counter.
“You're right, Marvin. It seems I am in search of something. I am in search of a bride. My father gave me thirty days to be wed. I also must produce a child.”
An older man that I knew to be a farmer started laughing. “Your father is still in search of a dragon killer to get rid of the dragons? No, I take that back. He thinks the prophecy will come true where the son of Maelyss will be raised in his kingdom, unknown. He will take fate into his own hands and out of revenge for the death of Maelyss, will kill King Athalos with a single claw.”
I shook my head. “I am not familiar with this. He told me about a prophecy his grandfather told him. He said that one of the queens would carry a child from a dragon and the first son would kill the king father.”
The old man started laughing harder. “There is a lot more to the prophecy than just that. He is so worried about that damn prophecy, but it refuses to change. For years, the people are undisturbed by the dragons.
“Even Maelyss himself never bothered us. Do you know why? We have no reason for him to bother us. We don’t go out of our way trying to kill the dragons!”
I let out a groan. “To be honest, I can see your point. I would rather be allies with them, compared to the way my father is doing things.”
“Have you ever wondered why he does what he does? He hates Maelyss altogether. He isn’t after all the dragons, but he is after the dragon king himself.”
“I guess that is why he is sending Rowan to kill Maelyss.”
“The boy will never come back. He might get as far as the rocky mountain ridge, but he will never enter the dragon’s lair. It is hard for anyone to enter or exit. The dragons are in their natural calling in the mountains. Your father can never understand that. He thinks a sword can kill a dragon.”
“Why is it my father hates dragons so much? Is it the prophecy or is there something a bit more personal?”
“Prince Merek, you are a smart boy. What do you think the reason is since his sons were born, that he was destined to kill dragons? Of course it is personal between Maelyss and King Athalos. Why wouldn’t it be personal? If it wasn’t for your grandfather, your mother would have never married King Athalos.”
“You knew my mother before she became Queen Bethany?”
“I did, she would venture off on her own trying to find herself. She even stayed with my wife and me for a while. It was hard to believe that such a free-spirited woman with a soul was a prisoner in the kingdom.
“She even tried to figure out a way to move and become common folk, like us. There was no way royal blood could ever change who they were, though.”
Marvin flipped me a card. “I know you are tight on a timeline given to you from your loving father.”
“What’s this?”
“It is an agency for mail order brides.”
“Do you not think I am capable of finding a regular bride to be my wife?” I asked, looking at Marvin.
“I don’t think you will be getting one in that short of time, to be honest. Your father has quite a distinctive guideline to follow. She must be beautiful but also of royal blood.
“He knows all of the people around the kingdom as well as the other kingdoms around the coastline. He will never know where a mail order bride came from. At least that is the plan. You can tell him that she came from anywhere you desire.
“It wouldn’t matter where she came from as long as she went along with the fact she was really a lady or princess. Most of them don’t speak a lot from our language, so that is even better. She could think that princess or lady meant your wife,” Marvin pointed out.
Although I hated the idea, it was worth a shot.
I looked up at Marvin and shook my head. “Don’t you think King Athalos would ask questions about her and her thick accent?”
“Of course he will ask questions, but it will be perfect. At least think about this option, Merek. It is your gateway to freedom. Your father wouldn’t suspect anything and he would finally get off your back.”
“You forget that my father runs the kingdom, though. He will find out. If there is any way to cause someone pain in their life, my father is apt to do it.”
“He is right, you know!” the old farmer added.
“Prince Merek, I am trying to get you out of a bind. Out of all the princes, we know you are for us. You don’t treat as simple servants. If your father kills you, we surely will suffer,” Marvin replied.
“I guess I can always sleep on the idea. Perhaps I can rent a room for the night.”
“Your father won’t send his men to find you?” Marvin asked.
I shook my head. “Why would he? I am not to return home until I find a bride.”
Marvin laughed and showed me upstairs to a room above the pub.
“At least think about what I said. It might be your only hope of getting your freedom as well as freeing the people from the tyrant that your father has become.”
I nodded in understanding. I was going to think of the option, just not at the moment. I was thinking about Maelyss and Rowan. Both were my family, but it was going to come to the point of a bloody war.
“I hope you don’t mind, but Marvin said this is the only room upstairs that has two beds,” a muscular man said.
The man wore a hooded coat that covered most of his body and he seemed to be very clean. I was certain he was some sort of an aristocrat since his style wasn’t of the commoners. He stayed in the shadows of the room so I only saw his shadowy figure climb into the bed.
I nodded and motioned to the bed across the room.
“What brings you to these parts?” the traveler asked.
I could have killed Marvin with my own bare hands. I didn’t want to share my room with someone who was going to keep me up all night, let alone a stranger.
“I must find myself a bride. What brings you here?”
The man laughed. “I am seeing my son.”
“Your son must be very lucky to have someone care enough to see him.”
Neither one of us spoke after that.
When I woke up, I realized that Marvin was right, I was going to have to contact the mail order bride agency. It was the only way I was going to get myself out of this mess.
The mysterious man seemed to have gone on his way and even made the bed. I got up and did the same. Oddly, it felt as if the man was just a dream, but I knew he had been there. I remembered him walking through the door.
The dining area was empty as I came down for breakfast. Marvin looked at me and shook his head.
“You are far from getting up early like you thought you were g
oing to do.”
I shook my head. “I guess I did have a good night sleep. I wasn’t impressed that you set me up with a stranger, though. I’m sure that this has been one of the busiest nights that you have seen in a long time.”
Marvin started laughing. “Every single room was booked last night. We didn’t have a free bed at all. I guess everyone came out of the woodwork to see if the prince was actually staying with us.”
I shot Marvin a look and started laughing.
“It is empty now. Where did everyone go?”
Marvin shook his head and shrugged. “They are all probably going to see the king. He wants to put a campaign together to hunt Maelyss.”
