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Dragon Queen. 11
Mare looked out at the training ground. The corners of her mouth turned down with contempt.“Is his being born not enough loyalty?” Mare asked over her shoulder.Before Hegi could respond there was a yell and a thud as Perci swiftly unarmed his opponent and kicked him hard. The thud was a result of his opponent falling.“Uhn,” Mare commented. “The prince is good with his sword.”“He has been training since he was a child.”“To walk in the footsteps of his father. I have no wish to know more or see men best each other with swords. I am sure there are far better things I could do with my time than bore myself with this. Who knows? The king might be in my chambers now waiting to claim my body again.”She started to move away when Hegi walked to stand in front of her. She raised her brow at the man who was a lot shorter than she was. He was looking at the training ground then he turned to her with a cunning look in his eyes.“You may have your answer right in front of you.”“I do not reme
Dragon Queen. 12
Mare forced herself into a good mood which was near impossible when it was so late into the night and she was on her way to seduce a man. Perci had trained most of the day away and while that happened she thought about her plan and realized she was nervous.The only sounds to be heard that night were the snores of those sleeping, the servants in the kitchen, the drunken noises of the soldiers, and the chirping night insects. Well, there was no better time than now to hatch her plan. The dead of night provided the perfect cover for her to sneak along the halls. With the light from a single lamp Hegi had dressed her in a sheer attire, her hair cascaded down her neck in thick dark waves, her lips were reddened with dye, dark enough to make a man weak in the knees. She only hoped her target, Perci prince of Arlankis would be weak enough to do her bidding.Who would have thought? She who had preserved herself for the man she would call husband one day was now scheming to bare herself sham
Dragon Queen. 13
She was bare beneath the gown. Her body was young and perfect. Long, graceful neck met slim, broad shoulders, her breasts were full with dark nipples puckered under the night draft. Her willowy form tapered into a slim waist before broadening into full wide hips with a dark patch of hair shadowing her core. Surely the prince would not refuse her.He frowned. "What is it that you do?""Offering myself to you?""At what cost?"It was Mare's turn to frown at the tone of his voice. It wasn't what she expected. Where was the lustful voice she readied herself for? Hegi had confided that young men like Perci were ever hungry to throw themselves between the legs of a willing maid and satisfy the craving of their loins. Perci was not trying to satisfy the craving of his loins, he was not tossing her on the stone floor to have his way with her. Rather he watched her as though she was possessed of a new kind of madness. Maybe she was possessed of madness, the kind that eventually caused death be
Dragon Queen. 14
The king's loud laughter shook the doors of the dining hall. Mare was tempted to run and hide. He was laughing now but what if he was laughing over her failed attempt to seduce the prince? What punishment did he have planned for her? Was it going to affect the rest of the Baryns? If Hegi and the king's guards were not behind her, she would have run as fast as her legs could take her and escaped the kingdom if she had to. But as it so happened, she struggled to keep her head up, her shoulders high as she made her way down the corridor. They arrived at the door and the soldiers pushed the door open. As soon as she stepped into the threshold she almost lost her breath and faltered.The king was not alone. Not that she expected him to be alone. She had expected to see the heads of the Noble Houses but the king's company was none other than Perci, the crown prince of Arlankis.Eyes light with laughter, golden goblet in hand, turned to face the door as soon as they were thrown open. His
Dragon Queen. 15
Mare was calm as she shed her dress and stepped out of it but her mind was in turmoil by what she just witnessed. When she felt the king behind her she did not flinch, her senses were too preoccupied by the thought of the dead queen. To the Baryns, they never knew the queen, and the announcement of her death more than a decade ago had been more like a rumor.Baryns did not mourn.Why was the king so angered at the mention of the queen? And he was trying desperately to erase her existence. As Vallezarii hooked the locks of chains to her collar, drawing it forward to anchor her to the bedpost she obeyed while wondering about his reactions to Serywithe's words. Should she be any surprised by the king's cruel reaction to the question of respect for the dead? Vallezarii respected no one, not even the gods of old would make a man as proud as he bow. She could hear Hegi's voice in her head saying, "Do not concern yourself with matters beyond you!"As Mare held on to the edge of the bed feel
Dragon Queen. 16
"What news do you bring from the northern borders?" Vallezarii demanded as soon as he stormed into the throne room. He was angered. His day had started off badly with Serywithe insinuating that he did not respect the dead. No, the dead had no use for respect.He would have preferred to not be disturbed for the rest of the day. The sight of the bloodied warrior of Arlankis was a welcome relief, something to distract him from the guilt that plagued him. But it wasn't just guilt that plagued him, even anger at Serywithe's stubbornness. If he did not have a use for her she would have been bound in chains and thrown into the dungeons long ago. He had no use for stubborn opposition and she was fast becoming a thorn in his flesh. He knew what to do to bring her under control.As he passed by Dymas the sickening stench of blood made his stomach roll. Most of the blood on Dymas Milelot probably belonged to his opponents. Even Vallezarii was wary of the mighty soldier but he had need for him. H
Dragon Queen. 17
Mare's footsteps faltered as she approached the village. The sun was high in the sky and she was sweating under the weight of the cloak yet on the fields were Baryns working endlessly under the unyielding sun.Sweat dripped from their bodies soaking their tunica until they clung to their bodies. The people who were not cultivating the fields were guiding sheep, goats, pigs and birds into pens to feed. Those who did neither of those two works worked in shacks and shops with metal. They beat metals into weapons and tools. Or gold into pieces of jewelry for the Arlankis. All of this was nothing unusual but what was unusual was the increased number of Arlankis soldiers moving among the people with leather whips ready to mark the backs of the Baryns.Beneath the protection of the hood of her cloak Mare watched with despair as the soldiers raised their hands with the whips in them and brought them cracking down on the backs of Baryns who slacked off in their works. All around her were cries
Dragon Queen. 18
His voice was hard and Mare noted with a hint of disappointment that he was very angry too. She dipped into a curtsey.Perci’s brows shot up against his will. He was immensely surprised at her servitude and was almost tempted to laugh but this wasn’t a time to laugh, especially not when he just risked his neck for a common Baryn. If he had been a second late the soldier might have beheaded him and he would have lost his life for nothing but foolishness.To think that a soldier of the king's army had drawn a sword at him for rescuing a slave burned him deeply. But if he had not come riding through the village in disguise like he always did those men would have raped her and probably killed her and that would have served her right because the girl was dense in the head. Yet he couldn’t have left her at the mercies of those lecherous men starved for the drunkenness only a woman’s body could offer. He was next in line for the throne therefore hated though the Baryns may be, he still had a
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