Looking at both of them, the King and Oren looked frightened. Walking over near Oren, all I could do was hold his hand. He looked down at it and squeezed my hand back in acknowledgment.
The majority of the people had now left the hall, and many of them looked scared from what the King had told the court. After the entire hall emptied, I knew that it was time for me to go. Jonah followed right behind me.
“I am not needed in there; that is why I am following behind you,” Jonah said, trying to reaffirm that he wasn’t following me.
“What is going to happen?” I asked.
“Our father is going to develop a plan to defend the Kingdom with your father and Lady Heather when they come here,” he replied.
Both of us walked back to my room. Looking up and down the hall, I did not want anyone to see both of us entering my room. We walked into my room and shut the door tight.
“When did you get back here?” I asked.
“A while after you did. All I did was sleep for about an hour, and then the sun was already up in the sky,” he replied.
There was silence between the both of us for a second.
“Why? Did you miss me?” Jonah asked.
“Maybe,” I replied. I couldn’t believe I just said that. To change the subject, I asked Jonah, “So, is the egg alright?”
“Don’t worry; it is safe in the cave. No one will know that it is there,” Jonah replied.
Jonah telling me this made me happy, but it was scary. Neither one of us knew when it would hatch. We were hoping that it would hatch at a good time, and when one of us was there.
With Jonah being in my room, so many emotions were going through my mind. Then I figured out that I was in a bad situation, caring for both of them. I know that I am meant to marry his older brother, but I also cared about Jonah.
“Let us talk soon,” I said.
“Is my brother expecting you?” he asked.
Part of me was wanting to tell him, but I couldn't tell him the truth because I cared for him. I thought I had to tell him something.
“No, I have to write a letter to my brother. Seeing if he will come with my father when he arrives here in a week,” I replied.
All he could do was smile at me and walk out of my room. After he was gone, I walked around my room, pacing back and forth. Walking over to the desk, I pulled out a piece of paper and some ink to write a letter to my brother.
Dear Brother,
The King has informed us about this possible war. Two enemies are coming together and wanting to threaten us. According to my soon-to-be husband, our father and Lady Heather will be coming here to create an alliance together during this challenging situation. Hearing the King say that made me scared beyond belief. Please write back as soon as possible. When father comes here, please come with him. There is much to talk to you about, and you are the one person I trust with secrets of mine,
Arabella
Chapter Seven
After finishing the letter, I opened my door to find a servant who would have this letter be sent to my brother.
“Excuse me,” I yelled.
Not being able to find someone, a soldier I saw the day I arrived at the wall came to my aide.
“What can I do for you, Lady Arabella?” he asked.
“Can this letter be sent to Winterdom as soon as possible?”
“Yes, of course, anything for you dear lady,” he replied smiling.
I thanked him after handing the letter over to him.
“I hardly know anyone around here. What is your name?”
“My name is Jason. If you ever need anything, I am normally on the wall during the day,” he replied.
After thanking Jason, he left with the letter for Jacob. I turned and was on my way to looking for Oren, wanting to continue the conversation that we started earlier. Walking towards his door, it was slightly open. Being polite, I knocked on the door.
“ Oren, it is Arabella,” I said.
There was no answer, so I decided to walk into his room and shut the door. Looking around his room, I thought it was wrong of me to be in there. Then Oren came out from another room.
“I am so glad you came to see me,” he said.
“Let me say one thing to you. I know something is going on, and people in this court are scared, so I have a right to know what is going on,” I said.
Oren just breathed in and out slowly. Like he did not want to tell me, but I continued staring at him until I got an answer. I showed Oren that I was not kidding, and I wanted more details regarding whatever was going on.
“It is simple. If nothing is done, then war will happen. War has not happened to this Kingdom since my great grandfather, and my father thought we could live in peace,” Oren told me.
“Is there anything that I can do?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
As I looked at Oren, he was confused and not understanding what I was asking him.
“What I mean is what can I do? Being Lord Jared’s daughter, I am not stupid. My father, and his father before him, and his father before him have been intimidating rulers. He would talk to neighboring Kingdoms about negotiating, and I would be at his feet listening. I've been doing that ever since I was a little child,” I said.
Oren stood there in shock. Like he never heard a woman saying anything like this before. I was serious and wanted to be involved. I remember all of my father's conversations with people in the past had never left my mind, and I wanted to use that to our advantage.
“You cannot believe how much it means to me that you want to be a part of it,” he said.
“Seriously? You do not mind?”
“No, of course not. It shows how brave you are. Something that I truly admire about you,” Oren replied.
I stepped closer to him and held his hand. He took my hand and held it over his heart. Like he wanted to show how he was beginning to feel for me.
We kissed again, this time, more passionately, and it was something I have never experienced before in my life. His hands all over me, but then I pulled away from him.
“What is wrong?” Oren asked.
“ I know what you want, but not right now as we are not yet married,” I replied.
So much was going through my mind, and wanting to tell Oren what his brother and I found and how what we found might lead to helping us. But I knew the time was not the right time to tell him.
All I could do was take some deep breaths. Looking at Oren, I could see he wanted to become romantic with me, but I did not want to force him to love me. I wanted him to feel it, honestly.
“When our wedding happens, then it can happen more, but for now, the time is not right,” I said.
“You are right,” he said.
Smiling at him, I turned around and started walking towards the door.
“Arabella, there is something I need to tell you. A phrase that has been on my mind for so long, and I need to tell you,” Oren said.
“What is it?” I asked.
Oren took some deep, shaky breaths trying to steady himself before the words came out of his mouth. Like he wanted to tell me, but it was hard for him.
“Tell me!”
“I love you,” he said.
Hearing those words, I was in complete shock. When Oren first saw me, he did not know what to think of me because he did not like the idea of marrying me, and now Oren is saying he loves me. Those words coming from Oren’s mouth were hard to believe.
“What is the matter?” he asked.
“Please do not be hurt, but this is shocking to me. When I first arrived, you wanted nothing to do with me, then now hearing you say that was the last thing I was expecting to hear from you at this moment,” I replied.
Oren just stared down at the ground. Like he was embarrassed to look at me. I walked closer to him, holding his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Hearing those words is something any girl would want to hear, and he would be expecting me to say it in return.
“I re
member when I first met you. It felt like so long ago. My father brought me to your home. It was the first time in my life I ever saw snow. Your sister tried to impress me, but she was trying too hard, then I noticed you in the background. You were sitting under a tree covered in snow. It was like a beautiful painting.”
“Everdeen tried too hard?”
“Yes, she did. I saw you out of the corner of my eye. You were singing so beautifully, and it sounded like the birds were singing along with you,” he replied.
Memories went through my mind. Trying to remember that day, then it came to my mind. So long ago a man and his son came to visit us. Being such a shy child, I did not want anything to do with meeting them with my father, but my sister, from what I remembered, was trying to impress the boy, not knowing that the boy was Oren.
Seeing how there was an awkward silence between us, I got closer to him and kissed Oren right on the cheek.
“You are so right about me. I am so confused right now about how you feel about me. What matters to me right now is that I have your support and that you are fine if I want to help in any way,” I said.
After all that I said, Oren did not say anything to me. All he could do was smile and nod.
I walked out of Oren’s room and made my way back to my room. So many emotions were overpowering me. I wanted to say, “I love you,” back to him, but it was hard right now because he showed such a wrong first impression when I first met him. It hurt me that I could not say those words back to him.
If we spent more time together and not be afraid, maybe I would find the words, but since I arrived here, that was not the case just yet. I was alone and scared when I first came here, and I had to figure out my future for myself.
Walking into my room and shutting the door, I laid down on my bed, all alone and wishing that I was back home. When I was at home, the threat of violence was practically non-existent. No man ever looked at me, but now I had two men who I cared about a lot now wanting my hand. I wanted to go back to when life was more simple and not as complicated.
What I did know for sure, though, was that I am going to become the next Dragon Master.
Chapter Eight
As the day passed, I watched as the sun began to set outside and the moon began to rise. Suddenly I heard a knock on my door.
Opening the door, I looked up and down the hallway. There was no one around, but there was an envelope on the ground with my name on it when I looked down. The letter looked important, and I knew I wanted to read it alone.
Making my way to my desk, I opened the letter to see who sent me something and did not want to be present. But then I knew it could only be from one person.
Dearest Lady,
If you would like to see it tonight, I think tonight will be the best time. Let’s make it happen and see the egg together.
We need to meet up. Remember the stable? I will meet you on the other side of the wall. I will be there waiting for you. Make sure all the night guards are on their shift.
See you later tonight.
J
After reading the letter, a smile came upon my face, knowing that Jonah was keeping to his word, and he knew I wanted to make a difference. I was going to be able to see the egg in the cave now that it was closer to the castle and not in some mountain.
Night came upon us rapidly. I put on my cloak and placed my hood over my head, not wanting anyone to see that it was me. Going as quickly as I could, I made my way down to the stables. I had to be careful this time as things were different. Oren was here, and I did not want him to know about the egg.
Getting to the stable, I found the door. As I opened the heavy door, Jonah was waiting for me on the other side.
“I’m glad you were able to get away,” he said.
“Of course, I have been worried about the egg. So much is going on through my mind right now, especially after what your father said to the people of the court today,” I stated.
As we climbed on top of the horses, we rode away as quietly as we could, and with the crescent moon high in the sky, it was easier to follow Jonah to where we needed to go.
It didn’t take us long to get to the cave. When we finally made it, we tied our horses up and walked down a path that led down to where the egg was being kept. I noticed a golden sparkle in the corner of my eye, and I made my way further into the cave. I walked closer, and between two small boulders, there was the egg.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Jonah. I truly appreciate it. You are doing all of this to help me,” I stated.
“Well, I know this is very important to you. It would be hard for me not to help you,” Jonah said.
Kneeling, all I could do was put my hand on the egg. A feeling went through me, knowing that it was safe and no harm has come to it. Fear was going through my mind that something could happen to the egg because we moved it from its original environment.
“See, safe, and sound,” Jonah said, smiling.
For some reason, there was an uncomfortable silence between us for a few minutes.
“Whatever is the matter?” I asked.
Jonah then sat down on the ground and looked at me.
“I heard Oren speaking with our father, saying how you want to help out in this situation with the people who might want to declare war on us? Is that true?” he asked.
“Yes, it is true, Jonah. I lived in a place where my father was good at negotiating. My father was able to do it. I sat with him on quite a few of them and learned a lot from him. I know I can do it too. Well, at least try anyway,” I replied.
Looking at the egg and feeling that I knew it was safe, I walked out of the cave and looked up at the moon, mesmerized at how beautifully bright it was tonight. Jonah followed me out not long after and stood right next to me, holding my hand.
Knowing what he was doing, I did not pull away. I knew Jonah supported me for what I wanted to do, but he was concerned from the look in his eyes.
“I can tell that you are supporting me wanting to help, but a part of me knows you are not,” I said.
Jonah looked at me and chuckled. Like he knew I was able to read him like an open book.
“After hearing what my father and brother talked about. My father supports you, Bella, but part of me thought that maybe you could be like our representative when we have to meet with Daramir and Eros. You are a woman, and maybe it can make them change their minds and not invade. The last thing anyone wants or needs is war,” Jonah says.
“Do you think your father would like that idea?” I asked.
“When I go and talk to him tomorrow, I am going to tell him of this idea. When I look at the people of the court, they are showing fear. You being Merakor’s ambassador would be the best solution. If you want to become a dragon master, then become an ambassador for my father is a good start,” he replied.
Listening to what Jonah told me, I knew for a fact he was right. I wanted to make a difference now that I was a part of the Kingdoms court. Becoming a dragon master is my dream, but possibly becoming an ambassador is the first step. Looking at the egg, all I could do was smile, knowing that this was the right choice.
All of a sudden, I looked down and realized I was still holding Jonah’s hand. I let it go like it was made of molten lava.
“Jonah, I am sorry, but please do not hold my hand like that anymore,” I said, feeling ashamed as soon as the words came out of my mouth.
“Why? I already know you care about me.”
“I am engaged to your brother and will respect who I am now betrothed to. Jonah, you will always be someone I am close to and my best friend,” I stated.
Before he was able to say anything, I ran away like a coward. I got on to my horse and rode away towards the stable. Knowing he was right. I do care for him, but my emotions were not my main priority. Protecting the people of this Kingdom and my family is now my main priority.
Riding slowly back towards the stable, I made it in without any guard seeing me. I went through the door and back
onto the other side of the wall, and I made my way back to the castle.
I have been so confused about being here, but now I want to protect the people of Merakor.
My personal life is going to have to be figured out before it takes over me.
Chapter Nine
The following day, I woke up feeling so bad. Knowing that after all Jonah did for me, I ran away. I knew what I did was atrocious, and I had hurt his feelings. I decided to get up and get dressed quickly. I wanted to run all around the castle until I found him. I wanted to apologize to Jonah for my rude behavior.
Walking down the hall, I noticed Jonah walking into the main room. Hopefully, he talked to his father about the suggestion he was telling me about last night and how the only way I could help was to become an ambassador to Merakor.
Opening the door and walking in, the King, Jonah, and Oren turned around. All three of them stared at me like they wanted to tell me something significant. All I could do was bow down to them and stand where I was.
“Good Morning, dear King,” I said.
“Hello, Lady Arabella. I am having a conversation with my two sons about you. All of us have decided that you will be a valuable asset during this hard time,” he said.
“Valuable asset?”
I was in such an uncomfortable situation with both of the King's sons, it was hard to keep a straight face, but wanting to stay proper, I bit my tongue and looked straight at him.
“We should be expecting your father and Lady Heather tomorrow morning to begin the talks and all of us becoming an alliance during this challenging time. When we meet with Daramir and Eros's leaders, both of them and yourself will be ambassadors. Also, we are such a large Kingdom, and no job like this has ever been given to a woman before,” the King said.
“I have heard the same statement from others,” I acknowledged looking at Oren and Jonah then back at the King.
“Oren said that due to you witnessing your father’s form of negotiating, you would be the perfect person to take this on. Jonah also agrees that you are the correct person to be our ambassador. Our last ambassador just passed away not too long ago, and I want you to take his place,” he said.
The Dragon Master (The Journey Book 1) Page 4