Amelia brushed her thumb over the signature, mind spinning at her sister’s harsh, one-sided decree.
Reading over her shoulder, Conner stilled behind her.
Renewed revulsion at her sister’s cruelty washed over her, reinforcing notions of how little she actually cared. “Seeing me as a threat is one thing. But this…we are meant to protect the weaker lines, not cause them harm.” Amelia shook her head. “This is wrong.” She met Conner’s concerned expression with wide eyes. “How could she do this?”
“There’s more, my lady,” these words came from the innkeeper. “With your permission?”
Apprehensively, Amelia nodded, allowing the proprietor to lead her to the back of the inn, and out a side-door.
“This way.”
Emerging into full sunlight, Amelia blinked her green eyes. Following each other through a series of narrow paths between buildings, the group emerged into a shaded clearing. From the branches of strong, ancient trees, a series of bodies swayed in various stages of decay. Fat insects buzzed about the corpses, landing lazily upon the macabre banquet.
Gasping, Amelia’s hand flew to her lips. The bodies were those of men and woman alike, nude, patches of skin missing from where bugs, birds, and other forest creatures had taken their pound of flesh. An overpowering stench prompted Amelia to a retching gag.
“My lady, you don’t…” But Conner’s words ceased as Amelia moved closer.
Stepping between a pair of hanging corpses, she spied their backs. Their skin was split as though it had been clawed through. Amelia realized these cuts were not made by an animal, but instead the slice of a crude knife, combined with the lash of a ceaseless whip.
With another gag escaping against her will, Amelia shuddered, but forced herself to continue breathing as shallowly as she dared. “What are their crimes?” she asked, fearing she knew the answer.
“Refused to obey, my lady.”
“Obey what?”
He nodded toward the first of the bodies, a man who appeared to have been in his mid-twenties. “Billy refused to allow one of the queen’s men to abuse his wife.” He motioned toward the female hanging beside him. “They took her after he was dead, then strung her up beside him when they were done.
“One attempted to defend a friend whom the knights had decided to beat on. They bled him to death.”
Amelia walked through the field, turning a corner to realize there were more bodies on additional trees. Continuing in spite of her revulsion, Amelia reached the back-most tree, where she found three men hanging not by their necks, but instead, their hands. As her foot broke a branch, one of the men opened an eye.
He’s alive, she realized, her steps carrying her forward. Skin caked in blood, his back and chest were lined with hand-width cuts.
“These are the not-so-lucky ones. They’re not properly hanged like the first bodies you saw. They’re left to die of their injuries, and exposure.”
Bugs hovered here also, one landing on an open injury as bile rose in Amelia’s throat. Her gaze shifted to the other two hanging behind the man, who also managed to flutter their eyes.
“Cut them down,” she ordered. “For the love of Kamar, get them down.”
“We can’t, my lady. The queen’s knights forbid it.”
Amelia drew a breath and turned to Conner, whose horror equaled her own.
Words coming through shallow breaths as she fought to contain her stomach’s contents, “I’m Princess Amelia Castel of Kalleen. Cut them down.”
The man’s eyes widened. “You’re—”
Amelia nodded. “Get help. Call your physicians; I’ll deal with the men.”
The older man nodded, running from the field.
Reaching into the bag where he had carried their clothes, Conner withdrew a blade. “I had hoped I wouldn’t have to use this.”
As Conner began cutting through the ropes, Amelia moved to assist, helping each of the mangled men to the ground as gently as possible.
“Sorry,” she apologized as one moaned in pain at the jarring movements. “I know it hurts.”
She was grateful when the innkeeper returned, bringing with him several men and women who rushed forward to care for the injured.
As villagers gathered, so did the so-called knights.
“What is the meaning of this?” Vinny exclaimed, eyeing Conner and Amelia with a new level of suspicion. “These rebels were condemned to die, by royal decree.”
“A decree we are overturning,” Amelia stated.
The three knights exchanged a glance, before turning their eyes on Amelia. “Grandson of Tyron or not, you don’t have the authority to contradict a decree from the rightful sovereign.”
“He may not,” she answered, “but I do.”
“Is that so?”
“As the princess of Kalleen, yes.”
“The princess…” Vinny looked confused.
Conner cut in, “The queen’s sister, you fool.”
“Princess?”
Amelia stood tall, refusing to speak further as the man processed her words.
Conner stepped closer, nodding at the knight. “Bow before royalty,” he ordered.
After a brief pause, Vinny did as Conner had demanded. “Forgive me, Princess. I had no idea. I…” He looked up. “I thought you had joined the temples.”
Resisting the urge to look at Conner, Amelia clarified, “I’ve spent the past few years in the temple, yes. So by touching me against my will, not only have you offended your princess, but you have also offered grave insult to a priestess of Kamar. Would you like to add to your list of offenses by daring to contradict my orders?”
“No, my lady. I was only…”
“Proving your lewd disobedience further?”
“Forgive me, Princess. Please…”
“Like you forgave these villagers?” Amelia’s anger shifted to rage, drawing forth her dragon. The creature uncurled, stretching through her as though awakening from slumber.
“My lady, please…”
“Or as you threatened this poor innkeeper’s daughter? For how you’ve terrorized this village? Tell me, sir knight, for which acts, precisely, do you beg forgiveness?”
The dragon roared, scales erupting from Amelia’s arms and legs, as Conner called, “Amelia, no!”
Her lover’s plea cooled the flames pushing at her skin, but not enough to cause the partial transformation to recede.
Moving behind her, Conner lowered his head to press his lips against her ears. “Sentence them to death, if you wish. But not this way, not with the dragon’s anger in control. You must embrace the creature within, my lady. But never can you allow the dragon to embrace you instead.”
At his words, the scales receded, the blue color fading until her skin again sported only the textured shadow along the side of her neck and shoulder.
Once calm, Amelia considered the now kneeling men.
“It’s true,” the man farthest from Vinny proclaimed. “I saw the dragon princess once, blue, a color I’d never seen before on another. A child of the moon, they said.”
Amelia did not register their words, instead reaching out a hand and taking the blade from Conner. Though by no means up to the skill of the brave knights who had once protected her, Amelia had been taught the basics of swordplay from a young age, her mother insisting they have another form of self-defense, other than relying solely on their dragon halves.
Grasping the blade, Amelia did not pause to consider other options, instead walking up to the first kneeling man. “Vinny,” her words came more calmly than she would have expected, “for crimes against non-shifters, delivering unjust punishment, defilement, and death to those you were sent here to protect, I, Princess Amelia of Kalleen, sentence you to die.”
Eyes widening at the pronouncement, Vinny did not even have time to offer protest before Amelia’s borrowed blade descended, slicing through the man’s throat and into his jugular, spraying himself, and Amelia’s arm, with hot, sticky blood.
Only one man remained, the time taken to kill the first two allowing him to climb to his feet.
“You claim to have seen me before,” Amelia stated. “You also know what a true-blooded royal dragon is capable of. I would refrain from raising your sword unless you wish to join your companions.”
Hand on the hilt of his blade, the man hesitated, glancing between Amelia and Conner, who had moved up to stand beside the princess.
“You have a choice, sir knight. In my name, you can ride to the nearby villages, order an immediate stop to the persecution of my people, and issue new orders to tend to those harmed as these men were so punished. Or you can pull that sword, and take your chances with a woman capable of fighting back, to suffer a fate far worse than these two.” She gestured to the bodies of his fallen comrades. “Your choice.”
The knight dropped to his knees, lowering his face to the ground before his princess. “I shall do your bidding, my lady. Please, spare my life, and I shall—”
“Go now, before my mind is turned on the matter. And know, if you betray me, or manipulate my words in any form, I shall find you, and when I do, you will not like the results of such betrayal.”
“I understand, my lady. I won’t betray you, I swear.”
“See you don’t.”
With those words, the man scrambled to his feet, rushing toward the trees, and out of sight.
Turning back to Conner, she saw an odd expression on his face. “What?” The word came harsher than she’d intended.
Conner raised his hands, palms open. “No objections here, Your Highness.”
Amelia nodded, glancing at the hanging bodies of those she had been unable to save. “I have to speak to my sister.”
“Yes,” Conner answered solemnly. “You do.”
Chapter 42
Later her actions sank in, the harshness she’d shown threatening to shatter all resolve. “What did I do?”
Alone in a borrowed room, provided by the grateful innkeeper, Conner drew Amelia into his arms. “You did what was necessary.”
“To kill them?”
“To illustrate, without question, the threat behind your words.”
Amelia shook her head. “There had to be a better way.”
“In a mortal world, perhaps. But they’re dragons, my lady. As are we. One cannot establish control of a dragon realm without force.”
“I murdered them. In cold blood.” Her words were laced with dismay, not only because of what she had witnessed, but also due to the sheer horror of her actions. “What am I becoming?”
“A queen,” he answered.
“What?”
“You’re becoming a queen, my lady.”
“I never asked to be.”
“No, you were born to be.”
“Kaliyah was born the heir. Not me. I don’t want her throne. I never have. Why does everyone keep assuming I do? Even my own sister. Now you.”
“Amelia.” Conner pulled back enough to meet her gaze. “Your sister didn’t randomly decide on these changes to the kingdom overnight. These rules were well-implemented, not a rash decision on her part. This was planned for, what I would image to be, quite a long time. Tell me, my lady, would you have stood idly by and allowed Kaliyah to issue these orders?”
“Of course not!” she exclaimed. “I would never have—”
“Exactly. A fact your sister knew well.”
Amelia tilted her head, incredulous. “You’re saying my sister sent me to the temples to be brainwashed, because I would object to her policies?”
Conner shrugged. “Would you put it past her? She had a plan for the kingdom and, once reaching the throne, knew there was only one person who could possibly stand in her way. Tell me, Amelia, what would you have done?”
“I wouldn’t have betrayed my own family!”
“But she did, Amelia. She betrayed you. Condemned you.”
Amelia shook her head, mind rebelling against Conner’s frank statements, even after all that had transpired. “Why?”
“Because you were the only thing stopping her.”
“But why implement all of this? I don’t understand.”
“To protect the bloodlines. The shifter legacy.”
Amelia breathed in harsh gasps as Conner again pulled her to his chest, running his hands gently up and down her back.
“It’s all right,” he whispered.
Meant to bring comfort, his words instead caused Amelia to draw back. “Why are you here? This isn’t your fight. It has nothing to do with you. You barely know me!”
“Amelia, you’re panicking.”
“I’m not. I want an answer. Why are you here? What’s your role in this? I don’t…You’ve protected me, sheltered me from both physical and emotional harm, been a shoulder for me to lean on, but I don’t understand why.”
“Amelia—”
“I lied to you, about who I was.”
“A fact for which I do not blame you, my lady. I understand why you didn’t go around telling strangers you’re the kingdom’s lost princess.”
“And you honestly want to stand by my side while I confront the sovereign queen?”
“I want…”
“What? What do you want?”
Conner stepped closer. Pressing a finger to her chin, he raised Amelia’s head, directing her meet his gaze, which had transformed to a deep shade of amethyst, his dragon peering through primarily human eyes. “I want to follow you, my lady, wherever you may lead. To be by your side, no matter what the consequence. To be with you, at all costs.”
“Why?”
“Because I never felt whole until I met you. Never have I experienced such need, such protective desire. You’ve burned your way into my soul, Amelia. You didn’t even have to try.”
She longed to believe his words, wanting them to be enough to finally put aside the harm done by another.
Stephen had never shown the intensity of the eyes now staring down as though they could pierce through flesh to see directly into her soul. Had never spoken with such demanding passion, nor stood by her side without pause or question. Had never made her feel as though she found a fresh piece of her heart every time he looked into her eyes.
Her own dragon rose up to meet his, the powerful creatures compelling the lovers forward until Conner’s lips descended on her own. The kiss was primal, possessive, and undeniable. A wholeness she had never experienced with Stephen.
Without her noticing, Conner had reassembled the pieces of her shattered heart, his will making her stronger than she had been alone. Air mattered not as the dragon princess lost herself to the kiss, her soul reaching for his as their dragons echoed their possessive cries.
When Conner pulled back, he was breathless, drowning in the sweet taste of her mixed with the lilac flowers she’d used in her bath, which perfumed her skin even days later. “I don’t know why my dragon led me to you, Amelia. I don’t know why we have been thrown together as we have been. But you must know, I…I’ve never desired anything as much as I desire you. Nor considered the happiness of another as much as I do yours. Your smile melts my heart, my lady. As does your pain. I want to help you. To be whatever you have need of me to be. I don’t understand all of it, other than I am utterly and completely in your power, Princess.”
“And I’m in yours,” she answered, moving her hand behind his head to draw him down for another kiss.
Raising her in his arms, Conner walked over to the bed and sat down with her in his lap, then extending the kiss before lying down on the bed. Dragging Amelia on top of him, Conner kissed her again, his hands running to her waist to pull her shirt from the band of her slacks.
Shirt tossed aside, Amelia raised herself enough to reach for her lover’s slacks. Conner groaned as the uncomfortably tight material was pulled down, exposing him to her vision, and touch.
Amelia shifted aside, enabli
ng her to completely remove his trousers as Conner pulled his shirt above his head, tossing it to the floor beside Amelia’s. She returned to her previous position, straddling his hips as Conner belatedly realized she had managed to remove the remainder of her clothing as well.
She did not bother with foreplay, positioning herself above him and sliding down as his hands went to her breasts, brushing his thumbs simultaneously across her nipples. She gasped at his touch, causing him to smile, then groan as she lowered her velvet walls over him. Several times she paused, allowing herself to adjust to the intrusion before lowering herself further as Conner struggled to remain still, wanting to grant her complete control.
Once fully sheathed, both drew ragged breaths. Amelia leaned forward, pressing her hands against his chest to steady herself before setting an easy rhythm, which increased incrementally as the two lovers lost themselves to each other’s embrace.
Nearing her peak, Amelia leaned down, and whispered, “It’s okay if you want to let the dragon loose.”
“What?” The sight of her gorgeous form above him, the weight of her breasts in his hands, and her inner channel wrapped around him, made it difficult to concentrate on anything but the breathtaking sensations.
“Have you ever made love to another shifter?”
Dazed, Conner shook his head. “You’re the first.”
Amelia nodded, pausing her movements, keeping herself pressed tight against his body. “Your dragon wants this too.”
“Amelia, I don’t…”
“You won’t hurt me, Conner. You must have feared harming non-shifter lovers. I’m not so fragile. Let him play.”
“I don’t want you to think this is only the dragon. That I don’t…”
“You made love to me. You alone. I know how difficult it is to struggle against our other half. You don’t have to. Not with me.”
Her assurance overrode his last objection, his eyes fully shifting from human to those of his dragon form. Moving his hands from her breasts, Conner grabbed Amelia, flipping her onto her back without removing himself from her. He then lifted Amelia’s legs over his shoulders, granting himself deeper access to her tight sheath. A low growl rumbled from his throat, the dragon spilling forth to claim his mate.
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