by Sher Dillard
“I still say, we needn’t be bound by such a promise,” Flint said with a sneer. “The Oltecs wouldn’t know honor if it hit them in the face.”
“No, we must. Grave things would happen if we didn’t.” Turning to Elsbeth, the Queen continued, “that is why it is vital we obtain the medallions before the Oltecs find them.
Elsbeth’s brow narrowed as she concentrated. How had she become involved in a dragon war? She had enough problems of her own.
Looking across the table, she stared at Drake for a moment.
“Here,” Elsbeth said. “You have it, it belongs to your family.”
“No,” the Queen said sadly. “It must be earned, we cannot take it. Once Drake has escorted you to Sinstra, then, we will accept it.
“Do you want me to accompany them?” Flint said as he smiled at Elsbeth. “After all, Drake is injured. Perhaps the Princess would like someone a little healthier.
Elsbeth couldn’t stop herself from smiling. The man was flirting with her. The fact that he was extremely handsome made it perfectly acceptable.
“I am able to accomplish my mission, Brother,” Drake said rather forcibly.
Sparks seemed to fly across the table. Their competiveness flashing back and forth between them. Elsbeth’s stomach tightened. She had seen Drake when he was upset. Flint should take care. Even injured, she doubted anything could best Drake.
“Ignore them,” Gwynevere said with a soft laugh. “They’re both dumber than a bag of rocks but useful for retrieving things from high shelves.”
“Once he has fully recovered, Drake will finish escorting the princess in a few days,” his mother said. “You, Flint, will begin patrolling the forest. Starting tonight. Understood?”
Flint seemed to accept the decision remarkably well. “Yes, Mother,” he said then turned and winked at Elsbeth. “Of course, that means I have several days to get to know the Princess a little better.”
Thaddaeus looked across the table and said, “You have to understand, Princess. Flint has to try harder. There is nothing special about him. Drake is the oldest. Gwen, the girl, and I am the youngest. Flint is just a spare we keep around in case.”
Flint smiled and gave his younger brother a withering stare.
“What young Thaddaeus forgets is that while Drake may be the stronger one, and he the more well-read, it is I that makes the family look good. Heaven knows, not an easy task with Drake pulling down the average.”
The two younger siblings laughed and shook their head. Drake merely scowled his usual scowl.
Elsbeth sat there in surprised wonder. Was this how families always acted around each other? She had grown up an only child. The concept of sibling rivalry was foreign to her.
Once again, Flint glanced at her and winked. It seemed he enjoyed teasing Drake as much as she did.
Elsbeth could have sworn she heard Drake grind his teeth all the way from across the table. The thought of Drake being jealous sent a warm, comforting glow through her.
At least he didn’t think of her as a duty. A family promise that must be fulfilled. At least she hoped he didn’t.
Chapter Twelve
Drake made sure he was the first to offer to escort Elsbeth back to her room. Flint shot him a look that let him know this was not over. Drake Just looked back and let him know, anytime, anywhere.
His brother's maneuvering was the least of his problems though. Elsbeth hated him. He could see it in her eyes when she looked at him. It was as if he were something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. She couldn’t get rid of him fast enough.
They walked together, shoulder to shoulder, down the long passageway.
“Your family is very nice,” Elsbeth said, her voice as gently as a summer wind.
“They can be when they try,” Drake answered. How was he going to broach this wall that had risen between them? How could he explain? Why did he have to? Shaking his head, he steered her around a corner. It was obvious she’d be lost within seconds if someone wasn’t to show her the way.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the medallion?” she asked, again, her question coming from out of nowhere.
He paused for a moment, then said, “Would you have? I mean would you have informed someone you’ve known only a few days that they held the power to claim your ancestral home? To destroy everything that you hold dear?”
She halted in mid stride, looking up at him with confused eyes. “It is just that I thought … I … Never mind,” she said with a huff and began walking again.
“Elsbeth,” he called out to her as she stomped away.
“What?” she demanded with her hands on her hips. “What, are you going to tell me? That lying to me about being a dragon was perfectly acceptable? The fact that your family is in a war with other dragons and my mother’s medallion might be part of it. Or, the fact that you are a prince? That all this will be yours one day. That you are just as rich and famous in your own world as I am in mine? What Drake? What were you going to tell me?”
Drake bit his lip for a moment. “Actually,” he said, “I was going to tell you that your room is that way. You missed a turn.”
“Ohhhh,” she screamed as she slammed her foot into the ground. She shot him an evil look, then scurried past him to the turn she had missed.
“And, I’m not going to inherit this,” he added.
Once again, she halted and looked back at him confused.
“Why? You are the oldest. And a male. That means you inherit.”
He shook his head. “Not in my world. No, this is all to be Gwyn’s. She will inherit from my mother. In our world, the ladies rule, the men protect. Thank God.
“What do you mean protect?” she asked with a curious frown.
He sighed, “In our world, the women reign over everything. That is why it is so important that we pick a soul mate for our life partner. We must trust them wholly and with all of our being. It becomes our responsibility to protect them from all dangers.”
She continued to frown as she processed the information. “But, I don’t understand. The power? Wouldn’t you want the power of being in charge? To have people respect you?”
Drake tossed his head back and laughed. A deep hearty laugh. The kind that comes from the bottom of a man’s gut. The first time he had laughed like that in years.
“Oh, Elsbeth. I am a dragon. I have no need for more power. Men walk in fear of me. I am the monster of their nightmares. They use me to scare their children.
“Deciding which crops to plant, or who should be given which task, none of that is going to gain me respect. Better, such things be left to my mother, and somewhere down the line, to Gwyn.
“As I said, Thank God. All my brothers and I have to do is fight and defend this land. The women have to deal with the dreary details.”
She stared up at him, her eyes questioning, trying to decipher a puzzle, or discern the meaning behind an obtuse painting.
Shaking her head, she once again started for her room. Looking back at him to make sure she was proceeding correctly.
Once they reached her door, she turned to him, that curious frown still creasing her brow.
“What about your father?” she asked. “Didn’t he rule? How did he feel about a woman being in charge?”
Drake shook his head. “My father wasn’t a dragon.”
Elsbeth gasped, “Not a dragon. But I thought …”
“No, it is rare in our world for a dragon to marry a dragon. There are not enough of us. He was a special man though. Mother loved him so. He was smart, strong, kind, and perfect for her. Keeping her from making mistakes. Helping her see the big picture.”
Elsbeth stared up at him with appraising eyes. They had lost some of that disdain and hate from earlier. Maybe she could see that he wasn’t the monster she feared. The thought sent a shaft of light into him. It is important, he realized. For some unknown reason, it was important that this woman not see him as a monster.
She continued to stare up at him. As if she
wanted to ask him more. He could see the war within her. She was mad at him. Did not fully trust him. She would probably never be able to fully trust him again. The thought was depressing. Her trust issues were fighting with her curiosity. And, behind it all, her body’s need for him.
He felt himself being drawn to her. The heat between them started to rise as they continued to stare into each other’s eyes.
No, he told himself, not here, not now. She would be angry and hurt if he seduced her now. He could. That passion in her eyes let him know that if he tried, she would be his.
But no, not now.
She is destined for Sinstra and her damn Julian, he reminded himself. Better to focus on the mission only. Retrieve the medallion. And, most important, do not become emotionally involved with this woman. That path led only to pain and suffering. There could be no other result.
“Goodnight, Princess,” he said as he opened her door. “Sleep well.”
Her eyes clouded over as the passion was replaced by a new hurt. A new sense of loss.
She quickly gathered herself and said, “Goodnight,” before scurrying into her room.
Drake stood there for a moment and let the sense of loss wash through him. He had been a fool. He should have pursued her. Even now, they could be on her bed, fighting to remove each other’s clothes as fast as possible. Instead, he would spend a long, restless night.
A night of dreaming about what might have been. He feared there would be many such nights in his future.
.o0o.
Elsbeth woke when Mary quietly entered her room the next morning. She had barely slept the night. So many things to think about. So many things to wrestle with. Her land needed a good queen. They deserved it. She needed Julian and his brother’s army to obtain that land. The fact that her hand in marriage might be the price for said army was troubling.
She winced inside. In the past, the thought of marrying Julian had seemed perfectly acceptable. In fact, almost preferable. But, things had changed.
Then, there was Drake. A dragon. How was she supposed to process that? And, her mother’s medallion? All of it continually twirled inside her mind.
“Good morning, Princess,” Mary said as she began laying out her clothes. Elsbeth could see that they had all been freshly laundered. Which servant had been up half the night taking care of her clothes? she wondered. She hoped it hadn’t been Mary.
“Thank you,” Elsbeth said as she got out of bed.
“If you hurry, Princess, there may still be family members at the table. If you tarry, you may have to break your fast alone.”
Elsbeth was startled for a moment. It seemed the girl was warning her that she might be committing a significant social mistake. What was it about these people? Why couldn’t they just lead normal lives?
They’re dragons, she reminded herself. That should be explanation enough.
When she entered the dining room. Only Drake was there. Sitting in the same seat as the previous evening. Dressed in a white cotton shirt, open at the neck, the man looked like a stone fort. Strong, invincible, and as welcoming as a burr in her hair.
“Good morning,” she said with a bright smile. She might still be angry with him. But that was no reason to be unladylike.
“What is so good about it?” he answered with a scowl.
His brow was furrowed, and he had deep shadows under his eyes. As if he hadn’t slept all night. She shook her head. Men. She tried to be nice, and he bit her head off. Well, to hell with him. Two could play at that game.
“What is good about it, is the fact that we are both still alive. A fact that I was not too confident about, yesterday. We slept in nice soft beds. Not the hard ground. Ate something other than rabbit. I would say there were several things absolutely wonderful about the day.”
The answering scowl he shot her way made her smile. She so loved teasing him.
“I have a question,” she said innocently as she began to eat. “Yesterday, your mother said she hadn’t expected you to return until the winter after next. Why?”
He frowned for a moment, then said, “I was told to leave and not come back for two years.”
Elsbeth took care not to gasp less she inhale her sausage. Banished for two years. The thought scared her. What must he have done?
“Why?” she asked.
He paused, then shook his head. “I don’t know, she wouldn’t tell me and refused to discuss it. All I know was that one day, I returned, and was met by my mother. Telling me that I was to leave my home and not come back for two years.”
Elsbeth’s heart went out to him. What must that have been like? To be told you weren’t wanted. Or, even worse for a man like Drake, to be told you weren’t needed. No wonder he harbored mixed feelings about his home.
She studied him for a moment as he ate his meal. His scruffy beard had been shaved. She felt a little sense of loss. She had liked that beard. The way it scratched her palm when she ran her hand against it. The way it had felt on the insides of her thigh when he had kissed her down there.
Her cheeks burst into flame at the memory. Quickly she looked down at her food.
“I see that you are using your injured arm,” she said, desperate to change the subject.
He glanced at his hand holding a dinner knife. “I heal quickly,” he said as he returned his focus on his food. “In fact, we can leave tomorrow. I will have you to Sinstra by the end of the week. At which time, you can ask your precious Julian for help.”
“And you will receive the medallion,” she snapped, deciding that she could answer bad manners with bad manners.
They continued to eat in silence. Each lost in their own world. Elsbeth wondered what she should say to break the tension between them. Why was he mad with her? It was she that had been lied to. It was she that had been used.
She was thinking of just getting up and leaving. She didn’t need this beast across from her. At least not yet, not until they started on the trail once again.
The tension was broken when the door opened, and Flint strolled in. It was like a shower of sunshine after a rainy day. He was dressed as the night before, in his golden leather jacket. Not a hair out of place.
“Ah Princess, you look lovely this morning.”
Elsbeth couldn’t stop herself from smiling. When a man this handsome compliments you, you smile. There was no other way.
“Thank you,” she said with a quick dip of her head.
“So, what were we discussing?” Flint asked as he prepared himself a plate of food.
“I was telling Princess, that we would be leaving tomorrow.”
Elsbeth cringed at the word princess. Why couldn’t he call her Elsbeth?
“What? So soon?” Flint said with a sad expression. “I was so looking forward to spending some time with the lovely lady.
“I know. I will take you on a tour of our valley, Elsbeth. There are so many wonderful sights. The waterfall, the caves of Charman, the rapids at Treatham, we can watch the fish swimming upstream to spawn.”
“No,” Drake said with a firm voice as he stared down at his plate.
Elsbeth felt her stomach clench up. How dare he?
“You are not the boss of me,” she said as she set her shoulders. Ready for battle. “We are not on the trail. I don’t have to do what you say, and I don’t have to follow your rules.”
He paused and stared at her for a long moment.
“I wasn’t telling you no, Princess,” he said. “I was telling him, no.”
She looked back and forth between the two men as they stared at each other. She could see the tension rising between them as they each tried to force the other to comply with their wishes. All with only a stare.
At last, Drake turned to her. “My brother has been up all night, patrolling the forest. What is more, he will be up all of tonight. He needs his rest.”
“Is this true?” she asked Flint. “You have been up all night?” as she studied him, she could see that his eyes had shadows they hadn’t h
eld the night before.
He smiled at her. “It doesn’t matter. A day with you would be worth a little tiredness. Believe me, I would much rather spend the day entertaining you than alone in my bed.”
Drake slammed his utensils onto his plate and stared at his brother. His brother smiled and stared back with a twinkle in his eyes.
The tension became almost painful. Elsbeth leaned forward and gently touched Flint’s arm. “Thank you, Flint. But I couldn’t ask that of you. You need your rest.”
He tore his stare away from his brother to look at her for a moment. She felt herself relax as he nodded his head.
“Very well, Princess. But only because you have said so. Not because my brother has ordered it. A brother, I might add, that isn’t really supposed to be here.”
“That’s enough,” Queen Matilda said from the door. Elsbeth hadn’t seen the woman enter.
Her voice was low and commanding. She stood there like one of the fluted column carved into the cliff face. Impenetrable and completely unable to be argued with.
“Flint, finish your meal and go to bed, you will be needed tonight. If there is to be any activity, it will be then.”
“Yes, mother,” the man said as he returned to eating, but not before Elsbeth caught him winking at her.
It was all in fun. He was letting her know that he enjoyed poking at his older brother. She smiled to herself. It was nice to see someone stand up to the mighty Drake. Someone had to.
“What is everyone talking about,” Thad said as he stepped into the dining room, followed closely by Gwen.
“Are you two still arguing?” Gwen asked.
“They’re not discussing Pythagorean theorem of geometry.”
“Oh shut up, you ass,” Flint said as he threw a roll at him.
Thad ducked and then laughed at his brother for missing.
Queen Matilda sat at the head of the table and shook her head. Her expression a cross between bewilderment and repressed anger.
“Vulgarity is never a substitute for wit,” she said to Flint.
Leaning forward, she said in an aside to Elsbeth, “You will learn one day. There will be times in your life that your greatest regret was that you did not strangle them in their crib.”