The Redwood Rebel (The Redwood War Book 1)

by Lorna George

  ‘I choose not, if it’s all the same to you.’

  The sun was back on her face again, and the tight, sharp pain of her sunburn caused her to reach up and gently prod her cheeks with a grimace. She heard him sigh then, and before she knew it, he had shuffled around on his knees to sit in front of her.

  ‘Come here.’ She saw the little clay pot he had offered her earlier suddenly in his hands, despite how she knew she had stuffed it into her saddle pack after refusing to use it. He took the lid off, scooping a small amount onto his fingers, and before she knew what had happened he was dabbing it on the bridge of her nose.

  ‘Don’t touch me!’ she snapped, slapping his hand away viciously. He seemed surprised by that, then smiled coldly.

  ‘You didn’t seem to mind me touching you before.’

  ‘I was pretending to be someone else,’ she returned with equal chill. ‘It’s for your own good that you remember that.’

  He rolled his yellow eyes and frowned at her, offering up the little pot. ‘And this is for your own good. You’re starting to look like a lobster.’

  ‘My apologies, Sire, if my appearance is an embarrassment to your high standards.’

  His stupid words about the state of her appearance earlier hadn’t bothered her so much as it had been annoying that he seemed to think such a thing should concern her. She’d met plenty of people like him in her life, who believed they had the right to decide what another person was supposed to look like or aspire to be, and she ignored every single one of them. She knew she was short, that her hair had a mind of its own, and that even at her healthy weight she had the body of a young boy, but she was just fine with that. What on Ilios made them think they got to decide how she should perceive her own form?

  ‘If you don’t do it yourself, I’ll make you,’ he warned. ‘It wouldn’t be difficult.’

  She snatched the pot out of his hands. ‘It’s so attractive when you talk to me like that. It really makes me want to go along with this stupid marriage nonsense and spend the rest of my life being forced to do what you want.’

  ‘If you didn’t make everything so difficult, I wouldn’t have to force you!’

  ‘You’re right.’ She rubbed some of the mixture onto her cheeks and was annoyed by how much better she felt already. ‘I’m clearly more trouble than I’m worth. You should just let me go.’

  ‘Why can’t you understand that it’s impossible?’

  ‘Nothing is impossible.’

  ‘This is!’ He leant forwards and made a grab for her shoulders, but she held up her index finger in his face, her mouth tight and eyes serious. He seemed to suddenly remember that he had no business touching her without consent and pulled back again, crossing his arms over his chest instead.

  ‘There’s no breaking it, I promise you,’ he continued tightly. ‘I know it’s only a matter of time before you’re able to escape, and I know I’ll have no choice but to follow you and try to bring you back. We need to reach an understanding.’

  So he wasn’t a complete imbecile, after all. He at least knew she wasn’t going to stay, and obviously believed he could entice her to change her mind somehow. Well, certainly not with his winning personality or charming attitude, but from the gleam in his eye she could tell he believed he had something she wanted.

  ‘What did you have in mind?’ she asked, trying not to betray her curiosity.

  ‘If you cooperate and consent to be my wife and Queen, there are a great deal of benefits that come with that position.’ He relaxed very slightly, as though her asking for him to elaborate had been more than he’d expected. Still, she almost felt sorry for him and despite it all, her lips twitched in a small smile.

  ‘Do I strike you as the kind of woman that cares about wealth and power?’

  ‘No. Not wealth, at least. But power?’ He raised his dark brows and tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. ‘Well, little Firefly, you need an army, and I have one.’

  ‘Don’t call me that,’ she repeated, buying herself time to think.

  He looked far too pleased with himself all of a sudden, and she wished she were in a position to flatly inform him that she had no need of such a thing, at least not from him. The trouble was that until she could ascertain just what damage Tsumetai had suffered during the Pirate Wars there was no way to be sure she could count on help from that quarter. She was owed a favour, that much was indisputable, but if they weren’t in a position to lend her a force to be reckoned with, then she might be better off accepting Arun’s offer. After all, royal marriages were brokered for less, and if she could be assured of taking back the country from Adrienne’s choking grasp then wasn’t it her duty to do so?

  It was a big decision, a life altering decision, and it was the first time she had even considered the possibility of marriage to Arun. Her duty was important to her, but there was still a chance she could do this for her country without hobbling herself to a man. A rude, arrogant man at that, and one who obviously had certain expectations about what she should be. If there was one constant in her life, it was her ability to defy expectation.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’ll give it due consideration.’

  The smugness was immediately wiped from his face. She could see he was struggling not to demand an immediate response and to behave graciously, but the fact that he was even trying was something. You could learn a lot about a person in these kinds of situations, and she was sure if not for the Bond nudging her awareness of his impatience, she would have no idea at all.

  Naomi blew her hair out of her face and tried to offer distraction. 'So, are you going to tell me about the, uh... the dragon thing?'

  He looked uncomfortable, so she turned her attention back to the stream. ‘I wondered if you would ask. It isn’t something widely known to those outside of Koren.’

  ‘A bit like your marital ideas,’ she said. ‘I wonder at all the secrecy.’

  ‘Is it truly that mysterious?’ he asked. ‘Just because the details are kept quiet by our people doesn’t make it deliberate. We clearly just have more modesty about certain things.’

  ‘Such as?’

  ‘Well,’ he sounded suddenly uncertain. ‘Well, you know. Such as, ah…’

  ‘We’re talking about sex, aren’t we?’ Naomi queried, faintly amused.

  ‘Well, if you want to be vulgar about it, then yes,’ he snapped. ‘In Koren no one would consider throwing away their virginity, no matter the reason.’

  ‘Oh!’ she exclaimed, cold mockery bubbling up inside her at his accusatory statement. ‘Oh, I see! So your people are morally superior to the woman you apparently mean to make their Queen, is that it?’

  ‘That isn’t what I meant.’

  ‘Really?’ she scoffed. ‘Are you quite sure? Because that’s precisely how it sounded.’

  ‘The Bond spell is not a secret, nor is my ability to change shape to that of a dragon,’ he returned to their original topic, apparently considering the other a lost cause. ‘It is simply a matter of privacy. Each Bond is different and personal to the couple. It would be the same as discussing bowel movements with a stranger.’

  Naomi made a face at the idea of marriage and bowel movements being equated to one another, and was glad he couldn’t see her expression.

  ‘Or preferences in the bedroom,’ he corrected irritably, apparently realising his error. ‘The fact is, the information is freely available to anyone who wants it, just generally not through word of mouth.’

  ‘So the two are connected somehow?’ she asked.

  ‘The Bond triggers the ability to shape shift, but only in certain people. Certain men of the royal house.’

  She suspected that when he said certain men of the royal household, he meant monarchs. The throne of Koren could only be ruled by a male heir, unlike Ffion where a female could when married, or Tsumetai, where the first born was always given the preference, no matter their gender.

  ‘Just men?’ she asked, unable to help her curiosity.

&
nbsp; 'When you were a child, were you told stories of dragons stealing young maidens away?' he asked, and she felt that he was watching her. She nodded curtly. 'Well, did you ever wonder why a dragon would only take a virgin sacrifice?'

  'I can't say I ever did, honestly,' she shrugged. 'At that age, I doubt I even knew the difference.'

  ‘You do now, though.’

  Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move. Despite all attempts to block it out, she felt the magic that tied them together twang oddly and realised he hadn’t quite meant his words to come out like that.

  ‘There’s a story told by my people,’ he continued, clearing his throat as though he thought that might defuse the embarrassment his words had caused. ‘An old tale that supposedly explains the Bond. Would you like to hear it?’

  Naomi didn't refuse and actually found herself a little bit curious. Her childhood had been a mixture of both Ffionite and Tsumetese heritage and culture, but she knew next to nothing about Koren.

  'Long ago, before the birth of the first Dragon King of Koren, there was a beautiful young maiden. Her name was Sara, and as charming and lovely as she was, all who saw her instantly fell in love. She was offered marriage a great many times, but always turned them away, telling them, “I will only marry the one whose soul fits mine.”

  'The head of their village had also fallen in love with Sara, but despite offering her great wealth and riches, she still turned him away. Enraged by her rejection, he declared that since she would not marry, she was useless to the people of the village, and would therefore be offered up as a virgin sacrifice to the mighty dragon, Grysthak, that terrorized their lands.

  'Tied and left in front of the great dragon's cave, Sara calmly awaited her fate with honour, not begging for her life or crying as so many had done before her. Grysthak was impressed by this, and also beguiled by her beauty, allowed her to live on the condition that she would be his wife.'

  Naomi's face twitched slightly at this, but she didn’t interrupt.

  'A year the two lived together, and though they were happy, finding a great fondness and love in each other despite their different species, Sara began to wish for a child. She knew, of course, that it would be impossible for the two of them to mate as spouses normally would, and while determined to forget the notion, she eventually became ill with pining for a babe.

  'Grysthak, afraid for the malady that had seized his beloved, asked her over and over what was the matter, but she always refused to tell him. She knew that despite his great heart and generous nature, there was nothing he could do to give her what she wanted. One night, however, she cried out in her sleep, and finally understanding why she would not share her burden with him, Grysthak returned her to the village to be with her own kind. His heart broke at her loss, and unable to live with the torment of it, he used his magic to stop his heart and died in peace.

  'Sara, however, had never meant for him to return her to the people, and had always wanted his child. Not the child of any man, but only Grysthak's child. Despite her fragile state, she went back to his cave to tell him of her love and devotion to only him, but to find the great beast dead with sorrow. Crying her regret and anguish over his body, she prayed to the gods to return the other half of her soul to her, or she too would die in torment.

  'The passing god, Ferven, hearing her prayers and feeling sympathy for the two ill-fated lovers, changed the great dragon into a man, and breathed life back into his heart and lungs. Grysthak awoke in the arms of his beloved, and Ferven said that as payment for this divine gift, the two of them would share a single soul for the rest of their lives.'

  Understanding lit Naomi's eyes at this. ‘A Bond spell?'

  'That's right’ he nodded. ‘Grysthak and Sara had a son, Navid, who became the first Dragon King of Koren, and when he met his own Bond mate, or, if you will, the other half of his soul, he found he could transform his flesh into that of a dragon at will.'

  'Is it true?'

  'Well, there isn't too much evidence to support the story,' Arun admitted. 'The first King of Koren was indeed called Navid, but there are no real records of his parentage. There's a large cave to the South of the great lake near Malchior that's covered in white flowers that never fade, and people say that's Grysthak's cave, but it's all just hearsay. I think it's more of a folk tale, really.'

  'Ah,' she nodded. A childlike wonder in the story was disappointed to hear that, despite the cynical side of her that was glad. There was really no polite way to tell someone that you didn’t want to share a soul with them, really.

  'But you know, it's still possible. After all, the Bond is real and otherwise unexplained, and I can change into a dragon at will. It’s draining, but it works. Also, we who are Bonded have the ability to speak with dragons in the same way we speak to our Bond partners, so it stands to reason that there is a connection. The Bond can only be forged when both parties are pure, much in the way that dragons mate.'

  ‘Pure.’ she scoffed at the repeated use of the word. ‘Tell me, if you’re pure before sex, what are you now?’

  ‘Married.’ Arun ground out, sounding annoyed once again.

  Naomi snorted quietly at the implications of that and chewed the story over in her mind for a moment, then sighed. ‘Just imagine how different your culture might be if a woman’s right to say no was valued.’

  The silence that followed that statement was heavy. The darkness of the forest echoing sounds of wildlife bounced back at them, and she felt his anger before he even drew breath to speak.

  ‘You’re an incredibly judgemental woman, do you know that?’ he snapped at last. ‘You know nothing about my culture, you only know of your own experiences.’

  She blinked in surprise. ‘My experience has been that my refusal means less than nothing to you, that you think it perfectly acceptable to drag me along with your wishes by force. Perhaps I am being judgemental, but you have only yourself and your own actions to blame.’

  ‘This is not my fault,’ he said. ‘None of this. I will take no blame for any of it, especially not from you.’

  She watched passively as he finally got up and left her alone. For a brief moment she felt guilty for her words, knowing she had been incredibly narrow-minded in her speculation and not wanting to place the blame for their predicament anywhere near him. Whatever she thought of the man, this really wasn’t his fault at all. She couldn’t blame him for being angry, but in treating her like a prisoner and refusing to even acknowledge that he was doing that, he made any concern for her own words since melt away.

  Chapter Ten

  Rolling her eyes, Naomi wondered what made Arun think she couldn’t hear him. The thirty paces idea was his, after all, and even though she sat outside the tent a fair distance away, she had no trouble hearing every word being said. He and Lord Rayan were discussing the idea that she be taken out with the hunting party, a prospect she desperately hoped for but knew wouldn’t come to pass. His cousin seemed as intent as her to get it to happen, but Arun had other ideas.

  ‘I understand your point, Rayan, but it’s just out of the question.’

  ‘She knows the terrain better than we do, and perhaps a little time apart would do you both good? You know I’ll keep an eye on her.’

  ‘It’s not you I have an issue trusting, you know that.’

  ‘Yes, but maybe it would help if you gave her a little leeway? She has no reason to cooperate with you right now.’

  ‘I have no reason to cooperate with her either and I fail to see why I should keep giving way to the obstinate little strumpet.’

  Naomi noticed the way the guard outside the tent flinched a little at that, then glanced her way. She smiled humourlessly at him. Was it that Arun didn’t realise that fabric didn’t muffle sound very well, or did he just not care that he could be heard? Probably the latter, she decided silently.

  ‘That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?’

  ‘Is it?’ She heard Arun sigh heavily. ‘I don’t know what to make of her. She
changes in the blink of an eye. Her magical defence is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered and her face gives nothing away, so I have no idea what she’s thinking.’

  ‘Maybe you should try talking to her?’

  ‘I did! I tried to reason with her, strike some kind of bargain so that we both got what we wanted, but she just brushed it off like it was nothing. She acts like being married to me is the worst thing she can think of. She practically said as much!’

  Naomi frowned at that. That wasn’t exactly what she’d said, to be fair, but if that’s how he wanted to take it then more fool him. It was almost like he wanted her to hate him, like that somehow made his argument for treating her like a prisoner more valid. What he didn’t seem to realise was that she only hated him because he was confiscating her long-awaited freedom. The fact he was a narrow-minded, pompous, arrogant little git was just an irritation. A reason for dislike, but not hate.

  ‘Then perhaps a show of trust would help?’ Lord Rayan said reasonably. ‘She might be more willing to consider your offer, and a chance to stretch her legs might help improve her mood?’

  She waited with baited breath for his answer, part of her hoping the sense of his cousin might somehow rub off on him. It wasn’t even about trying to escape, but the chance to move without restraint. She really was considering his earlier offer, and it would be foolish to make such an enemy when she could potentially turn him into an ally. She knew enough of Lord Rayan to realise escaping him would be almost as difficult as breaking the spell Arun was using against her, and with her natural energy reserves still weak from her years in prison, without the Bond to help her recovery she wouldn’t have the ability to outrun anyone. Not yet, at least.

  ‘No,’ came the decisive reply. ‘Not until I can be sure of her.’

  Naomi puffed a small sigh of disappointment, then realised the guard was watching her sympathetically and schooled her expression back into bland disinterest. So far none of the soldiers had treated her badly, only speaking to her when they had to, but otherwise avoiding her with an uncertainty that she could understand. By their custom she was married to their King, but their King was treating her like a prisoner of war. They were likely confused by the situation as much as she was.