The Golden Dynasty f-2

by Kristen Ashley

  I lost sight of Lahn the minute we stopped and hadn’t seen him since.

  The stars were drifting from sight because my eyelids were drifting closed when I heard Lahn’s boots approach. I turned to my side away from his side of the hides and heard, one after another, his boots hit stone. Then the top hide moved. Not a second later, I was hauled across the hides and my body was forced to curve into the large, hard, warm one at my back.

  He spoke quietly into the back of my hair as his hand drifted up to cup my breast and I stilled. He kept speaking and I waited for him to do something. It would be just like him to try to have sex with me with hundreds of people camping just feet away.

  But his thumb did not wander across my nipple, his hand just cupped me warmly as he continued to speak words most of which I didn’t understand.

  Then he stopped talking, his head moved, I felt his beard against the skin of my neck as he used his chin to pull my hair away and then I felt his tongue taste me from the back of my ear down the length of my neck and further down the length of my shoulder.

  Throughout its journey, I steeled myself against the shiver and fortunately succeeded in beating it back.

  At the point of my shoulder, he rubbed the long hairs at his bearded chin back and forth which felt sweet and nice and made my nose sting with tears that this time I held back with sheer willpower.

  He did this for a long time as if he was staring into the darkness deep in contemplation at the same time delivering to me a preoccupied caress that was still, nevertheless, a caress.

  Then his arm around me pulled me deeper into him and he settled back into the hides, he tilted his big body slightly into mine and I listened until his breath evened out.

  Only then did I allow my eyes to close and my body to fall asleep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Take Heed

  Five Days Later…

  I was riding way back amongst the wagons, the ones that carried the chams and belongings and the slaves which were also belongings, of course, a fact I found loathsome and yet another thing I could do nothing about for it was my people’s way.

  This was my new tactic. Not that I really needed one. I had not talked to Lahn since the day he gave me Zephyr. He clearly had Dax business to attend to and he was gone from our hides in the morning before I woke and three of the four nights after our first one under the stars, I was so exhausted from the ride I was asleep and didn’t even feel him slide in beside me. I only knew he was there when I woke in the deep of the night, felt his arm around me, his warm body curved into mine and then I drifted back to sleep. The one night I was awake, it was still late and he attempted no conversation, didn’t speak soft words or rub his beard softly against me, just curled me into him and he was asleep within seconds and, shortly after, so was I.

  But it was now days later and it was a now when I’d avoided Diandra, and also Narinda, who was riding with the wives who were in wagons, and it had been so long since I’d spoken to either of them, it was too long.

  I’d screwed up. I’d been overemotional (with cause) then got stuck in my head for days and it was getting past the point of rude, not apologizing to and spending time with my friends. I was their queen, it might be they couldn’t approach me and certainly Narinda couldn’t as she didn’t have a mount. But I could do what I wished (sort of) and I hadn’t approached them.

  So now I was avoiding them both, and Lahn, by riding in the back like a sissy.

  My Pop would be pissed. He hated sissies, he wasn’t that fond of rude and he’d always told me procrastination was the work of the devil, especially when you practice it before righting a wrong.

  Damn.

  On this thought, I noticed there seemed a commotion amongst the slaves so I looked to the wagons at my side then the direction they were looking which was forward. That was when I saw the warrior galloping toward us. He was well out of warrior space; they all rode up front with their Dax. He was also the warrior I saw in the cham the night Lahn hit me.

  Shit.

  He galloped right by me but when I twisted in my saddle to see where he was going I saw him circle back quickly then come up on my left side. Before I knew what he was doing I was plucked right out of my saddle (yep, right out of my saddle, while both our horses were moving) and planted in front of him. He yanked Zephyr’s reins out of my hands, she whinnied with irritation and then he touched his heels to his mount, made a clicking sound with his tongue and we took off on a gallop, Zephyr running alongside us.

  Hmm. It appeared the queen didn’t ride with the slaves.

  So noted.

  We kept going and he slowed when we were coming abreast of Diandra’s horse.

  Shit!

  Then with both horses still moving, he plopped me right back on Zephyr’s back. Before I flew off in a horse mishap that might include a broken neck, I quickly grabbed the lip of the saddle (they had no pommels on their saddles) swung my leg around and both feet found my stirrups. He tossed the reins to me, touched his heels to his mount and took off toward the warriors.

  Fantastic.

  These guys. He could have just grabbed my reins and moved Zephyr and I forward but no. He had to manhandle me.

  I watched him go then stupidly looked beyond the warriors to the leader of the pack. As suspected, the leader of the pack was turned in his saddle. He was far away but I could see him and I knew Lahn’s eyes were on me because he couldn’t miss me, Zephyr’s coat shone in the sun like a beacon not to mention, I was the only blonde in the bunch.

  Fantastic again.

  I watched him turn to face forward and I sucked in breath.

  Then, with nothing for it, and because my Pop taught me well, I got my head out of my ass and turned to Diandra whose eyes were on me.

  Then I said, “Uh… hey.”

  She burst out laughing.

  I stared at her and when her laughter waned, her eyes caught mine. “Our king grows impatient with his queen, I see,” she remarked.

  Uh… what?

  “Um…” I mumbled.

  She faced forward and announced, “It took years before Seerim saw the errors of his ways, putting his hands on me in anger. He didn’t do it often but when he felt the need, he didn’t hesitate to do it. It was only after he hit me so hard he bloodied my nose that he stopped. Something about him shedding my blood struck something in him and he never did it again. Not once. In fact, when he’d get angry, all I had to do was flinch, thinking he might hit me and his anger would vanish,” she lifted a hand and snapped, “just like that. It appears, my dear, our king is learning this lesson much more swiftly than my Seerim.”

  “I’m not trying to teach him a lesson,” I said softly and in all truth.

  “Well, maybe not, but you’re doing it all the same,” she replied.

  I pulled in another breath. “Diandra –” I started on the exhale, wanting to apologize but more, wishing to give her an apology and her kind eyes came to me.

  “Don’t speak of it,” she whispered. “I remember, my beautiful Circe, it was long ago, but I remember the tumult of my mind when I was brought here, claimed and forced into a life I did not understand. I have had twenty-two years with these people, I have built a life with my husband, I have come to love him deeply, we have built a family and I have become Korwahk. But I have had much time to adjust. I was like you many years ago and I remember it because it is something you do not forget. You have done far better than me and I am very proud of you but our emotions get the better of us on occasion and if you cannot allow them to do so with people who care about you, you are in trouble.”

  I felt my eyes fill with tears, “Diandra –”

  “Though,” she cut me off, a twinkle in hers, “I didn’t have an excellent interpreter to guide my way like you do. So along with being proud of you I am also quite proud of me because as far as I can tell, I’m doing an excellent job.”

  Then she grinned huge and at that, it was me who burst into laughter.

  When my
laughter slid to a giggle I saw her smiling, looking ahead and she noted, “We make camp tonight, I’m sure of it.”

  “Sorry?” I asked.

  “You have a very appealing laugh, my dear, it is like a song that rings into the very air, travelling far, I would suspect, considering while you did it, your husband turned on his mount and watched. I am getting old but my eyesight is just fine and by his scowl I would guess he has not heard your laughter for some time and misses it, wants it for his own and therefore, being of The Horde, when he wants something, he will do something about it. So, we make camp tonight. I’m sure of it.”

  It took a lot out of me but my eyes didn’t move to Lahn as I repeated, “Sorry?”

  She looked at me. “Have you been receiving his attentions since our unpleasant… erm, incident?”

  “Um… no,” I muttered.

  “I would guess he misses that too,” she stated.

  I felt my stomach drop.

  “Diandra, I think… well, actually, I don’t think that I’ve ever laughed with Lahn and he can get attention whenever he wants from a variety of Xacto who follow at the back of this convoy.”

  “You don’t have to have had something to want it or need it but when you have something you liked… very much… and it is taken away, and you want it back, it can become a hunger. Your husband is hungry, Circe. Warriors don’t stay hungry long before they find ways to assuage it so he will need his cham because you will need your cham for what he intends to do so we make camp tonight,” she repeated, “I’m sure of it.”

  I sucked in breath and looked ahead.

  This was not great news.

  “Now, my dear, before you face what you will face tonight, you must go in prepared,” she stated and I knew what was coming.

  “Diandra, I’m not sure I’m ready –”

  “Ready or not, Circe, you have no choice. You are queen and must know this as queen but you are married to the king and you must understand what drives him and you must understand all of this for your marriage, for your husband, for your people and for you.”

  I sighed. Then I muttered, “All right, my friend, let’s get this over with.”

  “Circe, I’m trying to keep you alive.”

  I blinked then my head snapped toward her.

  Then I breathed, “What?”

  She was looking at me, she saw she had my devoted attention therefore she nodded before facing forward again. “I have explained much about Korwahk and its people. They are savage, primitive even in some ways. They have no government but they have riches, they have land and they have a king. That king has no court but that does not mean there are no courtly intrigues and politics.”

  I looked forward too and said, “Diandra, sweetheart, I’m not following.”

  “That man, Geoffrey, do you remember him?”

  I looked at her again and when she looked at me, I nodded.

  She faced forward and I did as well as she went on, “He is from Middleland. Middleland is ruled by King Baldur. He came into his kingdom as a very young man and ruled before I left the Vale but also Seerim tells me of him as he is known far because he is a greedy man, wicked and even cruel. He cares little for his people and a great deal for gold. And land. And any kinds of riches he can get his hands on. The kinds of riches Korwahk has in abundance.”

  Oh shit.

  As was her way, Diandra went on, “I have seen this Geoffrey, not often, but I have seen him more than once. Now, there are many men who come from far away to watch the Wife Hunt. They are despicable; they watch it for sordid reasons and they have no honor. The Dax cares not about them. His focus is The Horde and they bring coin that they use with his merchants so he allows it.”

  I’d noticed those men. And any man who watches a Wife Hunt like a spectator sport definitely had no honor.

  Diandra continued, “Then there are other men who come who do so to study The Horde, its practices and the Korwahk people. This is usually for academic reasons but those reasons could be nefarious. These men, the Dax considers carefully before he lets them observe but he does not share openly with them. He is cautious about what they learn and anything they learn, he controls. It would not do for training and tactics to be revealed. The Horde is successful because no one knows the entirety of what makes a warrior and how they wage war. Indeed, you likely missed it but there were no outsiders at the warrior selection or ensuing celebration and there never are. It is forbidden. Another reason Geoffrey’s visit to you was not taken kindly and had you not been a new queen not of the Korwahk before your claiming having recently been claimed in a rite that distressed you who, it is highly likely, would be alarmed by any violence close to your person, it is also highly likely your honor guard would have dealt with him differently and swiftly. We have not seen him since and I would not need to try very hard to guess why.”

  Oh man. I had a feeling Geoffrey was toast. What an idiot.

  “Then,” she carried on, “there are men who come as ambassadors from other lands. These, the Dax deals with too.”

  Wow. There was a lot more to this Dax business than I realized.

  Diandra carried on. “I have little doubt that the news the Dax has installed his Dahksahna at his side is news that has travelled far and wide. It has been but two weeks but horses will have lathered and boats will have sailed with missives and messengers. The news will travel this earth within months and plots will be hatched within moments of it being reported. And this news will be the news that our new queen is the golden queen of legend. That makes you a valuable commodity, my dear.”

  I felt ice slide through my veins as I looked at her again. “A commodity?”

  “What would the Korwahk people and The Horde trade should their golden queen be kidnapped and held for ransom?” she asked back and I blinked.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered.

  “Held and tortured, parts of her traded for wild riches in hopes of gaining her returned alive if not intact?”

  I looked forward again and swallowed.

  “Riches would not be traded, Circe, you should know that. The Horde would ride and blood would be spilled. A great deal of it. Warriors would fall, widows would be made, children would lose fathers.”

  “Okay,” I was still whispering, “I’m getting it.”

  “No you aren’t, not the half of it,” Diandra replied, I closed my eyes and opened them when she kept talking. “That Geoffrey thought you were from Middleland and having problems adjusting, seething against your claiming, hating your king. He told you he was your friend but he wanted to earn your trust, even though he is not trustworthy, in order to turn you against your people, whisper in his ear their secrets, provide him the information he needs to give Baldur to take these lands, and their riches, and do it by wiping out The Horde.”

  “Okay,” I repeated, my voice trembling, “I’m getting it.”

  “No, I’m sorry, Circe, you aren’t,” she said softly. “He is one of many. Men from anywhere and everywhere will send agents to do the same. But even amongst the riders in this procession, there are those who plot against the Dax and, they too, will see you as an instrument to his downfall. They will watch you, my dear, and they will seize on any intimation you give that you might conspire against our king. And to do this, there are eyes and spies everywhere, watching your every move. Including now.”

  This immediately made me think about The Eunuch but my thoughts were turned when Diandra kept talking.

  “Our Dax is our Dax because he is strong, because no one can defeat him in battle, but he is also exceptionally bright. He would never remain the Dax if he did not continue to keep the peace, to keep his nation wealthy, to deal with these outside influences with cunning. If he did not, and there have been those who have not, the challenges would be so thick he would face another clash of swords even before the last warrior fell until he was so exhausted, his head would be gone before he could lift his weapon.”

  Yikes!

  Diandra went on, “Dax Lah
n does not fear your turning traitor, he fears your abduction. You did not know it and I did not know it until my husband and I nearly shouted our cham down but Seerim informed the Dax we were going to the marketplace and the Dax commanded a guard to follow. Teetru sent word we were intending to walk through the camp and again, a guard followed. Our decision to go visit your friend Narinda was not overheard by Teetru, none of your girls were around, so when we left, they did not see us and did not know where we were going. When Teetru discovered us gone, she sent word to the Dax. Later, too much later, he heard from Feetak that you were with Narinda but when Feetak went to his cham, we were with Nahka and he had no idea where we were. By the time this was discovered, you and I were wandering the Daxshee and through very bad luck, we somehow evaded the warriors who had been sent out to find us. This is an extremely unfortunate set of circumstances that, as the minutes ticked by, especially since he saw Geoffrey make contact and knows the ways of King Baldur, which usually are insidious but no one would put it past him to be violent, made your king very anxious. So, by the time we arrived at your cham, his emotions got the better of him.”

  I felt my mouth get tight and I said through stiff lips, “That’s still no excuse.”

  “Yes, my dear, in your land with the father you described you were fortunate enough to have, I can see you believing that but, again, I remind you with some hesitation as I know you dislike it, that you are married to a Korwahk Horde warrior.”

  I turned to look at her and when she turned to me, I locked my eyes with her. “That’s still no excuse,” I repeated quietly, she held my eyes then she heaved a sigh before nodding.

  She looked forward again and so did I.

  Then I remarked, “You’re only agreeing in order to agree to disagree, aren’t you?”

  “It seems wise at this juncture,” she replied and I smiled.

  Then I couldn’t help it, my friend was funny and after she shared some not so fun information (to say the least), I needed to release some emotion and I decided I’d do it a better way this time. So I burst out laughing again.