Lycan Legacy - 4 - 5 - 6: Princess - Progeny - Paladin: Book 4 - 5 - 6 in the Lycan Legacy Series

by Veronica Singer

  Once her mind was made up, she wasted no time. A courtier brought in a small, leather-covered footstool and placed it in front of the group.

  With an inhuman grace she melted to the floor and put her head on the footstool. She tilted her chin to expose her throat. Only the gritting of her teeth and increased heart rate showed how nervous she was.

  I stood, stepped out of my boots, and walked over to the supine princess.

  Her eyes were on mine as I lifted my right foot.

  "I would consider it a kindness if you could avoid peeing in my eyes," she whispered.

  Despite my sharp hearing, that statement made no sense. "What do you mean?"

  "Isn't that part of the ceremony?" she asked. "Doesn't the victor in a werewolf fight urinate on the loser?"

  The snicker from Naomi made me spin around in anger. She suddenly had the face of an innocent angel.

  "No," I said. "Someone who knows very little about werewolves spread that rumor. We're not like dogs. I'll place my foot on your throat and you'll swear an oath of loyalty to me and my pack."

  Her anxiety lessened and her heartbeat slowed. "You saw how this worked with your sisters. I did nothing like that to them."

  "They told me the humiliating part of the ceremony was held in private."

  I shook my head. Getting sidetracked to reprimand my bodyguard was just a distraction. We needed to complete the ceremony before any more interruptions occurred.

  I placed my foot on her throat. No claws or calluses this time. There was no need to cause Mason's favorite sister any pain.

  "Say the oath," I said. "Say it and become part of my pack."

  "I, Princess Chrysoberyl, acknowledge Princess Luna of Luna Pack as my alpha and swear loyalty and fealty to her and Luna Pack."

  I helped Chrys to her feet and hugged her.

  Chrys dismissed all her guards, save her champion. He joined us at the table.

  Mason and Chrys talked long into the night, reminiscing and retelling old stories from childhood. For a bit, I felt like an outsider, but Mason reached over and held my hand, letting me know he was thinking of me.

  He finally brought the conversation back to our future.

  "Naomi, has your queen placed any restrictions on whom you can treat with in our lands?" asked Mason.

  "No, she left that decision up to my discretion."

  "And this potential trade portal could be placed anywhere in the Fae lands?"

  "With those time-bending roads you have, almost anywhere would be a usable location. Naturally, whoever controls this side of the portal would garner the most advantage, economically."

  "So, theoretically, if you were to treat with Chrys and use her lands, there would be no problem?"

  "None. I would prefer to deal with someone you trust." Naomi was diplomatic enough to avoid saying she didn't trust Perla, but the implication was obvious.

  Chrys interrupted. "We won't make any deals now. Since these 'future portals' are merely speculation, I can't risk angering Princess Perla."

  Mason turned to her. "And if the portals are more than just speculation?"

  Chrys looked surprised. "You have a way to create fresh portals? Without the destruction caused by human weapons?"

  "Yes."

  "How?"

  Mason opened his mouth to respond, and I interrupted. "Trade secrets. If you're interested, you don’t need to know how it's done; just know that it works."

  "You used to tell me everything," she pouted.

  "Sorry, Chrys. I have a new family to think of."

  I expected some argument, but Chrys just smiled and said, "Of course you do. I trust you'll treat me fairly."

  She turned to Naomi. "Assuming the portal works as advertised, we would be happy to make a treaty with your queen."

  "As long as the trade pact is mutually beneficial," said Naomi. "The kitsune clan, unfortunately, only has one portal creation device. You understand that we must make the best deal for us. If another fiefdom makes a better offer, even if we don't particularly want to deal with that fiefdom, we would have to pursue the most advantageous offer."

  Then Naomi looked at me with her tiny smile, like a chess master who has made an elegant move. She had clarified that the kitsune wouldn't deal with Chrys and her poor fiefdom if it meant they would have to give up their only portal device.

  "I'm afraid I can't match what my mother or sisters can offer," said Chrys.

  "Allow me to offer a solution." Hanging around these bargainers was rubbing off on me. "We might be open to creating a permanent portal without using the kitsune queendom's only model of these extremely valuable devices." Here I stared at Naomi to emphasize the deal. "As long as we are assured this will be the only permanent portal to the kitsune clan."

  "We gladly pledge that this will be the only portal between our world and the fiefdom of Princess Chrysoberyl."

  That was a little too precise for me. I gave her my puzzled expression.

  "Gee, wouldn't that pledge allow you to set up another portal to a different fiefdom? Or anywhere else in the Fae world?"

  "That would be one interpretation." Deadpan response, not giving me anything to work with.

  Instead of arguing with her, I turned to Mason. "So, Mason, these portals of yours—can you unmake them? Pop the bubble?"

  He looked like I had asked him to destroy a prized possession. "It's possible. As the creator, I could remotely unwind the enchantments. But I won't do it. Those are masterpieces that contain parts of our souls."

  Naomi smiled until Mason continued, "But I wouldn't mind using one of the favors the kitsune clan owes me to ensure trade is only with partners we approve."

  Naomi's expression soured, then she recovered and smiled. "I believe we could make a deal along those lines. A portal on Princess Chrysoberyl's lands, an exclusive trading pact with the princess, and a promise not to trade with other fiefdoms nor create other portals without prior agreement."

  Naomi took a sip of the local wine. "In exchange, Princess Luna shall provide the portal talisman. One of the kitsune clan's favors owed Mason shall be annulled." She turned to Princess Chrysoberyl. "This wine is a product of your vineyards? It is excellent. We could start our trade off with several thousand bottles of this excellent vintage."

  Wait a second. She was trying to gloss over an important point. "Mason, dear, how long do your portals last?"

  "They're permanent. I don't create talismans that fail."

  "Eternal." I turned to Naomi. "Should we agree that this trade pact is equally eternal?"

  "Let's say one year."

  "Let's say one thousand Earth years." Who knew how time flowed on this side? One Fae year could be hours on our side of the portal.

  "That is beyond the limits I can allow. One Earth year."

  "Seven hundred Earth years."

  "Ten Earth years. Even with that, if Princess Chrysoberyl's lands are overrun, we want to reserve the right to renegotiate."

  "Five hundred Earth years. If anyone invades Chrys' fiefdom, they will have to deal with Mason and me."

  Chrys interjected, "You have proven yourself a courageous fighter, but the Fae control armies. Even with Little Rock's help, facing off against an army would be suicidal."

  "I have an army of my own. Each fighter is worth a hundred fairies in combat. I can also call upon the help of other packs." Using transmuted gold, if not through loyalty.

  The champion scoffed. "Werewolves fear entering the Fae lands. The lack of a moon scares them off. Legend has it that werewolves were cast out from the Fae lands thousands of years ago." His face was getting red as he spoke, and he ended the statement with a splutter.

  "Odd. Our legends say that there was a great battle between the Fae and werewolves. Facing certain defeat, all the Fae left Earth, scrambling in terror to find a land with no moon. They cowered in these moonless lands, dreading the day werewolves decided to finish the job." If he was going to make up legends on the spot, I could too.

  "The
fact remains, no werewolf save yourself has traveled to our moonless land."

  Mason answered for me. "You forget that Princess Luna is the moon for her pack. They would follow her through the gates of hell and lay waste to all who stand against her."

  Chrys placed her hand on her champion's hand, her touch calming him and preventing another outburst.

  "With your assurance that Princess Chrysoberyl's lands shall remain inviolate," said Naomi, “we can offer a pact for ninety-nine Earth years."

  I opened my mouth to argue, but she stopped me. "This is the maximum term I can negotiate." A flat statement, no room for wriggling out there. She continued, "The queen will already be angry with me for not making a better deal." That was doubtful; her tails were wagging with excitement.

  I sipped more fruit juice. I hated negotiations—just give me someone to fight and I'd be happy. The zig-zag nature of making deals was frustrating. My inner wolf nipped me on the butt; I was forgetting something.

  "We need to discuss the alpha's share."

  "What the hell is the alpha's share?" asked Naomi.

  "My cut for negotiating the deal." Naomi raised a finger to object, but I continued, "For giving up one of my talismans; for pledging my pack to support Chrys's defense; for Mason's help; for risking my children's future."

  "Surely a tiny, nominal percentage for your help would be enough? So as not to impede free trade?"

  "Surely free trade could handle a tiny, nominal twenty-percent tariff on all goods transported through the portal." This was taking too long. Mom had always said the first person to mention a price would lose, but I wanted this to be over.

  "Twenty percent!" said Naomi. "That would ruin us."

  "Twenty percent?" said Chrys at the same time. "That seems fair. The savings in transportation alone would make it worthwhile. Not to mention the security guarantees."

  Naomi glared at Chrys for undercutting her. "Then perhaps your fiefdom should pay those costs out of your share."

  "That hardly seems fair," said Chrys.

  "I agree," I said.

  What followed was another half-hour of bargaining. We finally settled on a ten percent tariff, split evenly between Chrys and the kitsune clan.

  "Chrys, is this deal acceptable to you?" I asked.

  "Assuming you survive the Challenge, we can call upon your assistance when we need, and the kitsune pledge to deal only with us, the deal is acceptable."

  Mason nodded, indicating he accepted his part in the deal. I regretted not pushing Mason to create more of those talismans when we had been at the portal. He’d said it would be centuries before he could do it again.

  Chrys called a scribe to memorialize the four-way contract. Once it was signed by all parties and copies made, I took one of the remaining talismans from my purse and handed it to Naomi.

  Naomi took the coin and kissed it, bonding it to her. Her phantom tails shivered in excitement and she beamed. She now had more influence and power than almost any kitsune I had met. Would she parlay these deals into becoming the next queen?

  While I didn't exactly like the little vixen, she would keep her word and follow the spirit of the contract. That was more important than following the details inscribed on parchment.

  "Princess Chrysoberyl, I find that negotiations go more smoothly in intimate mode. Please call me Naomi and tell me what you desire in trade for this remarkable wine."

  Responding in intimate mode, the princess said, "Please call me Chrys. I was intrigued by that exquisite perfume you demonstrated at our dance." She stroked her champion's heavily muscled arm and bit her lip. "We might be open to a trade for that."

  Naomi looked sly. "Perhaps a diluted version. The effects of full-strength Vixen Vapors might prove too much. Would you like a free sample?"

  Mason and I excused ourselves before another orgy could start.

  The next morning, there was another dead assassin outside our room.

  Now that I knew the scent of their magic and the scent of dead fairy, I quickly found the body. I jerked the hood off to reveal another earless killer. My bodyguard had been doing her job.

  "I guess the truce is over."

  "The field of suspects is narrowing down," said Mason. "Everyone but Jade, Alexandrite, and Mom has already sworn fealty."

  "We also now know the assassins are targeting us." There went my hope that the killers were after Perla.

  "Or Chrys."

  "Very unlikely. Everyone loves Chrys. And her bodyguard was on point."

  I sniffed the hood but got no clues who had sent this latest assassin. I stuffed the hood into my purse, along with its mate.

  "Who's next on our list?"

  "We're set to travel to Jade's fiefdom to meet her Challenge."

  The wolf and I were getting nervous, knowing that more enemies were out looking for us. "Let's get going. The sooner we can eliminate the other suspects, the better."

  26

  Princess Jade gestured to a tall man standing behind her. "I'd like to introduce you to my companion, Sir Fletcher."

  Weird name for a fairy. He was tall, even for one of the Fae. Instead of that ceramic armor, he wore a leather cuirass. Embossed in the leather were protective glyphs very similar to the ones used by Ruby's champion. From the cuirass descended a chain-mail skirt to protect his groin. His arms and legs were bare. Built for speed, not armored combat.

  Sir Fletcher reached out and took my hand, bowing gracefully until he could kiss my hand. He stroked my palm and fingers, like he was trying to tickle me for a reaction.

  "Honored to meet you, milady," he said as he released my hand. I resisted the urge to wipe my hand on my skirt.

  "Nice to meet you, Fletcher," I said.

  Using his name with no honorific could be considered an insult. But he had started it by not calling me "Princess," so screw politeness.

  He gritted his teeth, then smiled. He looked over to Princess Jade and nodded.

  Princess Jade smiled and said, "Sir Fletcher will be my champion in this Challenge."

  I jerked a thumb at Fletcher. "No offense, but isn't he kind of scrawny compared to the other champions I've fought?"

  Princess Jade smiled through gritted teeth. "This will be a Challenge of skill, not brawn. I think you will find Sir Fletcher more than a match for your werewolf skills."

  "Skill?" I asked. "What skills does he have?"

  "Skills that make him the greatest archer in my land. Skills that will assure his victory in an archery contest."

  "Archery?" I asked incredulously. "Your champion wants to challenge me to an archery contest?"

  "Yes," said Princess Jade. Her green eyes crinkled in amusement. "While it may not be popular on Earth, where you have pistols, rifles, and missiles, here in the Twilight Lands archery is still a highly prized skill."

  I made a sour face and turned to Mason. "Is this within the rules?" I asked.

  "Unfortunately, yes," he said with a frown. Then he saw my wink. His poker face was good, and he showed no reaction, but his heartbeat slowed.

  "We'll be shooting at each other at what, twenty yards?"

  Princess Jade shook her head quickly, a look of fear on her face. Was she attached to her champion also?

  "Yeah," I said, "doesn't seem fair. He's a much bigger target than I am. Okay, naked dueling at fifty yards?"

  "Naked dueling?" she said before realizing that if we were naked, her champion would have to remove his enchanted protective armor. "No, no," she continued, "nothing like that. This contest will be shooting at targets at twenty-five yards."

  Within a few minutes, we were in the armory and I was faced with an assortment of bows, ranging from children's size to six-foot-tall recurved bows. Beside each bow was a quiver full of arrows matched to the its size.

  I made a show of inspecting the bows. Each of them were made of the same cedar-scented oak-hard wood. I spent most of my time in the children's section, to the amusement of the crowd.

  Then I walked over to the oth
er section and picked up a six-foot monster bow. It was unstrung, so I grabbed a string and slipped the knot over the lower section.

  Placing the lower end on the ground and bracing it with my foot, I pushed down on the bow to flex it and get a feel for the weapon. I listened closely to the nearly imperceptible sounds the wood made as it moved.

  I shook my head and rejected the bow. The difference in the sounds from the upper and lower sections showed an unbalanced bow.

  "Perhaps milady should choose a bow with a weaker draw," said the champion with a chuckle. "I've heard humans prefer compound bows."

  I realized my check of the bow had made it seem that I couldn't flex the bow fully. Normally, I would encourage the ass to underestimate my strength, but the smirk on his face irritated me.

  I picked the bow up, one end in either hand, and held it out horizontally. With no apparent effort, I brought my hands together, bending it into a U-shape.

  The damn wood was almost indestructible. I had to cross my hands over before the bow finally snapped with a crack like a rifle shot.

  One splinter struck the champion in the cheek, embedding itself into his skin. A drop of fairy-scented blood ran down his cheek.

  "I don't have a problem with the draw," I said. "I have a problem with shitty bows."

  I turned back to the selection and tested the rest of the bows. None were perfect, but I finally found one I trusted to draw true.

  I strung the bow and practiced the draw. Almost without thinking, I grew the thick calluses on my fingers and palms that years of archery practice had given me.

  I suddenly realized that Fletcher's stroking of my hand while faking a kiss had been to determine if I had the calluses typical of an archer.

  Too bad for this asshole that werewolves could create and absorb calluses at will.

  "Back in high school," I mused, "when I was taking archery courses in the Girl Scouts, I broke a lot of bows. Then my packmate came up with an idea. We went out to the junkyard, and he tore apart an old Chevy truck."

  At their puzzled looks, I explained. "Our trucks have leaf springs to smooth the ride. These leaf springs look a lot like a bow but are far stronger.