How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  “Aye.” Mother Ginessa nodded. “That we do.”

  Another tear rolled down his cheek. “We were too late. My poor Tatiana died on the voyage.”

  Luciana felt a surge of sympathy for him. He obviously loved his daughter. “I’m so sorry for yer loss.”

  He gave her a sad smile and patted her hand.

  “You should feel sorry for me!” Tatiana stomped a foot, but it made no noise. “It’s terribly unfair. I was so looking forward to showing off my new gowns at court.”

  “I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet her,” the duke told Luciana. “You would have loved her.”

  Luciana glanced at her sister’s pouting face, then decided to change the subject. “Can ye tell me about my mother? What was she like?”

  His eyes took on a faraway look. “She was the world to me. It was an arranged marriage, of course, ordered by the king, but Ariana was so clever, so lovely, so kind and pure of heart, I couldn’t help but fall madly in love with her.”

  Luciana smiled.

  “There.” He pointed at her, his eyes glistening with tears. “She smiled just like that. And she had beautiful black hair and sea-green eyes. You and Tatiana resemble her greatly, although you both have blue eyes like me.”

  “I obviously inherited the greater share of their intelligence,” Tatiana boasted.

  Luciana ignored her sister and asked, “Can ye tell me what happened to my mother?”

  He shut his eyes briefly. “She died. Two days after birthing you and Tatiana. You and your sister were born on the night the moons embrace, but of course we didn’t want anyone to know that. Even though Ariana suffered greatly, she held on for two more days, so we could convince everyone that you were born at a later date. Her last request was that I send you away—”

  “Why?” Luciana winced at the sound of her sister’s snickering.

  “My dear child.” He took her hands in his. “We did our best to conceal the time of your birth, but there was no way to hide the fact that there were two of you.”

  “Twin girls are considered a blessing here on the island,” Mother Ginessa explained, “but I’m afraid it is quite different on the mainland.”

  “Twins are considered an abomination, caused by the twin moons. Female twins are even worse, for they represent the goddesses themselves.” The duke squeezed Luciana’s hands. “The only way to keep you both alive was to separate you. We could never let anyone know that you’re twins.”

  “So ye sent me self here to protect me?” Luciana sighed. “But why let me think ye were dead? Could ye not have come to visit?”

  “Repeated visits here would have aroused the suspicions of the king’s spies. I couldn’t risk them finding out about you, not when it would mean your death.”

  She winced. “Is it truly that dangerous?”

  “I’m afraid so,” he replied. “In your studies, have you learned about the religion of the Eberoni?”

  Luciana nodded. “They worship the sun god called the Light, so they are called the Enlightened. The head of the church is the Eberoni king.”

  “Exactly. So anyone who refuses to follow the king’s religion is considered a blasphemer and put to death.”

  Luciana sat back. “He would kill someone for worshipping the goddesses? Why? Luna and Lessa are helpful. They guide the men home from the sea.”

  Mother Ginessa raised her hands to make the sign of the moons. “The Eberoni fail to understand the loving care the goddesses bestow upon us.”

  The duke snorted. “It has nothing to do with love or understanding. It’s about power. As long as the king is the head of the church, he alone can decide who has offended his god and deserves death.”

  Luciana regarded the duke curiously. “Then ye do not follow his religion?”

  “I do, actually.” A corner of his mouth lifted with a wry look. “As does everyone in Eberon who values his head. You will have to, also, when you return with me.”

  Luciana stiffened. “Ye expect me to change my beliefs?”

  “I won’t tell you what to believe, but for your own safety you have to at least pretend to be Enlightened.”

  “Nay.” She shook her head. “I cannot go. I would have to give up my beliefs, my home, and even my sisters.”

  He tilted his head. “Sisters?”

  “Aye. I have four sisters here.” Luciana’s eyes misted with tears. “I belong with them. We made a vow that we would remain together forever.”

  The duke watched her sadly. “You … truly have no wish to come home with me?”

  “My home is here. I cannot leave my faith. Or my sisters. I am the oldest. They need me self.”

  He rubbed his brow, frowning. “And what if I need you?”

  Tatiana snorted. “Why would Papa need you? You’re as coarse as a peasant, and your accent is simply horrid.”

  Luciana sighed. “I don’t want ye to think I’m ungrateful for yer visit. I hope ye’ll come back often.”

  He leaned toward her, watching her closely. “Have you been happy here? That is what I prayed for every day.”

  She blinked back tears. “Aye. I’ve been very happy.”

  Mother Ginessa rested a hand on Luciana’s shoulder. “Luciana and her sisters have been a delight to us who ne’er hoped to have children of our own.”

  Luciana smiled up at the nun. “We’ve been blessed to have a loving home.”

  The duke exhaled slowly as he leaned back in his chair. “All right, then. I will leave you here.”

  Luciana grinned. “Thank you!”

  Mother Ginessa stepped back, clearly stunned. “Bu—but, Yer Grace. Ye told me earlier that ye need her—”

  “No. She’s happy here. And safe.” He rose to his feet. “I stand by my decision. When the ground dries, we’ll bury Tatiana, then I’ll be on my way.”

  Luciana stood, growing increasingly concerned by the frantic look on Mother Ginessa’s face. “What is wrong?”

  The duke took hold of her shoulders and gazed at her with tears in his eyes. “Luciana, live a long and happy life for me. That is all I can ask.”

  “Ye’ll come see me self again, aye?” Her heart dropped when he lowered his hands and looked away. Was she going to be rejected once again?

  Mother Ginessa paced across her office, then turned with a defiant look. “Nay. I will not have this. Ye will tell yer daughter—”

  “She is my daughter,” he ground out. “That means the decision is mine.”

  “Nay, the decision is hers!” Mother Ginessa pointed at Luciana. “This is not the mainland where the men order the women about. Yer daughter is well educated and perfectly capable of making a decision for herself.”

  “I cannot ask her to do this for me!”

  Mother Ginessa snorted. “Ye felt fine with it less than an hour ago.”

  “I was wrong!” He grimaced, clenching his fists. “I thought I could do it, but I dare not. I’ve lost one daughter. I cannot risk losing the other.”

  “Why would ye lose me?” Luciana asked, but he shook his head, refusing to answer.

  Mother Ginessa scoffed. “Clearly ye don’t understand the way yer daughter has been raised. Here, in the Kingdom of Moon and Mist, a queen is our ruler. Women run the fish market while their husbands are away fishing. Women manage the shops while their men are away on their trading ships. Ye will tell yer daughter everything she needs to know, and then she will make the decision—”

  “I will not endanger her,” he insisted.

  “Then ye endanger yerself!” the nun yelled. “If ye go back without her, ye’ll be executed.”

  Luciana gasped.

  The duke gritted his teeth. “You overstep yourself, madam.”

  Mother Ginessa merely shrugged. “My convent, my rules.”

  “My daughter, my decision.”

  “Nay.” Luciana lifted her chin. “Ye will tell me. I have the right to know.”

  He sighed. “You’re so much like your sister.” His mouth lifted with a wry smile. “E
very bit as stubborn.”

  “Stubborn? Ha!” Tatiana turned her back.

  Luciana sat on the footstool. “Tell me everything.”

  With a groan, he settled back in the armchair. “All right, then. What do you know of Eberon?”

  “Of the four mainland kingdoms, it is the closest to the islands,” Luciana began. “’Tis named after two major rivers—the Ebe River in the north and the Ron River to the south. The capital is Ebton, which lies on the Ebe—”

  “Very good,” he interrupted. “And the history?”

  “Seventy years ago, the nobles rose up in rebellion against a tyrant king. The leader was the Earl of Benwick. He became king and founded the royal House of Benwick.”

  The duke nodded. “Then the king rewarded those who had helped him by giving them tracts of land. His greatest ally, Allesandro Vintello, became the Duke of Vindalyn. He received a large amount of land far to the south.”

  “He was yer ancestor?” Luciana asked.

  The duke smiled. “Yours, too. The land was considered too dry and too far away from the royal court in Ebton. Nobles usually prefer to be closer. But Allesandro was a wise man. He planted vineyards and olive trees. After years of hard work, Vindalyn became famous for its wine and olive oil. The castle of Vindemar on the Southern Sea is one of the strongest fortresses in the kingdom. Now Vindalyn is the richest and safest duchy in Eberon.”

  Luciana glanced at her goblet. The wine they drank at the convent came from Vindalyn. All these years she’d been drinking it without knowing it came from her father’s land.

  “Unfortunately,” the duke continued, “the House of Benwick has now become as corrupt as the tyrant they once usurped. What do you know of the current king?”

  “King Frederic,” she replied. “He has ruled for almost thirty years. He has one son—his heir, Prince Tedric.”

  “Exactly.” The duke gave her a wry look. “But no doubt your books have refrained from mentioning how cruel and ruthless Frederic is. He detests the nobles who own so much land and the allegiance of a great many vassals. So he has devised several methods for stealing the land back. One way is to deny a noble permission to marry. If there is no legitimate heir to inherit, the land reverts to the Crown.”

  Luciana blinked. “Is that why ye didn’t marry again?”

  The duke nodded. “He doesn’t want me to have a male heir. Frederic has craved my land for years.”

  Luciana bit her lip. With Tatiana gone, she was next in line to inherit.

  “Another way the king steals land is by ordering a nobleman to fulfill a task for him. If the nobleman fails, he is declared a traitor to the Crown, and he and his entire family are executed. With no heirs left alive, the land goes to the king.”

  Luciana winced. The king was definitely a tyrant.

  The duke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “A month ago, the king decreed that Tatiana must marry his nephew, Lord Leofric of Benwick, the current Lord Protector of the Realm.”

  “Ugh.” Tatiana shuddered. “The Beast of Benwick. It’s enough to make me grateful I died.”

  “I was ordered to deliver her to court,” the duke said.

  “Would ye not be excused if ye explain that yer daughter has died?” Luciana asked.

  “There are no excuses for disobeying a royal command. Frederic is eager to label me a traitor and seize my land.” The duke sighed. “Then all my people would come under his power and be subjected to his harsh rule.”

  And ye’ll be executed, Luciana thought. But the duke hadn’t mentioned that. He seemed more concerned about the welfare of the people who depended on him. And he’d planned to return home without letting her know about the danger he was in. He did love her. He loved her so much he was willing to face execution in order to keep her safe.

  There, she thought as a pang reverberated in her chest. There was the kind of love she’d always craved in her heart. And there was the connection, the resemblance. She loved her sisters with the same kind of love he was showing for her.

  Her heart swelled. This was the man she wanted as her father. And he needed her.

  Tears filled her eyes. “That’s why ye need me self to go with you. So ye can deliver a daughter to the royal court as ye were ordered.”

  He nodded. “I still have two months before the deadline runs out. Unfortunately I cannot present you at court as Luciana. Once the king realizes you’re a twin…”

  She would be killed. A chill stole down Luciana’s spine. “Then I must pretend to be my sister?”

  He regarded her sadly. “I’m afraid so.”

  Tatiana scoffed. “What a ridiculous notion! No one would ever believe that you’re me.”

  “And if the pretense is discovered, we would both be executed for deceiving the king,” her father added.

  Luciana swallowed hard. This was too much. How could she possibly do this? She started when her sister suddenly burst into laughter.

  “I just realized!” Tatiana slapped her leg noiselessly as she continued to laugh. “Oh, this is too rich. Now you will have to marry the Beast of Benwick!”

  Luciana gasped. A surge of panic bubbled up her throat. How could she marry a man who was referred to as a beast? Without thinking, her hands formed the sign of the moons.

  Her father winced. “That gesture alone will get you killed.”

  She flattened her hands against her chest. Her heart was thudding beneath her palms.

  “I can see how frightened you are.” Her father patted her shoulder. “Fear not, child. I will not ask this of you. The king doesn’t know of your existence here. As long as you stay here, you will be safe.”

  How could she remain, knowing her life here would cost her father his life? “I … I cannot stay here.”

  “Think, Luciana.” Her father grabbed her hands. “If the king ever learns that we tricked him, we will die. One slip of your accent, one sign of the moons, one mistake, and you will die. You must remain here where it is safe.”

  She blinked back tears, but they threatened to overflow. How could she say good-bye to her sisters? And if she left, she would have to give up more than her home, her sisters, and her beliefs. She would lose her identity.

  But how could she send her father back alone when it would mean his execution? How could she live with herself then? “I will go with you.”

  “Luciana.” Her father’s eyes glimmered with tears.

  She squeezed his hands. “Together, we will succeed.” Or together, they would die.

  Two deaths. The Telling Stones mocked her.

  Red as blood. Black as death.

  Chapter Three

  FIVE DAYS LATER …

  Of all the enemies of Eberon, it was the damned elves that didn’t make any sense.

  As Lord Protector of the Realm, Leofric of Benwick was accustomed to fighting the three kingdoms that bordered on Eberon. To the northeast, the coastal kingdom of Tourin was easy to understand. The country was full of greedy thieves and pirates. Whether they invaded by land or sea, their aim was always the same: stealing precious metals and jewels.

  To the northwest, the mountainous terrain of Norveshka extended far into the frozen north. When Norveshki warriors swept across the border, they stole livestock. Or worse.

  Then to the east lay the elfin kingdom of Woodwyn. When the elves attacked, they came with no warning and left with nothing. Leo shook his head. No sense at all. As far as he could tell, the big-eared buggers simply liked to kill.

  He was standing on top of a hill, surveying the Woodwyn border. Behind him, the army was making camp for the night. Next to him, a beacon tower rose from the crest of the hill. Over the years, the former Lord Protectors had developed an early warning system to stay informed of any incursions along the border. A long line of beacon towers had been erected, stretching across the thousand-mile border that began at the Great Western Ocean, then extended eastward past Tourin and Norveshka, then turned southward along Woodwyn to finally end at the Southern Sea.r />
  Leo had allowed the army to halt its march early today, for he knew his men were still tired from a battle with the elves two days ago. Leo and his troops had inflicted some damage on the elfin army before they’d retreated across the border. After leaving some soldiers there to keep watch, he’d taken the rest of the army north, traveling close to the Woodwyn border to keep an eye on the elves.

  The border was marked with a stone wall. Only waist-high, it was easily breached. It was the forest on the other side that served as more of a deterrent. Thick and impenetrable, dark and deadly, it was the inspiration for many a late-night horror tale around a campfire. Eberoni mothers used threats of the elfin forest to make sure their young ones behaved.

  On this side of the border, the Eberoni had cleared away the trees to make farm- and pastureland. The process had taken a few centuries, but now the effect was startling. No trees, just rolling green farmland, then bam! A solid wall of forest.

  “Hey!” a voice called behind him.

  Leo glanced back to see Nevis charging up the hill.

  “See anything?” Nevis yelled.

  “No.” Leo shifted his gaze back to the forest. No one ever saw the elves until they crossed the wall.

  Nevis caught up with him and eyed the border. “Do you think they’re there? I can’t see anything but trees.”

  Leo gave his friend a wry look. “That’s a common problem with forests. You have to wonder about them, though. What do they eat?”

  “The trees?”

  “No, the elves. If they never clear any of their land, how do they grow crops or raise cattle? What do they eat?”

  Nevis shrugged. “Never thought about it. When one of them comes at me, swinging his sword, I’m more worried about my next meal than his.”

  Leo eyed his friend’s wide girth. “It wouldn’t hurt you to miss a meal.”

  With a huff, Nevis thumped his stomach with a fist. “This is solid muscle.”

  Leo snorted. “They’re eating something.”

  “Maybe they live on acorns like a bunch of squirrels. Could explain their pointy ears.” Nevis gave the forest a wary look, then raised his voice. “No offense!”