“You two ready?” Addolgar asked. “Have everything you need?” When they both nodded, he gave that adorable, wide grin of his, showing all those perfect fangs, and swung his forearm out from his body. “Then after you, my ladies.”
Determined to get through this somehow without embarrassing herself, Braith nodded and walked on, Katarina right behind her.
Then Braith realized something.... She had no idea how far away the Western Mountains actually were. A couple of days’ travel? Gods. Hopefully not more than that.
Early on the fourth day of their trip, they camped for the night in a small grove. They still had at least another three-day flight before reaching the Western Mountains, but so far they’d made good time, considering it was nearing winter and the winds were beginning to howl.
Yet today’s trip had ended early when Lady Katarina, who had been doing so well, with few to no complaints so far, suddenly announced she was getting tired. Addolgar understood; she seemed a frail thing. At least by dragon standards, she seemed frail.
So they’d settled here for the night. It was nice. Lots of trees, a lake nearby, and some tasty-looking oxen a few miles away. Addolgar never needed much more than that.
He settled down beside a large oak, his back pressed against the trunk so that his wings could get a good stretch. He’d rest for a while before searching out that oxen so he could eat, then take night watch.
Just as Addolgar began to get comfortable, Lady Katarina softly stepped up beside him.
“Lord Addolgar,” she greeted.
“Just sergeant, I’m afraid, Lady.”
“An earned title,” she mused. “Much more admirable, I assure you.”
Enjoying the compliment, Addolgar asked, “Do you need something, my lady? Or Lady Braith?”
“Oh, she’s fine. A little fed up with this traveling. I think she believed this to be a much shorter trip, but she’ll probably go down to the lake in a bit to relax. Actually, though, I’m about to make some tea. Would you like some?”
A royal? Making something for a low-born Cadwaladr? Who would have thought? “That would be lovely.”
“Give me a few minutes then.”
“Of course.”
Feeling elated by the obvious attention of Lady Katarina—she was making him tea!—Addolgar relaxed back and let out a contented sigh. As he waited, watching the lovely Lady Katarina move around the campfire, he noticed Braith heading off into the woods toward the nearby lake. She had her head down as she silently eased away. No one noticed, which he expected was what she wanted.
Braith sat down by the river. Her back legs stretched out in front of her, her claws resting on her knees, and her wings stretching out from her body.
She’d admit, she couldn’t stand to watch another second. By the gods, the fawning. The fawning!
It was all so easy for them, wasn’t it? The pretty ones. It was as if the males felt an inherent need to coddle the pretty ones. Did their beauty make them somehow weaker?
Nor did it help that Lady Katarina was inherently sweet. It would be easier if she were a right bitch like most royals. But instead, she was polite, charming, and damn pretty.
Braith wanted to hate her, but she just couldn’t. The bitch.
She heard movement in the trees, and Braith stood on her haunches and raised her claws, curling them into fists. Addolgar the Cheerful lumbered out of the trees, stopping when he saw her raised fists. He blinked hard.
“A bit nervous?” he asked.
“Aren’t you?”
“No.” Addolgar glanced off, silent for a moment, then asked, “Should I be?”
“Can you honestly tell me you feel comfortable here?”
“Oh. Do you think we should travel as human?”
Braith took a breath and reminded herself that this was Addolgar. He wasn’t quite like his brother Bercelak. Although that could be why she actually liked him, because he wasn’t his brother Bercelak.
“That’s not what I meant.” She turned her body a bit so she could see Addolgar clearly. “I don’t trust these guards.”
Addolgar stepped closer. “Why not?”
Braith did not answer right away. She might be attracted to Addolgar, but that didn’t mean she could trust him. In fact, Braith trusted few, which was why she spent most of her time alone in her cave. It was safer.
Addolgar knelt down on one knee, one forearm resting on his massive thigh.
“What is it, Braith?” When she still didn’t answer: “You can trust me.”
Perhaps she could, but Braith had been protecting herself by herself for more than a century, since the death of her beloved mother, when her mother’s kin had sent her a letter saying they wanted nothing to do with her because she had her father’s blood coursing through her veins. So no, she wouldn’t suddenly confide in Addolgar the Cheerful, but what she would say was, “Watch the guards. They are loyal to my father, not to the Queen.”
Addolgar’s head tipped to the side. “But your father’s loyal to the Queen, is he not?”
“My father is loyal to my father. I have always made sure never to forget that.”
From the camp they could hear Lady Katarina calling out to Addolgar. Something about tea. Braith hated tea.
“We’ll be eating soon,” Addolgar said.
“I’ll be there in a bit,” Braith replied, turning her body back around to face the lake.
Addolgar stood and began to head back to camp. But he stopped just before stepping into the trees. “Want me to save you some ox?” he asked kindly. Why did he have to be so bloody nice?
Braith didn’t even bother to turn around. “No, thank you.”
She heard him walk off, which wasn’t really hard since he stomped like a moose. Once she knew she was alone, she let out a long sigh.
Briefly, she entertained the thought of breaking her oath to the Queen and just flying off. It would be easy enough; no one really cared that she was here. No one cared about her at all. But she knew she couldn’t do that—her oath was her bond. Just as her mother had taught her.
After allowing herself to really wallow in all that self-pity, Braith decided to head back to camp. But as she stood, she knew dragons were near again. Once more, she brought up her fists and spun around, ready to fight.
Strong claws covered handsome faces because they, if no one else, knew what those fists could truly do.
“A little nervous, sister?” her brother asked from behind his raised claws.
“Always a little nervous,” her other brother said.
And once Braith saw her older brothers standing in front of her, in the middle of nowhere, she knew she’d been right—her father was going to betray the Queen.
By the time Addolgar returned to the campsite, Lady Katarina was waiting for him with fresh tea and biscuits. She smiled at him as he approached.
“I was afraid you’d abandoned me, Sergeant.”
“No, no. Not at all. Just checking on Lady Braith.”
“She doesn’t seem very happy,” she murmured.
“Oh, she always looks like that.” Addolgar sat down by the fire and took the tea from Lady Katarina, holding the metal cup between both claws. He sipped it, forced himself not to wince at the bitter flavor. He’d never been a fan of tea. He preferred water . . . or just plain ale. He really liked ale. “She just has a lot on her mind.”
“I’m sure she does. In fact, I think she has you on her mind.”
“Me?” Addolgar chuckled. “Doubt that, Lady.”
“Why would you say that?”
“She’s never shown me the least bit of interest. I doubt she’d start now.”
She held out a tin of biscuits and Addolgar picked one up with the tips of two claws, nibbled it, rather than shoving it into his mouth before grabbing a handful more. He worried he’d have to eat the oxen like this as well. All polite nibbles and patient rendering, rather than tearing and ripping until he could get to the steamy insides like he usually did at mealtime.
She motioned to the tea, apparently done with the topic of Braith of the Darkness. “Drink up. The bitterness will go away in a bit.”
Addolgar nodded and took another gulp of the tea.
He didn’t think Lady Katarina was right, though, because he couldn’t imagine the tea tasting better anytime soon.
Lady Katarina sat down beside Addolgar. “You’re very . . . sweet, Sergeant Addolgar.”
Addolgar couldn’t help but smile. “You mean . . . compared to my family?”
“Oh, no, no—”
“It’s all right, Lady.” He shrugged. “I’m a Cadwaladr. I have no shame about that. No . . . insecurities.”
“You’re proud of them.”
“Of course I am. They’re my kin.”
“And they’ll be there for you? No matter what?”
Addolgar frowned, confused by the question. “Why wouldn’t they be?”
“I’d heard they can be”—she thought a moment—“harsh. To each other, I mean.”
“Some might say. But no more than any one of us can handle. And usually not more than any one of us deserves.”
“Good.” Her smile was soft . . . and a little sad. “I’m glad.”
“I’m glad you’re glad.”
Unable to tolerate any more of the horrid tea, Addolgar went to put the cup down, but it tumbled from his claw, tea splattering across the ground.
“Huh.” He looked at Lady Katarina. “I’m a bit of a fumble-claws tonight. Guess I’m more tired than I realized.”
“Go to sleep. It’s all right.”
“All right. Just have the lads wake me up in a few hours so I can take night watch.”
“Of course,” she said, her voice seeming to fade to Addolgar’s ears. “And thank you, Sergeant.”
Addolgar stretched out, trying to keep himself raised on his elbow, but his forearm gave out and he ended up crashing to the ground.
He tried not to look as clumsy as he felt and asked, “What for, Lady Katarina?”
“For being ever so kind.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, grinning.
Lady Katarina’s image dimmed, and he briefly thought about spitting in an attempt to get the bitter taste of that awful tea out of his mouth. But, unfortunately, everything went black before he had the chance.
“What are you two doing here?” Braith asked her brothers, hoping to sound as vapid as they believed her to be. As confused. Like their father, they gave her very little credit.
“To take Lady Katarina.”
“Against her will?”
Meical scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Of course not. She’s as involved in this as the rest of us.”
“The rest of us?”
Afanen said with a dismissive shrug, “The soldiers here. They’re loyal to Father. Well . . . except for that big Cadwaladr oaf.”
“Good thing they sent him and not Bercelak,” Meical noted. “Or Ghleanna. That would have been messy.”
“Do you really think he’s just going to let her go without a fight?” Braith asked, her mind already racing.