I’m irritated he even thinks he has the right to ask. “Arthur is simply one of the most important men in my life, and he’ll always hold a high place in my eyes.”
That seems to renew their looks of anger as they storm out of my room, slamming the door shut behind them. I sit down on my bed, realizing that I’m shaking just a little. The conversation was just… so emotionally charged. Every time I’m around them it’s like that. Like lightning is sizzling through the air, and I don’t know. I’ve been attracted to men before—though never like I’ve been to them—but I can’t think that’s entirely it. The truth is, I don’t know what’s going on between us, but I know they seemed a bit sad that I didn’t want to marry them.
Or maybe I was imagining it.
Either way, something is in the air between us. Something powerful. Something that almost feels like magic. I have to thinkit’s because of our connection through our dragons, but even as I have the thought, I know it’s something more than that.
Something that scares me.
15
Harper
I hearthe bell signaling that it’s time for dinner, and a second later, there’s a knock at my door. I already know who it is before I rise from my bed. Ever since my discussion with the princes three days ago, they’ve been acting… weird. Nice, maybe? They’ve been going out of their way to seek me out rather than be nasty to me, and the whole thing has me completely on edge.
Adaptation is a skill I’ve always prided myself on having, but I can’t adapt to their change in behavior, because I don’t trust it. They have to be being nice to me for a reason. There’s something they want from me, but I’m not sure what it is. And until I know, I won’t be able to relax.
Opening my door, I find all three princes waiting. There’s a tense kind of truce between them that I’ve noticed too, like they’re all on the same page about how to handle me, but that’s it. All three men are in their leathers, probably because we’ll be going riding after dinner, to do some night practice, but they’ve combed their hair and washed the dirt from their skin.
“Yes?” I ask, even though I already know why they’re here.
“We came to escort you to dinner,” Prince Lucien says, flashing a smile I don’t trust.
For a second I debate telling them to screw off, but then I decide that that’s pretty pointless. “Okay. I guess a girl needs to eat.”
I step out into the hall, and they don’t give me a lot of room. That’s another thing I’ve noticed about them. They don’t seem to have much of a sense of personal space lately either.
“Harper!” Arthur shouts my name as he comes running down the hall.
I actually hear Prince Lucien sigh in frustration. All three men tense, and Arthur runs toward us with a big grin on his face, seemingly unaware of how much the princes dislike him.
“Heading to dinner?” he asks all of us with a grin. “I love the food here. I mean,loveit. My compliments to the chef and all, men. I mean, Your Highnesses.”
“The food’s really not that good,” Prince Alaric says, sounding confused.
I laugh. “That’s because you’re used to fancy foods.”
“Well, you will be too soon, as a princess.” Prince Alaric gives a little nod, like my future is certain.
I start walking, and they all crowd around me as we head down the hall. A passing servant has to flatten themselves against the wall to give us space to pass, and I roll my eyes at the men. Seriously, it’s like there’s a competition to see who can get the closest to me.
“While you were play fighting–” Arthur begins.
“Practicing,” Prince Gareth grits out.
“Right, right, practicing, I went out on the town. This place is huge. Buildings and people are just everywhere.”
Tension lifts a bit from my shoulders at his excitement. “It’s really a beautiful town.”
“When we marry, we can travel to all the big cities all over the country. Elarwyn is very pretty, but there are many other places that are equally beautiful. Snow-covered cities in the mountains. Warm beaches with water that feels like bath water. Towns surrounded by trees that tower over them. Even though none of us have really gotten to do more than fly through the towns while training with brief stops, I’ve always wanted to explore the continent, spend some time seeing if these places are as magical as they seem,” Prince Lucien tells me smoothly, smiling.
“Ifwe get married,” I simply add, which results in all three of them frowning.
We make it to the dining hall, and the princes secure an area that’s big enough for all of us to sit at. Tesson is on the other end of the table, glaring, something he’s done a lot over the last three days. He’s also continued to try to argue with me that I belong to him, which has only led to me embarrassing him in front of the other dragon riders over and over again. I just want him to get the message and leave, but he seems to be completely dense.
Roland enters the dining area, takes one look at me surrounded by the guys, and goes as far from us as he can manage. I have to stifle a laugh. The man knows where there’s trouble and wants absolutely nothing to do with it.
Servants set out food in front of us, and we all dig in, hungry after a long day of training. We’ve got some kind of beef in a savory sauce that tastes incredible, smooth mashed potatoes, carrots in a honey sauce, and green beans and bacon. Arthur moans as he eats, and I grin, glad he’s enjoying himself.
