“As if you would shy from a little blood.” Scythe snickered, her words laced with a smirk as she fastened a ruby necklace around my throat.
“If only Tallon could see Argos feed,” I scoffed.
My father’s dragon sired a brood each year, and he raised them until they could hunt on their own. Every feeding, he brought in a mid-sized whale, tearing it apart until bloody entrails scattered the ground—a gory feast for his dragonlings. Their hunger blurred any distinction between friend and foe. I’d seen it firsthand because Dragon Queen Kalepsi named me Dragon’s Heart the day I was born, a bond that marked me for life.
Scythe sighed, eyes gleaming with a dreamlike hue. “I imagine Tallon would have a change of tune if he were slapped with a bloody organ or two.”
I laughed, tossing my braid over my shoulder as I spun to see my reflection. The colors, the dark strength of the outfit—it was perfect.
Without waiting to be summoned, I headed to the door. It was half past the sixth hour, and I didn’t trustHis Highnessto remember to call for me. When I entered the hall, the guards snapped to attention, one turning my way.
“Take me to Prince Tallon,” I said with a soft smile.
I tried to glimpse his eyes behind the narrow visor, but he was cast in darkness. With a curt nod, he pivoted, metal armor clinking, and started down the corridor. I followed in silence, pressing my lips together. I needed to talk to King Kallias about these guards—soon, they’d feel like shackles.
Early morning quietness hung in the air as I walked. Shafts of pale sunlight stretched across the halls, illuminating paintings, plants, and carved relics that I mentally mapped as we passed. Here and there, staff moved with swift determination, bowing or curtsying as we went by. The nobles, of course, still slept.
The guard led us out into the already warm air of the courtyard.
I knew it.
A gathering of horses filled the space, all flanked by guards. Among them stood a striking black steed adorned with scarlet tack, its coat gleaming in the sunlight. Birds darted overhead, their songs cutting through the thick silence. Tallon broke from his conversation with the king, his eyes snapping to me as I dismissed my guard and crossed the courtyard. I lifted my chin, skimming their faces, my smile laced with venom I refused to hide. The prince didn’t mask his irritation either; his fists clenched tight, his frown a deep furrow.
Kallias, however, studied me with—was that approval in his gaze? His eyes swept over my split dress, pausing with a hint of scrutiny before rising back to my face. A slight tilt of his head showed curiosity.
“Princess Nienna,” Tallon hissed. He actually hissed.
I would marry him, a man I didn’t know, one who ignored me. But I’d be no man’s doormat.
Kallias’ brows snapped together, his glare fixed on his son. “Princess Nienna, bright morning.” Sunlight glinted off his mantle, scattering the rays. “What brings you out at this hour?” The king, it seemed, had mastered the art of civility.
“Prince Tallon invited me to witness Kaden’lon’s hounds at the hunt,” I replied, letting my smile sharpen as I turned to the prince. “It appears he forgot to send for me.”
“I also forgot to prepare a horse for you.” Tallon grinned. “Perhaps next time.”
“Prince Tallon.” The king straightened, his frame stiff with a glare so frigid it could cut steel. “Royalty of Radaan do not lie.”
The depth, the rage that darkened his father’s voice sent a shiver down my spine.Never lie to Kallias.I tucked that truth away.
Tallon’s eyes narrowed, his lashes lowering with an agonizing slowness as though resisting the urge to roll them.
“Then I’ll travel with a single guard,” Tallon muttered, waving a dismissive hand at the two guards waiting beside their mounts.
I glanced at the beasts, a flicker of nerves stirringwithin.
“After the council meeting, see to the temple,” Kallias added, his voice edged with a sharp note. His fierce gaze locked with mine, and my smile softened—whether out of gratitude or unease, I couldn’t tell. His jaw clenched, a muscle flickering beneath his skin, before he turned and strode toward a garden in full bloom, his guard trailing in silence.
Tallon released an exasperated breath. “Do you ride astride,Princess?”
I bared my teeth in a smile laced with mock sweetness. “I ride horses as well as dragons,Prince.”
“Always with the dragons.”
“It’s a good reminder,” I murmured.For both of us.I rode with my father and brother—in parades. To be frank, I didn’t have the same bond with horses as I did with the mighty beasts that took to the skies.
Tallon snorted, motioning to a horse. His guard knelt, offering me a foothold. The black stallion met my gaze, neck arched, nostrils flaring as it stamped a hoof. Shoving my nerves aside, I gathered my skirts and grabbed the reins as I stepped into the guard’s waiting hands, his expression one of patient indifference. As he hoisted me up, I slid a leg over the saddle, adjusting my dress as the beast sidestepped beneath me.
With only a hum of amusement, Tallon mounted and nudged his stallion forward, leading us out of the courtyard. The remaining guard cast a brief glance my way, his gaze unreadable, darkened by the shadow of his helm, before he followed the prince into the sunlight. Teeth gritted, I pressed my heels into the horse and it surged, eager to match pace with the others.
