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“Sire—”
The king stared at Stenlen, who in turn closed the door without another protest.
Jori had watched his mother negotiate with many stubborn merchants during their travels. While he lacked his mother’s diplomatic skills, he at least strove for her patience in difficult situations.
“What do you want from life, Jori?”
Here it was. He shrugged. “Never really thought too hard on the subject,” he lied.
He thought about it all the time. All the things he wanted in life really came down to independence and family. He wanted the autonomy to roam the world as he pleased and the comfort and love of a family he could share his life with.
The king’s eyes narrowed on Jori’s face. He sighed. “I’ve seen some of your videos. You probably don’t realize how much you tell of yourself in them. Your love of adventure and your desire to reconnect with your mother. Very touching.” He smiled. “Let me tell you a secret. Living among dragons can be incredibly adventurous. You could work with Stenlen to scout and find other dragon hives. We are a brotherhood. You wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. And your mother is here whenever you wish to see her.” He reached toward the bowl of strawberries on the tray and popped one into his mouth. “These are good, you should have some.”
Jori ignored the offered fruit. “You went to a lot of trouble to bring us here. What do you think I can do for you in this mountain kingdom of yours?”
The king sighed again, “It was a lot of trouble, wasn’t it? Your mother kept me from you. I have rights as a father.”
“To what end?” Jori ground his teeth.
“As I said, a father has rights to his child. By the way, I’m very, very pleased there is a grandchild on the way. Very pleased.” He smiled.
Jori’s stomach flipped.
“Really though,” Richmund continued, chewing the last strawberry from the bunch he’d taken from the tray, “eat your food, the initiation will begin soon. Your mother will be there, you can catch up with her at the reception afterward. She’ll be stunned to see you, I know.” He rapped on the door, then turned back as it opened. “Oh, and don’t get too used to this room; after the initiation, you’ll be moved to more appropriate accommodations. Much nicer.” He smiled again. “Big screen tv and great sound system.”
The door closed behind him.
The king wanted his offspring. He wanted Jori’s child too. A dynasty. He wanted to establish a dynasty. But through all of that, he guessed his real goal was still the queen herself. Otherwise why bother with the island? His mother had been a convenient alternative. Back up insurance.
Offspring were vital to continue the lineage. Now they had two fertile women in captivity. His mother—Jori caught his breath. Had she been forced to bear more children? He hated that she undoubtedly had been forced into sex with that delusional bastard. A little ripple went through his gut at the thought of siblings, though he hadn’t seen any young faces in the hall. That didn’t mean anything, they might have just been elsewhere.
If there were younger children, why would he push so hard to have Jori brought here? He’d have others to fill whatever role it was that he thought Jori could do.
It didn’t matter. He needed to figure out what he could do to obtain his mother’s and Kymri’s freedom. As much as he hated the idea of being trapped in a mountain, he couldn’t stand the thought of them being forced to live here under the yoke of forced childbearing.
Chapter 21
Kymri’s wrists were raw from the constant tugging on the shackles binding her dragon magic. If it weren’t for her ability to heal quickly, the flesh would be scraped to the bone. The metal was just too snug. Dislocating her thumb did nothing but cause a lot of pain. Thankfully, she was able to get it back in place properly. It had given her something to concentrate on and get her overloaded senses under control.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside her door seconds before it swung open. A young male glanced at the tray of barely eaten food then held clothing aloft. “The king wishes you to dress appropriately for his progeny’s initiation. We may leave as soon as you have changed.”
“If I don’t?”
“Then you may not attend. He would prefer it if you did.”
She snatched it from his hand.
Expression impassive, he closed the door.
Stripping off her shirt and jeans, she tossed them on the bed and pulled the dress over her head. She wondered who it I was made for, if anyone in particular. It didn’t quite fit properly. The neckline plunged despite being too snug to look right, and the hem dragged on the floor. Pulling her boots back on under the dress relieved some of the drag.
Before knocking on the door, she grabbed Jori’s t-shirt from where she’d left it neatly folded. She might need it. She prayed she’d be able to control herself this time—vomiting was disgusting.
Clutching the shirt in her hands, she stepped out to follow the young male and several more fell in line as escort. Her stomach rolled at the cloud of male dragon scents. Concentrating on steadying her breathing, she followed, seriously hoping the inconvenient illness would pass.
Kymri was not taken to the same hall they’d been to on their arrival. She was led deeper down into the mountain, arriving at a set of massive wooden doors resembling those at the citadel. Older, more primitive.
The air here was different, colder, and earthier. There was lighting, but the central air system didn’t extend this far down.
