Chapter One
The capital came intosight at last. We’d been traveling by days and I trembled with exhaustion and sore muscles, still unused to riding horses.
Indigo kicked her horse into a faster canter, excitement shining in her eyes. She’d been away from her kindred, Lysander for too long and she certainly had a lot to tell him since she was bringing a new kindred home and into their family. I still couldn’t believe she’d left him behind, but she said she needed him to keep an eye on things back at the palace.
I envied her certainty in her bond with him. She had no fear or worry over his reaction over bringing back Darius from the dragon lands as her third kindred. It had terrified me when I told Whist, Sky, Saber, and Aster about Bastian, my new dragon kindred. And we both declined the bond. Indigo and Darius had already consummated the bond. Multiple times.
I peeked at Bastian through the hair hanging in my face. His face was set in stern lines, his eyes wary as he drank in the sight of the capital. He didn’t appear at all impressed at the palace rising above the city.
His eyes flicked over to me and I yanked my attention away from him. Things between us had remained awkward and mostly silent throughout our journey from the dragon lands. With so many people along with us, there wasn’t time for us to air out our issues, so instead, we’d avoided them and each other.
Sky had grown increasingly silent and angry the closer we grew to Faligrey. He refused to discuss it with me and spent most of his time glaring at Bastian. When Bastian decided to come along with us, Sky had calmed down, but he’d gotten angry all over again as we traveled.
At this point, I wished Bastian had stayed behind in the dragon lands. He’d only made things strained and uncomfortable instead of him blending in with our strange family. I hoped once we were back inside the palace and everyone had a little more space, things would settle a bit.
As we rode into the city, citizens of the capital spilled onto the streets to gape at us. Indigo had Darius on one side and Elora on the other and Aster arranged it so I rode between him and Bastian, the assassins in a row behind us, watching our backs.
Indigo slowed her horse as the crowd grew, drawing to a halt to address the crowd. “Thank you. As most of you were probably aware, your prince met his kindred recently. Someone kidnapped her from the palace and we finally tracked her down in the dragon lands.”
She paused so the crowd could gasp and mutter their surprise. “They took excellent care of her and she found a kindred there. One who is on the Dragon Assembly.” She gestured to Bastian who inclined his head.
Jaws dropped and eyes widened as the people of the capital stared at Bastian.
Indigo reached over and took Darius’s hand. “When we arrived to bring her home, I met mine as well. I plan to ask my father, the king if he’ll consider working on an agreement with the dragon lands so the many of you who have never found your kindreds have a better chance. So many are forced to live their lives alone because their kindreds possibly live in other lands. As your crown princess, it is my duty to do whatever is in my power to bring such an important blessing into your lives.”
Smiles and excited and surprised chatter broke out among the citizens as they bowed and curtsied to their princess and prince with gleaming eyes. It was the first time I’d seen Indigo or Aster in front of regular citizens. They were beloved.
The nobles loved them too, but it was different—more calculating and mercenary.
This adoration was purer, more hopeful.
It warmed my chest and made me see Aster and Indigo with new eyes. Citizens in the outer villages of Faligrey looked forward to Indigo’s reign, but they didn’t know much about her or Aster. Maybe they should travel further into Faligrey to meet with those people, to endear them to the royal children and their future queen.
The crowd broke up and parted to let us continue on to the palace. The closer the palace grew, the stronger my nerves plagued me. I looked forward to sleeping in an actual bed and no longer spending my days rocking on the back of a horse, but we were right back in the thick of danger once we made it inside. More so, now with the dragons with us. Having me in the king’s family was bad enough, but adding two dragons? I didn’t expect him to handle it well.
Maybe we’d all end up in the dungeons where he wanted me from the beginning.
The weight of worry and helplessness settled heavy on my shoulders, dread building up with each step the horses made through the city. I couldn’t shake it off. I tried reminding myself of everything I had to be grateful for, but it only made me fear losing it.
Losing everything.
Saber reached over from his horse and grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently. “We’ll be okay, love.”
“I know.”
He shook his head at me with a small smile, not buying it for a moment.
We paused in front of the stables where several workers emerged, bowing to Aster and Indigo. I slid off my horse instead of waiting for help, desperate to feel the hard ground beneath my feet.
A wince creased my face as I stretched.
Indigo addressed one of the stable hands. “Please have our bags brought to the palace.”
He bowed. “Of course, highness.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Elora hustled us off. “Let’s go.”
Indigo led the way with Darius and Elora at her sides, the rest of us trailing behind. Whist and Aster bracketed me between them, Sky and Saber doing the same to Bastian behind us.
This felt eerily similar to before when we were brought in by the guards. About to go before the king who would decide our fate. The bastard had way too much power.
Indigo paused so we could draw close as guards noticed our arrival and approached. “We’re not going to have time to clean up before we have to answer to him. Stick to the plan. Let me do the talking.”
She waited for us to nod and mumble our agreement before she turned with a bright smile at the guards scowling at us. “As you can see, the prince and I have made it home safely. It was quite an adventure.”
The guard with the most tassels on his purple uniform stepped forward with a frown. “So it appears. Your father requests your presence.”
“Of course, Captain Jem. We were headed straight to him.”
Jem nodded sharply. “Excellent. Follow us, please.”
Elora stepped forward with a scowl and her hand wrapped around the hilt of her sword. “You will address the crown princess with the proper respect if you want to keep both your job and your manhood.”
The guard gulped and bowed. “My apologies. Forgive me, your highness.”
A saccharine smile spread across Indigo’s lips, her tone dripping with poison. “I understand. You must have been quite worried about us in our long absence.”
Amusement twitched at my lips at the way the princess handled him. Damn those guards. They had too long of a leash. It needed to be cut and Indigo looked like she couldn’t wait to shorten it.
The captain cleared his throat, shifting on his feet. “We were, your highness. Your people miss you and the prince when you are gone.” There was an implied threat in his words.
This man was clearly a moron.
Indigo’s smile grew, her teeth flashing. “Something for which I am incredibly grateful. Please, take us to my father if you would be so kind.”
“Of course, highness.”
I sucked my cheeks between me teeth and bit down to keep from breaking into robust laugher.
The humor fled the second we reached the door of the throne room.