Chapter 5
T ell me what happened.
I swallowed and gathered my nerve. He needed to know the truth.
“Menelaus, I…” My voice faltered.
What will he think of me when he knows the truth?
He pulled me closer. “You’re all right, love. I’m here.”
Yes. I had never thought I would feel the warmth of his body against mine again.
His powerful hands rubbed my back, easing the residual panic from the tidal wave of unpleasant memories.
I drew in a shaky breath. “You deserve to know what happened after Papa’s guards dragged you away.” My mind returned to that awful moment twenty years ago, when my world had fallen apart.
“We had everything planned so carefully,” he said. “What went wrong?”
“When I found out I was pregnant, I knew we couldn’t wait any longer.” I rolled over and faced him. “I never thought humans and Wind-Walkers could have children together.”
“Nor did I.” His words rumbled deep in his chest. There was no anger there. Not yet.
His hand found mine, and he laced our fingers together.
“So I went to Mother and Papa,” I said. “I thought it would be better to choose the time and place, rather than having them find out from one of the palace maids or mages.”
I hadn’t thought about that terrible day in many years. Now, I relived it as if it had happened yesterday.
* * *
The Imperial Palace Neapolis Capitola Twenty years ago
“You let that Dragon defile you?” Papa’s voice cracked through the air like a whip. The impassive expression he usually wore gave way to rage.
It was after supper, and we were in the imperial palace’s Blue Salon, playing cards as we usually did.
I’d picked this time to broach the topic of Prince Menelaus with my parents because it was the only time during the day when no imperial officials or servants attended them.
“Oh, Jonquil, how could you? Knowing the scandal you’ll unleash upon us all?” Mother’s expression was tight with anxiety. “The imperial council is already chafing at your father’s new tax proposal. They’ll seize any excuse to make trouble for us. You know that!”
“But I suppose you’re only thinking about yourself. As always.” Papa’s tone was glacial. His disapproval froze me to the core. “It’s bad enough that I have no sons and that you’ll be the first reigning domina in the Dominion’s history. But now, with this scandal, the nobles will eat you alive.”
“They’ll eat us alive,” Mama added, wringing her hands. “Your father is already walking a tightrope with the council. Certain parties —” Her lip curled with contempt. “—insist that a woman can’t rule the Dominion by herself, and are pressuring us to arrange your marriage to one of their heirs. A scandal of this magnitude will give them a sword with which to behead us!”
“But it doesn’t have to be a scandal,” I protested, though I knew exactly which parties Mother was referring to. Though the duchies and principalities of the Dominion had been unified for over two centuries now, the wealthiest and most powerful nobles still chafed against the reins of imperial authority.
Only the hope of an imperial marriage kept them intriguing against each other rather than allying themselves against Papa.
I hated how my voice shook, even though I’d rehearsed this speech a hundred times. I plowed on.
“You could tell the council that if I marry Prince Menelaus, we can have a lasting peace with Kappadokia that doesn’t require hostages. This—this isn’t just a love match, Papa. It’s a diplomatic alliance. It—it could save money on our southern border defenses. And, um, lower taxes for everyone?”
In the privacy of my apartment, in front of my mirror, my speech had sounded like a steady, bold declaration with irrefutable logic.
Now, confronting my parents’ anger, it deflated into a pathetic plea.
“I can’t believe I actually have to say this, but I absolutely forbid you to marry a Dragon!” Papa turned away from me and snatched up a handbell to summon a servant.
When Junior Chamberlain Lucius entered, Papa snapped, “Summon the imperial guards and Court Mage Guibert. Arrest Prince Menelaus and put him in a cell until I figure out what to do with the miserable wretch.”
Lucius shot me a quick, almost sympathetic glance before he bowed to Papa. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”
When the door closed behind him, I tried one last time to make my parents understand. “Don’t do this!” I begged. “Please! I love him!”
Mother looked back at me. Her mouth was pinched with disapproval and her gaze was filled with withering scorn. “Does that mean you were foolish enough to lie with him?” she asked.
My expression must’ve betrayed me, because before I could reply, she shook her head. “Divine Mother, this situation truly is beyond repair!”
“I’m pregnant!” I blurted.
Papa’s face flushed with anger. He seized me by the shoulders. “Wasn’t it enough that you shamed our family by consorting with that Dragon? You’ve actually soiled our bloodline?”
He shook me so hard my teeth clacked together.
From long experience, I knew further pleas were useless when Papa was in the grip of one of his rages. I sent Mother a pleading look.
Her full mouth was opened into a horrified “O.” I couldn’t tell whether her horror was because of my confession or Papa’s reaction to it.
“Even if we agreed with you, which we most certainly don’t ,” she managed in a strangled-sounding voice, “marriage between humans and Dragons is forbidden on pain of death under the Supernatural Relations Act. We can’t risk flaunting the law, not now, not with the dukes of Frankia and Norhas both opposing your elevation to Imperial Heir.”
“Once we’ve dealt with that troublemaking Dragon,” Papa said to Mother, “we’ll order Mage Armand to deal with that… that creature growing inside her.”
“No,” I whispered. My hands went to cover my still-flat belly in an instinctive gesture.
“If we can keep this a secret, perhaps the Duke de Norhas will agree to a marriage between Jonquil and his heir, Count Beltrán.”
Her words hit me like a blow. “You’re trying to marry me off to De Norhas’ son? ” I gasped. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Before either of my parents could answer me, there was another knock.
At Papa’s curt command, Court Mage Guibert entered. He was a young mage who served as the Head of Palace Security.
“Your Highness, it’s done. I put a restrictor collar on that Dragon before my men arrested him. We have a few injured, but no one’s dead,” he reported coldly. “What do you want us to do with the beast?”
“Sadly, we can’t just kill him.” Papa scowled at Mage Guibert. “Send him somewhere far away, where he can’t cause more mischief.”
Mage Guibert bowed. “I know just the place, Your Highness. Darkstone Island—it’s where we exile lawbreaking mages. If we keep the prisoner collared, he won’t be able to fly away.”
“Very well,” Papa said.
“No!” I’d heard the rumors about Darkstone Island.
Papa and the mage both looked at me in surprise, as if they’d momentarily forgotten my presence.
“Collar her, too,” ordered Papa, releasing my shoulders and stepping back.
Mage Guibert had apparently been expecting this order. He’d come prepared.
Before I could react, he whipped a golden circlet from a pocket in his dark-blue robe and closed it around my neck.
The restrictor collar instantly hummed to life, powered by my magic.
I knew the more I tried to use my powers to defeat it, the more powerful the collar would become.
I was trapped.
“Take her away and lock in her rooms until we decide how to handle this… delicate situation,” Papa said.
Mother added, warningly, “And not a word to anyone about this, Mage Guibert. Or we’ll send you a one-way voyage to Darkstone Island, too.”
* * *
Royal Aerie of Hierapolis Present Day
Menelaus sighed. “Those flat-faced earthworms caught me by surprise, Jonquil. I didn’t have the chance for a proper fight before they trussed me up with a spell and put me on a ship.”
I raised my face and found his mouth.
“I thought they were lying about sending you away. I was convinced they were going to kill you, my love,” I confessed between frantic kisses.
“They didn’t dare, not with my clutch-mother, Lady Asteria, serving as vizier to King Ouranos. They sent me to that island and left me in that damned collar until my term as diplomatic hostage ended. By then, I’d received word that you were dead, either by your own hand or in some terrible accident. It knocked the fight out of me.” He kissed my forehead and stroked my hair. “What happened next?”
In the comfort of his arms, I let myself believe I was strong enough to tell him the rest.
“I knew I had to escape. And I had to do it without my magic. It was the only way to save our child.”
“Someone helped you.” It wasn’t a question.
“Mage Armand,” I said. “He was Chief Court Healer, and the only one I could trust.”
Menelaus stiffened. “The old man I met today?”
I nodded. “When he came to my rooms to administer the potion that would end my pregnancy, I begged him to help me. And he did. He risked his life and position.” My mind skimmed over the details like a dragonfly over the surface of a pond. “He removed my restrictor collar, and together, we made it look as though I’d killed myself before he arrived. Then Mage Armand got me out of the palace and to the riverside docks, where he gave me all the money he had. I didn’t dare take my jewelry or anything else from my rooms in case someone noticed things were missing. I took the next ferry downriver, then boarded a mail ship north to the Port of Felicitas Victoria.”
“I should have been there to protect you. To fly you to safety and slaughter anyone who tried to stop us!” His tone sounded anguished. He pulled me against him, his warmth and solidity anchoring me to the present. “What happened after you left the capital?”
“I knew that the body double spell that Mage Armand and I cast wouldn’t last long. I had to get as far away as I could before Papa ordered all the ports and roads leading from the capital closed.
“When I arrived in Felicitas Victoria, I rushed to buy passage on another mail ship headed to the Western Isles. It was the most remote place I could think of that was still part of the Human Dominion.”
I didn’t mention the dread that followed me every step of the way. As I hurried along the quays, I’d been sure that someone would spot me and arrest me before I was safely away from the Imperial Capital State.
“Why didn’t you take a ship going south?” Menelaus asked.
I blinked, unsure why he was asking. “South? To Baleares? Too risky.”
“No, to Kappadokia,” he said. “You could’ve come here , to the royal aerie. Human ships dock near here several times a week.”
I stared at him, stunned. Even after becoming Menelaus’ lover, the thought of seeking refuge among humanity’s traditional enemies hadn’t occurred to me back then.
“What? Did you think my clutch-mother and my father wouldn’t protect you?” Menelaus sounded insulted. “Ouranos would have sheltered you until I was released. You and the hatchling would’ve been safe, even if I couldn’t protect you myself.”
And my life would’ve been very different. There would’ve been no Baldwin… and no Talisa, Mira, or Juno.
My heart clenched at the thought of my daughters, alone and unprotected at the Imperial Academy, with Duke Beltrán’s legions marching north to lay siege to the capital.
I nodded. “After Papa arrested you, I thought I was on my own. And that your parents might be as angry about our union as my parents.”
My mind skipped back over the years, leaving some memories behind while lingering on others.
The lamplight cast gentle shadows across Menelaus’ face, revealing his intense focus on my words.
“I used the last of Mage Armand’s money to rent a shop with living quarters above it and set up a medical clinic as Mage-Healer Isabeau of Felicitas Victoria.” Now we were getting to the parts of my past I didn’t want to talk about. “There, I gave birth to our daughter. I named her Jacinthe, after my mother… though I don’t know why. Maybe I was hoping for my parents’ forgiveness someday.”
Menelaus’ eyes softened, but his grip tightened, protective. “And then?” he urged gently, sensing my hesitation.
I swallowed, the knot in my throat tight with the resurgence of past fears. “Jacinthe was barely two when her Fire magic manifested. It nearly destroyed our home. I sealed her powers, but the incident drew unwanted attention from the officials in Herrewick. Isabeau is a common name, but I couldn’t risk anyone investigating me and realizing I wasn’t who I said I was. We had to vanish once more.”
Menelaus listened, his face a mask of pain and understanding. “I wish I’d been there.”
“I settled in a village in the island’s interior. That’s where I met Baldwin of Bernswick.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue. “A mage-healer of mediocre talent but with a kind heart—or so I thought at the time. He courted me.”
Menelaus’ jaw tensed at the mention of Baldwin’s name. But he remained silent, allowing me to continue.
I took a deep breath, the hardest part yet to come. “I—I accepted his suit. It was… convenient. A single woman, even a widow, drew too much attention in the village. Wives, on the other hand, were respected but essentially invisible among the islanders.”
The space between us filled with silence—a quiet before the inevitable fury. I waited for him to curse my name, to turn away from me.
“You felt compelled to take another mate,” Menelaus said at last. His expression remained unreadable.
Then, to my surprise, he exhaled slowly, his expression pained rather than angry. “I wish I’d been there,” he breathed. “So that you didn’t need to hide, or feel so alone.”
Now came the hard part. “Baldwin and I… we had three daughters. Talisa, and a set of twins, Juno and Mira.” My voice faltered as I completed my confession. “Living in Bernswick… it was safe. Jacinthe looked different from the islanders, of course, but no one suspected she was a Wind-Walker’s child. And even if they had… well, many people in the Western Isles claim they have Fae or Sea People blood. They aren’t like the people on the continent who pride themselves on having pure human bloodlines.”
Menelaus nodded, pulling me closer. “I’m glad you and our hatchling were safe… for a while, anyway. Now, tell me how you fell into the Duke de Norhas’ clutches,” he demanded, his voice a low growl of suppressed rage.
I closed my eyes and snuggled into his chest, praying that talking about my ordeal wouldn’t shatter the fragile peace I’d found in his arms. His skin burned inhumanly hot against my cheek.
“When the younger girls’ magic manifested, I knew they needed proper training. They were offered enrollment at the Imperial Academy for the Magical Arts, the same place where I studied magecraft.” I paused. “Baldwin… Baldwin suffered from terrible sea-sickness. I knew returning to the capital would be risky, but they couldn’t travel all that way by themselves. And I didn’t think anyone would look at a humble mage-healer from the Western Isles and see a dead princess come back to life.” I sighed. “Things went smoothly until I boarded a mail ship for my return to the islands. The ship was seized by rebels loyal to Duke Beltrán. I was recognized by one of the duke’s mages, overpowered, and taken to him.”
Menelaus tensed against me. “Go on.”
My thoughts skittered away from the grimmest details of my captivity. But I owed Menelaus the truth.
“Duke Beltrán… he used a compulsion charm to force me to love him, then announced our betrothal as a stepping stone to the throne. He forced me to share his bed… no, he raped me, over and over again, and turned me into his pet.” My voice broke.
Robbing someone of their free will was considered the vilest form of black magic, and rightfully so.
Menelaus growled, deep in his throat, and the bass rumble shivered through my bones.
I forced myself to confess the most shameful part of all.
“And despite all that, I didn’t want to escape because it would’ve meant leaving him. He made me complicit in my captivity until Jacinthe broke the charm,” I finished, as loathing choked me.
I’d taken a mage-healer’s oath to do no harm, but still, I wanted to see Beltrán de Norhas hang.
Or burn .
Menelaus wouldn’t hesitate to use Dragon-fire on my erstwhile captor. And I would shed no tears to see Beltrán roasted alive.
“It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong, my love, my mate.” Menelaus wrapped me in his arms. “I’m so sorry I failed to protect you. I should’ve been there.” His deep voice was hoarse with emotion. “I swear by the Unconquered Sun, I’ll never leave your side again.”
As he apologized, a weight I hadn’t realized I was carrying fell away. His vow felt like a balm on my battered spirit.
Here, with Menelaus, I might find healing from the wounds that Beltrán de Norhas had inflicted on my soul.
He kissed me on the forehead, each eyelid, and finally, my lips, his lips exquisitely gentle.
I lay in his arms for a long time, feeling drained but better after my confession.
Despite everything I’ve done, he still loves me!
I craved his touch, yet feared it. My experiences with Beltrán had left deep scars.
I wondered whether Menelaus’ love could restore me. Or would Beltrán’s shadow always taint our time together?
My thoughts were interrupted by an undignified gurgle and growl from my stomach. Our scanty breakfast at dawn had long since worn off, but I’d been too nervous to eat earlier.
Menelaus chuckled. “I’ll order food for us, my mate. Afterwards, we can bathe in my private hot spring before we discuss how best I can help you defeat your enemies.”
He gave me a predator’s smile, all sharp teeth and gleaming golden eyes. “You have my oath as your mate that Beltrán de Norhas won’t live long.”