Chapter 2 #2
Continuing to walk backwards while looking at them, I say, “Oh my, what a lucky lady I am. Three princes can’t control themselves around me. They want me so bad it hurts. However will they keep their pants on around me?” Then I trip on something behind me and fall back on my ass. Hard. “Oof.”
The three of them burst out laughing in a way I’ve never seen before, raw and unrestrained, their heads thrown back, looking like complete maniacs.
Prince Lucien actually has to lean on Prince Alaric to stay upright. “D-did you see her? Yeah, we really want that!”
Cheeks burning, I scramble up from the pavement, glaring at all of them. “Have I told you guys today that you suck? If not, you suck.”
Then I whirl around and continue marching toward the woods, ignoring their continued laughter as they follow me. I’m just going to try to do everything in my power to ignore that embarrassing moment. If I don’t, I’m going to completely lose the upper hand with them.
So, back straight, I try to hold onto the tattered remains of my pride. Their laughter eventually dies down, and then they’re suddenly all around me, matching my pace. I hated them laughing at me, but for some reason, them being close is even worse.
“So, you were a healer back home? Helping Ebron wasn’t just a one-time thing? Or did you guess how to help him?” Prince Lucien asks.
“If I say yes, how are you going to use this new information to torture me?”
They bristle. As if they haven’t been trying very hard to make my life a living hell.
“We’re just talking,” Prince Lucien mutters. “You know how to have a basic conversation, don’t you?”
“Not with the three of you.”
He huffs. “We’re not that bad.”
I glance at Prince Alaric, and he shrugs. “We haven’t exactly given her a reason to trust us…”
“Of course you would say that,” Prince Lucien says.
Prince Gareth just looks straight ahead, as if he’s not listening to us at all. Unfortunately for him, I know damn well he’s listening to every word. He just doesn’t have a thing to say to defend himself.
We make it to the woods, and I slip into the shadows of the forest, instantly feeling some of my nerves calm. The scent of green life seems to surround me, and the breeze weaving through the trees, making the leaves dance, warms my heart. This would be the perfect day. If they weren’t here.
“So, you’re engaged.” Prince Gareth stays at my side as he pushes forward through the woods, even though I know he can move faster.
“Something like that.”
An uncomfortable silence stretches between all of us.
I know they want details, but I’m not offering them information for free, especially about Tesson, the man I’m currently trying not to think about.
The man I’ve been wondering about. I’m aware of the fact that if Tesson sent that message then started heading this way after, he could be here any day, since my village is only about a week's horse ride away.
If he sent the message then remained at home for a while after, he could be here anywhere from another a week to weeks from now.
He's clearly still playing games, because rather than say when he'll arrive, he's left it so it feels like holding a box with a snake inside and wondering when it’ll pop out.
“How long have you known your fiancé?” Prince Lucien asks.
This answer is easy. “My whole life.”
More silence follows my response, before he continues. “And when did you start dating?”
My nose wrinkles. “I’m not sure we’ve ever officially dated.”
“So, it was some sort of an arranged engagement?”
“Not exactly.”
“And what does he do for work? A farmer? A baker?”
“He’s the son of the lord in my town.”
All three of them look surprised, which I try not to be offended by. Is it really so crazy that a noble would be interested in me? I don’t think so. The arrogant pricks aren’t all that special.
“And how did your fiancé feel about you coming to train as a dragon rider?” Prince Lucien asks, continuing to fish for information.
“Not a clue. I didn’t ask him for his opinion.”
Stepping out into a clearing, I see yarrow growing and get excited. Picking up my pace, I hurry toward the little flowers, careful to watch where I place my feet in the tall grass. I kneel down, open my pack and a leather pouch, and then start collecting the pretty little yellow flowers.
“What are those?” Prince Alaric asks, sounding curious.
“Yarrow.”
“What do you use it for?”
“It stops bleeding, reduces fevers, and aids digestion. It’s really a handy little flower.”
“I can’t believe it. I know you said you healed your dragon, but I wasn’t sure if you just cleaned out his wounds, bound them, something that a layman would know how to do,” Prince Gareth says softly.
I glance at him, still gathering flowers. “Believe what?”
“That you actually know about this stuff.”
My gaze narrows. “Why is that so unbelievable?”
He runs a hand through his long black hair, eyes not meeting mine. “You’re like this puzzle that doesn’t make sense no matter how many puzzle pieces I gather.”
I lift a brow. “I guess you should be grateful I’m not simple. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have anything to obsess over.”
His striking blue eyes meet mine. “You think I’m obsessed with you?”
I flash a smile. “I think all three of you are obsessed with me. I think despite everything you say and do, you’re drawn to me.”
Instead of arguing with me, his look grows heated. “Maybe.”
Whoa. Didn’t expect that.
Once I’ve gathered enough yarrow, I keep going. We walk in silence through the woods for a while, while I scan ahead, looking for anything of value.
“Isn’t that chamomile?” Prince Alaric asks, pointing at a yellow flower just up ahead.
“Yes,” I say, surprised he’s familiar with it as we head closer.
“It helps with sleep, right?” Prince Lucien asks.
Again, their knowledge is unexpected. “You’re right, but chamomile also soothes stomach aches and works as an anti-inflammatory.”
“I’ve never really paid much attention to what herbs the healers use,” Prince Alaric admits.
“Knowledge is power,” I tell him with a smile, gathering the chamomile.
As we continue exploring, I find nettle, mint, wild garlic, and elderflower, all of which the princes ask questions about and I explain.
But more surprising than the herbs I find are the men’s attitudes.
I don’t know why, but something has shifted, and that shifting has softened my own attitude a bit too.
“So, you actually worked as a healer?” Prince Lucien asks, but there’s no disbelief in his voice this time.
“Yes, my mother trained me from the time I was a little girl. She tried training my brothers, but they were terrible with it. None of them had the patience, so they just assisted my father on the farm. People come from all over our town for help whether it’s for a small scrape or something far more serious. ”
“What was one of the most serious things you’ve treated?” Prince Alaric asks, watching me carefully.
Kneeling down by a stream, I spot some comfrey. The plants are a healthy green, and the little blue flowers are blooming. “My mother and I once delivered triplets.”
Prince Gareth swears under his breath, while Prince Lucien and Prince Alaric stiffen.
“How many survived?” Prince Gareth asks.
“All of them.”
“Come on…” Prince Lucien says in complete disbelief.
I start gathering the flowers. “No, really. We had just about every complication you can imagine. The babies were born tiny. The mother wouldn’t stop bleeding, and one of the babies was breech."
“I’ve never heard of anyone delivering three babies, at the same time, from one mother, and having all the babies survive,” Prince Alaric says, sounding genuinely impressed.
I tuck all the flowers in my bag and stand.
“That’s because it’s hard to do. But my mom and I stayed calm.
We used olive oil to help lubricate the baby so we could turn her.
As the babies were born, we had to rub them to keep them alive.
I held them pressed up against me to keep them warm.
And when their mom wouldn’t stop bleeding, we used yarrow and shepherd’s purse to staunch her flow. ”
“And you and your mom are both human?” Prince Lucien asks, sounding skeptical.
Now, that’s an interesting question. “We’re human, but it’s rumored that we were blessed by fairies, that our whole family line is.
” They all seem raptly focused on my words, so I continue.
“Supposedly, my great-great-grandmother once found a fairy trapped within a spiderweb and saved it. Unfortunately, her wings were ruined, but my ancestor was an impressive seamstress and created new wings for the fairy, made of really delicate thread. To thank her, the fairy blessed our entire family line. Some people believe that’s why we’re such good healers. Why we’re so good at so many things.”
Prince Lucien snorts. “Fat chance.”
I glance at him. “That’s the story that’s been passed down my family line, and I believe it.”
The brothers exchange a look, but it’s Prince Lucien who says, “Of course, you believe in fairy tales. That fits perfectly with a woman who thinks she can be a dragon rider.”
My fury goes from zero to ten in an instant. “I don’t think I can be a dragon rider. I am one.”
“Like a kid who puts on his dad’s boots is a soldier.” There’s such a callousness in his words that any peace I’d felt blossoming between us vanishes in an instant.
“I don’t understand the three of you. Supposedly, the whole nation is celebrating the emergence of Ebron and I. They see it as a sign that we’re going to bring about peace with the Hollowborns, but you’re still adamant that I not be a dragon rider.”
Prince Alaric takes a step closer to me. “It’s a matter of right and wrong. A matter of fairness. Of our code as dragon riders. You are supposed to be nobility. You’re supposed to have spent your entire life training for this. Working for this.”
“And if there was going to be a rider with a male dragon, it should have been one of our nation’s princes,” Prince Lucien explains. “Don’t you understand that?”
It’s like they think their stubbornness and title alone will erase one of the most fundamental rules about dragons. They choose their own riders. They always have. Ebron choosing me is only different because he’s a male, and I’m a female. Not that that logic will work with them.
“I understand that Ebron is a living creature who chose me as his rider. If I died tomorrow, he would leave the academy and not choose a single one of you to replace me. So regardless of how you feel, you have to put your big boy panties on and accept the situation for what it is.”
“Because we should listen to you?” Prince Lucien asks snidely.
“Why not?” I ask.
“Didn’t you present an offer of peace with the Hollowborn?” Prince Gareth says quietly, completely changing the subject.
Which is really damn annoying.
“I had a message to deliver.”
“But do you actually believe we should try to make peace with the Hollowborns? Do you trust what your enemy had to say?” he asks, those deep blue eyes of his watching me.
I decide the hell with it. “I actually do think it’s a good idea, and I think the Hollowborn wouldn’t have brought up the idea if it wasn’t something they wanted.”
They all laugh unkindly, and Prince Lucien says, “If you think that’s a good idea, maybe you should go swimming with some sharks.”
“Or go play with some lava,” Prince Alaric adds, looking mildly apologetic.
“Peace with the Hollowborn will never happen,” Prince Gareth explains to me slowly, like I’m stupid. “They are our sworn enemies. We’ve been fighting with them for generations.”
“But there have been times of peace,” I argue.
“Brief times that always ended in bloodshed.”
“Why? I’ve never really heard the stories of what ended the peace.”
I can see it in his face: he doesn’t know either.
“I’m sure it was their thirst for blood.
They are heartless beasts whose only purpose is to destroy life, jealous because of their lifeless lands.
They want to steal our dragons and become riders themselves, even though no dragon would ever choose them.
They need beings with heartbeats, with souls, as their riders. ”
“He had a soul,” slips out.
They still.
“Who?” Prince Gareth asks.
“The Hollowborn that caught me.”
“Why do you say that?” he hedges.
I bite my lip, debating about the wisdom of what I’m about to say. “He smiled. We joked with each other. He even…”
“He even what?” Prince Gareth asks, eyes narrowed.
I square my shoulders. “He kissed me.”
Silence. Pure and utter silence follows my words. The sounds of the forest seem to rush in. Birds. Bugs. The wind whistling through the trees.
“What the fuck?” Prince Gareth says, suddenly angry.
“Brilliant! Just brilliant!” Prince Lucien shouts. “She wants to make peace with a monstrous group of creatures because she likes the Hollowborn that kissed her.”
“I didn’t say that–”
“He couldn’t have kissed you,” Prince Alaric says, brows drawn together. “The Hollowborn don’t have hearts. They don’t have souls. They don’t have a desire to kiss anyone. It makes no sense.”
“Look!” I say, my voice rising several levels.
“I didn’t say I liked his kiss. I didn’t think it was some big, important, magical thing.
You’re just painting the Hollowborn as heartless creatures instead of people, and I’m telling you that the Hollowborn I spoke to was just a man.
A different sort of man, but a man all the same. ”
Prince Gareth glowers at me. “Like hell.”
“Make peace with the Hollowborn. Fool me once, fool me twice, but fool me a third time? Surely not,” Prince Lucien mutters angrily, like just the idea is insane.
“Our father seems to be considering it…” Prince Alaric says, still seeming disturbed.
“Only because of her and the history books!” Prince Gareth shouts.
Fuck. This is not what I wanted to deal with today.
Turning, I walk casually away from them, then start running like mad. I hear one of them shouting behind me, but I don’t slow. These men might be muscular and tough, but I know how to run through the woods. I’ll leave them far behind.
I keep running long past the time I stop hearing their shouts. Long past the time when I sense them behind me. When I finally stop, I’m alone. Just me and the woods. Breathing hard, I lean against a tree, heart racing. I think back to the kiss with the Hollowborn. I didn’t like it.
Did I?