Chapter 36 Audryn
AUDRYN
The room was a dizzying space I desperately wanted to leave.
It no longer mattered if I won Ryder’s love; I just wanted to go home—to my real home, not a room in this castle.
I drained the cup of water, hoping that by the time I finished, the silence would no longer be a deafening chasm.
But when I gathered enough bravery to look up, each person at the table sat focused on me.
“Leave us,” Ryder spoke more softly than I’d ever heard him.
The chairs screeched as they pushed back. I’d half considered leaving myself, but I was certain he’d forbid me from doing so. Perhaps if I hurried, I could run from these walls and hide among my neighbors’ homes. Maybe I could retreat to the eastern region and find my master jeweler.
Leanna and Maris stood at the door waiting for the other occupants to vacate the space. But Grave remained seated. Amalee stood behind him with her lips pressed into a thin line.
I scowled at the man.
“I said, leave us.” Ryder raised his voice.
Grave sat lazily, staring back at me. One corner of his mouth twitched.
“Fucking leave!” I shouted louder than even Ryder had over the past few weeks. Throwing my hands on the table, I leaned over it and yelled at Grave. “Nobody wants you here. Return to the wretched kingdom you came from!” My voice cracked.
The king’s nostrils flared, and his brows knitted together. He exhaled and stood without saying a word. His sister stepped to his side and shook her head slightly.
“You have twenty minutes,” Grave said plainly, then exited the room.
I turned my fury on Ryder. “You had no right to bargain me away! You didn’t even ask what I wanted.”
Still seated, he looked up at me. “It doesn’t matter what you want. I will be your king, and I will trade my people as I wish.”
My mouth fell open. Shock wasn’t a strong enough word to express the emotions raging through me.
He took a long drink before continuing. “I will do what I see fit with the people in my kingdom. And you will go to Kuroden like the good girl you are meant to be.”
“I–I don’t want to.” Struck with defeat, I collapsed into the chair behind me. My body trembled—with worry or anger, I couldn’t tell.
“Be on the right side of Rivale’s future, Audryn,” Ryder insisted. “Work for this kingdom and not against it as your brother did.”
I looked up as pain struck me. We had spoken little about my brother and I still hadn’t obtained the name of his killer. But I knew Ryder held that information.
“Tell me about Kamden’s charges and who his executioner was.” I said, lifting my chin, “and then I will go with the king.”
He narrowed his eyes and thrummed his fingers against the table. “I do not negotiate with peasants. Only with royals for resources of value.”
“If I’m not of value, there is no need for me to go. Maybe my true destination should be my family’s residence.”
A chuckle escaped his throat. “You’d prefer to live in your rundown two-room home than here?
Do you know how many people would give a limb to reside in this castle?
How many women would kill their mate for the chance to marry me?
” A minute passed as he sipped his wine.
“If you behave, I may provide you with the information upon your return.”
The offer was the best I could hope for. Ryder was the only one who could give me the answer, and he knew it.
When I went to stand, Ryder grabbed my wrist, and my eyes fell to his grip.
Slowly, I let my gaze trail up to him. With our eyes locked, he quickly released his hand and scoffed.
I pushed up and walked to the corridor, hearing his steps trailing behind me.
As I made my way toward my room, I passed the entryway and found the others gathered.
Leanna met me and pulled me into a tight hug. “It’s only for a month,” she whispered. “It was the only way to secure the oil.” She pulled away and looked at me. “You can do this for Rivale.”
“My father …” I let the words linger.
“He’ll be taken care of. I’ll see to it personally.” Leanna smiled.
“It’s a long trip. We need to leave,” Grave called from behind the princess. I glowered at him.
“I need to pack, I—”
“Fisher took care of it,” Ryder interrupted, and extended a hand to me.
My eyes tracked the gesture, but I refused. He bartered me off to a stranger and had my things packed before I was even told of the deal. There was nobody I would’ve given away so carelessly—not even Maris.
Grave and Amalee walked through the tall double doors, with the rest of us following behind.
My eyes swelled to saucers when we stepped into the mid-morning air and found two wyverns standing in the sea of blue flowers.
The one on the right was easily two and a half times the height of Grave.
The other was just slightly shorter than the other beast.
Fisher walked up and handed me my bag, which felt much heavier than what I’d come with. “I packed all of your pants, shirts, as well as your underthings and two nightdresses. Your books too.”
“You touched my undergarments?” I narrowed my eyes at the guard.
“Would you rather I asked Roark?” Fisher huffed. “If it makes you feel any better, I wanted to touch them even less than you wanted me to.” He threw a navy bag over his shoulder.
“Have you requested the gryphon?” Ryder asked.
Fisher nodded. “Yes, it will be here in five minutes—possibly less.”
Grave walked by and snatched my bag from my hand. He walked over to the larger wyvern and linked it into a harness around the chest of the beast. “Come meet Zalzre,” the king called out.
“I think not.” Ryder threw an arm in front of me. “You will not bring her anywhere near those creatures. Not here, not in Kuroden, not anywhere. Do you understand me?”
“Well, seeing how these creatures will be the ones taking us, your request is going to be difficult,” Grave quipped. “I suppose she can close her eyes and pretend it’s a flying chicken.” The onyx beast chuffed a breath behind him, blowing saliva and air into Grave’s back.
Ryder scoffed. “Fisher will take Audryn on a gryphon.”
“Speaking of creatures who might actually pass for a chicken,” Grave interjected. The two creatures trilled simultaneously at his back as if they too were in on the joke. “But no, there will not be any other mounts joining our travels.”
“She’s not leaving on a wyvern and not without Fisher to secure her safety.” Ryder stepped forward, ignoring the lumbering beast behind Grave.
“Zalzre and Ralti will rip your gryphon to shreds. They don’t play well with anything outside of their brood.” He turned and rubbed a hand down the neck of the leathery beast as its barbed tail flicked in the air. Zalzre closed his eyes and leaned into Grave’s touch.
Amalee snagged the bag from Fisher’s shoulder, and the guard blinked in surprise.
The onyx-eyed woman connected the sack to the harness on the smaller wyvern.
“Let’s go,” she demanded, without bothering to look at the man.
Her voice was feminine, but gravely, and I realized it was the first time I’d heard her speak.
Ryder stepped in front of me and placed a knitted shawl around my shoulders. “You’re going to be fine, I promise. Fisher will keep you safe, and it’ll be over before you know it. When you get back, we’ll start planning our ceremony.”
My eyes scanned the lines etched between his brows. “You didn’t even ask me.”
He pulled me in close. “I didn’t need to. I knew you’d say yes.”
I don’t think he cared to give me the opportunity to decline. Every decision he made was out of his own interest, and it didn’t matter how it affected anyone else. The ring on my finger and the fact he gave me away like a pound of fish only proved the point.
“Let’s go before it gets too hot,” Grave called out, and finished wrapping his shoulder-length hair into a bun on top of his head. “We’re already late.”
Ryder stepped forward and gazed down at me with what might’ve been mistaken for adoration. He placed a light kiss on my lips, igniting the smallest spark deep in my core. But it wasn’t big enough to ease my discontent.
Zalzre flattened to the ground, and Grave beckoned to me. With caution, I stepped forward to the beast and ignored the king’s outstretched hand. He too had forced me into the agreement, and I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of accepting his assistance.
Even with the wyvern against the ground, the amount of work it would take to climb up was daunting. The moment I felt hands around my waist, I whirled on the man.
“I don’t need your help,” I bit out, as I pushed both hands against his chest. He didn’t falter. He was a man of thick, stony muscle. Only after I shot him a hard stare did he take a step back and cross his arms.
Turning, I attempted to climb up on the beast’s neck on my own; each time failing more gloriously than before.
“Push yourself up onto your stomach and then swing your leg over,” Grave offered, “like riding a horse without a saddle.”
“I don’t,” I grunted as I pushed up with my arms. “Want. Your. Help.” A moment later, I slid back down.
“Okay.” Grave smirked. “But do you think we may make it out of here by the end of the day?”
Ryder sighed and approached the beast, being sure to glare at the king as he did. “Here.” Ryder interlaced his fingers and gave me a boost. It was just enough to get in position to swing my leg over and straddle the creature.
Amalee gestured Fisher to her wyvern, causing a small dispute about who would sit behind who. After a full minute of arguing, Fisher took his seat on the beast, and Amalee settled in behind him. The guard grimaced as the thin woman wrapped her arms around him right before they shot up into the sky
“See you in a month,” Grave offered before saddling in behind me. “It was a pleasure as always.”
My stomach pitted as the man settled at my back.
He wrapped a thick arm around my waist and spread a wide hand across my abdomen; my breath quickened as panic set in.
For so long I’d been chasing after goals, and each was nearly in my grasp.
I’d won the prince, would have access to the King of Rivale upon my return, and likely even get the name of the executioner from Ryder; yet nothing was right.
I’d begun as the hunter and, with the flick of the prince’s wrist, I'd turned into the prey.