26. The Contract #2
“Your Majesty, if you truly wish to set aside the forms, then I will do so gladly: If the Lady Grace were kept from me, I would be forced to return to the castle in Fyrehold and make certain the king understood that the decision to defy his order was yours. Only to save myself from his wrath, you understand. I couldn’t lie when he accused me of failure. ”
“Of course not,” Diaan said, her tone soothing, but her eyes gleamed like the edge of a blade.
Breckon ducked his chin as if he were conceding to her wisdom. “I knew a woman of your intelligence and authority would understand.”
Diaan actually laughed—a short, dry hack, but a laugh nonetheless. For a moment my heart rose—would she hand Breckon his insults and tell him to do his worst? Vosgaarde held more power than Fyrehold.
Or at least, it had. There was no doubt, the kingdom was currently fragile, with the recent succession of the crown from the former king, to Diaan. But she was a powerful woman. Far more powerful than Breckon.
Yet, did she hold her kingdom firmly enough to challenge her closest ally and rival, Fyrehold?
“General,” Diaan said without taking her eyes off Breckon.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Lady Grace is a citizen of Fyrehold.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I am aware.”
“But, she was Chosen? What of her dragon? One of ours?”
Donavyn’s lips turned down. “She is now. They both arrived with one of our Furyknights. Grace was acknowledged and Koa submitted to Kgosi. The herd acknowledged them both, and Grace began her training. She’s bonded to—”
“My betrothed was contracted to me months ago. If she’s spoken any vow since then it is superseded by that contract,” Breckon said tightly. “And a dragon’s position in the territories has no bearing on—”
“Lord Breckon, while I recognize your position in Fyrehold and indeed, have no desire to foment ill-feeling, I am instructing you to keep your mouth firmly shut, sir. This is my kingdom, my castle, and indeed, my chamber. You will wait until your input is requested in future.”
Breckon went rigid with rage, his face pinking. But he offered another, stilted bow. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he seethed. “Please accept my apologies.”
“Of course,” she said with a smile, as if he’d truly repented, and she was being graceful. Then her smile faded. “Now, it seems we cannot progress further until you produce this contract of which you are so fond.”
Everyone in the room, including me, turned to Breckon. My heart rose with hope—who traveled with a marriage contract on their person?
But it fell again when Breckon smiled. “If you could bid a servant to run back to the carriage, I will have it for you, forthwith.”
The queen snapped her fingers to summon her man, who’d remained silent in the shadows behind her since we arrived.
“You will take Lord Breckon back to his carriage to locate the marriage contract and return him here, with the papers.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He bowed and turned to trot from the room, but Breckon stiffened.
“Your Majesty, if I’m to go myself, then Grace must accompany me—”
“Lord Breckon, I appreciate that you have endured a long journey, and do not wish to lose sight of your betrothed after such a hunt. But do you dare imply that I am not a safe chaperone for her in your absence? I assure you, I do not make a habit of secreting women from their would-be husbands. And before you answer, consider that my appetite for veiled insults is waning.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Breckon said reluctantly, because he was an ass, but he wasn’t stupid. “I will hurry to the carriage, and return here with the contract immediately.”
“I trust that you will.”
And then she smiled like a snake staring at a mouse, until he had bowed, and followed the servant out, glaring a warning at me over his shoulder before the door was closed, and he was out of sight.
I slumped with relief the moment he disappeared. Bren hurried to my side, and the queen pushed to her feet, walking straight to Donavyn. “What the hell have you and your dragons brought down on my head this time?” she muttered.
“We knew nothing of this until moments before we brought her to you.”
“Do not treat me like a fool, Donavyn. She just happened to be Chosen as you left Fyrehold. Just happened to find her way here within days of your return? And mated to one of your men?”
“Yes! We have no control over the dragon bonds.”
Diaan stood before him, looking fierce and skeptical. To my shock, he didn’t cower under her gaze, but merely waited.
I looked at Bren, surprised to find that she, too, didn’t seem overly concerned about the queen’s anger.
“Well, shit,” the queen muttered a moment later.
I spluttered a laugh—then clapped a hand over my mouth, apologizing profusely when the queen shot me a look as she whipped her skirts around and returned to her seat.
“It is no laughing matter.”
“I assure you, Your Majesty, I couldn’t agree more,” I breathed.
Her gaze sharpened as she dropped into the chair. She stared at me. “Are you everything you appear to be, Lady Grace? Or is this supposed coincidence because of your machinations?”
I shook my head vehemently. “The choosing came as an utter shock to me, Your Majesty. I had no hand in it, but it is everything I have ever wished for. And I am certain this is my path. If you could see your way clear to allowing me to stay, I will serve faithfully—”
“Barnslow is your house?” she asked abruptly.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Her lips thinned. “If I remember correctly, yours is an old family. Old blood. Honorable. But not longer enjoying the flush of, shall we say, new growth?”
I swallowed hard. “That is accurate, Your Majesty.”
She huffed, turning back to Donavyn. “Do you not see? If he has a Fyrehold marriage contracted, dated before the dragon, I can do nothing.”
My heart jumped in my chest, and Bren clasped my hand.
Donavyn turned on the queen, frowning. “What do you mean you can do nothing? You are the queen. You always speak up for women!”
“And I will. I’ll ensure she’s returned, that she’s not removed from this path entirely.
But he is not a citizen of my kingdom, and neither is she.
I would throttle Berk if he were to simply disregard the contracts of a Vosgaardian noble on a whim, because they happened to be in his kingdom.
If one of his men had laid claim to Bren, wouldn’t you have appealed to me to take issue with him on her behalf? ”
“Well, yes, but wouldn’t you also have stood for her, with our bond?”
“If she were one of mine, yes. But Grace is not. Grace is a citizen of Fyrehold.” She leaned closer.
“Donavyn, I cannot deny his claim without opening a political floodgate. If he has a signed contract, and it’s dated appropriately, the best I can do is ask him to leave her, and if he won’t, insist on her return after she has fulfilled his terms.”
No one spoke. Bren stared at me, her eyes so sad and angry. Donavyn shook his head, but his shoulders slumped. That meant he couldn’t see a way through this. And that meant…
No. I shook my head. No, I can’t.
I can’t go back.
I won’t do it.
I backed away from them, shaking my head.
But the queen only looked at me sadly. “I am truly sorry, Grace. I will entreat him to release you. But he doesn’t, I give you my word, I’ll ensure that you’re returned.
Your proper place is here. Even if it takes years, I’ll keep hounding that pompous prick until he gives you up. ”
Years?!
When I gaped, she looked at me pityingly—she was under no false pretenses about what she sentenced me to—then turned back to Donavyn.
“Which of the men is she mated to?”
“Voski—one of Bren’s brothers,” he said quietly.
“I’m sure he isn’t far away.” She looked at Bren, her face hard. “Go find him. Bring him here. Right now. Run.”
Bren’s eyes went wide, then she whispered, “I’ll get him, Grace. Don’t worry,” and sprinted out of the room, meeting eyes with Donavyn as she passed.