Chapter 11 #2
“Kole will try to break her for his selfish needs,” I snarled as I fisted my brother’s jacket.
“And I will kill him before I let that happen. So if you won’t do this for me like I’ve done everything for you, do it to save your precious son.
Do it to keep him alive because I’ll end him now that I know he doesn’t love her and he abuses her like this. I will, Vex.”
He stared at me like he’d never seen me before and also like he couldn’t make it fit in his head. “You met her once?”
I opened my mouth and then closed it, shaking my head.
“I can’t explain to you a sunrise you’ve never witnessed.
What I saw—my soul…” I let him go and stepped back.
“I was going to swallow it all down when I found out Kole was with her. I hated him for it but whatever was best for her. He is not. Protect him since he’s the only one you fucking love here. ”
“Onyx,” he sighed as I stormed out of the room.
That was probably an unfair shot, but I didn’t care. I wanted Sagan more than I cared about being fair when Kole was treating her like dirt instead of the treasure she was.
Most of the Alphas and their parties left right away, probably to get home and immediately start figuring out who the best candidate was like an insane sports draft. Or they had other issues. I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t going anywhere just yet.
Not while Kole was near Sagan and behaving like the spoiled little shit he was.
The next morning, I glanced at myself in the mirror and winced. I still hadn’t returned to civilization between all of the chaos. I looked ridiculous even, but no one cared about shaving or getting regular haircuts on long expeditions.
And since the dig site had been one of the most remote I’d ever been on, I hadn’t even learned of the king and queen’s deaths until the day before the funeral.
There had been a problem with the sat phone and our link, so I couldn’t even get a video call like normal.
A bunch of nerds didn’t get many calls, so we didn’t notice until a party arrived looking for me.
The range of reactions from my colleagues as they remembered I was the brother of one of the most important men in the nation was hysterical.
I was just Onyx to them—one of them—and then there was a team and search party to find me.
Not just that, but receiving the news and rushing me out of there so I could attend the funeral like I needed to.
Rubbing my hand over my beard, I decided to head into the capital.
There had to be a barber or salon in Nerthus that would take a walk-in and make me look presentable again.
I was honestly annoyed with myself that I hadn’t done it earlier, but things…
Shocked didn’t cover how I’d felt to learn the king and queen had died.
And everything since had been a whirlwind. I couldn’t even start to imagine how Sagan felt. I really couldn’t.
The third place I tried had an open chair and provided the services I needed. It was a barber shop for men only, so it would give me a better shave… And a lot more gossip.
The cliché women gossiped more always tickled me or that going to the salon was where all the tea was spilled. Right, because men were just as bad, but it wasn’t gossip then.
It was leads. Tips. Anything smarter and more dignified sounding.
I thanked the guy who fit me in and sat down. I decided to show him a picture of what I normally looked like instead of trying to describe what I wanted.
He simply raised an eyebrow at me and glanced back at my phone.
I chuckled. “I was on an expedition for a while. I’m done with the lost in the wilderness look.”
“Fair enough, bro,” he accepted.
“She shouldn’t be queen,” a guy to my right grumbled. “She’s not one of us.”
“Shut up, fool,” another man drawled. “She’s Rhys’s firstborn. She’s heir. You’re just too sexist for your own good.”
I glanced in the mirror and saw two men with lighter hair, meaning they were old… And clearly bickering like old fools.
“It’s not about her being a woman. She’s never even lived here. She’s been in this and that country—does she even know where to find anything in that castle?” the first threw right back.
“Maybe not, but obviously the sacrifice was worth it,” I said easily as if I wasn’t interjecting myself.
“Whatcha mean, kid?” the second one asked me.
I met his gaze in the mirror. “She gave up having a normal, protected childhood and life like other royals to go off to foreign nations and learn there. King Rhys and Queen Amelia sacrificed her youth to work towards peace.”
His eyes went wide. “Yeah, and it worked. I never thought we’d have anything but fighting with the tigers, but someone from the Protesia royal family came to the funeral, right?”
The old codger snorted. “The elders did that and—”
“Really?” I chuckled. “I heard Princess Sagan made the call because she went to school with one of the cousins. She informed them and invited them personally. They accepted.”
“Bold,” the sensible one muttered. “I like it. She kept with tradition—everything was just like when Rhys’s father died. But she’s also carrying on his mission for peace. Smart lass.”
“Impressive given her age and what she’s been through,” my barber agreed. “Poor thing. I can’t even imagine—people are so cruel. Calling her cold and soulless because she wasn’t crying. They’d have judged her as weak if she did.”
I snorted. “She would have been regal and dignified if she’d been a man.” I met the codger’s gaze in the mirror. “People will find any reason to tear into her to hide their sexism.”
He chuffed a few times. “I don’t have to like her if I don’t want to and I don’t have to explain myself.”
“No, but maybe try to be a bit less petty than she might get lost in the castle and have some damn compassion for someone who just lost her parents,” I threw right back.
“She’s not even taken the job yet and you’re writing her off as a failure and spouting bile.
She’s been through a lot, so maybe wait a few months before doing that, yeah? ”
I felt better when a few others in different chairs snickered or snorted, clearly agreeing with me.
“What else you heard, kid?” the reasonable older man asked me.
I bounced my head back and forth as if debating what to tell them knowing full well I would never say a word to betray Sagan.
“Enough to know I would bet on her.” I met his gaze in the mirror.
“That she’s sacrificed things and been put through her paces and she’ll be an amazing queen if she’s given the right support. ”
His eyebrows shot up. “You don’t say?”
“King Rhys and Queen Amelia were loving and kind but also smart. There was a reason they didn’t raise her at court and with the normal influences. I think there was a real reason they let people run their mouths.”
“Interesting,” he muttered as he studied me. “You find out a lot about people when they underestimate you, look down on you. You think they set up the snakes to fall into the needed traps.”
Oh, he was a smart one because I hadn’t said that much.
I pretended to think it over and gave a slight nod.
“I think you’re onto something there. I don’t know.
I just know I was a professor when Princess Sagan gave a lecture while an undergraduate and no one should ever dismiss her.
She’s—I know dragons hundreds of years old that couldn’t grasp what she does. ”
“Well, I hope you’re right, kid. I do. It benefits all of us if she’s got the smarts and can make Thovudin better. I’m rooting for her.”
I felt better when that seemed the consensus besides that one codger, and fuck him.
I sighed when the barber was done and showed me in the mirror. “There I am.”
He chuckled. “Quite the transition.” That was an understatement. I was now clean-shaven with my longer quiff that had a dramatic fade instead of a mangy beard and manbun… Thing.
The nice older guy whistled. “Handsome, lad. Wow, you must beat them off with a stick.”
I chuckled as I stood once the cape was off. I pulled out my wallet and gave the barber the fee with a large tip. I winked at the older dragon. “Naw, I could never disrespect a woman. Plus, my personality sucks.”
Several people chuckled and they said they hoped I came back since I was fun. Apparently, it was a hangout spot for some locals, not just a shop.
Maybe just to check in on the gossip on Sagan. It honestly wasn’t a bad idea.
I returned to the castle just before lunch… And just in time to see Kole roughly grab Sagan’s arm, anger in his eyes.
I moved in a flash and crushed his wrist, twisting his arm behind him when he let her go. I shoved him into the wall and roared in his ear. “Do not touch her in anger again or I will end you, Kole. I warned you.”
“All right, I get it,” he bit out. “You broke my wrist.”
I shoved him again before backing off. I bowed to Sagan and went to apologize.
“You,” she gasped, blinking at me in a way that I didn’t understand. “It’s you.”
“Yeah, my uncle,” Kole chuffed as he fixed himself.
“Uncle,” Sagan murmured, glancing between us.
Kole looked at her like she was dense. “Yeah, my Uncle Onyx? Yesterday you were—”
“He had a ton of facial hair and didn’t look like this,” she threw right back and gestured to me. Then she studied me and motioned like she was touching an imaginary beard of her own.
I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. “I had been on an expedition and they had to come find me. I didn’t have a chance to fully—”
“Yeah, great, you handled the wild man look,” Kole snapped. “Stay out of our business and—”
“Protecting my future queen is my business,” I said coldly. “And she was walking away from you. I warned you. I also warned Vex. Did your father tell you what I said?” I felt better when he flinched.
“Thank you, but I can handle this,” Sagan muttered, still staring at me funny.
Then it hit me, hope filling my heart. “You remember? You remember me.”
Kole glanced between us and looked ready to throw a fit.
Sagan licked her plump lips. “You were a professor. The professor when I gave my first lecture while I was still an undergrad.”
“Wait, you met my uncle and never told me?” Kole demanded.
Sagan sighed and shot him an annoyed look.
“I was a junior, Kole. I was—it was all a blur of nerves and trying not to embarrass my family, okay? I barely remembered what I was saying as I said it. I met you…” She frowned.
“Years later. I’m sure I’ve met others in your family.
You don’t talk about your uncle and—I didn’t put it together. I’m fairly busy.”
I snorted, glad when the tension in her shoulders eased a bit when she understood I agreed with her.
“Yeah, that’s fair, of course,” Kole muttered, realizing he really was just making things worse.
“You were fantastic, Your Highness,” I said genuinely, bringing the conversation back.
I nodded when she did a double take. “I’ve always sung your praises.
That topic was rough and they clearly set you up to try and embarrass you.
I know tenured professors who couldn’t have given such an impressive lecture. You were astounding.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. She cleared her throat. “Really. I always felt a bit paranoid and maybe immature that I thought they tried to embarrass me, but hearing you say that…”
“Healed an old wound and worry.” I smiled when she nodded. “Then I’m sorry I didn’t sooner. And I’m sorry it was my class they used to do that to you. I had no idea until the day of.”
“I knew that and you were very kind. I always appreciated that,” she said with a gentle smile. “I knew you were on my side even if others weren’t and it helped.”
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say next, but I was distracted by Kole’s annoyance. It was bubbling over and he was ready to explode.
Kole let out an evil chuckle, waiting until Sagan focused on him. “That was probably when Onyx became obsessed with you. It makes more sense now. He’s always been jealous I’m with you and in your bed. I—”
“Who are you?” Sagan whispered as she took a step away from him. “Seriously, who the fuck are you, Kole? What happened to you? I don’t even—I would never have ever…” She shook her head and walked off, not remotely able to hide her disgust.
At him. Not me, but him.
“Nicely done, fuckhead,” I chuckled under my breath. “Oh yeah, you totally have this in the bag.” I snorted and looked him over, not hiding how I found him lacking. “You’ll be out before she’s queen for sure.”
“Maybe, but she won’t be with you after I’ve fucked her all—”
I knocked out my nephew right there in the main hallway of the castle. I huffed knowing I couldn’t just leave him there, so I grabbed his leg and dragged him to my brother to tell him what happened and give him the last warning to heed me before he lost his son.