Vines and Daggers (Powerful Pawns #1)

Chapter 1 The Announcement

Chapter one

The Announcement

Alaceandra

Betrothed. I am BETROTHED. The thought fills me with terror, disgust and sadness as I stalk out into the sheets of rain covering Tikilium.

The king—my father—announced his decree this morning.

The morning of my twenty fourth birthday.

The morning of my majority. Tears threaten my eyes, and I let them fall, the rain peppering my face with gentle kisses.

It is not supposed to be this way. I am supposed to have more time.

His declaration came without forewarning, leaving both me and the people of Tikilium shocked at the news.

Shocked but not surprised, I think to myself, groaning.

There is nothing that man will not do for power.

Using me as his chance to have an alliance between two of the most powerful kingdoms? I should have known.

“Stop!” Sorin yells, yanking me from my thoughts as he runs in my direction.

Sorin has been my friend since childhood, my rock through diplomatic bullshit, my hero through every scrape and bruise I have ever had, but he cannot possibly get me out of this asinine plot of my father's.

I do not wish upon him my father's wrath if he were to try, so it is only best if I leave him out of it.

Be that as it may, I know that if I were to completely ignore him, he would never leave me be.

I pause, sigh, and quickly wipe at my tears before turning toward him. “What?”

“Can you just listen to me?” He looks at his hands, his breath puffing out of him.

The rain is making his shirt stick to his chest drawing my eyes to the defined muscle hiding beneath.

Sorin stands at six feet tall, dwarfing my five foot three stature.

He has a shock of red hair and a dusting of freckles across his nose that I cannot help but find adorable.

Why must the man be so handsome and unreachable?

Father would never allow me to be with him.

Although his family holds power in Tikilium, they are not royalty themselves, and the king would never allow his only heir to be with anyone he could not gain political power from.

'A waste of a chess piece,' he always said.

But Ptheryeth knows if given the chance…

"Lace?" My eyes flit back to his. "Did you hear a word I said?"

"Um, no." I continue walking and hear him sigh from behind me.

"Wait up!" He catches my arm and a tingle of warmth washes over my system.

My shoulders slump. I have become soaked with rain and honestly, I am not in the mood to have it out with Sorin, especially when he is looking like that.

Not that it looks like I have much choice.

“Why should I?” I clench my hands, peering at him as water assaults my eyes.

The stinging of my nails digging into my palms helps me to steel myself against the flood of emotions that come with this particular conversation. “I tried to tell you—”

“Hey guys?” Sam comes running from the same direction as Sorin. Fuck me, not the both of them!

Sam and Sorin are in the king's guard together.

Sam has been assigned my protector ever since I turned eighteen.

He is an attractive man, with short silver hair and a killer smile.

Sam stands an inch or so taller than Sorin, but whereas Sorin is all muscle and hard lines, Sam has a sleeker physic.

He is five years older than the both of us and quite the heartbreaker.

I often find myself wondering— no, wishing— that he would try with me, but he never has.

“Hey,” we both chime, conversation blessedly paused. A whoosh of air rushes out of me.

“Why…are you guys just standing in the rain?” Sam finally catches up to us, brows furrowed, chest heaving.

“Why were you running in it?” I laugh, defensive.

He, too, is soaked with rain and showing off his gorgeous and untouchable body.

I dig my nails more firmly into my palms to stave off the growing urge to run my fingers over the cloth of their shirts.

Instead, I fix my gaze on Sam's eyes and cock a brow.

“Well…” A look passes between Sam and Sorin before Sam rocks back on his heels.

“I saw Sorin here sprinting and," he rakes his fingers through his hair, "ya know, if your bud is running, you kinda want to know if it’s from something or to something.

" He straightens and my eyes catch on the nipple ring barely contained within his shirt. I avert my gaze. "If it’s from, well, why get left behind?”

I have always thought of Sam as an insanely intelligent person, but I know he tries to play it off as something on reserve.

For instance, this current act of his. I know full well that Sam knows exactly why Sorin is here, but he is trying to feign ignorance in order to gain some kind of advantage in this conversation.

Fortunately, our years of friendship allows me to see through this act of his most of the time.

The people of Tikilium often dub him a 'Master of Disguise,' because if Sam wants to hide something, it will not be discovered unless he reveals it.

This has made him an instrumental asset to my father.

Unfortunately for me, sexy and cunning has always been a weakness of mine and being surrounded by the both of them has led to many bouts of frustration on my end.

Although I do not know the full extent of the men's abilities, Tikilium claims them to be most formidable.

I, though, have always known them as my friends, or, at the moment, pains in my side.

My gaze turns pleading. Please, Sam, I do not want to be chided by the both of you, leave Sorin's schemes to another day. I silently urge him to drop the subject.

“Sorry, Sam I didn’t mean to worry you, I just wanted to catch up to Alaceandra,” Sorin scratches the back of his head, his tone not enough to convince me Sam’s presence here is not one planned by the two of them. “We need to talk,” he gives me a pointed look, further proving my suspicions.

“Yeah…” I squint my eyes, “we do need to… eventually… but not now.” My eyes stay on Sam, urging him to take my side in this.

“Yes, now, Lace, come on—”

I see the moment Sam breaks. “Guys!” Sam cuts in. “We are soaked, either we get an umbrella, or we go inside, if we get sick—” Success!

“Thanks for your concern, Sam, but we did not ask you to come out here—” Sorin bites back.

“Why are you being rude to Sam now?”

Sam sighs and kicks the ground, covering his shoe in mud, his brows furrowed in frustration.

“Whether you did,” a glance “or did not makes no difference. It’s not like I can just let you all run off to Ptheryeth knows where.

While you guys are my friends, you should also know I would get the brunt of the punishment if you guys get lost—or sick—because of some little disagreement. ”

“It’s not little—” Sorin tries to interrupt.

“I know! But who Alaceandra marries is none of our concern.” A pointed glance. “So, it is better if we treat it as little instead of badgering her over it. It’s not like we can change the king’s decision.” He seems upset with himself over this thought but proceeds forward anyway.

My clothes are getting uncomfortably wet, and my hair is starting to stick to my skull. I rub my eyes. “Exactly, so can you guys just… go? I would like to be left alone.”

Sam's eyes track the direction I am walking.

Ahead there are no outbuildings, only trees, bushes and a variety of flowers.

Truly, there is no real place I can feasibly get to off castle grounds without going through the woods first and, with the weather outside, I am not going in the woods.

Which means I am walking in circles around the castle and, by the look in Sam's eyes, I can see he has just caught onto that. “Where are you even going Lace?”

A pause, then I shrug, pointing behind me. “That way.”

“And that way is where to exactly?” Sam raises his eyebrows, but the question itself was one full of amusement. The tension of the moment briefly broken.

“I do not know, just that way. I want fresh air.” I thought Sam was on my side…

“Okay fine, we won’t talk about it, but I have suddenly decided I would also like to go that way as well.” Sorin starts to walk towards me, his face filled with stubborn resolve. My belly flutters at the intensity with which he regards me, and I back up a step.

“Need I remind everyone it is still raining?” Sam grumbles.

“I like the rain, it’s cleansing,” I argue, snapping my eyes away from Sorin.

“You say that,” Sam rolls his eyes “until you’re coughing up a lung in bed and then guess who has to hear from her royal highness about her daughter's activities?”

“Yes, yes your life is so hard Sam,” Sorin interjects “but we will be fine.”

Sam groans. “Fine. Fine! But I’m coming too. Somebody has to get you guys back before the dinner bell rings and with the trouble you two get up to, I know I can’t rely on you to get yourselves there.”

“I did not ask for company…”

“Well, you’re getting it,” they both stand like statues, their faces tolerating no argument.

“Whatever…” I mutter, continuing my walk. They, of course, follow.

Once we have rounded the castle at least three times I cave. "What, Sorin? What did you want to talk about regarding my betrothal?"

He grits his teeth, casting his gaze towards Sam. "Later, Lace."

I think I feel my eyes bug out of my head. "What do you mean later? You were adamant not even twenty minutes ago and now that I am willing to talk about it you are no longer interested?"

He wipes a hand down his face and water droplets flick to the ground. "I have to go." Then he just… walks off.

I give Sam a what the fuck face and he shrugs. "Let's get you inside for dinner."

Reaching the castle entrance, we run into my mother, May, exiting my father's office with tears in her eyes.

My mother's tears are unfortunately a regular occurrence when leaving my father's chambers for a variety of reasons.

She taps my back as she walks by shooting me a look filled with pity.

Before we can take another step forward, a blond also exits my father's office, fixing her hair.

Her lipstick is smudged across her face and her dress is falling off of one of her shoulders.

Ah I see… mom walked in on another of father's conquests.

The blond sneers at me as she passes and my eyes track the woman down the hall, her hips sashaying as she struts around the corner.

I grab Sam's hand. "We better hurry before-"

"What are you doing out here?" May I catch any breaks today?

My father stands in the doorway glaring down at us. Or shall I say up? He is not a tall man, but what he lacks in stature he makes up for in brutality. He has one motto in life: All shall be punished. Whether they have done something deserving of it or not.

"What are you doing outside of your chambers?" His voice booms through the hall. From the corner of my eye, I watch as the servants scatter, leaving only barren stone walls in their wake.

"I was out walking with Sorin and Sam like usual."

"You are soaked."

"It was raining."

"Did you have one of my escorts with you? I do not see them." He searches the area but only finds empty stone halls.

"Escor— father you have never had me bring an escort before?"

"That was before. Now that you are betrothed and have reached majority, I cannot have you prancing about the gardens like a common who-"

"Father," I cut him off and the look he gives me would have meant my death if not for the fact that he needs me to marry this prince. I am his only heir so there would be no one else he could slot in to do it for me should I 'go missing,' much to his chagrin.

He takes a menacing step forward. "You will stop associating yourself with those men.

Now. I cannot have word getting around about your so-called activities with them.

If you slip up even once, I can promise you will not like the consequences.

" I should not be surprised by his demands.

Engagements often mean tighter restrictions, but I find myself having to hold my tongue to not argue.

My relationship with Sam and Sorin has always been a point of contention.

I am lucky he has allowed it for so long.

He has spent countless hours spouting nonsense about how he will not let anyone's devotion to me ruin his kingdom and their proximity to me can only mean trouble.

Whatever that means. So instead of dreaming of a more permanent relationship with the two of them, I have settled for an amazing friendship with mischievous men.

At the end of the day, I am bound to the crown and my duty to my father, even if he is an asshat.

Arguing this point will only land me in bigger shit than I am in already, especially if I try in the heat of his anger.

I take the safe route. I choose not to respond in words but instead drop my gaze.

The sooner he thinks I give in, the better the chances he will give up on the conversation.

He huffs a noise of satisfaction. "Go. Find Mandi. Now!" Sam starts to lead me to my chambers. "Leave the boy," he grits out.

Sam turns and bows to the king before starting to walk down another hall to my right, shooting me a little wink before he departs. I hold back a smile and make my way up to my room.