She made her way into the dining hall, eager to take her seat at the head table away from Brodrick. With their stations so far removed, he would sit with the knights as their captain, and she would be safely ensconced between her royal father and mother in the place of honor. She wouldn’t have to interact with him another moment once dinner began—
Her heart nearly stopped. At the head table between the throne-like chairs reserved for the king and queen, there were two seats, not one. Hers she knew, for it had been decorated with the crystalline species of sapphire roses cultivated in honor of her birthday a few years ago. The one beside it, however, was somehow grander, fit for a visiting prince. It was made of a heavy dark wood decorated with softly glowing ivy tied in lovers’ knots. Bloodred roses sprouted among the silvery vines, resembling the Brodrick family crest.
The color drained from her face. She nearly collapsed in a dead faint. Brodrick, wearing a cool, friendly smile, threaded her arm with his and placed her hand on his elbow to lead her. “A wonderful surprise,” he purred in her ear, “don’t you think?”
Anxiety gnawed at her lungs and constricted her throat. She struggled to catch her breath. This was the opposite of a wonderful surprise. If he was to sit by Rhiannon during her coming-of-age dinner, it could only mean one thing.
Brodrick waved off her concerned lady-in-waiting in favor of guiding Rhiannon to her seat himself. He kissed her hand once she was seated, letting his lips linger too long on her gloved fingers. “You’re speechless, my sweet,” he cooed. “Shall I have them fetch you something to drink?”
The affectionate pet name made her cringe. Rhiannon’s eyes darted about, searching for any escape from what was most certainly coming. “I-I feel faint,” she rasped. “I ought to lie down.”
“Nonsense. You’ll be fine with a little wine to relax you.” Brodrick accepted the bottle brought by a servant and splashed a generous portion in the crystal goblet. He then pressed it into her hands. “Drink. You’ll feel better.”
She winced and set the glass aside. The last time he had offered her anything to drink, she’d felt ill the rest of the day. She later found out that he’d placed a spell on the drink but claimed all he wanted was to warm her up in such chilly weather. “I don’t need wine,” she protested. “I need to leave.”
“But it’s your party,” he reminded her, “and His Majesty has an announcement to make. It would be strange for you to bow out now, not to mention impolite.”
It didn’t matter. Rhiannon knew she needed to leave right away. She pushed back her chair, only for Brodrick to set a firm hand on her shoulder. “No need to be nervous,” he told her with a grin. “You’ve wanted this for a long time, haven’t you? No need to let the good news jitters get to you. What would your guests say if you ran away?”
She wanted to shout at him and tell him to release her, but the words caught in her throat. The thought of what her guests would say made her knees weak. She wanted to cry, to find someplace to hide herself away, to be anywhere but here where her worst nightmare would soon come to pass.
The general chatter died down with the arrival of Rhiannon’s parents. The king and queen, radiant in their royal finery, passed down the aisle. His Majesty, King Byron, led his queen to her seat. He helped her to sink gracefully into her spot before turning to address the crowd.
“Thank you all for joining us on this joyous occasion. We have much to celebrate this evening.” He smiled warmly at Rhiannon, ignoring the way she remained pale and trembling. “My daughter, Princess Rhiannon, has come of age at last. Therefore, I would like to announce her engagement to our strongest knight, Sir Brodrick. I pray that this auspicious union will—”
At last Rhiannon found the strength to stand. She shoved back her chair and fled with a clatter. Murmurs nipped at her heels, but still her feet kept moving. She had to get away. Though weak and shaky, she ran as quickly as she could. Away from Brodrick. Away from his satisfaction at her expense. To somewhere she could hide away and never have to see him again.
A hand caught her wrist, and Rhiannon froze. Terror flooded her veins. Her pulse roared in her ears. Brodrick must have followed her. Alone in the corridor, he could do any number of things to hurt her or bend her to his will. A scream stuck in her throat as she turned back.
Her mother, the queen, had her heavy skirts gathered in one hand and grasped Rhiannon’s wrist in the other. The brief run had left them both winded, though Rhiannon’s pounding heart and anxiety left her in far worse of a state than her mother’s simple irritation.
“Rhiannon!” Queen Evelyn panted. “What’s gotten into you? It is unlike you to leave without saying anything.”
“I... I told Sir Brodrick I wasn’t feeling well,” Rhiannon replied lamely. “No one warned me. It came as a bit of a shock.” That was an understatement, but Rhiannon couldn’t tell her the truth. Brodrick was a respected knight and the kingdom’s best monster slayer. It didn’t matter what she said against him if no one would believe her. Whenever he said or did something improper while they’d been growing up, no one believed her either. They just sent her back to him, again and again. “I need to lie down.”
Queen Evelyn heaved a sigh. “Really, Rhiannon, this shouldn’t have surprised you. Sir Brodrick has been courting you since you were children—”
“I didn’t want him courting me!” Rhiannon cried. Her mother gasped at the outburst, and Rhiannon bowed her head, on the verge of both embarrassed and horrified tears. “Mother, that man frightens me. He’s only ever treated me as a...a trophy for his collection.” One earned by chasing all competition away, both romantic and platonic, until Rhiannon had no one else left.
“Rhiannon...”
The dam broke, and years of restrained emotion poured out. “I won’t marry that man,” she insisted. “I can’t. It’s bad enough that I was promised to a dragon. To be promised to...to...” Rhiannon shook her head. Her mother wouldn’t listen. Her only hope, she hated to say, was to rely on the dragon. “I have to leave soon. If I don’t, the witch—”
Her mother gently tucked a loose lock of Rhiannon’s hair behind her ear. “Sir Brodrick is an expert monster slayer. Your father has charged him with tracking and exterminating the dragon that laid claim to you first. If the dragon is no longer of this world, then that witch can hardly expect you to remain loyal to a corpse.”
A tremor ran through her. “Dragons are intelligent,” she said, remembering the few she’d seen wearing humanoid glamours to consult the king in years past. They’d been grotesque, scaly things with the head of a lizard and walking on hind legs like a dog doing tricks. When they sat on their haunches and handled documents with care in their taloned fingers, they more resembled some monster of yore than the human guise they’d attempted. They’d been horrifying, yes, but they’d been polite and spoke with eloquence. “Father can’t have Sir Brodrick murder one in cold blood!”
It wasn’t the dragon’s fault the witch had extracted such a promise. If her father had just refused her request and offered something else, then maybe she would not have found herself in this situation to begin with.
“Rhiannon, be reasonable. Your father is only concerned for your safety.”
“If he was that concerned,” Rhiannon bit out, “he would never have arranged the marriage with Sir Brodrick without consulting me first.”
Smack.
Stunned, Rhiannon touched her tender cheek.
Her mother lowered her hand. “He is only thinking of what is best for you. Sir Brodrick is the captain of the knights and has trained himself in monster extermination for your sake. Your father would be horrified to know how ungrateful you are.” Rhiannon turned away, biting her lip to stop the tears from overflowing.
Queen Evelyn sighed. “Rhiannon, perhaps it would be best if you went to your room after all. Once you’ve calmed down, you may rejoin us. This is your engagement party as well as your birthday, and everyone would be disappointed if the guest of honor weren’t there to celebrate.” She tenderly smoothed her daughter’s hair. “It will be fine. Sir Brodrick will be a good husband for you, and you’ll grow to love him in time. I promise.”