1 – Ultimatum
Sasha, The Lionhearted, stared at her mother in utter shock while panic pounded her chest. Nausea shot through her, and her vision faded in and out. She gripped the chair armrests while her dragon issued a silent roar. Currently in her tattoo form, her dragon scooted up Sasha’s body to reposition for a better view. She peeked over Sasha’s collar.
“Ooh, the vein at our mother’s neck is ticking.”
Sasha ignored the private communication from her dragon and bounded from the comfortable chair. “No! You can’t make me. I won’t marry Bruceous. He’s high-handed, and his behavior is outdated. The last time I saw him, he lectured me for speaking before he granted permission. We don’t suit, and I refuse to wed him, no matter what you or Father think is best.”
Sun streamed into the solar, highlighting the elegant furnishings and the tasteful pieces of art adorning the walls. Sasha stared at a seascape depicting rocky cliffs and white-crested waves. The sea always calmed her, but the urge to shriek and stomp her feet in a tantrum almost won. Instead, she inhaled and fought for calm. She rounded a straightback chair and faced her mother. Unfortunately, she was wearing trews instead of a dress, and she caught her mother’s cringe.
Sasha rushed into speech to stave off a lecture. “Mother, this is sudden. You promised I could choose my husband, that I didn’t need to go through a betrothal.”
Sadness filled her mother’s oval face before the emotion retreated, and determination took its place. “Your father and I have discussed the matter. You have rejected every suitable offer, and it is time for you to grow up and accept the responsibility of a husband.”
“Bruceous is thirty years older than me,” Sasha whispered. “He’s the same age as you.”
Her mother flinched. “Older,” she admitted.
“Blaze won’t agree. He’ll side with me.”
“It’s none of your brother’s business,” her mother said. “Your father and I will undertake the marriage discussion. Bruceous is visiting tomorrow. You will stand at our side and greet him with a polite smile and the perfect manners I taught you. And you will wear a dress.”
“No!”her dragon roared, as appalled as Sasha at spending time in the same room, let alone the old dragon touching them. Intimately.Ugh!“Let’s go,”her dragon prompted.“Escape this lecture.”
Sasha whirled away and stomped from the salon, the thick deep brown carpet spoiling her dramatic exit.
“Come back here,” her mother snapped, in a no-nonsense tone.
Sasha kept striding, her heart racing while every instinct shouted for her to escape. Once she reached her bedroom, she slammed the door. She stalked to her carved wooden wardrobe and plucked a dress from inside. After folding the silky fabric with care, she placed it inside a bag. She added stockings and a pair of shoes to wear indoors, her favorite perfume, a comb, and her tooth cleaner. At the last moment, she packed a clean pair of trews, a shirt, and a black woolen jacket before pulling the drawstring on the floral embroidered bag. The last thing she wanted was to strew her belongings along the flight path she used to visit her best friend on the other side of Perfume Isle.
“Sasha, come out here. We need to talk about this.” Her mother’s voice sounded closer. “Your father and I expect you to be with us when Bruceous arrives.”
Sasha inhaled, struggling for composure. Tears pricked her eyes, and she willed them away. Dragons were tough. They didn’t cry, but oh! This was so unfair.
“Sasha.” Annoyance shaded her mother’s tone this time.
“I heard you,” Sasha said, and pride radiated through her because her voice remained steady and didn’t crack. “I’ll be here.”
“You’ll return this evening. If I don’t receive your promise, I’ll refuse my permission for you to visit Isobel.”
Sasha squeezed her eyes shut. The thought of getting personal with Bruceous brought a shudder of revulsion. He’d pinched her bottom at the Samhain celebration several months ago. Not once, but twice. Disgusting old dragon. If Bruceous leered at her mother in the same way, her parent would have second and third thoughts about this marriage.
“Sasha! Answer me.” Impatience snapped in her mother, and it sounded as if she stood right outside Sasha’s door.
Sasha wilted for long seconds before straightening her spine. “You have my promise. I will return this evening in time for dinner.”
“Don’t make me regret giving you this freedom. You won’t get another chance.”
“Yes, Mother,” Sasha said, her stomach twisting. Her parents had warned her if she didn’t choose, they’d make a decision for her. Although why she had to marry when her older brothers remained free made no sense.
Silence fell, and Sasha held her breath, praying her mother had finished with her lecture. Eventually, her mother’s footsteps retreated, and Sasha relaxed. Her parents assured her they wanted her happiness. Huh! Their choice of dragons was abysmal.
Sasha opened her terrace door and slipped from her clothes. She embraced her dragon, letting the shift take her in an explosion of power. She scooped up her bag in one talon and took to the air.
As always, the rush of freedom filled her with joy. Her pulse raced faster with each flap of her wings. When she glided, everything was peaceful.
“We’ll lose what independence we have if we accept Bruceous,”her dragon said.
“True,”Sasha agreed.“I’m at a loss to understand why our parents wish this match. Could they be short of money? Or is it because Mother settled with Father when she was younger than us? Let’s fly for fun instead of traveling straight to Isobel’s house. I wish to skim the waves and feel the sea breeze on our face.”
