“That's a set of anxious young men,” my father chuckled.
“And one anxious young woman,” I said back. “Thank you, Father, for giving me this.Them.”
“You're welcome,” the King said as he led me up the little steps to my grooms. “May all of you be happy together,” he said to us. Then he backed away, to stand on the side until he was needed again.
The men came forward, two to either side of me, and I held my hands out to them. Two hands slipped beneath each of mine, and then we all faced the priest together. The priest was nervous, more so than we were, and fumbled through his Bible till he found the page he was looking for. Then he fumbled through the ceremony and fumbled through the blessing. But when it was our turn, and we spoke our vows to each other, we did so clearly, our voices resonating through the chapel with conviction.
I had finally removed the little ring they had given me, so that they could replace it with my wedding band. This was done with all of them holding an edge of the gold ring, and then slipping it carefully on my finger. I smiled at the glimpse of our future, the sharing of everything, even something as small as a ring, and I glanced over my shoulder to see my new father-in-law, Bayard, crying openly beside my mother. He nodded and smiled brilliantly at me.
Then the priest proclaimed us married and stepped back. It was my father's turn. The King strode up with four squires, each one holding a velvet cushion. On the cushions were crowns for the new princes. My father crowned them one by one, proclaiming them all to be his new heirs, the next unified rulers of our kingdom. The small gathering cheered, and then my husbands took my hands and led me out onto the palace steps, where a massive crowd stretched back into the surrounding village.
The King eased past us and proclaimed loudly, “With the greatest joy, I present to you the Princess Adelysia and her new husbands, Prince Robyn, Prince Arnet, Prince Hugin, and Prince Barret!”
The crowd roared, cheering like God himself had come down to earth to announce my marriage. My father beamed, his prediction of a warm reception fulfilled, and we all looked at each other with sublime happiness. Which lasted all of five minutes.
That's when the screaming started.
It was my mother who screamed first, pointing to the sky in terror. I followed her finger to find two dragons bearing down on us at incredible speed. One was a deep black, like distilled evil, and the other a brilliant emerald, brighter than summer grass. They breathed fire over the village as they came, burning my people and sending the survivors running for their lives.
My father shouted to his knights, calling for trebuchets and dragon lances, the calm tactician within him, immediately emerging. He placed my mother firmly into the hands of her ladies and bid them to hide and protect their Queen. They ran off together, and my husbands turned to me, no doubt to say something similar.
“The hell I will,” I snarled and yanked my belt off, tossing the train over the side of the stairs, in a dramatic arc. It fell to the courtyard and was trampled by terrified people.
“Adelysia!” Robyn snarled. “Get inside the castle, now!”
“No,” I watched as my father rushed away to handle the knights, leaving me in, what he surely believed, were capable hands. I turned back to my husband and laid a palm on his cheek. “Sometimes you have to fight for your happiness. I'm done waiting for life to hand me what it will. I have love within my grasp, and I refuse to cower while you defend it for me. We shall defend it together.”
With that, I ran to the nearest pile of lances, thrown down hastily by stumbling squires, and picked up the smallest, lightest one. I knew who those dragons were. Malcolm and Meara, Saunder's parents. They had come to avenge their child, no doubt. Well, they wouldn't find the princess cowering in fright. Not this time. Not this princess.
I ran to the battlements as I heard Arnet shout that he was going for his gun, and for the others to watch over me while he was gone. My remaining husbands cursed, collected their own weapons, and chased after me. Once I reached the top, I stopped and stared. From there, I could see the distant sea and the numerous ships that darkened the horizon. Even if we survived the dragon attacks, we'd still have to face their army. The dragon royals were going to make sure they made us bleed.
We were already bleeding. My people were dying before my very eyes, burning and being torn open by dragon claws. I pulled back my spear and felt my crown go toppling down my back. I didn't care one whit. I may not be a warrior, but I knew how to throw a spear. I had trained with dagger and lance, just as my father had accused me, and I was a fairly good shot. Wouldn't my new husbands be surprised?
“I'm here!” I shouted to the dragons. “Leave my people alone and come face me!”
The dragons screeched and turned in a circle, shining eyes setting on me fiercely.
“Addy!” Barret shouted. “Please come away from there!”
“Just stand beside her,” Robyn growled. “It's too damn late for anything else.” He gave me an angry but admiring look as he did exactly as he'd suggested to Barret, and stood beside me, hefting his own lance to his shoulder. “We shall defend our love together,” Robyn nodded to me.
“I love you, Robyn,” I said to him, and kissed him quickly, as the dragons screeched in fury. I looked to the others, “I love you all so much.”
“We love you too, Addy,” Hugin shook his head. “Just throw the damn spear already.”
The dragons breathed more fire onto my people, taunting me.
“Come and face me!” I shouted to them. “You strike out at those defenseless beneath you, but you cannot fight one woman with a spear? Cowards!”
The dragons roared. But below them, my people rallied. They shouted and pointed up at me, their princess in her wedding gown, facing down the dragons with her new husbands beside her. It was enough. Enough to motivate them to find weapons and face the threat themselves. Objects started flying at the dragons, everything from pitchforks to pumpkins. The dragons dodged and roared, wheeling in the sky.
I smiled at that. If I died on those battlements, at least my people would know that I had fought for them.Withthem. That I wasn't some useless jewel to be put on display or given away. Their princess was more than a slave in pretty clothes; she was their defender.
The dragons rushed us and I tensed, preparing to throw my lance.
“Right beneath the chin,” I said to my husbands. “Hit them there, and you'll kill them.”
“Who is this woman we married?” Barret breathed in wonder.
