And while dragons had the ability to fly, they never used their ability for mundane tasks. The royals protected their dragon identity from their kingdoms. They ruled as humans, and the humans they ruled had no idea that there were dragons amongst them. Luckily the Skelvarns lived by the same rulesto avoid conflicts with those who didn’t believe in dragons, or worse, could feel that dragons should be eliminated. It would end generations of dragons living secretly in their respective realms. They knew amongst themselves that dragons were superior, but there was no reason to flaunt it.
“What time do you want to leave, Sire?”
“Stop, Lars. You’re just being a dick now. You don’t have to use formalities when we’re alone.”
“It’s a fine line between friendship and duty.” Lars grinned. “Not to mention you’re a big pain in the ass..”
Sven rolled his eyes before he glanced at his watch. “I can always depend on you to be honest. I’m leaving in about an hour. Erik’s flight was on time the last time I checked.”
“Very well.” Lars spun on his heel and headed to the door. “I will meet you in the garage.”
When the door clicked shut behind him, Sven exhaled and let his shoulders droop. He turned back to the window and looked out over the town that he loved so much. The duties of the monarchy came with a price but he could never see any other ruler.
Forty minutes later, Sven slipped his sunglasses into place and pulled out of the garage. As expected, Lars was also early but Sven refused to look in the rearview mirror to see his friend pull out behind him. He trusted Lars to be discreet and didn’t want to waste the momentary solitude. He turned the radio up a bit too loud, tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, and let the open road be his guide.
He loved his obligations for the most part. He loved his town and the people, and they loved him back. But some of the pressures of being king. Like having to take a wife, which only happened if an heir was produced at the upcoming ritual.
Is it wrong if I pray that it’s nothing more than a night of sex? I really don’t want a baby with that woman.He wasn’t sure what it was about Alitta that rubbed him the wrong way, but he despised the thought of spending a night with her.
He pushed the thoughts from his head. He wasn’t going to spend his highly limited free time on her. He turned the radio up more and put the windows down. With the hair blowing through his hair, he accelerated a bit and sang off key to the song on the radio. He was finally free.
For a few minutes anyhow. All too soon he pulled up in front of the airport. The royal plates on the car allowed him to park wherever he wanted, so he pulled right up to the arrival concourse. Now he glanced behind him but so no sign of Lars.
At least someone listens to me.
He was about to exit the car when a woman caught his attention. She stood in a patch of sun with a flimsy jacket pulled tight around her midsection. Her face was tilted up to the sunlight and her eyes were closed. Her lips were curved into a slight smile and he had never seen such contentment on a face before.
She’s absolutely breathtaking.
He watched people pass by her without giving her a glance. “How can they not see the absolute wonder of her aura?” She was like a guiding light to the promised land.
After a moment, she took a deep breath and grabbed her suitcase. As she approached the car, he could read the irritation that he was parked in her way. The dark tinting on the windowsalong with the reflective glass kept him hidden from her, but he smirked as she side-eyed the vehicle when she passed.
He waited until she was further down the sidewalk before he opened the door. He needed to focus on finding Erik. Another reason he wanted to drive himself was to give them a few minutes to talk privately on the way back to the castle. Sven had no idea if Erik was planning to move back into his rooms or if he had alternative quarters arranged. And he wanted to know about his brother’s whereabouts for the past couple years before the grand inquisition started.
“Who parks like this?”
Sven glanced back as the woman kicked the tire of his car and yanked her luggage around the vehicle. She appeared to be seeking a taxi, and he chuckled as he turned back to head for the terminal. Totally distracted, he didn’t even take a moment to look around for any potential danger, which was unlike him.
A passing woman’s gasp caught his attention before a stinging pain sucked the air from his lungs. His hands grabbed his chest to find an arrow protruding from it. The gasp turned into a scream as he fell to his knees.
“Lars…” he barely whispered. His vision swam and he found to stay upright.
Soft hands grabbed his shoulders and he found himself staring into the eyes of the woman he had admired. The one who had distracted him. She stood in front of him which blocked him from the direction the arrow had come.
She knelt beside him. “Lay back. Let me help.”
She eased him to the ground and tried to keep him talking. Darkness blurred his vision as she cradled his head. He managed to grab her hand and held on for dear life.
“I guess Lars was right,” he choked out before the world went black.
Chapter Three
Bryn
Bryn leaned against the back of the poorly parked car. If they wanted to park in the wrong spot, then she was going to use it to her advantage. Her toes ached from the kick to the tire. She let out a deep sigh with a sinking feeling. There were few vehicles around and everyone seemed to be walking. With no idea what direction her hotel was in, she kicked herself for not planning ahead to have a ride waiting on her.
She pulled out her cell phone and powered it on, something she should have done as soon as the plane landed. Hopefully she would have service and her GPS would work. At the very least, she could call for a taxi to pick her up.
