Page 29 of The Dark Prince
He went silent after his tirade, which had to have been the most amount of words he’d ever strung together and flung at me. I fell into silence as we rode on, contemplating all he’d said. I could see where his darkness came from, and how his duties for the king obviously weighed on him.
“There. My castle awaits.”
The men riding ahead of us shouted to each other, then pushed their horses into full-out gallops. Tyr kept his canter sedate, likely not wanting me thrown off should he give his horse full rein.
I appreciated the thought.
A black castle rose into sight, set along high, rocky cliffs. Before it lay a quiet little town, surrounded by woods. A salty tang lay in the air, and my heart skipped a beat. “The ocean? Are we near the sea?” I twisted around in my seat to see his face, but the damned mask hid everything but his eyes. Did I sense a slight smile in them?
“Yes, the sea. Hold on.”
He snapped his reins harder, and we bolted forward as his one arm tightened around my waist in a steel grip. I let loose a scream of pure delight as the horse raced toward the castle, gaining on its fellows as the landscape raced by us. We skipped the town entirely, instead keeping the woods and the village between us as we made a beeline straight for the castle. Snow fell overhead, and I laughed at the sheer absurdity of it. If I were still back at the manor, we’d all be huddling inside to wait out the storm. Dressed warmly in my new clothes and protected by Tyr’s tall frame, I felt invincible.
“Faster!” I yelled into the wind, and could have sworn I felt Tyr smile behind me, even under his surly attitude and under that firm, unyielding mask he refused to be without.
The castle loomed above us, made of a dark black stone I’d never seen before. It gave the entire structure a gloomy, foreboding look. Perhaps I’d ask Tyr about it later.
He steered us around to the side, to the stables, and where the other men had gone. Many stable hands were already waiting for us, some already brushing down and feeding the horses of the other men. They looked relieved to see their lord, but there was a tightness that lingered around their eyes and faces that spoke of another worry.
“He’s here then?” Tyr asked the tallest man, who nodded tersely as he took Tyr’s horse by the bridle. He swung himself off the horse, then with two hands picked me up and set me down beside him.
“Very well. Remember your manners. Andthisis your new lady.”
I colored slightly as the boys and men around me bowed their hands, hands folded against their breasts. No one had ever shown me such deference before. Tyr led me away quickly towards a door that led inside. By the spiced smells wafting towards us, it was a servant’s entrance into the kitchen.
“I apologize I haven’t been able to explain much, but know I will when there is time. For now, just …” Tyr stopped, turning to look down on me while clutching both of my hands. His eyes closed. How I wished he’d let me see his entire face, just so I knew for a moment what he was feeling.
He spoke as he opened his eyes. “Just be yourself.”
Well, that was easy enough, I supposed. Tyr didn’t give me a chance to ponder this obscure message; we whizzed by servants and cooks and staff, up a winding staircase, and practically sprinted down the corridor. My clothes had been wonderful on the road, but now I was sweating through them, my arms and legs itching from too much fabric. If I could simply change, or if Tyr would just slow down …
We burst through a small set of doors into a small hall, complete with high ceilings, stone columns, and purple velvet rugs. A small throne sat on a raised dais, and for a moment I could imagine Tyr sitting here, hearing complaints from his people or other traveling vassals.
For now, a man sat in that chair, his beard and hair gray and his blue eyes harsh and calculating. At his side was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen—even more gorgeous than Roselle. Her blue eyes were the perfect match to her father’s, and for a moment I couldn’t breathe. There were only two people renowned for their features, and here they were standing in front of me.
The king and his daughter, Princess Aella.
Fourteen
TYR
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
My father was here. Aella was here. I struggled to keep my face impassive and cool. Next to me, Isadora gasped with understanding. She unconsciously leaned in closer toward me.
I felt a surge of protectiveness for her. I wouldn’t allow Aella or my father to bully her.Ideserved their anger, not Isadora. She had nothing to do with my decision.
“Majesty. My apologies for not being here to greet you immediately,” I said, bowing slightly. Seeing Isadora frozen, I gave her a small poke in the small of her back. She twitched, then bent forward in a stiff curtsy.
The king waved his hand dismissively. “Yes, yes. Fine. I hear you were … busy.”
He wouldn’t stop staring at Isadora. Anger welled in my veins, but I took a calming breath.
Isadora no doubt felt the king’s stare, her flushed face giving her away. She kept her gaze down on the ground.
“You’ve always tested the boundaries between obedience and defiance,” the king warmed me, his voice tinged with displeasure.
I lifted my head a fraction as I matched my gaze with my father. “You ordered me to find a bride. I found one,” I grit out tersely.
