Page 8 of The Dark Prince
At least the Dark Prince seemed appalled by physical abuse—which was rich, considering how he made his coin. But I would take it. His men seemed friendly, or at least Maddeus was. And I would make friends with the other servants and women there, right? It wouldn’t all be bad.
I perked up a bit at the thought. Just because my husband was a grouch didn’t mean my life was over. There were all kinds of possibilities, and a chance to run my own household and have children, just like my mother had raised me to do. The thought filled me with hope, right until I remembered who I’d have to have the childrenwith.
I didn’t want to keep leaning against him, but the chill in the air made it a necessity. Was he trying to punish me with a lack of proper clothing? I had no gloves, no furs, and my footwear was laughable. The others dressed to confront a tundra. We weren’t going that far north, were we?
Maybe we were.
Where did the Dark Prince live? Where was his castle?
I knew nothing about him other than the dark rumors, and that he seemed to balk at hitting a woman. Such knowledge wasn’t exact enough to build a foundation for a marriage.
Well, this was my lot now. I could have screamed and begged and pleaded for help, but I’d come with the Dark Prince willingly enough, albeit in shock. I would make the best of my new life.
Finally, away from the manor, I realized how exhausted I was. I was away from Lord Perron and Roselle, and all their demands. It couldn’t hurt to relax and rest for a bit, could it?
I yawned and did just that. I felt the Dark Prince jerk behind me as I settled against him, but he didn’t protest. He really was quite warm, and there was no reason I should put myself in pain if I didn’t need to. I needed all the warmth I could get, and clearly he intended to ride through the night. I wouldn’t be able to sleep grasping tightly to the saddle’s horn.
The horse slowed as he pulled back on the reins. He unclasped the black cloak around him and threw it around me, tucking in the sides securely.
That was nice of him.
He kicked the horse in his sides, and we were off again. My eyes had just drifted closed when his voice rumbled next to my ear.
“Tyr,” he said, the puff of air from his voice warm on my neck. He smelled nice; like leather and spice and safety. For a moment, I didn’t even think he was speaking to me. The word itself made little sense.
“My name,” he repeated.
I straightened against him, understanding.
“Tyr?” I asked, wanting to get it right. It was the name of a man, and certainly not of a killer feared by an entire kingdom.
He shifted uncomfortably behind me in the saddle. “Yes,” he confirmed.
I smiled and relaxed against him, settling in for a long journey.
Four
TYR
This was a terrible, terrible idea. I was taking a wife to stop the spread of my curse, not because I wanted one. This small, needy woman who dug her cold fingers into my leathers was nothing more than an annoyance and a distraction; something I would have to protect, and she would tear my attention away from more important matters.
Yet here she was, sleeping peacefully against my chest, completely trusting and unbothered.
What a fool.
“No one has followed us,” Maddeus reported, pushing his horse up alongside mine.
I put a finger to my lips and made a shushing gesture, my eyes flicking to the still figure against my chest.
Maddeus raised an eyebrow but lowered his voice. “I don’t think Perron or anyone else will come to claim her. We’ll shift our focus on the road ahead.”
“Very good,” I responded. I hadn’t been sure if Perron would let the girl go without a fight or not. I never underestimated my opponents.
Maddeus’s face twisted as he regarded the sleeping girl. I growled, knowing what he was thinking.
“Say it to my face,” I grunted.
He opened his mouth, closed it, then frowned. “It’s just … are you sure you want to do this? No one is forcing you.”
