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Chapter 8: Thrown Into the Midst
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The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 9: A Prince with No Standing
"My apologies, I did not think that would take as long as it had. My Captain wanted to give me a full brief of what is occurring along the border," Elric said as they left the dining hall. Although he smiled at her, she could see the concern in his furrowed brow. "Are we at war?" she asked, realizing how far removed from the happenings of the capital she was in Gilramore, despite being only a day's journey away. "Not yet, but I believe we will be soon. No matter what my father says, there is unrest in our towns. There have been rumors of Udril soldiers raiding our villages," he said, his mouth pressed into a grim line. Saffron had heard of the fearsome soldiers of their neighboring country to the north. They were said to be a brutal country, carving out a life in the harsh frozen wasteland. Stories were told about these raiders to scare children into being home by dark. Saffron felt the familiar pang of fear listening to the real account. "That's awful. Will you have to fight?" s
The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 10: The Sisters' Twisted Plot
Saffron had been in the palace for nearly two weeks when Verita came to get her to be measured for her wedding gown. She was sitting beneath a tree in the frigid garden, scribbling in her journal. While she knew most of the flowers that were grown here there were a few that she was unfamiliar with. Elric had informed her that he would be gone all day to oversee the training of some of the newer soldiers, so she had the day to herself. The past two weeks had blurred past her. Elric had sent a messenger back to Gilramore to collect her things and she was eagerly awaiting them. She thought that is why the unpleasant lady of the house was coming to get her now. "You're needed in your rooms," Verita said, giving no explanation. "One moment," Saffron said as she finished pressing the flower into the journal. Verita looked down her beaked nose at the girl's flower and ink-stained fingertips. "Wash up first. We don't want your filth getting onto the fabrics," she said with a sniff and
The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 11: A Dram Most Dangerous
The butterflies threatened to creep up her throat as Saffron stared at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the woman staring back at her. Her face had been scrubbed clean, rouge rubbed into her cheeks and lips and her eyes lined with a thin stripe of black soot. She liked the look but found it unsettling. Even though it was not yet her wedding day she felt as if it were. The castle had been decorated a bit more festively than usual and the kitchen was churning out platters of food that could feed their entire army twice over. Mary was plaiting and twisting Saffron's long blonde locks into a complicated knot atop her head. All of the pulling was giving her a headache. She had already decided on the day of the actual wedding, she would be wearing her hair down. She did not fancy having to balance a large pile of hair, a veil, and a tiara. "You are set. Let's get your dress on now before Verita comes looking for you and we both get a scolding," Mary said and pulled the even
The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 12: Caring for Her
"I want to know who it was!" Saffron heard Elric's raging voice ring through the corridor outside of her room. She wearily opened her eyes. The drapes were drawn tight against the sun that she could see reaching around the edges of the thick brocade. It gave the room a suffocating feeling. She sat up, intending to open them a bit but her legs were still a bit shaky. She wasn't sure of the exact poison she had been given but she knew that it was the type to cause paralysis, judging by her weakened limbs and her previous difficulty breathing. It was nearly tasteless in her tea. Had it had more time to dissolve, it would have been impossible to discern. Whoever poisoned her did not have a strong background in the practice. Thankfully, her grandmother was a skilled woman who made sure to teach Saffron how to heal ailments of all variety, natural and human-induced. She took a swig of the water next to her bed after thoroughly checking its contents. She swilled the cool liquid around her
The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 13: Secrets Told and Pasts Revealed
The rain came down harder as the carriage lurched to a stop in front of a small inn, the lit windows barely visible through the lashing rain. "We're going to have to make a run for it!" Elric said as he threw the door open. Laughing, Saffron joined him as they raced for the door. With a loud thud, they slammed it open and stood sodden at the entrance of the tavern. The few people sitting in the room turned to look at them but went back to their tankards. A small puddle began to form underneath them as they stood shivering. "I'll arrange rooms for us," Elric said, still smiling at Saffron. Despite the chill and her sopping wet cloak, she was in high spirits. They had been traveling for a few days now and this sudden storm had broken the monotony of riding in the carriage. She glanced around the large room while Elric spoke to the short man behind the bar. There were only about five others here and they appeared to be regulars, sharing a companionable silence in front of the fire.
The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 14: An Icy Welcome
The landscape shifts as the carriage trundled north. Saffron is heavily bundled in furs as the temperature drops the closer they get to the border. What began as soft flurries of snow has increased to heavy, damp clumps that smack the carriage wetly. She had drifted into an uneasy doze but was startled awake by a strange dream. The feeling of unease lingered even while she is awake. Elric pulled her closer to him, giving her some of his warmth. "We are nearly there. Thank the gods we aren't going to the King's castle. It would be another week of traveling in this. Not to mention he built his castle into the side of a cliff. Dreadful place," he said to her, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder. Saffron was intrigued. She wanted to see this treacherously placed castle. It sounded like something from the fairytales her grandmother had read to her when she was a child. She pushed past Elric a bit to glance out of the window. The terrain was rugged and rocky; the trees wiry and s
The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 15: War is Brewing
Saffron felt exhausted. She had slept poorly in the drafty, unwelcoming castle. The wind had violently roared all night, throwing snow and ice against the windows. The fire in her bedroom had barely warmed the room and she had spent most of the night adding more blankets to her bed. Had she been allowed to share a room with Elric, she would have been plenty warm. She had worked herself into a temper by the time Elric had come to fetch her for the council with the Udril Chancellor and other members. She had hoped to not see Mira first thing. She wasn't entirely sure that she could control herself around the devious princess. "Did you not sleep well?" Elric asked her after he gave her a small kiss. She scowled up at him. "What gave me away?" she snapped. He chuckled, unperturbed by her stormy mood. "Aside from your shining smile, you appear to have darkness underneath your eyes. I didn't sleep well either. I could swear this place is haunted," he replied with a shiver. They both
The Dragon's Coveted Wife Chapter 16: A Pauper Princess and a Bumbling Prince
Saffron sat stewing in her bed-chamber; anger and embarrassment rocking through her. She had walked right into the home of Elric's previously intended bride, completely unaware. Elric hadn't said a word about Mira. He didn't even bother mentioning anything about her outside of hinting that she was dreadful. She felt absurd. It explained the familiarity with which Mira had greeted Elric. Her friend had hinted that Elric and Mira had been…intimate before. Saffron groaned and buried her face into the pillow she held on her lap. She knew that Elric had been with other women, but she didn't think that she would have to associate with them, much less be a guest in her home. She wasn't sure who she was more furious with, Elric for not explaining the situation or herself, for not putting everything together sooner. She could kill him. Her face burned, thinking about the grin on Mira's face as she told Saffron that Elric had been hers first. Saffron could tell by the anger in her eyes that
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