The panic must have been clearly on her face because Katarina suddenly moved around Braith, distracting the Silver.
“And you are?” Katarina asked.
“Sergeant Addolgar of the Fifth Legion, my lady.”
It took Braith a few seconds to get control of her initial reaction. Of all the dragons who could be going with them, why did it have to be him? Her one weakness. Her one very handsome, very thick-tailed weakness.
“So, Sergeant Addolgar,” Katarina continued as Braith finally faced them both. “Why were you looking for us?”
“I’ll be your military escort for this trip.”
“Oh, I thought these dragons were. . . .”
Addolgar glanced over at the soldiers. “These lads mostly guard Devenallt Mountain and the Elders. Good, solid soldiers,” he quickly added, never wanting to insult anyone—unlike his younger brother. “But I’ve been through the Western Mountains. Fought a few battles there. So, it was a good decision on my brother’s part.”
Figures! Gods-damn Bercelak! She should have known! Bastard.
“Now I don’t want either of you to worry. I’m here to protect you both.” Grinning, he nodded at the waiting soldiers. “Let me check on these lads and then we can get on our way.”
He walked off and Katarina faced her again.
“Sorry about that—” Braith began, but Katarina shook her head.
“No need to worry. I understand that feeling. Felt it myself not too long ago.”
“Well, if we could just keep it between us, I’d appreciate it.”
“Because there are those here who use weakness as currency?”
After living at the royal court, it seemed Katarina understood the Queen as well as anyone.
“You might say.”
“Don’t worry, Braith. Your secret is safe with me.”
“You two ready?” Addolgar asked. “Have everything you need?” When they both nodded, he gave that adorable, wide grin of his, showing all those perfect fangs, and swung his forearm out from his body. “Then after you, my ladies.”
Determined to get through this somehow without embarrassing herself, Braith nodded and walked on, Katarina right behind her.
Then Braith realized something.... She had no idea how far away the Western Mountains actually were. A couple of days’ travel? Gods. Hopefully not more than that.
Early on the fourth day of their trip, they camped for the night in a small grove. They still had at least another three-day flight before reaching the Western Mountains, but so far they’d made good time, considering it was nearing winter and the winds were beginning to howl.
Yet today’s trip had ended early when Lady Katarina, who had been doing so well, with few to no complaints so far, suddenly announced she was getting tired. Addolgar understood; she seemed a frail thing. At least by dragon standards, she seemed frail.
So they’d settled here for the night. It was nice. Lots of trees, a lake nearby, and some tasty-looking oxen a few miles away. Addolgar never needed much more than that.
He settled down beside a large oak, his back pressed against the trunk so that his wings could get a good stretch. He’d rest for a while before searching out that oxen so he could eat, then take night watch.
Just as Addolgar began to get comfortable, Lady Katarina softly stepped up beside him.
“Lord Addolgar,” she greeted.
“Just sergeant, I’m afraid, Lady.”
“An earned title,” she mused. “Much more admirable, I assure you.”
Enjoying the compliment, Addolgar asked, “Do you need something, my lady? Or Lady Braith?”
“Oh, she’s fine. A little fed up with this traveling. I think she believed this to be a much shorter trip, but she’ll probably go down to the lake in a bit to relax. Actually, though, I’m about to make some tea. Would you like some?”
A royal? Making something for a low-born Cadwaladr? Who would have thought? “That would be lovely.”
“Give me a few minutes then.”
“Of course.”
Feeling elated by the obvious attention of Lady Katarina—she was making him tea!—Addolgar relaxed back and let out a contented sigh. As he waited, watching the lovely Lady Katarina move around the campfire, he noticed Braith heading off into the woods toward the nearby lake. She had her head down as she silently eased away. No one noticed, which he expected was what she wanted.
Braith sat down by the river. Her back legs stretched out in front of her, her claws resting on her knees, and her wings stretching out from her body.
She’d admit, she couldn’t stand to watch another second. By the gods, the fawning. The fawning!
It was all so easy for them, wasn’t it? The pretty ones. It was as if the males felt an inherent need to coddle the pretty ones. Did their beauty make them somehow weaker?
Nor did it help that Lady Katarina was inherently sweet. It would be easier if she were a right bitch like most royals. But instead, she was polite, charming, and damn pretty.
Braith wanted to hate her, but she just couldn’t. The bitch.
She heard movement in the trees, and Braith stood on her haunches and raised her claws, curling them into fists. Addolgar the Cheerful lumbered out of the trees, stopping when he saw her raised fists. He blinked hard.
“A bit nervous?” he asked.
“Aren’t you?”
“No.” Addolgar glanced off, silent for a moment, then asked, “Should I be?”
“Can you honestly tell me you feel comfortable here?”
“Oh. Do you think we should travel as human?”
Braith took a breath and reminded herself that this was Addolgar. He wasn’t quite like his brother Bercelak. Although that could be why she actually liked him, because he wasn’t his brother Bercelak.
“That’s not what I meant.” She turned her body a bit so she could see Addolgar clearly. “I don’t trust these guards.”
Addolgar stepped closer. “Why not?”
Braith did not answer right away. She might be attracted to Addolgar, but that didn’t mean she could trust him. In fact, Braith trusted few, which was why she spent most of her time alone in her cave. It was safer.
Addolgar knelt down on one knee, one forearm resting on his massive thigh.
“What is it, Braith?” When she still didn’t answer: “You can trust me.”
Perhaps she could, but Braith had been protecting herself by herself for more than a century, since the death of her beloved mother, when her mother’s kin had sent her a letter saying they wanted nothing to do with her because she had her father’s blood coursing through her veins. So no, she wouldn’t suddenly confide in Addolgar the Cheerful, but what she would say was, “Watch the guards. They are loyal to my father, not to the Queen.”
Addolgar’s head tipped to the side. “But your father’s loyal to the Queen, is he not?”
“My father is loyal to my father. I have always made sure never to forget that.”
From the camp they could hear Lady Katarina calling out to Addolgar. Something about tea. Braith hated tea.
“We’ll be eating soon,” Addolgar said.
“I’ll be there in a bit,” Braith replied, turning her body back around to face the lake.
Addolgar stood and began to head back to camp. But he stopped just before stepping into the trees. “Want me to save you some ox?” he asked kindly. Why did he have to be so bloody nice?
Braith didn’t even bother to turn around. “No, thank you.”
She heard him walk off, which wasn’t really hard since he stomped like a moose. Once she knew she was alone, she let out a long sigh.
Briefly, she entertained the thought of breaking her oath to the Queen and just flying off. It would be easy enough; no one really cared that she was here. No one cared about her at all. But she knew she couldn’t do that—her oath was her bond. Just as her mother had taught her.