Page 29 of Dragon Sword

I scowled at the title as Will tightened his grip on my shoulders. “She is my bride.”

The elf started back and his eyes widened. He gaped at me for a moment before bouncing his eyes between Will and me. “She. . .you. . .you have found a mate?”

“As you see,” Will replied.

Disappointment briefly shone across his features before he puffed out his chest and slapped that naive grin on his face. “Then I congratulate you with all my heart, Lord Thorn! You have made an excellent choice!” He leaned down and studied me with a curious expression. “Have I not heard that the brides of dragons acquire not only your long life but a unique ability? Pray tell, what have you acquired, Lady Thorn?” He leaned in close and winked at me. “The ability to draw men in with your beauty?”

My mouth dropped open and I didn’t get a chance to reply before Will swept me into his arms. I could smell a stench of blood off his person and for the first time, I beheld a splatter of blood on the front of his cloak.

“If you will excuse us, we have had a trying day,” Will told him. He didn’t wait for a reply but turned and strode in the direction of the elven city.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

“Wait a moment!”the elf insisted as he scrambled after us and followed at Will’s side. “I have yet to introduce myself to your lovely new bride!”

“Then do so,” Will curtly replied.

The elf smiled and inclined his head at me. “It is a great pleasure to meet you, Lady Thorn. I am Kaius Luja, thirteenth Knight of Kivi and ambassador of King Arvo the Great to the lands beyond the forests.”

“Knight?” I repeated as I noticed Will quicken his pace.

Luja hurried to keep up with Will’s long stride. “Yes, Lady Thorn. I have that rare distinction given only to those whom the king most trusts.”

“And the Kivi?” I asked him.

He smiled at me as he struggled to keep pace. “The name for the old part of the city, My Lady. As a knight, I am bound to the palace and my king.”

“So what are you doing out here? And why haven’t we seen you around the city or the forest?” I wondered.

Luja stared ahead and lifted his chin. “I have been exploring the world at the behest of the king. His Highness sent me off some six months ago to learn new sword techniques and magic.”

Will lifted an eyebrow at him. “Six months ago?”

Our acquaintance nodded. “Yes. His Highness was eager that I should acquire as much knowledge of both as possible, especially as no one has been allowed such privilege for many centuries.” He paused and bowed his head to Will. “Your charge notwithstanding due to the debt we owe you.”

My ears perked up at the mention of Will’s mysterious heroism. “What did he do?”

Luja laughed. “Surely he has told you his tale of heroism!”

I cast a bemused smile at my stoic dragon husband. “Not yet.”

The knight’s face showed astonishment. “Then allow me to tell you the tale, though I admit I was not yet born to witness his courage.”

“There’s no need for that,” Will spoke up.

Luja grinned. “It would be my honor, Lord Thorn. After all, you are the only one to ever be honored by our previous king for saving our kingdom from the great eagles.”

I sat up in Will’s arms. “Eagles?”

The storyteller nodded. “The eagles have nested in the vali since its creation, or so we believe. Their nests are located several miles up the gap from the location of our fine capital and so we had little knowledge of their existence until a scouting party explored the upper regions of our young kingdom. They discovered a huge nest empty but for a forgotten egg which they took with them. Unfortunately, it turned out the parents were merely out hunting for food. They followed the trail of the scouts back to the city and attacked our city. The guards atop the Vahti warned of their coming but we could do little against their bombardments.”

I furrowed my brow as I thought back to our adventure on the training green. “Couldn’t you just shoot them with arrows?”

He shook his head. “According to the tales from the elders, the eagles were gifted with a protective magic that made their feathers impervious to our wooden shafts. Our arrows broke and our spears also failed.”

“So did you guys give the egg back?” I wondered.

His smile was accented by a bit of sheepishness. “Truth be told, the king had already made the egg into a lavish meal for himself and his generals.”

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