Page 6 of Terragnata and the Heir of the Earth

I stilled, as it seemed the world around me had. A man lowered himself to one knee. The blood drained from my face. There was a man on his knee, and it wasn’t Mav.

It was the man from the market. His pushed-back hood revealed coiffed blonde hair. He looked to be late into his twenties and peered up at me with those eerie blue eyes, a sinister leer on his face.

A feeling like spiders running along my skin swept up the back of my spine.

What in the gods’ names is an outsider doing here, let alone kneeling for me?My jaw dropped, but no words formed.

“Rise traveler,” the Matron spoke for me. “What is your name, why do you request Terra of Argention’s hand, and what think you to give in exchange for a daughter of Argention?”

Dowries were not necessarily custom amongst the Argenti, unless one’s daughter was so sought after that a match could only be determined with a sum in gold (not silver, of course, we didn’t need silver). However, they were absolutely required if an outsider kneeled for a daughter of Argention. The town and family would have to be compensated for the loss of a healthy, breeding-aged woman. It had only happened three times. Ever. All three of those requests were for women whose beauty had been so renowned and captivating that travelers spread stories to other villages and kingdoms. Young dukes or princes had come searching for a pliable and striking country wife, instead of the power-hungry courtiers lined up for them.

I harbored no delusions of my beauty. I was neither ugly nor breathtaking. Which begged the question—why would an outsider come forme? He would’ve had to know our matching traditions. Hell, he would have had to haveknownme.

The man stood, shadows crossing his face from the flickering firelight. He towered over me at an unnatural height. He would have even looked down on my father and brothers, who were considered taller than most.

“I am the lumberer Fayzien, of the offshore Kingdom Wahaca,” his voice almost sang. “I would like to ask Miss Terra of Argention to dance by way of formally courting her. I can offer the village of Argention her weight in gold as a dowry.”

The Matron snorted. “How could a lumberer have so much gold? And even if you did, why would you want to spend it on her?”

I glanced down the line at Mav. His eyes darted from the man and locked with mine. He tapped his heart with his fist again.

The stranger examined his immaculate nails, seemingly annoyed. “I am a favored lumberer of the king. He pays me in kind. I have come here to find a bride, and I noticed Terra selling jam in the market. She is the one I want.” He looked at the Matron once more. “If you do not trust my word on the gold, you need only to look behind you.”

Not much of an answer about why he choseme, but then the Matron turned around to find several of his men holding large sacks, undone at the neck, revealing the shine of gold.

The Matron’s mouth spread wide. “Very well. Your offer is acknowledged. You may kneel once more.” A sinking realization hit me—the Matron would be able to choose which match she viewed to be the most suitable.

You still have the power to decline,Terra.

My heart pounded so violently that it took shape as a ringing in my ears. The man called Fayzien seemed to notice my unease, his interest turning predatory as he resumed kneeling. A hint of a smirk held more promise of cruelty than romance, and I knew something was very wrong.

The Matron tugged me after her. I should have been relieved no other surprises presented, and that, in the end, only Mav knelt with the stranger. But relief felt inaccessible, as my plan to politely decline Mav’s offer in private had become priority number five hundred. The first four-hundred and ninety-nine priorities would be to stay thehellaway from that blue-eyed man.

After what had been about five minutes, but felt like an hour, the procession finished. We turned around to face the two lines,and the Matron spoke again. “As is the Argenti custom, I have made my decision about the most suitable match for Terra. In this tradition, the man I choose will ask Terra to dance, which signals a request for a formal courtship.”

The Matron took a breath, to play up the drama of the moment. “The man I have chosen is Fayzien of Wahaca.”

My heart raced faster, though I had expected this. Of course, she would choose the option with a price. I looked at Mav and gave him a reassuring nod. I would not accept the outsider’s invitation to dance, which was my right.

“But this situation is one of delicacy,” she continued before I could get a word in. “As a profound offer has been made by an outsider. No viable courtship can be conducted across sea-separated kingdoms, and as such, Fayzien of Wahaca has proven his commitment and dedication to Terra of Argention with a more than fair bride price. I hereby remove Terra’s burden of choice to accept or deny Fayzien’s request and dismiss the required courtship. I pronounce Terra of Argention and Fayzien of Wahaca betrothed, and as such, demand full dowry payment in kind, to be accepted by me on behalf of the people of Argention. Fayzien of Wahaca, do you accept the terms of your betrothal?”

Fayzien didn’t bother meeting the Matron’s gaze. Triumph lined his irises as they swept over me, from head to toe, sending a spear of terror through my spine. He rose and bowed with the grace of a wildcat moving through tall grass, assessing its prey. “I accept.”

“You can’t do that!” Mav shouted. But the Matron paid him no mind. She was looking at the bags of gold loaded at her feet. And when I searched the crowd for support, I saw only the same thing. Their attention was not upon Mav, nor the strange man, nor me. It fell on the bags and bags of gold.

I looked back at Mav. His mouth formed an unmistakable word.

Run.

CHAPTER THREE

ESCAPE HATCH

Iran out of there like a cockroach fleeing a freshly lit torch. One foot after another, weighed down by heaps of skirts, I ran towards the forest. The town road wound around it, but the quickest way home would be through. I needed to reach my level-headed father and sharp-tongued mother. They wouldn’t let a stranger take me from my home. And, surely, they had some say in it, since I was their daughter. Cursing myself for even thinking of leaving my family, I glanced back.

If Mav had run after me, he no longer held my trail. The group of black-cloaked men, however, seemed to follow at a leisurely pace, hoods drawn. My skin prickled with fear, but I drew comfort as I neared the forest. It was my childhood playground, a safe haven, and I could easily lose them. As I turned my head to face forward again, I saw a flash of blue eyes and blonde hair. But before I had time to register a hand held out in front of me, I flew with sudden force up into the air. I landed with equal violence on my back.

I wheezed, trying to reflate my lungs after the impact, my brain not processing the unnatural way in which I was flung off my feet. The blonde man hadn’t even touched me! I flutteredmy eyes open, revealing my vulnerable, horizontal position. I clenched my fists, filled them with dirt, and pushed myself up to sit. As I lifted my gaze for the second time, I locked eyes with the bluest set I’d ever seen.

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