Page 31 of The Ruby Dragon Prince
Anyone could have heard that comment and they likely would have assumed Tovey was speaking to his brothers. He looked straight past them to me, though, worry creasing his brow.
“Father intends to announce the new tax before the dance this evening,” Prince Rumi said, also glancing back toward me, though his gaze kept slipping past me as his brain told him I wasn’t important enough for his notice. “He plans to announce the bounty for reporting anyone trying to evade the tax or any females or omegas farming more land than they’ll be allowed in order to turn farmers against each other tonight as well.”
“That bounty is just evil,” Prince Leo said, stomping along, arms crossed. “It’s cruel to impoverish farmers and then promise them exactly what they need to feed their families on the condition that they make accusations against other farmers.”
“Father doesn’t even care if those accusations are true or not,” Prince Selle added, adjusting his glasses. “He just wants to turn the farmers against each other.”
“It won’t work,” Prince Misha said, though he didn’t sound entirely certain. “I hope it won’t work,” he added in a whisper.
“It won’t,” Prince Rumi said confidently.
I wasn’t convinced. Humans had a sad way of turning against each other over the slightest differences when they thought their lives and livelihoods were in danger. Even when the danger was more of a discomfort than an actual crisis. Above all, humans wanted to be comfortable, and while there was nothing wrong with that and comfort was one of the greatest joys of all creatures, if hurting someone else, or turning a blind eye while someone else was hurt, preserved their own comfort, they would turn on their neighbors and turn fast.
My thoughts rumbled around my already sullen and suspicious head, but they were brought to a quick stop when theprinces turned the corner to find King Freslik’s retinue marching forward from the cross street.
“Turn back,” Prince Leo whispered, trying to push his brothers back around the corner, but it was too late, they’d been seen.
“What is the meaning of this?” King Freslik demanded, scowling at his sons and stepping in front of the crowd of sycophantic nobles that trailed him. “I allowed you to attend this festival, but I did not allow you to wander the market stalls like peasants.”
“What else are we to do, Father?” Prince Rumi asked, just enough innocence in his face and his question to sound like he was asking a genuine question.
King Freslik balled his hands into fists and ground his jaw. “You shouldn’t be parading yourselves like the strumpets you are,” he said, clearly not having an answer to Prince Rumi’s question. “You’ll have half the alphas in the kingdom panting after you, and I will not accept a low-bred bastard anywhere within my castle walls.”
“None of us are close to being in heat, Father,” Prince Selle said in a quiet voice.
King Freslik didn’t have an answer for that comment either.
“Go conceal yourselves,” he said. “You can watch the festival from the platform in the town square, where I will make my speech tonight.”
“Yes, Father,” some of the omega princes said, including Tovey, which surprised me.
King Freslik started to move on and the omegas changed directions slightly, like they intended to do what their father had asked. As they passed the group of nobles following the king, an alpha with a large nose and a sour expression stepped into Tovey’s path.
“Prince Tovey. How lovely to see you again,” the odious nobleman said, his voice oily and too forward. His smile was full of crooked teeth.
“Lord Groswick,” Tovey said with a nod, stepping back. He turned to me with a look as if to say “this is the man who has been bothering me”.
I was instantly furious and nearly threw off my concealing cloak so that I could throttle the life out of the man.
“You should know that I’ve been speaking with your father,” Lord Groswick went on, seemingly unaware that I was inching my way closer to him between the princes. “Everything will be in place for the two of us to be together soon. The new tax isn’t the only thing he will announce before the dancing tonight.”
“I have no intention of marrying you, Lord Groswick,” Tovey said, his head held high, even though Groswick was inches taller than him. I was deeply proud of my omega.
Lord Groswick chuckled. “I think you’ll find, my pretty, that it doesn’t matter what you want. It’s already been decided that you are mine.”
The bastard had the nerve to reach out as if he would touch Tovey’s face.
I would have swooped in and broken the man’s arm, but Tovey dodged out of his way too fast. “You will not touch me,” he hissed at Groswick.
Groswick looked affronted. He sneered and jerked like he would lunge forward and scoop Tovey into his arms to carry him off then and there. He would have to get through me first.
“Groswick!” King Freslik shouted before the brewing confrontation could happen.
We all turned toward the king. The rest of the royal retinue had moved on, and they all stared back at us.
“Stop wasting time on a pathetic omega!” the king scolded Groswick.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Of course.”
