ine

whip in Ellery's hand, I locked

tted, Father?" My voice

n Prince and made House Mcfarland the laughingstoc

as the bone barbs tore across my shoulder, ripping m

m dead in the eye. "The Dragon King himself ordered this wedding. If you

air, a flicker of fear

voice. "Husband, she is right. She is the future Dragon Quee

eyes, letting my shoulders slump submissively. "Father, I know m

back onto his belt. "See that you do. You will st

breath. "Since I am to wed into the royal family, permit m

instantly. "What busines

ly, using my dead mother Clella as a shield. "I must bring it to th

jaw twitched, a flash of raw pain cr

d get back here immediately," he barked

and pressed cheap healing herbs onto the raw welt on my shoulder. Five years in the barren marches had taught me how to patch my own wounds without making a sou

o jewelry-only the thick manuscript of my legal treatise, the Edict of Dragon

ed my trunk out the back gate and climbed aboard

nt

stone map table, staring at the northern border markers while

gon Guards out of the chamber. "I just received word

slammed my wooden baton onto t

or said with a cold laugh. "However, my spies inside the Mcfarland house report t

northern marches. Leaving without winter furs meant she had no intention

me. Not a word, not a warning-she had simply vanished into the wild

ad, every rumor that led nowhere. And now she had walked back into the capital as

e scandal. She had never once trusted me. Every time the world t

core. My fingers tightened, snapping the

nning toward the heavy doors. "N

r shouted behind me. "The Eld

without looking back, dragonfire licking