Page 4 of To Catch a Prince

Aleria was a great beauty, but a cold one. Her long golden hair, endless lashes and perfect skin had her labeled as ‘the pretty one,’ and Talia had grown to understand exactly what that meant. She was the Astria no one paid any mind to when she had anything to say; people smiled and nodded, quite content to simply look at her, rather than listening to anything coming out of her shapelymouth.

“And I’ll miss you too, sister,” she added, sad that surprise flashed in the beauty’s emerald eyes. “I’ll bring you both something from the capital, I promise. Nothing expensive, mind. I don’t have muchsaved.”

Talia’s jaw nearly hit the floor when Aleria unlocked the purse tied to the brown leather accessory belt at her hip and removed a few coins from it. Golden coins,too.

They both got paid equally for their work at home, but Talia easily went through the bulk of her money every week, struggling to save so much as a copper mark. There were hungry children to feed in the streets, and cold beggars to dress, too. Never had she come across anyone needing her help without feeling the need to stop and see how she could be of assistance. She just couldn’t helpit.

Aleria was much better in that regard. She needn’t spend money on clothes, for their parents showered her with tons of gowns, eager to show off the perfect specimen of feminine allure they’d created. She needn’t spend money on books, for there were plenty at home. So, her purse was alwaysfull.

Still, Talia never knew her to be so generous as to so carelessly give away ten golden marks - enough money to feed a farmer for a wholeyear.

“What will you have me buy you with that?” she asked, reasoning that surely, her sister meant to send her on anerrand.

Aleria shrugged. “Please yourself. You deserveit.”

Such words of praise rarely passed those lips. Talia knew to cherish them. “I’ll see you all soon, then,” she’d said, two daysago.

It still felt wrong, somehow. Something bothered her, a voice whispering in a corner of her mind that she should have bid farewell to her other sister, aswell.

Xandrie was going to have a miserable few months while she was away. Aleria was silent, and their parents, bitter, towards their magicless middle daughter. Talia had heard them say it out loud, right in front of Xandrie: she shamed them, tarnishing their goodname.

“Here we are, miss. The Inner City ofLeyres.”

Thick and high silver doors opened slowly, as if in great pain, and the moment the carriage passed through the gates, the pungent odor she’d endured for the last hour disappeared; kept away by strongspells.

Talia forgot all her worries as she felt it. Pure, undiluted, almost palpable magic, resonating right under her skin. Never had she encountered quite so much energy all around her, not even when her entire family had been performing a spell incohort.

Down to her bones, she knew she was exactly where she ought to betoday.

Xandrie would be alright; she was two years her elder, and when things were hard at home, she broke out of Malek easily enough. No doubt in a few weeks, when she returned home, nothing would have changed atall.

So she told herself, ignoring the feeling at the pit of her stomach. Meanwhile, miles from Leyres, Guards were approaching Xandrie with an array of weapons, attempting to kill her for consorting withdemons.

It was good that Talia hadn’t listened to her instincts and stayed home, or her sister may never have become Queen of one of the two DragonKingdoms.

3

The Light

Norda wasn’tanyone’s idea of a pleasant dwelling, yet out of all his properties, Vincent had opted to reside there. Other men might have chosen his principality, the pleasant southern county close to his parents’ home, or perhaps Wellyem, a quiet and peacefulplace.

Vincent was a man of fortune, and not only because he’d been born that way. From his father, he’d inherited a title, certainly; the rest, he’dearned.

Fifty years ago, the King had started to show signs that he was becoming feral, succumbing to the madness that had taken so many dragons. The evil dwelling in the world had taken notice and tried to invade theirland.

Rhey, heir to the throne back then, had had to stay home in Telenar and keep their Kingdom together. It fell upon Vincent to lead their troops and rid Farden of orcs, goblins, undead things, and, worse yet: some dragons of Absolia, the Kingdom of Fiery Shadow. The King’s sickness had caused them to send scouts, no doubt to report whether Farden was ready tofall.

Many of their peers died during those dozen years; soldiers and too many nobles to count. Vincent, who, until then, had been nothing, simply known as a young lordling that couldn’t shift, rose to what he nowwas.

He was first to charge, and while staying in his human skin, rather than adopting scales or fur like most of his men, he still took down countless enemies. There were songs written in his honor, and wall tapestries woven, illustrating him riding a dark feral fire-breather, his sword plunged into itsskull.

The old King left the realm, finally. Vincent had expected that the war would continue, get worse perhaps, for dragons weren’t known to bow down to those who hadn’t proven themselves. A civil war wouldn’t have surprised anyone. But, instead of demanding the crown that was his by birthright, Rhey proved himself wise. He joined Vincent on the field and, together, they finally pushed their enemies out of their lands. The last battle occurred right here, in Norda. The men saw their princeling fight and bleed alongside them. Rhey earned their respect and was crowned with the approval of his people. There were some who whispered that it should have been Vincent, but his support of Rhey, and his total refusal to even be considered as a potential King, brought an end to that brand ofnonsense.

Vincent’s reward for his courage and loyalty was more gold than he knew what to do with. He’d accepted it, because Rhey would have it no other way. Yet, he did object to the baronet, and theduchy.

“I’ve no use of them,” said he. “Being Prince in the South is enough for any man,surely.”

“Yet, you’ll take Wellyem, because no one else would. It’s right opposite to the Lakeland, which makes it dangerous; when the orcs came, the lord of Wellyem was the first to fall. And you’ll take Norda, because no one elsecould.Wellyem is dangerous, but useless to any army. The cold mountains, the Arm of Sea and the perilous roads to get there would cut off any substantial force. I need my best man in this duchy, and that isyou.”

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