Page 12 of To Catch a Prince

Never had he seen a man so keen to relinquish his freedom. Forcing his worries out of his mind, at least for a few hours, Vincentsmiled.

“Yes, cousin.Let’s.”

He was truly glad for Rhey, even though his parents would be positively unbearable now, no doubt. If his cousin, so close to him in age, could get married, surely Vincent could oblige them and do thesame.

Viktor and Mula were right in front of the Thrones, pointedly staring at their son; Vincent ignored them as much as hecould.

It wasn’t his fault. He had no Xandrie - no magical, mystical Dragon Rider made for him. When they found him a woman who looked at him the way the bride looked at her King as she walked down the long path from the door to the back of the Throne Hall, they could talk. Until then, none of their protests would movehim.

“She was shaped after a goddess,” Rhey declared, although Xandrie was thinner than what was fashionable. Her athletic built was evident, even in her flowing golddress.

Vincent tapped Rhey’s shoulder in a show ofsupport.

All was well, until, all of a sudden, itwasn’t.

What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen?He’d asked in jest, forgetting that fate had a way of playing with the words poor mortals saw fit tosay.

The doors opened violently and Vincent felt his body freeze before he could rush towards the threat. His, and every other man, woman, and child in the room. How was this possible? He knew of no power able to control a horde of dragons, bears, and other creatures, with so much ease. Yet she did, effortlessly; he’d just seen her wave herhand.

Vincent was forced to witness the whole horrific thing, entirely powerless to place himself between the threat and his cousin’s bride, as his instinctsdemanded.

The mage was covered by a dark cloak, just like the one who’d broken their ward, the one they’d only just defeated atNorda.

How had she broken the wards for the second time, without them hearing a single word from their guards? There had been no raven, no messenger. His mind couldn’t comprehendit.

The second thing he didn’t quite get was the fact that he wasn’t really panicking, now that he’d taken a good look at her. He should have been. This creature could seize a sword and behead them all and they wouldn’t be able to stop her. Now was the time for his heart to thump hard in his chest, for adrenaline to course through hiscore.

None of thathappened.

The mage stopped in her tracks and removed the hood that fell over her green eyes. Green eyes he’d seen before; he recognized them down to hissoul.

The mage wasn’t beautiful; her chin was small, her little nose, turned up, and her mouth, pouty. Adorable is what he would have called her, if she hadn’t been so powerful. There was a little mole at the corner of her mouth and her shapely eyebrows had been pierced. So, adorable and fierce,edgy.

He couldn’t stop staring at her, like she was a puzzle he needed to make senseof.

Vincent took a while to realize that he’d been released from the spell holding him in place; he couldn’t yet move, but he saw Rhey trying to pull Xandrie behind him. His bride wasn’t having any of that. She pushed past him and advanced towards thestranger.

“Talia?” saidshe.

Vincent turned to his future Queen, watching in disbelief as she moved to embrace the dangerous mage. The entire Kingdom gasped when the mage returned her hug, holding her close, pulling her as hard as her armscould.

Watching from the sideline, Vincent saw a great many things in this hug. He saw protectiveness, relief, and above all,love.

“You’re here,” the mage said softly. She’d whispered, yet her raspy voice rang clear as a bell; Vincent committed it to memory. “You’re reallyalright.”

The mage had been worried; no, terrified. She seemed close to tearsnow.

Rhey’s shoulders relaxed. “At ease,” the Kingordered.

The hundred men in the Hall sheathed their swords; Vincent hadn’t even drawn his, fascinated as hewas.

Meanwhile, the bride took the mage’s hand and pulled her forward, almost running to bring her close to thethrones.

“Talia,” Xandrie turned to Rhey, “meet my future husband. You made it just in time.” And then, she astounded them all; all except Vincent, who’d seen it in her eyes long before the words flew out of Xandrie’s mouth. “Rhey, this is my littlesister.”

Her littlesister.

Vincent snorted, thinking of the grumbling Elders who’d cried that Xandrie brought them nothing; no dukedom, no army, no foreign relations. It had mattered very little, for she’d won the Claiming, so the point was moot. But now, they were twice as foolish, for the future Queen may just have made their kingdom ally to anEnchantress.

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