Page 1 of These Violent Delights

Lady Zelda

Uncle Tank was grumpy.Zelda knew his bones hurt.He was a 75-year-old goblin warrior, and riding a battle ram for days on end wasn't easy.The huge sheep had four horns, sharp hooves, and a bad attitude; perfect for battle, but they weren't the most comfortable for long-distance travel.

At barely twenty, even Zelda's bones ached.The brisk spring wind cut through her coat and made her hands stiff with cold.She took turns curling them inside her leather gloves, holding the reins with one hand as her ram plodded on.

She missed trees.The grassy hills were broken with jagged rocks and shrubs, and the blue sky was speckled with clouds, but not a goblin was in sight.

“She wanted to leave, we left,” Uncle Tank grumbled.“She didn't have to flee so far though.It just made the return trip that much longer.”

“She” was Zelda's mother, long dead.She had fled from her cheating husband, who was also now dead.

Before he died, Zelda's father sent his soldiers to fetch his daughter from her hidey-hole.She was his only legitimate heir.He had remarried but had no legitimate children, and his widow had moved back to her hometown.

Now Zelda was all that remained.

Only the true bloodline could take control of the castle.It was the family legacy, and he was determined to see it live on...even if he had waited until the very last minute to retrieve her.

Probably he had been hoping for a son.

Unfortunately, the search took months.She'd been far away, living quietly, but they found her anyway.

She glanced at the black-clad guards.They had arrived at her uncle's home and had not taken “no” for an answer.She was coming back to serve as Lady of the castle.She was required.

Late that afternoon, they rode up yet another hill and saw a ruined castle.

“It's a lot smaller than I expected,” Zelda said, pulling her coat tighter.The wind had picked up and it stripped all the heat from her bones.The castle didn't look very inviting.It was more of a two-story broken-down tower than a castle.The stories she'd heard made it seem more grand.

Still, it had to be better than sleeping in a tiny tent.

“It shrank when Lord Zxa, your father, died,” the grizzled old captain explained grimly.He said everything in the gloomiest way possible, like a little black rain cloud of death.

She blinked, startled.“Shrank?”

“You've heard of the Goblin City, right?It's like that, but powered by the legitimate Lords and Ladies.It changes shape.”He wiggled his fingers at the castle, trying to illustrate the magic.

“I see.”She'd heard stories about the magic, but she hadn't thought the castle would literally fall to ruin without a keeper.

She frowned at it, slightly concerned.Would it really change shape for her?That was hard to imagine, but she didn't think these soldiers had come to fetch her on a whim.

Unfortunately, the closer they rode, the worse the castle looked.The only encouraging thing was a trickle of smoke coming from a chimney, which hopefully meant heat and food.

A soldier came up and reported grimly, “We've been followed.”All the soldiers became alert, hands on weapons.

“Move smart now!”the sergeant barked.The battle rams broke into a jog.

Zelda saw a head pop up over the rocks.It was a silver-black beast the size of a medium dog but with bigger fangs.In a moment, there was another.And another.

“Run!”the sergeant yelled, sword drawn.The guards surrounded Zelda and raced for the gates.

Chirping eerily, a swarm of beasts popped out of the grass and chased them.They snapped at the rams, trying to hamstring them.

The goblins chopped at them, but the beasts had superior numbers.They were almost at the castle, but the swarm swelled like an ocean wave.

There were too many!Discipline broke, and it was every goblin for themselves, save one.

“Ride!I’ll cover you,” Tank roared.His sword was bloody.Zelda yanked her reins and kicked her ram into a run for the castle.

They got close enough to hit it with a rock when Zelda's ram staggered and went down.She was launched from the saddle and managed to land in a roll that sped her toward the castle wall.Staggering to her feet, she raced for the castle door.

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