Page 56 of Bound By Honey

The group marched on in silence until they reached the foothills of a large mountain range. Sage gasped when she saw it—its size and beauty were magnificent and awe-inspiring. But fear replaced wonder as they ascended the steep path that wound its way up the mountain side. Her vision was starting to darken and she was afraid her legs would not carry her much further. What would they do if she suddenly collapsed? Leave her? Worse?

She looked desperately around for something to help her escape, but there was nothing except tree after tree, stretching high into the sky. Her only hope now was to wait for an opportunity to present itself—something that would enable her to get away before it was too late.

Sage clung to a thin thread of hope as she trudged along the winding path, her captors dragging her along. The guards and crown prince were on alert and silent, leaving Sage with nothing but her thoughts for company.

At last, they stopped to set up camp for the night. Sage was relieved when they untied her hands so she could sit near the fire they had started. The crown prince reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle of fake poison she had given him.

"I'm sure you remember this. I never expected that you would get to see the results firsthand." He still didn't know it was fake, and a surge of fear coursed through her veins as he held it up to the fading light.

Sage's heart pounded as the crown prince examine the bottle of fake poison. He would be furious when he found out it wasn't real. She had to think of something quickly to keep up the façade.

"I do remember it," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I hope you found it to be effective."

The crown prince smirked. "We will find out soon. Are you sure you don't know what my brother and his friends are up to?"

Sage tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside, she was relieved. At least her deception had worked for the moment, and he had yet to mention the state she had left him when she slipped the mad honey into his tea. But she couldn't keep up the lie forever. Eventually, he would discover the truth, and then she would be in even more danger.

The crown prince looked at Sage expectantly, waiting for her to say something. She tried to think of an answer to appease him without revealing too much.

"I'm sorry, I was not told about the mission. I was brought along only for medical purposes," she said carefully.

He scowled but seemed to accept her answer. "Very well. Would you like to know my guess?" He paused, his eyes locked with hers. "There have been rumors of dragon sightings in these mountains," he said, watching her reaction. “Could it be possible that Prince Finn was also here looking for dragons?” The crown prince seemed to read the surprise in her eyes as fear and smiled knowingly. "It appears we are both after the same prize," he said smugly.

Sage swallowed hard, knowing she had no choice but to continue the charade. She nodded slowly and forced a small smile, even though she felt anything but happy.

The crown prince reached into his pocket and pulled out the fake poison bottle he had been clutching earlier. He held it up so that it gleamed in the firelight, making Sage shudder at the thought of what horrors it could bring if she had made it correctly.

"We'll use this on them," he stated bluntly, finally revealing his plans with a wicked grin.

Among Dragons

Thedayhadbeenlong as the crown prince and his guards led Sage deeper into the mountains. The steep paths with cliffs running on either side were even more treacherous, with her hands tied in front, unable to assist if she made a wrong step.

As they continued their journey, Sage's thoughts shifted from the view to the prince. She had only met him a few times, and she found it unsettling that he had taken such an interest in her. Sage could sense he was deep in thought.

"I know you do not like dragons, Your Highness.,” she said hesitantly. "But why?" She wanted to know what was on his mind. "What is it about them that frightens you so much?"

The prince huffed and looked at the sky with a heavy expression. "I'm not scared of them. You must remember the war between the fae and dragons many years ago," he said gravely. "The fae were greatly outnumbered and outmatched by their opponents. We almost lost."

He sighed before rubbing along his jaw. "If the dragons ever returned, I fear they would bring destruction and chaos to our lands once more. From what I have heard, they are savage creatures with no regard for life or justice and I do not wish to see my people suffer under their reign again."

Sage nodded slowly. She had never seen a dragon before but knew enough of their destructive power to understand why the crown prince wanted to prevent them from returning. She gazed ahead in thought.

"Your Highness, I understand but may I suggest something? Perhaps if we learn more about these creatures, we can better prepare ourselves for future encounters with them. Knowledge about our enemy can be just as powerful as any weapon we possess against them."

"It's not that simple. The fae made that mistake once before, and we will not do it again."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know what started the war?"

Sage shook her head no, only to remember that he was walking before her and couldn't see her response. "No."

"There was a peace treaty between the fae and dragons. Our islands were split. Dragons killed several fae, which broke the treaty."

Sage was still curious. “Do you know why the dragons killed the fae? What happened?”

The crown prince shook his head. "No one knows for certain. It could have been revenge or a dispute over territory—It doesn't matter now. All I know is that I cannot risk my people being harmed again if there is a chance that the dragons may return."

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