Page 3 of Ruins of Magic
Arion had lived a sheltered life and had never been exposed much to the opposite sex. He tried to reason it was only natural that he found himself attracted to the princess, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. He needed to devote his mind to his studies and stay focused, something proving difficult with the raven-haired beauty occupying his wayward thoughts.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed all thoughts of her away. He was here on business, shadowing Zallon and nothing more. At least that’s what he told himself.
Chapter2
Valaria was pacing back and forth in her room unable to believe what her father had done. The Duke of Chellgar? She didn’t even like him. He was old and dull. His visit for the feast the king threw in her honor had proven they were not compatible in any way. He was insufferable and she had tried her best to steer as far away from him as possible.
Apparently, that had not been enough. Shortly after his return home, the duke had sent a messenger to her father inviting Valaria to visit. The king had been thrilled claiming them as a perfect match.
It was no secret that without strong alliances in the south with the landowners that the king risked losing the southern half of his kingdom. He did not have enough knights or soldiers to adequately defend his borders, let alone fight against an internal revolution.
While there could be benefits to Valaria marrying a prince of Pyr or Burning Havens due to their strategic borders with Gavalon, she had always known her father would choose a landowner in the south. There hadn’t been any real uprising there, but there had been enough rumors surfacing to cause concern.
Chellgar was the largest village in the south and therefore the Duke of Chellgar was one of the most prominent men in all the land, but she couldn’t stomach the thought of being tied to him for the rest of her life.
A smile crossed her face as she thought of Arion. He was tall and lanky, and sometimes a bit uncoordinated, but he had a big heart and a smile that melted her. She had once had the privilege of seeing him without a shirt on and her mouth watered at that memory. Hidden under the loose-fitting tunics he wore was a strong chiseled chest and broad shoulders.
She closed her eyes and let her memory wander back to that moment. Then with a sigh she opened her eyes and frowned. Arion had chosen his path and ensured it would not include her. He couldn’t be the knight in shining armor that starred in her dream each night and left her hot and wanting.
No, her knight in shining armor, per her father’s order, was going to be a short, stout man with a severe receding hairline and extremely bad breath. Her nose crinkled at the thought.
She pushed it out of her mind as Ailsa, her lady in waiting, entered the room.
“Your highness, I was sent to pack for your travels. Is there anything in particular you wish to have with you?” she asked.
“You’re very kind to ask, Ailsa. Anything will be fine. The uglier the better,” Valaria added.
“Miss, I was given strict orders of no trousers, dresses only.”
The princess rolled her eyes. “Of course you were. Please pack on pair for me for my travel home, and leave another out for the journey there.”
Ailsa frowned. “The king will not be happy about it.”
“I know, but he’ll get over it if I promise to change before my arrival to Chellgar.”
“I could lose my job, my grace,” Ailsa complained but not really concerned.
“I will see to it that does not happen. You have my word.”
“Why must you always fight him?” she surprised them both by asking.
“It’s not meant to cross him, Ailsa. Do you have any idea just how uncomfortable it is to travel by horseback for days in a dress? It will slow down the entire party. Not that I’d complain about that,” Valaria muttered under her breath.
“The Duke of Chellgar is a very important man. You are lucky to have him as a suitor.”
Valaria gulped. “You’re from Chellgar, right?”
“Yes, mum,” she said, her entire face brightening. “There is no place more beautiful in all of Amaria.”
The princess wracked her brain for memories of Chellgar and came up short. She hadn’t been there since she was a small child, and it clearly hadn’t left much of an impression. “I don’t remember,” she whispered honestly.
“Your mother was from Chellgar. The duke was her cousin,” Ailsa said.
Valaria couldn’t hide her shock. She knew it wasn’t uncommon for royalty to marry within a small pool of those deemed appropriate, but her cousin? Surely her father wasn’t aware of that.
Of course it would be too much to ask that she be allowed to marry for love instead of position. It wasn’t like the duke was going to elevate her status anyway. Quite the opposite actually.
She wanted nothing more than to run away and leave everything behind. Maybe marry a pig farmer and live in a small hut deliriously happy because she was in love. Arion’s face popped into her head and she scowled. Thoughts like that were nothing more than a fairytale.
