Read Online Redemption (Red Dragon Book 1) by H.J. Bradley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: H.J. Bradley
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that was well and truly over."
She nodded slowly. "So did I."
He came to a halt, pulling her in front of him so that he could look at her properly. "So what happened?”
She didn't know whether to feed Tristyn the same lie that they had told basically everyone that he had come back from Iraq and contacted her and they had rekindled their love. Or to tell him the truth, that she had simply asked Lowri to find her a suitable spouse.
"You know how Valto and I were always close?" she said.
"Close?" Tristyn let out a chuckle at that. "It was practically love at first sight. You two were inseparable from the first time you clamped eyes on each other."
"Well, when I was fifteen and you abdicated, parliament wanted something a little more secure. There was the fear that I would fall in love and marry someone unsuitable." She folded her arms across her chest. "With Myf already engaged to Johannes and expected to give up her place in succession there was a need for me to have a suitable spouse, and to provide suitable heirs."
"Lowri had a contract drawn up," said Tristyn, his voice barely a whisper.
"We had to be married before I was coronated." She shrugged her shoulders."Valto called it off. Though with the days before me taking the throne running out, parliament started putting the pressure on for me to get married, I asked Lowri to find me a suitable husband."
"Do you want out of the engagement?" She could see the gears turning in his head, as he tried to think of a way to halt the proceedings.
"Part of me does yes. I don't want to be hurt again," she said. "But Valto is a good choice, he will do well as Prince Consort and our children will have good breeding and a close family for support."
"That's not what I mean.” Tristyn scowled. "Do you love him?"
"I never really stopped loving him." Cat glanced around quickly to make sure that nobody could overhear them. "But loving him and letting myself be in love with him are different things. He crushed me.”
"I know." He took her arm and continued leading her down the path. "I heard you were dating someone anyway."
She rolled her eyes at him. "I haven't been dating anyone. I was sleeping with Alex and Hans."
The look he directed at her was harsh and disapproving. "You and your older men. Last time I saw you mooning over anyone it was Ukonsaari's King."
"Alex is only twenty-two years older than me," she said. "And he was exactly what I needed at the time. Plus Hans is my age and he’s been wonderful"
"And pray tell dear sister." said Tristyn. "What was it that you needed?"
"A damn good screw with someone who knew what they were doing and weren't using me for my title." She couldn't help but smile when she heard his choking noises at her words. "I wasn't going to be a virgin forever, and Valto certainly wasn't ever interested."
"You lost your virginity to Alex?" His voice sounded hoarse with shock.
Myf had basically said the same thing when she had found out, and Cat had to admit that she knew what they meant. Alex wasn't exactly a small man, by any definition of the word.
"Yes well if Valto had of been interested when we were younger I wouldn't have needed Alex's help," she said.
"Well he certainly seemed interested just now." Tristyn nudged her with his elbow. "What I walked in on didn't seem particularly chaste."
Cat felt herself flush at the implication of his words, even more so because during that incredible kiss in the vegetable garden Valto's arousal had been clear. Pressed against her belly he had been hard and hot, obviously as eager for her touch as she had always been for his. Then again since their night together he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her, and Cat had to admit that she found it beyond flattering. "He’s a virgin, or so he tells me.”
Tristyn laughed at that. “And here I thought Myf was the most prudish person I knew.”
“I have a lot to teach him.” Cat smirked at the horrified look on her brother’s face. “And he
She nodded slowly. "So did I."
He came to a halt, pulling her in front of him so that he could look at her properly. "So what happened?”
She didn't know whether to feed Tristyn the same lie that they had told basically everyone that he had come back from Iraq and contacted her and they had rekindled their love. Or to tell him the truth, that she had simply asked Lowri to find her a suitable spouse.
"You know how Valto and I were always close?" she said.
"Close?" Tristyn let out a chuckle at that. "It was practically love at first sight. You two were inseparable from the first time you clamped eyes on each other."
"Well, when I was fifteen and you abdicated, parliament wanted something a little more secure. There was the fear that I would fall in love and marry someone unsuitable." She folded her arms across her chest. "With Myf already engaged to Johannes and expected to give up her place in succession there was a need for me to have a suitable spouse, and to provide suitable heirs."
"Lowri had a contract drawn up," said Tristyn, his voice barely a whisper.
"We had to be married before I was coronated." She shrugged her shoulders."Valto called it off. Though with the days before me taking the throne running out, parliament started putting the pressure on for me to get married, I asked Lowri to find me a suitable husband."
"Do you want out of the engagement?" She could see the gears turning in his head, as he tried to think of a way to halt the proceedings.
"Part of me does yes. I don't want to be hurt again," she said. "But Valto is a good choice, he will do well as Prince Consort and our children will have good breeding and a close family for support."
"That's not what I mean.” Tristyn scowled. "Do you love him?"
"I never really stopped loving him." Cat glanced around quickly to make sure that nobody could overhear them. "But loving him and letting myself be in love with him are different things. He crushed me.”
"I know." He took her arm and continued leading her down the path. "I heard you were dating someone anyway."
She rolled her eyes at him. "I haven't been dating anyone. I was sleeping with Alex and Hans."
The look he directed at her was harsh and disapproving. "You and your older men. Last time I saw you mooning over anyone it was Ukonsaari's King."
"Alex is only twenty-two years older than me," she said. "And he was exactly what I needed at the time. Plus Hans is my age and he’s been wonderful"
"And pray tell dear sister." said Tristyn. "What was it that you needed?"
"A damn good screw with someone who knew what they were doing and weren't using me for my title." She couldn't help but smile when she heard his choking noises at her words. "I wasn't going to be a virgin forever, and Valto certainly wasn't ever interested."
"You lost your virginity to Alex?" His voice sounded hoarse with shock.
Myf had basically said the same thing when she had found out, and Cat had to admit that she knew what they meant. Alex wasn't exactly a small man, by any definition of the word.
"Yes well if Valto had of been interested when we were younger I wouldn't have needed Alex's help," she said.
"Well he certainly seemed interested just now." Tristyn nudged her with his elbow. "What I walked in on didn't seem particularly chaste."
Cat felt herself flush at the implication of his words, even more so because during that incredible kiss in the vegetable garden Valto's arousal had been clear. Pressed against her belly he had been hard and hot, obviously as eager for her touch as she had always been for his. Then again since their night together he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her, and Cat had to admit that she found it beyond flattering. "He’s a virgin, or so he tells me.”
Tristyn laughed at that. “And here I thought Myf was the most prudish person I knew.”
“I have a lot to teach him.” Cat smirked at the horrified look on her brother’s face. “And he
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