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Authors: Selina Rosen
Tags: Fantasy
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us."
* * *
It was not his choice to make. The king had asked for the boy by name. Darian watched Tarius walk from the bunkhouse with his sword on his back and his helmet under his arm, wearing the armor he had come to them in.
Jena was crying and hanging on Darian's arm.
"Send anyone else, Father, but don't send Tarius. I beg you!" Jena pleaded.
"Daughter, let me go!" Darian shook her hand off. "If you are going with us, dress appropriately."
"I'm going, but I'm not watching," Jena said. Then she ran to Tarius, threw herself into the boy's arms, and started crying, pleading with him to decline the fight.
Darian threw up his hands. He gave up. There was no turning Jena into a proper lady. Trips to her aunt's house only seemed to bring her back more determined than ever to have Tarius on her own terms.
* * *
Tarius got into the waiting carriage, but Jena wouldn't let go. She sat beside her as they waited for the others.
Jena's tears cut Tarius to the core. "Jena, please stop. I will be fine. Look at me. I'm not afraid, why should you be?"
"I'm afraid because you're not afraid. Because you are a moron . You don't have the good sense to be afraid." Jena cried, drying her eyes and wiping her nose on the back of her hand. "All you think of is the great honor that has been bestowed on you."
"I will always be doing this because I am not a careful man. See how much better a husband Tragon would make you than I?" Tarius said.
"For the hundredth time . . . It is not him I love. It is you. Only you. You said you loved me, too, once. Remember?"
Yes, and that was a huge mistake I have regretted daily since. I should have used my head to stay my heart and my tongue, Tarius thought with a sigh.
Tragon stepped into the carriage then. It was obvious by the look on his face that he had heard what Jena said, but this wasn't the only reason he was white as a sheet. He was to be Tarius's second. Tragon had already begged her not to pay any attention to Jena's pleas. "If I fight in your stead, Tarius, I will die as surely as you will live to fight another day."
Tarius had assured him that she had no intention of declining the fight.
When Justin and Darian climbed into the carriage the driver took off.
It was a royal carriage. Very nice , Tarius decided. If she was riding to her death, at least she was doing it in style. Her death would certainly solve a lot of problems. She sighed again, she wasn't afraid, she was too conceited for that. She was sure she was going to win. What was bothering her had little to do with the imminent battle and everything to do with the blond girl who sat beside her hanging on her arm and soaking her armor with her tears. Tarius had no idea at all what to do about Jena or the way she felt about her. However, death seemed like the easiest way out.
It took them the better part of an hour to reach the castle.
It was a grand palace with four towers that kissed the sky. It was made of hand-cut stones, none of which were smaller than a man. The castle had been built over a period of nearly a hundred years, added on to by three different kings, and redecorated inside and out at the whim of the queens. There was no moat, but the main gates were made of six-inch thick oak boards, and would be a deterrent to any attack. Truth was, the castle was so far in country that it had never had to stand against a siege.
They were escorted through the courtyard and into the main hall. Darian leaned down to his daughter.
"For the gods' sake, Jena, show a little pride. Let go of the boy's arm, and for once in your wretched life act like a lady," Darian scolded.
Tarius cringed when she heard Darian's harsh words to his daughter. Tarius didn't want Jena to change. She wanted Jena to stay just the way she was. Yet she knew if she continued to spurn Jena's affections the way she had, there was a very good chance that Jena would become the woman her father wanted her to be, thinking it was the only way anyone would ever
* * *
It was not his choice to make. The king had asked for the boy by name. Darian watched Tarius walk from the bunkhouse with his sword on his back and his helmet under his arm, wearing the armor he had come to them in.
Jena was crying and hanging on Darian's arm.
"Send anyone else, Father, but don't send Tarius. I beg you!" Jena pleaded.
"Daughter, let me go!" Darian shook her hand off. "If you are going with us, dress appropriately."
"I'm going, but I'm not watching," Jena said. Then she ran to Tarius, threw herself into the boy's arms, and started crying, pleading with him to decline the fight.
Darian threw up his hands. He gave up. There was no turning Jena into a proper lady. Trips to her aunt's house only seemed to bring her back more determined than ever to have Tarius on her own terms.
* * *
Tarius got into the waiting carriage, but Jena wouldn't let go. She sat beside her as they waited for the others.
Jena's tears cut Tarius to the core. "Jena, please stop. I will be fine. Look at me. I'm not afraid, why should you be?"
"I'm afraid because you're not afraid. Because you are a moron . You don't have the good sense to be afraid." Jena cried, drying her eyes and wiping her nose on the back of her hand. "All you think of is the great honor that has been bestowed on you."
"I will always be doing this because I am not a careful man. See how much better a husband Tragon would make you than I?" Tarius said.
"For the hundredth time . . . It is not him I love. It is you. Only you. You said you loved me, too, once. Remember?"
Yes, and that was a huge mistake I have regretted daily since. I should have used my head to stay my heart and my tongue, Tarius thought with a sigh.
Tragon stepped into the carriage then. It was obvious by the look on his face that he had heard what Jena said, but this wasn't the only reason he was white as a sheet. He was to be Tarius's second. Tragon had already begged her not to pay any attention to Jena's pleas. "If I fight in your stead, Tarius, I will die as surely as you will live to fight another day."
Tarius had assured him that she had no intention of declining the fight.
When Justin and Darian climbed into the carriage the driver took off.
It was a royal carriage. Very nice , Tarius decided. If she was riding to her death, at least she was doing it in style. Her death would certainly solve a lot of problems. She sighed again, she wasn't afraid, she was too conceited for that. She was sure she was going to win. What was bothering her had little to do with the imminent battle and everything to do with the blond girl who sat beside her hanging on her arm and soaking her armor with her tears. Tarius had no idea at all what to do about Jena or the way she felt about her. However, death seemed like the easiest way out.
It took them the better part of an hour to reach the castle.
It was a grand palace with four towers that kissed the sky. It was made of hand-cut stones, none of which were smaller than a man. The castle had been built over a period of nearly a hundred years, added on to by three different kings, and redecorated inside and out at the whim of the queens. There was no moat, but the main gates were made of six-inch thick oak boards, and would be a deterrent to any attack. Truth was, the castle was so far in country that it had never had to stand against a siege.
They were escorted through the courtyard and into the main hall. Darian leaned down to his daughter.
"For the gods' sake, Jena, show a little pride. Let go of the boy's arm, and for once in your wretched life act like a lady," Darian scolded.
Tarius cringed when she heard Darian's harsh words to his daughter. Tarius didn't want Jena to change. She wanted Jena to stay just the way she was. Yet she knew if she continued to spurn Jena's affections the way she had, there was a very good chance that Jena would become the woman her father wanted her to be, thinking it was the only way anyone would ever
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