A Kiss of Daggers by Christopher Schmitz

Author:Christopher Schmitz [Christopher D. Schmitz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Christopher Schmitz
Published: 2023-03-23T00:00:00+00:00

Jaira sat on her bed, feeling like a prisoner in her own home. After insulting Fuerian the previous day, her father had confined her to the house unless accompanied by an escort. Her fiancé had told Harhassus that he’d spotted Remy lurking on the grounds prior to coming in for drinks and kindly sent the human away with a stern warning to not return.

At least her father had asked, with at least a hint of worry, if Fuerian had killed Remy. But Fuerian claimed to have only disarmed him and sent him away, and Fuerian now wore Remy’s distinctly recognizable knife at his hip.

Fuerian is a liar. He’s done something. That explains the blood on his sleeves.

Worry lodged deep in Jaira’s gut and made her heart sink. She argued against it with her head. Remy is a fighter. He is more than capable of handling himself—even against Fuerian.

Someone knocked at the door and it opened slowly and with a slight creak. Lady Eilastra, Jaira’s mother, poked her head in to check on Jaira. Seeing her there, Eilastra entered the room.

Their eyes met. Jaira made no attempt to hide her frustrated indignation. She sighed and flopped backwards on her bed, letting the pillows half bury her as the fluff of air tousled her hair over her face, forming a mask she could hide behind.

Eilastra sat next to her and parted the locks.

“Most girls my age are treated like adults. They aren’t imprisoned in their own homes, you know,” Jaira accused. “They’re off finding love, marrying, and having babies of their own.”

Eilastra grinned sympathetically. “And many of those girls would claim that their newly domestic life was just another kind of prison.”

Jaira glared at her mother. Eilastra was the more reasonable of Jaira’s parents and had a way of slapping sense into her with simple words. But that didn’t mean Jaira had to like it.

“You know that your father is just trying to—”

“I don’t care what his purposes or motives are, Mother. What he is doing is wrong. He’s forcing me to marry someone I detest,” Jaira seethed.

Eilastra sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. “You know that your father had the opportunity to marry for love? He and I—”

“Yes, yes,” grumbled Jaira. I’ve heard this story before.”

Her mother shook her head slowly. “No. You haven’t. Not all of it, so hush, child.”

Jaira pouted, but something in Eilastra’s motherly tone made Jaira sit up and hug her legs to her chest as if her mother was telling a bedtime story.

“With wealth and stature comes certain comforts and privilege. Your uncle, as the oldest brother, was set to inherit the dragon’s share of your grandfather’s wealth, leaving your father with very little to live off of aside from his determination and grit.” Eilastra smiled faintly at the distant memory of the Harhassus from her youth.

“This same disadvantage is what allowed him to marry for love. He had hardly any wealth. Though he had the Morgensteen name, without being the heir he had none of the position or favor in Oberon’s court.

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