One Thousand Nights (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 6) by Pope Christine

Author:Pope, Christine [Pope, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dark Valentine Press
Published: 2014-09-06T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

The next evening I was nearly as nervous as I had been upon meeting my husband for the first time. Understandable, I supposed, as I hoped that what I was about to attempt would reestablish our footing with one another, would allow us to start over.

So, as he was escorting me back to my chambers after dinner…and when I knew we were very close to the corridor that led to his own suite…I said, with apparent carelessness, “Did you know, my lord, that in the far north of Farendon there is a lord who also happens to be a dragon?”

His eyebrows lifted. “A what?”

“A dragon,” I replied. “A great, fierce winged serpent which breathes fire.”

“I know what a dragon is,” Besh returned, although I detected no irritation in his tone. Then his head tilted slightly, and he inquired, “But how is it that one came to be a lord?”

We had arrived at the junction where we could turn off to his private wing of the palace. “As to that, there are conflicting stories, but….” I hesitated, then lifted my shoulders. “Perhaps we could go to your library, so I might tell the tale?”

He paused then, eyes perhaps narrowing slightly as he regarded me. I could only hope that my expression was serene and guileless, so he could catch no hint of the desperation which made my heart seem to beat all too quickly, and my fingers to tremble. Luckily, the skirt of the long tunic I wore was quite full, and I concealed my hands within its folds, praying he would not notice my unease.

Then he gave the smallest lift of his shoulders before replying, “If you wish, my lady. This way.” He offered me his arm, and I took it, willing my foolish and weak flesh to be calm and steady, so it would not betray me. Perhaps it was feeling the strength of his arm beneath mine that allowed my hand to rest lightly on his with no hint of a tremor, or perhaps I finally had gained enough mastery of myself to keep my limbs from shaking. Whichever it was, I walked serenely enough at his side down the long corridor, with its patterned marble floors and sweet-smelling oil burning in lamps of alabaster and bronze, until we reached his chambers. Two of the guards hastened forward to open the huge doors of pierced wood, nearly twice the height of a man, and the rest of them filed in behind us, taking up their positions in the antechamber as we continued to the library.

Once we were there, I did feel slightly more at ease, most likely because the presence of books always calmed me. As evenings went in Keshiaar, it was rather chilly, and so a brazier flickered in one corner, away from the bookshelves that lined all the other walls.

In addition to the chair behind the desk, there were several more scattered about the space. To my relief, Besh pulled out one of those for me, saying, “please sit, my lady,” before taking another for himself.

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