THE DRAGON KING'S FORGOTTEN BRIDE

ust. Two for her family. Three for Caldris. Four for the peace her father had fought so hard to win. Five for the mounta

and the court had murmured its approval as she passed. Now she stood on the sixth step, her hands full of ember-lilies, and she allowed herself a sin

hite stone seemed to glow. Caldris had sent its own lords in mountain blue, wearing their bell-cords as a sign of honour. Elara could see her mother in the gal

looked at her once during the procession. Elara told herself that was nerves, or pride, or the strain of a king

s turned as one. Somewhere in the gallery, silk rustled. Elara kept her chin level and her fingers tight around the lil

" Kael

y," Elara answered. "I thou

ly. Kael did not. "Do not make

g out from the gallery

leather case in both hands, as calmly as if he were presenting a gift. His silver hair

re deciding anything," Vane said sof

simply brought them to the altar, as though the question of their origin

s jaw tighten as he read, line by line

dris treaty will open the mountain passes, and the Valemont line will take what the d

life," Elara said. Her voice stayed steady, though her pulse pou

l not to

true." She did not move from the step. The sixth step was h

voice was flat and cold, the voice of a man who h

deep water. The sound slid beneath her skin, and the old silver mark on her

band's arm, and her face had drained of colour. Her lips moved, though no sound carried to

ng of Ashkara, the betrothal is void. Princess Elara of Caldris is no lon

an councillors turned to each other, whispering behind their hands, and the ladies near the p

stranger by saying t

ust

She had prepared a dozen replies on the road, each sharper than the last. None

ar Dravenhart. I hope you never

dragon guard. "Captain Joren. Arrest King Alaric Valem

ged forward, and two g

t the king, then at Elara, and his broken-nose

rs flared so high that the nobles stumbled back. The air smelled of scorched stone and something older, like a tomb o

said quietly. The w

across his face. It looked like pain, sharp and surprised, the k

cold again. He turned his back

hem," h

n promised to walk away from her. Only later, in the cold quiet of Starward Tower, would she wonder w