The Dragon Prince's Consort

Thirty-Seven

Standing some dozen feet in the air above his brother, Valen looked down at the bane of his entire existence that had harassed him throughout his life. Tias, seven-plus feet and three times his weight, glared up at him with a deadly, triumphant eye. Well, brother, you're finally getting what you want. It's still not going to bring our mother back, but at least you'll have the satisfaction of taking out someone weaker than yourself. That's what you've always wanted, isn't it? He couldn't bring himself to look at Fang, though he heard her soft cries and heart-breaking sobs. She kept calling his name, quietly, pushing away the hands of any Warden who tried to comfort her. I'm so sorry, Fang. But if I don't meet him, Tias will tear the Empire apart until he gets what he wants. He could only hope his father would be merciful and release her once this was over.

"One man, one weapon," Tias required. "We fight until one of us goes down and stays down. I'll try not to kill you, Little Brother, but it's not my fault if your tiny, weak body can't survive even a casual hit."

Matias cleared his throat like boulders tumbling down a mountainside. "Tias, I'll remind you that killing a member of the Imperial Family is tantamount to treason against the Empire. The sentence is typically death."

"I said I'll try not to kill him," Tias snapped. "Or do we value weakness now?"

"And I said I'd fight you," Valen called, then began his descent from the top of the stone column. At the foot, three Wardens including Benna came to stand between him and his brother but Valen ordered them aside. "Stand down, this is beyond your expected duty."

Benna shook her head. "I practically raised you alongside my daughter, I can't just watch you–"

Valen interrupted her as he passed. "If anything happens to me, look after Fang." For all he knew, he was going to his death. This is the part where the hero tells the woman he loves her, but if I tell Fang that now it'll ruin everything. If Tias failed to hold back, Valen wanted her to be able to move on without guilt. Valen stood before his brother, tipping his head back to look up at Tias's nasty smug face, his hearts battering at his ribs. Anger, dark and chilling, caged his chest like a grasping hand and Valen narrowed his eyes. "I have terms as well."

"Eyah, do you?" Tias sneered. "Let's hear them, Runt."

"Your right of challenge doesn't exclude you from honoring his terms," the Dragon Emperor reminded his son. "As long as they're reasonable, you're honor-bound to see them through."

Tias rolled his yellow eyes. "Tch, fine. What do you want, Little Brother?"

Standing as tall as he was able Valen told his brother exactly what he expected. "By extending your challenge you acknowledge that this fight is between you and I, and that Fang has nothing to do with it. When this is over you do not speak to Lady Fang, you don't get into her affairs, and you don't have any say in what she does or where she goes. If she wants to live in the palace, you won't make her uncomfortable or try to force her out. If she wants to live elsewhere, you won't send anyone to harass her or cut her off from any property in her name. You won't accuse her of anything, pull her into anything she doesn't want to be involved with, or play any stupid pranks on her."

Tias made a face. "That's it? You just want me to let her be?"

"If you'd done that from the beginning, we wouldn't be here."

"Those are fair terms, Tias." The Dragon Emperor nodded his huge head slowly, his chains swinging and whispering about his horns. "You could do absolutely nothing and still honor them."

"That's not–" Tias began to protest but his father silenced him with a gesture.

"You will accept your brother's terms, and I will bear witness. Valen, as witness I acknowledge your conditions and for as long as I am able I will see that he complies with them, am I understood?" Matias flicked a cold look at his oldest and Valen watched with pleasure how Tias shrank back slightly. He did recover, however, and gave a sullen nod.