The Dragon King

Chapter 20

Captain Zircon Argos of Emberhelm, Vrinian

EMBERHELM, VRINIAN

Zircon is furious, for there is something obvious he is missing, and everyone else can apparently see or know it. "I want answers!" He yells, and Marnie flinches enough for the Tyrant King to notice and give her a caring smile and she strangely seems comforted. Zircon stares at her, willing her to tell him, but she refuses to look at him. "Tell me the truth...did Roland hurt you?" Still, she refuses to answer. Even the tyrant tries to get her to answer, but she won't. "Tell me, Marnie." Antonio walks to her side and places a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at him for a second. They share a look, but she looks away again.

"What is going on?" Baron Castian stands from his chair, clearly out of the loop and hating it.

"Leave her alone." Letty immediately jumps to Marnie's defense, and so does Baroness Castian.

"Quiet, all of you!" Her authoritative voice resounds through the hall and quiets the others. She stands up but stays in place, giving Marnie a kindly sort of look. "This is her choice. You can't force her to speak."

"There is nothing to tell!" Finally, Roland pipes up, sensing the need to stick up for himself since no one else will. He turns to Zircon with a friendly look he always wore since they were kids. "Don't listen to them, Zircon. You know that I would never do anything to hurt her." Zircon falters. Roland wouldn't hurt Marnie, right? Hasn't Zircon known Roland all their lives?

"And why is it that you wouldn't go against Zircon?" It is Letty who is taunting her brother as they make eye contact with an equal glare. "Go ahead, Roland, do tell your best friend your future plans."

Roland shakes his head at her, but when he looks at Zircon, seeing his raised eyebrows and fierce gaze, he caves. "As soon as I become the baron, Marnie and I are to be married."

"I knew it!" Zircon loses it, having deep down suspected Roland's attention to his sister but never wanting to believe it. Zircon looks to Marnie, and when she sends him a tearful glare with a shake of her head, he knows that it is one-sided. "Marnie doesn't even like you. She tolerates you, and that is all. She will never marry you, regardless of what I say, and I say never."

Roland jumps to defend his plans, but his father beats him to it. "I must agree with Zircon. You will never marry Aquamarine Argos." Roland rounds on his father while slightly shocked but is silenced by one hand raised. "There are things in place you do not know, Roland. I have seen the way you look at her and the way you follow her around, but you cannot have her in any way. I have my reasons, and they are not to be questioned."

"What?" Zircon shouts while glaring at Roland. "You are stalking my sister?"

"What reasons?" Roland doesn't look at Zircon but questions his father after being told not to.

"Roland, have you been creeping on my sister?" Zircon raises his voice and steps closer to Roland with a dark look that makes Roland hesitate for a second.

"Not now, Zircon." Roland brushes of Zircon's rage and continues to look at his father. "What reasons could you possibly have of denying me the woman I love and want to marry?"

Rowley levels a glare at his son. Zircon knows that once Roland is set on something, he doesn't let go. Could it be that he has been set upon Marnie and refuses to let her go? Zircon knows Roland and knows how he keeps his attention, like a game, on a woman until she gives him everything, but Marnie isn't just some random woman. Marnie would never give in, and knowing Roland, he would never give up. Marnie hasn't yet said one word to confirm or deny if any of this is true.