Pendant of Dragons: The Aldrich Legacy (Book 1)

Chapter Four: The Mercenaries' Prisoner

As evening approached I found myself wishing more and more intently that Tibain would leave soon, though the Sewards wouldn't be travelling back to Alstan for two days. I couldn't stand his irritating presence much longer and had begun to fear that I would inevitably take a sword to him. Still, I remained calm and allowed him his narcissistic ramblings.

We ate with our parents, which left me suffering the whole time as I was purposely sat with Tibain. That was my mother's doing and I was beginning to resent her for this. I even wondered if saddling me with this moron was some form of amusement to my parents.

At last, dinner came to its end and my parents invited our guests to join them in the parlour for tea. Tibain insisted that he wanted to go into the town for a while with his entourage who had accompanied him, Angora willingly permitting him to go. I took the opportunity to excuse myself and go to my rooms, stating that I was tired.

Glad that my father permitted me to leave, I turned and started along the halls to the north staircase, silently cursing my mother for this distraction. I soon entered the corridor leading to my family's quarters, surprised to see Mithras there. The Knight walked towards me, a large grin on his face as he saw me.

"Your dinner with the Sewards has ended, I see," he said, a knowing tone in his voice laced with amusement.

"Amused, Mithras?" I crossed my arms, eyeing him as I stopped short of his position.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I have to admit that your demeanour in the training yard was reminiscent of one of adamant repulsion to Lord Tibain."

"I think the title 'lord' is a little too generous," I rolled my eyes, annoyed at the thought of Tibain. "Just knowing that he will be staying here for the next two days makes my skin crawl."

"Is this annoyance I detect in your voice, Leander?" Mithras raised an eyebrow, his smile broadening.

"Ugh!" I threw my gaze to the wood beamed ceiling, shaking my head in frustration. "He is the most... the most... self absorbed... irritating... man I have ever known."

I looked back to him, my frustration clear.

"He kept changing his story about the lion he killed. First it was with one arrow, then his bare hands, and then it just keeled over when it saw him," I rolled my eyes, exasperated by all of this. "Honestly, it was all just to get me to lie with him, I'm sure of it."

"Then your virtue remains intact, safe from a lying lord," Mithras smirked. "Let us hope that the next suitor your mother sends your way is of better character."

"That's the other problem," I complained. "It's all my mother's doing. She just wants me to marry a rich lord and settle into a life in court," I shook my head, my voice quieter as I spoke. "Ever since Uncle Aric named me as his successor Mother has been far too insistent on me doing things her way. She seems to care more for social status than for me."

Mithras looked to me sympathetically, touching two fingers to my chin and turning my eyes to his.

"Your mother does not value society and status above you, Leander," he told me. "She hopes for a better life for you than you already have."

"If I were starving in a gutter I might understand that, but I'm not. I'm a princess living in a castle," I shrugged helplessly. "I doubt my needs could be catered to any more than they already are."

"And yet, you despise such things," he chuckled again. "I have never known anyone of a noble line to be so resistant to having others serve them."

I met his gaze with certainty. "I know who I am. And being served isn't me."