Eternal Vows (6 page)

“That’s not necessary, Vic,” Sarah said, taking a few steps back as the metallic clank of the lock echoed. “I can hear through the bars just fine.” She blinked, hoping the message had reached him loud and clear. The truth was, he’d clamped his arm around her waist a little too close for comfort on the ride to that horrible place, and he’d threatened her life more than once.

The heavy door opened, and King Victor reached her in two strides. His gaze connected with hers as his blue eyes narrowed dangerously. “Your father refused to meet my demands. I’m afraid there’s only one thing left to do to show him how dire this situation truly is.”

Whatever it was, it didn’t sound good. Sarah sucked in a quick breath, her heart hammering.
Why didn’t I just stay hidden in the trees?
She thought perhaps she could do some fast talking and flip the coin in her favor.
They always say the truth will set you free,
she reasoned. “Look, like I told you, I’m not Gloria. My name’s Sarah.” She could tell by the look in his eyes that he didn’t
believe a single word passing from her lips.

He leaned in closer, his warm breath caressing her cheek as he said, “Princess, I’m sorry, but I’m left with no other choice.”

Her heart sank. It wasn’t rocket science. He planned on killing her to get revenge on his rival. He’d said so himself. She tried to control the quiver in her voice. “Of course you have other choices. If you’re the king, you get to make the rules—or aren’t you that powerful?”

“Your father must pay for his sins and transgressions, and he will one way or another—soon and very soon.” He stroked a stray hair from her eyes, but she averted her gaze. His hot breath hit her cheek as he continued, “I think I’ll extend an invitation to him. There will be some tears shed. That we can count on.”

“You’re all crazy and in dire need of meds.”

King Victor whispered in her ear. “Don’t act so sad. You just might enjoy it.”

What kind of sick freak is this guy? Enjoy having my head cut off by some guy with a giant hatchet and a black hood? Some king this guy is. The only royal thing about him is that he’s a royal pain in the—

“I can’t wait to see your father’s face.” He smirked.

She pushed him back, her stomach fluttering from the thought of her own execution.
Will it be quick or long and painful?
“You’re nuts! How can you order the execution of an innocent woman? No wonder this Gloria’s father is after you.”

“Execution? Princess, I’m not going to kill you.”

“Said the spider to the fly.”

“Spider? Fly? Pardon me, but I do not understand what insects have to do with any of this.” Victor shook his head. “I have much more…pleasurable things planned.” He squeezed her tight against him.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realized the meaning of his words.
He couldn’t possibly want…
She pushed him hard. “Let me go!”

“Do you know what would make your father’s blood boil even more than seeing your pretty little head roll?”

She didn’t need to hear the words, as the grin on his face said it all. She squirmed in his grip, struggling to keep her wits and silence the screaming voice in her head. “Haven’t the slightest clue.”

“Me, his most hated enemy, taking his only daughter as my mate.”

Sarah gasped, even though it was exactly what she’d expected. “What?”

“Marriage or execution. Either one will break your father, and I’m leaning toward the former.”

“I think you’ve fallen off your horse and hit your head one time too many.
This has to be the worst proposal of all time. But out of curiosity,
when’s the big day? I need some time to gather up something borrowed and something blue.”

“When the sun sets.”

“Tonight? What happened to courtship? Chivalry? I don’t even know your bad habits, like if you leave the toilet seat
up or…” She scanned the room, at a loss for words. “What if you snore like a chainsaw or have some psychological disorder that prevents you from refilling the ice cube tray?”

His eyebrows raised. “Toilet seat? Ice? Forgive me, but I believe you have fallen off your horse. Maybe we should take you to the healer after all.”

Throwing my own insults back at me. Wow. How creative
. She regarded him intently, but his expression remained confused. “Maybe we should have you evaluated and put on some psych meds.”

“I was thinking of discussing wine selections later today.” King Victor tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear again, and it felt just as ridiculous as before. “Or maybe floral arrangements. What do you think, my love?”

“I’m thinking if I ever get my hands on that Gloria chick, she’s dead meat.”

“Meat? If that is your desire, I shall send my cooks to the fowl cages. Yes! We shall enjoy a feast of roasted quail, turtle dove, partridge, and braised peacock. And, of course, the butcher can supply ample calves’ heads and fish if you so wish.”

“I’m going to throw up.” She swallowed the bile in her throat. “I want no part of your delusional world.”

“Surely your knights taught you how to maintain this unpalatable guise,” King Victor said. “I’m impressed—I really am—but you’ll eventually break. For the time being, enough of these games. Let us address the question that has longed to escape my lips. Will you, Princess Gloria, be my bride?”

She shoved him. “Ain’t happening. Back off, man.”

He grinned, revealing two strings of white teeth. “I can see you need some time to consider your decision. Perhaps spending a little time down here will make you see things in a different light.”

“You’re crazy!” she yelled, taking a step back and balling her fists as if she had any chance of fighting him.

In one swift move, he pinned her against the cold concrete wall, her arms outstretched, his hands wrapped tightly around her wrists. “I would advise you to hold your tongue,” he hissed in her ear. “I have put up with more than my fair share from you. Nobody talks to me that way—nobody—and if you cannot control that lashing snake of yours, I shall have it removed.”

Her heart pounded hard, and she took a deep breath. “Right back at ya, buddy! Nobody talks to me the way
you
do.”

He lowered his head, and his eyes narrowed. “You are disrespectful, obviously the spawn of your father.”

She had no idea who he was talking about, but she couldn’t resist the jab. “Guess I’m a chip off the old block.”

“Maybe this is the reason why he doesn’t want you back.”

Her temper flared even higher, for he’d hit a soft spot.
How dare he poke around in my business like that?
“My
real
father would never abandon me, you nutcase.”

“You might want to
consider being cordial toward
me. Do you have any understanding of the power I hold over you?” The dangerous undertone in his voice didn’t go unnoticed. “I control whether you’ll get one ounce of food or a drop of water, whether you’ll see the light of day or if you’ll live to see tomorrow.”

No man, royalty or not, had ever treated Sarah in such a way. She clenched her hands into fists, yet again, and pressed her back against the wall to put another inch of space between her and King Victor. “Yeah, I got it. Life and death rest in your hands.” Her gaze wandered to the open cell door the same moment when the king loosened his grip. She held her breath, sensing her chance to escape. Without another thought, she spun around and darted for freedom, but before she could take another breath, she felt his stern grip on her upper arm. “Let go of me!” she snarled.

King Victor swung her around to face him.

Her hands balled into fists, and she pounded his chest. “Get your hands off me, you brute!” she yelled, her voice echoing.

“Where do you think you’re going? I suggest you save your energy for our wedding night.” He pulled her close. “I can see I need to make an appointment with my blacksmith.”

Well, well, isn’t he funny, remembering my chastity belt comment? The jerk!
“In your dreams.”

“I know you’re looking forward to it, but calm down, Princess. We have our entire lives to spend together.”

Sarah struggled in his arms as he chuckled. She could tell he was loving every minute of it. “This Gloria’s father wouldn’t meet your demands. He doesn’t even care if his daughter dies. Therefore, if you kill me, what’s it going to prove?”

“You’re right. It’s best we stick with option one. Your father might not care if you’re dead, but he will fume with rage knowing I have fathered his grandchildren, tainting his precious bloodline. Shall we have six, eight, or ten children, Princess? There shall be no revenge better than the pitter-patter of my sons’ feet flowing with your father’s blood.”

“If you use me like that—and remember I’m not who you think I am—your gene pool is going to need a ton of chlorine. I’m not any kind of royalty.”

“Chlorine?”

“Never mind.” She shook her head. “How many kids did you just say you want? What do I look like, some kind of breeding machine?”

“Let’s just hope they don’t inherit your smart mouth. I’ve let it slide until now, but once we have exchanged vows, you shall control your tongue—or I will control it for you.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “And what if I don’t? What if I say whatever I want, whether you want to hear it or not?”

“Trust me, you do not want to find out,” he said.

She glared at him, throwing daggers with her eyes. “What’re you going to do, lock me in a dungeon and throw away the key?”

“Let me know when I can call for the priest,” King Victor said. “We will need to inform him whether he will be performing a wedding ceremony or last rites. That, my love, is your choice.”

Sarah’s head shot back in defiance. “I’ll never marry you. It’ll never happen—not even if a million stars fell from the sky.”

“No?” He ran a finger down her cheekbone.

Her breath caught in her throat as she pushed him away. “No.” She put as much conviction into her voice as she could muster, but somehow, it barely made its way out of her throat.

“We’ll see about that,” King Victor said with a smirk. “Enjoy your stay. If you get too cold, just remember my bed’s nice and warm and waiting for you.” With one last glance over his shoulder, he slammed the cell door with his boot, trapping her in the confined space.

Chapter 4

Sarah had plenty to think about in the drippy silence.
Will he really kill me if I refuse to go through with the wedding?
She shivered as a cool breeze blew across her face.
How long does that idiot plan to keep me down here anyway?
He’d only left minutes ago, but the distress of being along with her thoughts crept up on her, putting her in an emotional chokehold.
Where the heck is Frank anyway? I wonder if he made it out safely or if those Sasquatch attacked him.
She hoped that since he had the tranquilizer gun on him, he’d managed to escape.
If not, I’m afraid he’s seriously hurt or…
She shook her head, eager to get rid of the images rolling before her eyes. Booted footsteps echoed down the corridor, jolting her back to reality. She held her breath and clenched her hands just in case she got the chance to attack and get the hell out of here.

A knight held up a large ring of metal dungeon keys and unlocked the door. After it creaked open, he took a step inside. Obviously tired of waiting, Mr. Whack Job had sent his messenger boy.

Can’t a girl have time to think about spending the rest of her life in some medieval nightmare? What, is Kingy Poo that desperate for an answer?
She jumped to her feet and put her hands firmly on her hips. “Tell your idiot King my mind’s made up. The answer is a big fat no. I’m not going anywhere with him, now or ever.”

The knight’s voice came out muffled from behind his visor. “What? I slayed a dragon, swam a moat full of crocodiles, and this is all the thanks I get for coming here to rescue you?”

Sarah clasped a hand over her mouth as a spark of recognition hit her full force.

“Did I mention the getaway vehicle is parked right outside the gate?” The knight held up the tranquilizer gun. “And what kind of knight would I be without this?”

“Frank!” Relief flooded every fiber in her body.

He lifted his visor and
smiled.
“At your service, madam.”

She threw her arms around him, her heart racing. “I never thought I’d be so happy to see you, of all people. How the heck did you get in here?”

“You mean past the big, hairy gorillas out there?” He lifted a brow. “Meh, they were nothin’.”