Tested by the Night (4 page)

But it was his body mass that had really changed. Dear God Draka, his body had undergone an astounding transformation. Not that he hadn’t been splendid to peek at and lust over before, but where once the essence of more boy than man with long, lean limbs floated through her memory, there now stood a very well-defined, marvelously muscled, wonderfully made, full grown, buff barbarian.

Embarrassment and anger bubbled up inside her. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

He laughed. “If I remember correctly, princess, you didn’t give me the chance. You told me to strip and fuck you.” He bowed. “Your wish has always been and will always be my command and duty.”

She sputtered. “Your—your duty?”

He chuckled as he once more reclined on her bed and propped his arms lackadaisically behind his head. “Yes, princess, my duty. I am obviously nothing if not your humble servant, even in this.”

Tears stung her eyes, and she dared them to fall. “Are you telling me that the only reason you laid with me was because I commanded it of you?”

He simply nodded. “Why else would I?”

“You—you—you cretin,” she yelled. “Get up and get out of my room this instant.”

He shrugged. “I’m ready to go as soon as you are, princess. We do have a very long trip ahead of us.” He patted the mattress beside him and winked. “It’s still early, though. Wouldn’t you like a little nap first? I know I would.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she sneered. “And I wouldn’t go anywhere with the likes of you even if my father, the king, commanded it of me.”

Talon shrugged again and folded his arms across his chest. “Up to you, princess. I guess Zander was wrong. He was under the impression you wished to take on Queen Adrina’s Challenge. That’s why he sent me to you.”

She wanted to slap that condescending look right off his face. What on Albrath did Talon Starkweather have to do with her taking Queen Adrina’s Challenge? Instead of asking what he obviously wanted her to ask, Mia turned her back on him. “Quit calling me princess. I have a name. And I don’t need you to help me complete the challenge. I already know all I need to in order to win.”

Talon whistled. “Oh, yeah, princess. Just show the council that fine arse of yours like you’re showing me right now, and you’ll have a whole passel of men fighting each other to sit beside
your
throne, take
your
name, and grovel at
your
feet, like pets.”

She whipped around. “I said stop calling me princess.”

He grinned. “What would you have me call you? Like you said, it’s whatever you command. Perhaps, your highness? Or I know, how about My Queen?”

There was a knock on the door and Mia turned and headed for it. Her sheet flowed behind her, and she knew she was giving Talon another clear view of her ass, but she didn’t care. “That’s probably the man I ordered from the personal pleasure pool. I’ll get rid of him and then I’m getting rid of you.”

Talon laughed. “Tell him the early bird already got the worm, or in this case, the birdie got to someone else’s worm first.”

A tear did escape then, and Mia swiped it away. It would be a cold day in VoT before Talon Starkweather ever saw her cry. Especially after he’d broken her tender little sixteen year old heart when he’d disappeared without so much as a goodbye. He’d simply left with Zander one day and had never returned.

How could she have been so wrong about him back then and especially now? Her mystic-spiritmaster sense had ensured her of his sincerity. But then, her ability had been wrong before, hadn’t it? Even after two years, she still felt ashamed of what she’d done and how she’d acted concerning Sir Alistair Von Daggertoss, the third son of the illustrious Duke Algen Daggertoss of the far eastern barbarian city of Madra.

Not a day went by that she didn’t, at some time or another, think about the last time she’d seen him. She always remembered how his golden curls outshone the sunlight and how the blue of his eyes was brighter than the sky. And then she’d remember the look on his face when he’d told her his father no longer felt the spare to the heir was high enough for his son to aim, and sadly, he had to agree. It was a look of pity, a look of almost distain, and it had been directed at her.

Well she didn’t need Alistair Von Daggertoss, and she certainly didn’t need the likes of Talon Starkweather back in her life, either. After all, hadn’t their rejections been the main reason she’d shied away from men in the first place?

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t perfectly capable of taking care of herself. And even if she had been a silly, little fool when it had come to men in the past, she’d still make a VoT fine queen some day. That was, as long as she could remain aloof and keep her heart and mind on the quest before her, and not on the sexy barbarian behind her. He was a distraction she could ill afford.

Mia pulled the door wide open, ready to inform the man from the personal pleasure pool that she no longer had need of his services, when she stopped short and clamped her mouth shut. It was not a stranger standing on the other side, but her father. Her very angry looking, king of a father, Adan Hammerstrike.

He looked right past her at Talon. “Get dressed, both of you, now, and meet me in the library.”

Mia turned her head and caught a glimpse of Talon struggling to wrap a fur around his still gloriously naked body while attempting to stand at attention. She heard his mumbled, “Yes, sir,” a moment before she once more faced her father.

“I’d rather speak in here, if you don’t mind,” she said. “You know as well as I do this is the only room in the entire castle that isn’t covered with the horrible paint that prevents people from expressing their views. I even understand why you and Mamma did it. I’ve heard all the stories of what life was like with Grandmother.”

The king shook his head. “It’s still the middle of the night, and the entire castle has heard more than enough of both of you expressing your views. The library, and in less time than it takes a hand full of grains of sand to slide through the hourglass, or else.”

“But Father,” she cried.

He shook his head, turned, and stomped away.

Mia closed the door, sighed, and began dressing. There was one thing in all of Albrath that was a certainty, always had been, and always would be. No one, not even she, openly defied Adan Hammerstrike, King of the Barbarians, even if that very same man was her dad.

Chapter Three

Talon sat quietly at the far end of the polished wood table waiting for what was obviously an interrogation to begin. King Adan Hammerstrike was seated at the head, with his wife, Lizbeth, to his right and his daughter, Mia to his left. Not one word was spoken by anyone until the drowsy looking servant pouring the ale finished and the door closed behind him.

The moment they were alone, the king broke the silence. “Talon Starkweather, give me one good reason, other than the fact you’re a friend of Zander’s and helped greatly with what occurred at Castle Kuropkat, why I shouldn’t have you tossed in my dungeon and the key thrown away for disturbing the peace of my home and upsetting both my wife and daughter? And in the middle of the night, I might add.”

Talon gulped. Not many men could intimidate him and live to tell about it, but his king was one who could and did without effort. But then, who in their right mind wouldn’t be a tad anxious when in the presence of King Adan Hammerstrike? The man was everything Talon longed to be and knew he never would.

Not only was the king a head taller and a width broader than ninety percent of all barbarian men and had a sword arm that knew no equal, but he was also known throughout the entire commonwealth for being a man of unmatched honor. Though quick to anger, and even quicker to mete out justice, he was known to be a kind, loving husband to his wife, and a very, very protective father when it came to his children, especially his pretty little daughter.

“Zander asked me to come and escort, umm…” He cleared his throat. “Escort the princess to The Academy where the council is forming even as we speak. I’m to
help
her with her studies and in her quest. And I’m to guard her back for as long as she has need of me. I gave your son my word that I would.”

“I neither need nor want help from the likes of you, barbarian,” Mia hissed.

King Adan Hammerstrike lifted a hand, and the room once more became deathly silent. He glanced toward his daughter. “From what I surmised when you opened your door to me a little while ago, the two of you had been
helping
each other already, and quite loudly, I might add. I had two different servants seek me out in the past couple turnings of the hourglass because with all the moaning they heard coming from your room. They were worried you’d somehow wounded yourself grievously and were in need of aid.”

Mia had the grace to blush, and the sight brought a slight grin to Talon’s face. It didn’t last long, however, as the king glared at him. “Did Zander also tell you to sneak into his father’s castle and accost his sister in the middle of the night without having the decency to first inform his father that you were even
in
his castle seeking an audience?”

Talon swallowed hard. “It was late, your majesty. I did not wish to disturb you.”

“Well, you did disturb me, greatly,” the king bellowed. “And what’s more, you disturbed my lovely wife.”

It was on the tip of Talon’s tongue to try and make clear his reasons for being where he was, when he was, when Queen Lizbeth suddenly chimed in. “Adan, my love, your father-of-a-daughter claws are showing, Stop being such a barbarian bully.” She patted her husband’s arm. “If Talon says Zander sent him to help Mia, then that is explanation enough for being present in our home at this ungodly hour. At least afford the poor man the opportunity to tell us this plan he and our son have concocted before you completely lose your composer and do or say something you’ll regret in the morning. Our daughter’s future happiness may depend on it.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “I’ll say it again. I neither want nor need his help.”

Talon was amazed when Lizbeth Hammerstrike shushed her daughter with no more than a glance in her direction. To him, though, she elegantly nodded. “Please proceed, Talon. In what way might you be of assistance to our Mia?”

He took two deep breaths while gathering his thoughts. How did he successfully lie about a plan he didn’t really agree with in the first place? It was bad enough Mia Hammerstrike had less than a snowballs chance in VoT of successfully completing Queen Adrina’s Challenge to begin with, but with him purposefully sabotaging her every step of the way, she’d fail before she ever got the chance to get started. VoT, even without his interference, her size alone should’ve told the stubborn little chit she was doomed to fail. The lass wasn’t even as tall as most of the female humans he knew, only five-foot five or six at the most. And so delicate, his hands could easily span her waist or break her arm. For God Draka’s sake, she was barely a barbarian at all.

If she were his daughter, he’d demand she forget all about this silly notion of challenges and ruling, and he’d find her a big, strong barbarian husband who’d not only handle the stubborn little princess without her ever knowing, but also make her glad while he was at it.

Instead of saying what he was thinking, however, he took one more deep breath and began. “Zander believes with a little training and assistance, Mia
might
be able to complete the challenge. Though he and Kitrina had no choice but travel to Halla and cannot be there themselves to assist her, he suggests Mia go to The Academy this next semester and train under my, Leeky’s, and Wally Titwilder’s watchful eyes. We’ll help her. We can be an extra set of hands during her quest and teach her how to defend herself and how to fight.

“And of course, we’ll be there to ward off the undesirables. The sons, cousins, or even brothers, of barbarian lords who’ll no doubt be seeking their fortune at the expense of your daughter. Men looking to exploit whatever weaknesses they might find. While at the same time, we can point out those men who would be acceptable king material. It’ll be my honor to be of any assistance to your daughter that I might be.”

Mia scoffed. “Ha. You’re honor? And you plan to train
me
to fight? I’ll have you know, I’m no weakling. I’ve been trained by the very best.” She pointed toward her father. “And you’ll personally ward off the undesirables? As if the likes of you could even recognize them?” She huffed. “Talk about undesirables. Who’s going to be around to ward you off? And as far as pointing out worthy men to rule in my sted, I’d marry my gay cousin Pierced before I’d marry anyone you suggested.”

Even though he knew deep down in his heart she was right about him, he still wanted to reach across the table and drag her across his lap. He wanted to lift the hem of her gown and smack her sweet little ass until it was glowing cherry red and she was begging him for mercy. He didn’t though. Being born and raised the grandson of a traitor had taught him his place in this world long ago, and he almost had his temper back under control when she smirked at him.

“What’s wrong, Talon? No quick retort? Didn’t Zander sufficiently coach you? But I do believe you on one point,” she smiled. “That is when you say you’d be able to spot undesirables. After all, it takes one to know one.”

Talon took two deep breaths, and then he took two more. Yes, he knew very well his place in this world, but that didn’t mean he had to like it or sit quietly in it. Instead, he did what he hadn’t allowed himself to do in years. The one thing Zander had warned him not to do. The whole reason there was even a promise that needed fulfilling in the first place. He completely lost his temper.

“You, you self-important little…” He took another deep breath. “As if I, let alone any man in his right mind, would willingly want to spend his life shackled to the likes of you. Trust me, princess, no throne is worth that sorry fate. It makes me glad, giddy even, that I’m distantly related to a traitor and therefore unworthy to vie for the seat next to your high-and-mighty little arse. As a matter of fact, when I leave here, I think I’ll go visit great, great, whatever grandfather’s grave and thank him for soiling our name.”