Page 37 of In the Embrace of Dragons

He furrows his brow. “What for?”

I let out a low growl and trace my other hand down his chest. His entire bulky body goes stiff, and his expression is even more surprised.

“You know what for.” I slip my hand over his codpiece, wishing I could feel him through it.

Abruptly, Ragnakor jerks away, pushing my hand off him.

“The queen was explicit about her needs,” he says, tone guarded, his face unyielding. “I will not go against her wishes.”

Just thinking about Nissia, my cock shudders again.

“Why?” I puff my chest out in annoyance. “You are my captain of the guard, not hers.”

“She is still my superior.”

He stations himself by the door, no longer looking at me. I know when I’m being dismissed, and it irritates me down to my core that Ragnakor would dare speak to me this way, hisking.

“Fine,” I snap, storming into my rooms and slamming the door behind me. I lean against it, groaning at how great my need has become already.

I fall back onto my bed, exasperated and exhausted, and it’s only halfway through the day. Now that Nissia andRagnakor have formed a battalion of their own, where does that leave me?

NISSIA

The life of a princess has always been a tedious one, but at least in my homeland, I had Ari. Here in Selvumrrest, there’s very little to entertain me. Quillion is quiet and sturdy, bowing his head and saying, “Your Majesty” when I tell him my plans—which are few and far between. He shows me around the castle grounds to help me get acquainted with my new home, but it couldn’t feel less like home for me.

Eventually, I broach the story of the bear. Quillion doesn’t go into any detail about the encounter, but he pulls a lock of brown fur away from his belt.

“The ear,” he says, flipping it over to show me. “I had to kill the beast, or it would kill me. This is all that remains.”

I’m appropriately impressed.

“Guess you couldn’t bear keeping the rest?” I say, and his lip curves up at the side. That’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to getting a smile out of him, and it’s a satisfying victory.

Most of the time, Quillion is content to stand outside the door, watching for threats and following me from place to place. Usually I lounge in my rooms, talking for long hours with Zephala, who also accompanies me when I go to the kitchen for meals. There’s a smaller breakfast nook behind the big dining room, where I go with my two shadows during mealtimes.

I know Zephala’s entire life story now, how she was raised in the lower quarters of the city but got a job working for a well-off courtier in the higher city. When it was announcedthat I was coming, many applied for the job, but after interviewing, only Zephala was chosen.

She purrs. “And what good luck it was. I’ve learned so much abouthair.”

I appreciate Zephala’s company, but more and more, it makes me think of Ari. How is her father doing now? I write her a long letter, mostly telling her about Selvumrrest and my training sessions with Ragnakor. I give her some information about my situation with Vizarios, but not enough to truly worry her. Then I send my note off with a pigeon, hoping I’ll hear back.

Then there are my training sessions with Ragnakor. These are the bright spots in my life. My heart leaps when I see him waiting at my door to take me to spar, and I love the way he gives me a polite bow every time I greet him. It is odd to remember what I witnessed—how he dominated the king as if he were the one in charge—and reconcile it with his gentle and calm demeanor the rest of the time.

But there are only so many hours I can spend in a day in the training yard. Ragnakor tries his best, but he has a job to do, and that job is not watching over me.

I’m reading a book, and don’t realize I’ve been dozing off until there comes a light knock at the door.

Zephala stirs and answers it. I hear her squeak, “Oh, hello, Captain!”

I sit up straight in my chair, eager as always. “Captain Ragnakor?” He gives me a small wave over Zephala’s shoulder. “Is it time for training again?”

“I have something else to show you,” is all he says, gesturing for me to follow him. There’s an eagerness on his face, and I wonder what it is.

This is the most excitement I’ve had all day, so I hurry along behind him as he leads me to the stable. I think perhaps we’re going for a ride, but we pass the horses, heading to thevery back room where the tack is kept. When we open the door, I’m confronted by the sound of yipping.

The room is full ofpuppies. Adorable little brown puppies, some of them splotched with white, running around and playing. An exhausted mother lies nearby.

“They’re adorable!” I kneel and pick one up, holding it to my chest as it wriggles. It licks my face, then I set it back down on the ground to play with its littermates.