Xandrie didn’t like to ask these days, because everything she said was taken as command, but she shyly went to Sid, who did hear her request. Within two hours, the woman came back with her favorite pair of pants - she’d sewn pockets in the leather, and padded them with rye. After seeing the drawing, and hearing everything Rhey had told her the previous night, she was itching to be just what he’d said she was - a Rider. She wasn’t sure how to bring it up with Demelza, though.

That morning, she didn’t have any spare time to think of it. The Warriors were loading food, water, ale and medicine, spare clothing, and other such things, under the Knights’ guidance and the Guard was speaking strategy with their King.

Xandrie stood a foot behind Elza, while looking at the Warriors, itching to make her muscles useful, as her brain wasn’t required. She wasn’t sure where her place stood.

Recognizing Lurie, who waved a greeting, she took a step towards the Warrior, only to be immediately called back.

“Alexandria.”

Just her name - Rhey didn’t need to say more. She turned and hesitatingly stepped towards the close group of grand lords.

Demelza must have sensed her unease; she put her arm around hers and squeezed.

“You’re to stay close to us. Our men are good, and efficient too, but they’ve learned to take care of themselves in battle. You’re new at this, and we have your back. At all times, I want you within arm’s length.”

She really was dealing with the King now, but even he was looking at her with soft, warm eyes. She nodded, and said, “yes, sir,” too. It seemed to amuse him - and the rest of the lords, for some reason.

“Right. I see your point about the south, and those borders are important, but our shields are still in place, there. I want to go North.”

Amongst the fourteen lords, seven said North, seven were for the South; apparently, the fact that the King preferred north didn’t count as much as she would have thought. They were after a majority, and everyone turned to her.

She gulped. Her? She was to have a say in an important matter like this one?

“If the shield protecting the northern borders is down, that’s where we have to go.”

“North it is. Saddle up.”

She cleared her throat, and fifteen pair of eyes turned to her.

“I’m bringing Claws. My tiger.”

It should have been obvious, as the animal stood by her side, leisurely scratching his ear, but she wanted it said.

“Of course you are. It wouldn’t do to let him eat half of my Kingdom should he get bored in your absence. Make sure he gets on with your horse.”

Claws wasn’t frazzled by much, and horses were no exception; the equine was another matter.

“Shush big poltroon,” she said, holding his head and meeting his eyes. “He isn’t going to harm you, you have my word.”

She carried on whispering until the horse stopped fussing. When she was done, she turned to find Rhey observing her with a smile.

“Well done.”

She just shrugged. “Animals have always listened to me.”

“Not that. You didn’t ask permission; you told us what you intended to do. While talking to us,” he pointed to himself, and the rest of the lords barking orders at their respective divisions, “Not many would have done the same.”

“Perhaps because others have more sense than I.”

She was just used to doing what she pleased; people certainly had given her orders before, and she had obeyed, cleaning things as she was bid, but no one had dictated what she did otherwise. No one had really cared to.

“I have another theory.”

“Oh?”

Rhey winked - damn winked at her, not caring about what it did to her poor little heart.

“Ask me some other time.”

He rode away, but she called after him. “I thought I was talking to the King at this time!”

“And perhaps the King also enjoys teasing you.”

The trumpets sounded and the retinue was on its way, a well-oiled machine ready for whatever action the wilderness threw into their path.

The first part of their journey was uneventful, thankfully, as Xandrie was too taken by the landscape for her eyes to pay attention to much else. These untamed lands were like nowhere else; they passed mountains, plains, lakes and deserted cities at high speed. Soon, the horses had to rest and the men had to talk of what they’d seen. They’d expected to come across some sort of enemy by now; even when the shields had been up, they hadn’t been quite strong enough to keep every unwanted creature out there from entering their domain. The shields were meant to repel evil; mildly foul vermin still got by.

But there had been none.

Her curiosity was so piqued by what she’d gathered from the talk around her that now, she was relieved that the lords welcomed her presence - she could hardly have stayed away, wanting to hear their take on the matter.

“There’s something bigger happening; I just can’t see why.”

She felt Rhey’s frustration down to her bones.

“It definitely seems strategical,” Nathos nodded. “You were right to go North, and we may want to leave a few Warriors at Norda.”

“So that they may be crushed by whatever’s coming for us?” Xandrie scowled. “I think not.”

Oh shit. She was probably not supposed to have said anything at all, let alone try to tell a dragon lord how to rule. Again, the Lords looked, and this time, they laughed.

“She’ll make you a good Queen,” a man said, smiling.

Her entire face was on fire right about now.

“She’s yet to win that right,” Nathos reminded them, but his tone wasn’t unkind. “However, she may make a decent wife to our King regardless.”

Oh. Well, that didn’t make a blink of sense.

“What did you just say?”

The advisor shrugged.

“I’d gathered you hadn’t figured that yet. The Claiming is simply a tournament where our women fight for the right to be Queen. Nothing says that they have to bind themselves to the King.”

Holy hell.

They carried on chatting about nonsensical things such as borders and evil and hunts, while her world spun off its axis. All of a sudden, she didn’t have to fight a bunch of fire breathers for the man she wanted. She could have him - if he would have her.

She lifted her gaze to his and he seemed as shocked, ignoring the rest of their party, and staring right at her.

Then, the King smiled, and lifted his hand, bidding her to take it. She didn’t hesitate. He pulled her to him when she interlinked his fingers with hers, and whispered, “The old man was laughing behind our backs this whole time, right?”

“Yep. Yep, he was.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“Get in line.”