Auburn slept half the day away, but snakes, the man who resembled Eli, and a temple illuminated by a gold dragon haunted her dreams.

Was the vision showing her that there was safety in the temple of the gold dragon? If so, from whom was she running?

She thought again of the man with the reptilian eyes and shivered.

“Bad dream?” Eli held her, warming her with his closeness.

She nodded then stroked a finger along his smooth jaw. One of the first things he’d done when they’d set sail was shave his beard. “Have you ever worn your hair curly?”

Eli frowned. “Once, when I wasn’t much more than a boy.”

“But you haven’t recently.”

He caught her fingers and brought them to his lips. “It didn’t suit me. It’s fashionable in Tamryn for men to wear their hair longer than I do, to curl it even, but I have no use for such foolishness.”

“Odd the style has remained popular when the prince doesn’t wear it.”

Eli shrugged. “Lots of wealthy noblemen do.”

“It’s a way to distinguish wealth and privilege,” Auburn said.

“There are far better ways to use that wealth and privilege than to look like a fop.”

A whisper of relief curved Auburn’s lips as she speared her fingers through his dark locks. “And you wouldn’t look as imposing.”

He kissed her temple. “There is that.”

The man from her vision wasn’t Eli. His father, perhaps? His uncle? Maybe his cousin? Perhaps the vision would become clearer the closer they got to Tamryn.

She leaned against the prince and let his presence chase away the nightmare.

Eli stroked her cheek and wrapped a strand of her copper-colored hair around his finger. “While I don’t understand your questions, you asked them after a nightmare. I realize I haven’t told you much about my family.”

“I figured you aren’t close to them. You haven’t mentioned them much, and you tend to refer to your father as King Garrett.”

“Observant.”

Auburn smiled as Eli helped her change into a gown for dinner. He paused in doing up her laces to trail a finger along the smooth skin of her neck and nibble the top of her spine.

Shivering, she sucked in a breath, and the rich masculine scent of him filled her senses. “You were going to tell me about the Dracasans.”

He slipped an arm around her. “My father and I haven’t been close since my mother’s death.”

“Hard to lose your mother and your father.”

Eli lifted his shoulders. “My father is a busy man. Ruling Tamryn consumes most of his time, but he made sure I attended to my studies and my duties.”

“So you’d be fit to be king.”

“I have an aunt on my mother’s side, but she never lived in Aerius so I saw her very little. She wanted me to come out and stay with her after my mother died, but my father wouldn’t allow it. I needed to stay in Aerius for my studies.”

“A cold decision for a father. He should’ve given you time to grieve, time to heal. Any child that loses their mother needs that. Deserves that.”

“Royalty doesn’t get such luxuries.”

Auburn touched the hard lines of his jaw, and he clenched it under her fingers. “It’s not a luxury.”

Eli caught her fingers and kissed them.

She stared up into his deep blue eyes. “You look like your father?”

Eli nodded. “So does my Uncle Rexnord. He lives as his country estate, and it’s been years since I’ve seen him. His wife died when I was young, and he left the capital city. However his son, Fredrick, is popular in Aerius.”

Fredrick. The name sent a shiver down her spine.

“Proper response to him.” Eli held her closer.

“Did you ever figure out why he bribed Rolland to get you home quickly?”

Eli shook his head. “I don’t know Fredrick as well as I should. I haven’t decided if confronting him or playing dumb will serve me best.”

“What does he look like?”

Eli paused. “He’s fashionable. The gods gave him the looks of an angel, complete with curling blond hair.”

Auburn pondered his words, a frown pinching her forehead.

“I’ll figure out his game, but in the meantime, I promised to escort you to dinner.”

Eli slid her arm through his, then accompanied her to the dining area. Most of the attachés and other liaisons were already there, including Rolland.

Rolland’s eyes fixed on her as Eli pulled out her chair. Once Auburn sat, the prince took the spot beside her and glanced over at his attaché.

Rolland turned away.

“You already know Captain Fields, Sir Leopold, and Ndrek,” Eli said. He then introduced her to the handful of his attachés also at the captain’s table.

There were polite nods and smiles all around, but conversation lagged. Few had ever dined informally with Prince Eli.

Auburn did her best to ease the awkwardness, drawing the others into conversation then encouraging them to keep talking by giving them her undivided attention. By the time the second course was served, there was a steady flow of chatter and the occasional laugh.

When dessert arrived, Auburn’s rebellious stomach clenched, and her face turned green.

Pausing mid-sentence, Eli touched her hand. “It’s been a long evening. Perhaps we should return to our cabin.”

“You were discussing the finer points of the treaty.”

“It can wait until tomorrow.”

“I’ll see her to her room.” Leopold pushed away from the table. “Gives me a reason to escape all this treaty talk.”

“No need,” Eli said.

Auburn smiled as she touched the prince’s shoulder. “Please finish explaining. Best to get this sorted before we arrive in Tamryn, and I promise I won’t fall overboard. Sir Leopold will see to that.”

He stilled under her hand. “Not even close to the railing.”

She smiled, his concern warming her. “Promise.”

Eli nodded, jaw set, but he let her leave with Leopold.

The Knight led her up to the deck and paused beside her as she took a couple of deep breaths and rubbed her stomach.

Leopold rocked back on his heels and surveyed the horizon. “When you gonna tell him?”

“Tell who what?”

“Tell Eli. And you know what.”

Auburn paled. “I-I don’t know what you mean.”

“You haven’t lied to me before now. Don’t start.”

She followed his eyes to the horizon and swallowed hard. “Never.”

“Don’t work like that. Not with royal blood. Though it shouldn’t ever be like that.”

She swallowed hard and straightened her spine as she turned and met Leopold’s too-knowing gaze. “I will not give up my son, and I won’t suffer a lifetime of Prince Eli’s hatred because I upset his plans.”

“What’re you gonna do? Try to disappear when we get to Tamryn?”

She lifted her shoulders. “I got out of Qumaref. I’ll find a way.”

“Course you would, but I can’t let you.”

Her fists clenched at her sides as she fought the urge to cry. “I thought I could trust you.”

“You can, but the child’s father deserves a chance to do right.”

“Why no royal... why can no children can be born out of wedlock to the royal family?”

“Dracor’s will,” Leopold said. “He trusted the royal family with a drop of His blood. Church’s job to oversee it.”

“After so many generations of men, how can you be sure no children were born out of wedlock?”

Leopold chuckled. “Easier than you’d think. That drop of blood makes it damn hard for them to have children. If they do, it’s only with someone the Dragon God finds worthy.”

She studied the horizon. “What’s the royal family like?”

“Most are serious to a fault. King Garrett’s a good man. Strong. Principled. Always has Tamryn’s best interest at heart. Don’t know if he was a good husband, but he was a crummy father. Especially after Queen Gwendolyn was assassinated.”

“Assassinated?”

“Eli didn’t tell you that?”

“He said she died.”

“That she did. He was eight maybe nine. Skipped lessons one afternoon and went to find her in the gardens. Was Gwyn’s favorite spot. He got there just in time to see the assassin kill her.”

Auburn tightened her hold on Leopold’s arm. “He would’ve blamed himself for not being able to save her.”

“Of course he did. He’s a Dracasan. Wouldn’t listen to reason.”

“That’s when he started training with Sligo.”

“Whole thing changed him. Church was certain Dracor would bless him early, and we were gonna prep him for the throne. But Eli hasn’t set foot in the Dragon Church since we buried Gwyn.”

“Of course it changed him. He loved her.”

“That he did,” Leopold said.

“Something like that would challenge anyone’s faith.”

“Hoping he’ll find his way back to the Light. Might. Might not. So now we prepare for the next generation. Dragon God will hopefully bless one of Eli’s children.”

Auburn rubbed her stomach. “What about Eli’s cousin, Fredrick?”

“Fredrick’s a snake. Don’t know why he bribed Rolland, but I will. Rashalee corrupted that branch of the family tree, so Dracor will let it wither and die.”

Images of snakes flickered through her mind. “What did Fredrick do that makes you think Rashalee corrupted him?”

“I won’t say because I can’t prove it. If I could, I’d oversee Fredrick’s execution myself.”

The hard note in Leopold’s voice made Auburn shiver.

He patted her shoulder. “C’mon. I promised Eli I’d get you to your cabin, and I want to check on that wound and make sure it’s healing. Still amazed Dracor let me channel His power to heal another.”

“I saw you heal yourself.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never been able to use it on anyone else. Some Knights can, but not me.”

Auburn considered that as she followed Leopold back to Eli’s cabin.

* * *

On his way back to his rooms, Eli saw Leopold on deck.

“How is she?” Eli said.

“Sleeping.”

“You checked the wound? Is she going to be all right?”

Leopold nodded. “Doing fine as far as I can tell, but I’d have a High Priestess of Thalia examine her when we get to Tamryn. Amazing what they can do for the sick and injured.”

Eli stood in silence several long moments, his gaze focused on the waves. “Auburn asked me about my family today. I expected her to be curious, but her questions were specific.”

“Think she had another vision?”

“Yes, and it scared her.”

Leopold took a long, slow breath. “I’m betting it was about Fredrick.”

“Someone in Tamryn wants me dead and has the means and motive to act on it.”

The Knight let his hand drift to his sword hilt.

Eli glanced up at the bright moon. “He killed his mother and sold mine out to the assassins.”

“I can’t prove anything or he’d have hung. Still, you’re gonna wanna warn Auburn. And you’re gonna wanna see her well-guarded.”

Eli nodded. “We’ll stay in Aerius long enough for the king to meet her and bless our marriage. Then we’ll head out to my lands. It’ll be a lot harder for Fredrick to get to her there.”

Leopold paused a moment. “Marrying her, are you?”

“Clearly.”

“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for. Did she agree?”

Eli paused. Auburn had said she loved him even when she thought she was dying. When she had been dying.

“Don’t forget to ask her. Give her a fancy ring to match that necklace.” Leopold nodded to Eli and left the prince with his thoughts.