Chapter 51

Gideon

I could not believe the sheer ingratitude Clara displayed.

I had come all this way to save her. I had put up with capture and imprisonment and that pathetic farce of a trial for her sake. I promised to intercede with my father to keep her safe.

And how did that scheming woman repay all my effort? She refused to come back where she belonged.

Not only that, but she threw my debts to her in my face. She demanded I protect the rabble that had taken her and captured me. I had no choice but to agree.

Now I was waiting in a tiny cell for a vampire healer to come and “knock me out” so that I could be returned to the castle like I was a misplaced parcel. It was humiliating. How dare these mongrels treat the First Lycan Prince like some common criminal?

The cell door opened. I saw two large Rogues standing on either side of the opening. A small vampire woman walked in.

“Prince Gideon,” the woman said, “I am Healer Naomi. You know why I’m here.”

I snorted and nodded. I knew what that rabble had decided. She was here to render me unconscious. I wondered idly whether she’d use some cobbled together cocktail of herbs, or if she would have one of the hulking Rogues outside whack me in the head with something heavy. Either way I knew I would be waking with a headache.

“This will be easier on both of us if you don’t fight it,” the vampire healer informed me.

I shrugged and crossed my arms. I had already agreed to cooperate.

The healer didn’t pull out any drugs or call in the guards. She simply rested one hand on my forehead, and stared into my eyes. Before I realized that she was using a vampiric power, the darkness had claimed me.

I woke to cramped muscles and muffled shouts. I was in a tight, dark place. I could barely move.

Light flooded my prison. I glared up into the shocked faces of the guards assigned to the east gate.

“Your highness!” the guard who’d opened the container yelped.

They helped me out of the container, and I saw that I had been stuffed in a barrel. I seethed at the indignity.

“Are you all right, your highness?” a guard asked.

“I am fine,” I growled. “I need to speak with my father.”

The guards bowed and opened the gate for me. I ignored the startled looks as I marched through the royal compound. I was certain stories and jokes about a prince in a barrel would be passed around the guards’ dormitories for weeks.

I found my father in his study. He wasn’t alone. Marcus was pacing from one end of the room to the other.

There had not been a flag on the gate. Which meant that Marcus had been successful in convincing our father to spare Clara. I hated to tell him that his effort had been wasted.

“Where have you been?” the king demanded.

I dropped to one knee in respect.

“Father, I was responding to the attack on the royal compound by our enemy,” I explained. “I have reason to believe the most recent attack was a distraction.”

“A distraction from what?” the king asked.

“The vampires broke into the dungeon, drugged the guards, and took several prisoners with them,” I explained. “I believe the entire attack was planned and carried out in order to rescue their comrades.”

“Hm. Your brother mentioned something about that,” the king said. “He mentioned that half-blooded mistress of his, too. She was taken.”

“She was, yes,” I said.

“And you ran off to find her?” the king asked.

“I did,” I admitted.

“She’s not your mate or mistress, though,” the king said.

At least I had a good answer for that.

“My mistress, Nora, is her friend. She was worried, and asked me to find her and bring her home. I agreed, because Nora has not asked me for many favors at all, and I want to prove I can be a good mate to her.”

My father would surely understand wanting to prove myself to a prospective mate. He liked to talk about all the feats he’d accomplished in order to impress our mother.

“Hm, I see. And where is the half blood, then?” the king asked. “Surely you did not fail to track them?”

“No, I found her,” I admitted. “But she has chosen not to return. She fears for her life,” I explained.

“Well, I did order her execution,” the king admitted. “But your brother has convinced me that he does not want to search for another mate. He wants this one. I have thus decided to spare her life.”

“Thank you, Father,” I said.

“Thank you,” Marcus echoed.

“However, that seems to be a useless decision,” the king said. “Because you left your brother’s fated mate with a rabble of vampires. Do you at least know why they want her?”

I shook my head. “I was not able to learn that,” I admitted.

“Well, we can’t leave her with them,” Marcus insisted. “We have to take a squadron of guards and retrieve her, immediately.”

I shook my head again. “I cannot.”

“Why not?” the king asked. “You found them once, surely you are capable of retracing your steps.”

“Yes,” I said, “but I gave my word that I would not.”

“Why in the Hell would you do that?” Marcus demanded.

I sighed. “I owe Clara a debt, twice over.” Because I was certain that the vampire rabble would have voted to execute me without her intervention. “She demanded that I not lead anyone back to attack the place or its people.”

“And you agreed?” the king asked.

I nodded. “Yes, Father.”

The king sighed. “Well that is unfortunate. We can’t very well have the crown prince going back on his sworn word. But we also cannot ignore a blatant attack on our defenses.”

I winced. I had put Father in a difficult position.

“I doubt they will be so bold again,” Marcus said. “They came for the prisoners. We don’t have any more prisoners. So it’s unlikely another attack will occur.”

“That’s true,” I agreed.

“Very well. From now on, no prisoners will be taken in battle,” the king decreed. “Enemy wounded are to be left for their own side to recover.”

I nodded. “I will pass the order along,” I said.

“You are dismissed,” the king said. He paused for a moment before adding, “I am pleased that you have returned unharmed.”

“Thank you, Father,” I said.

I left to deliver the king’s new decree to the fighters. Marcus followed me. I expected him to be angry because I had left his mate behind, but he was grinning.

“My deaf fated mate convinced a whole vampire rabble to spare your life, huh?” Marcus asked as we walked.

I nodded. “She did.”

“How did she accomplish that?” Marcus asked.

“Well, she had a notebook. She wrote out her argument, and one of the vampires read it to the crowd for her,” I explained.

“That must have been some argument,” Marcus said.

“She was persuasive, yes,” I said.

“You know, I think I should have paid closer attention to her when I had her,” Marcus mused. “I think there’s more to Clara than I thought.”