June 16 - Sunrise Ridge Mating Event - Pharon Gets Refused

Kane pushed himself up from the floor. Dried blood cracked off from his left side feeling like cobwebs across his skin.

He laughed to himself as he sat back against the side of the four-post bed. He'd almost made it to the bed. If he had, his body might not hurt so much now.

Laughing made his head pound. Kane let out a breath and took a stock of the situation.

They were dead, his cousin, his uncle, and his Father. They were dead by his hand. He was the next in line for the dukedom since his uncle had no children other than Rhana.

What would Kylara say? What would I think of him now?

Kane's mouth tightened and his right hand fisted on his leg. He had no choice. I would have become Rhana's mate because of the contract.

The contract! With the laws of Viceria, Kane had succeeded to everything that belonged to his cousin, his Father, and the Duke.

His mother and aunt were excluded from this as they were his family already. Kane was obligated to care for them, which he would do of course. However, the Mating Agreement for Rhana and Kylara was different. Kane could choose to uphold it or cancel it now.

He knew Kylara would want it cancelled, but he knew he'd never do that. He would simply ask Mr. Goldleaf to keep the contract a secret until I was ready.

Kane stood. He would speak to Mr. Goldleaf now. He knew that time was important.

Heading down the stairs, Kane went to the remains of his family and took the three signet rings for the three familial states from them. He slid the Ducal Signet on his finger and pocketed the other two. Then he left.

***

Kane watched Mr. Goldleaf with sharp eyes.

"Dead?" Mr. Goldleaf repeated. His face had turned aIn.

"Yes, both them and my Father. As the next head of the family, it is up to me whetmy to keep what was promised to Rana, or to release myself from the contract."

Mr. Goldleaf licked his lips nervously, "Of course, we'd only be too happy to have you uphold the contract, your Grace."

King smiled coldly, "Good. I will be requiring something else as well."

Mr. Goldleaf swallowed hard. "yes?" He asked

"Your silence. I will claim Kylara when I choose to. Until I do, you will tell no one, including my, of this contract." Kane said

Mr. Goldleaf smiled uneasily, "That is fine. You can count on my silence, your Grace. I hope you will remember us with favor when everything is finiId."

Kane nodded noncommittally and stood, "I will be back for the contract tomorrow." he said. Then he turned and left.

***

Pharon shrank under the weight of his Father's displeased gaze.

"Am I to congratulate you yet, my son?" The King asked.

Pharon flinched, "Not yet, Father. I haven't been able to find Kane Essenvir."

The King lifted an eyebrow, "He was just here." Pharon blinked. "He came to inform me that he killed the Duke and all the males in the line of succession until himself."

"Kane Essenvir killed Rhana Essenvir?" Pharon asked stupefied.

"Yes, and it is strange. If Kane Essenvir was that strong, his uncle should have named him the heir to spare his son's life. It will be much more difficult to kill a Duke than a Marquis' heir." The King said with a severe frown."

"I'd say you should have spoken to him sooner, but I guess you couldn't find him because he was off killing his family." The King sighed heavily. "Well now, I suppose you need to adjust the number of participants at the mating season. You'll have to bring in one of the male friends."

Pharon nodded, "Yes, of course, Father. I will do it right away."

"Actually, I need you to first go to the infirmary and have some blood drawn. Then you can fix the participants." The King said.

"Yes, Father." Pharon said wondering why he needed his blood drawn. Then, he strode briskly from the room.

***

Later that evening, I was riding down the path through the woods as I fought boredom. Today's Mating Even was a sunset viewing from the top of Sunrise Ridge.

I kept yawning periodically as I listened to the chatter of the other participants. Prince Pharon rode on my left. He had made no effort to talk to me which I appreciated.

Another five minutes passed, and I couldn't take the tediousness anymore.

"Does this path lead directly to the ridge?" I asked with a look at Prince Pharon.

He turned to me in surprise, "Yes, there is a turn off for it in five more miles." He said.

I smiled at him, "Great!" I moved my horse out of line and had him walk into the trees.

I could hear Prince Pharon's voice following me. Once I was off the path, I had my hosrse trot quickly passed the line of the participants.

After I'd gone by the guards at the front of the line, I regained the path. Then I took off.

Hearing Prince Pharon trying to ride after me, I turned and laughed at him. I heard Prince Blaize yell something but ignored him as my horse's hooves ate the ground under him.

"What are you doing?" Prince Pharon asked in a mystified voice from my right. I glanced up at him.

"Oh it's you." I said before returning my attention back to the stream. He watched me for a few moments.

"Did you lose your ring or something?" He asked.

"No," I said glancing up. My eyes landed on his belt. "Can I see you knife?" I asked suddenly.

Prince Pharon frowned but pulled it out. I took it as he offered it. Then Prince Pharon grimaced as I began using it to dig at the rocky bottom. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw him wince as it caught on something.

After a few minutes of digging, I finally wedged it under something and began working it up and down. At last the stone I was prying up came loose. I rubbed the blade of the knife in the water cleaning it off. I used a small amount of magic to put an edge back on the blade.

Wordlessly, I passed him back his now wet knife. Prince Pharon took it and his frown deepened. The blade was unmarred, without chips or even scratches.

I picked up the stone I had worked free from the bottom and began washing it in the water. Finally, I closed my hand around it and used Crush Level 1. When I opened my hand dirt and gravel washed away down the stream. I picked up two chunks of crystal from my hand and put them in my pocket. Then I dumped the rest of the dirt into the stream and rinsed both my hands.

I straightened and stepped from the stream. Prince Pharon stared at my dress as the water that appeared to have been soaking it ran from it back onto the ground, leaving it completely dry.

"What were you doing?" He asked. I frowned at him then sighed.

I put my hand into my pocket and pulled out two clear glassy crystals about half the size of his pinky finger.

"Since you let me borrow your knife, you may have one." I said.

Prince Pharon picked one of the crystals up and gazed at the sunlight streaming through it. I returned the other to my pocket.

"What is this?" Prince Pharon asked in confusion.

"It is a diamond, of course." I said as I began to walk back up the bank. Prince Pharon looked at me in surprise.

"You just found two diamonds in an ordinary stream?" He asked in disbelief.

"Well where else should I find them?" My tone was irritated.

"I don't know, in a mine. Are there anymore? Should we dig for them here do you think?" Prince Pharon asked quickly. I shook my head.

"There aren't anymore. These were deposited here by a glacier during the last ice age." I said.

"How did you know they were there?" Prince Pharon fell into step beside me.

"I heard them. They sing to me. Don't ask me how. I don't know." I said before I fell silent. Prince Pharon sighed as he heard the finality in my voice. They walked in silence for a few more minutes.

"Miss Adamare," He began, again remembering his wager with the Archivist. "I would like to accept your Father's offer and claim you as my mate." Prince Pharon was watching me with sharp eyes so he caught the grimace I made at his words. "Would that please you?" He asked. "If you don't want me to talk to your Father, we can do it now and tell everyone when we're ready."

"No." I said firmly.

"What?" Prince Pharon asked even more shocked.

"No, I have no desire to be your mate, your Highness." I said.

"But I'm a prince." Prince Pharon said in disbelief. He caught he arm and pulled me around to look at him.

"I don't care what position you were born into. I care about what a person has done with their life. You have done nothing worth respecting." I said meeting his gaze directly.

"I am respectable." Prince Pharon protested. "I am a good swordsman and I have had a good education." I smiled politely at him.

"You were required to learn both because of your birth and with access to the finest tutors, you would have had to be a simpleton not to know some things or be good with a sword. Anyone who had had your opportunities would be able to say the same." I said dismissively. "Neither feat is anything out of the ordinary or surprising in the least and neither entitles you to more respect than that of your position. Do you have any other abilities or achievements I should be aware of?" Prince Pharon stared at me.

"Both of those are worthwhile achievements." He protested. I kept up my polite smile.

"In a commoner they would be but because of your birth they are expected." I said. "I value hard work and hard-won achievements. You have both magic and an excellent physique because you are a dragon. You have had access to the best tutors and a massive library all your life and yet you are neither one of the finest swordsmen in the land nor one of the best mages."

"You are not even a scholar. Since you have had more opportunities to do anything with yourself than most people could even dream of, one could consider you to have wasted your life because you have not taken advantage of them. I do not find that to be a very respectable or desirable achievement for my mate to have." Prince Pharon stared at me in disbelief. "So, for niceties sake I will just say that you are not my type." I finished.

"You are actually refusing me?" Prince Pharon demanded angrily. "This is most likely the best and only offer you will receive all summer."

"That is incorrect. Yours is the third offer that I have received since the season began." Prince Pharon stared at me.

"Who would want you?" He sneered.

"Thomas wrote last week asking me to be his mate again. If I had any desire for a mate, I'd choose Thomas, but I don't so I told him no." I said mildly. "And you startled Kane and I."

"You'd pick a commoner over me?" Prince Pharon asked fighting hard not to yell at me. I shrugged.

"He is a year away from gaining his mastery at only twenty-four. His is very wealthy. We are friends and he respects me for my mind and abilities. He has worked very hard for all he has achieved in his life, so I respect him too. There are worse things than being mated to a friend and having a relationship built on mutual respect." I said. Then I looked behind my back up the stream. "We really should be returning to the others now, unless you feel like a ride, your Highness?"

Prince Pharon stared at me for a long moment, anger turning his face terrible. I met his eyes evenly, calmly, and expectantly as I waited for him to release my arm. With a snarl he did. I turned and began walking back to my horse.

Prince Pharon swiftly brushed past me and said nothing to me for the rest of the event, which suited me just fine as I used the time to read.