Chapter 16
Keira sat on a stool in the kitchen, shelling peas, as Mary stirred a pot over the fire. The task was mindless, and her thoughts wandered to her meeting that morning with Aaron, lingering on his warm embrace and passionate kisses. She didn’t notice when Anna walked into the room.
“You were gone early this morning,” she teased. “I hope you enjoyed your walk.” A faint blush stained Keira’s cheeks but she just smiled as she remembered how Aaron had walked with her to the edge of the forest before leaving her with a kiss.
“I’ll come around later this morning, suitably dressed,” he’d said, glancing down at his loose clothing.
“I don’t mind you dressed like this,” she murmured, “but we don’t want to give my mother further reason to hate you.”
Keira had told Aaron how her great-grandfather had died, killed by Aaron’s own father, the dragon. He listened in silence, staring off into the distance as she related her mother’s words.
“I’m so sorry, Keira,” he finally said. “I’ve only ever considered the hurt my family suffered that day, without pausing to consider that others suffered just as much as we did.”
“It’s not your fault, Aaron,” Keira responded, but Aaron was already shaking his head.
“It may not have been my fault,” he said, “but I blamed the humans of the village for what happened, and hated all humanity because of it.” He turned to look at her. “I have to take responsibility for that,” he said. “I refused to see it wasn’t only my parents that suffered that day, but the humans as well, and for that I am so sorry.” He lifted his hand to her face and traced his finger down her cheek. “The healing starts with us, my sweet. Your mother may never understand that she need not fear this dragon, and that there will always be humans who will cause pain; but between this dragon and this human, we will start afresh.”
Keira replaced the full bowl of peas with an empty one. What was taking Aaron so long, she wondered? The thought of her mother’s reaction to the news of their betrothal was far more terrifying than any dragon, and she longed to get it over with.
It was already late morning when she saw Aaron through the open door, striding towards their house. She left the bowl on the ground and hurried down the path to greet him. He smiled when he saw her, offering a courtly bow in greeting.
She dropped a shallow curtsey. “Milord,” she said, “please come inside.”
“Wait!” He grabbed her hand, pulling her to a halt. “There’s a reason I’m arriving so late. When I left you this morning, I went into town in the hopes that an item I ordered was ready for delivery. I placed the order a week ago, from a dragon goldsmith, when you first agreed to marry me.”
He reached into the purse that hung at his side and pulled out a ring, a crimson ruby glittering in a dainty setting of gold. Keira stared at it for a moment before looking up at Aaron.
“You can’t possibly mean me to have that,” she whispered.
“Why not?” he asked in surprise.
“It must cost a whole year’s wages! I’ve never even seen something of such value, never mind worn something like that.”
“Keira, this ring is yours, to be worn on your hand as a reminder of the love I have for you. There is nothing in this world that would match the value you have for me. Compared to you, this is a mere trinket.” As he spoke, Aaron pulled her hand into his own, and slid the ring onto her finger. Keira twisted her hand, letting the sunlight catch the gem, then looked at Aaron.
“I have nothing to give you,” she said.
“You’ve given me your love. I need nothing else. Now come, let’s go face your mother.” He lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed her fingers, then gestured for her to lead the way.
A short while later, Aaron sat on the bench in the parlor, while Keira’s parents sat across from him on hard-backed chairs. Keira stood outside the room, her back pressed against the passage wall as she listened in.
“Master Carver,” he said, “Madam, I’m sure you have guessed my reason for coming to see you today.”
Aaron paused, waiting for them to respond, but when they didn’t, he continued.
“I intend to wed your daughter, Master Carver.”
Keira peeked around the door to see her mother stiffen at Aaron’s words.
“I am fully aware of the animosity you bear towards me, Madam,” he went on, “but let me assure you that that will not deter me in my goal of having your daughter as my wife. I love her, and will see to it that she has all the comforts money can buy. For her sake, I’ll also ensure that her family is well looked after.”
Keira’s mother stared at Aaron for a moment in silence, then turned her attention towards the doorway. “Keira!” she called, her voice sharp.
Keira smoothed down her skirts nervously and stepped into the room. She glanced at Aaron before turning her attention to her parents.
“Yes, Mother,” she said.
“This man,” said her mother, nodding towards Aaron, “says he intends to marry you. What say you to this?”
Keira glanced at Aaron again and his warm smile lent her strength.
“I say that I would be happy to marry him, Mother. I love him.”
Keira could see the astonishment skip across her mother’s face, but it was her father who spoke next.
“Well, then, it’s all settled,” he said as Mother gaped in shock. “We’ll post the announcement of your wedding. Have you named the date?”
“Two weeks from today,” was Aaron’s immediate reply.
“Very well,” Father said. “I’ll leave you to make arrangements with the priest. We’ll provide the wedding fare, and let the village musicians know to ready their instruments.”
At this, Keira’s father stood, signaling the end of the visit. He held his hand out to Aaron, who quickly stood and shook the extended hard warmly.
“Thank you, Master Carver. Madam.” Aaron nodded at Keira’s mother, still sitting on her stool, as she stared dazedly back at him. Keira followed Aaron to the door as he laced his fingers in hers.
“That wasn’t so bad,” he whispered. “Your father is definitely starting to grow on me.” He bent down and grazed her lips with a kiss before turning away with a grin.
As Keira re-entered the house, she watched from the entryway as her mother rounded on her husband in the parlor. “How could you allow this?”
“Jenny, did you not see how they looked at each other?” he said. “It’s clear that Aaron Drake loves our daughter, and that she returns his love. If we prevent this marriage, the best outcome we can hope for is that our daughter stays at home until we force her into an unhappy union, and then spends the rest of her life hating us.” He grabbed his wife by the shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. “The more likely outcome will be that she runs off with him, and we never see her again. I suggest that you give in with good grace, rather than pushing her even further away.” He dropped his hands and took a step back, and Mother’s shoulders slumped.
“I suppose you’re right,” she said.
Keira quietly slipped back out of the house as she reflected on what Father had said. He’d never been a man of many words, but when he did say something, it was usually with great insight. She only hoped Mother would give heed to his wisdom.
That evening Mother sat down opposite Keira as she sewed in the candlelight, her partly finished wedding gown spread over her lap.
“There is still much for you to finish if you are to be ready by your wedding day,” Mother told her. “Why don’t I sew the sleeves while you work on the hem?”
Keira glanced at her mother in surprise before handing over the unfinished sleeves. Father, writing his daily accounts at a small desk in the corner, looked up with a smile, before returning his attention to the pages before him.
The next morning was market day, and Keira took up her place at the table in her own private world of happiness. Anna had joined her at
first, helping her arrange the pieces, but had disappeared with Sarah Draper more than an hour before, and had not returned. Mother slipped behind the table.
“Go have your dinner, daughter,” she said. Keira nodded and made her way through the throngs of shoppers shoving their way through the narrow spaces of the market.
“Good morning,” she heard a voice say in her ear. She shivered slightly as she turned to look into Aaron’s golden eyes.
“Good morning,” she said. He held out his arm for her, and she slipped her hand into the crook. His skin was warm, and she leaned closer to him as they walked.
“Are you going for your morning repast?” he asked.
“I am. Have you eaten?”
He leaned a little closer. “I have. I hunted early this morning, before the sun had even risen.” She glanced at him, and saw his eyes were burning brighter than usual. “I want to make sure I have all the strength I need to satisfy my beautiful bride.”
She stared at him, not sure if she should be amused or affronted, but when he pulled her into an alley and dropped his lips to hers, all thought fled from her mind as she wrapped her arms around him. He pulled away a moment later with a look of regret.
“Soon I can hold you in my arms the whole day if I choose, and kiss you until you can no longer stand, but I have to control myself a little longer.” He pulled her hand back into his arm. “Come, my sweet, I’ll walk you home.”
They walked along the lane and past the church, in the direction of the Carvers’ home, until they reached the fork in the road. “Goodbye,” Aaron said. He touched her face with his fingers, lingering a moment on her lips, then kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you soon.”
Keira turned towards the house, pausing once to turn and smile at Aaron, before hurrying to the door. It had been left open to allow the bright, summer sunshine in, and as she approached, she heard the sound of voices.
“You’ve betrayed me, Richard!” It was the reeve, his voice raised in anger. “After all the years we’ve known each other, how could you do this?”
“It has nothing to do with you, Matthew.” Father’s voice was calm. “This is a private, family matter.”
“Of course it concerns me! Your daughter and Edmund have been intended for each other since they were both in the cradle.”
“You know as well as I do that there’s nothing more to it than the wishful thinking of two women.”
“You’ve spoilt your daughter, Richard, letting her believe she can marry whom she chooses, and do as she wishes.”
“You would have been much sterner, I know,” Father said. His voice was mild, but Keira heard an undercurrent of anger. “You’d expect her to obey unquestioningly, as you did your wife. However, I believe that both my daughters are quite capable of making their own choices, and living with the consequences, whatever they may be.”
“Well, the consequences of this union will be disastrous, mark my words! Aaron Drake is a dangerous man. He’s already stirred up trouble in the village, and tried to make my son look like a fool. What troubles me even more, however, is his connection with the dragon.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” Father said.
“When did the dragon return to these mountains, Richard? Nine months ago? And not long afterward, Aaron Drake moves into Storbrook. Whenever there’s a dragon in the mountain, there’s a Drake at Storbrook.”
There was a moment of silence. “You know I’m right, Richard!” Keira heard a note of triumph in the reeve’s voice, and her heart sank.
“Perhaps there is some connection,” Father said, his voice contemplative, “but what of it? The dragon has made no threat.”
“Not yet! But it will. And Drake will be behind it. We need to get rid of him. And you must lead the charge by refusing your daughter’s hand.”
Another long silence filled the air, and Keira could imagine her father pacing the room as he considered the reeve’s words.
“Well, here’s the thing,” he finally said, “I’ve already given my consent, and I’m not a man to go back on my word.”
“That’s preposterous,” the reeve shouted. “Your actions could put the whole village at risk.”
“I don’t believe so,” Father said. “Everything I’ve seen of Aaron Drake so far makes me believe he’s a good man. Besides,” he added with a note of humor, “if I deny him Keira’s hand now, perhaps he’ll set the dragon on us!”
“You’re making a big mistake, Richard Carver,” snarled the reeve. “There are few in the village who take your side, and the day will come when we rise up against this threat and ensure it is eliminated once and for all!”
His footsteps grew suddenly louder, and Keira ran down the side of the house and around the corner. She peeked around to see him storm from the door, Father a step behind. He stood at the doorway and watched as the reeve strode away, hitting his reeve stick against his thigh as he walked. The reeve reached the lane, and Father glanced at where Keira was hiding.
“You can come out now,” he called.
Keira rounded the corner with a blush. “You knew I was there.”
“I saw you through the window. You heard all of that, I suppose?”
“Yes,” she said, and he nodded.
“The reeve’s right, you know,” he said, “there is something between Drake and the dragon. But I do not agree that we are in danger from either.”
“Why not?” she asked.
He glanced at her, then looked up at the mountains. “Like you, I’ve watched the dragon. It’s not like other animals; it comes to the village because it’s curious. And we cannot overlook the fact that the creature has compensated for the loss of any animals it’s taken. In fact, I believe the dragon has superior intellect and wit.”
“And Aaron?”
“I don’t understand the nature of the relationship between him and the dragon, but I’m not concerned. Curious, but not concerned.”
“So when you said you could not rescind your word?”
“That’s true, of course, but I have no qualms about giving you to Aaron. I believe he’ll make a good husband. Better than most, in fact.”
“Edmund?”
Father gave a wry smile. “Your mother’s always had a soft spot for that boy. If his mother had lived, he may have turned out differently. But maybe not. She’d lost the will to live by then, unable to stand up to Matthew. Of course, she never spoke of such things, not even to your mother, but I could see the defeat in her shoulders whenever she came around. I would not wish that for you.”
“But why don’t others see it?”
“Reeve Hobbes and his son are skilled at hiding behind a show of friendliness and benevolence. But Matthew and I are of an age, and when we were young, we were good friends. It was only later that I saw glimpses of the true man. Even then, it wasn’t until Mary died that I fully understood how much cruelty was hidden beneath his pleasant exterior.”
“Edmund’s already hurt me,” Keira said. “He may try to hurt Anna as well.”
Father nodded slowly. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better, Keira. But I think your fears for Anna are unfounded. It was you that Edmund was promised to. You are the prize that has now been snatched away. But Aaron will keep you safe.”
“I know, Father.”
“Your mother’s probably wondering where you’ve got to,” Father said. “Eat your dinner and get back to the stall. There ae some pieces there that Master Drake may be interested in buying.”
“You can’t sell to your family,” Keira protested.
Father laughed. “He’s not family yet, daughter!” He grinned and turned to the house, as Keira smiled in amusement.
Keira considered telling Aaron what she’d overheard, but finally decided against it, knowing he would laugh off her concerns about the reeve. Instead, she focused her attention on completing her wedding gown and helping her mother finalize the arrangements for the food.
She was working late one
night, plying a needle through the hem of her gown, as mother sat poring over the list she’d been preparing. She might not be in favor of the wedding, but Mother was certainly not going to have the villagers say that she provided poor fare. A dozen geese were being fattened, and Keira’s father was expected to gather a party to hunt for wild boar in the woods. The light from the candles flickered around the room, casting moving shadows across the walls. Keira looked up to see Mother staring at her finger intently, and she glanced down to see the ruby sparkling in the light.
“That’s a pretty trinket you have there,” Mother said. “Aaron Drake has good taste, I see.” She leaned closer. “Let me have a proper look, daughter,” she said. Keira extended her hand, and Mother caught her fingers between her own, examining the ring. She dropped her hand a moment later. “Hmph,” she said as she leaned back. “At least we know he’s wealthy, if not worthy.” Keira bit off her sharp retort, recognizing that her mother was making a concession, however slight.
Keira continued to manage the market stall as the wedding day grew closer. She saw little of Aaron, but when she did, she could not help stopping what she was doing to stare at him. Soon he would be hers! He always seemed to know where she was, even if his back was to her, and he’d turn and capture her gaze with his own, and quickly hasten to her side to exchange a few words. In church on Sundays, she would feel his gaze on her, and would struggle to listen to the sermon, even forgetting the words of hymns she’d sung since childhood. The priest would frown in her direction, aware of her inattention, and she’d blush, and for a few minutes would pay closer attention to his words, but it soon wandered. If anyone had asked her afterwards which passage of Scripture he’d read, she would have been hard-pressed to give an answer.
The dragon still flew over the village every day, but sometimes, when she was in the fields collecting berries and fruit, he would swoop down low, whipping up the grass at her feet and making the branches sway. Once he’d wrapped his claws around her, carrying her away as she squealed and yelled, until he’d landed in a meadow. He’d changed a moment later, then caught her in his arms, kissing her soundly.
“I couldn’t let another day pass without feeling you in my arms and your lips beneath mine,” he said huskily. “If the wedding wasn’t a few days away, I’d take you away now and never bring you back.”
He kissed her again, and when he tried to pull away, she’d held him close until he finally groaned in defeat and wrapped his arms more tightly. He’d flown her part of the way back in his arms, until finally changing form and returning her to the field where she’d been working. Anna had come looking for her, and had raised her eyebrows at the sight of Keira riding on the dragon’s back, but said nothing.
Keira had not seen Edmund since the evening at the town hall, but a few days before the wedding, as she walked home from the market, she saw him leaning against the wall of the village inn. His eyes were bloodshot, and his lips curled in contempt when he saw her.
“You think you’ve outsmarted me,” he snarled. He pushed himself away from the wall and stalked towards her. “But mark my words, Aaron Drake has stolen something that does not belong to him, and the time of recompense will come.”
Keira’s hands suddenly felt clammy, but she lifted her chin. “You might try to hurt Aaron, but believe me when I say you’d be foolish to try. If you value your life, then leave us in peace.”
Edmund smiled and lifted his finger to her cheek. She jerked backwards, but his hand curled around her neck, keeping her trapped, and he pulled her closer.
“Never,” he snarled, before he pulled her mouth to his and kissed her hard. She fought against him, then stumbled when he released her suddenly. “You’re nothing, really,” he said with a sneer, “but you’re mine, and you will pay.”