40

I’d thought his jewelry was excessive, but this was beyond my wildest imagination. The cavern was piled in gold, gems, and treasure: trunks of coins, golden statues, furniture, weaponry, and armor. Everywhere I turned, something gleaming caught my attention. Here a fine crown, there a full-size statute of a dragon with its wings spread, and nearby were unfamiliar-looking heavy coins, piled so high they nearly touched the stalactites hanging from the roof of the cavern. Some of it looked brand new, other piles looked ancient, covered in cobwebs and dust.

He was a dragon, and this was his hoard.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked. “And it all belongs to me.”

“Why am I here?” I asked. “Aren’t I to be your wife?”

“Come,” he said. “This way.”

I didn’t move. I felt pinned to the spot, frozen, and unsure my legs would carry me if I tried to walk. But there was nowhere I could go. There was only the cavern, and the empty air outside its mouth.

Draunar rolled his eyes, then padded back over. He wrapped his arm around my waist the same way it had been in the study, steadying me as he guided me into the cavern.

“You see,” he said, “I understand that in Frasia, the queen leads alongside the king. Or at least, that is how your Bloody King prefers to do things.”

Don’t call him that, I thought viciously.

“But, my rule in Shianga is a bit different,” he said. “Other Kings of Shianga have had their preferences, but I don’t find it necessary to have a queen at my side to lead.”

“What?” I balked. “I thought—with the treaty, I thought this was to be symbolic—”

“Symbolic of what?” Draunar asked. “Frasia’s ability to roll over?” He laughed heartily, and the sound echoed through the cavern.

My blood ran cold. I thought I’d be living in the Shiangan palace, alongside Draunar, making my place in his court. I hadn’t exactly been looking forward to that, but it would’ve been a life. An acceptable life. But from what he was suggesting…

“You see,” Draunar said, “you were given to me as a tribute. Not as a leader.”

He paused, then turned and trailed two fingers down my cheek. My skin still felt tight from the wind outside, and tear-stained, too.

“Worry not, wise wolf,” he said with a cruel smile. “You’ve made the right decision. You’ve saved your country. And in time you’ll know nothing but me—and it will be more pleasurable than any life you’ve ever known.”

I swallowed hard and tried to pull my face away from his touch, but he only gripped my waist harder.

I thought I was a pawn before, but this was—this was something else entirely. I wasn’t a woman at all to him. I was just another pile of gold for him to stash away.

“This way.” He released my waist and strode further into the cavern. It seemed endless, winding deeper and deeper into the mountain.

I paused, swaying unsteadily on my feet. I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of gold in this cave, gleaming and sparkling in the dim light. How had he even gotten it all in here? Was it all him, or was this hoarded by the dragons that had come before? What was the purpose of it all? Did he use it for anything, or just keep it here in this secret cave?

I stepped closer to an immense, detailed statue of a ship, one made entirely of gold. It was taller than me, with elegant, delicate masts and thin sails frozen in pursuit of an unknown wind. I traced my forefinger over the edge of the ship’s railing, and when I withdrew it, the pad of my finger was coated in dust and dirt. Most of the treasure hadn’t been touched in what seemed like years.

The further Draunar walked, the more alone I felt in the hoard. Even with the singular path that led from the cavern straight back into the depths of the mountain, I felt like it would not be hard to get lost moving through it. There were weapons scattered around throughout the piles of gold as well. That spoke to Draunar’s confidence—or his lack of confidence in me. He clearly didn’t consider me a threat at all, if he was fine with leaving all these weapons around within reach. I knelt down and quickly picked up a small knife. It was a flat silver blade with a golden hilt encrusted with rubies. I tucked it into the pocket of my gown, then strode after Draunar.

Finally, after a walk that felt like a mile, the cave widened.

Behind the piles of treasure was a vast space with a smoothed floor, and columns carved directly from the mountain itself. An immense rough-hewn table dominated the area, and at the far end Draunar was seated in an ornate wooden chair with massive dishes of food in front of him. There was wine, cured meats, cheeses, breads, fruits, and chocolates. Where had they come from? I glanced around looking for servants or other dragons, but the room was empty of other occupants. Just Draunar, alone, smacking his lips as tore a piece of jerky with his gleaming canines.

“Sit,” he said. “Eat.”

I sat at the other end of the table, so the entire length of the table was between us. There were plenty of dishes on my side as well, and a carafe of dark wine. I poured the wine, but the food made my stomach turn. I’d eaten a little at the ball, but the dim stuffy silence of the cavern was doing nothing for my appetite.

I folded my hands in my lap and watched him methodically work through the platters of food, putting away more meat than I’d thought a man of his size ever could. I supposed he had the diet of a full-sized dragon, even in a human body. He was in no hurry, though, taking his time as he surveyed the meal judgmentally. It wasn’t until he’d eaten his fill that his gaze finally flickered up to me. “You’re not eating.”

“I ate at the ball,” I said crisply.