The Witch and the Dragon - Beta

Chapter Nineteen

Instantly Alannah felt as though a weight had lifted off her shoulders. She patted down her hair – the flight hadn't done her any favours, there – and sighed. "Are you two all right?"

Rose nodded wordlessly and William helped her sit down. "We're fine," he replied. "The Fae mostly ignored us, but they let us see each other." He knelt by Rose's side and said something to her Alannah couldn't hear.

"Right," she said, slowly. "William, can I have a word with you?" She gestured to a corner of the clearing. "Over here?"

William detached himself from the princess and met her at there, out of earshot of the others. Of Rose, at least; by the look Dameon gave her, he could probably hear them anyway.

She faced William, who jutted out his chin as though he already knew what she was going to say. "You can't do this," she said, bluntly and he stiffened.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Damn stubborn git. "That girl is a princess," Alannah hissed. "Not only that, she's betrothed to our king. Which means that if she doesn't marry him, our home - our village - will go to war."

"And?" he asked. "What does that have to do with me?"

"William, I know you're not this stupid," she said. "You can't fall in love with her."

"I am not in love with her," William replied. Twin spots of colour burned on his cheeks.

"Yes, you are. And if it were anyone else, I'd be happy for you. I really would." She gripped his hands tightly between her own. "But this girl is not free. No matter what you or she feel, she doesn't have the right to make her own choices. And you're about to become a Knight of the Realm. Neither do you."

William dropped his head, deflating. He squeezed her hands tightly. "But, I..."

"I know," she replied, sympathetically. William had shown feelings for a few women in the past, but they'd all been like Alannah; older, confident, independent. None of them had ever returned his feelings. But Rose was completely different. In another world, they'd be perfect for each other. "Are you going to be all right?"

William stood up straight and set his jaw, looking more like a knight than ever. "We need to get Rose to the capital."

Alannah let go of his hands and stepped back. "I think I can find the way. It's not far, now." She turned back to the others. Dameon knelt by Rose, apparently comforting her, but he was glaring at Alannah. She blinked. What is it?

He turned his head and didn't reply.

"What now?" Rose asked, not giving her a chance to dwell on whatever that meant.

"We keep going to the capitol," said William decisively. "Where we'll deliver the princess to the king."

Rose looked at him sharply. Whatever she saw in his tight, closed-off expression made her look away. "The Beltane festival is in two days," she whispered. "If I haven't arrived by then, he'll know something's wrong. And I have no doubt that his councillors will persuade him into starting a war with my father."

That didn't leave them much time. Alannah unwrapped her thread. As she did so, she looked at Dameon, but he still wasn't meeting her eyes. Why? What had she done?

Goddess, she was turning into William. Alannah shook it off. She cast the thread and watched it float to the ground. It pointed west, but halfway down it jerked towards Dameon. Hastily, Alannah gathered it up. "It's that way," she said, pointing.

"Then let's go," said William. "The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can arrive." He helped Rose stand, gentle but without quite looking at her face.