the dRaGoN one

The Northern Mountains

 I wake up and Rykor is on the floor. "Baby," I mumble, angry with him after last nights events. After I had come back from my interaction with Harum, I'd seen him up and facing me, more so confronting me.

"Have a nice evening stroll?" He had asked.

"Were you watching me?" I skipped the pleasantries.

"I thought maybe you were taken. But it was okay, you were only out of your mind." He raised his voice, "Why didn't you tell me you were contemplating going home? You know you're not doing us any favours, right?"

"Rykor, I didn't—."

"No, you listen to me." He had stood up threateningly, an angry scowl on his face, which was creepily contoured in the dark by his glowing gold eyes. He was clearly pissed, and I didn't know why. "You can leave, and we'll survive. We have the means. This whole wedding thing is for your puny kingdom to live up to its former glory, but we can survive without it. I can easily find a different wife; there's practically a line up."

"Rykor," I interrupted him, "you clearly heard Harum and I speaking?"

He nodded, fuming.

"Did you hear the part when I said that there is no place that I would rather be? That I am," I coughed uncomfortably, "indebted to you and the political kindness you have shown for all those I've ever cared for?"

He looked a bit surprised. He calmed down a bit and he said in a hurt tone, as though I had been the one yelling at him for being a traitor. "I followed you out, thinking you were going to abandon us. Then I saw him." He hissed the word. "And you with him. This isn't easy for me, because as you know very clearly I don't love you any more than you love me, but you need to choose. It's your kingdom or the boy. And I deserve for you to make that choice."

"I have made that choice, I promis—."

"When I found out I was to marry you," he said softly. "I swore to myself that, no matter how tempted I was, or however opportunity presented itself, I would be loyal. Even if we never have any sort of affection, I can't be disloyal. That's who I am. You need to decide if that's who you are. That's what I'm asking you to choose."

I flash back to the present and kick Rykor in the side. "Go wake up Anna and Reden," I say. I'm gonna get dressed. He moans and pushes himself up and off the floor, avoiding eye contact if at all possible. "K."

He pulls on his shirt and slams the door behind him. I roll my eyes, knowing that even though he has a reason to be mad he's acting like a freaking kid. I barely have my clothes on when he opens the door, white as a sheet. "Get over here, now.

Without questioning him I hop off the bed and run out of the room, across the hall to Anna and Reden's door, which is wide open. I look in and they're gone. "Where are they?" I ask.

"How should I know??" He asks angrily. "Cmon, think. Did she say anything about getting up early? Is she getting breakfast for us?? Should we not be freaking out?"

"Calm down," i say, "we'll figure this out. Let's go downstairs and see if their horses are still there."

So we go downstairs, pay for the night, and head outside. Reden and Anna's horses are still there. Harum is also there, waiting for us. Since Rykor already knew he had followed us here, there was no need to act surprised, and I didn't make eye contact. Rykor was, for some reason, angry about Harum's presence, and Harum had no reason to be fond of his future king. No words were spoken, except for Rykors cold explanation "they're missing. We're going to find them."