The Lady Prince Read online

  Kripken was the last of the men, and he possessed the treasure Daene’s family had been murdered for. But Kripken had, no doubt, heard about the deaths of the other two men and their families. Daene knew he would be expected. It would take much cunning to gain an element of surprise. As Daene began to figure out a plan, the figures of four women came into view. He smiled. Perhaps he could add having a little fun to his itinerary.

  Chapter 2

  Lyra decided one more talk with the girls was in order before they went into the town of Evera. She couldn’t blame any of them for protesting the tethers around their wrists that linked one to the other. But it was a necessary evil. Lyra adjusted the fake temporary patch on her vest that declared her a Wife Dealer. She couldn’t just take the girls into town like they were. They needed a guise. This time of the month, Evera was hosting Dealer Conventions. Men came from all over to buy themselves wives. Some of the potential women were obtained legally from family members. Others were stolen. She whistled, indicating the girls should crowd around her.

  “I know all of you aren’t comfortable with the arrangements.” Lyra gestured toward the chains. “I’ve told you before they’re necessary. You girls are going to need proper clothing where you’re going. Not to mention we have to go through this town to get to the port. There’s no other way. If we go into town four single women unattended…Let’s just say the odds of me winning against a town full of men are slim. I’ve used Feznik’s Hostel before, and I pay him well. Just sit in the cells and talk to no one. When I’m done getting supplies, I’ll come and get you. Understand?”

  “Yes, but…” Jaen began.

  “As soon as night falls,” Lyra interrupted gently. Jaen had asked the same question every time they went over the plans.

  “How long until…”

  “A day’s walk from the town,” Lyra finished. While these girls were sweet, they weren’t the smartest group she’d ever helped. She, however, understood their nervousness. This was probably the most dangerous part of the journey.

  “Shall we go?” Seven asked, quirking up a dark eyebrow.

  Lyra smiled. Out of all the girls, for some reason she found herself quite taken with Seven. She reminded Lyra of herself at that age. “Let’s go, and remember, girls, follow me. Don’t look at anyone. Don’t acknowledge anyone but me. If you show the slightest interest by making eye contact, you’ve endangered us all. That man will want to buy you, and we’ll all be discovered. And while Feznik does give me lodging, he will betray me in an instant to negotiate any deal that lines his pockets.” The girls, of course, with large round eyes, nodded and immediately dropped their eyes. Seven looked at her for a moment, seeming to consider her words before she nodded as well and dropped her head.

  “Remember, in public you are expected to wear these tethers at all times. Keep your head down and do not make eye contact with any man. In Evera, things are a little stricter when it comes to the women, so please, ladies, heed my rules.” Lyra wanted as little bloodshed as possible. She couldn’t help killing the two Wife Dealers hired to sell the girls. It had been the only way to liberate the girls and give them a chance at freedom. Their own families had requested them sold as brides. Lyra allowed her thoughts briefly to touch upon her own painful history.

  She knew the dangers of being married to a man. Nateen had been too delicate in nature; she had not stood a chance against their father’s will. She had seen her sister marry, and Nateen married a cruel, arrogant man who ordered her about like a slave. She even witnessed her sister being struck. That was when she had begged her brother Baxton to secretly train her to fight and fend for herself. He had always favored her and granted her wish. Baxton had been her best friend and greatest teacher. She missed him.

  She had gone through the wife training early. A private tutor had been hired to come to the palace. Her father had high expectations of getting a good deal for his daughter. Every girl, once they reached marriageable age, had a crash course on what was expected of them as a wife. It had been a waste of time, for though she learned, she had no intention of ever living in that manner. The price for such independence had been severe. As her thoughts landed on the loving mother she would never see again, she saw the large gates of the town of Evera.

  “Okay, ladies, we are getting close to Evera. Here is where you start acting like a potential bride from here on out.” Ketrine gave Lyra a worried look. Lyra smiled, trying her best to reassure the girl that everything would work out. Ketrine seemed fidgety and extremely agitated. It was a tense situation, and Lyra couldn’t blame her one bit.

  The town of Evera lay ahead. She could have cried from relief. A sudden feeling of doom engulfed her, and she had to fight to keep her feet going in the right direction. She swiftly thought of Daene, and she hoped he wouldn’t give her more trouble. She had more important things to do than teach a handsome man a lesson. Lyra pursed her lips, doubting she had just called him handsome in her mind. She never looked at men. They never attracted her. Why in the world was she thinking of Daene in such a way? Lyra refocused. She had to stay alert.

  She pulled the false papers from the inside of her vest and presented them to the gatekeeper. He looked her over briefly before waving her and the girls through. Lyra made sure that when she rescued reluctant brides-to-be, she rotated which safe houses to take them to. She had to make it difficult to track her, if she indeed was being hunted. Without sparing a glance at the girls, she led them straight to Feznik’s Hostel. It was time to act like professional Wife Dealer. She knew they were scared and nervous, but a Wife Dealer didn’t show emotion to a business asset.

  * * * *

  Feznik looked at her with beady, lustful eyes. Lyra groaned inwardly, knowing what was about to happen. As she gave Feznik his usual pay, he returned two of the coins to her hands. “Perhaps you wish for a deal, Lady Prince?” In one hand, he held a money purse, and his fat hand hovered over it as he waited for the cue to drop more money into her hand. He was hoping she’d accept the money and bed him. Lyra tried not to gag at the thought.

  Lyra picked up the extra money he’d given her and dropped it into his bag, just as she did every time. “I’ve told you Feznik, I don’t do business that way.” She smiled. She didn’t need to make an enemy of Feznik.

  “Maybe next time, eh?” He smiled exposing he was three short of a full set of teeth. Lyra tried not to vomit. He looked like a lizard that had grown up to be a semblance of a man.

  “You never know.” Lyra smiled again with a wink.

  He quickly dropped one of the coins back into her hand. His tongue darted out as he exaggerated the movement, making sure his hands briefly made contact with hers. “Same deal as always, Lady Prince. I’ll give you a night, two at the most.” His tongue darted out again as he stared at her before he took his leave.

  Lyra wondered if his tongue darted out on its own accord. She shivered in disgust. She wouldn’t be staying the night. But he didn’t need to know that. She turned to the girls. “I’ll take you to the viewing cages. You should be fine. I’ll have you girls out of there before the actual viewing takes place.”

  “Viewing cages?” Seven asked, her gray eyes staring intently at Lyra.

  The gut feeling of doom came back and this time she couldn’t shake it so easily. “The rooms you will be in are little more than cells. Fully furnished with all the creature comforts, however, the walls are bars. Prospective grooms come by at viewing times to see if they are interested. If a girl is chosen, they move to step two, parading her naked so the men can see exactly what they are getting. But you girls will be spared that. I will be back before viewing time and you’ll be on a ship to take you to a more hospitable environment for women.”

  “What happens after?” Seven asked.

  “That’s really not—”

  “How are we to know what horror you truly rescued us from, if you don’t tell us?” Seven reasoned.

  Lyra blew out a breath. She’d wanted to spare them from as much uglines
s from the ceremony as possible. “Once chosen, the very next night, the girl is taught by the prospective groom to pleasure her husband orally. When the husband orgasms, the contract is iron clad, and he marries her first thing in the morning.”

  “Oh.” Jaen’s voice was soft, but shock was embedded in that small word.

  “That’s, that’s…” Ketrine searched for a fitting response.

  “That’s what Lyra is saving us from. At the very least one of many atrocities,” Seven supplied.

  It was a disgusting process. Some women dreamed of being wives since they were little girls. But there were those who wanted more from their lives. Right now, Lyra was the only thing those girls had at a chance of surviving. Lyra kept an eye out for the ones who wanted to make their own choices in life. Girls, who wanted for their freedom, obtained it through Lyra. She had risked her life emancipating young women more times than she could count. It had on some occasions limited her own chance at happiness. What was one woman’s happiness compared to so many others?

  She unchained each girl, assigned her to a cell, and locked her in. Lyra planned on returning before the first viewing. She had to obtain clothing for the girls. They couldn’t get on the ship as they were. They were dressed in the familiar costume of a potential bride.

  “You will return, right?” Jaen asked in fear as she took in her surroundings.

  “I promise.” Lyra reached through the bars and gently rubbed her hand in reassurance.

  “I suppose we will all get a new life soon, hmm?” Ketrine said and smiled.

  Lyra felt the cold hand of fate scratching the back of her neck. The feeling that something was going to go wrong began to uncurl in her gut. Lyra took a breath to calm her imagination. “Yes, a new life. Try to relax. I promise I will return.” She cast a reassuring glance to Seven, who smiled back.

  * * * *

  Lyra stashed the clothes just outside of town. Viewing time would be soon. She had allowed more than enough time to retrieve the girls and leave town. She casually made her way back to the viewing cages, where she knew the girls were anxiously awaiting her.

  Lyra pretended to be checking on her investments. She stopped at Ketrine’s cell first. Her heart flip-flopped. Ketrine was unconscious on the floor. Hurriedly, she unlocked the cell and ran to Ketrine, frantically whispering, “Ketrine, wake up!” She pulled the girl forward to get a closer look at her. Before she realized what was happening, Ketrine smashed her forehead into Lyra’s face, causing her eyes to smart and her brain to go fuzzy. Lyra let go of the girl in reflex. Then she saw Ketrine held a purple substance in her hands. She blew it into Lyra’s face. Lyra sputtered as the fine powder invaded her mouth and nostrils.

  “Sleep, Lady Prince. You will now become what you’ve always hated,” Ketrine whispered fiercely at her. Lyra’s eyes became heavy with sleep. “There is a large reward for you, and it will be me who collects it. There is more than one occupation for a lady who wishes her freedom. When you wake up, you’ll have a new life—as a bride!”

  Lyra could barely focus on the face of the young girl. Then her world collapsed into a dreamless sleep.

  * * * *

  Lyra woke up groggy. Her head throbbed painfully. She sat up slowly on the cold floor, her dress arranged neatly about her legs to keep them warm. Her dress? Lyra looked down in horror. She was wearing Ketrine’s dress! Her blade was gone, and the keys were gone. Lyra ran to the cell door and pulled. She was locked in. Ketrine’s words came back to haunt her. Having traded places with Lyra, Ketrine was probably long gone with her papers and money. Lyra was furious.

  “Jaen, Seven!” she called out, trying desperately to see down the row of cells. It was deathly quiet. No, she couldn’t have betrayed them as well! Lyra felt sick. She had promised those girls she would help them. Now she couldn’t even help herself.

  Now she understood the sour feeling in her gut. She had to find a way out of this. There had to be a way to get out. She couldn’t send for Feznik, he’d merely take advantage of the situation. Besides no one was allowed to speak to the waiting brides-to-be. Lyra balled her fists in frustration. She would not, absolutely not, be any man’s whore. “I’m going to find a way out of this,” she chanted to herself. “There’s a solution to every problem. I just have to think about it.” She paced.

  “Well, you don’t have long before the viewing.” a familiar voice drawled.

  Excitement raced through her, she turned to face Daene.

  “I have a deal for you. I’ll get you out of here, if you become my wife.” He grinned at her through the bars.

  Chapter 3

  “I will never marry a murderer and a thief,” Lyra sneered as she approached the bars. “If I wanted a husband, I would have never fought for my rights.” Just then, she paused as if a thought occurred to her. “Jaen? Seven?” she called out. “Did you do something to them? Do you know where they are?”

  “I’ve already freed them.” He waved a hand dismissively.

  “I don’t believe you.” Lyra looked at him with suspicion.

  “It’s true.”

  “You could have sold them.”

  “Do you think me such an amateur?” He feigned hurt.

  “No, I think you’re quite the underhanded professional.”

  “I need you, and I freed them as an act of good faith.”

  “You mean blackmail. Where are they?”

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Well, I can’t help you.”

  “It seems you can’t help yourself right now,” Daene observed wryly.

  “I’ve always gotten myself out of situations.” She turned her back arrogantly to him.

  “Be that as it may,” Daene drawled looking at the beautiful form of what he hoped would be his new pretend bride. “You are in quite an unfavorable position. You could be my wife, or become wife to one of those fat, odiferous fellows I snuck past on the way in.”

  Daene had seen none of the prospective husbands, but he knew his rather descriptive phrasing had an impact. He needed her just as much she needed him right now, only he wasn’t going to let her know that. Daene had counted on entering the secluded part of the hostel for the other events. However, because of the bride choosing ceremony, no man was allowed to enter the hall unless accompanied by a wife. There was only one entrance, and Daene found himself locked into a terrible position a lot like the Lady Prince.

  “You saw them?” Her voice faltered just slightly.

  Daene went in for the kill. “Yes, and I wouldn’t marry a Barra serpent to any of the lot. I do believe I heard one of them saying this was his second marriage. He claimed his first wife hadn’t been sturdy enough to take the discipline she so sorely needed.” Daene rested his forearms in between the bars of the cell and pretended to be genuinely interested in her surroundings. “Is that real Siamin silk bedding?” Daene whistled appreciatively. “Those little people make fine cloth.”

  Lyra seemed to be thinking about his proposition. She balled her fists up and released them continuously. Daene really did hear someone approaching with his keen hearing. “Make up your mind, Lady Prince. I will not be caught here with you.”

  “Fine,” she said at last. For a moment, Daene thought she would just take her chances with the prospective husbands. “But I will only say I am married. You are up to something and obviously need me to help you or else you wouldn’t be wasting your time with me.” Her amber eyes glinted with more than a hint of intelligence. “So free me, thief, and let us leave.”

  Daene retracted his arm, pulled the door open and gallantly gestured for her to come out. Lyra looked perplexed. Daene was quite sure she had tried the door and found it locked. “Not only do they have Siamin silk here, they have Siamin locks as well.”

  Lyra exited the cell with a shiver of one barely escaping death. “I am not familiar with Siamin locks.”

  “Well, it is a little known fact that the keys are merely fashioned magnets.” Daene held up a small metal strip that had be
en hidden in his palm. “The opposite polar trips the lock.”

  “It seems it is in my favor that I am in the company of a thief today,” Lyra replied sourly. She cocked her head to the side like a bird. “Someone is coming, and we can’t be seen here. I will be sold illegally, and you, well, you’ll just be charged for one of your many crimes.”

  Daene grunted at the insult but followed Lyra as she began to walk in the opposite way he entered. “I know this place. I’ve been here many times. There is a way out, but you’re going to get a little dirty and wet.”

  “May I ask why a fine, upstanding person like yourself would need to take such a dubious route?” Daene asked, clearly intrigued.

  “I’ll save that story for another time, if you don’t mind.” Lyra responded leading the way out.

  The hidden passageway spilled them in the muddy ravine outside the city walls. Lyra never turned back to make sure he was behind her. There was no way she would shake him. A stray wind had traveled the tunnel, blowing up the billowy dress, and with her backside bared to him, she kept moving. He suspected nothing really unnerved her.

  Once out of the ravine Daene took lead, taking her to the place where he was camping for the evening. He threw clothes to her as they settled by the low campfire. Lyra looked at them, recognition coating her face. He began to change into loose-fitting pants and a simple shirt.

  “Where did you get these?” she managed around her chattering teeth and slid the pants on under the dress.

  “Ketrine,” he replied simply poking the fire fully dressed. “These, an unsuspecting farmer loaned to me.” He gestured to his own garments.