Last Dragon Standing (Dragon Kin #4)(30)

“You’ll see. It’s not far.” She glanced up at him. “You look so tense.

All that stress can’t be good for you.”

“I always look tense; it doesn’t mean I am.”

“But you have such a handsome face. Why waste it scowling all the time?”

Ragnar stopped, the princess stopping with him since she was holding on to him. “What are you up to?”

“I’m taking you for a walk.”

“Why?”

“You don’t want to walk with me?”

He didn’t answer, and she said, “I’ll make it easy for you.” She slipped her small hand into his, their fingers interlacing. “Now you can’t get away,” she murmured, and he realized that she was right.

They reached the clearing Keita had caught sight of when they were flying over the area, and she grinned up at the warlord. He, however, was busy rolling his eyes and looking as if he wanted to wish himself a million miles away.

“Oh, come on. A few minutes. What could it hurt?”

“I am in no mood for a fair, princess.”

“I still hear prince-ass, but no bother.” She tugged on his arm again, not stopping until he began to walk with her.

“I adore fairs,” Keita told him as they got closer. A juggler jumped in front of them, tossing several clubs in the air. “They’re so much fun!”

“And I can tell we’re getting closer to the Southlands.”

“Don’t you have fairs in the North?”

“No.”

“You should. A fair is a wonderful thing for humans. They don’t get enough entertainment in my estimation.”

“You’re quite the human lover.”

“I wasn’t always,” she admitted. “I could sometimes be quite cruel.

Especially to the men. And I nearly destroyed an entire village once. I don’t even think I was seventy-five winters yet.”

“Why?”

“The leader of their village wanted to use me as a protector by chaining me. And not in a fun way, either, but like some guard dog. Me! A dragoness of the royal bloodline. I made my point, though, and received a spiffy new name to go along with it. I doubt that the few humans left alive—mostly women and children—ever tried that again with some other dragon.”

“Most likely not.”

“But I realized later they were simply trying to protect their village, their people. It’s not any more or less than we do; it was just handled badly by those in charge. Over time, I began to realize it’s sometimes all about leadership and who rules. A bad ruler can put the most kind and wonderful people into a very horrible situation they don’t know how to get out of.”

“Is that why you didn’t destroy Bampour’s fortress?” She nodded. “Why make all those people suffer because of their bad ruler?” Keita winked at the juggler, and they walked around and headed to the stalls selling everything from food to clothes to weapons. “These days, with most humans, I’m more like my grandfather, Ailean the Beautiful.”

“I thought his name was Ailean the Wicked.”

“To some. To me he was Ailean the Beautiful. He adored me. And like him, I love to spend my time as human, among humans. I find them so amusing and cute.”

“You mean like baby ducks?” he asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

Keita grinned. “Exactly like baby ducks!” She stopped at an iron smith and looked over his wares. “These are nice weapons.”

“If you say so.”

When she saw the smith glare, Keita quickly pulled the Northlander away. “Could you at least pretend to be pleasant? No use insulting the man’s goods while he’s standing right there.”

“Should I lie to him?”

“Aye! You should. Would it kill you to do so?”

“If I tried to pretend those weak weapons he’d created could protect me in a true fight—yes.”

Keita stopped and looked up at the warlord. “Are you always like this?’

“As a matter of fact…no.” He returned her gaze. “It seems to be you.” The royal dropped his arm and flounced away, only to return a few moments later. “You know, I’m trying to be nice.”

“I know. I just don’t know why.”

“I’m always nice. I’m known for my niceness.”

“You mean when you’re not trying to kill people.” She pointed at her chest. “I did not kill him.”

“But you were going to.”

She let out a breath and glanced around. No one was paying them much attention, so she stepped closer and said, “I tell you this in confidence.”

“As you like.”

“Bampour had sent an assassin to kill my brother’s children in their cribs. Because he believes they’re evil.”

“Are they?”

“Of course not!”

“How would you know? You haven’t been home.”

“Och!” She stormed off. “I don’t know why I bother talking to you.” He didn’t know either, but there was something about annoying the royal he did find enjoyable. He knew it wasn’t a very honorable thing to do, but he simply couldn’t help himself.