We ended up falling asleep on the beach, wrapped up in a thin blanket underneath a canopy of stars and as the crystal blue water danced with the light of the full moon. The night air was warm with a gentle breeze as Spring was just a week away from transitioning into Summer.

The waves crashed against the shore line carrying the scent of salt. It was about high tide when daylight creeped on us slowly waking us as the cold brush of water washed against our naked bodies.

Despite knowing the potential consequences of our actions due to my arranged marriage with Marcel, this was something we both needed. Embraced in each other's arms despite the knife that dares to tear us apart.

As the waves grew stronger and crashed against our legs more frequently, we slowly began to wake. However, it wasn't until Théoden received an urgent but alarming message that fully jolted him out of his slumber.

“There is trouble in the inner ring. One dead. One wounded. It's bad captain.”

Théo spoke briefly back to the voice he heard in his head, “I'll be there shortly, Quinn.” His voice raced with concern as he quickly began to find our clothes that we scattered above us.

“What is it?” I sat up and watched him get dressed quickly. His body always captivated me. Tall, well-built, shoulder-length deep brown hair, fair skin, and those crystal blue eyes of his. His clothing was all black that when dressed with his silver dragon scaled leather armor paired quite nicely.

“I need to go to the inner ring. One has been found dead and another hurt.” Théoden repeated her message to me.

“You aren’t just going to leave me naked are you?” I teased him in hopes of making him stay longer.

He shook his head, “But quickly get dressed please. I will teleport you as close to the castle as I can and then I must go to the inner ring.”

I gave him a nod, took my dress and undergarments that he was handing me and got dressed. Once we had all of our clothes on and items gathered he teleported me five blocks from the castle. Any normal day, he would have teleported me directly into the grand hall or better yet my own room. However, given the situation, he teleported me as close enough to a point where it wouldn’t raise suspicions if we were seen together. Knowing some of his abilities, I knew he had two of these that he could use. Once my feet hit the ground he gave a quick glance around the area, seeing no one, he kissed my forehead quickly before teleporting once more.

Curiosity burned through me but I knew better than to pull into his vision to watch the scene unfold. For one, Théoden would have gotten mad at me as he knew I couldn’t handle death that well. And I didn’t blame him, I was a mess after my parents death and he was afraid if I saw death again, it would push back the progress I had made. I also knew he would be mad at me if I didn’t get back to the castle. So, I continued my walk.

The walk to the castle consisted of a cobblestone path that eventually transitioned to a marbled path the closer you got to the castle. From the point where he dropped me off, I was roughly five blocks away. Thankfully for me, despite darkness still being around us, it was slowly starting to get warmer.

The buildings were further apart than in the rings of the city. Each building was constructed from limestone and wood as a sign of higher nobility being this close to the castle. The commoners in this area were far and few in between as the sun had yet to make its appearance on the grassy hills.

Even though the streets appeared rather empty, I couldn't help but feel someone or something watching me no sooner than my feet hit the ground and I began moving toward the brass gates of the castle.

Do you feel that? I whispered through our dragon-rider bond as I began to hear the pounding of my heart quick as fear began to race through my body.

I felt it when I woke up at the beach. I didn’t want to alarm you. However, I want you to be careful.

What’s happening? I questioned in a panic as I recalled his message that he had received while we were on the beach.

There was nothing here when I got here. I used both teleportation already today. I am hurrying as fast as I can back to you. As something is not setting right with me.

I felt the worry in his voice. Someone tricked him. Someone with power was able to mimic the sound of Quinn’s voice and lure him into the inner rings. Just to get him away from me. Not to mention the overall feeling of us being watched. He felt it last night and this morning as well. Something was happening. We just did not know what.

Who would have-

My thought was cut off as I felt a sharp sting in my thigh. I screamed out in pain and quickly glanced down and saw an arrow piercing my skin. Blood began to trickle down my thigh as sharp searing pain radiated outward.

My heart began to race as panic flooded my body. I stared down at the wooden shaft that was sticking out of my leg. I gritted my teeth as I tried to wiggle the arrow ever so slightly. The feeling of it moving inside my leg almost made me gag. However, I had this sickening feeling start to build up. It pulsed through my veins, leaving me with an overwhelming sensation of ooziness, grogginess, and overall I began to feel drained.

I knew I had to make it back to the castle and fast, however, the arrow was crippling me with pain. I had to pull the blasted arrow out.

I groaned in pain as I slowly gripped around the wooden end of the arrow and began to pull it out slowly. Fuck that hurts! I cried through the bond and stopped pulling on it.

My breathing began to quicken as the pain of the arrow pulsed more and more throughout my body.

Maria, I need you to pull that arrow out completely. It is poisoned and the more it stays in the wound the harder it is for me to heal you. His voice was calm under the circumstances. Something I needed to be right now. But how can I? There was a goddamned arrow in my leg!

Alright. I can do this. I thought to myself and gripped the wooden arrow one more time. I took a deep breath and yank! I pulled the arrow out of my leg and watched as blood spewed from the wound.

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Théoden! I shouted as I grabbed at the wound in an attempt at stopping the bleeding.

It's alright Maria, I got this. I felt bursts of radiant energy seep through as he began to heal my wound. I also began to feel the sickening feeling that I had felt when the arrow pierced my body vanished as he siphoned the pain and poison away from me. I watched in amazement as the wound closed within seconds.

I breathed in and out as I felt a wave of calm wash over me. Once the effects of his aura were in full effect, I scanned the area but failed to see any marksmen on the rooftops. So, I continued cautiously towards the castle. As I knew that would be my safe haven.

I am on my way to you. I will get there as fast as I can. I promise.

I simply nodded and continued my journey to the castle. I was thankful that there were no more random arrows. However, that didn't ease the pounding in my heart.

Once I neared the brass gate of my castle my heart sank. Marcel was waiting outside. His dark blade held in front of him. He was ready to fight.

“Princess Maria Slivermist! You have betrayed our signed oath!” Marcel snarled, halting me in my steps.

My heart raced. My face flushed. “What do you mean?”

“I have a witness account that you were unfaithful and have been this whole time!” He stepped towards me and as he did the ground shook. I was afraid. No, I was terrified of the man before me.

“I still don’t-” I was attempting to plead. However, it did not work.

“Don’t fool me princess,” he snarled as his nostrils flared, “the affair has been going on before I even came along hasn’t it?”

“I-”

I was at a loss for words. I had no idea how he found out or who would have even been watching us.

I am coming as fast as I can. Hold your ground until I get there.

You want me to fight? I can’t! Other than a few martial arts lessons, fighting was one of the skills my father never had me learn.

Fight if you can. But stay standing. That is all I am asking. Théoden spoke through the dragon-rider bond. His voice panicked as he realized he had been tricked. We both had.

I feared that he would kill me before my hero would reach me. I knew I needed to devise a plan to by us some time and I had only a split second to think of an idea, an idea I hoped would work. “Look Marcel, for what it is worth, I am sorry.” Part of that was true. I never wanted to hurt the man, I just never cared for him. At least, not in the way I did Théoden.

“Save it! I don’t want to hear your excuses!”

He lunged towards me, holding his sword tightly with both hands. I managed to dodge the first attack but failed to dodge the second one.

The second attack clipped my shoulder from the behind, causing pain to tear through my body as the icy touch of his dark blade sunk into my skin. I cried out as he removed the sword from my right shoulder and drove it into my chest. Gasping for air, I could tell that the sweet scent of death was close at hand. I felt my body failing me with each piercing sting of his weapon.

My body clenched as he yanked the blade out of my chest and plunged it deep into my abdomen and twisted the rough edge of the sword inside my body. I wanted to fight back. I wanted to be brave, but my body was betraying me. I didn't have the strength to resist; hell, I could barely stay awake anymore. But I knew I needed to. I had to. I had so much at stake I could not let death have me.

I managed to grasp the hilt of his weapon with my hand and tried to push it back, but his own strength overpowered mine and I failed. His menacing laugh filled the air as his smile turned into a grin. Damn him. He was getting too much enjoyment out of my suffering.

"Please… Stop," I managed to say as his blade turned against my insides.

"You were meant to be mine…" Marcel snarled. "Your parents promised you…" There was hatred in his voice. He was not entirely wrong. That I knew, and that was something I did not want.

He pulled his sword out of my body and began to drag it against my thighs, with the blade slowly piercing my skin. Each cut seeped the poison his weapon was laced with into my bloodstream.

Marcel placed his hand over my throat, constricting my airways, as he dragged his dark blade along my thighs. "S…" I tried to say but failed.

"Speechless," he growled as he pressed his face beside mine. "Weak, not even resisting." He yanked his sword back from my limp body.

Gasping for air, I was hit with a soothing sensation and a feel of what I could describe as being medicated. Then the realization hit. I knew then, with the sudden change in my body, was caused by Théoden as he was using our bond to siphon away the pain the dark blade had given me. He was utilizing an ability we called Transfusion as he was giving me a chance to fight back.

Along with this feeling, I felt a sudden burst, almost like a pop in my body as a burst of radiant energy started to grow within me. That…that feeling didn’t come from him, that I knew. My initial thought was to panic even more, but the warm sensation of…of life took over. Between this new found sensation and his own will taking my pain away gave me hope.

I'm coming.

No, I responded. I don't want you to see me like this.

Like you have a choice. I am your Protector, your bond mate, and I am not about to let you die. He continued siphoning what pain he could from me.

His words, laced with power, caused an overwhelming sensation of hope to run through my body. I knew he would save me, but I needed to save myself. Somehow, I found strength and managed to sit up, backing away from Marcel.

“Where do you think you are going?” Marcel asked as he pulled me back to him, scraping my body along the stone path.

“Please…” I begged as he raised his weapon. “Stop…”

“And why would I?” He hissed as he lowered the tip of his hellish sword over my heart.

“Because… you need me,” I managed to choke out.

"Do I?"

"Marcel!" Théoden shouted as he came into view of the scene unfolding before him. "Marcel, Stop!" he shouted, drawing his draconic longsword. I could tell he was weaker than usual as he took more of my pain than he should have. If he was to fight Marcel now, it may not go well for the both of us.

"No…" I breathed. "You shouldn't have…"

I had to. He responded. It was that, or you would have died, and I could not lose you—not like this.

I glanced up at Marcel, who still held his weapon above my heart. "Stop," I said more firmly.

"You were supposed to be mine," he repeated, stepping back and glancing between us. "Not his." He pointed his weapon at him.

I reached up and touched Marcel's hand.

"Please… don't."

I couldn’t handle more death, more destruction. I just had to hope that there was a way to break this hungry war path that Marcel was on. “Let us live…” I begged him.

“Why should I?” He repeated again.

“If you let us live, I’ll go through with the arranged marriage, I won’t fight it.” That was a lie...the hell I was going to let him run my kingdom into the ground and marry me. However, I knew if I didn't offer him something, he would surely kill us here and now.

“Now that is an intriguing thought.” Marcel’s tone of voice shifted as he was amused by my offer. “That resolves you, but what about him?”

“He will make sure I follow our oath. He will protect our kingdom.”

“We will need a new witness to help formalize this marriage.” Marcel was seeming more and more like he liked the idea. “Now, I do have one condition, I do not and I mean I do not want any more reports of late night adventures with you two. One more report, and I will take matters into my own hands. Again.” Théoden and I both nodded, “Take her to the infirmary to get examined by the nurse. I don’t want her to bleed out before our wedding day.” Marcel turned his back to us and walked through the gate and into the castle.