The Dragon Games

Bidding

"Did you truly party in the king's private chambers?" a boy asked Edmond.

A girl shoved another pledge aside to get a better view of Edmund. "I heard the famous artist Gonolio begged to sculp you."

"Is it true that the raiders visited your manor?" another asked.

"Visit?" Edmond said, finally deining to answer someones' question. "If visit means 'looted our valuables, attacked our guards, destroyed our stables, and burnt our servant's quarters to the ground', then yes, I suppose they visited, visited in spectacular fashion."

As conspicuously as she could, Regan tugged her collar a little higher. What would they do if they recognized her? Toss her off the boat? Or perhaps Edmond didn't want the tides to kill her off; perhaps he wanted that pleasure for himself.

"Wasn't Crenshaw's Pet involved?" a boy said. "Are they the raider that got a parlay?"

"No," Edmond replied. "I was informed he was put to a death in a sufficently brutal fashion."

Regan glanced at Edmond, her brows high. He? She would have though Edmund was powerful and well resourceful enough to at least know her gender.

"If there was any justice in the world, all of them would have been hanged and quartered," Curly said.

Edmond nodded. "Well said, my friend."

"Isn't one of them a pledge now?"

"Indeed," Edmond drawled. "It seems we have a goblin wearing our jacket, the darkest shade of filth under our noses. But I don't intend to see the fine halls of Skydescent polluted with it for long. If the courts won't do their job, then I will take justice into my own hands. First the goblin, then Drax, then Samuel Cr–"

Regan snorted. He would 'take care' of Sammy? As if pearl boy could land so much as as – Suddenly, she realized the rowboat fell silent, and all eyes turned to her. Regan's face dropped. She thumped her chest, feiging a coughing fit. "I mean, what a noble quest of honor!" Regan thrust her fist in the air. "To the death of the raiders!"

"Hurrah!" the rowboat chanted with her, thrusting their fists in the air.

Soon, a castle came into view, its silver towers rising above the treetops, followed by the rest of the vast property. A hideous amount of wealth must have been poured into its construction because it looked like a painting, the symbol of power and fortune sprawled across the forest floor. The boats docked, and another knight awaited them on the shore, lit dimly by torchlight. Regan was the first one off the boat, and couldn't be happier to leave it behind.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm surrounded by women or cows. It's such a shame what the female pledges must turn themselves into to succeed in this world."

Regan turned away from the knight, to find Edmond Balthasar's stare pinned on her. He towered over her, far bigger than he first appeared sprawled across the boat. Regan's fingers twitched for her dagger. He must have known who she was all along, must have relished in her discomfort, as if she sat there like a fool while he prattled off threats –

"It's quite refreshing, seeing you," Edmond said. "I pray you'll receive a bid for Balthasar, so I have something to enjoy looking at."

Regan stared at him as if he had spoken in a foreign language. She glanced over her shoulder, but no one stood behind her.

Edmond took a step forward, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. "What's your name?"

Regan tensed. But before she could reply, the knight spoke.

"All accounted for?" the knight shouted. "Welcome to Skydescent, pledges!"

While Edmond leered at Regan, the surrounding pledges burst into cheers.