A Savage Debt (Beholden Duet Book 1) Read online

  Ana tried not to be affected by his words. “From my understanding, anything we do to prevent it will aid the destruction of the royal crown.”

  “If he takes you,” Ryden said, his voice tight and his eyes blazing, “that will be the destruction of the royal crown. It will be the destruction of us all.”

  “What do you suggest?” Ana asked, annoyance creeping into her tone. Everyone kept saying this, but they were still willing to let it happen. It wasn’t as though she asked for this. “How do you hope to prevent it?”

  Ryden stepped toward her and took her hands in his own. They were warm, although slightly rough, and much larger than hers. “We have options,” he said firmly. “We can leave. Pack our things and leave right now.”

  Ana’s mouth dropped open. “Leave the palace? How will that help anything?”

  “You will not be in his grasp, Ana.” Ryden’s brows lowered in annoyance, as though it was obvious. “He will not be able to touch you or use you to get to your father.”

  “If I run, he could chase me and kill me to get to Father instead.”

  “I won’t allow that, Ana.”

  “Will you have a choice? How are we supposed to survive out there?” Ana said, pulling her hand from his and gesturing to the window. “He is experienced in navigating the kingdom—they say he lives in the wildest part of the Oakenshire, that he’s survived the most hazardous environments across Allandis. How are you going to protect me from him out there?”

  Ryden’s face hardened, and Ana suddenly realized that she was insulting him. She tried to find a way to rephrase her point, but she couldn’t. Because it was true. Ryden was a royal; he was not someone who lived in any kind of difficulty or who’d figured out how to survive undetected in the wilder regions of the kingdom, like this outlaw had. Running from the court was one thing, but running from that outlaw? It wasn’t logical. And Ana would not ignore such an obvious difference in experience when her life and safety was in his hands.

  “Anyway,” she quickly added, uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her, “it will still cause problems for my father for not honoring the Royal Promise. The promise means he has to deliver what he says he will deliver. If I am not there, he’s breaking it.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about the Royal Promise,” Ryden bellowed, making Ana jump. “It is stupid pandering like that that put us in this situation. There is no need for commoners to ever receive the promise of a king, in any circumstance. It should have been abolished years ago.”

  Ana gave him a faint smile. “Unfortunately, there isn’t anything we can do about that now.”

  “It could still be abolished,” Ryden ground out, clenching his fist in annoyance. “But no one in the court is willing to do it. They all feel it would be unwise to enact a new policy in light of this situation.”

  Ana nodded, sighing. She expected as much.

  “There is one other thing we can do.”

  Ana shot him a quizzical look.

  “I could bond with you,” Ryden said, seriousness on his face. “Right now, I could bond with you and that may deter him.”

  Ana drew her lip between her teeth, worrying it as she thought. Bonding usually only took place at a wedding or during an Omega’s heat. “Do you think it will take?”

  “It can’t hurt to try.”

  “Did you bring it up with the court?”

  Ryden’s jaw clenched. “I didn’t see any reason to.”

  Ana glanced up at him. “I don’t think being bonded will dissuade him.” She knew it wouldn’t—at all. The outlaw was only interested in one thing, and whether she was bonded or not, he would still have her.

  Ryden thought for a long moment.

  “And remember, you will feel everything that I feel when I am with him,” Ana said slowly.

  Ryden’s nose wrinkled. Clearly he hadn’t thought about that. “That would be….”

  It was clear he found the idea repulsive, and Ana didn’t really blame him. Who would want to be subject to that?

  Ryden exhaled a harsh breath and turned away, marching across the room before turning back, anger on his face. “This outlaw is taking everything from me, and I won’t allow it! He is trying to ruin us, and ruin our chances for a successful reign by injecting himself between us.”

  “Mother said that his intention is to ruin father.”

  “Yes,” Ryden said firmly. “And us.” He moved closer to Ana. “I have waited a long time for you, Ana.” He stroked her cheek, his eyes on hers, before slipping his hand to the back of her neck. “And now all that waiting has gone to waste. This bastard is going benefit from my restraint. I won’t let him.”

  Ana stared at him, nerves rising in her stomach at the sudden change of his scent. “What are you talking about?”

  Ryden’s hand tightened at her neck and he pulled her toward him, crushing her lips with his. Ana instinctively pushed against him before relaxing slightly. Even though this felt wrong, he was still her betrothed.

  “Ryden,” she said against his lips. “You know this is not my choice, don’t you?”

  Ryden stilled, and after a moment lifted his lips from hers. “It never has been, Ana,” he growled as he looked down on her. “If anyone is going to inflict this upon you, it should be me to do it first.”

  Ana froze, her breath cold in her lungs. “What do you mean?”

  Ryden held her gaze for a long moment, then cursed. “I want you to remain pure and only for me.”

  Ana relaxed a little, smiling at him. “I will in my heart, Ryden. I am pleased that you don’t want to break our betrothal because of this.”

  “Never,” he said, his eyes burning into her. “I’ve been waiting for a long time to be able to call you my wife, and I’m still waiting for that day.”

  She jumped as a heavy knock fell on the door, and Ryden immediately let her go.

  “Come in,” she called, fixing her dress as Ryden inched back from her, his face smoothing over as he dropped his hands to his sides.

  The door opened and the king strode through.

  “Father!” At the sight of him, majestic and powerful, Ana’s worries almost disappeared.

  He paused at the sight of Ryden, a frown forming on his face. “I didn’t realize you had a visitor, Ana.”

  She rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck, eager for his familiar feel and smell to chase away the discomfort and confusion that had dominated her since the court hearing.

  “I was just wishing her well, Your Majesty,” Ryden said from behind her. “This is an upsetting situation.”

  “I understand,” the king said, his hand pressing into Ana’s back as she hugged him. “So I will allow your presence in her private chambers just this once. It will not happen a second time.”

  An awkward pause filled the room for a breath. “Of course, Your Majesty,” Ryden responded smoothly. “Ana, I will see you tomorrow, hopefully. I will be thinking of you hoping your heart remains with me.”

  Ana nodded an offered a small smile. “Of course, Ryden. Thank you for understanding.”

  As soon as he left, the king wrapped his arms around Ana and hugged her properly. “Ana,” he said, his voice heavy. “I’m sorry I haven’t visited you until now. I’ve been trying to find a way to stop this from happening.”

  Ana squeezed him tightly before pulling back. “Mother came to see me,” she said quietly. “I know you can’t.”

  Her father shook his head. “Not without severe damage to the crown or an uproar among the commoners.”

  “Surely maintaining the royal family is more important than the commoners being upset for a while?”

  Her father led her farther into her room, and sat down, gesturing for her to sit opposite him. “That is not exactly true,” he said. “The monarch rules and guides the kingdom, but if enough commoners are unhappy, they can disrupt the balance of society. That could be dangerous for us—the crown must survive at all costs, even if the current ruling family doesn’t.”
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br />   Ana frowned at the distinction. “So even if we as a family fall, there must still be a king and queen?”

  Her father nodded. “That distinction is important, Ana. It signifies that even if we have to give up the rule, for any reason, the crown will survive. One of my brothers could be crowned or, more likely, one of the houses would be elected to stand, if their bloodline is pure enough, but the kingdom itself will remain relatively unscathed by this, and therefore the crown remains strong and in power.”

  “But how can the houses be satisfied with that kind of result?” Ana asked bewildered. “How can they be fine with your demise?”

  “My demise is not necessarily bad for the rest of the houses,” the king said carefully. “For years some of them have been looking to gain more power so they can command the throne. This is an opportunity for many.”

  Ana’s stomach dropped. “So they are in agreement that this… man should have me for three nights?”

  “No, they’re not outright saying it, but some of them are not fighting as hard as I would expect them to,” the king said, his jaw hard. “But, it makes no difference. We will not fall because of this.”

  “We won’t?” Ana asked. For the first time since she saw Maddoc, hope kindled in her. “Everyone seems to think this is the worst thing that could happen to us.”

  “Ana,” the king began. “There is always a way to gain an advantage. You will be in this man’s presence for three nights. I very much doubt that he will be resistant to your beauty and your mild manner.”

  Ana flushed, surprised by the sudden compliment, but not missing the underlying message the king was saying. “You want me to get information from him?”

  “If you can,” the king said, watching her carefully. “You will be with him for three nights only—not the days. Which means you can tell us whatever you discover. If you are able to get anything to help us immobilize his men and prevent any further attacks by him on the kingdom, you will have made a significant contribution to his demise.”

  Ana nodded, but she doubted he would be so foolish. So far he’d proven he was smarter than most thought he was.

  “It would be foolish to expect you to have the skill to extract information from a man like him without any training,” the king added. “He won’t simply offer the information. But just be observant and remember what you can. Ask questions when it feels appropriate, but do not do or say anything that will provoke him, Ana.”

  Ana inhaled slowly nodding again.

  Her father’s eyes drifted to the window as apprehension nudged across his face. “Maybe I should have let you take those combat training lessons you wanted to do when you were younger.” He said it with a chuckle, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  Ana placed her hand on his, knowing even that wouldn’t have protected her. Maddoc was a huge Alpha with considerable skills he’d honed over the years. “What will happen after this is over?”

  “He will be killed at dawn after the third night.” Her father spoke so firmly, his tone sent a tremble along her spin. “He won’t be able to get out of the palace. His life is over with this request, Ana. It will be worse for him than for any of us.”

  “Will it? I will still be tainted by this. I will have lost my purity and perhaps my ability to marry and successfully rule.” It seemed like her father wasn’t thinking about the consequences to her, and possibly being naïve about this, although she would never directly say it to him. But from everything she had observed of Allandis society, these “incidents” did not simply slide away unnoticed. It would sit with her for the rest of her reign.

  “Not necessarily,” he said. “We may be able to keep what is happening quiet from the commoners, but if not, there are ways you can use it to your advantage. Lets see what happens first. He may not touch you at all.”

  Ana snorted. “That is unlikely,” she said dryly. “Not with what I’ve read about him.”

  “You studied his files?” the king said in surprise.

  “A while ago, yes. He’s mentioned in one of the topics I read when I was studying civil disobedience and society of Allandis. It’s not particularly pleasant reading.”

  Her father nodded. “I know, but don’t worry, Ana, there are ways we can handle this situation. Remember at all times what you are, who you are, and how you’ve been raised. Being with him for three nights does not change any of that—it will not change the history of your bloodline and the rights you have as a royal. Nothing he does will change that.”

  Ana nodded as the tension in her muscles finally dissipated. Her father was right, and that was what she had to make all efforts to remember, no matter what this Alpha did.

  4

  The queen insisted Ana wear her full royal dress to meet the outlaw. She wanted him to be forced to remove every piece of clothing that signified Ana was royalty before he got to any part of her body, but the king didn’t want to give him any jewelry or royal insignia that he could sell or use as proof that he’d been with the princess. So in the end, she was prepared in an elaborate, full-length dress, but not as formal or distinctive as what she would wear for royal events. Satin slippers adorned her feet and her red hair was neatly braided back into one long braid.

  “Don’t provoke him,” Milly had said, fussing over her much more than normal. She prepared Ana on her own, with no handmaids assisting this time. “In fact, don’t say anything to him at all. Let him talk if he wants to. Don’t give him the satisfaction of hearing your voice.” When she stepped back to assess her, tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this, Ana,” she whispered. “It’s not right. No woman should have to go through this.”

  Ana smiled, her own tears threatening. “It is the burden of being princess, isn’t it?” She tried to pull on the comfort of her father’s words from earlier, but a coarse gloom had settled into her bones. And seated deep within it was an anger she struggled to control.

  Over the past hour, she’d been prodded and examined by the royal medics, and given foul liquids to drink to protect her from disease and pregnancy. It had been one of the most uncomfortable situations in her life, yet she knew the worst was yet to come. Of all the circumstances of her life she’d felt helpless about, nothing compared to this. All that discipline she’d proved she had, all the time she spent showing her parents that she could be such a great asset to the royal family, none of that helped or protected her now. And that infuriated her more than she thought it would. This outlaw was using her to punish her father, and it didn’t matter how good she’d been as a princess, it only mattered that she was his daughter. She’d been so close to some sort of freedom, under a month until her wedding, but now, and for the first time, she had no idea what the future would hold for her. And it was terrifying. Some small part of her felt liberated by it, because it meant she had some measure of control—what she did in that room with the outlaw would make a difference—but it wasn’t the kind of control she wanted. It wasn’t like the odds were in her favor to fight him off or to escape him. Even if she wanted to leave, like Ryden suggested, it would be detrimental to her father, and she couldn’t do that. So even though she had some small measure of control, she was also more helpless than she’d ever been—and that made her furious.

  Just before dusk, a group of the kingsguard arrived at her room and surrounded her as they escorted her to the east side of the palace. The empty corridors, which were clearly arranged, created an eerie tension that heightened her apprehension. She gripped her favorite book to her chest, rubbing its worn, rough cover with her thumbs for comfort.

  When they arrived, the guards spread out along the corridor and blocked each end. Ana stood outside the door for a moment, before taking a deep breath and opening it.

  It was empty.

  Exhaling with relief, she stepped inside. At least she would be able to familiarize herself with the room first. The guards remained at the door as she closed it behind her, and for the moment, she was alone.

  It
was a large, singular room, not unlike her bed chambers, except hers was attached to the royal living quarters. Her attention was immediately drawn to the enormous bed in the center. Tears and anger welled up in her, swift and vicious. Maddoc hadn’t asked for that. He’d wanted a room, but he did not specifically ask for a bed. It was as though she was being offered to him on a platter. Bitterness stung the back of her throat, and she turned away pressing her lips together to avoid verbalizing it aloud.

  A large window along the right-hand wall let in the last of the afternoon sun, and on the far left stood two tables loaded with bowls, plates, and platters of food accompanied by pitchers of mead and jugs of water. Heading over to the tables, she surveyed the spread—a large selection of cuisines from all over the kingdom. It was unlikely he would resist it, but she doubted it would distract him from what he came for. In the corner a small walled-off area contained a pump, basins, and a latrine.

  Turning she crossed the room to the window and realized she was on the third or fourth floor. The royal grounds that surrounded the palace didn’t extended out as far here as it did around the other sides of the palace. Beyond it lay the central city, the most impressive of the noble houses could be seen from here. Perhaps Maddoc asked for this room so he could escape into the city afterward. He’d have to go through the grounds first, though, and Ana didn’t doubt that Father had his most accomplished archers watching the area.

  She turned and paced the room, trying to settle her nerves. She surmised that the only way it could turn worse was if she didn’t do what he said, or if she failed to keep her guard up in front of him. For the first time, she was glad that her father didn’t keep her abreast of all the things that went on in the kingdom. There was nothing for him to torture out of her, nothing for him to use to damage the royal family, or her father—apart from her.

  Finally, as the light in the sky shifted to a dim gleam, she moved to stand by the bed, set her book down on it, clasped her hands in front of her, placed her feet together, relaxed her posture, then simply waited.