Dragons?
Frey kept going. “Over fifteen hundred years ago, after the last Drakkar died, the dragons entered their caves high in the mountains where no one can climb. They entered them to slumber and await the next call of their Drakkar. That call has not come for there has been no true Drakkar birthed to the House of my line. Not until me.”
Now I was breathing heavily and staring at him because I couldn’t pull my eyes away.
“The elves magic is powerful, mighty, more than any witch in any land. More than the combined powers of the most accomplished witches of all lands. But the dragons… their power is without measure. They are immortal. Their scales cannot be pierced. Their talons are sharper than razors and cannot be broken. Their teeth and horns and the spikes on their tails are tipped with poison they can discharge at their command, poison so strong, a drop would fell an elephant in seconds. And their tail carries so much strength one swipe and it would cut your Palace in two, leaving splinters in its wake. They are bigger than a house and they fly through the air. And I know, my Finnie, I know you know the tales of the heat of the fire they breathe.”
I kept breathing hard, it wasn’t fire but it burned my lungs and I continued staring at him, not moving a muscle.
Even though he said I knew, he explained anyway. “That heat would incinerate a man in less than a second. It melts iron like candle wax. It could remold mountains.”
Oh.
My.
God.
“And all of that, my wee wife, all of it is at my command.”
Oh.
My.
God.
“The Frey who betrayed the elves also betrayed his throne, something else you know. He betrayed his throne and Lunwyn descended into turmoil. Wars were fought. Countless men, women and children died. Our beautiful Lunwyn descended into chaos for centuries as the throne passed from House to House until, finally, the House of Wilde secured it two centuries ago. But the rightful seat in that throne all in the land know is a,” he leaned slightly forward, “Drakkar.”
Okay, one could say this wasn’t getting any better.
Frey kept at it. “And the Drakkar sitting that throne would definitely be The Frey and it would most definitely be The Drakkar. That means, wife, your father is king and you are princess at my bidding. If I moved on your father’s throne, the vast majority of your father’s own army would either lay down their swords or carry them to fight for me.”
Yep, definitely not getting any better.
He leaned back and continued. “However, I do not wish these obligations. But I am Frey, I am The Drakkar but even if I was not, I am of the House of Drakkar, an aristocratic line that goes back further than any other. But, even if not, nevertheless, we are aristocrats. I am not only a nobleman, I am the nobleman, Finnie. And in this land or any other, a nobleman does what he wishes with whom he wishes, without compunction, without shame and most definitely without question.”
It was then, I leaned back but I did it in a wrench like he’d struck me.
He saw it, his eyes narrowed but he didn’t relent.
I knew this when he said quietly, “Even if that question came from his wife.”
I stood stock-still and stared at him.
His voice got quieter when he stated, “But you were not my wife then, Finnie. I barely knew you but what I knew of you…” he hesitated then said, “We did not get along. This woman is a servant and I can see you have a manner where you treat people equally but she is not equal. She is a servant, I am an aristocrat, she knows her place and I was born to mine.”
I swallowed.
Frey kept talking.
“No nobleman would take any woman against her will. If he does, he is not noble and will be stripped of his banner and the protection of his House. But I did not take her against her will. I enjoyed her and she enjoyed me –”
That was when I lifted my hand and whispered, “Stop talking.”
He shook his head and pushed away from the door, saying, “You must understand this, wife.”
“I understand,” I took a step back as he started advancing. “I totally get it. You can stop talking.”
Frey kept advancing while he kept speaking. “There are men who pledge to honor their wives and they do, because their wives give them reason.” I moved backward as he kept coming at me. “It could be you give me that reason and we grow into this type of marriage,” he stated and I kept retreating as he kept moving toward me.