Violet Sorrengail stared out at the land before her. All of Navarre bowed to her and her mother. The Queen of Navarre was a hostile woman with high regard for rules. Violet – the only one of her siblings who had stayed in the kingdom – was used to her mother's harsh rejection of her. Everything from her body – and all the brokenness it entailed – to the fact that she had to ride in a saddle on Tairn left her mother angry as hell at her. Violet couldn't say she blamed her. She also couldn't say she didn't aim for her mother's love every day.

Just then, her best maiden and best friend, Rhiannon, walked up to her. "I've been looking everywhere for you." Her tone was disgruntled, but Violet still heard the undertone of warmth to it. She knew that Rhiannon would do anything to protect the princess – anything at all – and that meant covering for her when she ran out of her lessons.

"You found me," she quipped.

Easy, Silver One. She isn't the enemy.

Violet offered an apologetic smile to Rhiannon for being short-tempered, and Rhiannon bumped her shoulder with her own. Violet worked hard not to wince. She had dislocated her shoulder in their last game of catch and release. The guards – the pigheaded, assholes that they were – had caught up to Violet and all of her friends. Ridioc, Swayer, and Rhiannon weren't safe from the guards as much as Violet wasn't. Queen Sorrengail had some idea that the best way to prepare for a brutal kidnapping and torture was to put her daughter and her friends through it.

The guards loved working on torturing to the best of their capabilities, but Violet never let them see her squirm. They tried to get her to open up about her innermost secrets, like why two dragons bonded with her during the three years she was at the war college.

The war college wasn't any easier on her than her unforgiving mother. Her body was abused daily, sometimes by cadets older than her. She had become a literal punching bag for anyone who cared to make her one, and her mother had told her that it was good for toughening her up. Toughening her up. Right. She snorted indelicately and sighed, pushing the thoughts out of her mind. Rhiannon spoke up. "We need to get you down into that meeting room. Malek knows what your mother wants. Her consort is there."

"Varrish?" Violet asked with a groan. The prick took an indecent pleasure in torturing her. Somehow, her friends never had it quite as bad as she did when he was leading the torture. She would take that for what it was worth.

"Her Majesty has someone she wants you to meet and her consort needs to be there," Rhiannon explained hesitantly. "According to Varrish, he can get a bit…testy."

"Compared to who? Varrish?" Violet snorted. Then she gathered her hair up in its braid, stretched out her muscles even though every bit about her body was failing her today, and she walked down the stairs leading to the castle's indoors. She knew she had hidden away long enough. Walking down the steep staircase, she cursed her weak knees. Anything sent them into a spiral. Breathing deeply, she took the shortcut she knew to her mother's office, Rhiannon, right next to her.

Rhiannon knocked on the door and Violet was met with an oily smile from an oily man. She repressed a shudder as she looked up into the hostile eyes of Varrish.

Never show fear, Sliver One. Tarin warned her. She felt the golden frays that was Andarna and then she heard her more feisty young one.

If he so much as looks at you, I'll incinerate him. I'm not scared of your mother!

Violet bit back a smile, walking into the room and curtseying as low as her knee would let her. It was still tender from Varrish's earlier practices with her this week. He hadn't been kind. She glanced around the room, spotting three men she vaguely recognized. Waiting for her mother to address her, Violet kept her eyes off the men. It wasn't polite to stare.

"Hello, daughter," Lillith Sorrengail greeted her in that icy exterior of hers. Violet smiled as much as she could and then looked at the three men once more. "Yes. Well, this is Xaden Riorson and his two loyal servants, uh…"

"I don't call them my servants, ma'am," Xaden replied in a steely voice. "And their names are Bodhi and Liam. They're the men I trust most with my life."

Violet quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. She had no idea who these men were, though Xaden looked vaguely familiar. He looked at her briefly. "And, how may I help you gentlemen?" Violet was anything if not polite.

"It's how we can help you," Xaden countered, and Violet looked at her mother, who's lips were pulled downward in disapproval.

"Yes, well, there have been some threats made against your life, Violet. The people in the kingdom grow weary of our lack of expertise in the war. Tyrrendor is still rallying allies from the south and these three men have agreed to look after you."

That's when Violet placed it. "You General Riorson's son."

Xaden's eyes blackened momentarily but he didn't deny her. "My father's crimes against Navarre are what have led me to want to protect you, Miss Sorrengail."

Violet looked at him, then her mother, rotating her shoulder discreetly. "He's my – what – bodyguard?"

"Consider me your shadow," Xaden smiled but it was anything but polite. Violet quirked an eyebrow at him.

"No, thank you," she replied coolly. "I don't need a shadow."

"I'm afraid I wasn't asking," her mother replied in a clipped voice, closing down the argument with one halting look. "General Riorson is quite desperate to get back in my good graces. He and his son offer up Xaden's experience for free."

"I don't want it," Violet bit out, feeling more and more of her freedom go down the toilet.

Let me incinerate him too!

Not helping, Little One.

"Well, I'm sorry but that's just too bad," her mother replied with finality, and Violet knew the subject was closed. Her mother was speaking once more. "Starting from this moment henceforth, Xaden will follow you everywhere, go with you on town visits, go with you when you have your duties to the people, and so forth."

Violet grit her teeth. "May as well just have him move into my bedroom."

"Don't be ridiculous dear," Lillith said flatly. "He'll sleep across the hall."

For fuck's sake.

The hell he will!

Andarna!

Violet rubbed her temple, looking at the three men before her. Out of the three of them, only…Liam seemed appropriately uncomfortable by the situation but something told Violet he wouldn't go against Xander's orders. She blinked.

"Fine."

"And dear?"

"Yes, mother?"

"His dragon is mated to Tairn. Do keep that in mind."

Violet wondered what it would be like to punch the smug look off his face.

She knew Tairn was mated to Sgaeyl and that she had to undoubtedly have a rider. But Violet didn't bother herself with the logistics of it. She turned to Xaden. "You only come when I need you."

"Sorry, your Majesty, but no can do," Xaden replied, staring coolly into her eyes. "From here on out, I'll be with you everywhere. If I can't for whatever foreseeable reason, one of my men will. From here on out, considered yourself under our protection."

Well fuck her, thank you very much.