Take Me Through The Darkness
from "The Red Book of Rhiannon"
(Go to All The Red Book of Rhiannon stories.)
If you’re new to The Môrdreigiau Chronicles, welcome! You might find the Glossary helpful for some of these words. Colons indicate the sea dragon’s thought communications.
This tale of Rhiannon’s aligns with chapters 8 of A River Trembles and concludes shortly after Chapter 15. I don’t think you need to read it to figure out what’s going on here. If you’ve read it all, you know what ultimately happens. Or do you …? To be revealed in A Sword for Wellington coming July 12!
Meant to ease a truce between the Grealseekers and Tregallas families, the ball sadly failed in its goal. The two families stood across the ballroom from each other.
Lady Angharad stopped Ladon Tregallas with a hand. Holding two glasses of medd for his parents, he couldn’t dodge her without spilling their contents.
“You were a pretty boy,” she declared.
She delighted in how his alabaster brow crinkled beneath the swoop of his dark auburn hair. His dark blue eyes narrowed. “Thank you, Princess.”
Her brows rose at that. Nobody dared call her Princess since her brother assumed the role of Esteemed and she had bargained her way to his side as Lady. “You are a pretty man now,” she crooned. “Come see me tomorrow afternoon.”
His eyes widened but he bowed, awkwardly, the two glasses in his hand not forgotten. He promised to be fun.
Ladon watched the Esteemed Emrys led Miss Pendyr out onto the floor to dance. He glowered.
Across the room, he saw Lady Angharad’s serene mask shatter, for just a moment, and reveal her distaste: for her brother, Miss Pendyr, or the two of them together, given the age gap? He couldn’t tell which. It seemed unlikely to be the age gap, given that the same years spanned between he and her, and she had a teenaged son too. But her disapproval? That was an ember worth stoking.
The Esteemed and Miss Pendyr strolled around the edge of the dancers and approached us.
:As soon as I am able to return Above Sea, I will break it off,: Ladon heard Miss Pendyr tell the Esteemed. :I no longer need to worry about my reputation there.:
:Good luck with that,: snapped my father’s wife. :You will have to find him to do so.:
Miss Pendyr turned toward us and I saw hope in her expression.
:Or it may be easier than you think.: Ladon sneered. :For he’s probably dead and haunting that button you wear.:
She grabbed at the neck of her robe, surely holding his button, tears welling in her eyes. The Esteemed nodded at us, taking the chit under his wing. They stepped out onto the balcony and became lost to view.
Ladon’s smile grew wider. Muttering excuses to his father, something about a drink, he skirted the dancers, stopping near Lady Angharad. He waited until she ended her conversation and wafted to the next group.
He caught at her sleeve. :Why wait?:
She halted, turning to face him. The action set his fingertips skimming along her sleeve to her cuff. Her breath hitched at this intimacy. For Ladon, it confirmed she desired him.
Lady Angharad huffed a sigh. :You’re not as mature as I thought.:
:No?: Ladon began weaving his enthralling spell. :I assure you I am very mature in certain respects.:
Lady Angharad’s lips compressed. To his chagrin, he saw merriment dance in her eyes. :Your spells won’t work on me either.: She surveyed him, assessing. :But you are eager, and I like that. I cannot leave yet, but—: She drew so close that the gills at their necks shared air. Did she sniff him? :Stay, and after the guests have departed…: Her fingernail grazed his cheek and she was gone, greeting the next grouping as if he hadn’t checked her progress at all.
Ladon rubbed at his bare chin. Did she just ensorcel him?
After his father and step-mother left, Ladon lingered, drifting from group to group until the last hangers-on took their leave.
Lady Angharad whispered in his mind. :Follow me.: She swept out of the ballroom. Ladon levered himself off the wall and followed.
A vision of delicate beauty with her long black hair floating in long lazy tendrils behind her, she coasted through the corridors, not even looking back, until Ladon could stand it no more.
He surged forward, grabbing her shoulders and shoving her against a nearby wall. He pressed his body against hers. :I’ve waited long enough.:
He claimed her mouth, delivering a punishing demand.
She clawed through his hair, yanking it back, breaking the kiss. Her teeth bared. She shoved aside the neck of his robe and bit down upon his collarbone.
:Goddess, yes,: he hissed.
From then on, they tore at each other’s robes, hands becoming claws, shoving and tugging until he pinned her to the wall, embedded inside her.
They coupled again in her chambers, and through the night, exhausting themselves even as their ardour flamed brighter.
Ladon woke, still entangled with Angharad. He pried himself free, delicately lifting fingers and arm. He rose, his legs feeling like jelly.
Angharad grabbed the edge of his robe. :I forbid you to leave.: Her husky whisper alone aroused him.
He jerked free. :Sorry, princess, but I need to keep this—: he gestured to her and the bed, :—secret for now.:
:You’re not afraid of me?: More than half the caer was terrified of her.
:Of you? No, you excite me.:
Frowning, she propped up her head with a hand. :You don’t seem the type to feel shame.:
Ladon grimaced. :I’m not, but I want to be of more use to you than this.: Again, he waved at the bed. :Father has plans for me. I need to extricate myself from them.:
Angharad sat up at that. :Oh?: She hugged her knees, looking up at him.
:He wants me to marry that Eidothea brat.: His thought sounded flat and angry.
:And you don’t? She’s young, attractive. Very good at finding grails apparently.:
Enraged, Ladon flung himself at Angharad, pinning her beneath him. He trapped her hands above her head. :She’s my half-sister,: he growled. :And there is only one I want, Princess.:
She arched against him. :Prove it.:
He did.
Later, Angharad curled into him, her fingers making lazy patterns on his chest. :You could go against your father,: she murmured, :but wouldn’t it be better to get rid of her?:
Ladon agreed and proceeded to show his appreciation.
It had gone all wrong.
:Chosen Court? Llyr’s the prophet?: he spluttered, bursting into her chambers. She paced the floors, utterly incandescent in her own rage. Stunning.
:I don’t like it any better than you,: she snapped.
:Father is keener than ever to marry me off to her. She has more power now.: His breath hitched, realising his thought had almost become a whine.
:Not yet. That power is mine and she will not take it.:
They glared at each other, hands clenched into fists, bodies stiff as iron rods. :We have to stop them,: they said simultaneously. They exchanged slow, knowing, excited smiles.
Still in bed, Ladon rolled onto his side, facing her. :You know, we’ve only got their word for it.:
Angharad drank him in. God, he was gorgeous. All muscle and smart too. :Their little display was quite convincing.:
Ladon pursed his lips, bending close. :What if we found another prophet?: he whispered.
She kissed him. :Spur confusion and doubt. It won’t be enough but it fits in well with what I have planned.:
Ladon caught her lower lip between his teeth. :Which is?:
:Why to kill the young Queen. What is a prophet if he has not his monarch?:
Ladon wriggled against her, enticing, promising. :And who will our monarch be?:
Angharad traced her hands over his bared shoulders, descending down his chest. :I think you’d make a perfect king, don’t you?:
He bent to kiss her, but she held him off with a stiff arm. :You would agree to obey me in all matters.:
Ladon smirked. :Of course, princess. We are of like minds. I won’t be your puppet but we could be, we are, partners.:
Angharad bared her teeth. :Find me a candidate for prophet, and I’ll see to the rest.:
In case you are wondering and didn’t read the intro, this tale of Rhiannon’s begins during chapters 8 of A River Trembles and concludes shortly Chapter 15. If you’ve read it all, you know what ultimately happens to them. Or do you …? To be revealed in A Sword for Wellington!
Here’s the announcement for the 30 Days of Fantasy writing challenge by
. The prompts can be found in that publication’s chat.(Go to All The Red Book of Rhiannon stories.)
Niiiiiice! I’m always weak for villain romances. And the title is A+.
Tbh, I sometimes have trouble following large casts and I had forgotten about their age gap when I originally mentioned this! It works disturbingly well...