Dragon of the Island by Mary Gillgannon Read Free Book Online

had not taken leave of her or said good-bye. Instead, he
had left instructions for her to be brought to him, as if she were
a servant or one of his possessions!
    Aurora’s mother led her to a waiting wagon,
and Constantine and the rest of her family rode back with her to
the villa. While servants gathered Aurora’s possessions for the
journey to Gwynedd, she said her tearful good-byes. Her sisters
were weeping openly, and when her father pulled her aside, his face
was a rigid mask.
    “Aurora, my little one,” he whispered.
Aurora looked at her father, trying to be brave. Constantine was
not a handsome man, and with his thinning hair and hawkish Roman
nose he looked every one of his forty years. Still, his regal
dignity made Aurora’s heart soar with pride. Her father was a king,
as great a man as Maelgwn.
    Constantine smoothed a lock of unruly hair
back from her forehead and spoke. “This is not the marriage that I
would have wished for you, Aurora, but it cannot be helped. I know
that you will remember who you are—a princess of the Cornovii and a
descendant of the great emperor Theodosius. I expect you to conduct
yourself as a noble lady and bring honor to your people.” He paused
and the formality left his face. His eyes glittered with tears.
    “I have asked Maelgwn to take care of you,
and he has promised me he will. But I want you to know—should he
mistreat you in any way, send me a word, and I will avenge you—even
if I must sacrifice my own life and the lives of my people to do
it!”
    Aurora nodded and blinked back her tears.
Her father had done what he had to do, but he still loved her. He
was asking her to do her part, to honor her husband and do nothing
to endanger the treaty. She must forget her anger at Maelgwn and
attempt to be a good wife.
    Maelgwn’s men had arrived at the villa gate,
and Aurora gave her father a quick kiss and mounted her new mare.
As she rode out the villa gate for the second time that day, Aurora
realized what a beautiful summer night it was, full of the soft
sounds of insects and the bright shimmer of moonlight. They
traveled past the town and then out into the open field. Before
them lay Maelgwn’s army camp. The many campfires and torches seemed
to reflect the multitude of stars in the sky above, and the thought
of so many soldiers out there on the plain filled Aurora with
awe.
    Aurora’s resolution to be a dutiful,
obedient wife took on new meaning. She had married a king, with
hundreds of men at his command. Who was she to demand anything of
him? Instead of concerning herself with how he treated her, she
should be devoting her efforts to pleasing him. It was not just a
matter of honor, but of self-preservation. Her father’s bold words
notwithstanding, once they were out of sight of her homeland,
Maelgwn could ignore her or abuse her as he wished, and no one
would care. She was at her husband’s mercy.
    Perhaps the soldier who helped her off her
horse when they reached the king’s tent sensed her foreboding, for
he spoke as if to reassure her. “The king is still making
preparations for tomorrow, but I’m sure he will be here shortly. In
the meantime, is there anything I may get for you, my lady?”
    The man’s accent was strange, but that was
not all that intrigued Aurora. From his sparse facial hair and soft
hazel eyes she guessed him to be much younger than the hardened
soldiers who made up the rest of Maelgwn’s personal bodyguard.
    “Nothing, thank you,” she answered, trying
not to stare at him. There was something about his sweetly handsome
face and deferential manner that reminded her of Marcus.
    The young soldier moved ahead of her and
lifted the tent flap for her to enter. She saw with relief that
there had been some attempt to prepare for her arrival. There was
no bed in the tent, but a mattress of sheepskins on the ground was
comfortably spread with blankets. There was also a low table with a
lamp, and an urn of water and a chamber pot had been