quietly opening her bedroom door. Torchlight swayed against the darkened hall. She caught a glimpse of the specter turning a corner further down the hall. Glory padded after her.
“Where are you going?” Glory hissed.
Just when Glory thought she might catch up to the ghost, it passed through a wall. A nearby door was cracked open. Glory peeked through.
“She is beautiful, Xander, but for every inch beautiful, she is three times as vain.”
“Show patience. She has only been here a night.”
The gryphon was pacing, his tail switching back and forth.
“Are you sure Eoghan could not have another, more humble bride?”
Xander sighed. “He that dares not grasp the thorns should never crave the rose.”
The gryphon hissed. Obviously he did not like that answer very much.
“We can not lose her, my pet. She is too valuable to our kingdom.”
“What good will she do us? She is a lot of trouble to me.”
“If we have her, our kingdom will be whole. The people will have no choice but to unite under our reign. No one will argue my right to the throne with a gryphon by my side,” Xander explained.
“What if that is not what I want?”
Glory covered her mouth to prevent her gasp from escaping. She backed away slowly, hoping Xander and the gryphon had not seen her. Xander as High King? It was unfathomable! Glory bit her knuckles. Did Prince Eoghan know of this plot? She dashed back to her room, shut the door, and braced herself against it. Am I only a pawn in a game? Surely once her father found out that he had been tricked, he would send an entire army to aid Colin in the rescue.
She pictured Colin marching at the head of the force, bearing King Balthazaar’s coat of arms. He would battle the gryphon, slay Xander, and rescue her. The princess looked out her window to the countryside below. She imagined how it would all play out. Colin, shining in knight’s full armor, would place her in the saddle before him and ride home a hero. Balthazaar would be so elated to have Glory back that he would forget the silly betrothal he had made to Eoghan, and he himself would ordain the marriage of Colin and Glory. With Colin the victor, nothing would stand in the way of their union. Balthazaar would deign entire kingdoms to Colin and knight him for his heroics.
Glory shivered. That dirty, old gryphon didn’t stand a chance. He would be slain, and Blackthorn Keep would be overtaken.
Glory closed the curtains and went back to bed. She dreamed of Colin, her knight in shining armor. He would come. She would be free. They would ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.
Glory closed her eyes and pulled the blankets over her shoulders.
Oh, Colin, hurry!
She didn’t think he could ever come swiftly enough.
CHAPTER FIVE
Too Late for Curses
Glory made a point of visiting the gardens each morning before the sunlight reached the center. She welcomed its familiar warmth, but gradually started missing this morning ritual. One day she overslept, another week she felt unwell, and soon the ritual seemed unimportant. The idea that the sun worshipped her was ridiculous. Glory even laughed a little. Once she stopped this silly routine, she couldn’t help but feel punished because dead things started showing up on her windowsill. The first few mornings that she neglected her routine, it was a mouse, then a sparrow. Glory was disgusted and disturbed. The dead creatures were getting progressively bigger with each day she missed. Finally she had had enough. She threw open the window, effectively shoving off that morning’s dead March hare, and screamed.
Birds scattered from the buttresses, stablehands stopped working below, and suddenly the gryphon appeared before her. Glory, startled, bellowed again.
“What is it?” asked the gryphon, his talons digging into the stone, bracing himself against the great commotion. “What is wrong?”
Glory ran a shaking hand through her hair, trying to recompose herself. “I am being
“Where are you going?” Glory hissed.
Just when Glory thought she might catch up to the ghost, it passed through a wall. A nearby door was cracked open. Glory peeked through.
“She is beautiful, Xander, but for every inch beautiful, she is three times as vain.”
“Show patience. She has only been here a night.”
The gryphon was pacing, his tail switching back and forth.
“Are you sure Eoghan could not have another, more humble bride?”
Xander sighed. “He that dares not grasp the thorns should never crave the rose.”
The gryphon hissed. Obviously he did not like that answer very much.
“We can not lose her, my pet. She is too valuable to our kingdom.”
“What good will she do us? She is a lot of trouble to me.”
“If we have her, our kingdom will be whole. The people will have no choice but to unite under our reign. No one will argue my right to the throne with a gryphon by my side,” Xander explained.
“What if that is not what I want?”
Glory covered her mouth to prevent her gasp from escaping. She backed away slowly, hoping Xander and the gryphon had not seen her. Xander as High King? It was unfathomable! Glory bit her knuckles. Did Prince Eoghan know of this plot? She dashed back to her room, shut the door, and braced herself against it. Am I only a pawn in a game? Surely once her father found out that he had been tricked, he would send an entire army to aid Colin in the rescue.
She pictured Colin marching at the head of the force, bearing King Balthazaar’s coat of arms. He would battle the gryphon, slay Xander, and rescue her. The princess looked out her window to the countryside below. She imagined how it would all play out. Colin, shining in knight’s full armor, would place her in the saddle before him and ride home a hero. Balthazaar would be so elated to have Glory back that he would forget the silly betrothal he had made to Eoghan, and he himself would ordain the marriage of Colin and Glory. With Colin the victor, nothing would stand in the way of their union. Balthazaar would deign entire kingdoms to Colin and knight him for his heroics.
Glory shivered. That dirty, old gryphon didn’t stand a chance. He would be slain, and Blackthorn Keep would be overtaken.
Glory closed the curtains and went back to bed. She dreamed of Colin, her knight in shining armor. He would come. She would be free. They would ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.
Glory closed her eyes and pulled the blankets over her shoulders.
Oh, Colin, hurry!
She didn’t think he could ever come swiftly enough.
CHAPTER FIVE
Too Late for Curses
Glory made a point of visiting the gardens each morning before the sunlight reached the center. She welcomed its familiar warmth, but gradually started missing this morning ritual. One day she overslept, another week she felt unwell, and soon the ritual seemed unimportant. The idea that the sun worshipped her was ridiculous. Glory even laughed a little. Once she stopped this silly routine, she couldn’t help but feel punished because dead things started showing up on her windowsill. The first few mornings that she neglected her routine, it was a mouse, then a sparrow. Glory was disgusted and disturbed. The dead creatures were getting progressively bigger with each day she missed. Finally she had had enough. She threw open the window, effectively shoving off that morning’s dead March hare, and screamed.
Birds scattered from the buttresses, stablehands stopped working below, and suddenly the gryphon appeared before her. Glory, startled, bellowed again.
“What is it?” asked the gryphon, his talons digging into the stone, bracing himself against the great commotion. “What is wrong?”
Glory ran a shaking hand through her hair, trying to recompose herself. “I am being
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