~ Prologue ~
Dintz 38, 538
Beryl, Najos
Who did he think he was? Megan Broxley had never been so insulted in her life. Rather than face him again, she had quickly walked away from the dark brown-haired man with dazzling blue eyes. Megan took a deep breath, turning her attention to her sister and her brother-in-law as they danced a waltz. The three had vacationed together from their hometown for the past several months. Megan gently touched the necklace she always wore, thinking of her grandfather as she did.
“Hello lovely lady.” A man cleared his throat as he spoke to her.
Megan was tired of all the attention. She wanted peace and someone who could see past her outward appearance. “Hello.”
“My name is Derek.” He grinned, revealing white teeth and a dimple in his right cheek. “What’s yours?”
“Megan.” She put on a smile. She had to be courteous. Her manners were her greatest weapon, and it was the thing which could broker peace. Or so her mother always told her. She preferred reading in a library to speaking with strangers.
“May I have the pleasure of a dance?”
She eyed him closely. He was average height with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. His friendly smile brought a real one to her lips, and Megan couldn’t dwell on the comments Scott had made to her.
“It would be my honor.” Megan took his hand. It was rough, as if he had worked every day in his life.
“What brings you to Beryl?” Derek asked as they joined the waltz.
“My sister, her husband, and I are traveling to see the country.” Megan explained as she stepped in a box. “What about you? Do you live in Beryl?”
“No.” He chuckled. “I grew up in Pyrite.”
“Are you a fisherman?” Megan was familiar with the cities of Najos. Her mother, a governess, had educated her daughters far past the normal expectations of women.
“I used to be.” Derek gently spun Megan. “I’m now on different missions for the kingdom, which is what brought me here.”
“You’re a soldier?”
“Something like that.” He pulled her close, her heart fluttered, and he whispered. “Would you like to go outside for a breath of fresh air?”
She nodded, unable to answer him. Megan couldn’t express the strange feeling she had coursing through her body, and she took a deep breath as Derek led her onto an outer balcony. Megan went to the railing and looked up. “Aren’t they beautiful?”
Derek moved beside her and looked at the stars. He turned his gaze to her face and whispered. “Very.”
“My grandfather always said stars have magic.” Megan felt like she was in a dream, something she couldn’t understand. Was this really happening? “He told me stars grant wishes.”
“What is your wish?” Derek was suddenly very close.
Megan looked at her soft hands as they danced against the railing. “It doesn’t matter what I wish.” Her voice was so low, she wasn’t sure he could hear her.
“It does to me.” Derek put a finger under her chin and lifted her head to look into her eyes. His were deep brown pools of something purer than desire, stronger than iron, and softer than silk.
“I wish destiny wasn’t written.” The words slipped from her mouth before she could think.
“I know what you mean.”
“So that’s your wish as well?” Megan couldn’t tear her gaze from him.
Derek grinned. “I want to rule my fate. That’s my wish.”
“Then we should rule our own fates.” Megan gently slipped her arm around his back. Her cheeks flamed as she wondered where this boldness came from.
Derek grinned and cupped her neck, tilting her face up to kiss her. Megan gripped the lapels of his jacket to pull him closer in their kiss. She sighed happily as their mouths danced like their feet had before.
“We won’t hurt you.” Derek took a step closer. “I could never hurt you.” He gently reached up to touch one of her braids.
She bit her lip as something besides butterflies flew in her stomach. “What do you mean?”
He brought his finger under her chin and gently kissed her again. Derek suddenly pulled back and gently removed the white-gold ring on his right finger. “Take this Megan, and may it always remind you of me.”
“It’s beautiful.” She touched the white-gold. She frowned as she noticed the etchings in the ring. “What does this mean?”
“I don’t know.” Derek grinned. “My uncle gave me that ring, and I’ve had it since I was eight. Keep this, and think of me.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be thinking of you for a long time.” She gently touched his cheek and shook her head. “I don’t understand. I shouldn’t feel like this. I just met you, and you just met me.”
“But it’s like we’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Megan.” Scott gasped. “Let her go.”
Megan whirled around and noticed a dark-brown haired woman and black-haired man with Scott.
Suddenly Derek grabbed her wrists and pulled her close. “Scott, take my sister and her husband to the weapons stash.” He yanked Megan aside him, and she gasped as he held her tight. She wasn’t sure what was happening.
“Weapons.” The dark brown-haired woman stated. She grinned at Derek and the man with them. “She’ll be safe once we get what we came for.”
“Fred, go with Abby.” Derek sounded like he was in charge. “I’ll stay here.”
Abby nodded, and she left with Scott and Fred.
“I’m sorry about this.” Derek released Megan. “I should explain that I don’t work with the king. He’s an evil tyrant, and we want to see him gone. We work with a group of rebels, and we’re here to get more weapons.”
“I understood that last part.” Megan’s heart pounded as she played with the maroon material tied around her waist as a sash. She’d read about the rebellion since she was fourteen. Now a handsome rebel stood in front of her.
“We won’t hurt you.” Derek continued. He took a step closer. “I could never hurt you.” He gently reached up to touch one of the auburn braids pinned back with the rest of her hair. “I can’t explain it, but I think there may be something between us Megan.”
She bit her lip, unsure if she should tell him the truth.
Dintz 38, 538
Beryl, Najos
Who did he think he was? Megan Broxley had never been so insulted in her life. Rather than face him again, she had quickly walked away from the dark brown-haired man with dazzling blue eyes. Megan took a deep breath, turning her attention to her sister and her brother-in-law as they danced a waltz. The three had vacationed together from their hometown for the past several months. Megan gently touched the necklace she always wore, thinking of her grandfather as she did.
“Hello lovely lady.” A man cleared his throat as he spoke to her.
Megan was tired of all the attention. She wanted peace and someone who could see past her outward appearance. “Hello.”
“My name is Derek.” He grinned, revealing white teeth and a dimple in his right cheek. “What’s yours?”
“Megan.” She put on a smile. She had to be courteous. Her manners were her greatest weapon, and it was the thing which could broker peace. Or so her mother always told her. She preferred reading in a library to speaking with strangers.
“May I have the pleasure of a dance?”
She eyed him closely. He was average height with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. His friendly smile brought a real one to her lips, and Megan couldn’t dwell on the comments Scott had made to her.
“It would be my honor.” Megan took his hand. It was rough, as if he had worked every day in his life.
“What brings you to Beryl?” Derek asked as they joined the waltz.
“My sister, her husband, and I are traveling to see the country.” Megan explained as she stepped in a box. “What about you? Do you live in Beryl?”
“No.” He chuckled. “I grew up in Pyrite.”
“Are you a fisherman?” Megan was familiar with the cities of Najos. Her mother, a governess, had educated her daughters far past the normal expectations of women.
“I used to be.” Derek gently spun Megan. “I’m now on different missions for the kingdom, which is what brought me here.”
“You’re a soldier?”
“Something like that.” He pulled her close, her heart fluttered, and he whispered. “Would you like to go outside for a breath of fresh air?”
She nodded, unable to answer him. Megan couldn’t express the strange feeling she had coursing through her body, and she took a deep breath as Derek led her onto an outer balcony. Megan went to the railing and looked up. “Aren’t they beautiful?”
Derek moved beside her and looked at the stars. He turned his gaze to her face and whispered. “Very.”
“My grandfather always said stars have magic.” Megan felt like she was in a dream, something she couldn’t understand. Was this really happening? “He told me stars grant wishes.”
“What is your wish?” Derek was suddenly very close.
Megan looked at her soft hands as they danced against the railing. “It doesn’t matter what I wish.” Her voice was so low, she wasn’t sure he could hear her.
“It does to me.” Derek put a finger under her chin and lifted her head to look into her eyes. His were deep brown pools of something purer than desire, stronger than iron, and softer than silk.
“I wish destiny wasn’t written.” The words slipped from her mouth before she could think.
“I know what you mean.”
“So that’s your wish as well?” Megan couldn’t tear her gaze from him.
Derek grinned. “I want to rule my fate. That’s my wish.”
“Then we should rule our own fates.” Megan gently slipped her arm around his back. Her cheeks flamed as she wondered where this boldness came from.
Derek grinned and cupped her neck, tilting her face up to kiss her. Megan gripped the lapels of his jacket to pull him closer in their kiss. She sighed happily as their mouths danced like their feet had before.
“We won’t hurt you.” Derek took a step closer. “I could never hurt you.” He gently reached up to touch one of her braids.
She bit her lip as something besides butterflies flew in her stomach. “What do you mean?”
He brought his finger under her chin and gently kissed her again. Derek suddenly pulled back and gently removed the white-gold ring on his right finger. “Take this Megan, and may it always remind you of me.”
“It’s beautiful.” She touched the white-gold. She frowned as she noticed the etchings in the ring. “What does this mean?”
“I don’t know.” Derek grinned. “My uncle gave me that ring, and I’ve had it since I was eight. Keep this, and think of me.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be thinking of you for a long time.” She gently touched his cheek and shook her head. “I don’t understand. I shouldn’t feel like this. I just met you, and you just met me.”
“But it’s like we’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Megan.” Scott gasped. “Let her go.”
Megan whirled around and noticed a dark-brown haired woman and black-haired man with Scott.
Suddenly Derek grabbed her wrists and pulled her close. “Scott, take my sister and her husband to the weapons stash.” He yanked Megan aside him, and she gasped as he held her tight. She wasn’t sure what was happening.
“Weapons.” The dark brown-haired woman stated. She grinned at Derek and the man with them. “She’ll be safe once we get what we came for.”
“Fred, go with Abby.” Derek sounded like he was in charge. “I’ll stay here.”
Abby nodded, and she left with Scott and Fred.
“I’m sorry about this.” Derek released Megan. “I should explain that I don’t work with the king. He’s an evil tyrant, and we want to see him gone. We work with a group of rebels, and we’re here to get more weapons.”
“I understood that last part.” Megan’s heart pounded as she played with the maroon material tied around her waist as a sash. She’d read about the rebellion since she was fourteen. Now a handsome rebel stood in front of her.
“We won’t hurt you.” Derek continued. He took a step closer. “I could never hurt you.” He gently reached up to touch one of the auburn braids pinned back with the rest of her hair. “I can’t explain it, but I think there may be something between us Megan.”
She bit her lip, unsure if she should tell him the truth.
