Favina's Royal Ransom (Northern Realm Royal Bears Book 1) Read online

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  Table of Contents

  PrologueNot Alone

  Chapter 1Indistinguishable from Everyone Else

  Chapter 2The Dream Continues

  Chapter 3Too Close for Comfort

  Chapter 4A Distraction and a Long Distance

  Chapter 5More Than Her Rescuer

  Chapter 6A Fine Mess

  Chapter 7A Long Night

  Chapter 8The Cold Morning

  Chapter 9Putting the Offer on Hold

  Chapter 10Adrik’s Belief

  Fayina’s Royal Ransom

  Bears of the Northern Realm

  Book 1

  By: Lisa Daniels

  Prologue

  Not Alone

  Fayina looked around the cell, glancing over the other women imprisoned with her in it. The situation was dire, but she could not bring herself to believe that the option before her was the best one—even if it seemed like the only one. Her short, black hair was matted and tangled from a struggle with one of her abductors. In the dim light of the dungeon, her dark brown eyes looked black as she scanned her surroundings. They weren’t the only ones in the dungeon, but it was clear that the bandits had something particular in mind for the four of them, and the four young women had been kept far from the rest of the prisoners. It had not taken Fayina long to figure out why.

  All of the women in the cell with her were princesses from nearby kingdoms.

  She recognized all of them, though she only knew Iliya well enough to speak informally. Iliya, with her soft, auburn hair and gentle, blue eyes, had been a frequent confidante of Fayina’s over the last year. The other two Fayina had met at a couple of balls and festivities. Devora and Myra were from very different kingdoms, kingdoms that tended toward peace instead of war. From what Fayina knew of them, Devora looked a lot like her family, from the shocking red hair to the deep blue eyes. The princess almost looked like a storm arriving on the morning tides. Myra was completely unique, her blonde hair stretching to her knees when she didn’t have it tied up. Her eyes were an intriguing mix of green and blue, masking the sharp intellect behind them. Of all of her companions, Fayina trusted Myra the least. Not that she had much more trust in Devora.

  Iliya came from a kingdom much more similar to Fayina’s own. Their kingdoms were almost constantly at war against each other, but that didn’t matter to the two young women. One was the sixth and youngest daughter to the kingdom of Chervil; the other was the only daughter of the third wife of the king of Glenmore. Neither of them stood a chance of inheriting their respective kingdoms, and neither had been taught anything that would instill the kind of hatred their fathers had for each other. To the two young women, the problems of the kingdoms had nothing to do with them.

  Until they were captured three days earlier.

  They had been secretly meeting up at an inn in the kingdom of Lothiadia, which lay between their two kingdoms. There were few people they could talk to in their own kingdoms because they were in such unusual positions—too important to be allowed to associate with the commoners, but not important enough to be included in any real events or discussions. The princesses were well aware that they were simply fodder for strategic alliances. They were both 20 years old, which meant that they were on borrowed time, waiting to be married off for the benefit of their respective kingdoms. So that their kingdoms could continue to fight each other. Knowing that they would suffer that fate at a moment’s notice—their parents would inform them, not ask—both of the young women had decided to act. They had started meeting a couple of months ago to discuss ways to get out of possible arranged marriages since they had learned about the people their parents were considering for their grooms. During this latest meeting to discuss ways out of their predicament, they had been abducted from their rooms while they slept.

  As much as they had wanted out of their marriages, this was not at all what they had in mind.

  Since their arrival, the bandits had told them little of what was going on, and they had only been given food twice. Hungry and scared, they were beginning to try to figure out ways to escape on their own. Several members of royal families had been taken by bandits over the last year, and given that there were four of them in a single place now, it was clear the men who had abducted them were up to something. From what Fayina had heard, the royal women the bandits had abducted over the last year had managed to escape. As a result, it looked like it would be much more difficult for them. Regardless of how difficult it would be, none of the four women were willing to stick around to figure out what it was the men planned for them. Dying during an attempted escaped seemed far preferable to some of the whispers that had reached them over the course of their confinement.

  The problem was that Fayina didn’t know much about Devora or Myra, and that made it difficult to trust them. At the best of times, Fayina was suspicious and cautious, qualities she had learned from her infrequent encounters with her father. Given the situation, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to put her faith in a couple of women who might plan to use them instead of helping them. It was possible that teaming up with Myra and Devora would simply make Fayina and Iliya’s situation more dire. In her experience, it was best to simply go it alone. However, she really did not want to leave Iliya behind. The daughter of her father’s enemy had become Fayina’s sole confidante and friend.

  And Iliya was not willing to leave either of the other princesses behind in the dungeon.

  They were again going over the same debate as Iliya leaned over and whispered, “Come on, Fayina. I can understand why you would want to be careful, but divines help you if you think that sitting here arguing about it is going to get us anywhere.”

  “I know, Iliya, but both of them were here when we arrived. What if they are trying to use us to get out themselves? Is it really worth it to have them ditch us to save their own skins? I mean, things could be a lot worse, and something tells me that death is not what we would face if we fail.”

  “At this point, I am willing to take that risk. Getting out of here in the next couple of days sounds a lot better than staying here and letting those creeps keep planning whatever it is they will do with us. Honestly, I would even consider marrying Prince Oscar to get out of here.”

  “Talk about a fate worse than death,” Fayina mumbled.

  “What are you talking about?” Iliya hissed. “I’m starving, Fayina. Actually starving! If you want to stay here, then good luck to you.” It was rare for Iliya to lose her temper. This was just one more sign that the situation could not last much longer; it was far too much of a strain on all of them.

  As she got up to approach Devora and Myra, Fayina grabbed her arm. “Would you really be willing to leave me here?”

  “I don’t want to, but if you won’t listen to reason, you will always have an excuse to postpone. I care about you, Fayina, but I’m not willing to stay here because you are being stubborn.”

  “What if we planned to get out together?”

  “Neither of us has any idea how to survive out there. Myra has actually been through something like this before. From where I’m standing, she looks like our best bet.”

  Fayina began to run her dirty hand over her face, but st
opped before smearing the grime. Shivering, she sighed, “Something just doesn’t feel right about it.”

  “While your paranoia is understandable, we are currently in a position where every option is going to make you feel that way. Don’t get me wrong. I can understand how you feel about it, but really, what choice do we have? Staying here like sheep hoping for the best really isn’t in my nature. And I know that it isn’t part of yours either.”

  Fayina bit her lip. “What if they betray us?”

  Iliya looked at the two young women, who were observing something going on outside of the small window. “Then we can try again. But if I’m being honest, I don’t think they will. They aren’t like our families. They both come from comfortable homes with people who care about them. I’ve heard both of them have had training in fighting as well.”

  “So have I,” Fayina said.

  “Yes, but we don’t have any weapons here. Certainly not a spear or a bow and arrow.”

  “Aren’t you worried about trusting them?”

  Iliya looked back at her friend, “No. They have been here a few days longer than we have, and I think that means that they will be better able to help.”

  Against her better judgment, Fayina nodded.

  “Come on, then. I promise they don’t bite.” Iliya gave her a forced smile.

  Fayina stood up and walked a few paces behind her friend.

  Iliya spoke for both of them, “We are in.”

  Myra looked up at them, and Fayina couldn’t help but feel like she was being judged. “There isn’t much time left. We are just waiting for the shift in guards. If you have any reservations about joining us, it would be best to stay behind at this point.” She was looking directly at Fayina when she answered.

  Iliya placed a hand on Fayina’s shoulder to keep her from responding. Failing to smile, the poor young woman said, “I understand what you are saying, but she is alright. After years of being harangued, her trepidation and inability to trust are understandable.”

  Myra’s eyes continued to take in Fayina, her eyes stopping on the faint scars around Fayina’s neck. Giving a slight nod, she said, “Yes, it is easy to understand.” Unconsciously, she rubbed her forearm. “But sometimes it pays to better analyze a situation and to calculate the risks based on all components, and not consider everything separately.”

  Fayina narrowed her eyes, but it was Devora who answered. “Not now, Myra. Work out your issues on your own time.” With that, she stood up. “There isn’t any time to beat about the bush, so I’ll get right to the point. When Myra arrived, she heard them say that they were going to be rid of her within a week. Considering how long it would take for any ransom to get here, I doubt they mean to let us live through this. Or at least they have no intention of returning us to our families. And in two more days, it will have been a week for Myra. I don’t know if that means they will move all of us together, or if the situation has changed because there are more of us here. Nor do I care. They don’t have any regular time to change the guards—”

  “Yeah, bandits aren’t known for being well trained,” Myra cut in.

  “Yes, thank you, Myra. Very helpful.” Devora didn’t look pleased by the interruption, but she decided to keep talking about the plan instead of bickering. “We are watching for the next time one dozes off or when they do change out who is watching.”

  “That isn’t as easy as it sounds either,” Myra said as she stood up and walked close to the window, her eyes trained on something. “You can’t see it well from here, but there is a second guard around the corner.”

  Fayina looked at Myra’s back. “If you can’t see it, how do you know?”

  Myra shot her a look, “Because the fools aren’t exactly quiet about it.”

  Devora snorted, “I don’t think they believe that we can escape.”

  Myra nodded. “That is the most probable case. But I don’t want to bet on it. I think there is a good chance that there is a second, maybe even a third guard just out of sight, but in a different location.”

  Fayina frowned as Iliya spoke up, “So how do we get out if we don’t know where they are?”

  Devora spoke again, “We wait for them to start changing the guy in front. This one is particularly argumentative, so Myra is going to throw something at him while he is walking away, starting a fight between him and his replacement.”

  Myra moved over to a corner of the cell. “Only if it is necessary. After watching him for most of the week, I think he will pick a fight all on his own. There are several bricks here that are very loose. While those two are fighting, we will slip out and split up to check around the corners. If both of you are coming, I think we can split up into pairs instead of going alone.”

  Devora quickly spoke up, “Just until we know that the coast is clear in one direction.”

  Myra nodded, “Yes. When we find a way that is clear, we all take that route. They were stupid enough not to check me for weapons, so I will be in front in case we do encounter someone after we are out of the courtyard.”

  “And I’ll cover the back,” Devora spoke up. “They didn’t check me either. While I’m not as good with a weapon as Myra, I do at least have something to help defend us if needed.”

  Fayina was beginning to feel more and more certain that the escape plan was a bad idea. She wanted to ask what assurances she and Iliya had that the two women wouldn’t attack them as a distraction for the bandits. There were so many things wrong with this plan. The look Iliya gave her, though, let Fayina know that she would have to be careful with what she said.

  Taking a deep breath, she offered, “What if I went in front?”

  Iliya almost immediately protested, but Devora and Myra exchanged a look before Devora asked, “Do you know how to fight?”

  “If we can get a hold of a spear, that will provide better protection than almost anything you can store under a dress.”

  Devora frowned, but Myra nodded, “That is true. It keeps them at a distance, and I doubt any of them have training fighting against a spear. But there is no guarantee that we can find one.”

  Feeling a little more confident, Fayina replied, “I’m sure there is something with a long handle that I could use. I can take them down quickly, then you could finish them off if needed.”

  Devora and Myra shared another look, then Myra shrugged, “That’s alright with me. As long as you are certain you won’t freeze up when faced with a man or two with swords.” There was a tinge of something in her voice that let Fayina know that she very much doubted Fayina could hold it together.

  Before Fayina could respond, there was a commotion outside. All four women turned to see that the bandit who had been guarding them was arguing with another bandit.

  Iliya moved over to the stones. “Looks like we’re out of time.” Without waiting for any response, she pulled out one of the stones. There was a loud noise that was only missed because the two men were now fighting.

  With her slim build, Iliya easily scrambled out of the cell, followed by the equally thin Devora. Myra watched the hole for a moment. “So much for the plan.”

  Fayina couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah. Looks like neither of us will lead.” With that, she got on her stomach and wiggled through the hole. It was a much tighter fit for her because her family did not have slim builds and the women were all well endowed. Myra managed to make it through a little easier.

  When Myra emerged, she found only Fayina standing there scowling at her surroundings. Fayina almost let out a noise as Myra grabbed her arm and pulled her down the wall away from the men who were fighting. They had managed to attract a crowd, and the fight was swelling into a brawl. That meant that the women couldn’t stick around to survey their surroundings. They had to get away before the entire group of bandits came to the dilapidated castle courtyard.

  They were passing a small opening when Fayina felt a hand wrap around her mouth and another around her waist. She was pulled backward into the darkness of the opening, her arm o
utstretched toward where Myra used to be.

  Chapter 1

  Indistinguishable from Everyone Else

  Fayina began to flail her arms as something strong pulled her farther and farther into the darkness. Her legs swung violently as she tried to kick the man who had her—and it was clearly a man who was hauling her away from Myra. His hand kept her from screaming. When the shock began to wear off, Fayina tried to bite him.

  That was when a soft voice whispered in her ear, “Now, don’t go doing that. A pretty young lady such as yourself shouldn’t be acting like a rabid animal.”

  Clearly Fayina was not about to listen to someone who was dragging her off to who knew where. The problem was that trying to ignore him seemed… wrong. Her jaw moved to bite, but the princess hesitated.

  “That’s right. It’s going to be okay. Your friends are going to be fine too. There’s not a chance that we are going to let these bastards add shape shifter bloodlines to any of the royal families.”

  The words stunned Fayina, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. Hanging limply from his arms, her mind raced to try to figure out what action would be best. Her eyes took in her surroundings. An archway passed over them, and Fayina heard a door open behind her.

  “We’ll have to hide in here for now.” The man took his hand off of her mouth and carefully placed her on the ground.

  Fayina quickly wheeled around, the spell that had kept her from fighting now broken. She grabbed the first thing she could reach. Her hand came up ready to fight.

  The gesture was met with a resounding laugh that was quickly quieted when the man covered his mouth with a large hand. It was certainly not the reaction that Fayina had expected, but then she looked at the small spoon she held in her hand. Knowing that she must look ridiculous, she scowled at the man, “I can do a lot of damage with a spoon.”

  The man stepped into the dim light from the fire. It seemed like there was too much of him to fit into the light, and shadows danced across his ruggedly handsome face. He had dark hair that framed his face, though in the dim light it was nearly impossible to tell if it was black or a dark brown. He was tall and had a very muscular build, even broader than most of the knights Fayina had met.