The Dragon Bard (Dragon of the Island) Read Online Free PDF

since he’d met a woman he couldn’t beguile.
    His confidence returned. He would persuade Queen Dessia he could be of use to her in other ways than as a crude laborer. Indeed, there was no reason not to make another attempt now. He took a deep breath and began to sing. The song poured out of him easily. A witty tale. It appeared at first to be a love song, a man lamenting the death of his lady. He describes her beauty, her loyal heart, her sweet nature. Then the tale shifts so it seems as if the object of the song is another warrior. The words extol the valiant heart, bravery and loyalty of the beloved one, the battles the two shared together and numerous times they saved each others’ lives. Only at the end, as the refrain praises the loved one’s “clear, fine eyes” and “grace and swiftness, like the hind racing through the woods” does it become clear that the song is about a man’s favorite hound.
    Bridei watched the auburn-haired queen as she listened. He could tell she was impressed with his voice, and caught up in the theme of the tale, grief over the loss of a loved one. At the end, when she laughed as she realized the true subject of the song, he had to struggle not to reveal his sense of triumph.
    But his satisfaction was short-lived, for after one quick outburst of mirth, her expression grew grim and determined one more. “You’re very skilled,” she said, “But that doesn’t change the fact that it serves no purpose for you to amuse me if my fortress remains unfinished and my kingdom in peril. My offer remains the same. Serve me as fits my needs, or don’t serve me at all.”
    She crossed her arms for emphasis, tantalizing Bridei with the swelling curve of her full breasts beneath the thin linen gown. Her response both irritated and surprised him. Was she immune to his appeal? Had she cut herself off from her womanly feelings for so long that her heart had grown cold and that magnificent body unresponsive?
    Impossible. This woman was too young to live as a crone the rest of her days. Her face and form were sensual in the extreme. Her vibrant hair and brilliant eyes glowed with the fire of a passionate nature.
    Perhaps she’d already given her heart to another. Some women weren’t susceptible to him because they were already in love with someone else. His brother’s woman, Eastra, had been like that. He’d been able to win Eastra’s admiration, but never touch her heart. But if Queen Dessia had a lover, where was he? Dead? Had this lovely queen lost her sweetheart? Was that the source of the sadness that haunted her exquisite countenance?
    To find out, he would have to spend time with her, and once she set him to work as a laborer, it might be days before he saw her again. He couldn’t give up yet. He must try one more time to convince her he had worth beyond her need for workers.
    “You haven’t heard me play a harp,” he said. “If you fetch one, I’ll show you what I can do. I vow that with such accompaniment I can near match the goddess Rhiannon’s gifts . . . and she was said to be able to charm the birds out of the trees with her music.”
    “A harp?” She cocked one auburn brow mockingly. “Where do you propose I get a harp?”
    “Surely . . . somewhere in your kingdom . . .”
    Her mouth quirked bitterly. “Long ago my enemies robbed us of all such luxury items.”
    “You hardly seem poor.” He motioned to the gold circlet binding her hair, the stunning torc at her neck.
    Her expression grew taut. “If not for the treasure my father saw fit to bury before our enemies overran us, I would have nothing. But a bard’s harp was not among the objects spared. And since our vile attackers killed my family and destroyed my home, bringing music and poetry back into the hall has been the least of my concerns.”
    He must try another approach, find another way to demonstrate her need for his abilities. Bowing his head, he said, “You’ve endured a great tragedy. All the more