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message that when she says no, she means no. You do anything to make her uncomfortable again, you will deal with me, and I’ll have more than just a warning next time.”
    Fallon said nothing. He just glared at him and walked away. No one said no to him. He had his sights on Melenthia, and he would have her, by force if necessary. He didn’t think it would come to that, however. He had made steps toward achieving his goal. She would soon learn her place. Her curvaceous body and those full lips would soon be his, and he looked forward to it.

CHAPTER 3
    A couple of hours later, Melenthia was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair after taking a bath. A knock on the door made her stop, wondering if she should actually answer. She was afraid that maybe Fallon had come upstairs to seek her out, but then chided herself for being ridiculous. Kevaan would never let that happen.
    “Who is it?”
    “It’s Kevaan, Mel, let me in.”
    She stood up, went to the door and unlatched it. He came in as she was sitting on the bed. He sat down next to her and tapped her playfully on the nose.
    “Are you alright?”
    “I’m fine, Kevaan.”
    “Did he hurt you?”
    “My sensibilities maybe, but not physically, no.”
    “Don’t lie to me, Melenthia.”
    She sighed. “He did a bit, but I have experienced harder in the practice arena.”
    “What did he say to you?”
    “Things a sister should not repeat to her brother as it would embarrass him.”
    “He should not have done or said anything that would insult your honor.”
    “A nice gesture from a brother to his sister, nothing more. Men always think they have the right to take what they want whether it’s inappropriate or not. There’s no impropriety where men are concerned.”
    “That’s not true of all men.”
    “You are not all men, Kevaan. You have the last of the romantic, gentle hearts.”
    “I should tell father.”
    She snickered. “Tell him what, that his favored man came on to his daughter. He will not listen. I tried to tell him before, and he didn’t listen then either.”
    “He needs to know that Fallon is a scoundrel, and he should not allow him near his only daughter.”
    “Father sees only what he chooses to see. Fallon is a shrewd businessman who meticulously handles his estates. That’s the only thing that matters.”
    “I’m sorry, Mel. I didn’t want you to have to deal with that on your birthday.”
    “It’s just another day to remind me that I’m not married or betrothed or even have my sights set on some young nobleman. It’s just another day to remind me of my oddity.”
    He looked at her with love. “I celebrate you. You are beautiful, smart and compassionate, and somewhere in that rough exterior is a woman with a heart of gold and a love for life. I see it in your eyes every time I look into them. You are special, Melenthia, that I know.”
    She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
    “I love you, Kevaan. You will always be the only man I ever love.”
    “You will find another. In time.”
    “Yes, but will it be too late by then? When will father decide that he will not wait anymore?”
    He knew his father was already thinking about it, but he had promised to tell Kevaan first. He didn’t want Melenthia to worry, so he fibbed. “He would not make a decision of that importance without my council. Don’t worry.” He kissed her cheek again and stood to leave. “Sleep tight, sister. Maybe if you dream of the one you want, he’ll present himself.”
    She giggled now. “If only that really did work. My dreams are always full of handsome men that love me for myself. Men that love me so deeply, they’d die for me. If only they were not dreams.”
    “There is one out there, I know it. Good night.”
    “Good night, Kevaan.”
     
    ***
     
    A couple of weeks later, Melenthia was down in the practice arena again, fighting off another challenger that was dumb enough to try and beat her. Randor was watching again from his audience