A moment came when a great lump of hillside stood between us and Tristan. Immediately, Owain grabbed hold of my throat.
“Hear my counteroffer,” he snarled, before I could do more than claw at his hand. “Tomorrow’s battle will proceed as planned. I will defeat the dragon and win your hand in marriage. Furthermore, you will insist upon being thoroughly in love with me, that we might be married as soon as possible. And you will tell no one, no one, not father nor fairy nor simpleton nor mute, and certainly not my brother. If you don’t do as I have said, I will have but one more command for my dragon, of whom you think so highly—to dive a fathom deep into the sea, and take a long, deep breath. Do we understand each other?”
Before I could reply, Tristan came back into view, and Owain released
