Snow Dragon, page 16
“Come with me, Scout Captain. Lilly, is the inner chamber suitable for the Lady?” Lilly knew his even having to ask that question was a blow to his pride, but Alric could not see the dragon and did not know if she would fit through the doors or in the rooms. Lilly moved to the King’s side, a position she had taken many times in the past.
“Lady Shilayla will be most comfortable, My Liege.”
“You are a kind man to consider my comfort.”
Lilly heard Shilayla’s melodic voice in her mind, and from the way King Alric’s shoulders stiffened, Lilly thought he did, too. Lilly shot a glance at Luc, and his raised eyebrow told her he’d seen the same thing she had.
“My Liege, if you would permit, I can guarantee your safety with our emissaries. Will you allow the rest of your Guard to remain outside while we talk? There are things best kept quiet for now that you need to know.”
“I have long trusted your guidance, Lilly. I will do so now.”
Lilly nodded at the royal guards who stood near, on either side of the King, should he have need of them. They were two of her good friends, Misha and Relin. They both trusted her, as she trusted them. She knew they would remain just outside the closed door, preventing any trouble or eavesdroppers.
The King led the way to his private inner chamber, but Lilly preceded him into the room itself to check for danger before Alric entered.
“The room is clear, Your Majesty.” She spoke the formal words for which he waited before entering. It was a ritual that had developed over years of the Royal Guard working with a blind King.
Alric entered and walked directly to his favorite chair, taking a seat as Luc and Shilayla entered behind.
“Please be seated wherever you like,” Alric invited. “I do not stand on formality in my private chambers.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Luc’s musical voice moved as he did, and Alric’s head swiveled to follow his motion across the room and into the chair on Alric’s right.
“May I sit at your feet?” Shilayla asked point blank.
Lilly looked at Luc and back to the King, waiting to see if he really did hear the dragon. She shouldn’t have been surprised when he answered her directly.
“Please do, milady. I can feel your heat already, and it is comforting in this cold hall.”
“Thank you, King Alric.” The little purr in Shilayla’s voice signaled her satisfaction to all who could hear her.
“I rarely regret my loss of sight anymore, but right now, I wish I could see you, Lady Shilayla. I feel your warmth and your magic, but I have no real idea of what you look like.” The wistfulness in Alric’s tone touched Lilly’s heart.
Shilayla settled in front of the King, in the space between the chairs and the fireplace that had no fire at the moment. She raised her head directly in front of the King and held still.
“You can touch me, if that will help.” She went on to describe her position, and Lilly found herself holding her breath as Alric reached out to touch the dragon’s scaly head. The smile that lit his face and curved his lips in such a free and open expression was so beautiful, she had to look away. Tears gathered behind her eyes as she met Luc’s equally emotional gaze.
Luc held her attention as the King and the dragon communed silently. Something passed between Luc and Lilly, too. Something neither could put into words, but both felt. She yearned for him but despaired at what could never be. Her heart already missed him, though her mind knew they still had work to do together.
“You are beautiful, Lady Shilayla.” Lilly had never heard quite that tone from her King. “I thank you for your generous heart.”
Shilayla’s great head moved back to settle on her folded front legs.
“Dragon sense can see into the heart of a man, King Alric, and I have seen into yours. My kind will be glad of our alliance.”
Lilly started, looking at Luc, but he only smiled with satisfaction. He’d known all along that Shilayla would be testing the King’s mettle. A quick glance at Alric’s amused expression said that he, too, now understood the dragon’s role.
“You are a crafty and noble creature, milady. My people can only benefit from contact with you and your kind.”
“You may not know this, but many centuries ago, snow dragons wintered here in your land. I have heard from the elders about the crystal ice caves in your mountains. If you are willing, I would like to explore them tomorrow while you do business with Luc. I have already done most of what I came to do in meeting you and taking your measure.”
“And I suspect checking out the defenses and possible hiding places in the mountains is another part of your mission here,” Alric asked without rancor. The faint smile around his lips indicated both amusement and admiration.
“You have the right of it, Your Majesty. I was tasked with surveying matters from the dragon’s perspective, since others of my kind will no doubt be involved in any alliance between our two lands.”
“Then, you may explore to your heart’s content, Lady Shilayla. There are legends, even today, among the mountain folk in my realm, of the snow dragons that used to come with the snows but have not been seen in many a year. They are good tales of friendly and helpful dragons, so you should have no difficulty,” Alric told her.
“There is another dragon that came with us to meet you,” Shilayla said, surprising Lilly. She’d thought she was going to be the one to speak of Zallra, but it seemed Shilayla had other ideas.
“Another dragon?” Alric looked surprised. “Where?”
“Not here yet, sire,” Lilly told him. “She wanted to make contact with her people first.”
“A dragon has contacts here in the city?” Alric turned sightless eyes to Lilly, seated at his side. “Please explain.”
“Let me start by explaining that we got blown well off our course on the way to see you,” Lilly began. “Lady Shilayla was good enough to allow me to ride along as we made our way back here, but it appears our enemies were waiting for just such a thing, because a magical maelstrom opened up in the sky before us, and only Shilayla’s amazing acrobatic flying skills kept us in one piece. The tempest spit us out on the other side of the Dragon’s Teeth, near the northern border of Draconia, just on the northern side of the River Arundelle.”
“Surely not?” Alric looked shocked. “That is a vast distance.”
“Yes, My Liege,” Lilly agreed. “We were intercepted by dragons and knights from the Northern Lair of Draconia and invited to their home. It was a wondrous place, and when we have time, I will tell you all about how the dragons and knights live in enormous caverns carved into the side of a mountain. For now, let me just say that they were very welcoming, and another dragon flew there especially to meet us. She is a seer, My King,” Lilly said softly. “She foresaw our arrival and came to fulfill her vision of coming back with us here. It was she that guided us over the mountains and back to your domain. She is the Lady Zallra of the Jinn Brotherhood.”
Alric sat back in his chair. “The Jinn have dragons among them?”
“They do, My Liege,” Lilly replied. “From what she has shared, their presence was a secret known only among the Jinn until recently. Things have changed for the Brotherhood with the discovery of their Queen. It seems they have seen the fruition of a long-held prophecy in the revelation of the Princess Arikia, who was recently married to Prince Nico of Draconia, second eldest and spymaster to the King. Apparently, Princess Arikia is the Jinn Queen and Prince Nico, the Jinn King-Consort. As part of the fulfillment of the prophecy, thousands of Jinn have come from all over and settled outside the capital city, expanding it to twice its original size, or so Lady Zallra has told us. She was part of the honor Guard that came to Draconia with the Jinn Queen and Prince Nico. She volunteered because she had her own vision of her future and what she must do.”
“And she is in the city, meeting with other Jinn right now?” Alric asked. “I have had no reports of a dragon in the city.”
“That’s because she is more than likely not in dragon form,” Luc murmured. “King Alric, strange as it may seem, Lady Zallra is a shapeshifter, able to become a dragon or a human being in the blink of an eye. It is astounding to witness, even for me, and I’ve been around magic and mages all my life.”
“What does she look like?” Alric asked, his expression strange to Lilly’s eyes. He almost looked as if he was confirming one of his visions. She’d seen him in that state before, and this looked a bit like it. Her mind raced as Luc described Zallra.
“Where my heartmate Shilayla is as white as snow, Lady Zallra’s dragon hide is black as night. She is much smaller than Shilayla in dragon form, but no less fierce, and she is intensely magical. As a woman, she is perhaps a bit taller than average, with night-dark hair and brilliant green eyes. She is beautiful to my eyes, and after traveling with her and speaking with her at length, I believe she has an incredibly sharp mind and is a strategist of some skill,” Luc told the King.
They went on discussing Zallra and then detailing their journey at length until one of the guards tapped on the door to say that a meal had been laid in the great hall, if they wished to have lunch. Lilly knew the steward had arranged everything, and Alric’s limited court would be in attendance. Luckily, they had worn their best clothing when they set off from the inn this morning, in preparation for meeting the King. Luc would be well received with his blond good looks and fey-cast features. He was both exotic and handsome, which would fuel the courtiers’ constant desire for something or someone new to talk about.
Lilly had worn her badges of office, which should suffice to identify her to any who might not recognize her. She represented the loyal King’s guardsmen, who did his bidding in all things. Even if they did not know her name, they would recognize her function and why she was being given the honor of eating in the great hall.
Lilly knew that Alric would not be dining with them. Because of his blindness and his desire not to be seen fumbling for his peas—as he had said once in frustration to her—he would eat in private. They would likely be recalled to his presence after the meal. Before they left, Lilly warned him of Zallra’s plans to arrive at the castle later that afternoon, which brought an inexplicable smile to his face.
Bemused, Lilly left the King, Luc and Shilayla walking ahead of her.
*
They ate lunch with the court, and Luc made a sensation, as Lilly knew he would, just by his appearance. Though he spoke only to a few people seated with them at the high table, the others were clearly watching and whispering about him with avid interest.
He seemed to take it all in stride, and Shilayla had taken off for the mountains to begin her scouting mission. She had caused a stir in the city, which everyone was twittering about. The dragon and her rider were ripe fodder for gossip.
After the meal, the steward showed Luc to his room for the night. Lilly told him she would meet him in the great hall in a few hours. She had to check in with her captain and warn the guards on the gate that Zallra would be arriving in a few hours. It was their intention to be at the gate when she walked—or flew—up. They still weren’t sure which form she would take to make her first appearance.
So it was, a few hours later, when Lilly showed Luc around the inner courtyard, that they were perfectly positioned when Zallra walked up to the gate—on two feet, Lilly noted with relief—and demanded entrance. She strode forward to greet Zallra and explain her presence, officially, to the guard on duty.
Captain Jimnel just happened to be there, as Lilly and he had arranged, to meet the newcomer personally. Lilly waited while Jimnel satisfied himself regarding Zallra’s identity and intentions. To Lilly’s surprise, Zallra had come with signed and sealed documents directly from the King of Draconia, intended for King Alric. The official seal of the far-off kingdom went a long way toward establishing Zallra’s legitimacy as an emissary from Draconia. No mention was made of the Jinn to the Guard Captain, Lilly noticed.
With Jimnel’s approval, Lilly was allowed to escort Zallra and Luc through the garden gate, heading toward the private areas of the inner courtyards. She led them around to one side, through a kitchen garden full of growing herbs, and then farther on, to a more structured garden with wide paths and ornamental bushes sculpted into various shapes.
“This time of day, when the weather is fine, my liege likes to sit in his private garden,” Lilly told them both. They had an escort of castle guardsmen accompanying them.
They were walking along twisting paths, but all were level and clear, so as not to trip up the Blind King, if he chose to walk them. Before too long, they came upon a sheltered grotto. A giant structure had been formed of thin tree limbs, twisted and arranged by artisans to form a half-shell that towered into the air. Over it grew a curtain of ivy that was dense enough to shade the area beneath but still allow plenty of air flow.
At the base of the shell were benches on three sides, built into the structure. On the center bench was a lone figure. A man with silvery blond hair and a faraway cast to his eyes, which shone the milky white of blindness. The King.
Lilly walked close and knelt before Alric, close enough to touch. “I am returned, My Liege,” she said in a quiet voice. “And I bring with me both Scout Captain Lucassian and a newcomer, the Lady Zallra, who bears official messages from Draconia.”
Once again, it was clear to Luc that Lilly respected—even loved—Alric, very much. Luc felt a small stab of jealousy that only increased as the King turned to her and reached out his hand to touch her face.
“Lilly.” He spoke quietly in the rich baritone voice Luc had heard earlier that still made a fresh impact of strength and courage to his ears. Alric ran his fingers over Lilly’s cheek, exploring, and only then did Luc realize that since the man could not see, he used his fingers to learn the nuances of expression. Alric traced his fingers over Lilly’s forehead then lowered his hand. “Welcome again, Scout Captain,” Alric said in Luc’s direction. “And welcome, Lady Zallra.”
Lilly rose and stepped back as Alric’s guards formed up on either side of the King. Zallra stepped forward to stand in front of the King.
“Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Zallra of the Black Dragon Clan of the Jinn, emissary of both the Draconian King and the Queen of the Jinn to your court. I come bearing a scroll from King Roland and a verbal message on behalf of the Jinn.” Zallra offered the scroll to the nearest guard, who stepped forward to take it.
“Welcome, Lady Zallra. I would hear the spoken message first, if you are ready to proceed.”
“Indeed, I am, sire. To do so, I must go back in history and tell you of the ancient pacts that bind all dragons to the protection of the Citadel. It is their sacred duty to prevent any from breaching that icy prison and one no dragon will ever forget. It is King Roland’s belief, and the belief of the Jinn, that your enemies seek to breach the Citadel, and therefore, we seek alliances with you to prevent it. Queen Arikia of the Jinn Brotherhood, to be more specific, seeks to ally with you to prevent the breach of the Citadel. Although I am not privy to what King Roland wrote in his message to you, I suspect his message is much the same.”
Alric sat back in his seat a little then spoke after a brief pause. “Your words surprise me, milady, but they are very welcome. My vision has come clearer in the time since I sent Lilly on her quest, and I fear this enemy seeks alliances with the wizards of old who are trapped in the Citadel. The first step, of course, would be freeing them, which would spell disaster for all the lands, not just ours.”
“And that brings us to why I came on this journey.” Zallra moved a step closer to Alric, pitching her voice so that only the King, Lilly and Luc could hear her. “King Alric, I am not just a member of the Black Dragon Clan of the Jinn. I am, in fact, a black dragon, one of the rarest of all dragons because I can also take human form. It has been a great secret for many centuries that the descendants of Dranneth the Wise took on this magic so that we could bridge the gap between humanity and Dranneth’s greatest creation, dragonkind. My line descends from Dranneth’s youngest child, and it was he who formed the Jinn eons ago, against just such a situation as this.”
The guards stationed around Alric’s position couldn’t hear what Zallra said, but Luc could see they were alert and probably very curious, though they hid it rather well.
Zallra went on. “Your Majesty, there are threats against the Citadel, not just from the enemy who seeks to overrun these lands, but also among the enemies of Draconia. King Roland has been engaged in war with King Lucan of Skithdron and the barbarian leaders to the north of his land. They have already fought many battles to prevent Lucan and his other allies from gaining knowledge and magic he would need to bring down the walls of the Citadel.”
Alric frowned, leaning forward a bit. “This is grave news.” Luc liked the way this King thought over what he’d been told before offering any reaction. It spoke well of his temperament. Those under the Veil would not wish to ally with a hothead.
“Further, one of the great wizards on our side of the ancient conflict took steps to preserve his home island in time and has just recently rejoined us in real time. The Wizard Gryffid, creator of the gryphons, is back among us and willing to help those who would prevent the storming of the Citadel,” Zallra revealed.
This was news to Luc, even though he had been taught that an enclave of fair folk had disappeared eons ago with Gryffid, who was their ally. His people at home would be intrigued to learn if those ancient fey had survived along with the wizard.
“Gryffid’s island is home to a large community of gryphons and fair folk, who are also pledged to our cause. King Roland and the Queen of the Jinn have given me their leave to talk of alliance with you, King Alric. Though Draconia lies far away, dragons can make the journey in a week, as we have just proved. And Jinn are everywhere, with established networks of communication that you could access if you talk alliance with them. Also, Draconia is already allied with not only the wizard Gryffid, but also the fair folk and gryphons of Gryphon Isle. Another colony of gryphons is also part of the alliance in the far western nation of Helios. One of King Roland’s many brothers recently traveled there and married the Doge of Helios, forming a family alliance, as well as a political one.”
