Heir of Amber and Fire

by Rachanee Lumayno

  The wedding was due to start soon. While the benches were all occupied by the visiting nobility, Rhyss and Farrah had managed to get a spot near the front, where they would be able to view both the ceremony and the guests. Prince Anders was at the dais with his parents, the king and queen of Rothschan, seated nearby. My mother was seated on the opposite side, looking apprehensive.

  Beyan and I joined our group where they stood. Farrah jumped when we approached. “For a minute, I didn’t recognize you!”

  Beyan and I both lowered our hoods. Although we had found some dressier items in the king’s antechamber, they didn’t fit right. And, if I was being honest, I didn’t want to leave my mother’s dress behind. We had found some lightweight, embroidered cloaks that covered up our outfits without making us look out of place.

  “What’s with the cloaks?” Rhyss asked us.

  “It’s a long story we can share later,” Beyan said. “More importantly, we have a few things to tell you now.”

  “We found Taryn,” I said in a low voice. “She’s still enchanted, and she thinks she’s me. And she’s been spelled to look like me. I think the king intends to use her as the bride, since he couldn’t enchant me.”

  “And we know how the king will steal everyone’s magic,” Beyan added. “It’s — ”

  Trumpets sounded a fanfare. All heads turned to the doors of the castle. The court musicians began playing a lovely, lilting melody.

  King Hendon appeared at the doors, Taryn as “Princess Jennica” on his arm. There was no spark in Taryn’s usually lively eyes; Hendon looked positively smug. He led her outside and down the aisle, toward Prince Anders.

  Taryn was resplendent in a brilliant white gown delicately embroidered with small red flowers and trimmed with red ribbons. My heart ached just looking at her; part of me wished it really was her real wedding day.

  But as gorgeous as her wedding dress was, it was her headpiece that stood out. A gauzy white veil flowed down her back from a golden circlet that was nestled in Taryn’s hair. The circlet was encrusted with a myriad of tiny sparkling rubies, with one huge, perfect ruby in the center. Just large enough to convey status without being overly ostentatious, the headpiece was the real eye catcher of Taryn’s ensemble.

  Which was what King Hendon was counting on.

  Beyan and I exchanged worried looks, and I looked down at my hands ruefully. Although we had found Taryn’s circlet while we were snooping in the king’s bedroom, we had been unable to do anything with it or to it. Neither Beyan nor I were able to get past the protective shield protecting the vials and the circlet. My hands were already sporting slight blisters from my attempt to reach into the alcove. I couldn’t throw any spells into the recess to try to call the circlet to me or destroy it, either. I was sure that there was some spell or trigger word to release the circlet from its protective shell, but nothing I tried worked. We finally had to abandon our efforts when we heard the musicians warming up outside and realized the ceremony was imminent.

  The king kissed his “daughter” on the cheek and moved to the side, sitting down next to the queen. My mother moved away from him, ever so slightly.

  “Welcome, all, to the wedding of Prince Anders of Rothschan to Princess Jennica of Calia. Not only will we witness these two becoming united as one in matrimony, we will also bear witness to the union of two great kingdoms joining together as family and political allies.” As the priest continued his speech, my group began moving closer to the dais.

  From where we now stood, I could see King Hendon’s face. At a quick glance, he looked like a doting father watching his only daughter as she embarked on a new life. But watching him closely, I could see his eyes were a little too bright. His attention was completely focused on her ruby crown. His hand wasn’t on his heart because he was overcome with emotion; he was surreptitiously touching his necklace, silently mouthing a spell. The circlet seemed to glow, brighter and brighter. I looked out at the sea of guests. All eyes were fixated on Taryn’s circlet as it sparkled in the sunlight. Even the priest’s words were slurring, as he started to become mesmerized by the jewels.

  I was seeing red, but it wasn’t just the reflection from Taryn’s headpiece. How many people’s lives — including my own — had Hendon ruined with his selfishness? And how many more people would get hurt due to his ambition?

  We had to stop him now, before he completed the spell.

  I moved toward him, not sure what I would do, but just wanting to end this, somehow. Beyan reached for my arm to pull me back and just missed me. My slight movement caught the attention of Taryn. Her face flushed, as bright red as the rubies in her crown.

  “You!”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  KING HENDON’S HEAD whipped toward me, his eyes snaring me in their grip. “How convenient! I’d wondered where you’d gone.”

  He stood, drawing his sword. My mother gasped. “Hendon, no!”

  He backhanded her. The smack of his slap echoed loudly. Joichan growled and stepped in front of me, drawing Hendon’s focus.

  Hendon studied Joichan. “You... you seem familiar.”

  “Let me help you remember.” Joichan transformed, faster than I’d ever seen before. His magnificent golden scales glittered in the sunlight, competing with Taryn’s jeweled circlet.

  Hendon gripped his necklace and yelled something incoherently, his sword aloft, running at my father to attack. With his control on the crowd weakening, the hypnotizing hold on the wedding guests broke. Someone screamed at the dragon in their midst. Nobles and servants alike scattered. Some hid behind benches or barrels. Others ran into the castle or behind the castle walls. The Queen of Rothschan fainted. Her husband hurriedly tried to revive her, while fearfully eyeing the dragon. Prince Anders ran to check on his mother.

  Guards ran to the aid of the king, and of the “princess” who was screaming orders on the dais.

  “Arrest those people and kill that dragon! They’re ruining my wedding!”

  Momentarily stung, I turned to my friends. “Do I really act like that?”

  Farrah shrugged as she and Rhyss each drew swords, which had been cleverly hidden in their finery. “Like a spoiled brat? Not really. You’re more of a take-action type of princess.”

  “Yeah, remember the bandits?” Rhyss grinned, turning the length of steel in his hands so it caught the light.

  A quick glance at the items in their hands told me that these items weren’t my friends’ usual weapons; I wondered where Farrah and Rhyss had gotten them since we had all turned over our weapons to the guard at the entrance earlier in the day. Could none of my friends follow a simple edict? Although, as the wedding descended into chaos and we faced an infuriated King Hendon, an ensorcelled Taryn, and several heavily armed and well-trained soldiers, I was very glad that my friends had ignored the rules.

  Rhyss tossed a short sword to Beyan, who had pulled his dagger out of his boot to fend off one of the guards.

  “Where did you get the swords?” Beyan called to Rhyss, never taking his eyes off his opponent.

  It was Rhyss’s turn to shrug, even while he was engaged with his own opponent. He called back, “We just found them, you know, laying around.”

  I rushed to my mother. “Are you all right?”

  A blotchy oblong bloom had formed under her left eye. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Take care of Taryn.”

  I looked around wildly. “Farrah!”

  She had knocked out a guard and was stepping back, avoiding his falling body. “What?”

  “Come with me!” Together, we dodged the guards, the majority of whom were focused on the dragon.

  As we dashed toward Taryn, I asked Farrah, “How long does it take for you to prepare a sleep spell? I don’t want to hurt Taryn if I don’t have to.”

  “It’s kind of hard on the run, but...” Farrah began reciting the incantation.

  If I had any doubts that Taryn was enchanted, watching her at the dais would have cinched it for me. Alternately crying, poutin
g, and shouting, she was in full spoiled princess mode. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she really was royalty.

  “Taryn!” I approached her slowly, hands out.

  “You’re that imposter from earlier!” She advanced on me. “Why are you trying to ruin my wedding? Do you want to marry the prince?”

  “Believe me, no. You can have him. Taryn — ”

  “That is not my name! Guards! Guards!” No one came to her aid. They were too busy trying to take down Joichan.

  At that moment Prince Anders looked up from his mother and toward us. His eyes widened. “My lord, there’s two of you!” His mother woke up, saw us, shrieked, and fainted again.

  The Queen of Rothschan’s scream pulled Taryn’s attention away from me. While Taryn was distracted, I leapt at her, clawing for the circlet around her head. She screamed and grabbed at her headpiece while trying to twist away. She kicked out at me, but I stepped out of the way. I looked up. Her fist was coming right toward my face. I ducked, still trying desperately to get her crown. My hands closed around the circlet, but it was so well-secured that I feared I’d rip out half her hair if I tried to yank it off her head. My goodness, was it glued on?

  She wound up again to try to hit me. I twisted, trying to avoid her, but wasn’t quick enough. Right before her open palm made impact, she dropped like a stone. The ruby circlet stayed in my hand as she fell, her tangled hair falling around her face.

  Curled on her side, Taryn didn’t move. Worried, I started to reach down to her when she let out a loud snore.

  I straightened up and glanced around. Farrah stepped up, hands outstretched toward Taryn as she silently mouthed her spell.

  “Took you long enough!” I clutched the circlet to my chest.

  Farrah finished her incantation and tied off her magic. With the spell complete, she stuck her tongue out at me. “You’re welcome!”

  “How long will your spell hold?”

  “About a quarter of an hour. If you need her to stay asleep longer, I’ll need to recast the spell.”

  “That’s good enough. Here, help me destroy this thing!” I waved the circlet in the air.

  Farrah joined me, throwing random spells at the circlet in an effort to break it. Her magic ripped at the still-attached veil, quickly turning the gauzy fabric into rags. But her spells bounced harmlessly off the circlet. It didn’t even look singed.

  The torn veil was getting in the way, so I ripped it off and began banging the circlet against a nearby bench. The jewels stayed intact.

  “Try melting it!” Farrah shouted.

  I reached within, recalling the spell I had used against the bandits who had invaded our camp weeks ago. I had more control now, so I wasn’t worried about accidentally roasting Farrah. I concentrated, bringing forth fire and heat into my hands. But even though I called forth my hottest flame, the circlet remained unharmed.

  And it was pulsing with a heartbeat of its own. Its magical aura had steadily grown stronger, aided by Hendon’s attempt at stealing the essences of all the people at the wedding. Holding the small crown in my hands, I could feel it writhing like a living, breathing creature. I found myself looking between the circlet and King Hendon without knowing why.

  Hendon and Joichan were circling each other. Joichan was bleeding from a myriad of cuts; a few guards lay on the ground nearby, but there were still enough men continuing to harry my father. Hendon didn’t seem particularly eager to press the attack; I realized his goal was to weaken my father enough so that he could eventually overpower Joichan.

  Hendon waved his arms lazily. The jewel at his neck pulsed. The dragon recoiled. The circlet in my hands throbbed as well, cycling from blush to crimson to burgundy.

  Two guards had my mother’s arms pinned. “Unhand me!” she commanded imperiously. “Did you hear what I said? Release me this instant! I am your queen!”

  Upon seeing my mother captured, Joichan growled and lashed out at Hendon. Hendon swiped with his sword, creating a new slash of blood on the dragon’s golden hide. Joichan growled again, sounding weaker than before.

  “Oh, does this upset you?” Hendon swung his sword from Joichan to my mother. “Surrender, or she dies.”

  Joichan roared, but the massive beast backed away. Hendon stroked his necklace and began a sonorous incantation, pointing at the dragon. Joichan howled in pain, a terrifying sound that caused all the fighting to cease. Some of the guards fled; others clapped their hands to their ears. Beyan, now opponent-less, started to make his way to the queen. Rhyss engaged a guard who tried to stab Beyan in the back.

  But Joichan’s cry caused them to have trouble walking; it was as if the air had turned to mud or snow that they were forced to wade through.

  The circlet glowed again.

  My face flushed, as red hot as Hendon’s jewel and the circlet in my hands. I breathed in, and as I exhaled I transformed into my dragon self, faster than I ever had before. While I wasn’t as large a creature as my father — maybe about a third of his impressive size — I was still imposing. And unlike Joichan, I was uninjured. For the most part.

  Now fully in dragon form, I roared an answer to my father’s cry of pain. Hendon whirled around, paling at the sight of a second creature to contend with. Taryn’s wedding crown encircled my hand like some odd piece of dragon jewelry.

  Screams echoed around the courtyard as those left got a look at me. The loudest and shrillest of all was the Queen of Rothschan, who had apparently revived long enough to see me become a dragon. I had a feeling that after this new shock, she had fainted yet again. Poor lady. I’m probably not what she had in mind for a daughter-in-law.

  Farrah clapped her hands in delight. “Girl, you gotta show me how to do that!”

  Across the courtyard, Rhyss and the guard both broke off from their fight to stare at me, slack-jawed.

  Farrah yelled at Rhyss, “Pay attention, you idiot!”

  He blinked, almost casually disarming his still-stunned opponent. The guard didn’t hesitate, hightailing it out of the courtyard after one last fearful glance at me and my father.

  Even with Hendon holding her at sword point, my mother’s pride and love for me were evident as she gazed at me, eyes shining with unshed tears.

  And Beyan just grinned. Like he had somehow known all along.

  “I knew it!” Hendon’s angry shout echoed around the courtyard. “I always knew you were some sort of abomination. How your mother could love and shelter such a disgusting creature, I’ll never understand.”

  Snarling, I bared my teeth and advanced on King Hendon, wanting nothing more than to slash at him with my sharp claws. Or better yet, bite his head off. That would be most satisfying.

  I hadn’t taken more than three steps when I felt a sharp prickle reverberate through my skull. It began as little pinpricks that grew in intensity, becoming sharp daggers repeatedly pounding in my head. The pain was so intense, I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe.

  Before me, Hendon broke off from his spell casting to laugh at my consternation. His momentary lapse gave me a brief moment to catch my breath and steel myself against further magic. I shook my golden head as if I could shake off the remnants of Hendon’s spell, and took another step.

  And howled in excruciating pain. Hendon’s spell washed over me again as he redoubled his efforts. I roared in anger at the sky, and heard an answering, weaker roar —

  — And I lifted myself from the pavement, dazed and much smaller than I remembered being. I had shifted back to my human self without conscious thought, perhaps as a defense mechanism against Hendon’s spell. The ruby circlet lay next to me in the dusty courtyard.

  Looking up, I saw Hendon clutching his arm as he spat out a curse. The thin red line trickling from beneath his fingers told me that Joichan’s swipe had solidly connected. But my father, weak from loss of blood and Hendon’s offensive magic, wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

  Hendon laughed at me lying on the pavement, just a few feet away from
him. “Not only are you an abomination, you’re pathetic. Can’t even control your own abilities. Don’t worry; after I take care of your father, I’ll put you out of your misery.” He patted his sword menacingly, then focused on his necklace — and Joichan — again.

  My head screamed in agony, and my vision wavered. Any movement made me want to throw up.

  Without thinking, my right hand crept up to find my amber pendant. As I touched it, it grew warm and glowed bright, the magic inside it flowing through my fingers, up my arm, and into my head.

  The pain throbbing behind my eyes eased somewhat. Enough that I could force myself to reach out with my other hand, close my fingers around the wedding crown, and sit up. I needed to stay upright, just for a moment. Long enough to do this.

  I gripped the jeweled crown and sent my thoughts into it, as deep as I could, quicker than I had ever cast magic before. My soulstone kept the worst of the pain at bay as I concentrated on the crown.

  Down, down, down I dove, hoping I would find what I needed before it was too late. And then, just when my magical strength was nearly spent, there it was!

  Gripping my soulstone harder, I willed it to join its stored magic to my own ability. I would need every bit of magic I could muster.

  I reached through the link that joined the ruby circlet to Hendon’s soulstone, and pulled.

  My magical self flew backward, out of the crown. My actual self sailed through the air, landing in a heap on the cobblestones. The circlet flew through the air with me, shattering on the stones, bits of red stone flying everywhere.

  Farrah ran over to me. “Princess Jennica!”

  “I’m fine.” Actually, my head was splitting, made worse from the extensive use of magic. “Where’s my mother? What’s happened?”

  Farrah helped me to my feet. She pointed. The battle seemed to be finished. The remaining guards had surrendered, their swords at their feet. The few soldiers who were loyal to my mother were gathering them up, aided by Beyan and Rhyss, who had their weapons trained on Hendon’s henchmen. Joichan rested on the cobblestones as my mother, unhurt and now freed, fussed over his wounds. Taryn was still sleeping on the dais. Prince Anders and his father fussed over the Rothschan queen, who kept fainting at all the goings-on.