“You look beautiful,” I said to Sukina as we walked side by side towards the makeup room, because there was still a lot to be done.
“And you, dear,” Sukina said. “You’ve made me so proud, Dragonseer Wells.”
I knew those words were dangerous. But they also caused my heart to flutter in my chest. I didn’t really want the Exalmpora and I didn’t really want Francoiso. I wanted to be a dragonseer and fight for Gerhaun. My behaviour the previous days had only been down to chemicals. Nothing else. And I was stronger than those chemicals. I was stronger than secicao.
I won’t go into too many details about the makeup session. Let’s just say it was long and tedious, and great care had to be put in to make each of the bridesmaids look even more like me and Sukina.
Afterwards, Master Artua was waiting for us outside the throne room. He wore this cute little suit and dickie bow that made him look four years older. His hair had been swept down in a bob cut, which somehow highlighted Sukina’s high cheekbones on his face. Today, there was no doubt who is mother was.
“Hurry, Miss Wells, Mamo,” he said. “You’ll be late.” And at the word Mamo, I felt Sukina’s heart melt within her chest.
Artua gave us some flowers – I had buttercups and Sukina had daisies – to put in our hair. Two redguards opened the door for us then each of them curtsied to reveal the throne room before us.
The king sat on the throne with Francoiso and Charth in front of him, their backs turned to us. Alsie stood on the king’s right-hand side. The rest of the seats were filled with all kinds of people I recognised from the newspapers – entrepreneurs, royal family members, the king’s famous seamstress, the king’s mother even who, apparently, rarely got out of bed. Guards flanked the room in the traditional manner.
I never thought I’d have a wedding this grand. Yet, at the back of my mind, I also knew I couldn’t take such a wedding seriously when I was marrying under duress.
Heads turned towards us as Artua led us down the aisle, carrying two rings on a silken red cushion. The bridesmaids walked between him and us and, at the front, Charth and Francoiso turned their heads towards us. Only Francoiso smiled, but Charth’s eyes when they turned on Sukina reflected true sincerity. It could almost be called love.
Or, maybe, they just had something planned.
Before we did the honours with the vows, Alsie stepped forward and produced a hip flask from her waist. She handed this to me first. “Exalmpora, of course,” she said in the collective unconscious. Traditionally, we were meant to drink dessert wine, but absolutely no one in congregation would know what was in the flask. “Drink a good swig and make sure you have enough to convince the king you want to do this. He’s suspicious enough as it is.”
“Oh, I want this”, I telepathed back to her. But I didn’t tell her what this was. I took hold of the flask and tipped my head back, so it looked like I was taking a huge swig. Part of me wanted to take down the contents in one. But I willed myself to resist. Instead, I angled the flask so very little would tip into my mouth.
But Alsie grasped my hair, pulled it back, and kept the flask there so I was forced to swallow more. I heard a gasp from the audience. It’s not as if I could spit this stuff out, as that would be a clear refusal of the marriage. So, I let ecstasy and oblivion wash over me once again and I let myself bend to the will of Finesia.
“That’s it,” Alsie said, out loud this time. Then she added in the collective unconscious, “You will do our Empress proud.”
I turned around and faced the congregation so they could see that I’d indeed swallowed the liquid. Their expressions turned from shock to laughter and they gave me a huge round of applause as I offered a comical bow. Meanwhile, I felt my body morphing underneath my skin again. I almost wanted to bite the air and roar.
“Resist it.” A voice said at the back of my head. But no, it was so good and now I would marry Francoiso. We’d drink more and then he’d lead me to his bedchamber and the rest would be history.
Alsie marched over to Sukina with the hip flask, with a pomposity of an Empress herself. Sukina didn’t try resisting like I did, so Alsie didn’t have to force the Exalmpora down. In retrospect, it was a little foolish of me to show resistance. It could have given the game away to Cini and made him suspect even more. Again, Sukina turned to the congregation and gained an equal round of applause. The king then stepped forward to address them.
Before Cini performed the ceremony, he walked up to Alsie with an air of urgency to say something to her. Alsie didn’t look so impressed, and I could hear enough of the conversation to make out something about in revolt in the northern provinces and that the Lamford Brothers were obviously engaged.
I felt a channel open then in collective unconscious. There were three of us then – me, Sukina and Alsie.
“I hoped I could be around to make sure you performed your duties,” Alsie said. “But for now, I have to go away on business. I shall return soon and if I learn you’ve attempted anything against King Cini’s wishes, then there will be severe consequences.”
And then there was a puff of smoke, a gust of wind that caused a murmur from the congregation, and Alsie was gone up the chimney. In all honesty, I didn’t want to escape. I just wanted to get this over with so I could accompany Francoiso to his bedchamber.
But I had a wait ahead of me. Cini looked up for a moment, then turned back to the congregation. He then gave a long and boring speech, telling us how dragonseers and Tow used to be enemies. His father before him wanted to exterminate us. But now, dragonseers and Tow had allied and could live together as one. This marriage was not just any old royal marriage, it was symbolic of a significant change in the war effort, where Tow would finally take control of the Southlands and have access to all the secicao that mankind would need. Then he instructed both Francoiso and Charth to put the ring upon our fingers and then it was time to start the good stuff.
“Let’s start with the youngest couple, shall we?” he said. He turned to me and Francoiso. The moment I – or at least Exalmpora-addled I – had been waiting for. “Francoiso, you may now kiss the bride.”
I melted into Francoiso’s arms, and he pulled me close to him. “Finally, darling. These last days have seemed like they’ve lasted for months.”
He opened his mouth and wrapped his lips around mine. I felt the warmth of his breath and something rising even further down. I couldn’t wait.
The king ahem-ed and gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Now, now, Francoiso. In less polite company I’d allow this, but please here show at least a modicum of respect.”
Francoiso pulled away, as would a sulky child. “As you wish,” he said. But he still kept hold of my hand and started playing with the skin there in an incredibly suggestive way.
“And Charth,” King Cini said turning to the other couple. “Do you take Miss Sako to be your lawful wedded wife.”
“I do,” Charth said. “Under my protection, always.”
“Good,” King Cini said. “So, you also may now kiss the bride.”
Even though the Exalmpora had control of my mind, I felt Charth’s kiss, or at least I felt the rush of dopamine as his lips closed over Sukina’s. Sukina had also somehow become smitten with Charth, although that might have been the Exalmpora talking. Now we had that subconscious connection between us, no drug, even Exalmpora, could break it.
“Well, well. Now you’re both married, you can do the honours and enter royal society.”
I turned around so Francoiso could undo the buttons of my calico over-dress from the back. He slid this off my shoulders and his hands kept close to my waist and buttocks as he pulled this down in front of everyone. The white dress that was revealed shone in the torchlight, making me feel very much like a princess. As, I stepped out of the over-dress, I caught a glimpse over my shoulder of Sukina who looked equally stunning. I turned to kiss Francoiso once again.
“Well, well,” Cini said. “Now that’s done, let us begin our celebrations.”
“Mamo, Auntie Pontopa. What’s a dragonseer?” he said.
I looked at Sukina, surprised. But Sukina simply looked down at Artua and smiled. “I’ll tell you soon, dear, I promise,” she said in our minds. And we walked out towards the banquet hall.
The only thing we were allowed to drink during the celebrations was Exalmpora, although the king had cleverly disguised it with food colouring, so it looked like red wine, for the benefit of all the guests around us. And I’d never quite tasted meat as rich as white stag or black panther. The panther tasted like a richer version of rabbit, although with a much smoother texture. And I’d had venison before but nothing that settled on the tongue so well as this perfectly marinated white stag, cooked in cashew nuts, mustard, and honey. I honestly didn’t want to eat anything else than meat that night.
We sat at the long head table, with the king at the centre. Artua sat next to Cini. Charth and Sukina sat at the king’s right and Francoiso and I on his left. The rest of the guests had taken large circular tables draped with silk tablecloths. We sat within a huge banquet hall, as opulent with cold white marble as the rest of the palace.
I knew many of the guest’s faces from the magazines, yet I’d never spoken to any of them. It felt so strange in a way to be part of a wedding without my parents or any of my old-time friends.
Soon though, I’d had enough Exalmpora that I forgot about them entirely. King Cini also seemed merry on his own wine, too much that I don’t think he had the clarity of mind to suspect us of anything after all.
Day flowed into night and Francoiso took hold of my hand and led me to his bedchamber. While I had been staying in that tiny room the king had reserved a room for us fit for a king. With several metres between each of the walls and a four-poster bed right in the centre. The torches around the walls had red silk curtains hanging just in front of them, far enough away from the walls as not to catch on fire, but close enough to diffuse the room in a soft red light.
I was all over Francoiso as soon as I entered the room, my whole body thrumming with passion. But he didn’t melt into my touch, and instead seemed kind of wooden.
“Pontopa, I’ve been thinking,” he said in the collective unconscious.
“Thinking? I thought you were the one without the rational mind.” And I ran kisses down his neck as I fondled his chest.
But he pulled away from me a little. “No,” he said. “Charth is right. You’re not yourself, Pontopa, and I don’t want to take advantage of you. I’ve wanted this so much. But I want to know you really want it as well. Without the Exalmpora.”
“Oh, but this is absolutely what I want. Without doubt.” I pushed myself closer to him as he backed up against the bed. There was nowhere for him to go and so I wrapped one arm around him and with other, I began to undo my dress.
“Pontopa, don’t do this.” Francoiso said. “You have to understand. The Exalmpora. Back then, it changed me… I’m not entirely in control.”
“Then that is what we both want, to be wild and free, right?” And I lowered my cleavage and then pushed myself up against him. I had strength in my muscles then, powered by something inhuman. I used it to push Francoiso down onto the bed.
This time, I wasn’t going to stop. I wanted this too much. I could feel every inch of my body morphing into something else. My skin pinching and the muscles writhing underneath.
“Pontopa—” Francoiso said. And then he changed. His eyes glazed out and his pupils dilated. “You’re right, this is exactly what I want.” And that vestige of the rational part of Francoiso was lost.
My hair felt like it was on fire. As if each single strand wanted to retract back into the roots. It was painful, but I didn’t hate the pain. No, I relished in it. Francoiso also started to deform. His nose pulled out of his face. Black scales started to peel down his cheeks. His voice became deeper.
“Come darling. Come and show me what you’re made of.”
I laughed, now this was the Francoiso I wanted. I launched myself on top of him. My hands landed on either side of his hips. He looked up at me then, scales protruding from out of his eyebrows, he opened his mouth and pulled me close to him.
His breath wasn’t just warm but hot. As if he was breathing fire into my very mouth. But it didn’t sear, as a protective layer of scales already guarded against the hotness at the roof of my mouth and tongue. I could taste the saltiness on his scaly tongue, and I could also feel its roughness.
Besides us, the door slammed open and I jerked my head around to see both Charth and Sukina standing there. “Francoiso, you shall not!” he snapped.
Francoiso turned his head to him. “Come for the show, have you brother? I never knew you to be such a peeping Tom.” He flipped me over on the bed, so he was on top of me. Then, he pulled down his trousers so all I could see was his briefs.
I was panting like a wild animal. Ready for anything, despite the company. Dragonheats, I relished in the company. Let them join in, for all I cared.
Charth threw his head to the sky and roared. Scales shot out of his arms and face. He leaped at his brother and knocked him off the bed.
I looked at both of them wrestling for a moment and huffed. Sukina had a vial of something in her hand and she approached me with it. That hideous thing: no, I wasn’t going to drink it. I wasn’t going to let them ruin the moment.
I launched myself at her, a deep growl emanating from my chest. I took hold of her neck and pinned her against the wall. Her eyes went wide, and her face went pale. She dropped the cure and it smashed against the floor.
“Pontopa, you—” I was strangling her so much, she couldn’t get another word in. She continued to speak in the collective unconscious. “Pontopa, this isn’t you. The Examplora. Don’t let it control you. Stop, Pontopa, stop!”
But her thoughts began to fade. At that point, I felt, she deserved to die. She would never be a dragonwoman like me. She didn’t have what it takes. I had to kill her then or destroy my chances of ever gaining the power I’d need to kill Alsie.
Such thoughts were spinning around my mind as the Exalmpora kept control of my brain. This wasn’t me speaking. This was Finesia planting her soul into my mind.
I tightened my grip on Sukina’s neck.
“Pontopa, this isn’t you. Control yourself. Conquer within. Distance yourself. Remember… Remember.”
I felt Sukina’s life slipping out of me. I raised my head and roared in ecstasy. My dress had ripped at the arms and beneath them I could see the rows of scales. Just one more squeeze and I would crack Sukina’s life out her neck. Power surged to my claws.
And something slammed into my side and knocked me to the ground. I looked up into the eyes and maw of a black dragon. The features softened and beneath them I expected to see Charth.
But instead, I saw Francoiso’s scaly face. Fear looking out of those beastly blue eyes.
“I can’t let you do this, darling,” he said. “Oh, Finesia will kill me, but my brother is right. I don’t want you to become a monster like myself.”
“No!” I screamed. “Let me go… This is my will!”
But Francoiso had me pinned strong. I lunged out in attempt to bite at his neck, wanting to take his life for being such a traitor. But he had me held down too strong. He took hold of a green vial from his inside pocket, gave my cheeks a squeeze and tipped the contents down my throat.
He turned back to Charth who was standing there, back in human form. “I did it, brother,” he said. “But you know what this means.”
“Alsie will hunt us down for life,” he said. “But this is right thing.”
“And yet, even combined, we don’t even have a chance to match her strength.”
I felt myself losing strength as well. While I fel
t almost capable of throwing Francoiso off me before, now it felt like I had a whole building pinning me down. Francoiso looked into my eyes a moment. Now the gaze wasn’t lustful but assessing. “She’s safe,” he said. “Pontopa, I’m sorry…”
He looked a different man now. I didn’t feel a want for him anymore. He was like a painting you would admire in an art gallery. Handsome, but I really didn’t know what was underneath those layers of paint.
“I’m sorry too,” I said. And for the first time, I understood. Francoiso’s soul had been destroyed by a drug, but there still remained a decent part of him.
“Come,” Charth said. “We have to get out before Alsie gets here.”
“You know where she is?” I asked.
“No, but she’s already on her way.”
“Don’t forget about Faso,” Sukina said.
“And Velos,” I pointed out. I felt guilty already that I’d forgotten about my best friend in the whole wide world.
“Velos is your escape plan. And the boy, we’ll help you rescue him too.”
“My daughter,” Sukina said. “Thank you.”
“Your son now,” Charth said. “Come.” He led us out into the corridor, and we navigated our way out of the palace under cover of dark.
Fortunately, most of the guards would be sleeping off the alcohol and so there would be little that could disturb our escape. Or so we hoped. But, unfortunately, we were about to be proven terribly wrong.
28
The Lamford Brothers split up once we reached a fork in the corridors. Charth promised that he would go and get Faso. But first, we stopped to take stock of the situation. We’d already retrieved our original changes of clothes from our wardrobes and our hip flasks and weapons (including Sukina’s daggers) from one of the king’s storage rooms.
“We’ve not got much time,” Francoiso said. “Oh, Pontopa, how I wish we’d done this differently.”
Dragonseers and Airships Page 25