The Dragon Rises

by Sarah Dalton

  Tears pricked Reva’s eyes. She reached out to lay a hand on Sam’s arm. It was improper, but she suddenly did not care any longer.

  “We should help them,” she agreed. “You are right that you are not your father, Sam. After what happened, he would never venture into danger to save someone else. He would hide away with any safety he had.”

  Sam nodded. “I understand why,” he said frankly. “When I thought the two of you had been taken and killed, I nearly went mad, Reva. I thought I would die from the pain. Carlia is all the family I have left, and she has been a good sister to me. You….” His voice trailed off, and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, there was a look in them that Reva understood all too well. “Come with us,” he said quietly, urgently.

  “Sam.”

  He waited. What she said had not been an answer, and he would not take it as one.

  Reva swallowed and looked down. Why was she conflicted? This was the answer to her problem. No one could begrudge her the desire to go looking for the other dragon. In fact, it was imperative that she do so. Away from Luca and the court, she could organise her thoughts and decide what she wanted to do.

  She had just realised, however, that she was not staying simply because she could not find a good way to leave, but because in some ways, she wanted to be here. When she was younger, she had thought only of courtly love, the sort sung about by bards, pretty and uncomplicated. She had believed that Luca would be her prince, true and sweet.

  As she grew older, married to Francis and terrified into silence, Reva had realised what she might truly want. She wanted a husband who asked her thoughts and listened to them, who had his own passion for the world and would strive to make his hopes real, while not growing angry that the world did not simply drop things into his lap.

  Luca had once been a sickly boy whose only desire was to make everyone else happy. He did not want them to worry over his illness. He loved seeing people smile. Reva could still see that same desire in him—but tempered by a man’s careful thought and the inner strength to know which wishes to accede to, and which to refuse.

  When Luca bowed to Tinian, he did so out of fear for his people. When he did not close the Gardens of Anios, it was to make medicine to combat the plague. He had made terrible mistakes, but not because he wanted to be cruel or to advance himself. He had done it all because he wanted to help Estala. That was the boy Reva had loved when she was a child and knew only a child’s way of loving, and now he was a man she had begun to love once more.

  She stood frozen in the courtyard, and Sam’s hands clenched around hers.

  “You do not have to stay because he is the king,” Sam said, and the words were a bit desperate. “They will manage without you, Reva.”

  “I am not,” Reva said.

  She could not bring herself to say what she felt for Sam. It was too dangerous to say such things aloud in a crowded courtyard—who knew who might overhear?—but more than that, if she said the words aloud, she was going to cry.

  She bit her lip. “Choices do not always come when we are ready for them,” she said. “I know that now. Despite all his flaws, despite the fact that I had not yet borne him a child, Francis chose to sacrifice himself for me. Despite the fact that I was weak and afraid, I chose to take action and free the slaves in the Garden. Now, despite the fact that things are not as simple as I wish they were, I have a choice, and I have to make it. You and Carlia can find the dragon. It makes sense for one of us to stay behind to fight Stefan if need be, and that can be me. Luca needs me.”

  “I—” Sam broke off and bowed his head. He did not say the rest of it. Was it I need you?

  Reva reached out to touch his face for a moment. She was crying now, tears gathering in her eyes. To her surprise and relief, Carlia came around the side of the horses to hug her. Reva leaned her head against the other woman’s shoulder and let the tears leak out of her eyes.

  “You will be a good queen,” Carlia said. Her words were addressed to Reva, but Reva knew she was speaking to both of them. “Kings and queens do not marry for love, but it is clear you care for Luca, and he cares for you, Reva. And I could not ask for a braver, kinder woman to sit on the throne. After we were captured, you never gave up. You will make wise decisions. You truly will be one of the dragon kings reborn.”

  Reva wrapped her arms around Carlia and hung on tightly. She could not let herself look at Sam.

  “And we will come back,” Carlia continued. Her voice was falsely bright. “For your coronation. We will come back with the last dragon, and we will all be able to celebrate because Stefan will be gone and the world will be safe.”

  Reva drew away and nodded. She was smiling, but her heart was breaking. Sam and Carlia were not coming back, and she knew it. She did not even know if she would survive her meeting with Stefan, much less be the queen Carlia wanted her to be.

  “You stay safe,” she said in a shaking voice. “Please stay safe. I know you want to protect the other dragon, but not if it costs your lives. If you must….”

  Sam looked at her finally, and his smile made her ache. “You do not choose your path because of whether or not you are likely to win,” he told her. “You choose it because it is the right thing to do. Whatever danger that dragon faces, we will be there to help them.” He cleared his throat. “Just as you will be here to help Estala and fight Stefan.”

  It was a blessing, and that only brought more tears to Reva’s eyes. She nodded silently and pressed her lips together to stem her tears.

  Sam and Carlia swung up onto their horses, and the gates were opened. They trotted away, Carlia looking back once over her shoulder. Sam did not look back. Reva watched until the gates swung shut and he was blocked from her sight. She wished more than anything that she had hugged him, propriety be damned.

  She lifted her chin. She was here, and she was going to do her duty, just as Sam was doing his. She was going to see Stefan’s forces defeated and prosperity returned to Estala—all of Estala. Why else had she wandered the country, if not to learn what the people needed?

  She wiped at her eyes, squared her shoulders, and made her way back to her rooms. There would be a council meeting today, and she intended to be there to argue for what was right. The sooner Stefan was defeated, the better.

  Serena

  Serena held her skirts up and pelted toward the council chambers. She could not find Brother Raphael anywhere, and now she was late to the meeting. She had hoped Raphael could give her more information about the hospitals in lieu of an actual proposal. Without it, she feared Tinian would discard her plan out of hand—and convince Luca to do the same.

  She had not seen Luca for the past two days, either, though she had been searching for him in order to tell him about her plan for Alberto and Oriana. She had been careful to stress to Tinian and Riziq that nothing was set in stone yet, and they were now growing impatient. She was sure that if Luca could see the two children together and hear Alberto talk about travelling the world, he would agree to the marriage. She was not willing to make any plans without speaking to him, however.

  When she slid through the door of the council chambers, she was surprised to find that the mood in the room was icy. Reva gave her a wide-eyed look, and Serena knew that something must be very wrong.

  “Ah,” an older man said. “The princess joins us.” There was acid in his tone.

  Serena looked at Luca, then back at the man. He was wearing a priest’s robes. Perhaps this was the head priest. She searched her memory. “Are you Brother Said?”

  “Yes.” He looked far from pleased by the fact that she had recognised him. “As I was saying to Prince Luca, the Order of the Enlightened has learned of inappropriate relationships between the royal house and one of our priests.”

  Serena’s mouth dropped open. To her shame, her cheeks were on fire as she remembered Brother Evan walking into the infirmary that day. She knew that blushing did not help her case, but she stood her ground.

 
“I assume you mean my friendship with Brother Raphael.” She stressed the word “friendship” slightly.

  Brother Said smiled bitterly. “Friendship. Is that what you call it? I hear the brother was all but naked when you were found together.”

  Lord Tinian’s brows rose. He was clearly enjoying this, and that only annoyed Serena further.

  “This is ridiculous. Of course he was half-naked. He had been assaulted by monsters, and his chest had been laid open by scratches. He was bandaged and lying in a bed. Will you also bring that up as if it is evidence of an indiscretion? I sat by his bedside as any friend would do. Nothing improper happened, and nothing improper will happen.”

  “I know,” Brother Said replied. He seemed quite unmoved by her protestations. “The Order of the Enlightened is withdrawing from court.”

  “What?” Serena whispered.

  “What?” Brother Axil echoed.

  “Yes.” Brother Said regarded each of them in turn, and his contempt was plain to see. “For years, the Order of the Enlightened has served the crown, sending Brothers to teach the princes and princesses. Those priests have become entangled in politics. Their service has not been to the realm, but to the royal house.”

  “Brother Said,” Serena said, fighting for calm. “The royal house serves Estala. To serve with us is to help the people of the realm. What is politics but the business of administration? Though political matters may become tangled, we need the advice and stability of the Order of the Enlightened to guide us.” Perhaps flattery would work, she thought.

  It did not.

  “Matters have gone far enough,” Brother Said said angrily. “It is time for the Order of the Enlightened to wander once more, as we did when we began, and serve those we come across. Those who care more for service to their God than service to their lusts.” His voice was ugly.

  “Brother Said.” Brother Axil seemed to be fighting for calm. “I have known the princess Serena since she was but a child. Indeed, I went to check on Brother Raphael while he recovered from his injuries. Do you know what I found? The princess, asleep in a chair nearby, keeping vigil over the one who had tried to help her friends. Surely, there is nothing improper about that. Surely, in the middle of the night, if were there any impropriety to see, I would have seen it.”

  “You have served the royal house for over a decade,” Brother Said said. “And it has infected you, Brother Axil. I will withdraw the Order from court before this infection spreads. Honest work and service will remind you of your true duty. Come.”

  He went to the door and held it open. Brother Axil hesitated, his hands clenched in his lap. Finally, he looked up at Brother Said.

  “No,” he said.

  Serena held her breath. She did not know what was going to happen, but she could see from Luca’s white face that he was terrified of Brother Axil leaving.

  “No?” Brother Said echoed dangerously.

  “No,” Brother Axil repeated. “A Brother of the Enlightened may wander where he chooses. I chose to serve the royal house. I educated Davead’s sons and daughters with the morals and knowledge they needed, and I was pleased to see them grow into fine young people. Now Prince Luca sits on the throne, and until either he or my conscience dictates that I leave, I will remain.”

  Luca found his voice at last. “I value your counsel, Brother Axil. As long as your conscience bids you to stay, I will be glad of your presence.”

  Brother Said frowned at Brother Axil for a long moment, then turned to Prince Luca. “So be it,” he said. “Brother Axil, I declare you anathema. You are no longer of the Order.”

  He left, the heavy door slamming behind him, and everyone’s eyes went to Brother Axil. He smiled gently.

  “Ah, do not fear. A title is but a title. Service to the Enlightened God does not come only from those who wear a priest’s robes. Now, we have much more business to attend to.”

  Serena swayed and sank into a chair. The Order was leaving. That was why she had not been able to find Brother Raphael. He was gone, and she would never see him again. Reva reached out to take her hand, but Serena could not even find the strength to clasp it. She bit her lip to keep from crying.

  It was Reva who took charge of the meeting. She gestured to Lord Rokkan and Geraldo, who had been seated beside her.

  “Your Highness, with your permission, I would like to show you a battle plan that we drew up. Lord Rokkan, Geraldo, Princess Serena, and I worked to incorporate the strength of our allies as well as the resource of our Menti in order to protect Nesra’s Keep and allow you to engage with Stefan without putting the army in undue danger.”

  Luca sat forward, interested, but Lord Tinian flattened his hands on the table.

  “What is the meaning of this?” His voice was dangerous. “Lord Feryn is the chief general of the army. He was not consulted in this matter?”

  “I want to hear what they have to say,” Luca said. His voice was not very strong, but he did not waver when Lord Tinian attempted to stare him down.

  Lord Tinian smiled bitterly. “Prince Luca, when I heard of this plan that had been drawn up, I told myself that you would never be so foolish as to listen to it.”

  He had already known about the plan. Serena narrowed her eyes. How many spies did Tinian have in Nesra’s Keep?

  “Surely, there can be no harm in listening to it,” Luca said reasonably. He nodded to the four of them. “And if Lord Feryn has not yet spoken to Geraldo, he has done us a disservice. Please, show me your plan.”

  Reva spread the map out on the desk and began to explain the plan. Serena was happy to let her speak. Her heart was still aching, and shame burned hot in her chest. Brother Said had withdrawn the Order of Insight from court because of her indiscretion. While she was correct that she had not engaged in any impropriety, she could not deny that she had felt improper things for Brother Raphael.

  Now she would never see him again, and she had not been given the chance to say goodbye. He would not have a chance to see his plans for combating the plague become a reality. She knew what he would do, though. He would keep going, serving however and wherever he could. It was up to her to continue their work.

  She sat up straighter and looked around in the sudden silence. Once again, the members of the room were sitting in tense silence. What had she missed?

  “It is a sound plan,” Reva said. She cast a look at Luca, then turned back to Lord Tinian.

  “It puts undue risk on the ships,” Tinian said.

  “The ships were brought here as part of an invasion,” Lord Rokkan said bluntly. “Risk is the nature of that. Not to use them is to put the rest of the forces at undue risk. A general does not hold back some of his forces.”

  “The cost alone would cripple Estala,” Lord Tinian said smoothly. “Prince Luca, I urge you to speak to your generals about—”

  “Your generals,” Luca said.

  There was a silence.

  “What?” Lord Tinian said.

  “I said, your generals,” Luca replied, and for the first time, Serena saw him as a true king. He was staring at Lord Tinian with disgust. “I named my generals. Lord Rokkan was to command all of my forces. Geraldo would have commanded the Menti. You overrode my objections and placed lords favourable to Xantos in control of my army.”

  “Prince Luca, as I said at the time—”

  Luca cut him off again. His voice was stronger now. “Being favourable to Xantos is not a qualification to lead troops, is it?”

  Lord Tinian said nothing, but his face was settling into a look of intense dislike.

  “Too long, I have let you run roughshod over the business of my nation,” Luca said now. His eyes were burning. He sat up straighter, his gaze resting calmly on Tinian. “I have taken your advice even when it went against my conscience. I have allowed you to use Estala not as an ally, but as a bank.”

  “We returned you to power,” Lord Tinian said dangerously.

  “You did, and I am grateful for that.” Luca smiled wryly. “
Although I was not keen to take the throne, I understood the need for me to do so. And I believed that the Gold Council also understood the situation. With Stefan on the throne, Estala would slide into chaos. We would be no good as a trading partner, and chaos could easily spread between countries. By strengthening both Estala and Xantos, we could ensure prosperity between the two nations for years. Is that not what my sister proposed to you the other day, Lord Tinian, when she suggested betrothing Prince Alberto to Lord Riziq’s daughter?”

  Serena started in surprise, but Luca nodded.

  Lord Tinian cleared his throat. He did not speak.

  “Your generals did have one good piece of advice,” Luca said softly. “I will admit that. They told me not to risk myself as I had planned to. All this time, I believed that the best I could do as a king was to face Stefan alone. I wished to rule the realm by being the only one in danger. Now I see that this was foolish. As Lord Rokkan said, not to use all the resources at one’s disposal is to endanger the whole. I am not Estala; I am only to be its steward. Just as those of you here serve on my council, the soldiers will fight Stefan’s forces, and the people will make Estala prosper in other ways.

  “The plan that has been set forth here is sound, Lord Tinian. I gave you my word that I would stand as an ally with Xantos, and I mean to uphold that. Trade will strengthen both nations. Xantos will be repaid twice over for the aid it has given Estala. We are grateful. But we are also a nation in our own right. Every decision must not favour Xantos over our own people. Every decision must not favour the treasury of Xantos today over the prosperity of both nations tomorrow.”

  Serena found that there were tears in her eyes. She smiled at Luca. Beside her, Reva was staring at him with her mouth open. Brother Axil was smiling, quietly pleased.