by D. E. Morris
“Assume what you wish.” Hideo returned his attention to her, stabbing a finger in her direction. “I told your husband that something like this would happen.”
“Yes, you told my husband quite a few things.” Hideo's jaw dropped slightly, giving Ashlynn the reaction she was hoping for. “The high king and I keep no secrets from one another. You all but threatened me; did you honestly think he would not share that with me?”
Uncomfortable with how close she still was, Hideo paced away from Ashlynn to look out the window. When he turned around, his teeth were bared. “You must act now, surely! Dragons and Gaels are becoming more and more volatile and harder to control with each day that passes. They killed some of your own, did they not?”
“We repaid in kind, I assure you.” Ashlynn studied Hideo's face, the way his rage made a vein throb in his neck. “What would you have me do, I wonder? Gather all the Gaelic and natural-born dragons and slaughter them as Tadhg once tried to do? Siness has never bent to the will of tyranny and threats and we will not start now.”
“Natural born dragons will be exterminated,” asserted Hideo. “The Gaels will follow soon after.”
The flames in the fireplace spit sparks as they grew, startling all three of them. Ashlynn's eyes snapped to where Cavalon stood, taking in the way his arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his jaw was tightly clenched.
“Perhaps we can have a more civil conversation over some tea,” suggested Wessely, eyeing Cavalon in hopes of settling his anger and the fire, and gaining more calming ground.
“I do not want tea,” Hideo spat. “I came to take my daughter from this place. She is no longer safe here. No one is.”
Tired of the banter, Ashlynn scowled. “She is not here.”
Hideo's brows lowered over his eyes. “What do you mean? I left her here last week. Has she already returned home?”
“No, she went to Ibays.”
This only further confused him. “Why would she go there?”
Ashlynn held his demanding gaze, unblinking. “Because I sent her there.”
Hideo lifted his chin. “She is not your subject. You cannot command her to go anywhere at your whim.”
“You are absolutely right, and neither would I order her to do anything of the sort. Misuzu volunteered to go because we were attacked.” Ashlynn's voice rose, unable to keep herself in check for much longer. “Our children were taken and lives were needlessly lost. She was here to witness all of it, and because she is family, she felt the pain just as deeply as we did.” Hideo opened his mouth to speak, but Ashlynn glared at him, refusing to let him interrupt. “Blood does not always equate family, Hideo. I know little of your relationship with your daughter, but what I do know is that Misuzu cares for me just as much as I care for her. She loves us and went to Ibays in search of answers for us, of her own volition, because the attack that came so coincidentally close to the threat you left with my husband seemed to come from the west.” Behind her, Wessely inhaled sharply and she knew she was dangerously close to crossing a line.
“Are you accusing me of something?” asked Hideo, his voice icy and quiet.
Ashlynn breathed deeply though her nose, intentionally unclenching her fists and lacing her fingers together before her, feigning calm and indifference. She even managed a small, albeit rather sarcastic smile. “I would never dream of such a thing. I simply wish to impress upon you and the rest of our enemies that Siness is not so easily broken and neither are her people. We are unshakable and cannot defeated, especially with ill-planned attacks.”
For the first time since she'd entered the room, Ashlynn saw Hideo relax. He looked confident and almost cocky as he walked back across the room, coming closer to her than he'd allowed her to come to him. “Siness is not as impenetrable as you would have everyone believe, not if even one life was lost in a so called 'ill-planned' attack.”
A subtle sound echoed through the room as Killian partially drew his sword. Ashlynn raised a hand at her side, silently telling him to stand down.
“I believe our business is finished,” she said after a moment, her tone even. “Misuzu is not here, but you are welcome to find lodgings in the village until she returns if you wish. I will have word sent to you when she arrives back at the castle.” His nostrils flared, but Ashlynn was unflinching. “If you do not find accommodations in Altaine Village to your liking, I suggest you keep walking until you find a place that suits you because it will not be within these castle walls.”
He sneered. “You do not want to make enemies of my people. You may think your foe is one thing when it is certainly another. A day will come when you invite in more trouble than you can handle and you will need the assistance of those outside your precious Gael-loving Celtique Nations.”
“I do not set out to make enemies of anyone,” Ashlynn countered, her voice low and sharp. “It it others who make enemies of themselves.”
Fed up, Hideo grunted and turned on his heel, stomping his way across the room and throwing the doors open. The waiting guards instinctively reached for their swords and looked to Ashlynn for orders, but she shook her head. “I want him followed,” she commanded when Hideo's stomping could no longer be heard in the hall. “Send one of our messengers, shifted so they are not so easily detected, to monitor his every movement. I want to know who he speaks to, where they converse, and what is said.” One of the guards hastened away and Ashlynn turned to Wessely. “We have to find Jaryn and the others.”
“What clue have we to give us any idea as to where to begin?”
She beckoned her father along and they left the library side by side, Cavalon and Killian falling into step right behind them. “I received a message in the middle of the night,” she told Wessely as they walked. It was recited easily enough, she'd mulled the cryptic letter over so many times in her head since she'd seen it. The words seemed to confuse Wessely as much as they had Ashlynn and the others. “Last night I was worried that the letter was from Connor himself and not Jaryn, but now I am more angry than anything else.”
“That's a change from the last few days,” Cavalon muttered, gaining a look from Wessely over his shoulder.
“If they were going to send a coded message, why have a boy do it?” Ashlynn continued. “Jaryn is much more adept than anyone at word play. He would have given us something more to decipher than that they were detained but safe. He would have given us clues as to where to find them.” There was still a deep fear within her that he had been injured or worse, but it warred with the hidden meaning she drew from Connor's letter. “What if something happened not only to Jaryn, but to Misuzu and Cailin as well, and Connor has sent us this letter as a way of keeping our suspicions off of him?”
Wessely shook his head. “Cailin is a highly skilled fighter, as is Misuzu. Jaryn is not helpless, either. Trust in that if you cannot trust the Giver will keep them safe.” Stopping, he gently took her arm to make her stop as well. “Either way, you must calm down.”
“Why?” she snapped. “I have no child in my womb to worry about now.”
Wessely flinched as if he'd been struck, Cavalon and Killian helpless to watch the exchange. “Perhaps not,” ventured Wessely gently, “but anger helps in resolving nothing.”
Seeing the pain on her father's face, Ashlynn sighed and looked down in shame. “Forgive me, Papa. For days I have felt nothing but sorrow or, in blessed relief, nothing at all. My husband left me when I needed him most and has now gotten himself captured. Sometimes I do not know what to do with all of the emotions I am feeling.”
He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head. “I know your pain, my daughter. You have carried it alone for long enough now. Let those of us who care for you help you carry your burdens.” Her smile was reluctant. Sharing her sorrows was not a thing she had ever been good at doing, not even with Jaryn. Admitting she struggled or needed help made her feel weak, and weakness usually turned to anger. She leaned up to kiss Wessely's cheek, bringing a smile to his face. “Now,” he said, “I think i
t is time for those of us that remain to gather and see what happens when we put our heads together.”
“I'll round up everyone and we'll meet in the great hall.” Cavalon hurried off, eager to be active and away from the mercurial emotional moments between Ashlynn and Wessely.
“Will you be needing me, Your Majesty?”
It was rare for Killian to speak to anyone before they spoke to him first, and for that reason, Ashlynn was startled into silence for the quickest moment. When she found her voice, she turned to face him with a line between her furrowed brows. “If you were ordered to be my protector, then you should be in attendance, yes.” He bowed into a nod of acceptance, but when he looked up, Ashlynn regarded him coldly. “Whatever charge my husband gave you, know this: I am not as helpless as most women, especially most women on the throne. Did you see anyone else draw their sword when Hideo's anger began to flare?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“Of course not. That is because they all know that I am perfectly capable enough to fight my own battles, especially when it is a war of words with a man who holds very little power here. You made me look weak in front of him when I needed to appear strong. I can handle threats from an angry man. Learn from my guards. If they draw their swords, you draw yours. Otherwise, stand down.”
Killian nodded humbly, but never looked away from her. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Turning, she fell back into step with her father and together, they headed for the great hall. They were silent for a turn, though eventually Wessely glanced over his shoulder at Killian, following them several feet back. “You are harsh with him.”
Her lips pursed and there was a fleeting look of pain in her eyes. “I have to be. Rumors from Caedia have followed me home and if it looks as though I show him favor, it will only make matters worse for both of us.” She glanced at the faces always in the halls without really seeing them, taking great care to speak loud enough so that only her father could hear. “It would break my heart to cast aspersions on my marriage. I know Jaryn would never doubt me just as he knows I would never stray.”
“But to have the rumors there to begin with...” Wessely nodded. “I understand.”
Ashlynn wanted to look over her shoulder as well, to see Killian's face in hopes that he would somehow know she did not dislike him as much as she had, or as she appeared to even now. With a tight lipped smile, she sighed, and said, “I can only hope Killian understands as well.”
The great hall was rarely used for anything more than council meetings or as an area for larger groups of people to gather for conversation or indoor games. Since the night of the attack, court attendance was down in numbers, but not so much that families who often stayed at Altaine had gone. A giant chess board had been made on the floor of the great hall with black and white linen to make the squares. Tables and chairs had been pushed up against the walls, and there were as many people gathered to watch as there were still playing their designated pieces on the board. Ashlynn and Wessely paused just inside the door to watch a man with a scrap of white linen pinned to his doublet move forward three spaces as only a rook could do, claiming the square where a young girl stood. She was good-natured even as she pretended to sulk her way off the board, letting the man proclaim, “Check!” Excited and boastful, he turned in a circle with his hands raised, a cheeky grin on his face. As soon as he saw who had become part of the audience, however, all humor was lost and he bowed his head. “Your Majesty.” Everyone else in the room turned toward the door as well, alarmed and dropping into gestures of respect.
“I must apologize for the interruption.”
“No apology necessary, Your Majesty,” said the boastful man. “We were just about to win the game and be done with it.”
A woman with a scrap of black pinned to her bodice snorted, then, realizing she'd made the sound loud enough for the room to hear, promptly covered her reddening face with her hand. Ashlynn couldn't help but chuckle to herself. “Perhaps a rematch will be due since your game has been so unjustly intruded upon. The weather is finally warming up – a match outside would be lovely, certainly.”
“Indeed it would.” It wasn't hard to understand that they were being told to vacate the room, and everyone moved to pick up their colored squares and set the room right again. As men, women, and a few children filed out, the man paused to bow once more before Ashlynn. “It would be an even lovelier match if the high queen would come to watch us.”
She smiled sweetly at the flattery. “Ah, but I am too competitive to simply watch.”
“I am certain we can find a spot on the board for you if you only say you will join us.”
Ashlynn watched the rest of the chairs being pushed up to the tables. “If time permits, I may take you up on that offer.” He nodded, a goofy grin in his face, then left with the rest of the courtiers. As soon as they were gone, Killian went wordlessly through the room, checking behind curtains and doors for any stragglers that might have hoped to overhear something interesting. When he was certain the room was clear, he gave Ashlynn a nod.
It didn't take Cavalon long at all to find his wife and to gather Tasarin and Luella. Only Elas and Kenayde were absent, and while everyone else spoke as they waited, Ashlynn went to one of the windows and opened them wide, letting cool, fresh air flood the room. The fires would keep them warm enough, certainly, and the castle needed airing out after such a long winter. Birds called twittering chirps to one another as they, too, enjoyed the early spring day. She watched them in their uncoordinated dance, flitting back and forth as though they were so overjoyed they simply couldn't decide which direction to fly in first. Perhaps, however, they were unhappy with one another. One of them, a larger bird with familiar colorful plumage, seemed to shadow every move a smaller robin made. The red-breasted bird tried to land on the sill but doubled back upon seeing Ashlynn standing there.
So...the room was not as secure as it would seem. She watched the birds intently, only momentarily distracted by the unmistakable figure of a dragon in the distance, making lazy loops in the sky. Everyone had been gathered together to come up with a plan to find Jaryn and the others, but having that particular conversation was no longer safe. She had to think quickly. Even as she heard everyone greeting Kenayde and Elas, an idea was beginning to formulate itself in her head. When she was ready, she faced the room with as much confidence as she could summon.
“Thank you all for coming. I know there are things some of you must accomplish before you set off, but I felt it was important that we meet. These past few days have not been easy on any of us. Though we were taken unawares and lives were lost, there is good news to be shared.” She paused a moment to smile and stand tall. “I have received word that the Ibayish high king has been secured and that he is now on our side. We no longer need fear his armies on our shores or threats from his throne. In fact, we have already begun to repair the broken trade agreements we had between us so that their country will no longer be starving. Once more, we may call ourselves sister nations.” A confused silence filled the room, Wessely and Cavalon glancing at one another. They had been under the impression their meeting was to discuss their missing friends, not this.
Follow my lead, Ashlynn instructed, focusing specifically on her new brother-in-law. Tell Luella and Cavalon. We are not safe to speak openly.
“Excellent news,” Elas exulted after a moment, half of his face covered in scars and scales. Now all eyes turned to him, but he kept his gaze on Ashlynn, giving her a confident nod. “We are certainly stronger together than we are apart.”
Luella narrowed her eyes as she looked from one to the other. “It is good news that trade is being reestablished, certainly, but I must ask how it was done when-”
Ashlynn laughed, cutting her off. “It was done as my father arranged business contracts, and likely his father before him. They have not the strength in their men to come at us, and though we suffered a hard winter, they suffered far greater. Through the charity of Siness, we will build the
Ibayish people back up to where they should be and become greater allies in the process.”
“What has made the high king so eager to cooperate?” asked Kenayde. She held firmly to her husband's hand, her expression neutral even as others looked upon her with question. “I believe I speak for everyone when I say we thought the attack was Ibays based.”
Cavalon's eyes darted from person to person as they all nodded, seemingly in on something he didn't quite understand. All except Nuala, who saw his confusion and gave a small, clueless shake of her head when he looked at her.
“It seems our emissaries to Ibays have concluded that High King Connor knew nothing about the attack,” Ashlynn answered. “In fact, he is rather concerned now, himself, and expressed as much in the last letter he sent to me. It seems he has seen an increase in dragon activity as well, both natural-born and Gaelic, and worries what this means. If men are indeed training dragons to fight and follow commands as we saw them do, then there is certainly cause for concern.”
Luella looked at her friend with reservation and squeezed her husband's hand. “Do you think the sudden increase in the dragon population and the attack are related?”
“I wish I could say that I did not.” Ashlynn looked at Elas, glancing very quickly to Cavalon with purpose. The water dragon gave a small nod and Ashlynn continued, wringing her hands together. “It is far too coincidental that their numbers have grown just as these trained dragons appeared. It makes me worry, also, how many of them are feral Gaels.”
“What are you prepared to do about it?” asked Tasarin.
Sighing, Ashlynn lifted her face to the banners that hung around the room, gifts from other nations presented in friendship. At length she bowed her head in sorrow. “I would never have admitted this to him, but I believe Hideo may be prudent in his suggestion about a census. If we knew how many dragons were in each nation, both natural born and Gaelic, as well as their specific locations, we would know better the numbers against us.”
“Against us?” Cavalon echoed, his brow furrowed. He started to say more but paused. As his mouth shut, his eyes slid to the window. Ashlynn waited for him to return his attention to her before giving him a small nod as well, and pressing on.