I looked around; we were completely surrounded, and the bandits were still coming. They were now circling Uncle Gabriel and Erien. I got up from a sprawled heap, gathered my skirt, and ran toward Snow. It was hard, trying to concentrate and keep my shield around me at the same time.
I pushed more magic into my shield just as a knife came flying out of nowhere and bounced off just inches from my face. I whirled around to see Uncle Gabriel shoot bolts of white light from his fingertips, and two men crumpled before my eyes.
There were still more bandits left, and they were advancing, with two more still holding on to Snow. How many of them were there? I couldn’t even count. More of them kept materializing one by one, out from behind the trees.
“Erien! Go with her,” Uncle Gabriel barked.
“But I want to fight!”
Uncle Gabriel looked enraged. “By the gods, Erien, I said go now! Hold your shield until you are both out of harm’s way.”
Erien ran with me to Snow and fought the men holding the pegasus, and I had to admit he was pretty fast and quite a good swordsman. The bandits’ weapons were flung away as they ran from Erien’s flashing sword. I pulled myself up onto Snow’s back with the help of her mane and Erien jumped onto Snow behind me.
Uncle Gabriel battled the rest of the bandits expertly with his sword. He whirled around slicing and stabbing at the bandits, and I was amazed at his agility and strength.
“Shouldn’t we stay?” I said to Erien. “What if they overwhelm Uncle Gabriel?”
Erien laughed, completely undaunted. “Oh, Grandfather can take care of himself. It’s the bandits who you have to worry about. I just hope he doesn’t hurt them too badly; the last lot couldn’t stand trial for a month until they had healed.” He laughed again, as if at some secret joke.
“He’s right,” said Snow. “The Duke of Silverthorne is not to be trifled with.” The pegasus cantered gracefully along the forest path, spread out her powerful white wings, and flew off into the sky toward Silverthorne Castle.
The Heir
By the time we arrived at Silverthorne Castle, Uncle Gabriel was striding into the courtyard with a thunderous look on his aging face.
My eyes widened and I turned to Erien. “How did he get here before us? The last time I saw him he was battling bandits in the woods, and now he’s back here at the castle as if he never left.”
“The forests around these parts have gateways that lead in and out of the castle,” whispered Erien. “The fae have left them all over the place. We used to use this one very often when we played Princes and Dragons.”
I nodded my understanding. Rafe had explained about the fae gateways. It looked like Uncle Gabriel had already made short work of the bandits and had now decided to turn his anger on me.
Aunt Serena followed her father and appeared just as livid as him. Uncle Gabriel looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel. First, he called to some of his guards and gave them the precise location of the bandits.
“We really need to have a talk, young lady,” said Uncle Gabriel, turning his blue eyes on me. “Do you not understand the dangers that surround you, or do you openly want to defy authority? Tonight’s performance has greatly disappointed me.”
I hung my head in shame. I didn’t want to be a disappointment, I just wanted to have some fun and learn about this world so that I wouldn’t be as ignorant about the dangers anymore.
“How could you sneak out of the castle without telling us?” Aunt Serena added. “I was almost eighteen summers before I was allowed out of the castle alone. You’ve only been here a few days and already you are sneaking out and getting caught by bandits in the woods. What if there were something else out there other than just bandits? You may not have been so lucky.
“And you,” she said, turning her icy gaze on Erien, “have you no sense? Aurora has no way to defend herself yet. Do have any idea what losing her would mean to us, to the kingdom—to all the kingdoms? I cannot even begin to think what will happen if she—”
“Enough, Serena.” Uncle Gabriel put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “This is not the time or the place to talk about this. We shall retire for the night, and in the morning we can decide what has to be done.”
Aunt Serena’s gaze softened, but her tone did not. “All right, let us go back inside. It’s late and you must be very tired.”
I nodded.
“And Erien.” Aunt Serena’s eyes were like ice chips when she looked at her son. “You are confined to your quarters until I say otherwise. Is that clear?”
Erien rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. “Great.” He gave me a thin smile.
“It wasn’t his fault; I made him take me. I threatened him,” I lied, trying to save my cousin from a seriously long grounding. I hated lying, but it would be horrible if Erien were blamed because of me.
Uncle Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “I highly doubt that, but all the same, I will have to have a talk with you, young man. Now, I don’t want any more arguments from you, Aurora. Get to your room immediately, and stay there.”
I knew better than to argue when he was in this mood and nodded. I had expected the punishment to be worse.
“Sorry, Snow,” I said to the pegasus in my mind. “I nearly got you captured again.”
“I’m fine. Just get some rest, my dear,” said Snow.
I half turned to see her being gently led away by one of the grooms.
“Snow?” I sent out the thought to her. “How come you let the Duke ride you? I thought only the royal fae can ride a pegasus.”
“No, my dear one, a pegasus has a choice whom they allow to ride them,” said Snow, still walking away. “Your uncle came to me, told me you may be in danger, and asked for my help to get him there in time.”
My eyes widened. “You can speak to others too?”
“Not exactly. I can understand what people say, although I cannot reply.”
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. What would I have done without her?
“No, my dear little princess. I am here to protect you. Call to me whenever you are in trouble. Wherever I am, I will come to you,” said Snow as she walked away gracefully into the duke’s magnificent stables, her beautiful wings shimmering white in the moonlight.
The next morning was awkward. Uncle Gabriel didn’t speak to me at breakfast. I guessed he was still very angry about last night. Aunt Serena made polite conversation, and Erien, completely unaware of the tension in the room, tucked away into his eggs and fried ham like it was his last meal.
Breakfast at Silverthorne Castle was served on the veranda, shaded from the morning sun by a white marble trellis blooming with beautiful lavender wisteria. It was similar to a gazebo and was attached to the informal dining room of the castle, overlooking the vast gardens.
The food here was delicious, but I couldn’t eat anything that morning. I played with my boiled egg and nibbled on a slice of freshly baked bread filled with delicious dried fruits and nuts. I then washed it down with a cinnamon-infused honey and milk concoction, which was apparently Erien’s favorite and something the cook always made when he was residing in the castle.
I was supposed to go straight to my room after breakfast, but I meandered a little, strolling through the flowering courtyards and long corridors until I ended up, quite unconsciously, outside Uncle Gabriel’s study.
I heard Aunt Serena mention my name, and I moved closer to have a small peek, since the door wasn’t completely shut. I knew it was wrong, but my curiosity got the better of me.
“She must go,” Uncle Gabriel was saying.
“It will be difficult for her to stay hidden,” said Aunt Serena.
The door opened suddenly, and Uncle Gabriel’s stormy face came into view. “Come in, Aurora.” Uncle Gabriel sounded exasperated.
How did he know I was eavesdropping? Aunt Serena smiled at me and shifted uncomfortably in her chair as I entered the room. What had they been talking about when I had very rudely interrupted
them?
“Well.” Uncle Gabriel’s tone was curt as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. “Sit down, Aurora.”
He sounded tired. I was getting a little worried about where the conversation might lead. I tried to fight the panic that had started accumulating in my chest. Would they throw me out because I went into the woods? Would they punish me because I was eavesdropping? I had no idea what they were going to say or do. I sat down in the chair next to Aunt Serena.
“I was going to speak to you later today, but I guess this is as good a time as any,” Uncle Gabriel began. “After all that has happened, I think you should have a better idea as to what exactly we are doing.”
“That would be nice,” I muttered under my breath.
“Aurora, you must at least try to understand how important your safety really is.” He paused and gave me a wary, considering glance. “I blame myself. I should not have kept you in the dark. After all, it’s your life and your kingdom that we are fighting for.”
“What do you mean?” My eyes darted between my aunt and uncle.
It was Aunt Serena who spoke. “Morgana is a tyrant. She must be stopped.” She put her arm around my shoulders. “You are the heir of Azaren; you must be the one to take back your father’s throne and end Morgana’s rule forever.”
“Take back the throne!” I was aghast at her proposition. “Are you serious?”
Just because I was the daughter of the real king didn’t make me fit to rule a kingdom. What did they expect from me? A girl of sixteen—with barely any magic—to capture a throne and then run a kingdom? I laughed to myself at the absurdity of that thought. What were they thinking? I was not comfortable with making decisions, especially when it might endanger people. Being anonymous suited me. I didn’t want to be a queen, although being a princess or a duchess would have its perks. I wanted to enjoy my life, but now I realized that a comfortable, stress-free life was not going to be possible.
Uncle Gabriel nodded and his brow furrowed. “You don’t seem to have any sense of responsibility, Aurora. You are who you are; nothing can change that.”
I looked down at my hands. I wanted to live up to the expectations that they had of me, but I didn’t think I could do this; I wasn’t queen material.
“Morgana’s attempt on my life was all part of Lucian’s wayward plans for supremacy over the seven kingdoms,” my granduncle went on. “The archmage wants to implement an old law, one that was done away with centuries ago.”
“What kind of law?”
“He wants to break the treaty of the allied lands and invoke the old title of Illiador as the high kingdom, as it was in the days of old Avalonia, and name Morgana high queen of all seven kingdoms.”
I gasped, disturbed at this new turn of events. “Can he do that?”
Uncle Gabriel nodded. “As archmage, Lucian has sway over both the Council of Thirteen in Illiador as well as the entire Mage Guild. He has also, as we feared, allied himself with the Drakaar.”
“Who are they?”
“Rogue sorcerers, users of dark magic, and not ones we want to be associated with.” He frowned as he gave me a stern look. “They are different from mages, Aurora. They don’t follow the same magical restraints that we do.”
“They are never to be trusted,” Aunt Serena added. “The seven kingdoms only remain safe from them because the Mage Guild has skilled and powerful warrior-mages who protect these lands.”
“What your aunt says is true; the Drakaar are fierce and extremely treacherous. They have no rules or regulations to temper their magic,” said Uncle Gabriel.
“Where are they from?”
“They live beyond the Silverspike Mountains in the land we call Maradaar, or the Darklands. They are not part of the seven kingdoms, and no one has ever traveled into the Darklands and returned.”
“But why are the Drakaar helping Morgana? Don’t they have their own king?”
My granduncle’s eyes narrowed and seemed to turn to stone as he held my gaze. “They do—his name is Dragath. He is a powerful demon lord who ruled these lands in an age long before the seven kingdoms were founded.”
“So where is Dragath now?” A chill darted down my spine at the thought of encountering a demon lord.
“He is long gone. But the Drakaar still worship him like a god.”
“What happened?”
“Some say he’s gone forever,” Uncle Gabriel replied, “but it has also been said that he is still alive, trapped in his magical prison for all eternity.”
“Who trapped him?”
“Auraken Firedrake, the first fae-mage,” Uncle Gabriel confirmed. “No one knows for sure what really happened, but the legends say that Auraken defeated Dragath in an extraordinary magical battle that shook the foundations of our world.”
Aunt Serena laughed at this. “Dragath is only a bedtime story told to children around campfires at night to scare them, Father.”
“Maybe,” said Uncle Gabriel. “But know this: Dragath may be gone, but the Drakaar are not, and they practice a dark magic older than any known to us. Lucian and Morgana are using the threat of the Drakaar to strike fear into the hearts of any that oppose them. After what happened last time Morgana was opposed, everyone is too scared to go against her openly.”
I remembered the horrific story Erien had told me about Morgana in the library, when she seized power after betraying my father and the nobles opposed her rule. How Lucian, on Morgana’s instruction, massacred thousands of families until they all accepted her as queen.
“All the other kingdoms in the treaty have been given a few months to recognize Illiador as the high kingdom and Morgana as high queen,” said Aunt Serena.
“And if they don’t?” I asked. I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer.
Uncle Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “If they do not, Morgana and Lucian will wage war on all the other kingdoms, including Eldoren.”
“And our kingdom will have to go to war after a hundred years of peace,” added Aunt Serena softly.
“Right now, the immediate danger is that Maradaar has already joined Morgana’s army,” said the duke. “At the moment, the northern kingdoms of Andrysia and Kelliandria are in the most peril, as they are located in between Maradaar and us. The Drakaar will attack there first, and unless the dwarves of Kelliandria come to their aid, Andrysia will not stand a chance. I must convince the dwarf king to come out of the mountains and take up arms against Morgana and the Drakaar.”
“What about the other kingdoms?” I asked hopefully.
Uncle Gabriel shook his head. “Brandor is not a mage kingdom, and the emirs all have separate armies, which defend their own borders. They will not help.”
“And the fae?” I prompted.
“The fae rarely interfere in the wars of the mages. Although they are part of the treaty, they are not bound to come to our aid.”
I shook my head. I had been so caught up in my own little world that I did not, could not, fathom the enormity of the situation.
How was I supposed to deal with Morgana and Lucian when I couldn’t even deal with a few bandits? Everyone seemed to have such hopes pinned on me, and I had just demonstrated that I was not fit enough to be what they wanted me to be. What exactly that was, I wasn’t really sure. They seemed to be planning to oust Morgana from the throne and make me queen. Was that why they wanted me to stay—to use me to threaten Morgana’s claim to the throne of Illiador?
The whole concept of being a princess who had to fight to regain my kingdom was so absurd. I was no hero. I was in a strange and unfamiliar world where I had absolutely no idea what was going on. And although I supposedly had all these great powers, they were of no use until I learned to control them. At the rate I was going, that would take forever, and time wasn’t exactly on my side.
“Now,” Uncle Gabriel clasped his hands together, “I will have to travel to the northern kingdoms and speak to Queen Maya of Andrysia and make sure she doesn’t accept Morgana as high queen.”
> Aunt Serena’s face looked drawn. “They will be scared, Father.”
“That is why I must go, and I will go alone. If I can assure them of our friendship and pledge my word that our ally, the dwarf king Ranthor, will join forces with them if they are attacked, then they may stand strong. But first, I will have to go and see Ranthor; he will not agree so readily. The dwarves have long since distanced themselves from the wars of men and mages, and Ranthor himself has not left his stone fortress in over twenty years. I will leave at first light. It is best that no one knows of my quest.”
I nodded affirmatively, and so did Aunt Serena.
“Good. Now that we understand each other,” my granduncle said, “we come to the other problem.”
“Which is?” Now what?
Uncle Gabriel turned his gaze on me. “You cannot live in Silverthorne Castle alone, and I think it will do you good to be around people your own age, mages like yourself. You need to learn to wield your magic, as I will be unavailable to teach you for a while.”
“Where will I go?” I was suddenly afraid to go out into this world alone again. Here in Silverthorne Castle with my granduncle and Aunt Serena, I was protected and felt safe. Out there, Morgana or Lucian could find me.
“To the Academy of Evolon,” said Uncle Gabriel.
“Evolon!” I hadn’t expected that. “The best school for mages in the whole of Avalonia?”
Uncle Gabriel’s lips turned upward. “Well, yes, I guess Erien has already told you all about it. He is very fond of his school. The Academy of Magic at Evolon is the best, and you must go there if you want to truly learn to use your gifts and powers. There is only so much I can teach you here, and above all you need to learn some discipline, young lady.”
“But what if someone tells Morgana I’m there? Won’t she send Oblek or someone else to capture me, or try to kill me, again?”
Serena got up from her chair and came over and put her arm around me. “We will not let that happen, but it’s better to be safe. That’s why you will take up a new identity and a new name.”
The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles Book 1) Page 13