"I guess we start where your dragon friends told us to. We start in the mines."
I wiped my tears on the back of my sleeve. Had my mother been around, she would have told me off, but she wasn't around. We walked back through the castle, hand in hand. I didn't know what I could do, but I was determined to do something. My father collared us as we entered the long corridor that led to my room. Nerves took over as I realized I'd gone against his wishes...Again.
"There you are. I've been searching the castle for you. I thought I'd told you to stay in your room?"
"I'm sorry, Fath..."
He waved my words away. "Never mind about that now. I'm up to my eyeballs with stress over this competition you've gotten everyone into. No, don't apologize again. I've hardly been the exemplary father I should have been. Stress, you know. I'm the one who should be apologizing. A good night's sleep has done me a world of good. Anyway, I've looked through that book of yours, and the details of the competition are very vague. It seems to involve a lot of fighting. I was thinking of asking Caspian to sort it out, but then I realized that it would hardly be a fair fight if he's one of the competitors. My advisors are all busy, and I have had no time to do anything, so I want you to do it."
"You want me to plan the competition?"
Hope rose in my chest as I took in his words. If I was in charge of the competition, I could sway it in Milo's favor. I knew where his strengths and weaknesses lay, and he could help. I just wouldn't have to let my father know that.
"I'll do it."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Milo giving me a funny look. Only minutes before, I was ready to leave the castle before the competition took place.
"Wonderful," Father said, handing me a sheet of paper covered in scribbles. "Here are some notes I made, but the rest will be up to you. You'll have to coordinate things with my secretary and the press. This needs to be finalized within the week if we have any hope for getting it sorted out in time. I think I'm going to have to ask you to plan the wedding too. I know it's a lot to ask. Caspian was going to do it, but it's a bit unfair to ask the chap to plan a wedding that might not be his."
"Thank you, Daddy," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He was back to his old self. Lack of sleep and excessive stress had turned him into someone I no longer recognized, but the old king was back.
"I need to speak to you about the dragons," I said, glad that I'd finally caught him in a good mood. Vasuki and the others had been playing on my mind the whole time, but this was the first time I'd been able to get my father to listen to me.
"What about them?"
"I've met them." I held my breath as he took the information in.
"I'm aware. I saw one carrying you, remember."
And so he had. He'd fired arrows at Nyre. "Nyre is just one of the dragons I've met."
"Look," he said, holding up his hand to me. "I'm well aware you went up the mountain without my permission. I'm also aware that the dragons are shifters. Your grandfather told me before he died. Why do you think I started the wall? However, they still attacked my men."
"Not all of them," I argued. "It was just a few. They are angry."
"Well, they wouldn't be the only ones now, would they?"
"People have been going up the mountain to steal eggs. The leader, Vasuki, doesn't want to attack."
"I don't really wish to speak to you about this. Please don't take me for an idiot. I know a lot more than you think I do, but my loyalty is to my men, my people. They attacked us. I don't have all my knights back yet, but when they all return, I will be sending them up the mountain."
"But..."
"No more, Azia." He turned and walked away.
"It's a fight for another day," Milo said. "The knights might not be back for weeks. Draconis is a huge kingdom."
I nodded. He was right.
I thought you weren't interested in this competition.
"That was before I realized we could make it so you win. Yeah, I'd like to wait, but this way, at least, my father is happy, and I won't break his heart by running away."
"One other good thing has come of all this," said Milo taking my hand.
"Yeah?"
"Your father didn't send you back to your room. He seems to have forgotten that he grounded you for the rest of your life. We can go to the mines without having to sneak out the back way."
I gave him a grin, and the pair of us stole out of the castle. We did end up taking the back way, anyway, mainly because it was the quickest route.
"There are small doors all over the mountain," I said as we strolled through the woods.
"You don't want to use one of them," Milo replied. "They don't like humans, and they especially don't like humans going where they are not wanted. There is only one way you will get to speak to them, and that is by walking in through the front door."
"They have a front door?"
Milo laughed. "Yes. How do you think my father got in to work every day when he worked with them? He didn't climb the mountain. About three miles from here, there is a front door. Anyone can enter. It's basically a shop with a back entrance to the mines. The shop is where my father worked. He was the go-between for the dwarves and the humans. They didn't like to speak to us mere humans, so my father had to do it. It was a necessity for them, and they tolerated him. I think they even grew fond of him after a while. I was allowed in the shop sometimes. They know who I am. Whether they will listen to me or talk to me is another matter."
"Won't they talk to me?" I asked. "I'm the daughter of the king, after all."
"That means nothing to them. They don't have the same rules as we do, and they recognize no one as their king. Don't worry. I think I'll be able to get us an audience."
We came out of the woods. I blinked as the sun filtered into my eyes. Milo pointed out the road we would have to take. It was a little more than a track that skirted the base of the mountains. My father's men had gone back to work on the wall because it now stretched further than before.
"We won't be able to climb up to see the dragons for much longer," I pointed out as we began the trek that would take us to the mine entrance.
"You'll always be able to get up there, remember? Your friends will fly you up."
"I guess," I answered. "It seems an awfully long way to go. How did your father travel there every day from Zhore?"
"My father took a horse."
A horse! Why didn't I think of that? It would have made the journey a whole lot quicker. It was then, I remembered something better.
I pulled my magic into myself. It was useless in any other way, but it was great for getting dragons to come to me. I was getting better at it too. I thought of Nyre only. There was no point bringing the others down here. Vasuki had been kind to me so far, but I doubted his patience would last if I asked him to carry me places. Nyre was small, but she'd already heaved Milo and me up the mountain. She would bridge those miles in no time. Plus, she was so eager to help. A small jet of light escaped my hands, shooting up into the sky. A small dot appeared circling it, getting lower and lower until the purple scales of Nyre's armor became more apparent.
"We are traveling by dragon?"
I shrugged. "Why not? My father has use of all the horses, and I'm yet to get one of my own. This way, I won't have to bother anyone."
"Anyone, but your friend!" Milo tipped his eyes to the pretty young dragon that landed next to us.
"Nyre, would you mind taking us to the entrance of the Dwarf mines?"
Nyre jumped up and down in excitement. I nodded towards Milo to come to me. This time, I held his hand as we were hoisted up into the air. It would have been better if she was big enough to have us sit on her back, but she was still too small for that. Maybe I should have called for Vasuki or one of the bigger dragons, after all, I thought as my fingers turned white from being gripped so hard.
"I guess I shouldn't put anything to do with heights in the competition," I said, laughing at Milo's expression. His eyes were firmly
clamped shut.
Nyre landed us on the ground with a soft bump. Milo sucked in a couple of deep breaths, and his face gained back the color that had drained from it when we were flying.
Once she saw we were fine, she once again took off into the sky. I watched her for a few seconds as she circled around up high.
"I think she'll wait for us," I said to Milo.
The entrance was nothing like I expected. I'd expected another door like the little wooden doors I'd seen dotted around the mountains. Or maybe a huge wooden door with a keep out sign on it and lots of bolts. As it was, it looked like any other shop, with windows full of metal objects. Armour and jewelry sparkled in the midday sun. Yes, it was like any other shop, but it was built right into the very base of the mountains. A sign above the entrance chiseled right into the rock, said Mine Shop.
"They don't actually make all this stuff," Milo explained as we walked through the entrance. "A lot of this was made by my mother. That sword over there is one of mine." He pointed out a sword. It was gorgeous, but nothing as grand as the dragon sword he made for me.
"They paid us extra to work with their metal for the storefront. All they do is supply the metals and gems. The people who buy it get to do what they want with the metal once it's bought. The dwarves don't really understand things like jewelry or swords, but they do know it's what the people want. They are simple folk. They mine the metal, imbue it with magic, and get food in exchange."
"People buy metal with food?"
"Yes. The dwarves don't want money. They don't like to leave their home, so they wouldn't be able to spend it. Besides, they literally have gold. What they don't have is a means to feed themselves. They cannot forage or garden. They hate being out in the sunlight. So they sell their metal in exchange for food or whatever else it is they might need. Sometimes, they will accept cloth for clothes. Don't be fooled that they are getting the raw end of the bargain. They know how much their stuff is worth, and they price accordingly. An ounce of gold can cost a whole cow. One imbued with a certain magic can cost upwards of a whole herd of cows. They are famous and get people from all over all the kingdoms not just ours."
Inside, the shop was dark, and nothing like the modern outside would have led me to believe. If anything, this is how I expected the place to look, with roughly hewn walls and an air of dampness. The smell of sulfur permeated the air. I wrinkled my nose and checked out the shop. Along one wall was a glass counter with ingots of different precious metals in it. Behind the counter, a tall reedy man stood. He was talking to another man in a hood. They were haggling over the price of something.
"I'll give you a goat for it," the shorter man said, pointing to one of the smaller ingots.
The tall one shook his head impatiently and clucked. "You know I cannot accept that. The dwarves would fire me on the spot if they thought I was giving away their metal."
The smaller of the two sighed. "How about two goats and you throw in a couple of gems?"
"Hmm. How about two goats, we forget the gems, and I give you a smaller ingot?"
"Fine," the smaller man grumbled. "I'll take the ingot and bring the goats back tomorrow."
The tall man raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, okay, I'll come back with the goats first." The man shuffled past us, his face a look of pure misery.
"Still the hard-ass, I see," Milo said. The man's expression softened immediately.
"Milo. Good to see you." He held out his hand to Milo's. "You are not here to take my job, are you, because I happen to know the Dwarves will have you back in a heartbeat."
"Not this time, Lou. I'm actually here to introduce my friend to the dwarves."
Lou held his hands up. "You know I can't do that. They don't speak to..." He stopped as soon as his eyes landed on me. Half a second later, he fell into a bow.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I didn't recognize you for a moment. Please forgive my impudence."
I bit back a grin.
"It's fine. I only come here in need of your help."
Lou stood tall and rubbed his hands together. "I would love to help you. Unfortunately, I know for certain that the dwarves will not let you in. They bow down to no one and recognize no royalty the way we do. I'm most awfully sorry. If there was anything I could do, I would," he said apologetically.
"Tell the dwarves that we think the princess is somehow connected to the change in magic," Milo said. "We are not here just for our own benefit, but for that of everyone."
Lou wavered. "I'm not sure I can do anything."
"Come on, Lou. You know as well as I do that the dwarves will be feeling the magical vibrations. I can't feel it, but I've heard from enough sources to know that there has been a massive shift in magical energy."
"Well, they have been talking," Lou said uncomfortably. "I don't really like to listen in to be honest,though."
"Is Goethe here? Can you tell him Milo wants to talk to him?" Milo turned to me. "Goethe is the one dwarf that I've met. He's the one who asked me to stay on when my father died. He owes me."
Lou sighed, then walked past us and changed the Open sign to Closed on the door. I'll go fetch him, but don't expect him to be happy about it. He's been in a grump for the last two weeks."
"How can you tell?" Milo laughed. "He's always in a grump."
"Yes, well, he's worse than usual. Take a seat, and I'll go ask him if he wants to see you. I wouldn't hold your breath, though. Sorry Your Highness," he said again, looking my way and giving a little bow as he left through a tunnel at the back of the shop.
"Do you think this Goethe will be mad?" I asked.
Milo took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Probably, but I wouldn't worry. He's always mad. It's his go-to response to everything. He's a big baby, really. Don't let his grouchiness fool you."
"Hmm." I sat back and twiddled my thumbs. Seconds later, a small man with more wrinkles than a prune and way too much skin waddled out.
"What?" he barked at Milo. "I thought we'd finally got rid of you."
Milo stood and walked over to the dwarf. "Not a chance, old man. I'm actually here for your help."
"So I hear," he grumbled. "Although, I don't know what you think I can do to help."
"We think you know something about the change in magical energy."
"So?"
"So, my friend Azia would like to know what you know. She thinks her family might be involved in some way. Her mother was the woman who was cursed."
Goethe turned his face to me. "The queen is cursed again? I should have known. You two had better come with me."
Lou's mouth dropped open as we trooped past him into the dark tunnel.
The stench of sulfur intensified as we walked into the gloom, and this time, it was my turn to be nervous.
"I've never once been let down here," Milo whispered. "My father was not allowed either. This thing must be huge if they are letting humans in."
"I'm not letting humans in; I'm letting you two in. That's different." Goethe barked.
I giggled until I remembered Vasuki's words. You are not human. I'd pushed them to one side, marking them as ridiculous. Of course, I was human, but did Goethe think the same thing? I'd not mentioned to Milo that particular part of the conversation. Maybe it was just the way he'd said it. Milo was human, after all.
The smell of sulfur intensified, the deeper we walked into the mountain, and the temperature climbed.
My sense of unease along with it.
"Is it safe?" I whispered, trying to keep my volume below that which Goethe could hear.
I was not successful.
"Yes, it's safe. I don't eat humans on Tuesdays," he barked back.
I looked at Milo, who grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
"Today is Monday!" I mouthed
Ahead of us loomed a huge room filled with bright flames, which probably accounted for the soaring temperature. How Goethe and the other dwarves managed to work in such temperatures was beyond belief. It was not this room we walked to as
we veered off into a smaller tunnel. After walking for what felt like a mile, we finally stopped at a thick wooden door. Goethe brought out a large brass key and thrust it into the lock. Inside the room was a table and on the table, a small box.
"This has been waiting here for you for eighteen years," Goethe said, indicating the box. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come back for it."
Milo walked towards the box. "My father left something for me here?"
"Not you." The dwarf nodded his head to me. "Her. Her mother left it."
14th January
I couldn't sleep. My mind was still whirring with everything I'd learned yesterday, which was precisely nothing. My questions hadn't been answered, but more questions had been thrown my way. Goethe knew nothing about the shift in energy, nor did he say much about the dragons. What he did tell me was that a box had been there since I was a newborn. When he told me my mother had left it, I thought he meant my birth mother, that maybe she was leaving some kind of clue for me to find her, but now, over twelve hours later, I knew that was ridiculous. Why would my birth mother leave me a clue to who she was in a mine? A mine to which humans rarely ventured? She wouldn't, and of course, she hadn't. The box had been brought here by the queen, just a day or two after the day she adopted me.
My parents celebrated my birthday on December 28th, which was the day they adopted me, but they thought I was a few days old by then, so my birthday was probably on the 24th or 25th. I had no real way of knowing. I pulled the box out from under my bed, where I'd stashed it the night before and opened it again, afraid that I'd imagined the whole thing.
There, just as it had been the night before, sat a stunningly beautiful ruby necklace. I'd never seen anything like it before, and even Milo, who had a mother who made jewelry, agreed that it was one of a kind. Hundreds of rubies set in gold. My mother had all the money in the world, and yet, I couldn't imagine why she would leave something so beautiful in the mines. I couldn't imagine her going to the mines at all, but I could hardly ask her why. She was still asleep.
All Goethe could tell me was that it was full of powerful magic, though he didn't know the extent of it. He'd been too wary of it to touch it, and so it had sat in the box, locked in the room for eighteen years. I held it up to my neck and glanced at myself in the mirror. It really was the most exquisite piece of jewelry, but I couldn't feel the power Goethe had said was in it. I clasped it around my neck, waiting for something magical to happen, but the room remained the same. I wondered if my own magic would be enhanced by it and if I would be able to do something more than call the dragons. But even with my concentration on full, I was not able to conjure so much as a teacup...or a teabag. Not even a tealeaf. I was beginning to suspect that maybe these magical beings were in on some kind of weird conspiracy to make me think I was powerfully magic when I wasn't. So I could summon dragons. Maybe that wasn't a difficult thing to do?
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