The giant black dragon hit the ground, feet from where Rael and Arianwyn were standing. Rael picked Arianwyn up and carried her towards Charon. He gained the dragon’s back in one leap. Using only his legs to keep his balance, he wrapped the heavy coat around Arianwyn’s shoulders. The dragon launched skyward, wings pushing down against the air and forcing them upwards. Parvati followed closely behind Charon, her nose almost touching the tip of his tail.
Arianwyn released the water when the dragons had cleared the tops of the trees. The rushing wind blocked out the sound of the monster returning to the surface and shrieking angrily at the loss of its meal. The pain located in the middle of Arianwyn’s head exploded through the rest of her body, muscles spasming. Rael tightened his grip and gave her a tight smile. “First time drawing that heavily?” he shouted against the wind.
Arianwyn nodded, regretting it almost immediately. She closed her eyes against the sun. “Thank you,” she called to him, her voice echoing painfully in her skull.
Rael lowered his head so that his lips touched Arianwyn’s ear. “I believe I’ve already told you that you need to spend time each day practicing. It will help you build up a tolerance for the power and allow you to wield more,” he said in a more normal voice. Arianwyn nodded again. Rael pulled her head against his chest. “Rest easy for now,” he said. Arianwyn was not sure if she fell asleep or passed out.
19-Meetings
Charon and Parvati landed in the same courtyard they had left earlier that morning. Rael dismounted and then caught Arianwyn as she slid down after him. Tess, a tall man Arianwyn assumed was Tad and Alyssa immediately converged on them. “Your Majesty where have you...” “Your dress!” “…been waiting for hours, now…”
“Enough,” Rael said quietly. Silence immediately descended on the group. Arianwyn sagged against Rael. If not for his arms, she would have slid into a puddle on the ground. Parvati nosed Arianwyn, checking her for additional injury, before she and Charon lifted back into the air and flew to the Dragon’s Cave. “Tad, my war counselors are waiting?” The tall, thin man nodded, lips slightly pinched. “Let’s not keep them waiting any longer, then.” Rael turned and lifted Arianwyn’s hand to his lips, giving her a warning squeeze before he let go. She forced her knees to stiffen. “Lady Arianwyn, it was a pleasure I hope to repeat again.”
Arianwyn curtsied and wobbled, inclining her head and blushing. “Hopefully without the attack,” she replied, smiling as she straightened and relocked her knees. Rael chuckled and nodded, his smile vanishing as he left the courtyard followed by Tad. Alyssa snagged her arm as Rael walked away.
“What happened, Lady Arianwyn? Your clothes are dirty! Did I hear you say that you were attacked?”
“And your clothes are torn, which makes me wonder who was attacked and who attacked,” Tess sniffed, eyeing Arianwyn with a faintly disapproving look.
Arianwyn blushed again and headed toward her rooms, leaning heavily on Alyssa. The girl did not comment, but supported Arianwyn as if nothing were abnormal. “We were attacked. His Majesty saved me, but I fell when he turned to face our attacker.”
Alyssa gasped. “Who attacked you?”
Arianwyn shook her head. “Not who…what. I’m not sure what the creature was,” she said. She described it to them, telling the entire story of their attack and ending with the flying leap Charon took to take them to safety.
Tess was nodding. “A kalapa.” When Alyssa and Arianwyn stared at her blankly, she continued. “They’re creatures that live in most of the mountain lakes. They usually start out small, swimming upstream to populate a new lake when a giant has taken over its former home.”
Arianwyn shuddered. “I’ve no interest in seeing one again. What do they usually eat?”
“The same things the dragons eat. They wait until something wanders by the water for a drink and then pull it in. It would have avoided the dragons, but you and the king would have made a perfect meal for it.”
They entered Arianwyn’s quarters. Tess followed her into the room and assisted her in changing. “You have several correspondences, Lady Arianwyn.”
Arianwyn sighed as she was tied into her dress. “Is Master Aldous available in the library?”
“He is. I’ll have your correspondences taken there.”
“Thank you, Tess. Will you also have a light snack brought to me?” Tess nodded, curtsied and left. Arianwyn walked out of her room into the reception room. Alyssa stood to the side, fidgeting. “What is it, Lady Alyssa?”
Alyssa looked down, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “Do you need me for anything, lady?”
“No, not that I can think of. You may have the rest of the morning off. Will you join me for lunch?” Alyssa nodded, smiling. “Good. I’ll see you at lunch, then.” Alyssa curtsied and darted from the room, Kerr straightening up to hurry after her in the hall.
Arianwyn walked out, Sigurd and Wymond flanking her to the library. She was once again urged to retell the attack, except these two seemed more upset that they had been at the Keep and unable to fight the beast. Arianwyn ignored their dark looks and continued to the library.
The library was located just below the dance hall. The giant windows from the room above extended down the wall, illuminating the room. Books lined the walls in floor to ceiling shelves with more shelves creating narrow aisles in between. A row of tables lined the windows. Arianwyn chose one of the benches next to Aldous who had various books scattered about him.
“Good morning, Lady Arianwyn,” he said absently without getting up or looking at her.
Arianwyn smiled. “Good morning, Master Aldous. How is your studying going?”
He frowned and hummed slightly, flipping through a few pages. Arianwyn bit back a chuckle at the absent-minded man and turned to her own pile of parchment. From the moment the king had declared her his bride, she had begun receiving all sorts of letters seeking to curry her favor. Merchants wanting trade taxes lifted or added to competitors, minor lords seeking more land or a settlement of disputes between neighbors, small holders seeking a title…most of it gave her a headache. She had come to dread the letters more than her lessons with Lysander.
“Master Aldous, am I reading this correctly? What invitation are these people accepting?” Arianwyn showed him the heavy parchment from Queen Ylva of the Inugami Totem.
Master Aldous squinted, peering at the cramped writing in the message. “Ah, yes. It is customary for the bride of the king to meet with the queens of the other Totems before the wedding. I imagine His Majesty had the invitation sent out on your behalf shortly after your engagement.”
Arianwyn sighed, looking over the letter again. “At least there will be time for me to prepare for this.” Aldous smiled at her again and turned back to his studies. Arianwyn went back to her reading. The work was slow, but she was beginning to understand more of what she read. Aldous assured her that she would also gain speed the more she practiced. With the amount of reading Arianwyn did, she assumed she would be able to breeze through books in a day or less.
“Lady Arianwyn!” Alyssa came bursting into the library, a bright smile on her face and a carefully wrapped package in her hands. Kerr trailed along behind her, looking exasperated. Alyssa came to a stop and dropped a hasty curtsy before putting the package down. “You were sent a gift! It was accidentally left in your room,” Alyssa explained.
Arianwyn smiled. “Thank you, Lady Alyssa.” She opened the package. “To Her Esteemed Majesty,” she read aloud. “In the hopes that you enjoy the fruits of our labor and that we may grow closer as a country. Sent on behalf of His Imperial Eminence, Emperor Delano.” Arianwyn lifted her eyebrows at Alyssa, who beckoned for her to open it. She carefully lifted the lid and frowned.
“Ooooh!” Alyssa clearly knew what they were looking at. All Arianwyn saw was a jumble of shriveled, golden something. Arianwyn lifted one of the golden pieces out of the box. A light dusting of sugar was on the outside. “Candied pineapple! Oh, can I have one?”
&
nbsp; “Alyssa!” Arianwyn frowned at her.
Alyssa blushed crimson and dropped her eyes. Arianwyn sighed. “It’s just strange to see you so different from when you first came here,” she relented. “You mustn’t forget to act as a lady at all times.”
“Yes, Lady Arianwyn. I’m sorry. Candied pineapples are my favorite,” she said quietly, casting hopeful eyes in the box's direction.
Arianwyn smiled. “You’re welcome to them, of course. Just remember to save some for me, please. I’m curious about this candy you’re so fond of.” Alyssa smiled and took the box, racing back out of the library. Kerr heaved another sigh and followed. One of the Keep pages passed them on the way in, walking up to Arianwyn and waiting respectfully for her to acknowledge him.
“Excuse me, Lady Arianwyn. His Majesty would like to see you.” The young page stood stiffly, waiting for Arianwyn.
“Me? What could he possibly need me for?” she frowned, glancing at Master Aldous. He shrugged and continued reading.
“He is in meeting with his war counselors, lady.”
“Thank you. I’m coming.” She gathered up her materials and followed the page. He led her back into the castle. On their way, she handed her materials to another page. She instructed him to fetch Alyssa for her at the same time. If she was going to enter a meeting with the king and his counselors, she would prefer not to do it alone.
Alyssa caught up with them shortly before they arrived at a room set deep within the mountain. There were no windows to the room, candelabrum and torches giving the only light to the room. A large table was set in the middle surrounded by chairs. A map was spread across the table and more maps hung on the walls. Men stood around the table, pointing out different spots on the map and discussing food transportation. Rael glanced up when Arianwyn and Alyssa entered. She curtsied. “You sent for me, Your Majesty?” One of the men straightened, meeting her eyes. Arianwyn’s breath caught as she met Bernie’s eyes. Her stomach knotted and she wished herself away from the room. She nearly missed Rael’s response.
“Yes. You’ve seen the Clouds of War and you will be queen. You should be included in these discussions.” One of the men snorted to himself. Either Rael did not notice or he chose to ignore it. He gestured for her to take a seat near him. Alyssa stood just to the side and behind Arianwyn. Arianwyn struggled to keep her focus on the discussion, though her gaze kept wandering to Bernie.
“Your Majesty, we should have troops placed along our southern borders. We should have the forts manned at full power.” The man speaking was heavy set and balding. Despite his mass, there was an undertone of brute strength in his shoulders and hands. His face had a tendency toward redness, centered on his nose. His eyes were close set and a watery blue.
Rael shook his head. “We haven’t the resources for that and no plausible cause still, Cyril.” Arianwyn studied the map curiously. She had never seen one before. A detailed drawing of the castle marked their current location. In the center of the castle was a four pointed star indicating the directions of north, south, east, and west. A snaking dragon locked claw to claw with a Manticore marked the southern border of the kingdom.
“Send out the conscription, Your Majesty!” Cyril urged.
Rael sighed. “And the money, general?”
Cyril shrugged. “Increase the taxes or the output from the gold mines.”
“Tha’s madness,” Bernie responded. His face turned red as all eyes turned to him, but he stubbornly met Cyril’s gaze.
“Madness, is it? If there isn’t enough money then we must simply mine more.”
“He’s right,” Arianwyn said. She glanced at Rael. He watched her, showing no indication to help her out of this.
“Lady Arianwyn grew up in the mining areas. Isn’t that right, lady?” Alyssa piped up.
Arianwyn flashed a smile at Alyssa. “Yes, that is correct. Bernie lived where logging was more prevalent, but would have come in frequent contact with miners. I say it’s madness because the majority of the gold mines are too isolated to be reached easily. The winters make the passes impossible to cross. Even if you increased output, you wouldn’t be able to get it in time. And where will you get the bodies to man the mines to increase output, especially if you send out conscriptions? Mining is dangerous, difficult work.”
Cyril spluttered in response, searching for a reply. “In short,” Rael said, “we have the same problem manning the mines as we do manning the forts.” He looked at Arianwyn, brows creased and a slight frown on his face.
Arianwyn didn't see his frown. She stared at the map, frowning. “Must the forts be manned?” Bernie asked hesitantly. Arianwyn followed Bernie’s gaze to the map, noticing the lay of the land he was looking at.
The same man who had snorted earlier snorted again, louder this time. Arianwyn turned her attention to him. He was in his prime, although wings of gray shone in his dark hair. He had hard brown eyes and a permanent sneer to his lips. “Your Majesty, it is folly to allow a woman and a commoner here. They clearly have no concept of war.”
Tess’s advice rang in the back of Arianwyn’s mind, nudged forward by Parvati. She forced back the natural response to cringe and straightened her back instead. She heard Parvati growl in approval in the back of her head. “Excuse me…” She raised an eyebrow and waited for him to supply a name.
The man’s face turned red and his eyes radiated anger. “I am General Albius,” he answered in a tight voice.
“Ah yes, General Albius. Never heard of you.” She smiled sweetly into his growing fury. Bernie’s jaw dropped as he watched her. “To my knowledge, we are not at war yet. The Clouds have merely presented themselves indicating the possibility of war. So I ask again, must the forts be manned at this time?”
She couldn’t read Rael’s reaction to her reply. Albius was easy to read, however, as his lips thinned and his eyes burned. Rael finally responded. “We are not at war and they do not need to be manned.”
“It would be wise to man them,” Cyril interjected.
“Lady Alyssa, didn’t Thane Cael mention that the southern thaneship was rich in timber and farmlands?”
Cyril narrowed his eyes, watching her curiously. “What do you have in mind, Lady Arianwyn?”
She took a deep breath before plunging onward. “Likely the same thing Bernie has in mind.” She gestured for Bernie to continue. If anyone noticed that she knew Bernie’s name, but not General Albius’s name, no one commented.
He cleared his throat. “As Ji…Lady Ariawnyn mentioned already, mining is difficult, dangerous work. An’ you say you can’ afford the people yeh need.” Rael nodded in response, “But tha border needs people there. If tha land is good, open it to tha peasants. Offer them land ta farm and raise their families on. Many will be grateful fer tha chance at an easier life than mining.” Albius sputtered this time.
“In return,” Arianwyn picked up, ignoring Albius, “they must send every man of appropriate age in their family one day in five to be trained by a small contingent of the King’s Army. Again, many will jump at the chance to receive military training because it will again open up opportunities to make money that are easier than mining.”
Bernie nodded in agreement. “Wha' she says is true, Yer Majesty. I worked as a city guard afore coming here wi' my…news.” His eyes flashed to Arianwyn. “There’re many poor folk in my town, desperate far a way to provide.” He spoke slowly, taking care to enunciate his words and clearly struggling to mask his mountain accent.
Cyril leaned back, chewing on his thumb. “An army in the area ready to be called up and more willing to defend the land,” he mused. “It just might work, Your Majesty, although it would have been better to announce in the spring.”
“And what of their families, Sire? If war happens, we’ll have hundreds, perhaps thousands of people displaced!” Albius objected.
Rael shook his head. “No, now is better. The announcement can be spread through the land, giving all people a chance to hear of it and plan on it.” He nodded
to Arianwyn before glancing at Albius. “It is true their families will be endangered. But if we cannot protect our southern border, they will be endangered anyway. See that the announcement is carried out.” Albius stood, back straight and shoulders stiff. He saluted Rael and left the room. “Cyril, select men who would make good trainers to man the forts. Ensure that there are sufficient men sent to assist them.”
“Your Majesty, what if we sent out only a small force to a few forts to begin with? The peasants could take the place of the soldiers after they are trained. The soldiers could then travel to a new fort and begin the process again. It would minimize the number of men we would have to send out and supply,” Cyril interjected.
Rael nodded. “Excellent. Please take care of it, General Cyril.” The man stood and saluted before leaving the room. Rael turned to Arianwyn. “Lady Arianwyn, thank you for your suggestions. They have proved most helpful. In the future, try not to antagonize my generals.” Arianwyn flushed and started to stutter an apology. Rael cracked a small grin. “Don’t think I didn’t enjoy seeing him put in his place…just try not to antagonize him in the future.”
Arianwyn stood and curtsied to him, Alyssa following suit. “Is that all, King Rael?” He nodded, standing and leaning over the map.
“Yer Majesty,” Bernie said, taking a deep breath. “It seems you’ve already found the girl I spoke of.” Rael looked up sharply. Bernie bowed slightly to Arianwyn. “Lady…Arianwyn…” He bowed to Rael and walked out stiffly. She met Rael’s eyes briefly before hurrying out the door after Bernie, Alyssa trailing behind her.
Bernie was taking long strides down the hall. Arianwyn hesitated, torn between her desire to be rid of Bernie and her need to return the care he had given her. She took a deep breath. “Bernie! Wait a moment, please.” He stopped and turned stiffly, bowing low when she arrived. “Please, we were friends long before all of this.”
The King's Treasure Page 16