by SJ West
"But if anyone had seen us or knew about this, it would tarnish your reputation. You need to be more careful about such things in the future. Sometimes your reputation is all you have."
"Who was going to see us here?" I asked. "Dracen is the only other person present, and he certainly isn't going to tell anyone. Calm yourself, Marshal Fallon. Your virtue was never in jeopardy by me."
Fallon stared at me for a moment before he began to chuckle.
"My virtue was lost a long time ago, madam," he informed me. "I don't think I have any of that left to lose."
"Ahh good," Dracen said from the doorway, "you're both up. We have guests."
"Guests?" I questioned as I stood from the bed, smoothing out my skirt.
Dracen waved a hand at us to follow him.
"Come, let me show you. They are quite magnificent," he said like a kid who just received a new toy.
Fallon shrugged on his jacket as we exited the bedchamber together.
From the bank of windows, I saw the guests Dracen was talking about.
Flying right outside the airships windows were three gold dragons, but they weren't flesh and blood dragons. These seemed to be made out of actual gold with serpentine bodies bejeweled with emeralds and wings jutting out from right above their two short legs near the front of the torso. White smoke issued forth from their nostrils at regular intervals, but it was of a thinner consistency than my little dragonling's. Riders rode on their backs just above where the wings were. They were dressed in light brown leather outfits consisting of pants embroidered with gold thread in a decorative pattern, a matching long coat with high collar embellished with the same gold thread as the pants plus emeralds at key accent points. Leather masks covered their faces, and they wore helmets made of an intricate gold filigree. It was easy to tell that all three were female by looking at the fit of the leather outfits, which clung snugly over their shapely forms.
I could see a set of throttles positioned on the front of the saddles they sat on, and assumed this was how they were able to control the movements of the mechanical beasts undulating beneath them.
"Are those powered by steam?" I asked Dracen.
Dracen nodded. "Magnificent, aren't they? It always amazes me how ingenious people can be. If you can't have a real dragon of your own, you simply make one!"
I noticed the lead rider look over at me and nod her head as if she were greeting me.
"Should I nod back?" I asked my companions discreetly, not sure what the proper protocol for such an unusual encounter should be.
"Yes," Fallon said. "It's only a friendly greeting, not a formal one."
I nodded back to the rider, and she immediately looked away, as if she was simply waiting for me to acknowledge her presence.
"Does this mean we're getting close to Kamora?" I asked.
"I would dare say yes," Dracen answered, unable to take his eyes off the riders and their dragons. I got the distinct feeling he desperately wanted one of his own to ride.
"Then I should probably go change," I told my companions, looking down at my rumpled, slept in clothing.
"Make sure you wear the Mantle of Power when we disembark," Fallon told me. "We have no way of knowing exactly what the state of affairs is at the moment in Kamora. At least you'll be protected while you wear it."
"Should I try to wear it the whole time we're here?" I asked.
"No," Dracen said. "That would show a level of distrust and might hinder the negotiations."
"But wear it as often as you can," Fallon told me, "without it looking suspicious."
I nodded to the men to let them know I understood their warning. I then returned to my chambers to prepare myself to meet Queen Emma's grandfather and his queen.
Luckily, I had a large array of dresses to choose from in my wardrobe. When we ventured to Ledmarrow Mountain to find Dracen, I made sure to pack for a long stay just in case he proved to be a difficult man to deal with.
I chose a dress made of a dark blue-green silk, overlaid with black and silver embroidered lace down the bodice, skirt and around the bottom of the sleeves. I decided not to wear my crown thinking such an accoutrement might be misconstrued as me acting a bit on the pretentious side. It was probably best to leave such things for now until a formal greeting ceremony was arranged. I was arriving unannounced and basically with my tail between my legs asking for help. I wasn't above eating crow to save my people, but I would make sure both my grandfather and his new queen understood I wasn't someone to be trifled with. I had at least one more option left open to me.
"No!" My little dragonling said to me emphatically. "I will not let you marry that man from Chromis. Absolutely not!"
I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down at my little dragon as she held her head up so high you would have thought she was queen instead of me.
"I don't believe that is your decision to make, my little friend," I told her. "Millions of lives are at stake. If I have to sacrifice my own happiness, it will be worth it to save them."
The dragonling hopped closer to the edge of the bed and lifted her little head to look up at me.
"But he will never make you happy," she told me matter-of-factly. "You do not belong with him."
"Be that as it may, if marrying Aleksander will give Vankara a second chance, then I will do it. And if that time comes, you have to promise me that you will go along with whatever I decide."
The little dragonling puffed out two clouds of smoke from her nostrils in a huff.
"I will support whatever decision you make, Sarah. You are mine, and I am yours. We are in this together for as long as the other one lives."
"Good." I told her. "Besides, I may end up not having a choice in the matter. If the child I carry is indeed Aleksander's, he will want to get married, and I can't very well refuse a father access to his own child."
"I do not believe the child is his. I don't sense the same feelings from it as I do from him."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked her, letting my arms drop back to my sides. "Can you sense the baby?"
"Of course," she said. "He is a part of you."
Well, I guess that confirmed it then. I was indeed carrying the child Queen Emma conceived before I shifted and took her place.
"Can you tell if it's healthy?" I asked her, concerned that the transformation process might have harmed the child in some way.
"As far as I can tell, he is perfectly normal," the little dragonling assured me, understanding my worries without me having to voice them.
"How can you tell he isn't Aleksander's son?"
"Well," she said hesitantly, "it's hard for me to describe exactly. I'm not completely certain it isn't his. I've only just been able to feel the child's presence within you. I think I might still be too young to fully understand what it is I am sensing."
"Then you don’t know who the father is."
"No, but I feel sure it isn't the King of Chromis' child."
"And I feel sure you might be letting your personal feelings about him overshadow whatever ability you have as a dragon to tell the parentage of the baby."
"I don't think so..."
"You don't sound too sure about that, my little fire starter."
It was in that instant that a name for my little dragonling popped into my head.
She leapt into the air and flitted onto my lap looking up at me with wide expectant eyes because she knew her name as soon as I thought it.
"Yes," I told her, unable to hold back a smile. "I've decided to call you Aurora because you bring light into my life, and it also seems like a name befitting a fire dragon."
"Perfect!" She said, fluttering her wings and flying up to land on my shoulder. She rubbed her little head affectionately against my cheek. "I love it. Thank you, Sarah."
"You are quite welcome, Aurora."
When I exited my bedchamber, I clasped the Mantle of Power around my neck and saw that the airship had already made dock.
The palace of Queen Emma'
s grandfather was quite impressive. Though, I'm not sure why I was surprised by that fact. The dock was located near the top of the king's home, but I could still see enough of the architecture to admire its intricacies.
It was a black and white multi-tiered structure mostly made of wood. Each floor was slightly smaller than the one below it giving the structure an almost pyramid effect. All of the levels had a wide, covered veranda with roofs featuring curved eaves and glossy black tiles. The view from the airship let me see that the palace was built on top of a hill and surrounded by a wide moat which meant it was only accessible by the bridges I saw connecting it to the outlying city or by air.
The three golden dragons and their riders landed on the opposite end of the dock from us. I watched as the riders dismounted from their dragons and began walking towards us.
"I guess they're our welcoming committee," Fallon said, holding out a crooked arm for me to take. "Shall we go meet them, my queen?"
I looped my arm through Fallon's and nodded, taking in a deep breath to steady my nerves.
Dracen opened the door and let the stairs down for Fallon and me. He followed close behind as we disembarked.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Inara and our resident seer, Able, walk over from the navigational control cabin to stand behind us as the riders approached.
As they walked towards us, the rider in the lead removed the leather mask covering the lower portion of her face. Without missing a step, she handed it to the rider on her right and slightly behind her. She then slipped off the upper portion of the mask that protected her eyes and handed it to the rider walking behind and on her left. The woman was stunningly beautiful with pale, creamy white skin, brown eyes so dark they almost looked black, and lips as red as an apple's skin. Her slightly slanted eyes stared straight into mine as she walked up to us with confidence and purpose.
I knew who she was even before she stopped in front of me and said, "I'm Queen Sora. Welcome to my home, Emma."
CHAPTER TEN
I felt Fallon's arm stiffen underneath mine and saw both Dracen and Inara bristle at Queen Sora's rather informal address of me.
"I believe you mean Queen Emma, your majesty," Fallon said to her politely, even though I could hear an undercurrent of hostility in his voice.
Queen Sora looked me up and down in an appraising manner. From the look in her eyes, I got the feeling she found me wanting in more ways than one.
"Well, you're not really queen of anything at the moment. Are you?" She said to me haughtily.
I saw Inara take a step forward as if she was about to attack the queen and felt Fallon take in a deep breath like he was about to say something to her that might get us all into trouble.
"I am the true queen of Vankara," I said, beating both of my loyal companions with my words before either of them could do something we would later regret. "The Fae queen and I are simply having a dispute about that fact at the moment. We were hoping you and my grandfather would be so kind as to help us remind Queen Nuala where her true place is. I'm sure together we can show her that neither of our countries will idly stand by while she attempts to conquer us."
"Us?" Queen Sora said, narrowing her eyes at me. "Do you think she would be foolish enough to try to attack Kamora as well?"
I nodded my head. "That is the conclusion we have come to. We have learned that she is the one responsible for the plagues. Why would she send something so deadly out into the world if not to weaken all of our countries in order to conqueror us? Vankara is the strongest nation in the world, and she has over run us. What's to stop her from doing the same to you?"
I could almost see the wheels in Queen Sora's mind spinning furiously with this new information.
"Your ships made dock in our ports last night," she told me. "The Admiral of your fleet told us the Fae have a corps of dragons under their command." I noticed Sora's eyes glance over to my own little dragon perched on my shoulder.
"Yes, they do," I told her. "Which is why, after our stay here, we intend to go to the dragon isles and ask them for their help."
Queens Sora's head ticks up a notch.
"They won't help you," she said to me as if she knew this for a fact. "I've been to their sky islands before to see if we could form an alliance with them, but they refused us. I seriously doubt you will have any better luck at forging a relationship with them."
"She is wrong," Aurora said to me. "They will help you because we are bonded."
"I may be slightly more fortunate than you in my dealings with them," I told her. "Aurora seems confident that her kind will help me since she and I are bonded to one another."
"How did you come to be bonded to a dragon anyway?"
"Marshal Fallon," I said, giving Fallon a sideways glance so Queen Sora knew whom I was talking about, "and I ventured into Fae territory a short while back. That is where Aurora and I found each other."
I didn't feel it was important for Sora to know the full details about that visit. It simply wasn't any of her business.
"Then I wish you luck in securing an alliance with the dragons," she said to me, though I could tell her wish wasn't a sincere one. But, I could also tell this new bit of information seemed to give me a little more leverage with her as well. It was obvious she wanted dragons of her own. She was so desperate to have them she made artificial ones to satisfy her need for now.
If she formed an alliance with me and if I in turn was able to negotiate an alliance with the dragons, she would be in a better position to bargain with them again.
"My kind will never take her in as an ally," Aurora said to me. "She is not to be trusted, Sarah. I may be young, but even I can sense that much about her character."
"I agree," I silently replied. "She can't be trusted, but we need to use whatever pull we might have to gain access to her troops right now. We'll worry about the details later."
"Your grandfather is looking forward to seeing you again," Queen Sora said, effectively changing the subject.
I assumed she wanted more time to think about what was in her best interest before our negotiations started. She knew what I came to her for, and I knew she would want something in return for her help. Whether or not we could both come to an agreeable arrangement was yet to be seen.
"My guards will show you to your rooms. We'll arrange a formal reception between you and your grandfather for later this morning. In the afternoon, perhaps you and I can have a private tea ceremony together to talk about what needs to be done in order to help your country get back on its feet."
"Thank you," I told her. "I would enjoy that."
"Please," Queen Sora said graciously, extending her arm out and pointing her hand towards the palace, "treat my home as if it were your own. I will see you later this morning in the king's throne room. I'm sure you will want to freshen up before seeing him. Would you like me to have some servants retrieve your belongings and take them to your room?"
"Thank you," I told her. "That would be more convenient."
"Then consider it done," she assured me, her lips spreading into a smile that never quite reached her marble cold eyes.
As we followed the queen's two riding companions into the palace, I had a feeling Queen Sora would be rummaging through my airship looking for anything that might give her an upper hand in our upcoming negotiations.
I knew there wasn't anything in there to find, but the thought of her going through my personal effects was still disturbing.
The interior of the palace was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The walls were all white and made of a thick paper stretched between sliding wood frames. The room I was taken to was large with a palette on the floor for sleeping, a short black lacquered table with colorful pillows surrounding it for sitting, and a small attached bathroom with a tub built into the bamboo floor.
Inara stayed with me while Fallon, Dracen, and Able were taken to their own rooms further down the hallway from mine.
"I do not like that woman," Inara said in a h
uff as she took off her gloves and slapped them against her right thigh in agitation. "Who does she think she is by addressing you so informally? I had a good mind to slap her senseless!"
"She's just arrogant," I said in a calm voice, hoping to smooth Inara's ruffled feathers. "And she has the upper hand at the moment, Inara. We need her help, not another enemy."
"Which is the only reason I didn't smack her into tomorrow!" Inara threw her gloves onto the table. "I don't know why things have to be so low to the floor in this godforsaken country. You would have thought they never got the message that chairs had been invented."
"It's their custom," I said. "And I don't intend to be here long enough to let it bother me. You shouldn't either."
"How long do you think they'll drag this out?"
"No more than a day or two I hope. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I’m just thankful the trip here didn’t take very long. Should I even ask what it is you and Able did during the journey here?"
My question did exactly what I had intended, and brought a smile to Inara’s face as she forgot all about Queen Sora’s rudeness.
"The boy learns fast," she said cheekily. "I can say that much for him. It's been a while since I had time for any fun. Figured I would take advantage of the situation while I had the chance."
"You haven't scarred him for life have you?"
Inara put a hand to her chest as she feigned an innocent look on her face.
"Why Emma, I'm shocked you would even suggest such a thing. I think I might have made a man out of him, if you want to know the truth of the matter. Now, he'll know what to do to satisfy any woman he encounters."
"I take it from that comment that you feel nothing for him?"
"He's just a boy, Em," Inara scoffed. "It'll take a real man to ever make me fall in love. Speaking of which, how was your journey here with Fallon?"
"Fallon?" I asked, slightly confused by the change of subject. "We slept most of the way."
"Together?"
"Uh..."
"You did, didn't you! I knew you wouldn't be able to keep your hands off him. Though, I am a bit surprised you took him to bed with Dracen right in the next room."