by Lea Doué
Before she’d finished speaking, Zared appeared from the back room. “Your Highness! I hadn’t expected you to be free so soon.” His pleased smile faltered when he saw Keir, and then disappeared altogether when he spotted Wist hanging from her braid. He cleared his throat. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you could get that to stay outside? Many of the fabrics in here are delicate and expensive.”
Of course, Zared couldn’t afford Master Jiri’s wrath if his goods were damaged. “I understand, but I won’t risk letting Wist fly alone in an unfamiliar city. If he can’t stay, then neither can I. We’ll have to do the fitting at the palace.”
A look of annoyance flashed across his face, but it was replaced with a pleasant smile. “That shouldn’t be necessary, as long as it… he stays in a pouch. Perhaps your… friend… could hold him for you?”
She nodded at his willingness to accommodate her and handed Wist over to Keir. “Would you mind?”
Keir looked as displeased as Zared, but not because of Wist. He squared his shoulders. “It would be my pleasure.” Wist ducked into Keir’s belt pouch and peeked out the opening like a child spying for birthday gifts. “I’ll wait for you out here, as soon as Euna arrives.”
She nodded and browsed the shelves to pass the time, while Zared walked at her elbow and explained the origins and properties of the fabrics and embellishments that caught her eye.
Keir stood at the door, posture straight as if on guard, and glowered at Zared whenever his back was turned.
When Euna arrived a quarter of an hour later, Neylan sighed with relief and joined her right away. “Did you have any trouble navigating the streets?”
Euna pointed out the window at one of the Iturian guards who had accompanied them from home. “I brought some muscle.”
Keir chuckled and walked outside to talk to the guard.
Neylan turned to Zared with a zing of excitement. She couldn’t wait to see the dress Mel had ordered. “I’m all yours.”
He led them to a workroom filled with soft sunlight from four huge windows. Shelves stuffed with bolts of fabric arranged by color and type lined the walls, and a couple of dress forms stood in the corners, draped with cotton sheets to hide the creations underneath. Two curtained arches led off the main space to the left, and two wooden doors led to the right.
“Your gown is in the far room.”
Euna followed her in and positioned herself between a couple of plush armchairs.
After staring at the displayed gown for a moment, she walked around the dress form, taking in the details of the sky-blue chiffon. White beaded coral crusted the bodice and accented the waistline, and pearls as small as a hummingbird’s eyes formed cap sleeves. The whole creation shone delicately as if covered with a sheen of saltwater glittering in the sun.
“It’s gorgeous.” There had to be a better word, something beyond beautiful. Something… other.
Euna smiled indulgently.
Neylan slipped into the gown and held it tightly in the front while Euna tightened the laces in back. Day dresses she could manage alone, but she had learned to admit needing assistance with ballgowns. She inspected the fabric of the skirt close up, at a loss for how Zared had achieved the saltwater effect.
“I don’t know how he makes something so simple look like it cost a king’s ransom,” Euna said.
When she stepped out to show Zared, his eyes sparkled as if he knew he’d created another beautiful piece of work.
“How do you get them to fit so precisely the first time?” Neylan asked.
He shrugged, but a smirk tugged at his mouth. “Years of practice.” He helped her step onto a small platform so he could pin up the hem.
Euna wheeled through and went into the front room, where she began talking softly to the matronly woman.
“Did you design all my dresses, or did Master Jiri have some part in them?”
Pincushion in one hand, he knelt and spoke as he worked. “Since Master Jiri lost his wife and son this past year, he’s designed very little himself. Other than approving my work, he’s almost completely retired.”
“It’s lucky Melantha found you.”
“Mm. You’re not the first princess I’ve designed for, although the other wasn’t a proper princess. After her engagement to a prince, she needed someone to create a wedding gown quickly. She was particular about what she wanted.” He dropped a pin and retrieved it before it could roll under the platform. “Soon after, she reunited with an old friend, a true master. She introduced us, and he taught me more in a few weeks than I’d learned my whole life. He’s truly a genius.”
His voice sounded cheerful and relaxed in his familiar environment.
“It must have been quite a gown. Whose wedding was it for?” She didn’t remember hearing an announcement for a royal wedding recently.
“Prince Gower of Maglyn and his bride, Princess Sissi.”
Neylan’s jaw dropped.
Sissi.
She’d heard that name before, but not attached to the title of princess. An exceedingly strange young woman, even dangerous, Sissi had caused trouble for Gwen and Hazel not long after they had become free of Tharius’s curse. In fact, at the end of it, Tharius had run off with Sissi, hoping to gain information from her, and he had supposedly left her someplace safe.
Giving her the authority of a princess was certainly not safe.
Mel couldn’t have known Zared had designed a gown for Sissi, or she wouldn’t have hired him, although Sissi’s odd personality and history with Neylan’s family were not his fault.
Hopefully, the new princess wouldn’t show up during any of the celebrations. Mel wouldn’t have invited her, but that wouldn’t stop someone like Sissi from breezing in if she wanted to flaunt her new status.
Perhaps Zared knew whether she would be attending. “It’s surprising she didn’t hire you to design gowns for the balls.” She said nothing about her knowledge of Sissi, hoping he would open up. It was as close to playing courtier as she would get.
“She would have no need of them. It’s common knowledge that her husband is no longer welcome in Mazereon, so neither of them would have received an invitation.”
With a sigh of relief, Neylan nodded and let it go. Sissi was no longer her concern.
“Done.” Zared stood and tossed the pincushion onto a table. He touched her embroidered cuff lightly. “May I have a closer look?”
She held out her wrist.
Cupping her hand in his, he ran a finger lightly over the threads. “The moonflowers on the ribbon don’t match.”
Of course he would notice such a small detail. “My sister made the cuff, but the ribbon is a gift from a friend.”
He glanced at her sharply. Did he suspect who had given it to her? “Well, your sister certainly has a gift for embroidery.”
“I wish my other sisters could see your work. Hazel would place an order immediately.”
He grinned, and his fingers tightened around hers as he gazed at her intently. “Your opinion is all that matters to me.”
She couldn’t look away for a full minute. When she managed to avert her gaze, her temples throbbed. She blinked rapidly and brushed an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear. Someone… someone was waiting for her outside. Keir. And Euna.
She pulled her hand away. “Well, my… my opinion is that you do beautiful work. Any one of the dresses you’ve designed for me could be counted as your masterpiece. Have you not thought of presenting them to the guild?”
“In time. I’m still working on my final masterpiece, and you’ll be the one to wear it when it’s finished.”
“I feel spoiled already.”
“I would have thought a princess such as yourself would be accustomed to wearing fine clothes.”
“With twelve princesses in the family, my parents tend to be practical when it comes to such things.” Although, as his daughters were all descendants of the soldier-king, the man who had helped end the tyranny of sorcerers hundreds of years befor
e and brought peace to the kingdoms, Father had been known to splurge on special occasions.
After Euna helped her change, Neylan returned to the front room.
Zared stood at the window. “I’ll send word when the next gown is ready to be fitted, Your Highness.”
“Please, call me Neylan,” she blurted. Perhaps it was a bit forward, but she found his company pleasant. He didn’t scrape and bow and stutter like some people did around royalty. She shuffled her feet, strangely reluctant to leave.
He grinned. “Until next time… Neylan.”
*
The next day, Zared’s smile echoed in Neylan’s mind as she walked to the rock dragon training grounds. Low clouds danced overhead, flinging a drop or two at her head from time to time. She smoothed her hands over the peach-colored tunic dress and maroon skirt she’d donned that morning, marveling at the velvety feel of the fabric, as if the fruit itself had been peeled and stitched together to make the garment.
Wist hung halfway out of the belt pouch that swung gently at her side.
When the note had come for Neylan to meet Keir at the training grounds, she had been with Vanda, discussing the wedding rehearsal later that day. Neylan paused at the spot in the field where Keir had transformed during the garden party, but there were no lingering signs that anything unusual had occurred there.
The main training grounds and stables proved to be a fair walk north of the garden manor. The grounds themselves were extensive, as the swift dragons needed plenty of room to maneuver during practice. Finally, she approached the stables, a series of compact stone dens little bigger than horse stalls. Trainers were running several dragons through obstacle courses in the fields.
She stopped a lad with a wheelbarrow. “Have you seen Master Keir?”
He pointed past the far side of the stables to a smaller field bordered by hedges.
As she drew near, she frowned in confusion. Euna’s empty wheeled chair lay on its side in the grass. Nearby, a pale grey rock dragon as tall as a donkey stood over a form on the ground, as did a willowy man with long black braids. Keir crouched next to the form.
It was Euna.
Chapter Four
Heart pounding, Neylan ran across the rock dragon field, while Wist squeaked and ducked into the belt pouch bouncing against her leg.
She pushed the man with the braids out of her way and knelt on the grass next to Euna, whose eyes were closed, but she refrained from touching her lest she cause any damage. She looked at Keir, who crouched nearby.
“What have you done?” She’d meant to ask what had happened, but her voice flared with accusation. Euna looked so pale.
Euna responded, eyes still closed. “I misjudged the distance and slid off before I got in the saddle. I’m fine. Just need a minute to lie here and get my breath back.”
Neylan glared at Keir. “Can someone explain what’s going on?”
Ducking his head, Keir said, “I wanted to help Euna have more freedom in getting around the palace and the city.”
“She got around fine before, like she’s always done.”
“Please don’t scold him. It was his idea, but I jumped at the chance. Or fell, rather.” Euna groaned and opened her eyes. “I have a chance to ride a dragon. Wouldn’t you say yes if someone gave you the same opportunity?” She patted the dragon’s leg, and it lowered itself to its belly and nuzzled her face with a look of concern, as if it felt bad that she’d fallen.
Neylan frowned, but a grin tugged at her lips. Euna had never sounded so determined or pleased about something, and Neylan had to admit, the idea of her lady-in-waiting riding a dragon through the halls made her want to laugh.
Wist peeked his head out of the pouch. As soon as he spied Euna and the rock dragon, he wiggled free and fluttered over to her lap, eyes wide as he looked from one to the other.
“Where in all the world did you get such an idea?” she asked Keir.
“When I found out Euna could ride a horse, I thought perhaps it would be easier for her to accompany you around the city this way. Having aided the dragon healer with Majesty’s care recently, I knew she would be the perfect dragon for the task. Teo agreed to help with the training.”
The braided man nodded.
Euna sat up, and Majesty relaxed and stretched out next to her, laying her head gently in Euna’s lap. She seemed to have already bonded with Euna.
Wist squawked in protest and hopped onto the dragon’s snout. Majesty’s eyes crossed as she tried to get a glimpse of the visitor on her nose.
Neylan turned to Teo. “Is this dragon safe for my friend to ride?”
Looking offended, he said, “Of course she is, Your Highness. Majesty’s a runt, no good for breeding. She’s used for training little ones to ride, and she’s always taken good care of them.”
Euna stroked the dragon’s head. “We have to get used to each other, that’s all.”
Keir retrieved the chair and lifted Euna into it.
“I suppose you want to try again,” Neylan said.
She smiled brightly. “If it’s all right with you.”
Even with the upcoming wedding and other celebrations, Euna certainly had time for some dragon riding lessons.
“Of course it is.” Neylan stepped back so Teo could do his work.
He ordered Majesty to stay belly-down on the ground.
Euna wheeled herself close, until her chair touched the dragon’s side at an angle. The chair seat and the saddle were roughly the same level, so the maneuver should be as easy as when she transferred to a regular chair.
Majesty watched over her shoulder.
Euna applied the wheel lock and then braced herself with one hand on the chair seat and the other on the saddle. Keir moved in front of her in case she fell again, while Teo held the dragon’s halter on the far side. Wist flapped his wings to keep his balance on Majesty’s nose. After taking a deep breath, Euna lifted herself over onto the saddle in one smooth move so she sat sideways facing Neylan. She beamed.
Neylan clapped softly so she wouldn’t startle Majesty.
Grasping her right ankle, Euna hoisted her leg over the high pommel as she pivoted in the seat and then lowered it gently on the other side. Teo adjusted the stirrups. Holding the halter, he had Majesty stand.
“Can I ride across the field now?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You’re going to practice mounting and dismounting about a million times before you get to the fun part.”
Euna groaned but nodded her understanding.
Teo scratched Majesty’s neck. “I’ll have a look at your horse saddle and fashion a similar belt and leg straps for this one and make any other adjustments needed for your safety. Even a small rock dragon like Majesty is faster than a horse.”
Confident that Euna was in good hands, Neylan excused herself.
Wist didn’t seem to notice, obviously fascinated with the larger dragon. He crawled up and over Majesty’s head and then down her neck until he reached the saddle. Perching on the pommel, he watched Teo intently as if awaiting his next instructions.
“You’re not staying?” Keir asked Neylan.
“Euna doesn’t need spectators while she’s learning, which shouldn’t take long, considering her determination. Majesty seems a good match for her.”
“I thought so, which is why I suggested she learn to ride. I didn’t intend for her to fall.”
“It can be hard to watch, but if we don’t get bumps and bruises along the way, we’re probably not learning much.”
Neylan studied him as he watched Euna, but she couldn’t read his expression. Was there more behind his desire to help her? Sitting the young strawberry blonde on a dragon would certainly fulfill the definition of “red dragon girl.”
She shook off the thought, chiding herself for seeing secrets where there were none. Although… perhaps there was a way to determine his feelings without putting him on the spot.
“Are you busy at the moment?” she asked, trying to keep her tone
casual.
He glanced at her sharply, suspicion in his eyes. “I have nothing pressing.”
“Will you walk in the gardens with me? I’d like to discuss how I can best help you find your red dragon girl.”
“That’s not amusing.”
“We haven’t convinced Vanda and the others that I’m the one. Hear me out for their sake, all right?”
His jaw tightened, but he offered her his arm. “As you wish.”
As they walked to the gardens, the clouds teased them with a few drops of rain, so that by the time they arrived, most other strollers had retreated indoors. She let him direct their path until they reached a lovely arrangement of silvergrass tufts lined up at the base of a moss-covered stone wall. She dropped her hand from his arm and stopped, closing her eyes and listening to the breeze rustling the blades.
Keir broke the silence. “Your little friend must have gotten bored.”
“What?” She followed his gaze until she saw Wist skimming a hedge, making a beeline for her.
“He always comes back to you, doesn’t he?”
“So far, but he’s a wild creature and can come and go as he pleases. I’m glad to see him venturing off on his own. He’s been rather attached since I found him and fixed his wing.”
“You never told me how that happened.”
She sat on the wall and ran a finger over a velvety clump of moss. Wist checked in, circling her head with a chirp, and then dove into the silvergrass. “It was early spring. His wing had been bitten by another aconite, so I did my best to patch him up.”
“Do you not have a dragon healer in Eltekon?”
“We do, but he’s busy with the messenger dragons and had already taught me most of what he knows. I consulted him and then tried new remedies until I found what worked.”
He watched Wist zip among the plants. “Are aconites normally so friendly?”
“Not usually.” She smiled, amused that he was asking so many questions when most people tried to ignore Wist’s presence or gave him dirty looks.
Wist landed on her knee and held out a purple, bell-shaped foxglove flower, which she tucked behind her ear, and then he flitted off again.