by Amy Sumida
“Rub my belly, and it will bring you luck,” Fuku-Riu offered with a wide grin.
“I'll keep that in mind.” I cleared my throat.
“And these are my three, eldest daughters,” Ryujin added as three women stepped forward. “Princess Otohime.”
Ryujin held a hand out to an ethereal woman with a massive amount of jet-black hair held in place with branches of red coral. She smiled sweetly and bowed to me.
“Princess Kuniyoshi.” King Ryujin waved toward the second woman.
Kuniyoshi was sterner looking than her sister. She reminded me a little of Daiyu, but in a good way. Her robes were more sedate than her sisters' were and had the look of being chosen more for comfort and mobility than appearance. She nodded to me crisply.
“And this is Princess Tayotama-hime,” Ryujin said with a soft smile.
The last princess had hair as luminous and pale as the pearls studding the walls, and her skin was just a shade darker. Her expression was serene, but her eyes were black—startling in that fair face—and a little disturbing.
“Forgive me for my bluntness, but all I know of undersea dragons comes from books and my unfortunate visit to the Court of the Nine Sons,” I started.
“Yes, we've heard of your experiences,” Ryujin said kindly. “I'm sorry that our cousins treated you so poorly.”
“I don't hold it against you,” I offered with a grin. “I know better than to judge a race by how a few members behave.”
“Very wise,” King Kinryu noted, “and fair.”
“Good attributes for a princess,” King Ryujin agreed.
“I'm just wondering about a few differences I've noticed,” I went on. “Would it be rude of me to ask about titles?”
“Not at all.” Ryujin waved his hand expansively. “What do you desire to know, Princess?”
“I was told that all dragons are considered to be kings and queens.” I looked around warily, hoping I wasn't stepping on any dragon toes, despite King Ryujin's assurances. “And that no one dragon has more power than another. Yet you sit on the only throne I see, and you introduced your daughters as princesses. I'm a bit confused.”
“Ah, yes.” Ryujin nodded. “When we were one court, I ruled. All dragons are indeed kings and queens, but I was the High King. I still am, though half of my old court does not recognize me as such. Because of this slight difference in my station, my daughters are given the title of 'Princess' to indicate that they are a step above the other dragon queens of my court. Technically, they are considered high princesses, the only type of princess that is higher ranking than a queen. Do you understand?”
“I do, thank you.”
“Excellent!” King Ryujin clapped his hands. “Now that we have welcomed you, and you have been introduced to the elders, you and your guards shall be shown to your guest chambers, where you may refresh yourselves before the feast we are having in your honor.”
“Thank you, that would be lovely.”
A woman with a decidedly Slavic look came walking up to us, but before she could lead us away, King Ryujin spoke again.
“I can't stop myself!” Ryujin exclaimed. “It is very impolite of me, but I must ask if I may be introduced to your puka. It's been several years since I've seen one.”
“Oh! Of course.” I felt my face redden. “I should have introduced you to all of my escorts. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“Not at all, Your Highness.” Ryujin waved away my discomfort. “It's not a requirement to introduce your Guard to me, nor is it for you to present any creature companions. I am the one breaking tradition.”
“Oh, thank Danu,” I huffed. “I'm so bad at this shit.”
I clapped my hand to my mouth in horror, and the dragon kings burst into laughter while the princesses giggled behind their dainty hands. My face went redder.
“Please”—Ryujin shook his head—“do not feel embarrassed. We laugh because your lack of guile is refreshing, and it's a relief not to have to concern ourselves with proper etiquette.”
“Really?” I asked. “I thought that was the thing here; propriety?”
“Not at all.” King Ryujin gestured around the court. “We are more casual here in Ryugu-jo. You lose your love of pomp and ceremony after the first thousand years, but visitors expect it, and we try not to disappoint.”
I looked back at my Guard in surprise, and we shared a laugh.
“King Ryujin,” I said as I went forward and shook his hand again, “I am relieved along with you. Thank you for making this visit easier on me.”
“My pleasure, Princess Seren,” he said warmly, then looked pointedly at Cat.
“Oh, yeah.” I motioned Cat forward, and she came eagerly. “This is Catriona, but we all call her Cat.”
“A puka named Cat.” He chuckled. “How delightful. It is nice to meet you, Cat.”
Cat bowed her head, imitating the kings, and King Ryujin's eyes went wide. He bent and looked closer, searching her soft, brown eyes. When he straightened and set his stare back on me, it was full of wonder.
“She is goddess-touched,” he whispered.
The elder kings and princesses drew in around us.
“Yes; Danu has touched us both,” I said warily.
Danu hadn't gone over too well with the last dragon court. I'd been told that the dragons had issues with our goddess. Even though she wanted to reconnect with them, they wanted nothing to do with her. I was trying to work on that with the Sons, but they were stubborn.
“Have you spoken to her?” King Ryujin asked.
“I have. Do you have a grudge against Danu too?” I asked him plainly. “The Sons weren't so happy to hear about her.”
“Another point we differ on.” Ryujin frowned and shared heavy looks with the other dragons. “Danu left us long ago. We heard that you had brought her back to the surface of Fairy, but we have yet to feel her presence here.”
“She wants to speak with you,” I said eagerly. “Danu told me that she never stopped; it was the Fey who stopped listening.”
“Stopped listening?” Ka-Riu asked. “We asked her for help when our court was divided. She never answered. It was she who abandoned us.”
“We prayed to her,” Princess Otohime added. “But she denied us even her guidance.”
“Where was she when my boy lay dying beneath a Son's four claws?” King Ri-Riu asked angrily. “She didn't answer my cries then.”
“As you can see, Princess,” Ryujin said softly, “we are not opposed to the Goddess, but we are disappointed in her.”
I felt the shivering rush that presaged Danu's arrival and took a deep breath to prepare myself. The sparkling magic of our goddess flowed through me, and the court gasped. My Guard went to their knees, but Cat only leaned against me and looked up into my eyes adoringly. I saw the haze of magic over my hand as I placed it on Cat's head in blessing.
“You've been a better companion for our Seren than I could have hoped for, Catriona,” Danu spoke through me. “You will be rewarded, I promise.”
Then Danu raised our face to the dragons, and they gaped at us.
“I abandoned you, did I?” Her voice was sad. “Why is it the same song from all of you? The same lament, over and over. I grow weary of defending myself. Yet, I love you. You are my children, and I have never stopped loving you. So, I will try one more time to reach you.”
“Danu?” King Ryujin whispered in awe.
“Ryujin,” Danu said gently. “Your heart has ever remained mine, but your faith faltered, and so you lost the ability to hear me.”
“I... I did not mean to lose faith,” Ryujin said. “There was so much violence, so much hatred, and you seemed uncaring of it all.”
“I set it into motion, Ryujin,” her voice went stern. “You all felt the truth of this, and so you turned away from me. You grew angry with me instead of asking yourselves why I might divide you.”
“Why did you?” Sui-Riu asked boldly. “Why put us through that?”
“The raths n
eeded guarding, and you would never have created two courts to do so if there hadn't been a split,” Danu said. “You dragons are a clannish lot.”
“You tore us apart so that we could guard a rath?” Ka-Riu growled.
“Guarding that rath is your duty!” Danu's voice rang through the throne room and echoed out beyond it.
The water fey cringed and went to their knees, but the dragons remained standing defiantly.
“You know it's your responsibility,” her tone softened. “Which is why you moved your court here, to begin with. Without you here, guarding the Seudachan raths, our water creatures would invade Earth and start a war.”
“What do we care about humans and their wars?” Han-Riu scoffed.
“The war would be brought to you, you fool!” I saw my hand lift up, and Han-Riu rolled backward across the floor.
I was stunned; I'd never seen Danu behave so aggressively with the Fey. Han-Riu was also stunned, and got to his feet slowly, eyeing me with more respect.
“You think you're safe here?” She asked. “You think that the humans would not bring their underwater ships and their fiery bombs into Fairy? They would start hunting the monsters themselves, and they would be led straight to the undersea raths. Raths that are unguarded on Earth's end.”
The dragons stared at each other with grim expressions.
“Ah, I see that you are finally beginning to understand,” she said. “You were needed to guard the raths and cull the creatures. It is the way of life; no race should be left to grow out of control. Not even dragons.”
Her words fell into shocked silence.
“Yes, you had grown too numerous,” Danu went on gently. “It hurt me to do so, but I encouraged you to fight because you needed to cull your own herd. I should have placed the hundred-year cycle upon your women as well, but I thought that with the expanse of your kingdoms, you would have room to spread. I was wrong; you grew in numbers and threatened the balance of the sea. But look how much happier you are living apart. You are too different from your cousins to exist comfortably among each other. You needed space and purpose. I gave you those things, and you turned on me.”
“Forgive me.” King Ryujin got to his knees before us. “I want to hear your voice again, Danu.”
“Ryujin,” happiness filled her tone, “my son, you are forgiven. Gladly.”
We bent and kissed Ryujin's forehead, a blessing passing between us, and when we straightened, he stared up at us adoringly. The dragons dropped to their knees around us, and asked humbly for Danu's forgiveness. Danu went to every one of them and gave it with giddy joy, then granted them each a blessing, even the younger dragons. Finally, she opened her arms to the entire court.
“All who listen will hear me!” Danu proclaimed. “And all who call on me shall be heard. I love you, and my blessing is upon your court.”
As the water fey cheered, Danu slipped away, and I tumbled to my knees. Cat caught me, pushing herself beneath my torso. I leaned into her and sighed. That had been a long visitation, and it had taken a lot out of me. The blessings may not have come from me, but they came through me, and they also took a toll. I had never been so exhausted after one of Danu's visits.
“Princess Seren,” King Ryujin said softly as he helped me to my feet, “you have brought the Goddess back to us. We are in your debt.”
“That's nice,” I whispered right before I passed out.
Chapter Eighteen
Your humans are not here. Danu's voice eased me out of my exhausted slumber.
“What?” I frowned at the empty room.
I was lying on a grand bed which was set upon a raised portion of the floor. White coral columns stood at each corner, carved with designs of sea creatures. Beyond the bed, on the lower portion of the floor, there was an elaborate dressing table of black enamel, and then a sitting area off to the side of that. The walls were covered in panels of paintings; beautiful scenes of the Japanese countryside. Woven reeds covered the ceiling above me, with a pearl chandelier hanging from its center. Fey globes floated among the pearls of the chandelier, illuminating the room softly. Cat was asleep on the silk comforter near my feet, but there was no one else in the room.
I'm in your head, Danu huffed.
“Oh.” I groaned, sat up, and rubbed at my eyes. “Sorry, I'm a bit tired after you used me to pass out blessings like party favors.”
Yes, that was a strain on you, and I apologize, she said. I was just so excited to have my sea dragons back.
“Yeah, that's great. Congratulations.” I frowned down at my underwear. “Who took off my dress?”
Gradh, her voice sounded amused. Would you have preferred Sui-Riu?
“No,” I huffed and climbed out of bed. “And that's a dumb name by the way. It sounds like something Southerners say to pigs.”
His name wasn't what had you staring.
“Danu!”
All right, I'll stop teasing. You don't want to get involved with a sea dragon anyway. Talk about drama; their moods shift like—
“The tide,” I finished for her. “Yeah, I got it.”
Cat, who had been disturbed by my movement, followed me over to the sitting area, where my dress was hanging over the back of a coral couch. These dragons sure did love their coral and pearls. Oh, and gold, don't forget the gold. I scowled at a massive, gold-framed mirror that was set on the dressing table like a picture frame. I looked a mess. After I pulled on my dress, I went to sit before the mirror and use the gold comb I found there.
“Did you say something about humans?” I asked Danu.
They're not here.
“Hold on.” I scratched my head as I came more fully awake. “Did you search the court while I was sleeping?”
Many of the sea fairies have called to me, she declared joyfully. I was invited into nearly every room in the palace, and not a single one had a human in it.
“Thanks,” I huffed.
Why don't you sound happy?
“I'm happy the Kings aren't involved, but that leaves me without a suspect. Unless the grindylows find evidence in the Court of the Dragon Sons.”
You know that I can't be everywhere at once, she said. So, I'm not certain of this but...
“You're not certain of what?” I sat up straight.
I haven't seen any humans in Fairy, at all.
“Nowhere?” I asked in shock.
Not unless we count you and Killian, Danu said gently. It's possible that they've been hidden while I wasn't watching, but I don't think they are here.
“What about the Court of the Nine Sons?” I asked anxiously.
Zhayu was softening toward me, her tone went sad, but with his death, the other dragons hardened their hearts again. They will not listen to me, and because of their rejection, it's harder for me to see into their court.
“I didn't think gods were limited by anything,” I huffed.
We all have rules to follow, Seren.
“Yes, all right.” I sighed deeply. “I guess there's no reason for me to stay here any longer.”
You can't leave without attending the feast, Danu said. That would be rude.
“I know,” I growled. “I meant that I'd leave afterward.”
Maybe I should have let you sleep longer, she huffed. You're grumpy when you're tired.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
Forgiven. Now, I'll leave you to the Kings. Be careful around them, Daughter. They are lusty beasts.
“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes and then looked at Cat. “Maybe we should just make a run for it.”
She stared at me balefully.
“Yeah, I don't know where to find the air-bubble carriage either.” I set the comb down and stood. “And that would be cowardly. Let's see if we can find the Star's Guard so we can use them as shields.”
I opened the door and found one of the Guard immediately; Conri was leaning against the wall beside my door.
“Your Highness,” Conri said brightly. “You feeling better?”
“
Yeah, I'm good,” I said. “Where's everyone else?”
“At the feast.”
“The feast that's supposed to be in my honor?” I huffed.
“Well, they didn't know how long you were going to sleep.” He shrugged. “I said I'd bring you as soon as you woke up.”
“All right.” I yawned and rubbed at my eyes. “Lead on, Sir Conri.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” he said, then lowered his voice. “That Sui dragon has come by a couple of times, but I wouldn't let him in. I think you might want to be careful around him.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“I've had four offers for blow jobs already; this court is awesome.”
I started coughing and then stared at him with wide eyes. “What?”
“Yeah, you heard me.” Conri laughed. “Four different women too. They offered to do it right there before your door—because I'm handsome and from the surface.”
“What did you say to them?”
“I politely said thank you, but I couldn't indulge while on guard duty.” Conri smirked. “I tried to tell them that I had a girlfriend, but that didn't work on the first two, so I went straight to the duty excuse for the next ones.”