by Emily L K
When she reached her bench under the flame tree, Cori pulled the nightgown out from under her robes and tossed it aside before sitting down with a sigh. She pulled up the sleeve of her robe and examined the neat bandage on her arm. The night spent with the Karalis was beginning to feel like a dream, and that he’d taught her some of his magic was difficult to comprehend. She pressed two fingers down on her arm. A dull throb of pain responded.
Students trickled out of the dining and sleeping halls, their chatter breaking the quiet of the morning. Cori lay down on the bench, waiting for them to get to their classes. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand, but her eyelids drooped, suddenly too heavy to keep open.
The red dragon waited for her. She watched it warily, slow to take in the dream. The dragon twisted towards her, its tongue flicking in and out as it tasted the air. With a start, Cori realised she wasn’t humming. It took her a moment to reclaim the tune and she Hummed the song purposefully.
The dragon cocked its head, listening. As Cori wove her spell, the dragon shrank until it was the size of a garden lizard. She stopped humming, marvelling at what she’d done. The green dragon slammed into her mind. She narrowly avoided its jaws by throwing herself down in the strange smoke-water, frantically trying to pick up the pieces of her song. Its front leg crashed into her as it lunged past. That would bruise badly.
She scrabbled away, noticing as she did that the red dragon was growing again. She caught her song and wove it. Both dragons slowed. She stepped back from them. Heart thundering, she Hummed louder and the dragons shrank away until they were gone from her mind.
It was dusk when Cori woke. For a long moment she lay on the bench, staring up at the orange sky through the canopy. Without moving, she could feel the tenderness in her side where she’d collided with the dragon, and the throbbing pain in her arm was heavy. The magic of the salve had worn off. She sat up slowly, wincing. Despite her aching body, she felt rested. For the first time in months, she’d slept well.
She would have to thank the Karalis if she saw him again.
DREAMS UNDER CONTROL, Cori's life returned to some semblance of normality. The dragons occasionally visited, but when they did, she sang until they swam languidly before her. She no longer feared them and her sleep improved dramatically.
The downside was that she was no longer perpetually fatigued and was therefore able to consider her situation much more clearly than before. She continued with her visits to town, but her trips were now tainted with guilt. This facade couldn’t continue forever and at some point she would have to approach her mother about coming back to work in the kitchens. She would never go back to that school though, of that she was certain.
The days ticked over and as winter came to an end, Cori celebrated her sixteenth birthday. Her mother tried to make a big deal of it. It had been a big year for Cori and Bel wanted to host a celebration to match. Fortunately, she’d been able to convince her mother to keep it small and confined to the kitchens.
On the day of her birthday, she went to town dressed in her servant robes. New spring fashions had arrived in store; beautiful dresses with matching shawls. Even the menswear now sported colourful lining in the jackets and vests, a trend from Dodici she overhead a shopkeep explaining to a customer. She stopped to inspect an emerald green ball gown in a shop window.
“Wonderful, isn’t it?” The shopkeep said from the doorway where she supervised a young assistant hanging baskets of flowers in the window by the dress. “It’s a one of a kind, lined with silk from Resso. It’s the softest silk on the market, you know.”
Cori nodded, though she had no idea about silk origins. “It’s beautiful,” she advised the shopkeep who smiled and went back into her store. Cori leaned closer to the window to inspect the dress. A flash of dark hair in the reflection caught her eye and a hand came to rest on her shoulder. Dread filled her stomach before she even turned to see who it was; she’d finally been caught.
It was Saasha who found her. Her sister’s expression was furious as she waited, hands on hips for Cori to explain herself. But she didn’t know what to say that would make things all right. Every excuse she could think of flashed through her mind, every lie she’d conjoured up. Instead, she burst into tears and Saasha’s expression softened.
“Oh come on, let’s find somewhere quiet.” Saasha put her arm around Cori’s shoulders and they walked to the park in the middle of town. She guided her to a bench beside an ornamental pond.
It took Cori a long time, between sobs and hiccups, to tell Saasha her story. And she told her everything, from the bullying of the other children to her dragon dreams. The only thing she left out was her visit to the Karalis; she didn’t think that they were her secrets to tell.
“- And you were so mad at me. I didn’t want this, Saasha, I swear. I just want to come back and work in the kitchens with you.” She came to a shuddering end, shoulders slumped and hands pressed between her knees to still their shaking.
“Oh I know,” Saasha said gruffly. Cori flung herself into her sister’s embrace.
“You know we’ll have to tell Mother about this, don’t you?” Saasha said finally. Cori sat back and nodded. She dreaded letting her mother down but at the same time she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She no longer had to deceive her family and she had her sister back.
IN THE KITCHENS, HUDDLED away in the pantry, Bel, along with Dlores and Tarp - who insisted on listening in - took Cori’s news in sober silence. When she finished her explanation, Dlores and Tarp turned to each other to discuss it with each other. Bel swept her daughter into a hug.
“Oh, my darling, you should have told me,” Bel whispered in her ear, “I could have helped you.”
“I think the situation is still rectifiable,” Tarp said. Bel and Cori faced him. “Cori, you were given an opportunity too good to refuse and, while it hasn’t worked out well for you, I don’t think we should give up so easily.”
“Please, I don’t want to attend the school. I just want to work here, in the kitchens,” Cori begged. Already the weight settled upon her again. Dlores shook her head.
“You don’t need to go back, especially with those horrid children, no. But neither can we let them win,” Dlores paused for effect, but when Cori said nothing she plunged on. “I propose that we teach you so you can pass your exams at the end of the year.”
Cori stilled, eyes wide as they darted between Tarp and Dlores. “You could teach me? You know how to read and write?”
“Well not me personally,” Dlores waves a hand dismissively, “but we can get help from the other servants. The messengers can read and write, they’ve been teaching their children for generations to interpret letters. Tarp here knows how to dance in the old style and your mother and I can help you improve on your numbers... What do you say?”
“Thank you, so much for this offer,” Cori said sincerely, though she couldn’t help feeling trapped. She remained unmoving and Bel placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder. “But what about after the exams? If I’m lucky enough to pass, they’ll expect me to go back to school.”
“We will cross that bridge when we get there.” Bel gave Cori’s shoulder a squeeze.
Well, Cori thought, here I go again.
Chapter Eight
“Can you hear that?” Cori swivelled to look over her shoulder, hand raised to shield her eyes from the sun. Across from her, Mory sighed.
“I can’t hear anything. Cori, just finish this page and then we’re done.”
They sat in the gardens on the first day of summer. Mory, a house messenger, was sitting beside Cori on the ground. Bits of parchment and open books were spread on the grass in front of them. Cori lifted the book in her hands - Tales of Ol’ Bodee - and read another line.
“Bodee was a merchant and a g-grand one at that, but he s-s-sacrificed his j-job to voy-y-age to the t-t-temple of U-U-U-“
“Temple of Umur,” Mory provided, leaning over to read off the page.
Cori lowered the book and sighed. “I’m sorry, Mory, I can’t concentrate.”
“Well, we’ll stop for today, but you really need to study harder. Your exams are only a week away and you need to pass.”
“I know, I know. How about tomorrow? I’ll study with you for an extra hour?”
“All right, fine.” Mory collected the books and parchment and headed back to the palace. Cori watched her go then sighed and rubbed her face. Nearby, a few stable lads played kickball with the wash boys.
Her lessons provided by the servants were moving along as well as could be expected. When Dlores first sent out the call for help to the various stations, the response was overwhelming. The messengers offered to work in shifts around the clock to teach Cori to read and write. One of the washer ladies knew a few steps and accompanied Tarp to her dance lessons, and Dlores and Bel taught Cori her numbers more thoroughly. Someone even offered to teach her an instrument, but in this, she declined; she had something else in mind for that particular exam.
Surprisingly, she found most of the lessons enjoyable, but most of all she loved being back in the kitchen, training to be an assistant cook alongside Saasha. Their relationship had mended and Saasha, now a fully training cook, seemed to enjoy having Cori has her assistant.
She lay back on the grass with her arms tucked behind her head. The stable lads let out a cheer as one of their own scored a point. Cori ignored them, focusing on the buzzing noise she’d been hearing for the past few days. It was like music, but awful; a mixture of disjointed sounds mashed together in a song. No one else could hear it, making her certain that it was only in her own head. She closed her eyes and focussed. It floated just out of reach and she snatched at it. She almost wished the hissing, reptilian voices would come back. They, at least, were harmonious compared to the cacophony in her mind now.
What is it? She thought angrily, opening her eyes to the blue sky.
That’s your Hum. His voice made her both physically and mentally jump. The Karalis chuckled. It needs some fine tuning, as you can tell, but it’s there. Singing to the dragons has strengthened it.
My Hum? The moment she thought it, the noise in her head mellowed. It was still a confusing mixture of sounds, but it seemed as if they were working themselves out in relation to each other.
But how can I have a Hum? She asked after a moment. She hoped the Karalis was still listening. She didn’t know how to contact him the way he contacted her. I’m only a human, I don’t even know if I have any Hiram blood.
You still don’t understand, do you? He sounded exasperated. And then he was gone. She couldn’t say how she knew, but he was no longer there. Their conversation confused her. Well, that wasn’t unusual, she thought sourly, nearly everything he said to her was confusing.
EXAMS WERE HELD IN the lessons hall, and Cori ensured she was the last to arrive. Through the chaos of students finding their seats and setting up their equipment, she slipped into the back of the room and took a seat in an empty row. Instructor Marcus watched her with raised eyebrows but said nothing. She let out a low breath: she’d passed the first hurdle of actually being allowed to sit the exam, though her stomach still churned at the thought of attempting the paper. The other students, busy setting their tables, didn’t notice her behind them.
Instructor Marcus cleared his throat and the room fell quiet.
“Your exam papers are on the desk in front of you. Ensure you read the instructions carefully. You may begin.”
Cori read through the first instruction. Writing was still her weakest point, and she struggled through the exam. Nonetheless, she attempted at least half of the questions. The numbers exam went better and she hoped it would make up for the marks she didn’t get in the writing exam.
She left the room around lunch time, stretching in the overly bright sunlight. The other students glanced her way, whispering to each other. They were heading towards the dining hall so Cori veered away, unwilling to subject herself to their taunting when she was so close to being free of them forever.
The time allocated for lunch was short, so Cori went back to the lessons hall, wondering if, perhaps, Instructor Thyme would let her undergo her decorum exam early.
Thyme was moving desks to the edges of her room alongside a man and a woman who may have been instructors of older classes. They were talking among themselves when Cori knocked on the door. Thyme looked up, sharp eyes assessing Cori but not recognising her.
“Yes?” Thyme said when Cori stepped into the room.
“M’am.” Cori bowed from the waist and Thyme’s eyebrows dipped as she realised who Cori was. “I was hoping I could begin my exams early, while the others were at lunch?”
Thyme sniffed, hands on hips. Her peers stopped their rearrangement of the room to watch.
“You haven’t attended a single class bar the first this entire term. I find it highly inappropriate that you would even sit these exams, let alone insist on early entry. Now go.”
Thyme waved dismissively, and Cori almost left. Heart sinking, she took a step back towards the doorway. That was it then. She’d failed, right before the finish line. She thought of Tarp and Dlores, of her mother and Saasha. They would understand, but they’d be disappointed.
“I’m still enrolled in this school,” she found herself saying. Her voice cracked with nerves and her hand wrung together behind her back, but she stepped forward again. “I can take these exams, even if I fail. All I ask is that begin a few minutes before the others.”
Thyme’s eyebrows shot up and she pivoted to exchange a look with her peers. The man and woman glanced at each other, then the man shrugged.
“Fine,” Thyme gave in, though her tone was venomous. “You cross paths with a Head of State. What is an appropriate response?”
Cori immediately bowed at the waist and Thyme’s lips curled in a cruel smile. Cori realised she’d defaulted to her servant rank.
“A servant or human would bow at the waist,” she explained, studiously ignoring the woman instructor who leaned in to whisper to the man. “A Hiram or other noble born would incline their head,” she paused to demonstrate, “as would a fellow Head of State, though they would conclude the greeting with a handshake.”
Thyme sucked on the inside of her cheek while she appraised Cori. The woman’s face was ugly with her distaste, but she said nothing and Cori, with an odd sense of satisfaction, knew she’d aced the demonstration. Thyme wouldn’t be able to deny her participation in the exams now.
As if reading her mind, Thyme sighed, eyes rolling towards the ceiling. “Demonstrate the appropriate reaction when one finds themselves in the presence of the Karalis.”
And Cori did, going through every rank she could think of and explaining their appropriate reaction to meeting the ruler of the realm. In the back of her mind she recalled her own blunders in his presence, including her midnight breach of his suites.
The other students arrived as she finished the decorum exam. Once more they whispered and Thyme didn’t silence them as they paired up for the dance exam.
Cori, thankfully, was partnered with a boy she didn’t know. The dance was easy, one she’d practiced often with Tarp and it was his bright eyes and weathered face she thought of as she counted her steps.
She was dismissed while the other students conducted their decorum examinations and it was while she sat on the grass outside the lessons hall, watching birds splash in an ornamental bird bath that she experienced a heavy anxiety settle over her shoulders. The exams so far had gone as she’d predicted, but the instrument one would be her true test. She hummed the Dragon’s Song under her breath
It wasn’t until the sun was close to setting that she was called back. She entered the room nervously. She wasn’t sure if her plan would work; if it didn’t, she might as well throw all her exam results in the bin.
“Cori,” Instructor Thyme said shortly and Cori could tell she was still furious at her participation in the exams. “What instrument will you be playin
g today?” The Instructor jutted her chin at Cori’s empty hands.
“I have a song for you,” Cori responded. Thyme’s lips thinned and she exchanged looks with her colleagues, both of whom seemed uncomfortable. Cori ignored them, fingers twisting anxiously in the folds of her robes.
“Very well.”
Cori didn’t wait; she wove her Dragon Song. Thyme once again looked either side at her colleagues, this time rolling her eyes. Cori hummed more forcefully, the way she did when the dragons visited her. She tried to imbue the feelings of her dreams into her song, but it was difficult; they were different landscapes. This room was too bright, too real.
She wanted to stop. A lump was forming in her throat, making the notes of the song difficult to hold. She’d been stupid to think this would work. She knew next to nothing about magic.
The song faltered and she imagined the green dragon lunging at her, snapping down on her arm. Fists so tight her nails cut into her palms, she resolved to hum one more round of notes, and this time she imagined she was singing to the dragon.
Thyme appeared as if she might cut Cori off but she stopped, mouth partly open and eyes glazing over. The man beside her perked up, listening intently. Slowly, and as one, the group began to sway. Cori tried not to smile; they looked like her dragons.
She hadn’t realised the Karalis had been listening in until she brought the song to an end. His presence rested at the edge of her mind.
Well done. He whispered then faded away.
“Well done, Cori,” Thyme said, her eyes glassy. “Top marks.”
EVERYONE WAS WAITING for her when she returned to the kitchens. She fell into their cheers and applause, her grin impossibly wide. Saasha was first to reach her. She caught her sister in a hug and then led her into the kitchen. A large cake with ‘Congratulations’ scrawled across the top was waiting for her.