Dragon's Keep: The Complete Dracengard Series

by Christopher Vale

  “Aye, sir!” came the reply.

  Starron surveyed the crew. They had lost several men, but perhaps more importantly, they had lost Taite. He stood on the side of the deck looking back at the waters behind them. It would be impossible to go back and search for her. If she were still alive, she was most likely captured.

  While Starron considered this, Taite crawled out of the water onto the river bank. She coughed and water spilled out of her mouth. She lifted her head and looked back at the river. She saw no sign of the drak or Valko and there was no sign of either of the ships. The sun was setting in the horizon and Taite laid her head on the rocks. She needed to rest for a moment. Then she would start moving. Drakmere might be searching for her. She did not know where she was going to go, but she knew she could not stay there.

  “North,” she said to herself. Terrwyn was north. Maybe she could find her sister. She began to follow the river northward without realizing that Terrwyn had already crossed the river and was now on the opposite side.

  TURN THE PAGE TO BEGIN BOOK THREE

  Dracengard Book Three

  Chapter 1

  Thomas sat on a small wooden stool in the King’s wardrobe polishing the King’s riding boots. The wardrobe was enormous—at least three times as large as Thomas’ meager quarters—and filled with so many magnificent clothes, Thomas knew that the King would never wear them all in a lifetime. He carefully buffed the black leather with a horsehair brush until he could see his face shining back at him. He completed the right boot and carefully set it upon a towel laid out to protect the carpeted floor and began polishing the left boot, dipping a small white rag into the black polish and spreading the polish around the leather in small circles.

  Thomas was twenty years old, but it was the day before his twenty-first birthday. He was an orphan, a bastard born of a woman who had abandoned him in the night on the steps of the Beagonian castle. It was explained to him that King Gregory, who at the time had no children, had taken pity on the small babe and he and the Queen had brought Thomas into the castle. The King and Queen subsequently had three children of their own: Princess Sarah, now seventeen years old; Prince Jerin, now fifteen years old; and Princess Martha who had died of the pox as a small child.

  Though Thomas grew up playing with the King’s children, he was not adopted by the King and Queen. Instead, he was raised by the servants and lived in the servants’ quarters and when he was old enough, he joined the castle service as well. Still, he felt very fortunate that the King and Queen had graciously given him a home, food, and a livelihood. He held a special place among the servants as he was trusted and favored by the King. The King often granted him special treats and gifts, and each birthday, bestowed upon him a gold sovereign, which amounted to more than a month’s wages.

  Even now that he had reached adulthood, Thomas was allowed to socialize with the King’s children, something no other servant would dare to do. In fact, Thomas and Sarah were the best of friends, though his relationship with Jerin was not as strong as it used to be now that Jerin was being groomed for the throne. Sarah saw Thomas regularly however, and he became her closest and most trusted confidant, telling him all of the palace secrets and gossiping about which courtier was having an affair with another.

  Thomas had always loved Sarah, but he loved her as a brother would love a sister. In the last few years though, he began to notice that she was blossoming into a lady, and his love became less and less platonic.

  Thomas remembered the day he first noticed Sarah was coming into her own. It was four years earlier, at Sarah’s thirteenth birthday party. Thomas was sixteen at the time. In Beagonia, as in most kingdoms of the realm, age thirteen was celebrated as a turning point in a young person’s life, when he or she grew from child to young adult.

  As was custom, the King and Queen held a grand ball in Sarah’s honor. In fact, it would be her first ball, a very special occasion, and Sarah could hardly contain her excitement. She received a beautifully fine ball gown of azure satin and lace, matching blue shoes, and her father presented her with a stunning diamond necklace and tiara prepared especially for the occasion. Her ladies and servants fussed over and pampered her all day—bathing her, styling her hair, polishing her nails, dressing her, and even painting her face. When she peered into the mirror she no longer saw an awkward little girl, but a beautiful young lady.

  Thomas waited with the royal family to see her when she emerged from her room. When she stepped through the door, Thomas’ jaw dropped open. It was the first time he realized that Sarah was growing up and becoming a woman. In truth, most would still find her a bit gangly and awkward, certainly still lacking many of the physical features of womanhood, but Thomas believed her to be stunning.

  Sarah hugged her mother and father and brother, Jerin, and then came to Thomas. “How do I look?” she asked.

  Thomas stood silently staring at her for a long moment before smiling broadly at her. “You look so wonderful, I don’t think I have ever seen anyone more beautiful.” Sarah blushed at his comment and then gave him a big hug, similar to the hug she had given her younger brother.

  “Thank you, Thomas,” she said as she squeezed him.

  As the King’s personal steward, Thomas attended the ball as well, but strictly in a service capacity. He was to maintain an appropriate distance from the King, but to be mindful of the King’s needs, anticipating them and ensuring that the King wanted for nothing. While this required a great amount of attention, Thomas could not keep his focus from drifting to Sarah.

  Thomas watched as Sarah danced with most of the men at the ball, from the King down to the lowest ranking courtier. It was important that her dance card remain full and for her to have the time of her life. She danced with the son of one lord several times. He was about Thomas’ age and quite handsome, and much to Thomas’ surprise, he began to feel jealous.

  After a few hours of dancing, Sarah’s feet needed a break. She received permission from her father to take Thomas away to speak with him. They were close friends after all, and this night was all about Sarah. “I want you to meet Jeremy,” she said of the handsome young man she had been dancing with. “I really like him and I can tell he really likes me too. We’ve danced all night.” Thomas agreed, smiling as she took his hand and led him across the ballroom to meet Jeremy.

  Sarah found Jeremy talking to some other young nobles about his same age. They walked up behind him and overheard his conversation before they were seen.

  “She is the Princess and this is her ball. Of course I am going to dance with her as often as she likes, but that doesn’t mean I am the least bit attracted to her. She more or less resembles a woodpecker,” he said with a snicker and his two friends snickered along with him. Sarah turned to Thomas briefly, embarrassed humiliation etched onto her face, before spinning and hurrying away as swiftly as she could. Thomas chased after her.

  Sarah fled the ballroom to the safety of her own chambers with Thomas scampering behind, shouting her name. Sarah flung the door to her room open and ducked inside. She turned to close it but paused when she saw Thomas standing before her, a weak smile upon his lips. He saw tears streaming down her cheeks, ruining the paint that had been so carefully applied to her face. She stepped out of the room and threw her arms around his neck. He returned the hug.

  “Do I look like a woodpecker?” she asked between sobs.

  Thomas pulled back so that he could look her in the eyes. He was so angry at this Jeremy that he wanted to bash his skull in, but he concealed his anger for her benefit. “No, Sarah,” he said. “You are so beautiful. He is a fool. He was just trying to impress his friends, probably scared that you didn’t like him, so he wanted it to look like it was he who didn’t like you when you chose to dance with someone much more handsome.”

  “Oh, Thomas, you’re the best,” she said managing a smile.

  “Let’s go back to the ball,” he said.

  “No,” she said shaking her head. “Not yet anyway. Stay and
keep me company.” She took his hand and pulled him inside her room. They sat on her bed talking for the rest of the night. She laughed at his jokes and told him how he was her dearest friend, how she did not know what she would do without him and he realized she was his closest friend, too. Then he realized she was much more than that. As her hand gently touched his, he smiled shyly at her wanting so much to be more than her friend, and believed by the way she looked at him, that she wanted more, too.

  After that night, Thomas began to think Sarah the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he longed for her company, blushing whenever her hand touched his. He suspected that she felt the same way about him, especially since her hand would touch his quite often and she always seemed to make an excuse to see him, but he was too scared to reveal his true feelings for her. After all, even if she did feel the same, he was still her father’s steward, hardly the type of man who married a princess.

  Thomas often fantasized about marrying Sarah and living with her in an ornate castle with a dozen servants and rooms filled with happy children. He knew that Sarah would never be allowed to marry a servant, so he dreamed of winning a lordship. In his fantasies, Sarah was sometimes kidnapped by bloodthirsty drakmere from the nearby bogs. Thomas would take a horse and sword and gallantly ride off to rescue her, dispatching her captors easily. Other times, his fair maiden would be taken by blood thirsty pirates roaming the seas and he would take a ship and cutlass and sail off to retrieve her, slicing her captors to ribbons. She would always reward her savior with a deep and passionate kiss before he galloped or sailed back to the castle holding her tightly in his arms. The King would be so grateful to Thomas he would lavish upon him a lordship, a beautiful castle, and thousands of hectares of land. Thomas would then ask for the Princess’ hand, a request the King would happily grant. Sarah would confess her joy and tell him that she had always loved him and dreamed of the day when they might be able to marry.

  Thomas smiled to himself as he polished the King’s left boot. He knew it was just a fantasy, but he so longed for it to be real. He was suddenly jerked away from his musings by someone calling his name. “Thomas,” he heard a soft voice say. “Are you in there?” It was Sarah. Thomas brightened immediately.

  “Yes, Highness,” he said. While he often addressed her simply as Sarah in private, he was unsure who else was about and used the more appropriate “Highness.” He gently laid the King’s boot down upon the towel, taking care to neither scuff the polish nor spot the carpet. He glanced up to see Sarah turn the corner and enter the wardrobe, smiling brightly, her face beaming with excitement.

  Princess Sarah was not unattractive, but few would consider her the beauty Thomas did. Her nose was a little too pointed and her chin a bit too small. Her breasts and hips were tiny and her limbs were much too scrawny. However, Thomas noticed none of those imperfections. To him, she was a perfect angel. Like everyone, Thomas knew the legends that the royal family were descended from seraph and every time he saw Sarah, his faith in that legend was renewed. He thought she looked especially beautiful today wearing a bright yellow sleeveless dress which fell off her shoulders and her red hair caged in a bun atop her head, revealing her slender neck. His heart raced as he looked upon her.

  Sarah rushed toward Thomas and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I have the most exciting news!” she exclaimed as she pulled away. She let her hands slide down his arms until she held both of his hands in hers. He bit his bottom lip almost unable to contain his own excitement.

  “What is your news?” he asked, his face reflecting the joy in hers.

  “I am to be wed,” she said, twirling away as if dancing at a grand ball.

  “Wed?” he asked as his smile began to fade, her hands slipping from his. “To whom?”

  “Lord Walish!” she said excitedly.

  Thomas pondered this for a moment. “But he is more than thirty,” he said.

  Sarah laughed at this. “That is not too old. He is mature and experienced and still very handsome,” she smiled slyly. “Oh, and his lips are so firm,” Sarah said as she closed her eyes remembering her first kiss.

  “You kissed him?” Thomas asked.

  Sarah opened her eyes to see Thomas staring at her rather indignantly. “Yes,” she said, the joy gone from her face. “After all, we are to be wed, Thomas.”

  Thomas looked at the floor trying to conceal his disappointment and prevent that disappointment from turning into anger. “I thought you would be happy for me,” Sarah said the confusion and frustration evident in her voice.

  Thomas fought back tears and forced a smile upon his face before he looked up at her. “Of course I am happy for you, Sarah,” he said. “You just took me a bit by surprise, and I must confess, I am a little selfish. I will miss you when you leave.”

  Sarah’s face softened as she realized that she had also been selfish, not considering Thomas’ feelings, but simply expecting him to be as overjoyed as she was. “I will be here at court often and when away, I shall write you every day.” She stepped over to him and hugged him close once again. “You are my dearest friend, Thomas. Have no fear, I shall not completely abandon you,” she whispered into his ear before kissing him softly on the cheek. He returned her embrace as he squeezed his eyes tightly, trying desperately to avoid crying.

  “Now, I must go,” she said as she pulled away from him. “I haven’t even told my mother yet. I wanted to share the news with you first.”

  “I am honored,” Thomas said as he managed a smile.

  “I shall see you later, Thomas,” she said and flitted away giddily.

  Thomas slumped back down upon the stool placing his elbows upon his knees and burying his face in his hands. Her excitement at the engagement made clear to Thomas that Sarah did not return his deepest affections. All of Thomas’ dreams were evaporating before his very eyes. He knew in his heart that he would never really be able to marry Sarah—that was just a silly fantasy—but he did not expect his dreams to be shattered quite so soon. Thomas justified his displeasure out of a concern about who Sarah was marrying. Sarah deserved the best, perhaps a handsome young prince from another kingdom where she would become queen, and as Thomas sat alone in the wardrobe, he convinced himself that it was not jealousy that angered him, but rather his belief that Sarah and her family were settling for someone beneath her. Lord Walish was at least thirteen years older than Sarah and he could not offer her the crown she deserved. She could do so much better. He concluded that he had to convince Sarah and her parents that Walish was not right for her. He owed it, not only to her, but to her father for being so kind to him.

  Later that night, after Sarah had long since gone to bed, Thomas followed Lord Walish as he left the castle with his brother, Davees, and two other men that Thomas did not know. The four men rode their horses into town where they stopped at a local tavern. The Dancing Drak sat on the edge of town near the swamps and had a very large bleached white drak skull mounted above the front door. Beagonians were nearer the Great Swamp than any other peoples in the Middle Realm and, thus, suffered under the threat of drakmere more than any other. They had become particularly adept at killing the beasts and regularly hunted and slaughtered them. The draks were rightfully afraid of wandering into town to avoid having their skulls similarly mounted over the door of a tavern.

  Thomas wore a hooded cloak and hid well back in the shadows watching as Lord Walish and his companions dismounted, tied off their horses, and strolled into the tavern. Thomas followed, dashing from the shadows and down the road to the Dancing Drak, entering just a few minutes after Lord Walish.

  Thomas heard a small brass bell over the door jingle as he stepped inside. He almost choked on the smoke, but soon found himself thankful for it, as his nose was assaulted by the less than pleasant aromas underlying the smell of burning leaf. Thomas let the door swing closed behind him as he made his way through the tavern, past tables filled with drunken slobs and philandering noblemen alike. Thomas noticed Walish an
d his companions at a table near the other side of the room. He wended his way through the tavern past them, garnering little notice, and seated himself at a nearby table with his back to Walish.

  As Thomas settled into the hard wooden chair, he glanced over his shoulder to see Walish’s three companions toasting him with cups of ale. “To my big brother’s forthcoming marriage,” Davees said above the noise of the tavern and all four men clinked their cups together.

  Thomas was leaning back in his chair slightly, attempting to overhear the conversation when a barmaid appeared beside him. She wore a plain dark dress and stained white apron. “What can I getcha?” she asked. Thomas had no idea what to order. He had never been in a tavern before, and had certainly never had more than a sip of wine, which he found much too bitter for his liking.

  He smiled up at the barmaid. “I really don’t want anything,” he said with a shy smile. She crooked her head and looked down at him as she crossed her arms over her apron.

  “If you ain’t gonna order nothin’ then you should be on your way,” she said. “There be payin’ customers who will want this table.”

  “Alright,” he said. “Just bring me a cup of whatever you like.” The barmaid smiled, satisfied and hurried away. She returned soon with a large cup full of mash. Thomas smelled it and his face cringed and his nose burned.

  “Four coppers,” the barmaid said. Thomas reached inside of his pocket pulled out five coppers and dropped them on the table. The barmaid smiled as she picked them up and walked away. Thomas returned to his eavesdropping, leaning back in his chair to hear Walish’s conversation better. As he did so, he sipped the brown liquid in his cup. It burnt his lips and caused him to cough, almost choking him.

  One of the tavern “ladies” walked past and Walish grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her down into his lap. She yelped playfully as he slid his hand up her leg and under her skirt. “I’m getting married soon,” he told her.