I scoffed. “Really?”
“It’s what they say. That she could sense her opponent’s moves in her mind with her special tea blend.”
“Hmm.” That was more intriguing to me.
“It’s possible the legend of the tea garden has been exaggerated, but you can feel the magic here.”
“I’m sure you must have tried everything to make that tea by now. That sounds like it would be very useful to you.”
“I doubt it would give me enough power to have what I want.”
“What do you want?”
“To lead the army into battle, like a king should. But Seron says I’m better off not getting myself killed, and maybe he’s right.”
“I am,” Seron said. “This is not the good time for another king to be killed. The people need…” He opened his hand.
“Stability.” Aurek supplied the word in my language. (Was there any word he didn’t know?) “Yes. Old King Stability, that’ll be on my tomb.”
“I must admit, it’s a pretty place,” I said. “I didn’t realize flowers could grow underground and I think they have a stronger fragrance than the ones at home.”
“I know you will probably be homesick for the sky and the land Seron mentioned,” Aurek said.
“Well, truthfully, I could never see much of the land, because of the rock dragon monsters that came from the north,” I said. “They were everywhere. We couldn’t travel without being in armored carriages without any windows, and I never left Gaermon until the Emperor conquered the city and stole me away.”
“Yes…that’s right. I almost forget that your political history is as fraught with those nuisances as ours… I am sorry, by the way, about your father. I would have liked to have asked him for your hand properly.”
“I’m sorry about your parents as well,” I said.
“I don’t actually remember them,” he said. “But thank you. I feel their presence nevertheless.”
I was determined that we were not going to get along based on being crippled orphans, but I still couldn’t help but feel some affinity to him for that very reason.
A servant appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Your Majesty, the sessi mist is ready.”
“All right. That will teach you the language,” he said to me.
“Is that all for the tour?” I asked.
“Was there something else you wanted to see?”
“Yes. I heard there is a treasure room with the royal armory, and I’ve noticed what a fine sword Seron carries. My brother told me you still keep a magical sword, Sibutu.”
“You want to see Sibutu?” His entire expression shifted from royal composure to enthusiasm.
“Even though I’ve never been able to fight, and Gaermoni women don’t fight like dragon women do, I think every Gaermoni girl can appreciate a good sword.”
“I never would have expected. I didn’t think human girls cared for those things. Of course. Sibutu is the least of it. We have all sorts of magical swords. Sacred swords, legendary swords, blessed swords…”
“Are those all different?”
He nodded. “Hold the sessi mist, Emira.”
We started down the stairs again, but as much as I wanted to see the royal treasures, all the stair climbing was beginning to wear on my body so much that I felt a little feverish. I was breathing hard. Aurek stopped in his tracks when we reached the bottom of the tower.
“Seron could carry you,” he said.
“No, no. I don’t like being carried. I’m fine.”
He put his palm against my forehead. “I don’t think so.” He frowned. “I was under the assumption that the Dragon’s Tear would make you fragile, but I didn’t know it would cause you pain.”
“I’m not in that much pain.”
“You can tell me the truth,” he said, a little sharply. “You can see the royal treasure after you’ve been healed.”
“I’ve been like this since I was a kid,” I said, sharp right back. “I’m used to the pain and the fevers and everything else. It hasn’t killed me yet. I’m—not ready to be healed.”
“I see.”
“I would really like to see the sword now. I just need to go slowly.”
“Her foot was much damaged when the Emperor did capture her if I understand right,” Seron said. “It was broken into pieces. Healers could not repair, but should not…Morlis look at it before the wedding night?”
“Morlis, ah…yes, I’m afraid you’re right…”
This was the first I’d heard of this. “Who is Morlis?”
“He is an odd fish, but he can shape crystal with great skill,” Aurek said. “Your bones are made of crystal for now. Maybe he could put your foot back in shape before the wedding night changes you back. Good thinking, Seron. I’ll have to have you whipped later for being one step ahead of me.”
Seron rolled his eyes and shook his head at me like, He’s kidding.
“As for you,” Aurek said, “We have three sets of stairs left to go and then up again to see the treasures. If you refuse help, I think it’s best if you wait.”
“And will you be deciding what’s best for me from now on?” I asked.
“I have a kingdom to serve, and you are an important piece of the strategy,” Aurek said. “If you have a fever, you will rest. I’m afraid that’s an order.”
“She is frowning at you,” Seron said.
“I’m sure she is,” Aurek said, and I decided that although I did like the cat and the garden, he reminded me too much of the Emperor—kind to me only because he wanted something.
Chapter Nine
Seron
“Well, she is a bit prickly,” Aurek said, as he and I got some time alone together. The servants released the sessi mist into Princess Himika’s room as she rested in bed, clearly spent by the day despite her denials. “Most ladies would have melted over the kitten and the gardens. I guess it’s to be expected that she blames me for the Dragon’s Tear…”
“You’ve never dealt with a princess before,” I said. “Every other lady you’ve spent time with has been your subject.”
“You’re right. She is the first woman who doesn’t have to pretend to be interested.” Aurek laughed.
It was certainly a joke. Aurek was very popular with the young women of the castle, but he had never fallen in love.
“No…you’ve met your match, that’s all.”
“So she likes swords, eh? Did you show her Grin’nger?”
“I had no idea she liked swords…”
“I told you to get to know her. What does she like?”
“I was struggling with the language,” I said, but I knew Aurek wasn’t buying that after I’d communicated with her reasonably well. “She doesn’t like me.”
“You’re not to blame for the Dragon’s Tear. Did you cook her something? Did you give her flowers? Did you ask her questions about herself?”
“I did cook her a meal. She seemed to like it…but…” There seemed to be no way of avoiding it. “She’s in love with her head guard. A fellow named Oszin. I threatened him and I’m not sure it did any good. I take it he’s been guarding her for years, and he’s…more handsome than he should be. I caught them kissing. I would hope they aren’t foolish enough to risk pregnancy, but once she is well…who knows. It was clear that she wants nothing to do with me. She doesn’t even know that you have offered me a place in her arrangement with you. To be honest, maybe it’s best if I refuse the offer, as generous as it is.”
“Oszin…” Aurek patted my chest. “Poor Seron. You are a perfectly loyal champion, I’ll certainly say that. But you can’t tell me you never dream of a woman to warm your bed.”
I frowned.
“Just not that woman, then?”
“It’s not that. Himika is beautiful. I’m just not good with words like you are. It was miserable. I can’t imagine she would ever want to be with me when she could have you, and I did see some pleasant surprise on her face when she first saw you. But right now I think
she just wants this human.”
“Well, I guess she can have him,” Aurek said with a shrug. “If she’s discreet about it.”
“Wh— What—are you serious?” I sputtered. Times like this, I worried for Aurek’s throne. “She can’t have him and you. She’s the queen! People will talk and the Traitor King will think the alliance is weak!”
“I’ve had other lovers. She’s had to wait for me. I will just have to have a talk with her, and make it clear that he can’t get her pregnant. Other than that, I don’t see what the trouble is. I’ve had other lovers. This is an alliance between nations, not a love marriage. We should all enjoy ourselves.”
“You are taking this too lightly.”
“I don’t think so. I think it would make a lot more trouble if she was unhappy. Seron, if you really wanted lovers yourself, you could have them.”
“This isn’t about what I want. I don’t want other lovers, because the King’s Champion is supposed to be loyal to the king and no one else, and the king and queen and champion are supposed to be closely knit. I know history has exceptions to the rule, but we are already in a weak position. We need absolute solidarity. We need all the rules to be followed, so no one has reason to question your rule or the paternity of your children or any other thing the Traitor King might use against you.”
“Seron. I know what I’m doing.” Aurek gave me his maddeningly calm expression. “Why don’t you go tell Morlis he is wanted here?”
I swiped my claws along the wall in annoyance, but I obeyed the order.
Aurek was so confident, just as he’d been raised to be. So far he’d seemed favored by the mists of luck, but one day I just knew the confidence would catch up to him. No one could have their gambles pay off every time, and escape as many brushes with danger. All of this made me very nervous.
He would probably say I was just nervous about bedding Himika, and…he wouldn’t be wrong. I couldn’t see how she would ever accept the two of us as her lovers. I didn’t know that she would even accept Aurek by himself.
I climbed into one of the small rowboats down at the docks and set off for the strange little cave set into the rocks just north of the fortress. We always told the old man that it wasn’t safe to live outside the fortress with the Traitor King afoot. But he refused. When I reached the cave, he wasn’t home, which was somewhat expected. He was probably out gathering crystals. Like a true dragon mage of old legends, he kept a hoard of them in the cave. He collected other things too: moss, precious stones, rare insects kept in cages. A low fire smoldered, with fish bones left behind on dented metal plates.
He was not entirely a stranger to me, since I’d dealt with him many times over the years, but he remained a figure of mystery.
Some rumors said he was my father.
My mother used to be his assistant, before she got pregnant and became Aurek’s wet nurse. Everyone said they spent all their time together. So who else would be my father? I just couldn’t bring myself to ask. I knew he must have heard those rumors. He should tell me.
I always had a strange tickle in my gut when I visited. I couldn’t decide if I liked the idea, anyway. My mother was gone now. A father was better than nothing.
But he was so darn odd.
Outside, I heard humming, and the rippling of the water. In crystal dragon form, he climbed into the cave and spat out a little pile of trinkets. Then he looked at me. “Oh, hello, Lord Seron. I hope you helped yourself. Good to have a bit of company.” He transformed into a man and wandered naked over to swing a clay pot over the fire, poking the embers. He was somewhat hunched, his face wrinkled so you could barely tell the color of his eyes, although when he widened them you could see they were a striking violet. His black hair was long and braided, striped with bits of white and gray. If he was my father, he was rather old, but it certainly wouldn’t be the first time a man had sired as he approached his later years. He was usually smiling but there was a terrible sadness behind the smile, I thought.
I wasn’t sure what he meant, since there wasn’t much of any food left, but I nodded. “King Aurekdel requests that you come to Hemara to see Princess Himika of Gaermon. I’m not sure how much you’ve heard—”
“Oh—I’ve heard it all, my lad. She is made of crystal. Can you just imagine what a beautiful skeleton that would be?”
“That is…inappropriate. If you say such a thing in her presence, I will have to do something very untoward.”
“What would it be?” He looked at me like the idea interested him. Then he laughed. “You wouldn’t, Seron. You’re a very kind man. I’ve always appreciated that about you. Oh dear. The princess, at last…what will become of it all. I don’t know… Has Aurekdel offered you to…partake?”
He was being even more strange and nosy than usual.
“None of your business, old man.” I’m sure my face said a lot more than I wanted it to. “I’m just here to carry out King Aurekdel’s order. You need to come with me and see if you can heal the princess’ foot before her bones turn back to…bone.”
“You’ve come all this way.”
“It’s only about twenty minutes to row here, you know.”
“Only with those mighty arms, boy!” He shook a finger. “I still have fish stew left.”
It was usually better to put up with him. He heated the heavily spiced stew, made of fish and pickled gara grass. Stones knew how old the stew was, but luckily crystal dragons had strong constitutions. Morlis liked having someone to talk to, and he told me in great detail about the day’s scavenging. “The tunnel weasels were guarding that one ruby there, but I sniffed it out. But then I thought I might get stuck in the tunnel. Wouldn’t be the first time! How was the stew, lad?” he pressed.
“Good. Surprisingly…”
“I bet it’s as good as anything they serve in the palace, isn’t it? Nothing better than a meal made right in the coals in an old trust pot.” He sprung to his feet and whisked off deeper into the cave.
“Where are you going, old man? Gods…I’ve lost him again…” While he wasn’t looking I finished off the last bit of stew.
“I made something for her.”
“Well, just hurry up, all right? It’s already the eleventh King’s Hour. The king will soon be having his dinner and I should be in attendance. And you could use the meal. Too skinny…uh…what on earth?”
Morlis came back with a delicate knife inset with emeralds and gold formed like a vine around the hilt. It was a very fine ornamental piece, although not for true battle. I drew it out of the scabbard and frowned. The blade was dull and dinged up.
“Did you make this?” I asked. “Why does it look like someone’s been using it to crack shells?”
“I saved it during the Traitor’s Rebellion. It used to be carried by the last queen, and the queen before her. So I have saved it for the next queen to carry. It has certainly seem some use.”
“I’ll have to sharpen it for her,” I said. “She seems to have an interest in weapons.”
“Give it to her yourself, Lord Seron. Give her a gift from you.” He sort of winked at me. Like he couldn’t actually wink, but he was trying.
“It isn’t really mine to give. You took it from the royal treasures.”
“I took it from the queen’s body,” he said. “When I was trying to heal her as she was dying. They were coming. The Traitor King and the other mist dragons…” He shut my hand around the knife. “Lord Seron, if I had not taken this sword, he would have it. I have kept it for the new queen but before that, I am giving it to you and only you to present to her. That is my wish.”
For a moment I was almost speechless. “I didn’t know you were with the queen when she was dying. Have you ever told Aurek?”
“No.”
“You don’t think he’d want to know how his mother died?”
“He knows. He knows all he needs to know about such a terrible time…” Morlis shook his head. “Enough of that. Let’s have a boat ride.”
I stared a
t him, almost incredulous, as he climbed into the boat, still naked. Then I grabbed a robe off a peg and threw it at him. To throw such a tidbit at me and then change the subject! I felt a sudden burning need to know what he knew of the queen’s final moments, but I could tell he was done talking about it. He was half mad, I told myself. That was all I was going to get. The past was past.
“Just tell me one thing. Why don’t you want Aurek to give you this knife? Is there some reason you…would rather give it to me? Is it because I’m Tiriana’s son?”
“Seron, you were always a gentle boy. Shy and kind…natural gift for healing. Tiriana told me how Aurek always took the lead, but how you always took care of him, even when you were boys. She said if it wasn’t for you, Aurekdel would have died. You sat up with him when he was sick. You showed him how to do things. And you were so young. I don’t think she ever meant for you to be his champion. That dismayed her. She thought you would be a healer or one of his advisors.”
“I know that. She griped about it. But that would be a waste of my strength. What does that have to do with anything? Are you trying to tell me I’ve been too soft?”
“No. Neither of us thought that. We wanted to protect you, Seron.”
He regarded me with a faint smile and started putting on the robe.
Chapter Ten
Himika
I stirred from a nap, unsure if I had slept for an hour or an entire night. I had no way of orienting myself by the changing light of day. Just the thought made my chest clench.
No sun. No day. Never again.
I would never get over it.
The bedroom provided for me was a large room with an equally large bed, made of woven grass suspended from a frame of crystal. The covers were made of pelts. I saw various robes, loose jacket and cloaks hanging from a hook on one wall, and a wash basin and table with a shaving blade, and I realized the king had put me in his room already. Before the wedding night! Had he slept on these same pelts the night before? I already felt awkward.
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