Rhea nodded. She had already thought of that. "Of course."
So she went to work, determined to do the best job she could.
Rather than simply give orders, she got her hands dirty as well. The infirmary was filling quickly, and those were the lucky ones. Many had not been so lucky.
Rhea's heart ached as she watched body upon body being lined up along the seashore. They hadn't seen losses this grave in generations and it would take years upon years for their numbers to recover. The enemy, too, had lost many. So senseless. Over a stupid barren rock in the sea which was hardly a prize for anyone.
The islanders lived here out of necessity, because the mainlanders had sought to stamp them out so long ago, but what motivated the Sea Folk? They had their kingdom in the Deep. What did they need these lands for when they mostly dwelled under water?
Rhea would never understand the point of this war they'd become embroiled in. For them, survival was on the line. But the enemy seemed to act without reason.
They worked late into the night, trying to make sense of it all. Rhea and those men she had left, along with the civilians of Black Mountain. Nobody paused for food or rest, not even Queen Kelly, who continued to help just as she had promised.
Long after the sun had gone down, and the boundary wall was starting to look clearer, Rhea stumbled across an object in the blood-soaked mud. It was unassuming, but something made Rhea kneel down to inspect it. After brushing away the dirt, she finally recognized what she had found.
Her sword. The symbol of her power and responsibility, discarded in the dirt. It was the perfect image for this battle's outcome. Nothing and no one had been spared. Her father would have been ashamed to see his old weapon lie abandoned on the ground like this.
Rhea carefully picked it up and cleaned it with her bare hands. Tears stung her eyes again as she held it tightly against her body. How would they come back from this?
"General Rhea." Eryn, her main lookout approached.
She took a deep breath and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Yes?"
"We've completed the count. For every one of ours, we took out three of theirs," Eryn said.
The numbers sounded good, but she did not look too excited about it. What was the catch?
"How many? How many of ours?" Rhea asked.
Eryn shuffled from one foot to the other, staring at the ground. The woman had tried to spin it initially, but it wasn't good news.
"Well?" Rhea urged.
"We've lost two hundred, General Rhea," Eryn whispered.
From an estimated five hundred present on Black Mountain this morning, Rhea's army had almost been halved. Rhea didn't know what to say. She had sent them out here with a speech consisting only of empty words. She'd given them only idle hope. And now so many were no more.
It had been only a few days since her appointment, so Rhea hadn't known many by name yet. But she knew going forward she'd find faces missing in her ranks. So this was what it felt like to command. To be directly responsible for these lost lives.
"Thank you, Eryn. You’ve been a great help," Rhea mumbled.
The woman nodded and was about to leave, when Rhea remembered something.
"Oh, have you seen the dragon?"
Eryn's eyes went wide for a moment. "The dragon… Until he appeared I thought those old tales were just that, stories."
Rhea frowned and shook her head. "No, I mean have you seen him recently? After the battle."
Eryn looked down at the ground between them. "I have not, no. I know it's none of my business…"
"Speak freely."
"He's on our side, isn't he? We could really use a dragon on our side." The woman's voice trailed off as her eyes rested on the blackened stone surrounding them.
This was the spot. Where Saras had joined the fight but for a moment, and changed the outcome in their favor.
Remembering Kelly's words about her supposedly harsh leadership style, she rested her hand on the woman's shoulder. "I assure you that he is. He'll protect us."
At least he had done. Despite his repeated refusals.
Eryn's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful news! Then perhaps there is hope for us yet."
For once, Rhea had to agree. As long as Saras was on their side, there was a hope, however bleak, in light of all this death.
She nodded at the woman and left her there on the wall. It was time to brief Broc on the number of casualties. Would he feel the weight of their loss as keenly as she did? Or had the eight years he'd spent as king already hardened him to these realities of life?
Back in his cell, Saras tossed and turned. So many faces haunting him. So many lives lost.
Sure, he'd rescued Rhea, but at what cost?
He'd seen it in her eyes once she'd come to: the guilt of surviving such a terror. She was a warrior, who lived and died by the sword. She might have preferred death over being spared when so many of her comrades had fallen.
This was why he hadn't wanted to get involved in the first place. His powers were not like the point of a sword which could be aimed precisely. In the fog of battle, his fire burned everyone indiscriminately. Friend or foe alike.
And that was exactly what had happened. He'd have to live with that.
A thousand years had passed, and nothing had changed. He was still a danger to everyone around him. He could not be trusted outside in the real world.
Best to leave it behind once and for all.
She'd come to see him, Rhea had. She'd pushed open the door even, and made her way inside. But he'd hidden himself in the farthest corner of his cell and sent her away.
Saras couldn't face her. To see the disappointment in her face all over again. At the same time he knew that if he saw her, he'd yearn for her even more. His inner beast had claimed her already, even though in his mind he knew he did not deserve her.
For that very reason he'd raged until finally she left him alone.
It would be best for everyone to forget he even existed. For so long these people had done just fine on their own. It made no sense for him to get involved any longer.
In any case, the enemy had left. The threat was over. They could ask no more of him.
Despite knowing all this, and continuing to repeat it in his head, part of him couldn't accept this fate.
He should have fallen asleep by now, to let the years pass unbeknownst to him, until everyone he'd hurt today had long since died and their offspring had forgotten about him. But instead of years passing him by, he suffered through every second. Awake, haunted by memories rather than dreams.
And in among all the pain and suffering there was the vision of her. Rhea, lying in a pool of her own blood. If it wasn't for his intervention, she would have been killed.
But she was fragile. A mortal, unlike him. If his aim had been off just a little, he could have burned her alive without even knowing it.
An ill-timed sneeze could have done it.
This was why his kind had died out many years ago. It was a dangerous business, being a dragon's mate. He wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy, so how could he subject the woman he loved to such a fate?
For he had come to love her. His heart reminded him at any and every opportunity.
The way she carried herself; her confidence and beauty were unrivalled. And despite his reservations early on, he respected her job now too. To fight among men as their equal, that took a lot of strength.
But she wasn't his equal. Therein lay the problem. No amount of talent or skill with the blade could keep her safe from him.
That was why he had to give her up.
Chapter Eleven
When Rhea was summoned to the Great Hall, she could already guess what it was about. After the battle, Broc had ordered her to fetch Saras and launch an attack on the Deep with him at the forefront. To strike King Weiland where it would hurt him the most and prove once and for all that the islanders were not to be messed with.
Only, she had failed to secure Saras' help. He had
refused to see her or speak with her, even.
Just what had changed his behavior, she did not know. And so, she'd have no sensible explanation to present to Broc either. The Sea Folk had retreated, but for how long? Once they figured out that the dragon was no longer fighting with them, they'd try to attack again. The job of general hadn't become any easier for her.
When she made her way through the heavy doors inside the Hall, Rhea was surprised to not just find the Elders waiting by Broc's side, but Kelly as well. Apparently the battle had made the royal couple inseparable.
Rhea waited with her eyes fixed on the ground. She did not know how to explain herself.
"I hear your dragon is being difficult," Broc began.
Rhea frowned at his choice of words. Her dragon? Had Kelly told him more than she should have?
"He won't leave his cell," Rhea responded.
"Presumably you've explained to him that we need to strike the enemy now, when they're still hurting? We really have no other choice," Broc argued.
Rhea had nothing useful to say. Saras wouldn't even speak with her. "I did try to explain that," she mumbled.
Broc got up from his seat and threw his arms up in frustration.
"First he escapes, something which you failed to inform me of." His tone was unusually harsh, making her flinch involuntarily. "And then he happens upon a battle between us and the enemy, and burns a half a dozen of our own men nearly to death."
"Now, that's not fair," Rhea objected.
Broc slammed his fist onto the table beside him. "Not fair? What's not fair is that I promoted you to the job of general and you haven't shown me you deserve it yet. You came to me, remember? You convinced me that you could go down there and secure his cooperation. Instead we've had an escape, resulting in a broken wall, which will require materials and manpower to fix which we cannot spare at the moment. And he won't even help us win the war! This dragon of yours has been nothing but trouble!"
Rhea was speechless. For Broc to berate her like this in front of the Elders, and Kelly… They had clashed in the past, but things had never gotten this ugly.
Don't take it to heart, he's just frustrated. Kelly's voice penetrated Rhea's mind.
The two women shared a look. Still, Broc's words had hurt her deeply.
Hard not to, when I have indeed failed.
"Uri. You said the only way to convince the dragon is to offer him something he wants desperately," Kelly spoke aloud.
"That's right." Uri cleared his throat.
Broc turned to face his bride and shook his head impatiently. There was some communication going on between husband and wife which the other people in the room were excluded from.
"I've already offered him everything I could think of." Rhea sighed.
"Do share," Broc urged.
"His freedom, first of all," Rhea said, her face turning a deep shade of crimson. It wasn't enough that she'd told Kelly and Uri about the other thing already, now she'd finally have to admit it to Broc too?
"And he wasn't interested in that, because he knew he could break through the locks and chains at any moment of his choosing," Broc said.
Rhea nodded in defeat. Yes, in hindsight she'd been stupid to think that he was an unwilling prisoner. Clearly he'd had the power to escape all along.
"What else?" Broc asked.
Rhea pressed her lips together. How could she share something so personal, so humiliating?
Yourself, Kelly's voice spoke.
Rhea nodded again and stared at the ground in front of her.
"I thought he might be lonely, after all those years…" she mumbled.
Of all the people to admit this to. The very same man who had possessed her heart for so long. That was the thing, though. Her feelings for Broc were evolving, and perhaps it was time to admit that to herself as well as him.
"If you're unable to secure his help, perhaps appointing you as General was a mistake," Broc said.
Rhea's heart broke yet again. A mistake? She had always given her all, in any task. To hear him denounce her like this was the final straw. She fought the sting of tears, determined not to show weakness now. If he had challenged her in any other way, she would have fought back. She would have stood her ground.
Just what she had seen in the man all these years? They'd often argued about what would be best for this land and its inhabitants. This wasn't an ordinary argument, this was just cruelty. Since her first meeting with Saras, her feelings for Broc had started to fade. Right at this moment, they vanished completely. She was free of him.
He's only frustrated because he doesn't understand. Kelly's presence was back inside Rhea's head.
Rhea looked up, at the two of them. Broc refused to look her in the eye. Rhea's hurt made way for anger.
Kelly's eyes, meanwhile, were full of compassion. Or pity. Rhea could not be sure.
How ironic, that Kelly of all people was reaching out to her. After the very rocky start they'd had. How Rhea had hated the newcomer for taking everything she'd ever wanted for herself. And having magical powers on top of it all.
"Yes, my king," Rhea said in a choked voice. "I will try harder."
She did not wait to be dismissed, but simply walked out of the meeting. Broc said nothing to stop her.
Outside, she leaned against the cold stone wall to catch her breath. This tightness in her chest, it had never fully left her since her promotion a week ago. This constant pressure to achieve the impossible was getting to her.
"Rhea." Kelly's voice forced her to open her eyes. "I apologize on Broc's behalf. Hopefully the upcoming feast will improve his mood and he'll see reason. It's not fair to place this burden just on your shoulders."
Rhea shook her head. "He wasn't wrong. I failed. I see that now. We have lost so much in one battle, we cannot survive another."
They stood in silence for a moment, before Kelly spoke again.
"I'd like to share with you something that happened at the end of the battle.”
Rhea blinked a few times, but her mind was a blank. What could Kelly possibly say to her now that would change anything?
But Kelly either didn't notice her apathy, or she simply ignored it.
"When Saras came for you, I entered his mind," she said.
Rhea wasn't sure what the woman was trying to say. "So?"
"It provided some insights. Perhaps it'll help figure out what he wants."
Now she tells me.
Rhea scoffed. "He's not sure what he wants himself."
"That's actually… Yes, you're quite right." Kelly smiled briefly. "But there's a chance you can change things yet. You see, he was adamant he wouldn't join the fight. No more death. He wanted nothing more than to fly in the other direction. But he changed his mind anyway. Because of you."
"I didn't do anything. I wasn't even conscious at the time!" Rhea protested.
Kelly nodded. "I told him where you were. He would have done anything to get you out of there."
Rhea didn't know why, but hearing Kelly say that warmed her heart a little. She knew that he'd saved her, of course. But she hadn't thought about what that meant. Neither had she thanked him for his efforts.
"So why refuse to see me now?" Rhea wondered.
Kelly shrugged. "I think that has less to do with the events that occurred the other day, and more with whatever past he's already lived through all those years ago. His mind was a confusing place to be. Full of sorrow and guilt. I couldn't make sense of it."
Rhea thought back to the tales she'd been told as a child. Of everything that happened which led to the dragon's imprisonment. Fires that burned for days, destroying most of the castle and killing many of Black Mountain's inhabitants in the process.
Just why he had turned on his people, the stories did not explain. Could it be that he was remorseful of that day?
"When I went to Uri for advice the other day, you know what he told me?" Rhea thought aloud. "To think about what every sentient being wants."
"Must
he always speak in riddles?" Kelly said.
Rhea smiled through her tears at last. "That's what I thought. So frustrating."
"Well, perhaps my insights will help you figure it out."
Rhea nodded. "I hope so, though it's a work in progress." She looked at the woman who had largely been her rival until this point. "I must confess, I've been unfair to you in the past."
Kelly smiled. "It's fine. I didn't mean to come here and step on any toes, though I'm afraid that's exactly how it turned out."
Rhea let out a short laugh, remembering the circumstances of Kelly's arrival as a human offering. "No, you didn't mean to come here at all, as I remember."
They shared a smile.
"But this is home now,” said Kelly. “For better or for worse. Let's hope we can keep it safe together."
Rhea held out her hand. A peace offering, after so much grief and jealousy.
"Thank you, my queen." For once, Rhea spoke those last two words without bitterness or sarcasm and she felt a little lighter for it.
Kelly smiled warmly as she shook Rhea's hand.
What every sentient being craves above all… these words echoed through Rhea's mind over and over.
That was what Uri had said. But what did it mean, exactly? Saras had retreated to his cell after the battle.
He had isolated himself. After scaring off the enemy and helping the Isles live another day. There had been casualties, but without his intervention, who knew how high the body count would have been? They owed him so much.
From the start, he had the power to give them peace. But he saw only death.
How much had changed in just a couple of days, and yet so much had remained the same. His behavior still puzzled and frustrated her. She still could not get through to him and make him see things her way.
What could she offer him now that she hadn't already attempted to give before?
But one thing was certain, she had to try again. Now that she'd peeked behind the mask and seen the real him, she had to try not just for her people's sake, but also for his. Perhaps Kelly was right in saying he was working through his ancient history. The battle had brought those old memories back into the forefront for him.
A Dragon's Treasure Page 7
