Heart of a Kingdom

by Lisa Bain

  His eyes stood out–a brilliant blue. John had been expecting green or yellow. The blue was scarier. When they describe the reptilian brain fear response, this is what they’re talking about, thought John. He was terrified and had to fight the urge to flee.

  John halted, not taking his eyes off the dragon. “Jasper of Shenyang. You are in lands which are protected by Aisling Elisabeth McGregor, Queen of the Kingdom of the Talking Trees.”

  “Can’t a dragon of Shenyang visit his sister city Belfast? No?” Jasper’s laugh rumbled through the clearing. “Libby is exactly why I’m here. Did she send you as an offering? I am rather hungry.”

  John couldn’t help himself, his hand was already on his holster and he slowly eased the latch open.

  “Jasper of Shenyang. Since you refuse to depart willingly, as her champions we speak on behalf of our Queen. Queen McGregor hereby challenges you to a duel.”

  Jasper raised his furry brows and roared with laughter. This was a surprise. He’d expected bravado but figured it would be empty. It was a miracle the Queen was even still alive. This was getting more entertaining by the minute.

  “What are the terms you propose, Queen’s Champions?”

  “One year from today you will battle on wit, skill and physical strength. The location of the duel will be neither Shenyang nor the Kingdom of Talking Trees, but the uninhabited island off Donegal. You will depart immediately and remain outside these protected lands until the date and time of the duel.”

  Jasper paused. This was interesting. If he defeated Libby so publicly, it would make his victory all the sweeter. But he wasn’t about to let her dictate terms.

  A slow smile crept across his face. It made John’s fight or flight response go into overdrive, and he had to force himself not to move. “I accept the challenge, but it will be one year from the death of King Dalen, eleven months from now, and in a location of my choosing. I choose the clearing where King Dalen took his fatal blow.”

  John was livid, this was a deliberate attempt to mess with Libby’s head, as if the dragon didn’t already have a huge advantage. He was about to retort when Larra quietly answered. “On behalf of our Queen, the duel is accepted.”

  Jasper had seen John’s reaction and felt smug. He knew they were afraid. The Queen’s defeat was certain. If she wanted to drag it out and make it public so be it. It would give him more time to savor every moment. He roared with excitement, then spread his wings and took flight, heading back to Shenyang.

  Chapter

  The Color of Magic

  With Jasper’s acceptance of the duel, Libby now had eleven months to prepare. It was hard to imagine surviving that long, but if she could keep the force field up, they’d at least bought a reprieve from Jasper. The engineering team continued to research ways to preserve and protect the force field.

  Daily training became part of the schedule for the knights and the LIWs with their return to the palace. Libby was still too weak and on full-time oxygen for any physical training, so her focus was on meditation to strengthen her mind and control her fear. Fear would be a fatal weakness in a duel with a dragon. She’d always been fearless, but since Dale’s death she was afraid of everything. Well, everything but death. She was afraid of being alone, of being lonely, of the dark, of failing her people, of what people might think, and that she’d never be whole again. Death seemed relatively easy next to all of that.

  “Libby!” Krystal shouted to get her attention.

  “I’m sorry.” Libby had fallen asleep again. In her weakened state, even something as non-taxing as meditation was exhausting. She’d often fall asleep in the middle of it, until one of her wizards would gently wake her up to begin again. Libby would persist without complaint, but the tears would flow freely as soon as she was back in her bed and crying herself to sleep became the norm.

  “You must focus,” Krystal continued. “I know you are weak, but you will remain so until you’re able to regrow your heart.”

  She was lying down with a grid of pink and green crystals fanning out around her. The wizard had given Libby a rose quartz crystal talisman on a leather cord to wear around her neck. The cord was long enough the crystal could easily be tucked out of sight in Libby’s shirt. It rested right at heart center. She held the crystal in her left hand, and tried to follow Krystal’s instructions to use it to focus her intention.

  Libby sighed and turned her focus inwards, to her heart. She forced herself to see the scarred half heart, weakly pumping. She visualized the cells along the scar, willing them to divide and multiply. It was a slow process. It was painful. And she was lying down, so it was easy to fall asleep again, which she did. At least until Krystal woke her to begin again.

  The LIWs knew how much Libby was suffering. The lone widow among them suggested a change of scenery might help with Libby’s healing. After all, everything and everyone in the palace reminded her of Dale and his death. After some heated discussions, Scarlett and Geoffrey came up with the idea to spend time away from the palace while working on her training. It would also give them time to inspect the forcefield and border villages. It was more of an extended camping trip than a quest, but that’s the format they came up with when they proposed it to Libby.

  “A pseudo-quest?” She chuckled. “Well, I’m up to getting the hell out of Dodge for a bit. We have eleven months before I must face Jasper. When do you propose we start this little adventure?” “As soon as you’re off the oxygen,” Scarlett answered.

  “That also gives us time to coordinate logistics with the team,” Geoffrey added. “We anticipate we’ll be on the road for at least a few months. Since we can’t take everyone, we figured we’d structure it like a quest, taking five knights and five LIWs. This group will also be the one to accompany you to the duel.”

  “Better bring a wizard while we’re at it,” Libby sighed. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  Duels have specific rules. So do quests, even pseudo ones. The Universe always demands balance. Since there were five on the Spirit Council, there were always five knights and five LIWs who would join a quest. The symbolism of repeating fives wasn’t lost on Libby. She knew from her studies with Krystal that repeating fives were a spirit message of major changes and transformation, new freedoms, and living inner truth. Part of her wanted to scream, “No shit?” at the Universe, but she knew that was pointless. In the meantime, decisions needed to be made as to which five would travel and which would stay behind to protect the Kingdom. She’d tasked her two Seniors to prepare their formal recommendations.

  The next morning, Geoffrey, Sean, Scarlett, and Catherine met with the Queen to make the final decision. Corrine joined them for the first time, unofficially joining the Queen’s Council. They anticipated she would soon be named Regent during Libby’s absence.

  Libby’s color was better, and she could converse without getting winded. Since Dale had been keeping his promise to leave her alone, she’d started sleeping again, if only for a few hours a night. Those few hours made a huge difference. “Let’s hear it. Who will be questing with me?”

  Since Sean was responsible for recruiting and logistics, he spoke on behalf of the knights. As much as he wanted to go, he had reluctantly agreed with Geoffrey that he was the strongest resource to stay behind and protect the kingdom. The Regent would need his knowledge and expertise in the event of any physical threats, especially with the gaps that remained in the barrier.

  “Libby, every single one of your knights has volunteered for this. But since only five can go, we formally recommend the following: Geoffrey Fitzgerald, Senior Knight, will travel with you. John Morgan is your Queen’s Knight Grand Champion. By tradition he must go since he delivered the duel challenge. And I don’t think we’d be able to keep him away anyway.”

  Libby smiled because she knew he was right. John had the worst case of Fear of Missing Out she’d ever encountered. His only character flaw was his insane jealousy of anyone having more fun than him. He’d find a way to go even if he wasn’t
selected.

  “Will O’Malley, Weapons Master, will go. He will continue to assist in your training and can also handle weapons acquisition and minor repairs on the road, should it be necessary. Leia Pineda would go even if she wasn’t selected. Her talents on and off the battlefield will be invaluable. Wrapping up the group is Fynnigan Van der Linden. While young, he is both a fierce warrior, and brilliant strategist. His engineering background will be helpful and he’ll work on inspecting the forcefield borders. He’ll also run point on field security since I’m staying behind. Plus, he’s your favorite and you enjoy his company.”

  Libby rolled her eyes and chuckled, but knew he was right. She did love Fynnigan’s company.

  “The rest of the knights and I will stay behind to aid the Regent and help manage any other threats against the Kingdom during your absence.”

  Sean took his seat while Libby sat in silence pondering the list. She loved all the knights. She knew them, their stories, their families, and it was difficult to choose one over the other.

  “Thank you, Sean. I know it must be killing you to stay behind, but I agree that you will be a bigger asset here. I approve this roster with one addition.”

  The group was surprised at this. Quests only had five knights. What was she doing?

  “I’m adding my nephew, Kurtis McGregor, Junior Knight. He’s begged to go. And to be honest, I’d love his company, too.”

  Geoffrey interrupted, “Out of the question. Libby, he is one of your heirs and completely untested. He is too young. It is unwise to allow him to participate. Protecting him will be a distraction to the rest of the group.”

  “I considered that, Geoffrey,” Libby agreed. “But he’s tougher than you think and won’t need protection. And this isn’t a real quest, right? He loved his uncle Dale and I will not deny him this opportunity to learn about the Kingdom that may one day be his to rule.”

  Geoffrey could see she’d made up her mind. He could veto the young man’s participation as a knight, but as an heir only Libby had that authority. Besides, she did have a point. As much as he didn’t like it, he acquiesced. He glanced over at Sean who was already making adjustments to the training schedule and gear list to get the young man as prepared as their limited time would allow. This is a really bad idea, he thought, but what about this entire thing isn’t bad?

  The Queen then looked at Scarlett.

  “What do you have for me, my friend?”

  “I will, of course, be going. You wouldn’t dare leave without your best friend and Senior Lady-in-Waiting at your side.” Scarlett had announced her plans to retire, but this situation put her retirement on hold. “Harley Gallagher will be assisting with your physical strength training and has already been working with Awen to develop your program. Larra is your personal body guard, so she will of course be coming. Tradition demands her presence since she delivered the duel challenge. Cristina Sobreiro will also be joining us.”

  “Last but not least, Kendra McGregor.” At this Libby’s face expressed the surprise they all felt. Kendra was a late addition to the LIWs, very capable and what she lacked in brute force she made up for in motivation and love for her family. But as the late King’s sister it seemed fitting. Dalen and Kendra’s parents had raised prized horses, and Kendra had taken over the ranch when they’d died. Her skills would come in handy.

  Scarlett looked over at Catherine before continuing. “Catherine O’Michael will run point with the remaining LIWs, and work directly with Sean and the Regent.” Scarlett had been grooming Catherine for years to take over. She could handle it.

  “I approve.” Libby paused and looked at Corrine. Corrine’s heart dropped. She knew what was coming. The quest demanded symmetry. With Kurtis questing as junior Knight, she knew her daughter would be going too as the only junior LIW. She held her breath. At least Ash’d had the decency to talk to her about it in advance.

  “Dyanna Chaney, my niece and heir to the throne with Kurtis, will also be coming. Symmetry will be maintained. My two heirs will learn more on this quest than they could ever learn remaining behind. This will make them better rulers, and better people. And, to no fault of their own, they are dangerously behind on their training. Effective immediately, they are to be included in all Council meetings. We will need to find some office space for them, although at this point I think they can probably share one. We’re a bit squeezed in with all the extra people and the steward may kill me if I ask him to carve out more.”

  That’s just fucking great, Geoffrey thought to himself. This just keeps getting better and better.

  Sean was typing away to make the adjustments, but his red face indicated his disapproval. Scarlett was equally unhappy with this decision but knew better than to challenge Libby about it at this juncture.

  All eyes turned to look at Corrine. She gave a slight nod, but it was clear she was holding back tears. As much as she didn’t want to be alone, she’d hoped her husband would be one of the knights selected. He would have helped keep an eye on Dyanna. At least she knew that the LIWs would fight to protect her both as one of their own and as an heir. She knew her sister wouldn’t have carelessly made the decision to bring the two heirs along. Still, Dy was her baby girl and Corrine hated the idea.

  With the roster approved, the meeting adjourned so the Queen could get some rest. Geoffrey and Scarlett returned to their teams to make the roster official.

  Libby was exhausted, and quickly fell into a deep sleep. She was dreaming in Irish. It was about the time she realized she didn’t speak Irish that Maggie appeared.

  “Hello, child.” Maggie smiled at her. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “Hello, Maggie. I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

  Maggie chuckled, “Longer than you can imagine, but that’s not what I meant. You are finally strong enough for us to begin lessons.”

  “But I’ve been doing lessons for weeks!” Libby protested.

  “Ach no, child. I mean you are finally strong enough for lessons with me. Lessons about magic.”

  “Oh.” Libby said quietly. She could feel her stomach knotting up. She’d been dreading this.

  “Relax. Your education in this area has been woefully lacking. In my time, your training would have begun with your first visions and dreams as a child. But you are smart, and I have full confidence in your abilities. Your wizards will help you practice when you are awake, but I will teach you while you are asleep. Time doesn’t run the same in dream state, so we can make up some lost ground.”

  Libby sighed. “Okay. Where do we start?”

  “Good attitude. Thanks. I know how you feel about magic, but this is important and will be necessary for the protection of the kingdom. I need your promise that you won’t discuss this training with anyone outside your Council. You’re going to duel a dragon, and he will underestimate you if he doesn’t know you have magic. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. I’ll take any edge I can get.”

  “Good. There are three areas you will need to master: seeing and manipulating energy, balancing your chakras, and summoning and speaking to spirit.”

  “I can learn to summon spirits? I want to speak to Dale. Teach me that first.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes. “No. You’re not ready for that yet. We’ll get to that, but we must go in order. We need to build your spiritual and mental strength just like you’re working on your physical strength and stamina. Do you understand?”

  Libby was annoyed but wouldn’t argue. “Fine. Where do we start?”

  Maggie smiled. Libby’s irritation was a good thing. It would motivate her to train even when she didn’t want to. “We’ll begin tonight. Go to bed early, we have a lot to cover.”

  After her nap, the Queen completed her daily training and healing sessions. This was a lot more taxing than it sounded.

  Each day, she’d meet with the wizards. It wasn’t as simple as lying back and letting them work on her energy or healing spells. She was an active participant. In addition to being
difficult, it hurt the way scar tissue goes on hurting for years. And it itched! That was even worse than the pain. The itch was deep in her chest and she couldn’t do anything about it.

  Why does healing tissue have to be so uncomfortable? she wondered as she took a break, rubbing her chest in a futile attempt to ease the itch and the pain. She sweated more in this regrowth process than she’d ever done in the sparring ring. She was still so weak, and it required a crazy amount of effort. Plus, she still had to keep the force field intact while growing a new heart. In her last dream visit with her ancestor, Michie had given her some tips that the wizards didn’t know about, so it wasn’t as painful as when she first started, but it was still exhausting. In this process she had to visualize the healing tissue, down to a cellular level, and focus on reducing the inflammation. She’d mentally will the nerve receptors that relayed messages of pain and itching to her brain to slow down. She couldn’t turn them off entirely, but it helped.

  Libby took multiple naps a day to rest between her sessions. Harley showed up in her room after her latest break.

  “How are you today?” she inquired.

  “If I were any better, I’d be twins,” Libby lied.

  Harley smiled at her and got to work setting up for their yoga session. Few people recognized the value of yoga to stay in fighting shape. Core strength and flexibility were important to a warrior. But more than that, it helped to heal and clear the pathways between chakras, something Maggie had emphasized as being mission critical. Libby was going to battle a dragon and needed to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually clear if she was going to have a chance at defeating him.

  She was glad when their yoga session ended. Now that she wasn’t on full-time oxygen she could visit the stables on her own, although it was a slow walk there and back. After promising Kurtis she’d visit Hoss, she’d had to find help getting there. She’d sent John back to the Normal world to get her a wheelchair. Libby hated the idea but refused to allow anyone to carry her, or break her promise, so gave in to practicality no matter how much it hurt her ego to ask for help.