by Jamie Gandy
“Just tell them I sent you and Hannah will make sure you are both well fed,” Adir says. “Are you hungry as well, Lady Catherine?”
“No, I am fine. I am going to retire to my Chambers. It has been a very eventful day,” she replies. “I cannot wait to tell Esther about the twins!”
“I will escort you. You two have a goodnight and thank you for your assistance.”
Hector and I bow in unison. “Goodnight, Sir Adir, Lady Catherine.” We watch them for only a couple of seconds before we make our way to the kitchen.
“Goodnight, Lady Catherine,” Hector mocks me.
“Oh, shut up,” I smirk.
Chapter Nineteen:
♔ Kage Tora: ♚
Three months have passed since Esther and I celebrated our thirteenth birthday.
Unfortunately for me, I am being forced to travel with my father, Adir and his Knights to DragonsDome’s StrongHold on official business. Now that I am closer to being a man I am supposed to accompany them so I can learn more about my father’s responsibilities around the Kingdom.
Thank the stars I was able to talk my way into bringing Hector along. I tried to command Sebastian into coming along as well, but he refused to listen to me. He had no desire to go to DragonsDome terrority.
“Are you okay, Prince?” Hector inquiries from Dovah’s side.
“Yeah, I am fine. I am still annoyed at your idiot brother for disobeying my command to come with us,” I huff out a sigh. “He has some nerve to defy his future King,” I smirk.
“My brother has never been, nor will he ever be, forced to do something he does not want to. Especially if it is you making the command,” the amusement in Hector’s voice is so thick that I glare at him in disapproval.
“It is not like you helped me. You could have asked him to come and he would have happily done so.” I squeeze my fingers into the leather reins. “Why was he so adamant about not coming?”
“He does not like the people that live in DragonsDome’s Stronghold. We have visited a couple times with our father, and we were treated poorly, especially our mother.” He is quiet for only a couple of moments before he continues. “DragonsDome has always been the main defending force against the Northern Kingdom of SteelBorn, so the men are…” he pauses, as if trying to think of the right word to sum them up. “They are ruthless and cruel. During one of our nights here Sebastian got into a fight with one of the Knight’s, the man was trying to take advantage of our mother.”
“Why did he not just say that?” I relax my grip as I release another sigh. “I can understand the importance of protecting your mother’s honor, and how difficult it might be to return. Why did you not refuse to come then?” I inquire.
“I did not pick a fight with anyone here, so I doubt they will even remember me like they would remember him. I also do not hold any important memories with my mother at DragonsDome, so refraining from coming here makes no sense to me.” Hector points towards the large mountains that surround us. “I love this weather too. The cold that sends shivers down my spine makes me feel incredible.”
I grin at my friend. “I completely agree. This atmosphere is so fresh. I could see living up here.”
“Me too, I just wish it was not such a long ride from TigersKeep.” I stretch in the saddle as my gaze scans over our party of men until my eyes land on my father and Adir. “Why does official King stuff have to be so boring? Is this what my future is really going to look like when I become King?”
“It sure is,” Hector smirks in amusement. “Probably even worse.” The teasing changes as he shifts his gemstone gaze back at me. “As boring as this is, please be sure to pay attention to as much as you can. You will rule Kallai one day, so it is vastly important that you strive to be a good King.” His smile is reassuring and brotherly. “Remember I plan on serving you when you become King.”
“I appreciate that Hector.” I begin to spot the large Stronghold of DragonsDome as it appears in the distance. On the top of the giant stone walls I can see a scaled creature taking flight. “Was that a dragon?” I question.
“Not quite,” Adir answers as his horse appears at my side. “That was a Wyvern” He must catch both Hector’s and my own confused looks, because he continues without us questioning him. “It is a legendary biped creature with a dragon's head and wings, a reptilian body, two legs, and a tail often ending in a diamond- or arrow-shaped tip. Although it is often confused for being a dragon because it shares so many similarities. The only real defining difference between them is that most dragons have four legs, whereas the Wyvern has only two. Dragons can breathe fire; Wyverns cannot breathe fire. I am not sure if it is actually true, but I have heard that Dragons are intelligent and cunning creatures.”
“How do you know so much about them?” Hector inquires.
“I have been fascinated with the old scripts for as long as I can remember. I also enjoy reading about the creatures that share this planet with us.” I notice that his gaze does not stray from the winged Wyvern as it flies off. “Wyverns are unpredictable creatures, which makes them very dangerous. If you ever encounter one up close be careful”
“If they are so dangerous, then why would the Knights of DragonsDome allow such a beast to rest on the walls?” I curiously ask.
“I am not sure, but I do intend to find out when we get there.” The look in his eyes sends an uncomfortable chill down my spine. I watch as Adir nudges his steed onward to take his position at the head of the group of men.
“That Wyvern looked so awesome!” I remark.
“Awesome? You better not get it in your head to try to bring something like that back to the Castle, like you did with Ziv.” Hector rolls his eyes in annoyance.
“Come on! Can you just imagine how amazing it must feel flying in the sky on the back of one of those things?”
“Just shut up,” Hector mutters under his breath, in response I laugh out loud.
“Fine, I promise I will leave any Wyverns I might meet alone. They would probably just eat me anyway.”
“Likely not. Nothing with a brain would put you in its mouth.”
I choose to ignore his insult and turn my attention back to the StrongHold. It is massive in size, even compared to TigersKeep. With a stone gate that bares the symbol of a detailed etching of a Dragon. As we approach, the gates began to open up. “I wonder why the Castle is not as giant as DragonsDome.”
“Probably because TigersKeeps is not on the border of any enemy territory. DragonsDome is the first line of defense against the Kingdom to the North, SteelBorn. It makes the most sense that the StrongHold should be this indestructible in case of an enemy attack,” Hector explains.
“That makes sense.” I watch as my father is greeted by everyone with a bow. I can tell from the soar expressions on some of the Knights faces that though they greet the King out of respect, they clearly despise him.
“Your Majesty, I am glad you have made it safely to DragonsDome.” The man that speaks looks to be at least a foot taller than Adir. He is built more like a grizzly bear and has a jet-black beard that matches his slicked back hair. His dark soulless eyes briefly scans our party until they eventually land on me. For a moment the image of the Ifrits flashes through my mind at the sight of his gaze.
“It has been a couple seasons since I have seen you, Your Highness,” his voice is husky and vacant, as if he is speaking only to please his King.
“The seasons have faired you well, Sir Aeron.” I nod towards the Head Knight and offer him a grin.
He nods his gratitude before he returns his attention back to my father. “Your Majesty, please follow me.”
“We are supposed to follow too, right?” Hector silently questions me.
“I think so…”
“Come along you two,” Adir beckons to us, as if picking up on our uncertainty.
We all dismount our horses and follow after Aeron and my father. I notice though that our fellow Knights are not allowed to follow us, they are accompanied b
y DragonDome’s Knights. Three large Knights also take up our rear as we make our way down the long halls. Eventually Aeron comes to a stop in front of a pair of grand double doors and pushes them open. He stands there, allowing only my father and I to walk into the room before he allows the doors to close behind us.
‘Why would he close Sir Adir out of this meeting?’ I ponder to himself as I watch my father walk over to the large oak desk that sits in the center of the room. He takes a seat and takes a hold of the stack of papers in front of him.
“Are these all the reports?” he inquires.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is everything we have on our achievements executing the strategies you advised using against SteelBorn. The casualties were much higher than anticipated, unfortunately, but it was certainly well worth it,” Aeron explains.
I take a few steps closer to the desk to see the top piece of paper that my father is reading. The top of the handwritten page reads ‘Number of children lost, twenty-nine.’
“What is this?” This time I cannot stop the question from slipping out. Causing both my father and Aeron to look up into my direction.
“If he is to rule this Kingdom someday, he might as well know now the prices a King must pay to ensure his enemy is defeated. The sooner, the better.” My father reaches out to hand me the papers he is holding.
Aeron looks annoyed, however as he crosses his arms over his broad chest. I look down to read the report.
‘We brought the children with us near the Northern border where the battle has become the most intense. We posed them all in battle armor to leave them as a decoy as King David instructed. SteelBorn troops fell for the trap and launched an attack on the children. Half the children were killed before they realized that they were not fighting other men. We were able to kill all of those soldiers thanks to our ambush and their hesitation. It was a success.’
I have to stop reading at this point to look at the cold unremorseful expression on my father’s face. “How could you approve of this?” I demand.
His dark navy eyes, a dark color that reflect in my own gaze, narrow on me. “For the good of this Kingdom. In war you have to learn how to outsmart your enemy, and sometimes that requires you to become cruel and heartless. Those SteelBorn soldiers showed weakness once they realized their enemies were mere kids dressed up. They froze and that gave our troops an opportunity to win that battle. War is ugly, and it makes a good man become vile. The sooner you understand that son, the better. One day you will have to make difficult choices to rule this Kingdom. However, if you are smart about it no one will get to know the monster you are, no one but your closest men.”
“Is that why Adir was not allowed in this meeting? Because there is no way he would ever stand by your side knowing that you send children to their deaths. If I go out there right now and tell him, he will find a way to put this senselessness to a stop!” I whirl around on my heels, but before I can take more than three steps Aeron’s massive hand is wrapped around my throat. He jerks me up against the wall as he pulls a dagger from his boot.
“You will not tell a soul!” his words are a resounding order.
“You have no authority over me, scumbag!” I snarl at him. The Ifrits was ten times more intimidating than this Knight. “I am not afraid of you!”
“Oh, but you should be!” His smile curls up to reveal his teeth. My eyes roam over to my father, who looks unconcerned. After everything I have just heard I honestly cannot tell if he knows Aeron will not harm me, or if he simply does not care if I am harmed. “You have a lot more fight in you then your father,” Aeron smirks. The blade of his dagger presses against the tunic covering my heart until the tip grazes my skin. “I may not be able to harm you, Prince, but if you tell anyone, Sir Adir, along with your little friend out there, will be in danger. I can think of a lot of ways to kill that boy that will be slow and very painful. No one will be safe from me, Prince.” He releases his grip on me and turns back to the desk. “Now, man up and get back over here. We have more to discuss.”
Anger as hot as coal burns inside of me. I want to rush out of the room and run straight to Adir, but one image stops me. The image of Hector in a puddle of his own blood, dying at the hands of the Head Knight of DragonsDome. I bite down hard on my lower lip as I push down the rage enough to slowly stalk back to the desk. I say nothing as I silently listen to my father and Aeron continue their conversation.
“We saw the Dragon on the way here, is that the beast you spoke about in your last letter to me?” I hear my father question the Knight.
“It is the beast I spoke of. However, it is a Wyvern, Your Majesty, not a Dragon,” Aeron corrects.
“A beast is a beast, regardless of its name. It was much larger than you gave it credit for. Is it responding as effectively as you were hoping?” My eyes shift from the DragonsDome Knight over to my father, the look in his eyes is emotionless, cold even.
“Not quite. We have lost several men trying to train it. We resorted to a form of magic that allows us to control its desire to kill our men, beyond that we cannot make it fight for us, yet...”
‘How could I have been so fooled by my own father all this time? Mother would never be able to look at him the same way again if she knew…’ I glare down at the papers still clenched in my hands as I allow their words to fade from my mind. ‘She will never get to know his terror…’
Chapter Twenty:
♕ Esther Tora: ♕
“I bet you Alois beats that Firetop in only five minutes,” I hear one of the Squires snicker behind the spot Catherine and I stand. I do not have to look at my cousin to see the menacing glare she sends their way.
“I accept that bet, Campbell” she challenges. “If Sebastian wins you have to be my servant for a whole week.”
His crooked mouth lifts into a smile as he flashes his dark green eyes from Sebastian and Alois, a tall Squire who stands half a foot taller than the Duke’s son. “And if Alois wins then you will have to take over all my Squire duties for the week.”
“Deal!” Catherine and Campbell shake hands before they both return their attention to the two boys facing each other on the training floor. “Sebastian, you better win, otherwise I will have to do Squire chores for a week!”
Laughter spills out of both of our mouths at the sight of his dumbfounded look he sends our way. “Why would you do that?”
“Do not take your eyes off your opponent!” Alois warns as he swings his wooden sword down at Sebastian, who quickly blocks the attack with his own fake sword.
“Because she has faith in you!” I smirk. Alois continues on the offense, leaving Sebastian to remain on the defense for a couple of drawn out minutes.
“Are you too chicken to do anything else but block my attacks?” Alois challenges as he lunges forward. From my spot in the crowd of Squires I can see the sweat already starting to drip down Alois’ forehead.
“He is not built for endurance, is he?”
“Nope. He uses more brute force and not enough brains in a fight. He lashes out and keeps pounding away at his opponent in an attempt to wear them out. Most any other Squire would be all shaken up by now from the inexperience of not knowing how to properly defend themselves. Sebastian is not like that though. This whole time he has been allowing Alois to attack him to wear him out.” The look of pure amusement on Catherine’s face shines brighter than the sun. “He is just waiting for the opportune moment to go on the offense.”
“How do you know all that?” I curiously inquire.
“I have a habit of watching training sessions when I have free time,” she confesses.
Sebastian finally takes the fight into his hands by flipping his wooden sword into attack mode. He dominantly forces Alois to start blocking his attacks, with only three clashes of wood on wood before Sebastian switches from an aerial swing to jerking his weapon up and around to knock Alois’ sword up and out of his hands. With that he lightly taps his opponent's chest with the tip of his wooden sword. As he does Catherin
e jumps up and down with excitement as she whirls around to point threateningly at Campbell.
“Servant bow to me,” she chuckles.
After shaking hands with Alois, Sebastian makes his way over to us. As he nears us, he gently taps his toy weapon against the top of Catherine’s head when he sees the older Squire bowing to her. “Show some decency, Lady Catherine. It is never wise to lord yourself over your enemy after your pawn has won you a mere battle, not the entire war,” he chuckles. His charming gaze drops to Campbell. “I will distract her for this evening, you might want to run while you have the chance.”
“Oh, come on! He agreed to be my servant, I have every right to command him to do my bidding,” she pouts.
“Cousin, he is right. I want to go out to the garden anyway, so please let him go free for now,” I remark as I send a friendly wink towards Alois as he nudges Campbell’s side. “Get going,” I mouth to them.
Catherine hooks her arm through mine and offers me a sly smile. “Only for you, dear cousin.” Her pretty yellow-green gaze shoots after the Squires as they leave the training room, ignoring the new fight taking place in the room between two other Squires. “Be prepared for tomorrow, Campbell,” she calls out.
“You are too much,” Sebastian smirks before he turns on his heels and heads out of the room. We quickly follow after him.
“I have been wondering,” I begin as we catch up to him. “Why did you stay behind? Why did you not go with Hector and the others to DragonsDome?”
“Personal reasons, mostly.” He pushes open the doors to the hall and holds it open for us to walk through. “With Sir Adir having to aid the King, I did not want to leave the Castle.”
“TigersKeep has plenty of strong reliable Knights and soldiers to defend us, even without Sir Adir,” Catherine states in a matter of fact tone. “Like Gideon.”
“What she means is, we appreciate your concern, Sebastian.”
