9
The dinner was exquisite. Roast duck in plum sauce, veal, and venison in a rich gravy with an accompaniment of breads and pastries. Talon sat beside a Lady Beth Vernette. Beth was a distant cousin and someone he hadn’t cared much about until he embraced his father’s plans for advancement through political alliances. Now Talon was befriending all his distant relatives, making sure their support would fall with him once the opportunity arose.
Talon pushed his plate towards the middle of the table. He’d had his fill. He signaled for one of the serving wenches to bring him another glass of wine. As the girl poured his glass, Talon eyed her body carefully. A little plump for his tastes but the way she glanced at him during the evening suggested getting her back to his room later wouldn’t be much of a challenge.
“Eyeing up your dessert?” asked Beth as the serving girl took away Talon’s plate.
Talon smiled at his cousin. He would take offense to the comment if it weren’t for the fact that he knew she had enjoyed many of the male servant’s services. “I don’t often visit Swanspire. One should enjoy all that our kingdom’s capital city has to offer when here.”
Beth raised her glass. “I will drink to that.”
Talon raised his glass until the two gently collided together.
“Perhaps you should consider staying in Swanspire. There is so much more going on than in Cragbell.”
Talon couldn’t agree more. Cragbell, the town closest to his family’s lands was not as interesting or affluent as Swanspire. King Gramalt had done a good job of building Swanspire into a home worthy of a king. Talon could almost forgive the heavy tax burden the king placed on the kingdom’s nobles and towns to pay for his extravagant tastes. “That is something we are considering.”
Talon hadn’t considered the capital a logical place to live in the past. He’d liked living at their family estates. He’d been the most important young noble in their small chunk of the kingdom. And he’d been preoccupied with training and the tournament circuits. Between the tournaments in Droll and Partha, Talon had won a healthy amount of coin. More than enough to keep him happy while he waited for his father to die and he became the ruling noble of their lands. But now Talon wanted more. His father had him convinced that he could one day be king. King Gramalt had no children. He’d lost one child to sickness and another was stillborn. The king’s misfortune opened opportunities. But for Talon to take advantage of those openings he needed to improve his situation. The marriage to Sibylle Lamar would’ve given him the lands and wealth he needed but there were other ways. Even now Talon could hear his father speaking to the king.
“By the gods, we should do something about these dragons. We can’t let them come back and take what is ours. We finally have a king that serves men justly. We can’t let them take your kingdom from you,” said Tyree Horne to the king.
“Indeed,” said the king. “But what can we do?”
Talon smiled as he listened to the conversation. His father was worming his way closer into the king’s inner circle. He was adeptly manipulating the king. Playing on his pride and insecurities. King Gramalt had ruled Droll for a long time but many of the regions of the kingdom were restless. They grew tired of the heavy tax burden the king placed on them, and even those who could afford to pay it were disgruntled. Droll, after the dragon wars, had been a broken kingdom. The lords of each region fought amongst themselves. Some had been for dragons, others had taken the rise of the Sacred Blood as an opportunity to break old alliances and advance their own causes. It had been one of King Gramalt’s uncles who first grew strong enough to declare himself king of Droll. The first to unify the entire kingdom since the dragon wars. But Warren Gramalt had been an old man when he bullied the southern lords into taking a knee and declaring their loyalty to him. When Warren Gramalt passed, his brother Colin claimed the throne. Colin, not that much younger than his brother, ruled for almost a dozen years before he died and the current King Gramalt was crowned.
The rule of the Gramalts was one of the longest periods of peace in Droll in recent history. It wasn’t that the Gramalt kings were fair or just rulers, but they were powerful and controlled the largest army in the entire continent. Most of the southern lords and nobles had grown tired of battle and were willing to accept a king, for now. When King Gramalt died, there would be a power void, and whoever was strong enough could step in and declare himself the next king of Droll. Talon intended to be that man.
A young servant came to the table. “Excuse me, Lord Horne. I have message for you. There is a young gentleman here from Middale. He says to tell you that he is staying at the Dark Horse Inn. He indicated that you were expecting his arrival.”
Talon smiled. “Thank you.”
Beth raised an eyebrow. “You look like a cat after a fresh saucer of milk. Good news?”
“Very good news,” said Talon. There was only one person he’d be expecting from Middale and if he was in Swanspire it meant he had something of value to tell Talon about the dragonblood bastard, Lyric Finch.
…
Jamison sat in the corner of the bar watching the customers come and go as he drank his ale. He’d never been to Swanspire before. He’d heard about how wealthy the capital was, but it still caught him off guard.
The women dressed so differently than they did in Middale. Dresses were fancier, layers of frill and bright satin and silk materials, corsets and accessories like fancy hats and matching handbags. The men were not as fancy, but still most wore tunics that featured stitched in designs and bright colors. One could tell a resident of Swanspire just by their clothing. Jamison felt underdressed with his simple cotton tunic. Jamison had given Swanspire consideration as a place to live, but these people were too fancy. Once he received his reward from the Hornes, Jamison would go to Winport or perhaps farther south to Everside.
Jamison shifted around in his chair uncomfortable. He’d arrived early that afternoon and after finding an inn that fit his limited budget had sent notice to the Hornes of his arrival. After that he’d sat in the common room of the inn drinking, and now his ass was getting sore. It was late into the evening and still no sign of either of the Hornes. Had they not gotten his message? Or were they otherwise occupied and unable to come.
His concerns were alleviated when he spotted Talon Horne walk into the room. Jamison relaxed as he spotted the young lord.
“Hello, Jamison,” said Talon as he sat down at his table. “I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. It’s only been a little over a week since I spoke to you.”
“Yes,” said Jamison. “I didn’t think I would see you again so soon either, but I thought that what I saw in Middale might be exactly what you are looking for.”
“Excellent. Now what information do you have?” asked Talon.
“I spotted Lyric and Celine talking in the village.”
Talon frowned. “That is useful but I need more.”
“That is what I thought. So, when they started walking back to Celine’s house I followed them. They had what looked like an argument. But I can swear by the gods that I did witness them holding hands while alone on the road.”
Talon leaned back in his chair. “Truly? Holding hands?”
“Well, he grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving and she put her hand on top of his for a second or two.”
“Say no more. You obviously spotted them in an intimate moment, and them caressing each other’s hands while alone in the woods is exactly the story you will tell the king.” Talon reached into his pocket and put a small purse of coins on the table. “There will be more when you are done speaking to the king. Stick around the inn. I will send word for you here when you are needed.” Talon rose. “Excellent work, Jamison. I knew you were the kind of man I could count on.”
“Greedy and hateful?” asked Jamison. He wasn’t under any pretenses as to why he’d given this information to Talon. He wanted the money and to hurt Lyric.
“Exactly,” said Talon Horne with a smile. “If y
ou will excuse me. I should go find my father. He will have some troubling information to deliver to the king, first thing in the morning.
10
“The blade pierced through Pagholth’s scales. Pagholth was trapped and the Enduri warriors were about to finish her off when the human mage, Veldon, appeared in the mist. His fireballs filled the air, killing the Enduri warriors closest to Pagholth, and burning the ropes that held Pagholth down,” said Apophis.
“Why did the Enduri attack Pagholth?” asked Leomaris.
“Because Pagholth ate their livestock,” said Apophis. “This was over two hundred years ago. It was a time between great leaders. The great war hadn’t begun yet and there were no rules for dragons to follow. Many dragons would avoid fighting humans, but considered their livestock fair game. The Enduri were gifted warriors and feared no one. When Pagholth ate their livestock, it meant they faced starvation.”
“So why did the mage help Pagholth? Why didn’t it help the other humans?” asked Ovalia.
Apophis eyed the young dragon. She was a sharp mind and a quick learner. Apophis had high hopes for her. As she did for all three of the young dragons she’d chosen to train herself. “The mage was an enemy of the Enduri. He helped Pagholth in exchange for help fighting his enemies.”
“Pagholth and Veldon fought together? Was Veldon dragonblood?” asked Leomaris.
Apophis shook her great head. “No. Veldon was not dragonblood. He was a powerful mage, but his powers were his own. Not all alliances between dragons and humans occur from the dragonblood bond. Many dragons and humans have been allies over the centuries. Mostly they came together to fight a common enemy, be it human or dragon.”
“What happened to them?” asked Ovalia. “After Veldon saved Pagholth from the Enduri.”
“Together Veldon and Pagholth fought the Enduri. They almost wiped them out entirely before they were killed when the Enduri found dragons of their own to team with.”
“Dragons fighting dragons?” asked Leomaris.
“Yes. There is much of our history that we don’t normally teach young dragons. Throughout history dragons have rarely ever been unified. Only in times of great need have all the dragons joined under one leader. If it weren’t for the Sacred Blood hunting down and trying to exterminate all dragons, we wouldn’t have come together. I fear that eventually we will return to our old ways. But it takes an exceptional dragon to lead. I am lucky to have strong supporters like Brendoth who would be his own Alpha in the old times,” said Apophis.
“Why did you pick this story?” asked Ovalia. “You said there have been lots of times where dragons fought other dragons. Why pick this one?”
Apophis smiled. Ovalia was so perceptive that is was almost scary. It was a shame she was only a brown-blue and wouldn’t grow physically large enough to become an alpha. She was already the smartest dragon Apophis knew. “I picked this story because of the human factor. The Enduri didn’t hate dragons, and they didn’t hunt dragons until Pagholth ate their livestock. Humans might seem weak and fragile, but they have strong minds and where their bodies are weak they can make weapons that match even the strongest dragon claws and teeth, and their mages can produce powerful magic. And humans are by nature competitive and dangerous fighters. They have been fighting amongst themselves since the beginning of time, and while some dragons cling to the old stories of when dragons ruled the world, those days are forever gone. Humans have adapted and changed since then. If you harass humans like Pagholth did you risk being hunted.”
“And what about his continued association with the mage? Do you think that was bad as well?” asked Ovalia.
“I think that you must follow your own moral code. If you must get involved with human conflicts be sure that you are willing to accept the results.”
“But you’ve decreed that any dragons who attack humans are punishable. Doesn’t that negate the ability of a dragon to make their own choice?” asked Ovalia.
Apophis nodded. “This is true. I’m enforcing rules that I believe will make our lives safer. But you need to understand the reasoning behind my rules and not just accept them blindly, because one day I will be gone and you may have to make these decisions on your own. There is nothing stopping you from aligning yourselves with any group of humans you choose. As long as you follow the rules that I have set out about attacking humans I won’t tell you who to befriend.”
Kemoth, who’d been quiet during the lesson, letting Ovalia and Leomaris ask all the questions, piped up. “What about when we are bonded. We really haven’t chosen that human. Do we have to befriend them?”
“No,” said Apophis. “Many dragons have ignored their dragonblood humans. It is your choice, but the magic that binds us to humans is old and powerful. The bond between dragonblood humans and dragons can be a remarkable thing. You should also consider that dragonbloods have saved many dragons over the years by communicating with the other humans. Dragonbloods can see past fear and learn your heart. Fear drives humans to fight. If we want to live in harmony with humans, dragonbloods are one of the keys to achieving that.”
“Oh no,” said Leomaris. “The fate of dragons falls to the hands of a runty purple dragon. May the great dragon spirits save us from such a travesty.”
Kemoth’s eyes narrowed. “You wait till our lessons are over. I will show you travesty.”
Ovalia rolled her eyes. “You two are worse than humans. Always fighting.”
Apophis chuckled. “Let them have their fun, Ovalia. They may one day need to know how to fight another dragon. Perhaps you should learn too.”
Ovalia nodded. “If you say so.” She then turned and roared as she jumped on top of the surprised Leomaris.
“Hey, wait why attack me?” said Leomaris as he tried to wrestle free from the surprisingly strong brown-blue dragon.
“Because you are the biggest of us. If I am going to be leader one day I need to be able to beat you gold dragons and set an example.”
Apophis raised an eyebrow as he watched Ovalia and Leomaris fight. Perhaps he’d discounted Ovalia’s chances of one day being an alpha too soon. She had the heart and determination to be a leader.
11
Lord Tyree Horne approach the king, it was finally time to put his plan into play. For weeks, he’d been staying close by the king, dropping subtle hints about his own fear of dragons and not wanting change in the kingdom. The dirt his son, Talon, had dug up on Lyric Finch wasn’t much, but in the right light it would appear damaging enough. Especially now that Tyree had an unsuspected ally.
Yesterday, Montague Reis had shown up. Montague was a weapons dealer, one who Lord Tyree Horne and King Gramalt had both used in the past. But what they hadn’t known about their favorite weapons dealer was that he was Sacred Blood. Having heard about the return of dragons, Montague came to the king and revealed his true position.
Today King Gramalt had called Tyree to his private office to discuss the situation.
“Damn the gods. Why have they done this to me? Dragons? Sacred Blood?” said King Gramalt as he poured himself another ale.
Tyree Horne shrugged. “It is unfortunate, but I am just thankful to have a strong king like you to lead us through these dark times. What did Montague have to say?”
“That the Sacred Blood will support us if we go hunting dragons, but he cautioned against it. He said it is far more important to deal with the dragonblood bastard.”
Yes, thought Tyree. Exactly as he’d hoped. “Why is that?”
“Montague and his Sacred Blood friends believe dragons will try to trick us by using dragonblood nobles as rulers.”
Tyree frowned. “But this Lyric Finch is no true noble, not in Droll. He is only a noble by marriage.”
King Gramalt groaned. “That gods be damned tournament. I was sure your son or one of the other true nobles would win. I should have forced that little wench to marry him. But her father is too important an ally. His lands are strategic gold. Anyone who wants to control Droll must control i
ts roads. The most important trade routes all go through Lamar lands.”
“It is true that this marriage is a problem. I must confess, My King that I already held reservations about it. Because of those reservations I had my son, Talon, arrange for young Lyric to be watched.”
King Gramalt nodded. “A wise decision. I will be doing the same.”
“If I may, My Lord, I have heard some disturbing things. Things that I didn’t want to bring to your attention as they could cause problems between you and Lord Lamar.”
“Lord Lamar is less of a problem than this damn dragonblood foreigner. What have you learned?” asked King Gramalt.
“It seems that Lyric Finch has been consorting with witches,” said Tyree.
“Witches? Damn it, that is bad but I need more if I am to do anything about it.”
Lord Tyree smiled. The bait was set. “Well, it just so happens that I have an eye witness who has witnessed Talon and the young witch holding hands alone in the woods.”
King Gramalt raised an eyebrow. Infidelity was common among the noble men, himself included, but it was still officially frowned upon. “After the wedding?”
Lord Tyree nodded. “After the wedding.”
King Gramalt slammed his hand down on his desk. “A virtuous young lady like Susan Lamar cannot be treated with such disrespectful behavior. Why she is practically like a daughter to me and to allow this type of treachery is unacceptable.”
“Sibylle, My King.”
“Right. Sibylle Lamar is like a daughter to me and I won’t allow this Lyric fellow to dishonor her. Tomorrow I will gather my royal court, have your witness come before the court and I will officially disavow this marriage. Lyric Finch is an outlaw and will be hunted down for his crime against the throne,” said King Gramalt.
Dragon Magic: Lyric's Curse 2 (Dragonblood Sagas Book 4) Page 6
