by Andrea Ring
My dragon-ness means little now. Less. I want to be a man for Nilaruna.
I flap my wings and launch myself skyward.
Flight has always cleared my head. It’s something I’ve never taken for granted, this ability that I only share with birds and my few fellow dragons. It is the best part of being Protector, and has lessened some of my loneliness, if only for the time I’m in the air.
I circle over my mountain home. Everything appears as it should, but I still feel an uneasiness, as though something is out of kilter in the world. Most of that is my worry for Nilaruna, but some of it is also the events she relayed to me. Over twenty Go-Betweens dead. And their service to me is the only connection between them.
Someone wants to invade Dabani, and they need me out of the way.
Someone is going to use magic to do it, and they’ve spent cycles ensuring they will not have to fight others with magic.
I fly north, to the passage through the Fangs to the rest of the kingdom. I can see the passage from the south, but I cannot fly over it to the other side. There’s not a physical barrier, but as I get close, the wind literally pushes me back. I could hover here for hours, flying forward, drifting back, flying forward again…who made these infernal rules? Damn it, Shiva, if you’d only let me go a league further north, I could see what’s happening. I could see if an army is amassing, if they are stockpiling weapons, if they…
A thought occurs to me. A scary thought.
If I wanted to conquer Dabani and Indrapur, there’s only one thing I’d need: a way to get troops through the pass.
Any troops coming on foot would be detected immediately, by me.
So I’d need another way.
I’d need to fly.
Who can fly? Birds, but there are none native to our kingdom that can carry a man.
Or dragons.
I stop beating myself against the invisible wall and turn back south. I need to visit the thunder of blue dragons that share the mountain with me. They could be in danger.
I haven’t seen any of them for almost a moon, a few weeks before Nili arrived.
They may already be gone.
I fly faster.
XII. PRINCE KAI
“We should not visit during a meal,” Manoj says as we make our way from the inn to the Nandal home. “If we cannot stomach the food, we’ll be stuck there.”
I don’t respond. It’s almost midday, and we have a mission, and I don’t give two figs about a meal. Faaris wanted to take a nap and rest for a bit, so here we are.
“Make way for the prince!” Faaris yells again, and a child with a mangy dog jumps out of the road before Faaris tramples him.
The roads here should not be called roads — they’re more like strolling lanes. We should walk, but Manoj insisted that a prince should be on horseback. Dear heavens, twice now, Faaris’s horse has defecated on my horse’s nose.
From all this yelling of Faaris’s, we’ve amassed a decent following. Villagers and children and dogs have formed a parade behind us, and people line the road to both sides, making our passage even more difficult. Someone throws roses from my right, and the thorny stem hits me square in the forehead. When I put my finger to the spot, a drop of blood stains my fingertip.
I think of the assassin and the poison.
And I realize we’re not safe here.
“Faaris,” I yell at him, and he twists in his saddle to see me. “Fast, now. Enough of this.”
Faaris nods and kicks at the flanks of his horse. “Make way! Make way!”
And Manoj and I follow.
***
It’s well past the noon meal when we reach our destination. Manoj and Faaris clear out the villagers and order them home while I attempt to brush the road dust from my clothing.
Manoj steps up to the door and looks at me. I nod.
He knocks.
I fight to slow my galloping heart.
XIII. NILARUNA
My first instinct was to run back to Maja. Let the prince and the kingdom fend for themselves! I’ve found happiness and peace for the first time as a woman. I cannot just give that up.
But will I be happy if the kingdom falls? If my parents are killed or enslaved? I do not care about the rest of the village — they have not cared about me since my accident — but still. Is it right to act the way they do?
I cannot imagine that a prince will treat me better than the butcher does. The prince’s values are the kingdom’s values. Untouchables are the lowest of the low, and the prince only wants me because I will save him. That does not guarantee he will treat me well.
And what of love? Love is the greatest force in the world. I cannot hurt Maja, and I will not betray him. Not for anything.
But if I do not comply with the prince’s wishes, he has nothing to lose. He could kill me or my parents. He could go after Maja. He could set the whole village on fire. And why not? Those are threats that would probably move me.
Probably.
I do not think there is a way out of this.
But I will do it only if I can protect Maja in the bargain.
Only for Maja.
For love.
XIV. PRINCE KAI
The door opens.
A portly man of some fifty cycles waves us in. “Yes, yes, there’s a bit of a wait. Take a seat on the bench and I’ll get to you as fast as I can.”
He turns to go, but Manoj calls him back. “Sir, you will bow in the presence of royalty! I introduce Prince Kai, heir to the throne of Jatani, Commander of the Royal Navy, and Governor of the Free States.”
Ravi Nandal turns back and narrows his eyes. “There’s a bit of a wait, even for a prince. I’m mending a broken bone.”
Manoj looks at me.
“Carry on, sir. I am Prince Kai, and I do not require your services as a healer. See to our ailing citizen, and then we can conduct business.”
“Business, you say?”
“I wish to speak with your daughter, Nilaruna. I know she is the Go-Between. Is she here, or is she attending to her duties with the Protector?”
Ravi frowns. “Nilaruna is not fit for visitors. She is not allowed to see anyone. I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time, sir.”
“I know of Nilaruna’s appearance, and I must insist on meeting with her anyway. You can bring her to me, or I can go in and find her. Choose.”
Ravi shakes his head. “I meant no disrespect, my prince. My daughter is an abomination. I am trying to spare you.”
I feel my anger heat my cheeks. What kind of father calls his daughter an abomination?
I push forward through the door. Ravi backs up.
“Bring her,” I say.
Ravi gives me a shallow bow, turns, and disappears into a back room.
Faaris pats my shoulder. “That was—”
“Don’t say it. We’ll discuss it later.”
And a small creature covered by a veil comes out of the back room and bows low before me.
“Nilaruna Nandal?” I ask.
She nods.
“I am Prince Kai, and these are my companions, Faaris, Captain of the Guard, and Manoj, my Chief Advisor.”
She bows to both of them, and they bow back.
“Is there someplace we may speak privately?”
She nods again.
“You may speak, Nilaruna,” I say.
“We may use the back garden,” she says in a gravelly voice. “Follow me.”
“Wait,” Manoj says. “Where is your chaperone?”
“I have none,” she says. “There’s no need to protect an untouchable. Or were you thinking of assaulting me?”
Manoj steps back. “Dear heavens, woman, we thought nothing of the kind! It is unseemly for an unmarried woman to be alone with a man, let alone three men.”
“Again I say I’m an untouchable, sir,” she says. “Have you not heard of us?”
Manoj looks at me with his mouth open. I almost laugh, but that wouldn’t be princely.
“Let us follow
you to the garden,” I say. “Your virtue is quite safe with us, no matter what your status.”
“This way,” she says, and we follow her through the back door.
***
“This is lovely,” Faaris says, walking ahead of us through the garden paths. “You must employ several gardeners.”
“Not really,” Nilaruna says. “There’s only me. I tend these herbs for my father.”
“It rivals the kitchen gardens of the palace,” Faaris says. “You have quite a gift.”
Leave it to Faaris to flirt with anyone in a skirt two minutes after meeting them.
Nilaruna laughs, a throaty, catching thing. “I spend hours here each day. It better look good.”
I catch the eyes of my friends and wave them off. They wander away from us.
“Nilaruna, you must find it odd, a prince coming to see you. This is a complicated matter.” I point to a bench next to us. “Let us sit down.”
We sit with as much space between us as possible.
“I know why you’re here,” she says. “Shiva told me this morning.”
I’m taken aback at this, but I don’t know why. Shiva always does things his own way.
“Do you know about the Go-Betweens?” she asks me.
“I know of their purpose and their duties,” I say. “Someone will need to take your place.”
“No,” she says. “That’s not what I meant. Did you know that the last twenty-two Go-Betweens have been murdered?”
My eyebrows hit my hairline. “No, I didn’t know that. Have they caught the murderer?”
“No. And someone set a spell upon me, so that I would stab Maja when I first met him. Luckily, Maja was able to subdue me and remove the spell.”
“Magic? Someone is doing magic?”
Nilaruna nods.
“Do you know who?”
“No, but I’d only been in contact with four people in the time I believe the spell was laid — my parents, the high priest, and his trainee at the temple, a boy of ten.”
I process this. “Someone either wants the Protector dead and out of the way, or they want the Go-Betweens dead so that the Protector has no link to the village. You know that I came here to ask for your hand, but do you know why?”
“I am to thwart an assassination attempt on your life,” she says.
“This all fits,” I say with a nod. “Why was the crown not informed of this?”
“You’d have to ask the high priest,” she says. “He is the likeliest candidate for laying the spell against me. And he should have told you.”
“I will speak to him, but it doesn’t do to disparage him until we know the facts,” I remind her. “He is a highly respected member of the priesthood and has served admirably for many cycles. It’s not your place to decide these things.”
“Is that because I’m a woman, or because I’m untouchable, or because I’m simply not as smart as you? I’m only repeating the facts.”
I lean back as though she slapped me. No woman has ever spoken to me thusly.
“Listen well, Prince Kai. I understand why you came here — you do not want to die. I do not wish for your death, but I am my own person. I must make this decision as a free person. Of course, you can try to force me, but I believe you need my cooperation. If I lie down on my bed and refuse to get up, there’s little chance I’ll be doing any anti-assassination-ing. So you need to hear me out.”
I’m so caught off guard by this tirade that I can only nod.
“I am in love with Maja. We fell in love, and he asked for my hand, and I gave him my pledge. I cannot turn my back on that without a very good reason.
“Saving you and the kingdom is a good reason, but I require certain stipulations. One—”
“Wait,” I interrupt. “You’re planning on marrying the Protector? He’s not even human!”
Nilaruna narrows her eyes at me. “Of course he’s human. He has other forms, true, but we can deal with that.”
“Is his marriage even allowed? He has duties to the kingdom!”
“Ah,” she says. “Perhaps, then, the future king should not marry. He has the greatest duty of all.”
I sigh. Best not to get into arguments with this one.
“So as I was saying, I’m considering your proposal, but I have requirements. One, no harm will come to Maja. His curse must be modified to allow him freedom of movement, anywhere in the kingdom. He cannot properly protect himself if he’s stuck on his land.”
“I would agree to that,” I say, “but I do not have the power to see it through. Only one of the gods can alter his curse.”
“Then you must find one who can do it and start negotiating.”
I almost crack a smile, but I catch myself. “What else?”
“This will be a marriage in name only. I will not love you, because I will not betray Maja. I will not bed you. And you must be faithful to me while we are married.”
The thought of bedding an untouchable has never occurred to me. But just hours ago I was envisioning a love connection with my new bride.
Love…love is the least of my worries here. At least Nilaruna is articulate and smart. And audacious. But she’s not the shy, unassuming, traditional woman I can easily manipulate. In fact, since the moment we arrived, she has done all the manipulating!
“Unacceptable,” I say. “I am a man. I can be faithful, and I would wish fidelity for my marriage, but you are tying my hands.”
“You…you’d actually want to bed me?”
I rub my chin thoughtfully. This is the first time I’ve had Nilaruna off balance this entire conversation.
“Husbands usually bed their wives, Nilaruna.”
Without any warning, she rips the veil off her head.
I stare. Then I gulp.
Holy hells, this girl looks like she was used as a human torch!
I swallow hard. “You were not born this way, you know. Your scars are fierce, to be sure, but they signify great…great courage and strength.”
She holds out her right hand. “I used to play the flute. I was quite good. Look at these fingers. Long and slender. They were made for playing music.”
Her hand is beautiful. It’s not like the hands of women I’m used to seeing every day — the nails are short and unpainted, she has some dirt beneath them, from her gardening, I assume — but it is shapely and feminine.
Then she holds out her left. “Look at this hand. Imagine me touching you with it. Imagine the rough surface, almost like sand. I do not have a gentle touch.” She slowly reaches for my hand. I sit frozen, watching the misshapen thing creep toward me.
At the last minute, I crack. My hand flies to my hair.
“See?” she says, and there’s not a trace of censure in her voice. But there is a tone of sadness. “Maja is the only one who does not make me feel like a monster. He welcomes my touch, seeks it out, even. And I do not blame you. Were our positions reversed, I do not know if I’d want to touch me, either.”
“I can touch you,” I say. I pat her scarred hand gently. “See?”
She smiles sadly. “I practically had to dare you, Prince Kai. And it’s a moot issue, because as I said, I will not betray Maja.”
“So we cannot work something out between us, and yet I cannot stray. Seems a bit one-sided.”
“I will not stray, either,” she says. “And I could. Isn’t the future queen free to bed whoever she likes?”
I smile. “That’s an old custom, and one not practiced for hundreds of cycles.”
“How do you know?” she says. “Have all the past queens kept a journal of their lovers? Are there songs sung about them? Trust me, even if it’s within the law, I bet few queens would flaunt their lovers in front of their families.”
“Probably true,” I say. “So we must be faithful to our wedding vows. And we must never touch.”
She smiles, and the scar tissue on the side of her mouth turns white. It looks like it hurts.
“I suppose you could give me a hug,” she s
ays. “Say, if I were upset about something. And if I tripped, as I’m wont to do because my left leg doesn’t move very well, you could help me up. I would appreciate that.”
I laugh. “If I have some horse hair stuck to my breeches, I will allow you to brush it off.”
She waves her melted hand in the air. “No. You have servants for that kind of thing. I will be a princess.”
“You will soon be a queen,” I say.
Nilaruna cocks her head. “Are your parents ill?”
I take a deep breath. “Shiva says my father will be assassinated before this cycle ends. And my mother, yes, she is ill. She doesn’t have long to live.”
Nilaruna grabs my hand without thinking about it, and this time, I let her. “Oh, your highness, I’m so sorry. There are no words.” She squeezes tight.
“Thank you,” I say. “Yes, it’s a difficult time. Horrible things are happening on every front. I need something to go right. I need you to say yes to our marriage.”
Nilaruna gives my hand one more gentle squeeze and pulls away from me. “My prince, Shiva said…he made it quite clear…do you know how our marriage will end?”
She turns her head and gives me her profile, the healthy one. She focuses on me with a bright green eye. A stunning eye. An eye that seems to read even my innermost thoughts.
“Shiva told you of your fate, and yet you are still sitting here speaking with me?”
Nilaruna sighs. “I never thought I’d have a happy life, nor a long one. When I volunteered to be the Go-Between, I knew about the other girls’ deaths. I knew that was probably my fate. But I also didn’t have a purpose for my death, and that troubled me. This would at least give my life some meaning.”
We joked about touching one another, but the conclusion, it seemed to me, was that it wouldn’t happen. Not on purpose anyway.
But I do it without thinking.
I grab Nilaruna’s shoulders and shake her. “I will not let you die, do you hear me? Not on my watch. There is danger, and there is risk, but I vow to you, Nilaruna Nandal, that if there is still breath in my lungs, I will return you to your beloved.”
A tear leaks from her mangled eye. “I believe you. I will marry you, Prince Kai.”
