by Lola Ford
He pulled her from the handshake into a hug, laughing lightly.
They talked long into the night, the stars moving ever-so slowly overhead. She learned that the royal family was quite disjointed. Both the king and queen loved their children but spent extraordinarily little time with them outside of lessons.
There were no family dinners, nor did they spend time reading stories to the children. Astra and Aldis did not get along. At all. In fact, Nerie thought the boy might be afraid of Astra.
Any mention of Astra caused slight growls from the dragons, and Aldis would change the subject quickly. That was interesting, and something Nerie would need to look into more as she became familiar with the palace.
She already knew her sister detested her. After all, Astra had slapped her just after she had awoken from unconsciousness. The glares the woman had given her at the feast had been sharper than daggers. Nerie still wanted to get to know Astra if she could - she’d never had a sister before - but she thought it would be a difficult road.
You are better off without her, Soros told her upon hearing the thought.
Eventually neither Aldis nor Nerie could keep their eyes open any longer. Soft snores from the boy made Nerie reach for him.
Do not wake him. I will take him back to his rooms. He sleeps with me quite often so it will not be out of place, Soros warned.
Nerie gently slid down the dragon’s hard scales, her feet landing on the smooth rocks that created the paving in the garden.
Good night little ones, Eras told them as Nerie and Kiriga shut the door to their room.
Good night papa! Kiriga responded with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, her little head drooping.
They both crawled onto the large pillow, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Nerie
Karina woke Nerie and Kiriga the following morning with breakfast ready. They bathed again this morning, but unlike yesterday, kept their antics to a minimum. Kiriga bathed first so that she could air dry while Nerie cleaned herself.
Nerie’s closet had been filled overnight with a larger choice of yellow and gold dresses. She chose a light lemon-yellow dress and a pair of dark gold slippers - walking on the marble floors the day before had chilled her feet.
After dressing she paced the sitting room waiting for Queen Alaena to arrive. She kept running her palms down her thighs as she paced. She’d spent a good bit of the morning thinking about how to apologize to the queen, since Alaena had said that royalty didn’t apologize.
A knock at the door announced the queen’s arrival, and Nerie bowed to her as she entered.
Alaena’s first words were more criticism.
“Nerie. You do not need to bow to me, and only to Soren when in public. You are bowing far too low, even for that.”
Nerie stood straight, her cheeks a light pink. Before Alaena could say anything else Nerie spoke.
“Your majesty. I am formally apologizing for my behavior yesterday. Please continue to teach me however you see fit.”
Her voice was rigid, and her eyes strayed away from the queen’s.
“I told you yesterday that royalty does not apologize. However, if you are going to do so, it needs to be sincere. Your tone and gaze tell me otherwise.” Alaena’s voice was curt.
She walked to the same couch she had sat on yesterday and resumed her position.
“However, I do intend to continue your education. Today’s lessons will be in etiquette. Please, have a seat.”
Nerie walked to the couch opposite Queen Alaena and threw herself down.
“Stand back up,” Alaena announced, doing so herself. When Nerie was standing she said, “Now watch how I sit.”
Alaena kept her back straight and lowered herself down like a floating feather. The silks of her dress fluttering, but only enough that they were out of the way when she sat. Her ankles were crossed and tucked back. Her shoulders were level and her head held high. To Nerie, she looked every bit the regal queen that she was.
“Your turn.”
She gestured slightly to Nerie with her palm upturned.
Nerie tried.
She really did.
Her dress was too long, and she got her foot tangled in the hem. She ended up falling to the floor.
Alaena did not laugh. Or criticize.
Instead she simply said, “Again.”
Over and over for the next several hours they practiced sitting, and then standing, and then walking. Nerie noticed that Alaena didn’t truly criticize her. No, instead she pointed out issues that a princess should not have and worked to correct them.
As the afternoon wore on, Nerie was once again summoned for a late lunch with Soren. As she prepared to leave, Alaena came over to her.
“Princess. You will have your gowns and other apparel altered to fit you better. You tripped multiple times due to the length of the skirt of the dress. I noticed it yesterday too. I will come later tomorrow so that the seamstress has time to take your measurements.”
Alaena nodded and then left without so much as a goodbye.
Nerie looked down at her dress. It was a little baggy in some places and tight in others. She had never had much of a chest, but she had very athletic thighs and arms from years of sprinting through the streets and lifting heavy piles of books.
As Karina led her to the king’s chambers, Nerie walked next to the woman rather than behind, trying to remember the route from the night before. Noticing her interest, Karina walked at a slower pace, letting Nerie take the lead as she wanted. She only became lost twice on the way.
Taking note from Alaena, Nerie did not bow to Soren today, instead she simply thanked him as he pulled out her chair for her.
“So, Nerie, what shall we talk about today?” Soren asked as they slowly worked their way through the light lunch.
“I would like to know more about taking care of Kiriga,” she answered immediately.
At three days old, Nerie was quite sure that Kiriga had already grown about six inches in her shoulders and at least a foot in length from snout to the tip of her tail.
Soren smiled.
When he smiled, Nerie couldn’t help but smile too. The way his eyes crinkled, and his teeth showed lit up a room. The only word she could think that described him was charismatic.
“Of course. Let’s finish eating and we can see Ilex and Kiriga. We shall also ask if Soros and Eras would like to join us.”
They finished the rest of their meal in equable silence, then walked to the courtyard.
Kiriga had curled up into a tight ball and Ilex was resting his chin on her back. Both had their eyes closed and their scales glittered in the sunlight. It was late summer and Nerie could feel the heat rising off of the rocks that the dragons laid on.
Without raising her head or even opening her eyes, Kiriga spoke to Nerie.
Doesn’t the heat feel nice?
“Very,” Nerie said aloud.
She didn’t worry about what Soren would think, in fact, he was probably the only person in the world who understood what it was like. Glancing over at him, she saw that his face was scrunched in concentration. He must be speaking to Ilex.
She giggled a little, and Soren looked over at her.
“Sorry, Queen Alaena said I look just like you when I speak to Kiriga. This is the first time I’ve seen you speak to Ilex.”
She flushed red as she explained.
“Oh, she’s teased me more than once about it over the years.”
His smile fell a little. Nerie felt compelled to apologize.
“I’m sorry if I’ve caused you trouble by Kiriga choosing me.”
She knew it had to be hard, having a bastard child show up out of nowhere suddenly chosen as heir to the kingdom.
“Nerie,” he started sternly, “you have caused no trouble. My liaison with your mother was my own decision. You are the result of my actions. Do not let my actions cause you to worry.”
He nodded at the two res
ting dragons.
“They know your every thought and emotion. Kiriga would not have chosen you if you weren’t what she needed. What the kingdom needs. They are Soros and Eras’ gift to our people.”
Eras joined the conversation, We have seen what makes a good ruler, and what doesn’t. We impart these traits to our children as they develop in the egg. They learn to speak before they are hatched, and we teach them more with feelings than words.
He slowly climbed over the roof of the palace to the courtyard they were in. In the bright midday sunlight, his scales looked like fire. His scales glittered and gleamed as he moved, like fire dancing.
Soros will not be joining us today. She is too comfortable where she is now, he told them.
“Back to our lesson Nerie. I heard you’ve been bathing Kiriga? That’s good. The skin between her scales can grow… things if you don’t bath her regularly.”
“How do you bathe Ilex? Who bathes the other dragons?”
They were very large, and she could see bath time taking an entire day eventually.
Soren laughed once again.
“Once they are old enough, they can bathe themselves in lakes. You should see Ilex scrub himself in the sand. Reminds me of a dog rolling in mud.”
Excuse you, Ilex spoke to both of them, I do not resemble a dog in any way.
His voice was higher than Eras’ but still much deeper than Kiriga’s.
Nerie giggled again, and Soren laughed outright. The afternoon flew by as she learned about caring for Kiriga’s scales and talons. She learned that dragons shed their scales in a manner similar to a bird, molting several times a year. Young dragons shed frequently as they outgrew their scales.
She also learned that shed dragon scales were collected for armor. Eras, Riya, and Galean produced a harder scale - while Soros and the rest of the dragons had softer scales that while resistant to a blade strike, were not as hard and making them penetrable.
“What kind of scales will Kiriga have?” Nerie asked, looking at her small dragon.
She was so soft right now, feeling more like snake scales than anything else.
She will likely have thicker scales like myself, Eras answered.
Kiriga had gotten up at some point and was trying to climb up his side, her talons slipping on the firm surface. That surprised Nerie, as Kiriga’s claws seemed to slip into stone like butter - her bathtub was an attestation to that.
She learned that sunlight was vital to their scale health as well, and that a diet of red meat with an occasional treat of fish provided the nutrients they needed to survive and grow healthily. Eras explained that dragons continued to grow their whole - exceptionally long - lives.
When she asked him how old he was, she only got a vague answer of a couple hundred years. Old enough that she had to sit down because the sheer amount of time was hard for her to imagine.
Eventually, Karina politely let her know that it was nearing dinner time and asked if Nerie would like to dine with her mother again. She agreed and this time they ate in her mother’s quarters. They spent several hours talking about how they missed their shop and how they were adjusting to palace life.
Nerie spent nearly an hour examined the tapestry depicting Kiriga’s parents and siblings. Wyla had not spoken to her again, and she wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t hear from the dragoness again for several years. Soon after she and Kiriga returned to their rooms.
As they lay down to sleep - the bed once again forgotten - Nerie took the chance to cuddle the little dragonling’s head. It was a perfect little wedge shape and she had little stumps above her eyes that would one day harden into defined horns.
They let their love for one another flow between them as they drifted off to sleep.
And so, a pattern was set. It was a routine easy for Nerie to follow, early mornings alone, late morning to early afternoon with the queen, late afternoon until dinner with the king, followed by dinner with her mother. Every few nights Aldis would scale the roof and they would spend long hours talking beneath the stars.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Nerie
Following a routine allowed both Nerie and Kiriga to grow comfortable with their bond and with life in the palace. Knowing who they would see, where they needed to be and how they needed to act pulled most of the stress away that had arisen in the first few days.
After nearly two weeks of living in the palace, Nerie was coming to enjoy it. It was still strange to have Karina as her silent shadow - and Kiriga as her not so silent one - but she was adapting.
Queen Alaena often said that a ruler has to be able to adapt and think on their feet. Many times, during their sessions Alaena would suddenly decide they needed to stroll the halls and talk to servants she knew were having troubles. How she knew they were having issues was beyond Nerie as of yet, but she was learning how to help handle their problems. From offering support, to suggesting ideas on how to work around their problems. Alaena seemed to approve of her responses and afterwards would offer her own ideas and suggestions.
It was one such day, with Alaena leading Nerie towards the kitchens when an enraged scream came from behind them. The queen didn’t so much as pause, but Nerie and Kiriga both stopped to look at the source.
Astra was standing there, her dark hair hanging loosely around her pale face. Her eyes were throwing daggers at her mother’s back. Seeing Nerie, Astra advanced on her half-sister, fists balled.
“How dare you.”
It was all that Astra could muster. Her voice trembled and her very being quaked.
“Come now Nerie. We are expected elsewhere.”
Alaena still didn’t look back.
Another wordless scream issued from Astra, and Nerie thought Astra was going to slap her again. Taking a half step back, she bumped into Kiriga mid-chest. The young dragoness had been growing like a weed recently. She was nearly as large as a horse - her head nearly a foot above Nerie’s. When Nerie collided with her, Kiriga growled, looking down at Astra.
Feelings were exchanged in the moment as Nerie was momentarily terrified of the older girl. Kiriga reassured Nerie that she would be protected. Overtones let Nerie know that the dragon detested Astra.
Instead of touching Nerie, Astra lunged past them to grab her mother. Alaena simply shrugged her daughter off and took another step away. A sob broke from Astra’s throat as she attached herself to her mother’s waist - much like a small child.
A slap rang through the empty hallway. Alaena was looking down at her eldest coolly.
“Astra. Get to your feet. You are acting reprehensible.”
Alaena’s voice was soft, but her eyes were hard.
“You stopped seeing me, to teach her?” Astra wailed, tears cascading down her face. “You don’t even look at me anymore. Do I really not mean anything to you after not being chosen by that stupid dragon?”
“Princess Astra of house Therius, remember yourself.”
The queen’s words were icy as she looked down at her daughter.
The words caused something to snap in the princess. Her tears stopped and her eyes become glassy. Standing in a stiff mechanical way, she slowly turned to Nerie. The anger was gone, but a deep terrifying nothingness shown through her eyes. In the most formal bow that Nerie had seen, Astra prostrated herself before her.
“Princess Nerie.” She straightened and continued, “I have forgotten how to behave myself. Of course. I am a princess of the house of Therius. Please, excuse me.”
Astra bowed again, her dark hair falling in snarls around her face.
As she stood and turned to go, Nerie’s heart raced. The Astra that had stood in front of her moments before was not the same Astra as the one now. Something had broken inside the older girl, and Nerie felt that it was for the worse.
Snake. Vile, disgusting snake, Kiriga hissed in her mind.
What just happened? Nerie feared the answer but waited for it anxiously.
Growling softly, Kiriga put herself between Nerie and the
retreating Princess.
She wants you dead.
Oh.
Nerie wasn’t sure what else to say. She had only met her half-sister twice before now, and she honestly had wanted to get to know her. It was understandable that Astra would be jealous, but to want her dead? That was quite the leap.
Alaena cleared her throat - pulling Nerie’s attention away from her sister. She turned and followed the queen on her way to the kitchens. She couldn’t help but glance back at Astra’s now distant form. Determination gripped her, and she decided that she would try and extend an olive branch, so to speak to Astra. She couldn’t really want her dead.
***
That evening as she lay on Eras’ wide arm waiting for Aldis and Soros to appear, she thought about the incident with Astra. All day she’d wished that she could do something, anything to get her sister to like her.
Soros glided gracefully - with Aldis laying along her neck - into the large courtyard. Once she was settled, Nerie made her way over to the other dragon, and quickly scaled up her side. Her ascent was aided by the fact she no longer wore a skirt in the evening. At one point she had complained to her brother about the distinct lack of pants available to her. The very next night he had smuggled her as many pairs that he could sneak out of his laundry without drawing any attention to the missing clothing.
“Nerie! How was your day?”
Aldis was as lively as ever. He constantly looked for different ways to make Nerie smile. He wanted to get to know her as well as be her friend. It was relieving to be able to spend time with the younger boy every few evenings. She wished that she could see him nightly, but Aldis was exhausted most nights. They still did not see each other around the palace. Aldis had explained to her the rigorous training that he underwent every day that took up most of his day.
Now that he had not been chosen as the next king, Aldis had been put into training to become a knight of the King’s guard. Eventually he would become the head of Soren’s guard.
“It was alright, Aldis,” she told him wearily.
“It doesn't sound like it was. What happened?” he asked as he reached out to hug her.
