by K. E. Young
I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't like the sound of that. "Why?"
His head tipped. "Every candidate proposed has been from among the allies of Lady Sabriyu. Those few candidates not among that body withdrew their candidacy shortly thereafter."
I had a sinking feeling in my gut. I knew what he meant and what he wanted from me. I wasn't sure he was wrong. It surprised me he would even consider an outsider for such a role but Lord Sandish's words repeated in my mind. Maybe that's why the Goddess brought me here. Maybe my Task was to fix this. It felt right.
The artist called out for me to resume my dragon form and pose. I nodded acceptance to Geran and backed up to change. He nodded with satisfaction and went into the palace.
My temper at the continued remonstrances of the artist caused me to slam my tail next to him again. A ripple of concern from Mero shook me out of it and I forcefully put it behind me. There was nothing I could do about it now. I had made my choice and it was time to put on my big girl panties. I returned to evaluating the warriors.
Chapter 14
Day 8: 46th Day of Sanctuary, 3866
Over the course of the morning, I said no to a few others, one who seemed skilled enough, just lazy in his manner. He had spent the entire time waiting sitting on his backside and didn't seem to want to put too much effort into anything. The other was just outright clumsy. He seemed so upset at his inability to secure a place that I waved at Mero to pull him aside so I could talk to him.
By the time the artist finished with me, it was past lunch and the guys were testing the last two candidates. I shifted back to human and looked at the artist's work. I admit, he was just as good as Mero had said. Mero was also right about something else. I made a beautiful dragon! I hadn't realized that I had a frill. Of course, since it's just outside my field of view…
I walked over to the kid who had gotten so upset. He looked overwhelmed by my choice to talk to him first, but he held it together pretty well. He couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen. I pulled him to one side so the others couldn't hear. "So what's your name?"
"Cordan, my lady."
"Why do you want to be a member of my household so much you would interview as a warrior with skills like that?"
"My lady, I was nervous and when I get nervous, I drop things. I'm sorry!" The poor guy looked like a kicked puppy. "I'm not normally that bad."
"Don't worry about it. Dantalion was correct. I don't insist that everyone be the very best. I just want people I can work with. That's the reason I said no to the fellow who got angry when Harad dumped him on his rear. I suspect the biggest problem you have is a lack of confidence. You expect to fail, so you do. Do you read or write?"
"Yes, my lady, I can even do arithmetic." He looked a little confused about why I asked but seemed confident enough in his skills.
"Good. Even if the clumsiness doesn't resolve itself, you may be useful. Now, why were you so upset? Why do you want in so much?"
Cordan looked defeated for a moment before saying, "Before he died, my father was in the Therysi army. He died during the war with the Arboren in Vallen. He and my mother weren't married. She used to point him out although he never wanted to talk to me. The other kids told me that if I were truly his, he would have acknowledged me, or I wasn't good enough for him to acknowledge me."
Kids could be cruel little shits here too it seems. "You grew up following the army around?"
He looked bleak and nodded assent. He genuinely didn't expect me to give him a fair chance and it made me angry.
"You grew up in a difficult environment. Yet you learned to read and write, and you learned to fight. Did you have any teachers?"
"No, my lady, we couldn't afford lessons. I got some learning from the clerks in return for running errands for them and I figured out how to fight by watching and listening to the warriors when they practiced and then offering to spar with the other kids who did get lessons."
So far, he was sounding more capable than average, he just had a little self-esteem problem, and I could fix that. Lots of kids who come in for martial arts lessons have confidence issues. "So you learned all that on your own with little or no help. That's not the sign of someone who's not good enough. You're in. I expect you to practice with the rest. You'll also take special lessons with me personally. Not all of your duties will be as a warrior. Maybe I'll find you most useful in other capacities. Whatever I have you doing, all I ask is that you do your best. Now, keep in mind, you were good enough to join my household while they weren't. Were they?"
Cordan laughed breathlessly, his relief palpable. "No, my lady, there was one who tried out but you said no. Thergan. He's the one who lost his temper."
I grinned at him. "Like I said, not good enough. Grab a ribbon then get to know your brethren, I have to sort out the non-warrior types."
Cordan smiled and bowed. "Yes, my lady!"
Mero joined me as Cordan trotted away. "Well, I think we've made a good start."
I leaned against him. "Just how many house members are you expecting me to have here? And what kind?"
Mero's voice was soft in my ear as we snuggled. "As a member of the Imperial family, they expect you to have a larger household with more warriors. No doubt, Urash will send people to you as a gift when he visits, if not earlier. Your new mother and brothers will too. Possibly your new sister. They will all be good people who are far too aware of your status and will make sure everyone else knows too. On the other hand, they will be very, very good at what they do."
"Including spying on me for the Emperor?"
Mero chuckled. "You would do quite well in the Drakken court. You already know what to look for. At least, you would until you lost your temper and killed someone."
Given my newly volatile temper thanks to my dragon, that was all too real a consideration. "How much more do we have to do before the wedding? Or before the Drakken contingent get here? While we're on the subject, when will I get used to my dragon's touchy temper? I'm not normally this bloodthirsty and it's a little unnerving."
Mero puffed a breath out in an aborted laugh. He pulled away from me and began ticking things off on his fingers. "Ilatis has an army of servants clearing space in the royal wing for our households. Geran's household used to be the only one there and most of the space went unused. The seamstress will be here soon with assistants to get the measurements of those who are joining your service, likewise with the boot maker. The armory will work on weapons and armor for your warriors for months so that's not as critical.
"However, you will need to find a capable clerk, secretary, assistant, or accountant soon. Between the costs of setting up your household and the funds you'll have incoming, you'll need one. Both Geran and I are presenting you with estates for additional income. Rendas and Urash will undoubtedly do the same. In addition, you will have the funds from your jobs as Minister of Education and Edut-Naysiru, and the sale of that portion of your fortune you want to convert to a more useful form. You must record the evaluation of what you want to keep too. The jeweler helping you with that will arrive soon."
"So, an accountant is critical." Mentally, I was going through the list Tani had made. The only one with accountant skills listed was the one I did not intend to allow anywhere near my accounts…or anything else.
Mero nodded, "Between these and the warriors Geran and I are providing, you have enough to cover for now, but there are still about thirty spots to fill. What you lack most are support staff. Geran has announced you as the new Minister of Education, so that will help in filling those spots, but you must fill some roles quickly. Geran will loan you people if necessary, as will I."
"You have a few clerks over there. I would advise accepting them all. If they don't work out, at least you will have had a little time to find replacements."
I wiped my face. Did I really need an army? "If you two are giving me warriors, then why did this lot try out? Why do I need so many warriors anyway? There have to be about fifty of them over ther
e and now you say I need thirty more."
"We selected our best. These were the ones who didn't make the cut and some from the town. Geran felt you would need the finest warriors at your command. Dantalion and I agree." Mero said it matter-of-factly.
He planted his hands on his hips. "And there are only forty-seven of them. You need most of them as guards for the Household areas. They are necessary to protect the privacy and integrity of yourself, your and your house's endeavors, and it's members. As a member of the Imperial family and all the power that entails, you and your house need more than you might otherwise. You are a target, even in Drakken, of spies if nothing else.
"You will also need guards for your office and a personal guard, especially in the town. The guards need to work in shifts to preserve their attentiveness. It took four shifts of ten or twelve guards per shift to guard my house. The new quarters have twice as many entrances to guard. Between what you have now and my warriors, we can just cover it, but certain roles are still lacking. You will need a guard captain and his second at each estate, for example. Also, not everyone added to your house works out. If someone leaves a house in the first year, everyone understands that he or she did not fit."
Of course, I got the best. Me. I had jokingly listed my accomplishments to Dantalion and the others, but I hadn't realized what all those accomplishments meant.
I had become a dragonlord, a high court official, an Emperor's daughter-to-be, and more. In addition, I was the chosen tool of a Goddess to perform a task no one else could do. That no one had the faintest clue what that task was didn't seem to matter. I was important for the first time in my life to someone besides Uncle Todd and grandma. What I ended up being at the end of all this was beyond my ability to guess.
It was about time I did more than just play at this though. It was time for me to get serious. My talk with Geran proved that. My eyes swept over the remaining candidates as Mero and I wandered towards them. A solution to one problem occurred to me.
I tipped my head to look at Mero, "Estates huh?" Mero cocked an eyebrow and nodded. "I know what to do with Padjet. We can't give away that we know what he is or who hired him, but we don't want him anywhere where he can do harm. So, I can send him off to the most distant estate as manager. It would be a role in keeping with the skills he gave Tani while keeping him far from anything that would do Nurian any good. If he fails the duties assigned, I can kick him out on his backside. If he doesn't accept the duty or doesn't show up at the estate, then he will no longer be my problem because he won't be able to either interfere with our households or give Nurian information. Furthermore, I am now forewarned to suspect anyone else new."
Mero laughed aloud and pulled me into his arms, leaning his forehead against mine. "My love, you are a devious woman. Emperor Urash will be grateful you aren't in the Drakkeni court."
I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him for all I was worth. The man knew how to make me feel good in all kinds of ways. Since coming here, I had discovered that while I had always known I was strong, I was far more than that. I was more than anyone had ever allowed me to be or even asked me to be before and I could trace most of it back to this man. A man who accepted me wholeheartedly as I was. While he didn't ask me to be what I wasn't, he did demand that I be the best I could be and gave me all the tools and support I needed to do that.
After some time we separated. He had a breathlessly pleased look while I knew I looked like the cat that got the canary. "Let's go take care of this. Any chance we can get the servants to bring me a sandwich or two?"
"It depends. What's a sand-wich?" There was gentle puzzlement on his face.
I laughed. I had become so comfortable here that his question caught me by surprise. "A sandwich is slices of meat and/or cheese with condiments and occasionally vegetables between slices of bread or in a roll. It is something easy to eat with one hand and portable. It's used by workmen of my world for a mid-day meal due to its convenience."
He canted an eyebrow at me and grinned. "Easily done. Go talk to your prospective house members. I'll deal with your lunch. He peeled off to speak to the servants while I continued. I signaled to the weasel to present himself. "What shall I call you?"
"I am called Thalak, my lady."
"Do you mind taking orders from a woman?" I already knew the answer from what Harad said, but I needed to hear it from his own mouth.
His gaze was level and unflinching. "In truth, my lady, I prefer it."
Time to find out about that darkness Harad mentioned. Given his distance from Akkad, it probably had something to do with home. "So how did you end up here rather than in Akkad?"
He looked a little lost for a moment. Bingo. "I made a mistake. I swore my service to a woman of great power, but I learned, too late, that she was unworthy. There seemed to be no other option, I rebelled. I regret it to this day." His voice was tense. His brows scrunched up in pain and his face fell. "My lady, my honor is forsaken. I am not sure I am worthy to be in your service."
"That is my decision. What made you doubt her in the first place?"
"There was an illness plaguing those in her service, yet she did nothing to aid them. She let them suffer and die, and then brought in new to replace them. It was as if we were worthless."
Crap. Thalak was right. That bitch didn't deserve power. I wondered if Geran knew of a way to do something about it. "Then she deserved neither her power nor your loyalty. I see no stain on your honor from objecting to that."
Thalak didn't look reassured. "I fought. I tried to force her to recognize her responsibility to her people. Innocents died. That is why they exiled me."
When people feel that violence is their only option, the situation is typically beyond fixing. At that point, you clean up the mess and start over. "Yet she still did nothing?"
"Yes, my lady." Thalak's eyes were on his toes, his shoulders hunched. Somehow, I didn't think he expected me to allow him into my household. It was as if he felt beyond redemption.
My voice was firm. "I still see no stain on your honor, while she has proven that she has none. Do you see any reason I should not have the power I have?"
Thalak's startled eyes met my own, "No, my lady! I have spoken to the servants and they are unanimous in their support. The warriors nearly worship you. I have heard nothing that would lead me to believe you are less than honorable."
I smiled. "Thank you. You have bodyguard duty. Keep an eye on the fellow in the green tunic and black trousers. He's a known assassin and spy for hire. We believe Lord Nurian hired him to keep an eye on Lord Cassettis and me, perhaps to assassinate one of us if we get in Nurian's way, which we will do. Nurian is rotten. We just need to collect the proof first. I am going to assign this guy as estate manager for the most remote location I can manage. The qualifications he gives are just too good to pass up without spooking our prey. What are your thoughts?"
Thalak looked thoughtful. "My lady, I think it best to keep your enemies as far from you as possible, but still within view. How do you propose to keep an eye on him at this remote location?"
My grin was gleeful. "My mate is the Spymaster. I'm fairly certain he can help."
Thalak looked startled again then laughed. "My lady is worthy. I will keep my eye on this fellow, unobtrusively of course. We must not spook our prey, as you say."
I nodded firmly then turned towards the non-warrior candidates. I waved over the fellow who had caught my attention earlier. He was the other fellow Harad had mentioned and I wondered just what it was he was hiding. "What's your name?"
"I am called Mikal."
His words were unremarkable, but the delivery could have come directly from Sebas. It made my dragon perk up in interest. "That doesn't answer my question."
He blinked at me before taking on a thoughtful expression, then smiled and huffed in amusement. "Okay. My name is Michael Lofgren of Portland, Oregon. I'm a Nakairu. I hoped that as a Nakairu yourself, I might find a safe harbor."
Oh, Sabriyu would h
ave kittens over this. I grinned and replied in English. "Kendra Yeager, librarian from Kansas City. What did you do before?"
He blinked a few times before replying. "I worked in an accounting firm. I was a forensic accounting specialist."
"Cool! So you know accounting rather well."
"Yes…" His demeanor was suspicious. I got the feeling he had to deal with too many people who wanted something from him. Well, he was right. I wanted an accountant.
"You're in. I desperately need an accountant. Grab a ribbon."
I pointed at the palace. "Ilatis is the housekeeper. She's the one in control of everything in the palace. She can give you a good idea of what I have going on expense-wise. There's a jeweler coming in today to evaluate my fortune and give me a price on the stuff I want to get rid of. There's a stack of jeweler's evaluations in the laptop compartment of the backpack in my quarters. Anis can give you access. I suggest you go grab those now so you're familiar before the jeweler gets here. Koris is Lord Cassettis' housemaster. He can pull the chest with the jewels. Tani is my housemaster and so will nominally be your supervisor. She was a guardsman before this, so don't piss her off. Got all that?"
He was open-mouthed at the barrage but recovered well. I thought he would. You don't become a forensic accountant by being either stupid or slow on the uptake. "Ilatis, Anis, Koris, and Tani. Got it! Thank you. One question."
"Hm?"
His smile was wistful. "What is it like to be a dragon?"
I laughed aloud. I hadn't expected the question. "Glorious. Different nerves, different sensations, but it feels… right. It's as if I was always supposed to be in that form. I never felt at home before. Now I have friends, family, and a place I belong."
Michael was silent for a moment. "I hear Nakairi always have a role to fulfill here. Three years and there's been nothing for me. I think I'm jealous."
"Never discount what you can do. There is more to you than you think. I never imagined that I could turn into a dragon. It will come. Meanwhile, figure out what you can be that no one ever let you be before. I'll help if you need it."
