by K. E. Young
"Come, my love, you need to be there for this." We stood and followed them, trailed by the other dragonlords.
We got out to the front lawn as the first came in to land, flanked by two others. They transitioned to human form and got out of the way of the second trio. This time the lead dragon deposited what looked like a huge picnic basket. A woman climbed from the basket and the dragon took off again to settle to one side as the remaining two landed and changed.
I could feel Mero's feelings of denial and I turned to him. "Please tell me that isn't your mother and uncle."
Mero sighed. "I wish I could, my love, but I would be lying and my dragon won't let me do that."
He pulled me close and I could hear Dantalion's quiet swearing next to Geran. For his part, Geran just sighed in resignation and waited for them to approach.
She was an attractive woman, willowy slender with straight black hair to the waist and a pointed chin that made her look like a pixie. Looking at her, I could see that she had bestowed her cheekbones upon her son, but I wasn't about to bring up the subject knowing how he felt about her. She was lovely in every way except her cold, gray eyes and the dissatisfied pout to her lips.
As she approached, there was something off and my dragon hissed. Mero's uncle looked a great deal like him, just somewhat older and rather careworn. As he turned to Mero there was a brief flash of something off. If I were to put a label on his expression in that moment of unguardedness, it would be fear. Why would he be afraid though? It was so brief I couldn't even be sure what I had seen was real.
He greeted Mero warmly then addressed Geran. "I give you greetings, my prince, from his Imperial Majesty. He asked me to tell you that events delay his arrival by a few days, but Prince Rendas and his retinue will arrive here tomorrow with additional arrivals the day after. I have here a manifest of personnel you can expect to arrive tomorrow and a rough count on the rest." He handed a scroll to Geran who glanced at it and handed it to Ilatis.
"It's good to see you Kelan. We were just finishing dinner. I'll have the kitchen bring out fresh plates for you and your men while Ilatis arranges your rooms."
Mero's mother eyed me challengingly. Her high, little-girl voice grated on my ears. "So, is this the woman who claims to be a dragonlord and convinced my son to marry her?"
Whatever potential respect I might have had for her withered unborn. Mero gave her an angry annoyed glance and his tone was cold. "No mother, this is the lady whom my dragon has claimed and who has the loveliest dragon I've ever seen." he smiled down at me and kissed my forehead.
Mero missed the vicious expression on her face, but his uncle didn't. Kelan's expression was complex, equal parts alarm, resignation, fear, and anger. I could only guess at its meaning, but I suspected that I had better watch my back around her. Was she the cause of that flash of fear I thought I had seen?
Mero was oblivious to all this as he continued. "She's also a fine warrior who has earned the respect of everyone who's seen her fight. She even bested me in hand-to-hand combat."
Halara plastered a brittle smile on her face before responding. "I'm happy for you my son. You know I've always felt that no woman was good enough for you. I'm glad you found someone you think is worthy."
I noted that she didn't say she thought I was worthy. As Mero answered his uncle's questions about how we met, I watched her reactions. The faint flickers of expression didn't match what I expected given the subject of the conversation, peppered with inexplicable rage, confusion, and brief flashes of childlike innocence. I came to the unsettling possibility she wasn't sane anymore. She had the same feeling as one of my neighbors when I was twelve. His family had him committed when he had a psychotic break.
I thought back on everything I had heard about her so far and realized that Mero had been right, we needed to keep her away from Nurian. A sane woman would look after her own interests, but if she wasn't sane anymore then the game changed. We couldn't predict her actions or motivations with any reliability. The only safe things to do were keep her away from Nurian, or to kill her. Crap, there was that ruthlessness again.
Geran motioned that we were all to continue towards the palace and I gave Dantalion a look while the others were distracted. We needed to talk.
He nodded faintly and Mero and I spoke about the next day's tasks as we mounted the steps. I left Mero talking to his uncle while I briefed our households on the news. I was proud to see no uncertainty on their faces. Whatever happened over the next few days, I knew I could be proud that they were mine. I pulled Thalak aside and quietly informed him of my suspicions about Halara. He was to stay with me and watch my back during the days. Mero would do the same at night.
I also informed Tani and Koris of my worries and asked them to do what they could to keep Halara away from Nurian without letting her know. I suspected Kelan wouldn't mind.
As I finished, I heard Mero's voice raised in anger and I turned back towards them. Kelan looked distressed as Halara tried desperately to get Mero to kiss her. Mero was trying to remove her grasp on him and his expression was livid.
I didn't remember crossing the dining hall, but I remember throwing her halfway across the room and into a wall, my roar of rage echoing from the walls. It took Mero, Geran, and Dantalion working together to restrain me. My dragon wanted her dead and I wouldn't let them get in the way.
They couldn't calm me down until Geran's men removed Halara and she was well out of sight and sound. The room was dead silent except for Mero's calming whispers, his grip on me still tight. The newly arrived Drakkeni had unsheathed their weapons although their Captain restrained them from acting, his brows creased in confusion. Thalak was ready to defend me with swords bared.
Geran was fuming. "Kelan, explain what just happened, please? She should have known better than to touch Mero that way within view of his new mate as you well know."
Kelan's expression was blank, his body tight as a piano wire. "I do not think this is the best place to discuss this issue, my prince."
"That isn't for you to decide Kelan. I rule here. Explain. Now." Geran's eyes had developed slit pupils and his canines were noticeably longer, claws showing at his fingertips with a glittering splash of scales. Looking down I saw that I was also wearing claws with a vivid sprinkling of deep brown and gold scales on my hands and arms.
Kelan was sickly pale. "Halara is perhaps overly fond of her son. You know she rarely thinks through her actions."
"She is no longer sane," I growled viciously, my voice deep and rough. "Even I could see it out on the lawn, and I'm not as familiar with her as you are. You had to know. There is no way you could have missed it."
"Kelan. Is this true?" Geran's tone was harsh and unforgiving.
Kelan shattered before my eyes. He dropped to his knees and wept. After a minute of this Geran leaned over him and spoke softly. "Let it go Kelan. You can't protect her anymore. You shouldn't have to. If she is indeed insane then she needs help, not protection. How did this happen? What of her dragon soul?"
"I'm no longer sure she ever was sane, my Prince." Kelan looked up at Geran. "I don't know how she still has a dragon soul but she does. It is always there no matter how many times I look!"
He gasped, and his head bowed, hiding the tears running down his face. "Two years after I married her, it became clear she killed Kors. I've spent almost every moment since trying to protect the Cassettis name and keep her from killing anyone else. It has been so hard, my prince." He looked like he was about to break down again for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "She was the one who insisted that we come here. I was concerned but she's been so well behaved lately…"
Mero stiffened against me when Kelan mentioned the name Kors. I presumed it was his father's and wondered how he had died. It wasn't something we had discussed yet. Geran's words about how Mero kept secrets haunted me. Now, we were dragging all his secrets out into the open with little concern for how they would affect him. I wrapped my clawed arms around him and my dra
gon purred at him. The soft, deep, thrumming coming from my throat calmed me.
Kelan's voice was quiet now. "I swore to Kors I would guard his back, that I would care for his family and keep them safe. I have failed." A shaking hand wiped at his tears. "I am forsworn and my honor is tainted. What redemption can there ever be for me?"
I disengaged myself from Mero and addressed him, "Did you do your best with the knowledge and resources you had?"
He peered at me as if he had forgotten I was there. "I had thought so, but it wasn't enough. I should have known there was something wrong with her…"
Shaking my head, I cut him off. "Don't go down that road Kelan. Should-haves and might-have-beens have no bearing here. Only what was and is. Did you or did you not do your best?"
He was silent for a long moment as he thought about it. "I think so. It's so hard to be sure of anything anymore."
"Then you have no need of redemption. You did your best. You may have tarnished your honor here and there, but I think it's still intact. What you do now bears careful consideration though. I think you should consider what effect it would have on the Cassettis name and your honor if you didn't deal with her properly now that her condition and actions have become public. Kelan, there is no dishonor in asking for help when you need it."
Mero's approval flowed through the bond as Kelan pulled himself to his feet. He still looked deathly tired, but he had lost some of the beaten down and broken bearing he'd had moments ago. It's funny how reminding yourself of what you are in your soul can do that. Instead of obsessing over possible horrors, he was dealing with 'is'.
"My prince, what should I do? Whatever else she may be, she is still my wife."
Geran gripped Kelan's shoulders hard. "We'll take care of this when Rendas arrives. He's not emperor yet but he still has the authority to dissolve your marriage. At that point, you can legally attest before him all you have heard and seen. A healer will examine her to see if we can cure her. We'll question her about whatever crimes she may have committed. We will see what we need to do then. Meanwhile, you and your men need food and rest. I'll tell the healer to sedate Halara and see to whatever injuries Kendra inflicted. We must keep her restrained for now though. I cannot risk the chance she may get loose and cause trouble."
"I understand my Prince. You and Lady Kendra have my gratitude for your aid and understanding." He turned to my mate. "I'm so sorry, Mero. I felt helpless to stop her and I didn't know what to do. Kors was always the bold one, even when we were children. I hope you can forgive me someday."
Mero stepped forward and hugged his uncle hard before releasing him. "I forgive you. You couldn't know, Uncle. I didn't realize it myself and I lived with her for years. I knew she was volatile and self-centered, but I didn't even consider the possibility she was insane. She has a dragon soul. How could she have been capable of this?" He paused then smiled crookedly. "Kendra has a way of seeing past the distractions to the center of the matter. She does not make the assumptions we do. I think this is just another example."
Kelan smiled tiredly. "She is a lovely lady, Mero. You did well in choosing Kendra. I never thought I would see a true female dragonlord, but none could deny the partial shift she made here. Only royal blood could ever do a partial shift. You're very lucky."
Mero just nodded and smiled, fingering the bracelet I had given him. "She chose me and I cannot regret it. Come, Uncle. You need to eat." Mero pulled him to our table and sat him to his right. Within moments, the Drakken warriors had seated themselves at our table and were filling the plates the servants handed them. A very shaky beginning seemed to have settled nicely.
Signaling the servants for a second dessert, I settled back, Dantalion beside me once more. "I take it that's what you wanted to talk to me about?"
I smiled. "Among other things. If she's not sane anymore then we can't predict her actions or motivations. We can't count on appeals to reason. It's safer to keep her away from Nurian. Geran has handled it neatly though. Nurian can't conspire with her if she's detained and sedated. Meanwhile, what did he mean about her having a dragon soul?"
Dantalion frowned. "He said she still had a dragon soul. It shouldn't have been possible for her to be the way she is and do what she did, yet still have one. Dragons find such traits inimical, remember? Her dragon soul would either prevent her from acting in the first place or commit suicide. They cannot bear to inhabit a mind that is, for lack of a better term, evil. I know Mero told you about that. You mentioned it when you asked about him saying you smelled good. Anyway, it's up to the healers to answer those questions if they can."
Dantalion looked thoughtful. "What I want to know is how Lord Kelan figured out she killed Mero's father and why she did it."
"How did he die? Mero hasn't mentioned it at all."
Dantalion nodded with a sigh. "Mero doesn't talk about it. Someone stabbed him to death in an alleyway in the Drakken capital. I don't know the details. The only reason I know that much is because Mero and I got very drunk one night."
He filched a bite of my fruit custard as I mulled this over. "How old was he?"
"I'm not sure. I never heard details. It was after he had moved into the men's barracks I think. He mentioned once that his mother had wanted him to move back into the Cassettis palace after she married his uncle but he refused."
"He only told me that his mother tried to get back into his life after his father's death. I wonder how soon after Mero left the palace that his father died. If she was as obsessed with Mero then as she appears to be now, then that may have caused her to snap."
I felt Mero's hand on my thigh, his fingers chill and I clasped it and held tight. He needed all the support I could give. His presence in the bond was grayed and uncertain. Chill. I sent what warmth, sympathy, and reassurance I could.
His face was still pale and his voice shook. "I moved out about a week before. I told my father it was because I wanted to train more intensively and needed fewer distractions." He rubbed at the scratch marks on his neck from where Halara had been tugging on him when I tore her away. "I never told him it was because she had tried to slip into my bed. That was the first time, not the last." Mero finally looked up at me and his expression was bleak, his pupils dilated. "Looking back she had to have been unstable then.
"You're right about her obsession. Uncle Kelan and I have been speaking while you and Dantalion talked." He paused, uncertainty written in every line of his face. "Kendra, would my father still be alive if I hadn't moved out? Uncle Kelan says they fought constantly after I left."
My heart broke for him. I looped an arm around his neck and leaned against him. "Mero, she was rotten through and through. She is lovely to look at but under the skin, she's rotten. I suspect she is one of those people who, when faced with what she cannot have, will destroy it rather than let anyone else have it. If you had stayed you might well be the one who was dead, but not before she destroyed your father for defending you. You did the right thing in leaving."
Mero's expression remained bleak, but the wheels were turning now. He would need a little time to process it all. This had been quite a blow to him and he was in shock. "It's been a long day Mero. It's late and I'm tired. I imagine that Kelan is tired too. It had to have been an enormous burden to him and he's had a long flight. He needs a good night's rest, and so do you. Rendas is arriving tomorrow and I'm sure that there is still a great deal to do."
Mero's smile was wan. "You're right. It is late." he squeezed my hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss my fingertips. "Let's go to bed."
I pushed the remains of my dessert towards Dantalion, kissed him on the cheek, and bid everyone a good night. Pausing when I came abreast of the Drakkeni warriors, I said, "I'm sorry about what happened. Please forgive me for my rudeness in not welcoming you more suitably. It has been an extraordinary night. I hope to get to know you all much better tomorrow. Meanwhile, I will wish you a good night and I hope you will rest comfortably." I nodded to each and continued on my way, one arm
around Mero, who moved without his usual grace.
When we got back to our quarters I let go of Mero long enough to pull the liqueur from the cupboard and poured him a stiff drink. He drank it and the next giving no sign he tasted them or even realized what he was doing. I stripped him down to his skin and shoved him into bed. After I stripped and killed the lights, I crawled in after him and held him tight as he shook. After a long while, he warmed up and began to weep silently for the father he had lost. I held him until long after he had fallen asleep, contemplating the woman who had borne him.
I couldn't understand how such an obsession could form. She had watched him grow to manhood. At what point had her view of him changed from 'son' to something sexual? How? Had Mero's father realized? Is that why she killed him?
In sheer frustration, I told myself that I would find no answers in the dark. My questions would still be there in the morning, but they could wait until then. I had to swig a shot of liqueur myself to relax though. Finally, I slept.
Chapter 17
Day 9: 47th Day of Sanctuary, 3866
The next morning dawned sunny and cold. I was a little groggy from lack of sleep but Mero looked a great deal better. We stayed in bed for a while, just holding each other as I tried to convince him to let me keep sleeping. He snorted as he told me that today was moving day and the servants would have enough trouble trying to get everything moved and still have this room ready for those who would arrive later. The staff needed to clean and ready the rooms we were vacating for the Emperor's retinue since the rooms they would have used were now mine.
I grumbled but I couldn't argue. He was right. I still made him promise to let me have a nap at some point since I get cranky without sleep. He laughed at my antics, perhaps not as easily as he had yesterday but at least he could laugh. We didn't dawdle as we washed up and dressed.
The dining hall was half-empty. It was early and most of the other households hadn't gotten started on the day yet. None of the new Drakkeni arrivals were down. Koris and Tani were discussing assignments with our house members as they finished their meal. Most of them were helping with the moving efforts. As promised, Tani was sending Belam off with a warrior and a letter of credit. Koris had signed off on it since the jeweler had not finished my seal yet.
