by R. C. Reigh
Cora and the dragon prince exchanged messages back and forth for some time. Clearly, he found Cora’s rejection of him enticing. He sent several pleading notes, and each time she found a new way to tell him to pound sand. Another note flew through the window, and Cora snatched it out of the air. Then she turned and looked at me with a half-grin.
“It’s a wolf,” she held out her palm to extend it to me, “and it’s for you.”
My heart began to race as I reached out and took it from her.
As I carefully unfolded it, I recognized the prince’s seal.
Amelia of Avonlee,
Thank you for your kindness this evening in both your goodwill and patience in putting up with me at the tournament today and in your inquiry this evening. I truly enjoyed the pleasure of your company and our walk. As for this evening's events, there is not a worry. We smote the enemy without having to call upon but a few of the nobility to assist. I assure you Carpathia stands ready to defend your good people, both in Avonlee and here at the Bastion. Extending the best of wishes to you for a pleasant evening.
Always,
Dane.
I looked up from the correspondence to see Cora swatting at yet another paper dragon. Fed up with its pestering, she pulled her saber and executed absolute precision as she cut it in half with her sword. My lips turned up in a smile as I returned to my quarters.
Kessara
I hadn’t been watching the competition from my tower, even though I had spelled a telescope to project a larger image on my wall. I was too busy pouting over the boy who had quickly turned into my nemesis.
The little dragonling was becoming a nuisance.
He had delayed me with an endeavor to trick the prince of Heinez into owing me a favor.
Next, he interrupted my attempt to sneak into the potion maker’s quarters for the supplies I needed, forcing me to wait for my father to send them to me instead.
Then just yesterday, he had prevented me from obtaining a magical talisman professor Braintree had confiscated from another student.
Not to mention the situation with the human boy from Alstare in the hallway. That particular interruption hadn’t really mattered in the end. The boy had come to me later of his own accord with a request for a different matter, and I had gleaned the information I needed from him, anyway. But the other three had set me back.
As the daughter of the goddess of chaos, I expected to be regularly facilitating woe and causing. . . well, a hell of a lot more chaos.
My night started to get interesting when Cora sent me a fuming letter about an unfavorable interaction with the eldest dragon prince. Her correspondence inquired as to whether I knew any spells to turn him into a toad. The fact was that I did, but I assumed her question to be rhetorical in nature.
The sound of the crowd nearby proved to be too much of a distraction, so I spelled the outside sounds of the Bastion and Stadium inaudible. I needed to focus on my new plans to get the tasks I was behind on completed.
My stomach growled. Perhaps all I really needed was some brain food. With a few flicks of my wrist, my favorite dish from back home in Kearnox was simmering in a copper pot in the fireplace. I then set my resolve to hunker down in my chair and get to work.
Only a few minutes had passed when, once again, I was disturbed; this time, by a knock at the door.
“Ugh,” I groaned. It was odd that it had snuck up on me like that. I usually knew when company was coming, expected or otherwise. I made my way to the door and thrust it open only to find there was no one there.
Strange. . .
I stepped back behind the door to close it, but at the same time, a raven-haired boy pushed it wide open and stepped inside.
Roarke. This one’s got some nerve, doesn’t he?
He brushed right past me into the room like he owned the place.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I sneered. If he was this tenacious, it made me wonder what his older brothers must be like.
“I didn’t see you at the tournament,” he said coolly. “I’m just checking to make sure everyone's ok after the attack.” He watched me, and I forced my face expressionless.
Attack?
It was news to me, but little insurgents happen from time to time. I made a mental note to tell my father.
“Well then, please do come in.” I waved to the table, and he made his way toward it as I secured the door.
I cocked my head to the side as I regarded him. His concern was kind of cute. I think I will keep him around. His infatuation could be useful as a pet.
I waved a hand, and a second plate setting was set. We sat down. I poured him some of my decanted wine as I watched him plate his meal.
Maybe he would spill some of his family secrets. Although, as a first-year, he probably didn’t have much dirt. If I worked it right, he’d get it from his brothers for me.
I smiled, and he smiled back.
He gobbled down the food.
“Hungry much?” I asked as I watched him nearly inhale the first plate and go for seconds.
“Starving,” he managed to reply between bites when his mouth wasn’t full. “This is really good.” There was a hint of surprise in his complement.
“I’m good at everything,” I quipped back at him.
His eyes did that smolder thing again. Too bad he didn’t look more like his brothers. He must be a late bloomer.
He wiped his face with a napkin before he spoke.
“Of that, I have no doubt.” His wry smile alluded to the not so innocent nature of his thoughts.
It wasn’t uncommon for boys to mention the erotic quality about me, but when Roarke spoke of it, a weird nervousness flushed under my skin. He was able to set me off-kilter in a way no one else had ever been able to, but I’d never let it show. I ignored him.
“So, tell me about Dorran? He seems to be a cad, doesn’t he?” I inquired, changing the topic.
“Why do you ask? Are you into him?” His hand hovered near his glass as he watched me.
Jealous, my pet?
“No, not personally. He was to attend the formal with my friend Lady Coranithe of Avonlee. She wrote me a scathing rant of his indiscretions earlier this evening. Apparently, he couldn’t keep his hands off of a certain Fae from Lorenia at the tournament,” I tsk’d as I picked up my glass. “Needless to say, not very becoming of a future king.”
“Ah, I see.” Roarke didn’t look the least bit shocked by the news. “Well, he’s already moved on to some human girl he saw in the hallway about ten minutes ago.”
Oh, really?
Prince Dorran was leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. How delightfully devious. Perhaps he was growing on me. Maybe I was into him, after all.
“Sounds like he really gets around,” I chuckled lightly.
“Yeah, but none of it matters. He’s betrothed to a skilled dragoness warrior. He’s allowed frivolity by contract. Guiana is five years his elder, but there are very few women left in our culture, so there wasn’t much of a choice. Our people want the future queen to be dragoness.” He shrugged again. “It is what it is.”
Interesting. . . betrothed.
That could be useful. Perhaps my little dragonling would be more helpful than I thought.
I poured him more wine. He swallowed it down.
“Well, that’s quite the surprise.” I smiled as I again poured him more wine, eager to keep him talking.
“Actually, it’s common knowledge in Dragonia.” He made it sound like no big deal. “Their marriage decree is a matter of public record.”
Still, it was valuable information here at the Bastion. It didn’t seem to be common knowledge amongst the girls here. The noble ladies of the other five kingdoms were definitely not read up on Dragonian marriage decrees. There may still be a way to use it to my advantage.
“What about Dax? Is he a breaker of hearts like the future king?”
Roarke’s gaze focused on my lips and his eyes did that smoldering thing of h
is. A tingle raced up my spine.
“No. Straight-laced as they come,” he replied.
I poured more wine, emptying the bottle.
Good to know.
He looked down at the glass and frowned.
“You should know that dragons aren’t affected by mortal alcohol. Only the finest mead fermented in the springs of Dragonia’s deepest ravines will do the trick. Nice try, though,” he simpered.
Even better to know.
He drained his glass and tossed his napkin on his plate.
“Sorry to drink all your wine and run, but you shouldn’t have had it anyway.” He rose and winked. His stormy gray-green eyes smoldered at me again. “Thanks for dinner, Kessara.”
Then, he turned and left my quarters. I twirled the glass in my fingers as he shut the door behind him.
I had made a rookie mistake with the wine, and yet, he’d still given me valuable information, anyway.
If anything, tonight I’d learned from that look he had given me that no mead would be needed to get him to bend to my will.
Cora
Thwack. The dagger hit the center of a piece of scrap wood I'd scrounged up from an old maintenance closet in the convocation room.
After the attack, the formal had been canceled. I was thankful that I wouldn't have to see that creep Dorran again. Not that I was super upset or anything, more frustrated that he had thought I was an easy mark.
While the rest of us were confined to our towers, a hunting party from each kingdom was out searching the exterior perimeter of the wall for any potential infiltrators.
The goblin attack directly on the Bastion had been very bold, bolder than I'd ever heard of in the years after the Siege of Shadows. It was so concerning that even the sovereigns of the seven kingdoms were worked up. So, we remained on lockdown in the Bastion.
I pulled the dagger from the wood and sheathed it next to its twin in the holster hanging on the back of my closet door. If they didn't call off our restrictions soon, I would probably start climbing the walls.
After making sure my daggers were safely stored away, I decided to go seek out my cousin. I found Amelia in her favorite spot out on the terrace reading. She had been staying suspiciously close to the balcony since Friday night. I assumed that maybe she was hoping for another message.
I leaned up against the stone of the archway with my arms folded.
"So, how did it go after I bailed on you Friday night?" I asked, taking note of the way she gave a tiny jump as if I'd startled her. "I've been meaning to tell you sorry about that, by the way."
"It was alright. There is no need to apologize." She barely glanced up from her book on healing spells
So it was going to be like that, was it?
"Alright, don't play coy with me. I know you too well." I narrowed my eyes at her as if willing her to feel the heat of my glare, even though she hadn't yet bothered to look at me.
As if she could sense it, her eyes finally strayed upward from her book, and she blinked.
"Prince Daneatous and I watched part of the tournament while we waited for you to return. It wasn't terrible for once. Then, the alarm sounded, and I came back here," she said plainly.
She was just as bad as he was when it came to opening up sometimes. I'd have to try another angle.
"You came back because of the attack?" I asked casually, twirling a strand of my strawberry-blonde hair through my fingers, acting as if this conversation didn't have any kind of huge impact on the entire future of both Avonlee and Carpathia. Like it was no big deal. . . none whatsoever.
"Yes." She marked her page with a silver bookmarker and folded the book closed in her lap. She was now giving me her full attention.
"So, you would have considered staying in his company longer if that hadn't happened?" I tried to be as casual in my tone as possible.
She looked deep in thought.
Oh. My. Gods!
My lips twitched as I fought to keep from smiling.
"Yes, I believe I would have considered it," she admitted.
She was unusually guarded. She had never been that way about her feelings for Adam in the past. She had gushed on and on over him. Nor had she been guarded in the past about how much she hated Dane. Now she wasn't against the idea of spending more time with him?
Holy crow. This was a huge step in the right direction, but she didn't seem to want to make a big deal about it. There was something in her demeanor that said she didn't really want to talk about it anymore.
So, I simply replied, "Well, that's good that the two of you are getting along. It's better for everyone."
Amelia
The last few days stuck inside on lockdown had been frustrating, even for me, the recently self-imposed hermit. Being cooped up with someone with as much energy as Cora was equivalent to witnessing a textbook case of cabin fever setting in. Needless to say, when Monday morning finally arrived and we returned to classes, it was a huge relief to everyone.
I hadn't received any more correspondences, so when I saw Prince Dane and his emissaries in the hallway after lunch, I motioned for Cora to follow me in their direction. The prince smiled as we approached.
"Princess Amelia, Lady Cora," he greeted us. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"I know we have already spoken by correspondence, but I wanted to say thank you in person." As I spoke, my hand reached out toward his arm in a subconscious show of sincerity. It was a normal and natural reaction between friends. Were we friends?
"Think nothing of it, princess." He smiled, but when my fingers brushed his forearm, he winced, and his features contorted into a barely controlled snarl of pain.
I quickly pulled my fingers away, and my gaze focused on a lump beneath his shirt. I don't know what possessed me, but I grabbed onto his wrist and carefully pulled back his sleeve. He didn't try to stop me; he just watched me in surprise.
Within moments, I had revealed the edges of a wrapped and tied off cloth bandage. When I looked up to Dane’s stoic disposition, I noticed his emissaries exchange glances of concern.
"May I?" I gestured toward the bandage.
"I don't think you will really want to, princess." His face was stern.
"Oh, I really want to," I assured him in a defiant tone.
His lips formed a thin line, but he didn't protest any further. I began to undress the wound, encouraged by the fact that, once again, he didn't try to stop me.
When I was finally able to unravel the last of the bandage, I was disturbed to find that his forearm was an array of ugly and angry shades of greenish-blue, red, and yellow. It was most definitely something to be concerned about.
I shot him a displeased stare.
"I thought there were no serious injuries?" I furrowed my brow.
"There aren't," he finally said, keeping his eyes glued to my face. "It just takes longer for vampire venom to work its way out. That, and with my expedited regeneration, I have to keep reopening the wound to secrete it." He shrugged the shoulder of the opposite arm from the one I was holding.
"Vampires? I thought it was goblins?" I asked as I began carefully wrapping the arm back up and then gently tied off the cloth.
He looked around the hallway to make sure none of the other students bustling around the hallway were listening in on our conversation.
"I'd prefer not to cause any undue alarm," he said in a low voice that rumbled something up inside of me. He nodded toward an empty classroom and I followed him inside.
Cora waited with Dane’s emissaries outside the open doorway, striking up a casual conversation.
"It was both,” Dane explained when he was certain there was no one else in the classroom. "I dispatched the vampires myself. I wouldn't risk allowing other students to face them and the dragons probably would have burned the city down. Don't worry yourself over it, princess. It's nothing but an annoyance, really." His expression was light-hearted, but I had seen that bite, and it absolutely needed a healer's attention.
"Lady Ce
leste once mentioned that there is a Fae spell to remove vampire venom. Let me speak with her. I'm sure she would agree to help me heal you," I suggested, not bothering to conceal my tone of concern. "Venom could cause a nasty infection if not properly treated."
"I'm fine, Amelia, really," he protested despite the crooked smile that had formed on his lips.
"I insist. It's no imposition. Please, meet me in the Avonlee convocation room this evening, around seven? You'll feel better, and it will help with my healing training. I'm happy to do it." I wasn't letting him get his way on this.
I was prepared for an argument, but suddenly those honey eyes went gentle on me.
"If you so desire, princess, I am helpless to refuse," he nearly whispered in response.
I could feel the blush of my skin as I nodded my farewell and headed off to class.
DANE
Our collective footsteps echoed down the corridor. Anxious to get to my meeting with the princess, Ivan, Ellis, and I arrived several minutes early.
I wasn't surprised to see Cora waiting for us outside the entrance with Avonlee's herald. The impassive scowl on her face said it all; I was in trouble. I wondered how long she had been standing out here waiting to lay into me.
I approached cautiously as she assessed me through narrowed eyes. I had learned never to underestimate what my new spitfire of a friend was capable of.
"What the Hades were you thinking?" she hissed and crossed her arms. "Going off on your own to fight at least two vampires by yourself. You had no idea what you were walking into! It could have been a trap. Did that even cross your thick skull for a moment?"
She must have heard the full story from someone who had been there. I shot an accusatory glance in my emissary's direction, but they had both become extremely interested in the construction of the ceiling and the floor.
"Don't look at them. This is your fault, not theirs," Cora snapped at me, returning my attention to her. "I swear if you mess up our chances at the Champions tournament, I am going to amputate that thing myself." She angrily pointed a finger at my arm.
