Dragon Envy

by Kelly Armenta

  No one said anything for several moments until Amras finally replied. “No Princess, no one can hear them. They do not sense other’s emotions and we cannot feel them. It is as if they do not exist. As if the space where their mind should be is simply not there.”

  Really? I thought, sensing a similarity here that none of them chose to speak about. I wondered. Yesterday in the front entrance hall where I’d first met Tdem; there had been a reaction to both Dane and myself. It had occurred when I’d raised my Dragonsward and spoke to Dane. Beside me Dane glanced sharply at Amras, his dark eyes intent, a question lurking within.

  “Nae one?” He asked softly and Amras looked at him, then his eyes widened as he shook his head as if what he was thinking was unwelcome. Dane pressed his lips together thoughtfully. “Sure tis nae so,” Dane muttered.

  “They are very dangerous.” Owen admitted, his dark brown eyes searching Dane’s face. “Especially to Lexi, who could not control them as she did Duke Camthalon this morning. My advice is… do not find yourself alone with them at any time for any reason. They are of the Gorias or Svartalfar family, those who are Hunters. They are also the King’s Lords of the Raging Host. They are most loyal to the King. They have given their fealty to him and he has given them a much coveted and sought after place within his Court, as Personal Guard.”

  Svartalfar translated as Dark Elves. “What do they look like under their armor?” I asked, mulling over Owen’s revelations.

  Amras shrugged while Owen thought about it for a moment. “I have seen other Svartalfar and they look much like any other Elf. I suspect though that these are of mixed blood, not pure Elf. Had they been they would no doubt, have been killed at birth. It is likely they are some mixture of Elf and…Ogre, but I am merely guessing.”

  “I have nae seen an Ogre before.” Dane informed us. “Are they ugly then?” He asked while we walked along.

  “They are every bit the nightmare Mothers used to frighten their naughty children with.” Amras replied. “I have never seen a true Ogre that was pleasing to the eye. If the King’s men are part Ogre then they would have to take after their Elven side. They are much too small to be full blooded Ogres.

  We walked along for several minutes in silence before Dane asked, “Do ye think this will be about the Healer then?”

  I shrugged and thought about Lord Maglor. The man was very interested in me and I would not put it past him to have gone to my Mother and requested an audience so he could interrogate me for information. “If so, I’m glad I brought you,” I told Dane with a smile. “I’m surprised he didn’t search you out last night and pester you with questions. The man appears single minded in his pursuit of knowledge.”

  “Ahh, tis like that it is?” He replied with a twinkle in his black eyes. “An me being the lamb for the slaughter.”

  “Well, I would have gone with lab rat,” I teased him while he gave me a mock growl, “but in this case I’ll settle for hybrid.”

  “Nae, tis Immaculate Conception, I am. As me mother nae slept with yer Da’s partner. I no doubt that makes me a miracle,” and he laughed while I smiled up at him.

  My thoughts turned serious for a moment and I placed my hand on Dane’s arm. Amras had moved ahead of us to guide us down the halls and Owen was pacing along on the other side of me. “Dane, are you interested in learning about your Father?” I asked. “Because I’m sure it would be an easy matter to find out about him from my Dad.”

  Dane thought about it for a moment and nodded. “Sure an it might be worth the time. Though I was no lacking fer a father while doing me own growing up. Me Mum married a fine man an he raised me up as his own.” I smiled and gave his arm a squeeze and he reached for my fingers, placing his other hand over them.

  “Too bad Marcus can’t say the same,” I told him and shook my head sadly while his lips compressed into a thin line. “You do realize he might be your half-brother?” I asked softly and Dane appeared surprised, and then looked rather thoughtful. I couldn’t tell if the idea was welcome or a problem, given that Marcus was currently an issue due to Valentine’s influence. No doubt we’d be able to fix that in time, but his having been raised by Belinda was a factor none of us could overlook. Having to undo whatever damage she may have caused him could take time.

  “I no considered it before. But ye are correct. Perhaps I’ll be having that conversation with ye Da sooner rather than later.” He told me. “Tis curious I am now.”

  Many corridors and many turns later Amras finally stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face us. “We have arrived, Princess.” He seemed to still be struggling with a correct form of address for me. We had talked about it last night and I’d told him to call me what he felt most comfortable with, as it mattered little to me.

  We had met no one else in the halls on our trip. I glanced around to find we were standing in front of a large wooden door with intricate carvings of flora and fauna. Two guards stood at attention to either side of the portal, their eyes glancing over the four of us and settling on me with that… ‘ummm hmmm’ look I was getting used to seeing. I ignored them and concentrated on the door, which appeared massive. In the center was carved an entire meadow scene. I stared at it in surprise, recognizing the glen from my painting where I sat playing the flute.

  Amras leaned over my shoulder and an arm slid round my waist at my thought. His other hand reached to trace the log I sat upon in my portrait. “You are correct,” he whispered and brushed his lips across my cheek before stepping back. I tilted my head and glanced up at him, wondering at his sudden show of affection. He grinned and pulled a lock of my hair and I shook my head and turned to the guard on the right.

  “I believe my Mother, the Princess, has requested my audience?” I asked calmly and the guards both went to a knee, then stood. It was almost as if they had been waiting for me to acknowledge them. They both wore intense looks much like Lira had earlier and I wondered just how far down the Sidhe halls my pleasure had reached. It was some small measure of comfort that they weren’t passed out on the floor. That would have been very bad. My thought caused the guard on the left to shift slightly while the one on the right made a low noise in his throat which he somehow managed to quickly cut off.

  “Your Majesty, she is expecting you,” replied the brown haired man on my right as he moved to open the door for me. “The others will remain here.” He stated while his light brown eyes shifted over me and hesitated for a brief moment on my nipples, still pressed firmly against my dress.

  Owen’s fingers brushed me as I moved to follow the guard. “Call for me if you become distressed.” He told me softly his eyes spearing the guard who seemed to not notice the accessing look Owen was giving him. I nodded and swept into the room behind the guard. The man waited until I was through the portal then turned to close the door. His body brushed mine as the door clicked firmly shut behind me. I took a step back out of his reach and tried to ignore him while he stared down at me, his eyes hungry.

  “Excuse me, Your Majesty.” He whispered softly, his voice having gone deep with a hint of something quite inappropriate. I bit the inside of my cheek and endeavored to remain out of his direct path. He managed somehow to touch me twice more as we walked down a short hall toward a large room at the end. He announced me, then went to a knee and arose slowly, standing there while his eyes roamed my face, and then he was gone. I released the breath I’d unconsciously been holding and turned to my Mother, who was seated across the room at a beautiful desk. Her eyes were on me and she seemed displeased.

  “Must you seduce all my guards?” She complained and I raised both eyebrows and stared at her in surprise.

  “Excuse me Mom, I can assure you it wasn’t intentional.” She waved her hand at the couch behind her and I took a deep breath, crossing to it while looking around her room in wonder. “Did you decorate in here or did someone else?” I asked while my eyes studied the gilded look of everything. It was without a doubt the most opulent room I’d ever seen. Mom had
always liked nice things. Over the years our homes, and even the tents we’d inhabited while she performed field research, had been on the lavish side. But obviously nothing outside the Sidhe had ever compared to this. The room was decorated in creams and pale blues with richly carved furniture of some light blonde material. Gold glittered and twinkled everywhere. Her bed and bedding was indescribable. On the whole it was very different, nearly opposite of the room I’d occupied the previous night. Upon comparison mine screamed masculine, or perhaps utilitarian. Obviously the decorating fairies hadn’t wanted to waste time or energy on me, whereas they seemed to have taken up residence and perhaps made it a lifelong endeavor to over decorate her private rooms. I couldn’t help wondering if Dad felt out of place in here and I’ll admit the place nearly set my teeth to hurting from the sugary sweetness of it all. Apparently Mom really was a faerie princess, right down to the plethora of circlets lined up nicely in a large overly carved display case to one side of the room.

  Mom’s lips tightened slightly as she watched me. “I did not invite you here to discuss your Father or the decorations within my bedroom.” She informed me sharply.

  I gently leaned back against the couch cushion and folded my hands in my lap, doing my best to appear calm and ready to be reasonable. I had years of experience assuming the position. Why is it that I could face a Troll without trepidation, but my own Mother made me wish to curl into one of those tiny lint balls forever trapped under the couch cushions? I paused a moment to unclench my teeth, no need to crack the enamel. I was unsure if they would grow back if I broke them at this point. Do Dragons regrow teeth? What about demons or fairies? Would I be forced to go through life with chips and pieces missing? It wasn’t worth the risk and no one wants to be toothless I thought distractedly, then forced my lips into some shape or semblance of a smile. Gee, I wonder what I’d done now, and stared back at her waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “Young lady, you are quite impertinent.” She told me in her prim and disapproving voice, and carefully put down the pen she was holding. My guess was so she didn’t snap the quill in half and sully her hands with ink. Goodness knows that would never do.

  Deciding to get this chastisement session over as quick as possible I opened my mouth and asked, “Okay Mom, what is the problem? Did I do something to embarrass you last night at the party, or are you mad at me for some other reason?” Heaven above knew that when she got started, there was no end to the number of things that could or would upset her. At times I seemed to be the never ending source of her discontent.

  She looked at me like I was pulling her leg and she did not appreciate it in the least. “You know full well what you did!” She replied angrily, and then made a shockingly unladylike noise in her throat when I simply stared back at her in confusion.

  I lifted my hands from my lap and reminded her, “If I knew what I did I wouldn’t have asked.” Doing my best to keep my tone even lest I set her off for being impertinent and disrespectful on top of whatever else I’d apparently done to earn this oh-so-pleasant calling on the carpet.

  She stood abruptly and began pacing while she muttered something that sounded suspiciously like cursing under her breath. I just watched her in amazement. I hadn’t seen her worked up like this in some time and hoped Dad didn’t walk in on us and blame me for having inadvertently riled her.

  “Your Father is… incapacitated!” She snapped back at me. “As are nearly all of the men within the Sidhe upon this morn! I have never been so embarrassed in my life! Fire and flood, Lexi, you caused a most unseemly scene in the Great Hall last night! How could you!” She demanded, and then gracefully draped herself back into her chair in a glorious heap. It was as if the effort of recalling the previous evening’s debacle had somehow drained her. Or perhaps it was the crushing load of embarrassment I had apparently heaped upon her. Hard to tell, she could be rather dramatic at times.

  “Oh…” I said, all of a sudden realizing exactly what she was referring to. I felt my cheeks go up in proverbial flames and could feel the pulse thrumming at the side of my neck. Apparently my actions were a bit farther reaching than even I thought. Damn, that was so not good!

  Chapter 11

  “Is that all you have to say for yourself?” She demanded incredulous. I winced and struggled not to shift about on the couch.

  “Was it… bad?” I asked in a small voice. Apparently that pulse was affecting my speech.

  She delicately grimaced then clenched her hands into fists at her sides and I closed my eyes briefly, while my cheeks heated even more. “It was an orgy!” She hissed at me. “And were it not for the fact that you warned the Queen within hearing of all there…” And she let that threat trail off so I was left to wonder what my fate might have been had I not had that forethought.

  Uh oh, the Queen? I thought weakly and nearly swallowed my tongue wondering if she had been caught in the licentious revelry.

  “No she was not, thank the Goddess.” She huffed back at me. “At least I do not believe so, not in the Great Hall with the others!”

  Well that was something, I thought, and then I couldn’t help asking, “Was it just the men or were you affected too?” My curiosity getting the better of me. Apparently from the way her eyes flashed and her lips tightened, I hadn’t only managed to affect the men. I sighed again and asked. “So do you want to tell me about it or am I just here to be yelled at for being me?” Incapacitated eh…whew, I thought and couldn’t help wondering where she left poor incapacitate Dad.

  My question pulled her up short and she flopped ungracefully back on her chair. Her look slid to haggard, or as haggard as a Princess of Faerie can get, and she stared back at me from hollow eyes. “How can you live like this?” She asked in a shaken voice. “Your father was…” and she swallowed again. “I cannot imagine what it must be like for you.”

  I stared at her, my eyes widening in surprise. Wow, she actually felt bad…for me! That was perhaps the most singularly shocking thing she’d ever said to me, and completely unnecessary. “Mom, don’t pity me, it isn’t an affliction,” I told her, leaning forward on the couch and staring back at her with concern. “I like it.” I admitted then winced and couldn’t help wondering if this was an appropriate topic to be discussing with one’s Mother. Well one’s pregnant Mother. At my thought she shivered slightly and glanced down at the floor.

  Inside my skull I felt a surge of unfamiliar male minds suddenly pressing in on me, and immediately sat up straighter in my chair, alarm bells clanging about in my head. Goodness, I hadn’t realized I had such a large audience, and then winced again as I realized… uh oh, this wasn’t going to be good. In fact I think I needed to get out of the Sidhe soon, before I ended up in serious trouble. Judging by the guard at her door and remembering what the Queen had said, this could get ugly quickly. Maybe I should just slip out now before I said or did something that got me into real trouble.

  “You can’t.” She warned me, her eyes becoming more distressed. “Whatever you do you mustn’t insult the Queen.” I sighed and nodded while in my brain there seemed to be an all-male gleeful choir singing. The fact that I could sense them was more than a bit distracting, not to mention disturbing.

  “Was there anything else?” I asked, and then pushed myself to my feet when she shook her head at me. “Are you and my sisters well?” I continued, grateful that that seemed to be all I’d done the previous evening, while somewhat distracted with the masses clamoring for attention in my head. It was a bit like sitting amidst a group of eight year old kids who were all talking at once.

  “Yes aside from a little soreness…” She gave me a lopsided smile. “Your Father was most vigorous.” She told me baldly and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at her disgruntled look. Then thought about it and nearly gagged. Yuck! My reaction seemed to distract my mental intruders briefly and I thought perhaps they had withdrawn, however a ripple of amusement soon swelled to a crescendo that nearly caused my eyes to cross. If th
is didn’t cease immediately I was going to have to raise my shields I thought firmly. The thought brought me nearly instant relief as my unwanted visitors exhibited self-restraint and managed to stop the mental broadcast. In a blink of the eye I could see straight again and the clamoring had dropped to a manageable pressure at the base of my skull.

  “Whatever are you doing?” Mom demanded her head tilted to the side as she stared at me in irritation.

  “Sorry, sorry.” I muttered. “Apparently I picked up some strays when I got here.” I told her and she frowned and looked at me as if I’d indeed lost my mind. Obviously she wasn’t having the same issue that I was.

  “Of course not.” She sniffed indignantly. “They wouldn’t dare. And if you had paid more attention to your lessons you wouldn’t be having a problem either.”

  What lessons, I couldn’t help wondering. It wasn’t as if she’d ever gone over the perils of having men invade my mind. Yeah I must have completely missed that chapter in my ‘How-To Be a Successful Princess’ manual. I lifted one eyebrow and stared back at her while she discovered an immediate need to thoroughly inspect her recent manicure. From here I could tell it looked perfect.

  Taking a deep breath I shook my head as if to dislodge the last of them and tried to remember what we were discussing. Oh yeah, “You are supposed to enjoy it, Mom.” I informed her, trying hard not to think about the fact that this was my parents I was discussing, or the slight murmur of approval surge in my noggin. “It’s not a duty you know.” Well it could be… and in fact it was for me. But I was happy in my work and didn’t view it that way at all, at least not yet. But I might! I thought sourly when the volume once again increased and I gritted my teeth in mental self-defense.

  “Yes, I know.” She replied with an annoyed frown. “It is just a lot to deal with. Your Father has been gone a very long time and I am used to being alone. He snores.” She muttered, sounding more than a bit disgruntled. This time I could not help myself, I chuckled, which caused her to wince and rub at her temples.