The Lilac Princess and the Blood King

by Green, Karine

  “Come,” Chactau motioned to her. “Let’s rest so we can be ready tomorrow afternoon. Loutic wake me if you get too tired.”

  Loutic nodded. “Will do.”

  She smiled and curled up close to Chactau who was going to sleep first. They were her official escorts, so she didn’t need to worry about sending the wrong message. They would switch places halfway through the night, meaning she could lay her head on both their front paws and use her Fire magic. She allowed herself to drift off to sleep trying not to think about tomorrow.

  If all was going well, then Marut, Zhao, and Mira should arrive at the same time as her since she was stuck flying slow speed with them. It didn’t bother her. The last few days had moved at a break-neck speed, and the slower pace was a nice rest. Her only concern at the moment was when to let the Generals in on her plan.

  ~~~

  In the morning, she awoke to Chactau skinning a deer. He sliced off the best pieces for her and handed them over. “Do you want the antlers?”

  “I love the antlers, yes, please.” She happily chewed them up, like a little pup. Loutic was still sleeping.

  “Loutic and I were talking. Without your mother, and the king, you need guardians; and no, we are not going to install a non-royal bastard as your guardian; not negotiable. We will be your guardians until you reach adulthood, then you will choose one of us for your mate.”

  “Of course,” she said nodding. She knew it. It was too good to be true. Magic has a price. She smiled, but a feeling of unease was rising.

  She wasn’t interested in them in the least. No, wait: they are powerful allies. She needed them. It will be one of them who will be her future mate if she is to hold Shestafa together as a nation. She wouldn’t have the luxury of choosing a mate for love, practicality would have to come first, followed by the hope that love would follow.

  Chactau stared at her. “Really? No – ‘you’re the gross King’s patsy?’ No, ‘Go away and leave me alone.’” He seemed surprised that she didn’t laugh at him, and the way he offered the snarky comment at the end suggested that despite his general good looks, he was not very lucky with females.

  She wondered if they were turned off by his position. He’s too close to the crown for anyone under the rank of princess to take a chance on him. Who in their right mind would want to play those kinds of royal games? Royals ruthlessly played for keeps, and that was something Chactau knew how to do.

  She had to laugh. “Well, by the time I reach adulthood, you’ll be the Lilac Queen’s Minister of National Security, not an enforcer of the Blood King. And hopefully settled down with your own pups and your own mate. Then you can enjoy your handsome reward. And so can Loutic. If we all survive.”

  Now, she understood why people thought the Passion Queen was manipulative – she had no choice. She couldn’t do that, she had to find a way to be honest with them—later, because right now she was too frightened to make sense of anything. Planning a coup was more stressful than she’d thought it would be. Unexpected deals would have to be made to get through this alive, let alone keep the nation together.

  He smiled, “I like that. It is a strong Earth Dragon title to carry.”

  She smiled at him, “And with the way you care for the people, it’s a title you’ll do very well in. The people will be happy with someone who is capable of remembering that they have needs too.” She hoped she wasn’t laying it on too thick. She needed him to believe her. She prayed he would be satisfied with that.

  “That is a laudable attempt to secure your own position,” Loutic said, opening one eye. He lifted his head to look at Chactau and he rolled over to sit up.

  Agne smiled at him. Laudable – he reminded her of Marut and wondered if he saw to Marut’s education. And, Loutic is Father’s spy chief which meant he actually worked for Mother. Why did everyone know more about her life and family than she did? She really had been that sheltered.

  Chactau looked from Agne to Loutic. “Thank you, but before you lose that hot temper of yours, you’ll remember that I said, we will be her legal guardians, and she will choose one of us for a mate.”

  “I have two gorgeous mates – who chose me- and, five of the best pups next to the Royals. I don’t need another mate, especially one who is young enough to want more pups; one’s with sharp teeth they bite everything with, and who rams dents into everything while their horn buds come in.”

  Chactau smiled, “If you are withdrawing, then you can call me Regent Chactau, before I become the King Consort to the Lilac Queen.”

  “Wait a minute, let’s not be hasty,” Loutic sat up straight on his hindquarters. “Everyone knows dragon females select the father of their pups, not the other way around. If she wants me, I will do as she asks.”

  Chactau smirked, “I’ll bet you would.”

  “Excuse me, Uncle Perverts. I am fifteen,” Agne said, pointing her tail at them respectively.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. We - your soon to be legal guardians - are discussing your future. The one five years from now, not five minutes from now,” Loutic said, frowning.

  Chactau pointed his long diamond claw at her, “You have been reading too many of those fiction books and scrolls. Because neither of us will consent to be the King Consort if you cease your education and become the Drama Queen versus the Lilac Queen we respect.”

  Her eyes widened as she nodded. The magic didn’t work. He just threatened her. Not only that, but Loutic expressed a greater passion for his current family, not an additional future family. They were the same Loutic and Chactau she had always heard about; it was their own ambition to be seated on the throne and pass it on to their own heir that prompted them to help her. She could have been killed.

  She forced a genuine smile, and shifted her thoughts. She looked between them lowering her head as she realized that luck had just bailed her dumb butt out of what could have easily been her being turned over to her father.

  “Yes, Princess?” Loutic frowned, in a disapproving parental way. “You have something to say?”

  She nodded and continued to force a smile. “I am very much looking forward to the future. I could do much worse for friends.”

  They both smiled and seemed to lighten up. “Well, let’s get into the air. We are about six hours out,” Loutic ate a deer leg. “I am ready.”

  ~~~

  They flew straight back to the castle, landing to Agne’s attendant’s jumping straight up in the air with joy. She smiled, to her, they looked like the little dragons in the puppet shows her father used to perform for her. She would make paper dragon cutouts by dragging her freshly sharpened claws along the parchment, then glue them to sticks, and he would make stories up for them. How could he be so different in reality?

  “Princess! We thought you were going to be killed by the kidnappers,” one of them said, jumping up unusually high.

  Chactau leaned over to her. “Don’t worry, I sent a bird to my Battalion with orders to find the kidnappers. Meanwhile, you go wait in your quarters. Loutic and I will take care of everything. Do not come out until one of us calls for you; personally, no messages; if you receive a message assume it’s a trap and get out.” He called her attendants over. “I want the Princess bathed and groomed for the King’s return.”

  Before she could say anything about the kidnappers not being enemies, she was led away, by her five attendants, who were complaining about the terrible mess on her scales.

  “Chactau, I need to talk to you. It’s important,” she called over her shoulder. He had sent an entire battalion to hunt them; they would be killed. He didn’t appear to hear her. “Chactau! Stop, everyone, stop! I can lead myself.” She broke away and ran over to him.

  “Please.” She head butted him gently, a move that publicly stated her choice between Chactau and Loutic. She whispered, “I need you to call off your troops from the kidnappers. They may have started out that way, but now they are part of my plan. If nothing else two of them aren’t kidnappers. One really helped me, an
d is a very skilled spy. He has access to an Earth witch and should be here soon, I hope, to counter Ja Hua.” She deliberately left off the fact it was Marut, the Lost Pup.

  A grin spread across his face. “Well, aren’t we full of surprises?”

  “Yes, just like planning to become the King Consort.”

  He smiled again, “We all have our secrets, Your Grace. I’ll send a message right now. Please have them report to me when they arrive.”

  “If they aren’t killed. Your troops aren’t known for missing their mark.” She smiled to maintain an air of confidence to those standing around her while hoping they couldn’t overhear the whispering. “And if you want to remotely be considered as the King Consort you’ll remember; I just gave up my secrets and gave you a public edge in the Consort Contest. Consider it a gift to strengthen our partnership.”

  “Understood,” he nodded. “They won’t kill them. Their orders are to bring them to me, but I’ll call them off. To return your goodwill, Loutic and your mother planned this for quite some time. Princess Salma got in the way because she knew the older and more educated you became, the more he would train you to take over as the Crown Princess. That’s also why he went completely nuts when he saw you as tainted.”

  “Really,” she said, raising her brow. “Then why did he raise me to be…so afraid of the outside world.”

  “You know those stories he told you over the little tea parties. He was seeing if you were intuitive enough to rule – or so Loutic tells me. Loutic and my father talked him into it because your sisters were even worse than him. They did, after all, sell you to a vengeful little boy.”

  “A boy who has grown up quite a lot over the last week. I doubt he would ever make the same mistake again. He truly had no idea he was my sisters’ pawn.”

  “He should be prosecuted and left limbless for kidnapping you. He may not have known their state of mind, but he knew his state of mind. I would understand pardoning him because he was clearly used, but his heart was his heart. The princesses only gave him an avenue to use it.” he head butted her gently. “As to the spy, we can interview him and then make a decision later. Are you sure he didn’t…”

  “Positive.” She nodded. “He knew nothing, not until a day or so after we found him. He hasn’t been forthcoming with me, but he isn’t a kidnapper, and doesn’t seem to like Zhao – the boy who kidnapped me.”

  Loutic cantered over. “What’s going on? We need her to be the clean, perfect little princess when he arrives. He can’t be that far behind us.” He raised his voice, “Has anyone called for the jeweler to polish her claws?”

  One of her attendants ran off. “I’ll get him.”

  “Apparently, she isn’t the naïve little thing you said she was. She has a trained spy and an Earth witch en-route. I’ll explain the rest later,” Chactau whispered to Loutic. “Meanwhile, Princess, your attendants are very anxious to bathe you.” He pointed with his tail toward her quarters. “May we outlive our enemies, Princess. Forgive us, we have duties to perform, your Highness.”

  “May your words ring true,” she said, nodding as she headed to her chambers.

  She was bathed by her attendants while another heated the coals in her bed. She couldn’t wait to curl up in it, and at least pretend like everything was as it used to be. It would be nice, just for an hour or two. She waited while they used the gold dusted wax to polish her scales, and the Jeweler polished and fixed her claws, thankfully missing the thin ring on her little rear claw.

  An hour later, she sent the ring off with a messenger bird and curled up on her hot coals. It felt so good that she drifted off to sleep almost instantly, thinking about Zhao and Marut.

  Maybe Chactau was right about Zhao? She could pardon him for the favor of enlightening her to the truth, but there was no way anyone at the palace would accept her taking a rider, let alone one who had committed a felony against her.

  Still, she appreciated that he put her in a position to really help the people. He could have some land, and a house. At least have his wealth restored; A fresh start in a new village. She could commission the rebuilding of East Blue Plains…or she could wait and see how this pans out and decide later.

  ZHAO’S OATH

  “Princess, wake up. It’s me, Marut. Your aunt was right. An unridered dragon can just walk right into the castle without question,” Marut said, gently patting her shoulder.

  Agne jumped up, and head butted him hello. “I was so worried. Chactau said he sent troops for you.”

  He head butted her back. “Easy to avoid, they are Earth Dragons. The spells they used were easily countered by Air magic to make our presence invisible.”

  “I assume you have some sort of plan?” she asked. “Are you and Zhao getting along better?”

  He nodded, “He’s not that bad without his emotional block. I learned Air Dragons are sensitive to it. I guess your Fire Magic countered it for you.” Then he shook his head, shrugging. “Mira and Zhao are waiting in the forest about ten minutes out, not far from Pumice Plains.” He frowned at her. “You really scared us when you ran out to those two like that after claiming to have the same power as the Passion Queen.”

  “They have been planning their own coup, with Mother. I was so stupid to think that I had that sort of magic. They didn’t kill me because they expect me to choose one of them for the King Consort. Most likely Chactau, since Loutic seems content with his family situation, and I marked Chactau in public without thinking.”

  “Really? But they are your father’s top generals? They are the Fire and Earth part of one of his most loyal Elemental teams.” He frowned, “How do you know they won’t take over?”

  “They need royal blood to please the people. I am it. They are also concerned about how the people would handle the death of the legendary Lilac Princess. So, the only way to take power in a manner that won’t lead to civil war is to mate themselves to me. Not only that, but until I am of age, they will act as joint regents. Marut, they already have taken over. Mira was right about everything except one, my mother didn’t make it.” She looked at him. “Our mother didn’t make it.”

  “I suspected as much.” He looked away. “I was raised, until I was ten, by the parents who loved me, who wanted me. My mother was killed at her waystation inn by the Blood King, who also killed my father—the waystation inn owner. When I go to the grave that will be the story in the scrolls of my family. Your mother,” he looked directly at her, “died saving you, and only you – her only pup. She only contacted me to save you. I did it because I am out of the currency needed to live in a proper village.” He cocked his ears straight forward. “Do you understand? That has to be the official reason. Agne, I don’t want to play this political game. They all wake up dead.”

  “I don’t blame you.” She broke his gaze to look at the floor. “I can’t thank Zhao enough for showing me the truth. But we both know I can’t keep him as a rider. The people will never accept it, especially South Dragons Ridge. I need all of the Kingdoms to be united in my nation; that won’t happen with Zhao so close to me. But I need…”

  “He’s not so bad, I’ll make sure he’s safe. He’s got a keen business sense. We were talking about the waystation. He would be a good rider for me– once he gets over you.”

  “Thank you.” Agne nodded. “And, you’ll both have whatever you need.”

  He wrinkled his forehead. “There’s more.”

  “Oh, gods, What now?”

  “I wasn’t going to tell you, but while I’m still your big brother, I want you to know…”

  “Top Secret or Not, you’ll always be my big brother.”

  He smiled, but it faded as soon as it crossed his face. He perked his ears forward. “You are the Blood King’s only pup. The other queens sought consorts to provide pups. They lied to your father, but he knew. That’s the real reason he has eyes only for you; you truly are his only pup. I don’t mean to sound extreme, but you should consider making any surviving queens leave the castle.
And: two of Loutic’s sons are actually our mother’s pups. So, you see, her eggs weren’t smashed. They survived and were turned over to their father.”

  Agne put her ears back. “Why am I not shocked?”

  “I swear I didn’t know that. Zhao scryed it during one of his lessons with the Dragon Foot Wand.”

  Agne smiled. “I know. I can tell by the way you’re here now. That and Loutic backed out a little bit too gracefully at the prospect of being my mate. He also said he had two mates, but I have only met one. My mother was his other one; his secret one.” She sighed, “He’s been very uncle like to me so far. Says I remind him of Mother.”

  “Does he know, you know about me?”

  Agne shook her head.

  “Let’s keep it that way for a while.”

  She nodded. “I just need to get through today. And no matter what the King is to anyone else, he was just plain Daddy to me, no matter the circumstances. That’s how I’ll always remember him.”

  He took in a very deep breath. “How do you feel about Chactoe? He’s the same age as me, you know. A bit old for you; don’t you think.”

  “Chactau; and I don’t know. It’s just a betrothal. From what I have been told about him, he’s an honorable dragon, who won’t force me to do anything I don’t want to. He is handsome, smart, and familiar with government functions…” she shrugged.

  “Conniving is more like it. Sounds like you like him.” Marut looked like she had just slapped him with her tail.

  She smiled, and then knitted her brow, frowning, “I am of age to be betrothed if I want to be. I do know that Chactau hasn’t lied to me, and told me the whole truth when I gave him the chance to.”

  “I didn’t even know the entire truth.” He looked at the carpet and didn’t make eye contact with her. “Come, Princess, we have to go get Zhao and Mira.”

  “But the Wonder Generals told me to wait here. What will they do if I disobey? They have the military power we need to hold the nation together. What if the King returns and I am gone, after he was told I was coming here? The last time I disobeyed I accidentally gave rampage a new meaning. We cannot afford to lose our new allies – no matter what you think of them.”