The witch nodded. “He can do extraordinary things with it.”
“He’s wearing a student uniform – Ja Hua has not only graduated; she has over thirty years’ experience.” This was outrageous. Did the Princess seriously think that this ragtag group of misfits was a real plan?
“Excuse me, I have combat training and over thirty years’ experience in Earth magic.”
“I appreciate that, Lady Mira, but what is your track record against Ja Hua?” Chactau was skeptical that this plan was going to work. They had two relics, a magical dragon’s lance, and while Marut seemed to be an excellent spy he had no combat experience. “Zhao, you’re still a student. There is no way you can out maneuver the King and his trained Water Witch – who is also an expert at Earth magic. They have decades of battlefield experience as a combined unit. Convince me you can do this. Or, may I suggest that you get to safety while you can.”
Zhao shook his head. “I am not, I am going to try, but mostly I’ll be a distraction so you, General Loutic, and Mira can take them out. I don’t want Agne to do it, her paws shouldn’t have her father’s blood on them.”
“Agreed. I am not actually sure she could do it.” Chactau nodded. “And when the King eats you, that’ll solve my problem of what to do about Princess Agne’s rider. Marut, are you sure you want to expose your cover here? She’ll need you.”
“I am the backup body-shield.” Marut nodded. “Besides, I have been thinking, if I live, I might want a barn near Blue Valley, or in East Blue Plains if they rebuild it. I can get my family’s waystation up and running again.”
Chactau nodded. “I personally will make sure you have one.” He pointed at Mira with his tail. “And you? What are you doing here?”
“I want justice. Ja Hua’s actions killed my entire family, took my livelihood, and left me with less than nothing. I also want that book destroyed. I don’t want anyone to be able to follow Ja Hua-after she is ground to dust.”
He nodded. “She keeps it in her rider uniform jacket, right side. Watch out for the quill, it’s bewitched. Also, you should be aware the human monks have copied passages of her spell book for the library.”
She nodded, “Are we all straight then?”
“Sounds like a plan,” he said preparing to take off.
Their loyal troops were ready, and the lower ranks would fall into lockstep with them. The only question now; who among the nobles will be with them, and who will be with the king?
“What if Zhao survives?” Mira glanced at the boy.
“I don’t think he intends to, but if he does, that would certainly change everyone’s opinion.” He reared up to take off. “I’d keep him out of South Dragons Ridge, though.” He flew back over the wall to finalize the military plans.
THE LILAC PRINCESS AND THE BLOOD KING
Agne still wasn’t tired of smiling and saying hello to everyone who walked by. She allowed herself to enjoy what could possibly be her last few hours alive. She wasn’t going to spend them cowering. Everyone looked to the south as the leading scouts returned to announce the Blood King was less than ten minutes out.
Agne looked at Loutic. “Are you sure about me being out here?”
The only worry nagging at her was the fact that her father had never seen her away from the castle interior. Chactau had not returned yet. She knew nothing about what Zhao, Marut, and Mira were up to. Right now, they were an unknown element in terms of what was going on with them, and she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with unknown elements
Loutic nodded, “It will stun him that you are out here, and give us that five or ten-second delay, to move the plan into motion. If this lasts more than three minutes, get out of here as fast as you can. Remember: go to the Rouker Oasis.”
The courtyard was even more alive with more merchants, tents, and dragons setting up games and sports. It looked like a celebration was about to happen, not a forced changing of the Royal Crown. She frowned, that meant people didn’t know what was about to happen.
“General Loutic?”
“Yes, Princess.” Loutic glanced down at her.
“What about the innocent people here in the courtyard?”
“We can only pray they will not be harmed. We need the courtyard to look as he expects it to, from afar. He will only see you upon his landing, by then it will be too late.” He smiled. “Marut was right about you.”
“Right about what?” She tried to look confused. “Don’t tell me you know him too?”
“I delivered a message from your Mother to him about a month ago. He didn’t know it was me, or this would already be over.” He nodded to a set of older dragon’s that walked by, trying not to look like they were staring at Agne. “He was right that you were a Queen who would fight for justice, not a Puppy Princess who needed tea parties to be happy. Fear not, I will personally see to it you will never be out of the information loop again. You have more than proven yourself.”
“I am here.” Chactau ran up and sat on his hindquarters next to Loutic, but in front of Agne. “We have backup. Mira, an Earth witch- a rival of Ja Hua. Mira’ll take care of getting Ja Hua so we can concentrate on the King. As a secret weapon, we also have a Water Wizard, the Princess’s kidnapper, Zhao; and he is armed with the Dragon Foot Wand.”
“Wow, that nasty wand is real?” Loutic pursed his lips, nodding. “When Ja Hua is buried, I want it to be an unmarked grave, so no one can pray over her body. And I want that unholy book burned, along with the library copies.”
Chactau nodded, “I want it unmarked so I can wee on it, and no one can get upset that I am doing it. I just want to know I am doing it.”
She pursed her lips, unable to decide on whether or not she thought he was serious. “You two have quite a lot in common with Zhao.”
Loutic frowned. “No burials for her, but I am not sure we can avoid one for the Blood King; but we can put his name on it, instead of his title.”
“Burials aren’t for the dead, they are for the living,” Agne objected. “Remember, Justice not revenge. Ja Hua will be buried in her saddle, in my father’s grave; and no one under my direct command will wee on it. We are still a civilized nation.”
She cast a glare at Chactau. Ja Hua had been kind to her. She would pray over her body so she could move on to the next plane of existence, hopefully with the little bit of peace that such a person could muster.
“Can’t blame me for at least thinking about it after what those two have done,” he said smiling at her, before scanning the crowd again.
Before either of them could answer her, they heard the combined roars of all four elemental powers announcing the king’s arrival. An electrical fear ran down her neck and into her tail, before recomposing herself with a perfect princess smile, but all four of her leg creases were sweating. She hoped no one noticed – or smelled.
“Just stay behind us,” Chactau said, giving her a look, and curling his tail to be ready to jump in front of her.
She nodded toward him. He wasn’t the brute she thought he was. Someday, he would be a good mate, and help her raise wise and strong pups.
“The King has arrived.” The Royal Announcer landed in the courtyard, and did a double take at Agne. He had never seen her, only heard of her. He openly stared- stunned for a moment.
Her father landed in front of him, not double taking. He wouldn’t be as easily distracted as Chactau and Loutic thought. He pointed with his tail at her. “What is the Crown Princess doing here?”
Ja Hua nodded from the saddle on her father’s back. “She should be tucked safely into her bed, with the guards doubled on her quarters.” She took her wand out, holding it ready. “Something is wrong, Ti.” She patted the King’s neck.
“Majesty.” Loutic nodded but did not bow. “The people are grieved, and are demanding justice for the destruction of South Dragons Ridge, The Sand Dragon Island of Ownagla, and the small village of Golden Sands.”
“Are you serious?” Her father lowered his head. For the Ea
rth Dragon magic in him this was a dangerous pose, plus it opened up the field of view for Ja Hua to use her magic without hitting the king in the back of the head. In this position, it would be effortless for him to bury them a hundred feet underground. Only Chactau could counter him, and he wasn’t strong enough with Ja Hua fueling the King’s Earth magic. He would kill them all.
Ja Hua smiled, and with the smallest flick of the wand in her wrist, “I think you are mistaken,” she said, in a strangely pleasant and even sounding voice. “Please take the Princess back to her room….” Her words were cut off as she began gagging.
“Earth cancels Earth,” Mira said, jumping out from the side. “You, Ja Hua, are wanted in Sea’An’Tia and the Village of Dragons Lance for murder. You will return with me.”
The Blood King reared and roared flames at her, but a wave of water put them out.
“You looked as though you had been stricken with thirst, Majesty,” Marut said, swooping in with Zhao in the purple saddle on his back. The light glimmered off the Crown of Shestafa still stuck to Marut’s horn.
“The crown!” Ja Hua said, “Decentalava.” She flicked her wand hard at the ground, and Marut and Zhao crashed in the courtyard behind her.
Chactau jumped up on all fours. “That is our cue.”
Loutic nodded. “Abril, Levelan! Now!”
An Air Dragon and Water Dragon ran out, just as the King reared up to roar again.
“No way!” Agne heard Zhao shout from somewhere, but she wasn’t sure where he was.
A dragon’s lance flew over her head and straight into Ja Hua’s chest. She put both her hands on the javelin, coughing up blood.
“Ja Hua!” The Blood King screamed, “Ja Hua, no. Someone get a Water Dragon for my rider. Now!” He removed her from the saddle and lay her down breathing fire to stop the bleeding; cauterizing the wound as he pulled the lance out of her chest, but it wouldn’t be enough.
Ja Hua screamed, and coughed up more blood, before passing out.
Marut landed in front of him, “I can use Water magic,” he roared, but instead of healing Ja Hua he completely dehydrated her into a horrible mummified mess.
She crumbled to dust in the King’s fore paws as his eyes widened in horror. “No, you can’t leave me. You’re the only one I actually trust. My dear rider. No.” He reared on Marut. “I’ll burn you to ashes.”
“No!” Agne flapped her wings to jump over her two guards and landed between Marut and her Father. “No! Father, you have killed too many. I am not going to let you kill anyone else.”
“You would turn against me for them?” He narrowed his eyes at her. It was a look she had never seen before, indicating she’d just surprised him. “You would turn your back on Ja Hua, who has been like a second mother to you?”
“When this all started I just wanted my wonderful daddy back. But you have terrorized the countryside, killed my sisters, and most horrible of all, you killed the only one of your stupid wives who actually loved you. Yes! I will stand for myself, against you.” She pointed at him with her tail. Chactau and Loutic, move closer to her.
He reared on her, roaring flames, but Loutic blocked him, while Chactau used a sonic boom roar to stun him. He regained his senses and reared again. “Why you insulant little, ungrateful…” a wave of ice water washed over him. Agne couldn’t tell where it came from, except that it wasn’t Zhao. He jumped up, randomly blowing flames over the little tents and awnings.
“Kill him now!” someone screamed from somewhere in the crowd. “Free us! Our Queen, we beg you! Free us!”
More in the crowd chanted. “Free us! Free us! Free us!”
“I’ll burn and bury you all.” He reared on the crowd of dragons and used a liquefaction quake as he blew flames on them in an attempt to cause a pyroclastic flow, but without mother and Ja Hua, he couldn’t. He looked around, as if he was trying to figure out who was with him- and how to use his dragon magic without Ja Hua.
Now or never! She reared and roared with all her might, bringing a hurricane of fire down on him. She knew the fire wouldn’t hurt him, but the wind would. Loutic joined in with her, as did two Air dragons.
“Water Dragons! Ice! Now!” Chactau yelled from behind her. “Earth Dragons, stand down.”
Marut pushed her out of the way and joined three other Water Dragons who roared ice at the King. When she was done roaring she knew immediately something was wrong. Her father just stood there, not moving.
AGNE AND CHACTAU
Her father made eye contact with her, unable to move.
“Don’t look, Agne. He cooled too fast,” Zhao said, aiming the Dragon Foot Wand at the king as arrow-like shards of ice were driven straight into her father’s chest, who shattered as soon as it hit him.
“Daddy! No!” Agne said, trying to run over to where he had been standing, but Chactau and Loutic caught her. “No Princess, no one should see a family member like that.” They blocked her view.
“No!” She burst into hysterical crying.
She cried harder when a cheer erupted in the courtyard, followed by “Long live the Lilac Queen.”
“She has freed us!”
“Her prophecy is true!”
“Long live the new Queen! The Lilac Queen, Bringer of Justice!”
Marut joined her with Zhao still strapped in. He turned his horn toward her. “You have to take this, while they are all looking.” A ray of sunshine flashed off the Crown of Shestafa.
She continued crying as she tried to break through Chactau’s and Loutic’s grip.
“My Queen, you have to take this.” Marut corralled her with his tail. “Please, take it. Take the throne. I am just the bearer, you know that.”
“Lilac, I am sorry.” Zhao had tears streaming down his face. “But, you have to take the crown; everyone is looking on. Your subjects must know there is a ruler on the throne, or it will create more chaos.”
She looked at Marut, her eyes landing on the Crown of Shestafa. She sat up on her hindquarters and pinched the crown with her claws. It slid off with ease. She glanced back at Chactau.
“The Queen has taken her crown from the bearer!” Someone yelled from the crowd.
“My betrothed will crown me,” she said, in a low voice, but everyone heard her as silence spread across the courtyard. Every eye followed the crown as she handed it to Chactau.
Chactau smiled, taking the crown from her. “May I present, my betrothed, Agne, Queen of North Dragons Ridge and all the Kingdoms of Shestafa.” He slid the crown on her left horn, and a cheer erupted.
“Long live the Lilac Queen Agne; May she bring us peace!” It was a few at first, then the roars were almost overpowering as they repeated the cheer.
After what seemed like several minutes, she leaned into Loutic. “I need to return to my quarters. I don’t have it in me to continue my fake happiness.”
“Of course, My Queen.” Loutic nodded to Chactau, and then Marut and Zhao.
Chactau reared up on his hind legs, roaring for silence, as the cheer died down he said, “The Queen will hold a coronation festival in five days. Until then, we’ll escort her back to her chambers.”
They flew up to her chamber window. Agne heading all the way in, before realizing Chactau, Loutic, and Marut and Zhao, were perched on the dragon’s roost bar outside the window.
“What are you doing?”
“Until the royal chambers are ready, these are the queen’s chambers. We cannot enter without your permission,” Loutic said.
“Please, enter,” Agne said, feeling a strange numbness wash over her.
“Where’s Mira?” Marut looked around. “She isn’t here.”
“She was by the merchant’s tents.” Loutic pointed with his tail.
“One of you needs to find her, and Ja Hua’s spell book should be in her clothing – right front.” Agne felt stupid. How could she have overlooked that?
“I’ll get it,” she heard Loutic say as he flew out the window.
“Zhao I need to
talk to you.” Tears still streamed freely down her face. “You said, you wouldn’t kill him in revenge.”
“I didn’t. He was going to rear on you as soon as his temperature evened out.” He dismounted, and walked over to her. “I couldn’t let him hurt you. I would truly have nothing left to live for.” He put his hands on either side of her horns and leaned his head against hers. “Majesty, please, forgive me, for I chose your life over his. Punish me with death, but please do not be sad you lived and he did not.”
“My Queen,” Chactau said, from the balcony’s roost. “He is correct. If he hadn’t done it, we would have. It was the perfect time, and Zhao was in the perfect position to use the wand, without the additional loss of dragon life or limb.” He turned back to look down at the crowd growing louder. “They are shouting Zhao’s name. He is a hero to our nation.”
Marut nodded, “I know you wanted to believe in justice in the form of him paying for his crimes, but everyone in this room, including you, knows that he never would have stepped down and accepted justice. And Zhao, I could really use your help rebuilding the Waystation Inn. A hero of the nation would be a great start getting the right kind of tourist to visit.”
The chanting outside was getting louder.
Marut looked at her new crown. “It was my mother’s. She was given it to hide. She used to say it would find its way to the right horn when needed by a Child of Shestafa.”
She leaned to look at the crown in her mirror, nearly knocking Zhao over since he was still leaning on her horns. She tried to roar ice but coughed up a teeny ice cube.
Chactau said, over his shoulder. “It takes a while to master the crown, Your Grace.”
“How is it you know so much about it,” Agne asked, walking over to him. The sight of her in the window brought more cheers from the growing crowd below.
“Your Grace, inside.” Chactau ushered her back inside. “You cannot present yourself as a target like that.”
She stepped back inside. She hadn’t considered that her security level just changed.
“Ja Hua and The Blood King were obsessed with it. I studied everything about it. It will only work for royal blood. It also takes the intention into account. That was how I knew Marut attacked the King and Ja Hua in defense of you. It would not have worked if he meant to murder them.”
The Lilac Princess and the Blood King Page 20
