Suddenly a voice in my head spoke, “Do not worry, little one, I am here.”
I looked up to see Snow flying down towards us, her huge wings spanning out and covering the sky. On her back, looking furious, was Uncle Gabriel, brandishing his flashing sword in his hand.
“Erien!” he barked, as the pegasus landed in the middle of the circle of bandits. “Take Aurora and get back to the castle.” He jumped easily off the pegasus. “I will handle them.”
“He’s a mage,” said one of the men, taking a step back.
“So what? He’s only one. We’re ten of us. The young ones won’t be much trouble. Capture the girl, hand her over to the Shadow Guard, and collect our money—simple,” the bandit leader said, letting out a sick, twisted laugh.
I was terrified. Did Uncle Gabriel really think that he could fight so many of them?
“You dare to threaten a lord of Eldoren,” said Uncle Gabriel, looking more menacing than I had ever seen him. “I have had reports of a group of bandits in these woods that have been terrorizing travelers. I think this is a perfect opportunity to get rid of you lot for good.”
The bandit leader sneered, “You’re just one old man. What can you do?”
Another bandit didn’t look too convinced. “That’s the Duke of Silverthorne himself,” he hissed in the leader’s ear. “I was in his dungeon for three years. Maybe we’d better get moving.”
“He’s got no guards,” spat the leader. “We’ll finish him off here in the woods and make an example. The nobility think that they can do whatever they want. But I will make them pay for it. I will make ‘em think twice b’fore—”
His words were cut off as Uncle Gabriel swung his huge sword, cutting down the leader in one clean sweep. He fell to the ground in a mass of crimson while another two bandits dropped their weapons and ran for their lives.
“Who’s next?” said Uncle Gabriel, whirling his sword in his hand with such dexterity that I could only look with wonder. I needed to learn to fight like that, I thought suddenly to myself.
The rest of the bandits were still closing in on us.
“They are just bandits; none have magic. I’ll take care of them,” said Uncle Gabriel. “Go! I will see you at the castle.”
Twilight was upon us, and dark shadows moved about the forest floor like additional warriors in the fight. Uncle Gabriel took a step forward towards a group of three bandits, who were now looking very unsure of themselves.
“Create a shield, and get on Snow,” said Uncle Gabriel to me quietly, so only I could hear.
I nodded, closed my eyes and concentrated hard. I infused myself with the white light and drew a magical shield around myself. Snow was struggling, as two bandits caught her mane. She could have flown off, but she was waiting for me.
“Shield yourself, and run towards me,” said Snow’s voice, calming my distressed mind.
I looked around; we were completely surrounded, and the bandits were still coming. They were now circling Uncle Gabriel and Erien. I got up from a sprawled heap, gathered my skirt, and ran towards Snow. It was hard, trying to concentrate and keep my shield around me at the same time.
Suddenly a knife came whizzing towards me and bounced off my invisible shield just inches from my face. I whirled around to see Uncle Gabriel shoot bolts of white light from his fingertips, and two men crumpled before my eyes. There were four more bandits left, and they were advancing, with two more still holding on to Snow. How many of them were there? I couldn’t even count. They kept materializing one by one, out from behind the trees.
“Run now!” Uncle Gabriel said urgently to me. “Erien! Go with her.”
“But I want to fight,” said Erien childishly.
Uncle Gabriel looked furious. “By the Gods, Erien, I said go now! Hold your shield until you are both out of harm’s way.”
Erien ran with me towards Snow.
I looked back for a second and saw that Uncle Gabriel was now battling the rest of the bandits with his sword. He whirled around and fought like a young man. I was amazed at his agility and strength. I ran as fast as I could and pulled myself up onto Snow’s back with the help of her mane. Erien fought the men holding the pegasus, and I had to admit he was pretty fast and quite a good swordsman. The bandit’s weapons were flung away as they ran from Erien’s flashing sword. He jumped onto Snow behind me.
“Shouldn’t we go back?” I said to Erien. “What if Uncle Gabriel needs help?”
Erien laughed, completely undaunted. “Oh, Grandfather can take care of himself,” he said. “It’s the bandits who you have to worry about. I just hope he doesn’t hurt them too badly; the last lot couldn’t stand trial for a month until they had healed.” He laughed again, as if at some secret joke.
Snow cantered gracefully along the forest path, spread out her powerful white wings, and flew off into the sky towards Silverthorne Castle.
13
The Heir
By now the whole of Silverthorne Castle was awake. Uncle Gabriel came striding into the courtyard with a thunderous look on his aging face.
“How did he get here before us?” I asked Erien. “The last time I saw him he was battling bandits in the woods, and now he’s back here at the castle as if he never left.”
“The forests around these parts have gateways that lead in and out of the castle,” whispered Erien. “The fae have left them all over the place. We used to use this one very often when we played Princes and Dragons.”
I nodded, understanding. Rafe had explained about the fae gateways.
Aunt Serena followed her father and appeared just as angry as him. Uncle Gabriel looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel. First, he called to some of his guards and gave them the precise location of the bandits.
“We really need to have a talk, young lady,” said Uncle Gabriel, coming up to me. “Do you not understand the dangers that surround you, or do you openly want to defy authority? Tonight’s performance has greatly disappointed me.”
I hung my head in shame. I didn’t want to be a disappointment, I just wanted to have some fun and learn about this world, so that I wouldn’t be as ignorant about the dangers anymore.
“How could you sneak out of the castle without telling us?” Aunt Serena added. She also looked extremely upset. “I was almost eighteen summers before I was allowed out of the castle alone. You’ve only been here a few days and already you are sneaking out and getting caught by bandits in the woods. What if there was something else out there other than just bandits? You may not have been so lucky.”
“And you,” she said, turning to Erien, “have you no sense? Aurora has no way to defend herself yet. Do have any idea what losing her would mean to us, to the kingdom, to all the kingdoms? I cannot even begin to think what will happen if she . . .”
“Enough, Serena,” said Uncle Gabriel sternly. “This is not the time and the place to talk about this. We shall retire for the night, and in the morning we can decide what has to be done.”
“All right, let us go back inside,” said Aunt Serena. “It’s late and you must be very tired.”
I nodded.
“And Erien, you are confined to your quarters until I say otherwise. Is that clear?” said his mother, looking at her son fiercely.
Erien just nodded, looking very sheepish.
“It wasn’t his fault; I made him take me. I threatened him,” I lied, trying to save my cousin from a seriously long grounding. I hated lying, but it would be just horrible if Erien were blamed because I begged him to take me.
“I highly doubt that,” said Uncle Gabriel, “but, all the same, I will have to have a talk with you, young man. Now, I don’t want any more arguments from you, Aurora. Get to your room immediately, and stay there.”
I knew better than to argue when he was in this mood and nodded. I had expected the punishment to be worse. The note of finality in his voice was enough for me to know that there was no use arguing now.
“Sorry, Snow,” I said to the pegasus in
my mind. “I nearly got you captured again.”
“I’m fine. Just get some rest, my dear,” said Snow.
I half turned to see Snow being gently led away by one of the other grooms.
“Snow?” I said. “How come you let the Duke ride you? I thought only the royal fae can ride a pegasus.”
“No, my dear one, a pegasus has a choice whom they allow to ride them,” said Snow, still walking away. “Your uncle came to me, told me you may be in danger, and asked for my help to get him there in time.”
“You can speak to others too?” I asked, genuinely surprised.
“Not exactly. I can understand what people say, although I cannot reply,” said Snow.
“Thank you,” I said, meaning every word. What would I have done without her?
“No, no, my dear little princess. I am here to protect you. Call to me whenever you are in trouble. Wherever I am, I will come to you,” said Snow as she walked gracefully away into the duke’s magnificent stables, her beautiful wings shimmering white in the moonlight.
The next morning was awkward. Uncle Gabriel didn’t speak to me at breakfast. I guessed he was still very angry about last night. The breakfast room was a light and airy place. Not exactly a room, but a lovely little gazebo, which was attached to the informal dining room of the castle, overlooking the vast gardens of Silverthorne Castle.
Aunt Serena made polite conversation, and Erien, completely unaware of the tension in the room, was tucking away into his eggs and fried ham like it was his last meal. Everything was delicious, but I couldn’t eat. I played with my boiled egg and nibbled on a slice of freshly baked bread filled with delicious dried fruits and nuts. I then washed it down with a cinnamon-infused honey and milk concoction, which was apparently Erien’s favorite and something the cook always made when he was residing in the castle.
I was supposed to go straight to my room after breakfast, but I meandered a little, strolling through the flowering courtyards and long corridors until I ended up, quite unconsciously, outside Uncle Gabriel’s study.
I heard Aunt Serena mention my name, and I went closer to have a small peek, since the door wasn’t completely shut. I knew it was wrong, but my curiosity got the better of me.
“She must go,” Uncle Gabriel was saying.
“It will be difficult for her to stay hidden,” said Aunt Serena.
The door opened suddenly, and Uncle Gabriel’s stormy face came into view.
“Come in, Aurora,” said Uncle Gabriel in an exasperated voice.
I rolled my eyes. How did he know I was eavesdropping? Aunt Serena smiled at me as I entered the room and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. What had they been talking about when I had very rudely interrupted them? I wondered.
“Well,” said Uncle Gabriel curtly, rubbing his temples with his fingers. “Sit down, Aurora.”
He sounded tired. I was getting a little worried about where the conversation was leading. I tried to fight the panic that had started accumulating in my chest. Would they throw me out just because I went into the woods? Would they punish me because I was eavesdropping? I had no idea what they were going to say or do. I sat down on the chair next to Aunt Serena.
“I was going to speak to you later today, but I guess this is as good a time as any,” Uncle Gabriel went on. “After all that has happened, I think you should have a better idea as to what exactly we are doing.”
“That would be nice,” I muttered under my breath.
“Aurora, you must at least try to understand how important your safety really is,” he paused. “I blame myself. I should not have kept you in the dark. After all, it’s your life and your kingdom that we are fighting for.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking at my aunt and uncle.
“Morgana is a tyrant,” said Aunt Serena. “She must be stopped.” She put her arm around my shoulders. “You are the heir of Azaren; you must be the one to take back your father’s throne and end Morgana’s rule forever.”
“Take back the throne!” I said, aghast at her proposition. “Are you serious?”
Just because I was the daughter of the real king didn’t make me fit to rule a kingdom. What did they expect from me? A girl of sixteen—with barely any magic—to capture a throne and then run a kingdom? I laughed to myself at the absurdity of that thought. What were these guys thinking? I was not comfortable with making decisions, especially when it might endanger people. Being anonymous suited me. I didn’t want to be a queen, although being a princess or a duchess would have its perks. I wanted to enjoy my life, but now I realized that a comfortable, stress-free life was not going to be possible.
Uncle Gabriel nodded. “You don’t seem to have any sense of responsibility, Aurora,” he said. “You are who you are, nothing can change that.”
I looked down at my hands. I wanted to live up to the expectations that they had in me, but I didn’t think I could do this; I wasn’t queen material.
“Morgana’s attempt on my life was all part of Lucian’s wayward plans for supremacy over the seven kingdoms,” my granduncle went on. “The archmage wants to implement an old law, one that was done away with centuries ago.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“He wants to break the treaty of the allied lands and invoke the old title of Illiador as the high kingdom, as it was in the days of old Avalonia, and,” he paused, “name Morgana high queen of all the seven kingdoms.”
I gasped. “Can he do that?” I asked, disturbed at this new turn of events.
Uncle Gabriel nodded. “As archmage, Lucian has a sway over both the council of thirteen in Illiador as well as the entire mage guild.” He paused. “He has also, as we feared, allied himself with the Drakaar.”
“The Drakaar! Who are they?”
“Rogue sorcerers, users of dark magic, and not ones we want to be associated with.” He looked at me very seriously. “They are different from mages, Aurora. They don’t follow the same magical restraints that we do.”
“They are never to be trusted,” said Aunt Serena seriously. “The seven kingdoms only remain safe from them because the mage guild has skilled and powerful warrior-mages who protect these lands.”
“What your aunt says is true; the Drakaar are very powerful and extremely treacherous. They have no rules or regulations to temper their magic,” said Uncle Gabriel.
“Where are they from?” I asked.
“They live beyond the Silverspike Mountains in the land we call Maradaar, or the Darklands. They are not part of the seven kingdoms, and no one has ever traveled into the Darklands and returned.”
“But why are the Drakaar helping Morgana?” I asked. “Don’t they have their own king?”
My granduncle nodded. “They do—his name is Dragath. He is a powerful demon lord who ruled these lands in an age long before the seven kingdoms were founded.”
“So where is Dragath now?” I asked, horrified at the thought of encountering a demon lord.
“He is long gone,” said Uncle Gabriel. “But the Drakaar still worship him like a god.”
“What happened?”
“Some say he’s gone forever,” Uncle Gabriel replied, “but it has also been said that he is still alive, trapped in his magical prison for all eternity.”
“Who trapped him?” I asked.
“Auraken Firedrake, the first fae-mage,” he said. “No one knows for sure what really happened, but the legends say that Auraken defeated Dragath in an extraordinary magical battle that shook the foundations of our world.”
Aunt Serena laughed at this. “Dragath is only a bedtime story told to children around campfires at night to scare them, Father,” she said.
“Maybe,” said Uncle Gabriel. “But know this: Dragath may be gone, but the Drakaar are not, they practice a dark magic older than any known to us. Lucian and Morgana are using the threat of the Drakaar to strike fear into the hearts of any that oppose them. After what happened last time Morgana was opposed, everyone is too scared to go against her open
ly.”
I remembered the horrific story Erien had told me about Morgana in the library, when she seized power after betraying my father, and the nobles opposed her rule. How Lucian, on Morgana’s instruction, massacred thousands of families until they all accepted her as queen.
“All the other kingdoms in the treaty have been given a few months to recognize Illiador as the high kingdom and Morgana as high queen,” said Aunt Serena.
“And if they don’t?” I asked. I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer.
“If they do not,” said Uncle Gabriel, “Morgana and Lucian will wage war on all the other kingdoms, including Eldoren.”
“And our kingdom will have to go to war after a hundred years of peace,” added Aunt Serena softly, with pain showing clearly in her eyes.
“Right now, the immediate danger is that Maradaar has already joined Morgana’s army,” said the duke. “At the moment the northern kingdoms of Andrysia and Kelliandria are in the most peril, as they are located in between Maradaar and us. The Drakaar will attack there first, and unless the dwarves of Kelliandria come to their aid, Andrysia will not stand a chance. I must convince the dwarf king to come out of the mountains and take up arms against Morgana and the Drakaar.”
“What about the fae, or the other kingdoms?” I asked helpfully.
Uncle Gabriel shook his head. “Brandor is weak; they barely have enough warrior-mages to protect their own kingdom. And Rohron has no real leader; they will not help.”
“And the fae?” I prompted.
“The fae rarely interfere in the wars of the mages. Although they are part of the treaty, they are not bound to come to our aid,” finished the duke.
I shook my head. I was so caught up in my own little world that I did not, could not, fathom the enormity of the situation.
How was I supposed to deal with Morgana and Lucian when I couldn’t even deal with a few bandits? Everyone seemed to have such hopes pinned on me, and I had just demonstrated that I was not fit enough to be what they wanted me to be. What exactly that was, I wasn’t really sure. They seemed to be planning to oust Morgana from the throne and make me queen. Was that why they wanted me to stay—to use me as a way to threaten Morgana’s claim to the throne of Illiador?
The Last of the Firedrakes Page 13
