by SJ West
Even if I wanted to tell Sora the truth, I couldn’t. The fact was I didn’t actually know for sure myself. The child might be Aleksander’s, but it might belong to someone else for all I knew. The last memory I had which I knew belonged to Queen Emma was of a man with a brown S-shaped scar on his back. Had my predecessor been trying to point a finger at this man in particular to tell me who the father of her child was?
The guard Sora left on the docking platform with Dracen came running into the room. Her breathing was labored indicating she ran the entire way.
“Your Majesty,” the guard, whose name was Hana, said, “the dragons have arrived.”
“Thank you, Hana. We’ll be there shortly,” Sora said.
Hana bowed again and turned on her heels, presumably to return to her station.
Sora turned to look back at me. “Would you like to change back into your own clothes first or go up and greet our guests?”
I did want to change but didn’t want to make the dragons wait on us any longer than they had to.
“I can change later,” I replied. “I don’t think we should keep them waiting unnecessarily.”
As we began to walk out of the room behind Sora and her guard, Inara leaned over to me and whispered, “Who’s the father, Em? Gabriel or Aleksander?”
I came to a complete stop and simply stared at Inara.
“Gabriel?” Aurora asked me, sounding as surprised as I was that he was even a choice.
“Oh come on, Em,” Inara said with a tilt of her head. “All those late night ‘meetings’ the two of you had a couple of months ago? Did you really think I didn’t know what was actually going on? I didn’t press the issue because it had been so long since you took a man to your bed. I was just happy you were opening up to someone, even if it was Gabriel. Does he know you’re pregnant?”
“Yes,” I said, wondering why Gabriel hadn’t brought up the possibility that he might be the father of Queen Emma’s child.
I thought back to when I first told Gabriel that I was pregnant. He seemed genuinely surprised by the fact, but never mentioned he might be the child’s father instead of Aleksander. I wasn’t sure which of the two men I would prefer to be the child’s father. Neither, if I were being honest with myself. If Aleksander were the father, it would cause more problems that it would solve, and if Gabriel proved to be the father, well, it would just further complicate an already complex situation.
For a man who wasn’t even on this trip, Gabriel had certainly become an enigma to me because of it. I felt like I didn’t know him at all, and yet, he was the only constant in each of my different lives.
When we reached the docking platform, the sight of Vincent and Gregoire flying beside my airship gave me a genuine reason to smile. Their large bodies prevented them from landing on the narrow platform.
“I’m so happy to see you both,” I told them. “Where are the others?”
“We left them to rest in the mountains a short distance from here,” Gregoire told me. “We wanted to know if you would prefer we give you a head start to Vankara in your airship or if we should leave now and rendezvous with you there later.”
“Would you like to go there to have some time to speak with your brother and the other dragons before we arrive?” I asked Gregoire.
“I don’t think that would be wise,” Gregoire said. “I know my brother quite well. If he realizes we’re there, he will bring in all of his forces to defend Iron City. As it is, part of them are probably still on the Fae side to protect their territory there. I suggest I present my ultimatum to them right before your men are ready to attack. The element of surprise might even work to our advantage.”
“I have a suggestion,” Dracen said. “The dragons could travel to Ledmarrow Mountain and wait for us there. The mountain range is so vast and isolated; no one will notice their arrival. It’s also by the sea so they will have plenty of food available.”
“Is Dracen’s idea agreeable to you?” I asked Gregoire.
“Yes, quite agreeable,” Gregoire replied.
With this new arrangement in place, I suddenly had an idea that might give me some much needed clarity.
“Vincent,” I said, “would you mind allowing me to ride with you back to Vankara?”
“I have no objection,” Vincent replied yet sounded hesitant about the idea. “But can I ask you why you would want to do such a thing? I’m sure you would be more comfortable riding back in your airship.”
I briefly glanced in Dracen’s direction and saw from his crestfallen expression that he understood why I was requesting such an arrangement.
“I need some time alone to think,” I replied. “I would also like to spend some time in Dracen’s home. That is, if you don’t mind?” I looked at Dracen to await his response.
“Not at all,” Dracen said, looking a little less despondent after my request. “Ledmarrow is as much your home as it is mine. You should feel free to go there anytime you want.”
“Thank you,” I told him before returning my attention back to Vincent. “By the way, how is your flying coming along?”
“Well…” Vincent said, sounding as if it were a slightly sore subject. “I’m getting better.”
“Would you be offended if I placed a saddle on your back for the journey?”
“Not at all,” Vincent said, actually sounding relieved by the suggestion. “In fact, I think that’s an excellent idea.”
“Where is the closest place you can land?” I asked. “I can meet you there.”
“There is a courtyard in the center of this palace,” Vincent replied. “It should have enough space for me to land.”
“Then I will be there shortly,” I told him.
“I will go back to the others and inform them of the plan,” Gregoire said. “We will meet you and Vincent near Dracen’s home in Ledmarrow.”
Gregoire flew off to rejoin the other dragons and Vincent took his leave as well. I hoped Fallon and Admiral Edeson wouldn’t be too startled by his arrival in the courtyard. I was thankful that Vincent chose there to land. It would give me the opportunity to say goodbye to Fallon before I left. I hoped he would understand my reasons for needing some time alone.
I told Sora and Inara what the plans were and asked Sora if she would have someone take the saddle down to the courtyard and place it on Vincent for me.
While Sora was busy making the arrangements for that and asking her guards to go down to the kitchens to provide me some provisions for my trip, I turned to Inara.
“You take care of yourself, Em,” she told me, giving me a hug to emphasize her words. “I’ll travel as fast as the old girl will let me to Ledmarrow to pick you up.”
I wanted to tell her to take her time but didn’t. The sooner we drove the Fae out of Iron City the better. I knew the longer Nuala and her forces were allowed to stay in our city the more secure their hold over it was. I wasn’t about to let my own personal interest dissuade me from the real mission at hand.
Dracen walked over to us and said, “Have a safe trip, your majesty. We won’t be too far behind you.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “And neither of you should worry about my safety. I have a group of dragons escorting me back home. I’m sure I’ll arrive there unharmed.”
“I’m sure you will,” Dracen said with an awkward looking smile.
I knew he wanted to say more but couldn’t with so many eyes watching us. Instead, he bowed to me and turned on his heels to head back to the airship with Inara.
Sora escorted Aurora and me down to the courtyard where we found Vincent waiting for us as well as Fallon and Edeson.
“We weren’t sure why he was here,” Fallon said to me as I approached the two men. “But I assumed he was waiting for you.”
“Yes. I plan to ride him back to Vankara,” I told Fallon.
“That’s brilliant,” Edeson said, his voice full of envy. “If I didn’t have an armada to sail back safely, I would hitch a ride with you.”
“Ede
son,” I said, drawing the admiral’s attention away from Vincent, “did you happen to collect my earnings from the bet?”
Edeson smiled. “I did indeed your majesty. It ended up being quite a hefty sum.”
It was only then that I decided what I would do with my winnings.
“Give the money to Queen Sora before you leave. I would like it to be distributed evenly between all the families of the soldiers who are coming with us.” I turned to Sora. “Would you mind handling that for me?”
“I will have one of my men do it,” Sora promised, looking pleased with my plan to compensate her men.
I knew some of them wouldn’t be returning to Kamora. Wars weren’t fought without losing lives. It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but it was certainly the reality of the situation.
One of Sora’s guards entered the courtyard and walked up to Vincent with the saddle in her arms. Vincent graciously lowered one of his wings to allow her access to his back.
“Can I have a private word with you, your majesty?” Fallon said to me, understanding that he needed to maintain the appearance of formality in front of our present company.
“Of course, Marshal Fallon.”
Fallon and I had walked a good distance away from the others before he asked, “Why are you riding the dragon back to Vankara? Have you grown tired of my company already?”
Fallon might have been making a joke, but I saw the real question in his worried eyes.
“It’s not you,” I said. “And let Dracen know it’s not him either. I just need some time to clear my head is all. Trying to make small talk with the two of you all the way back to Vankara isn’t the way to do it. And…” I hesitated, wondering if I should tell Fallon what I just discovered from Inara about Gabriel and Queen Emma. As I looked at him, I knew I needed to stay honest and true to him. “Inara has learned of the pregnancy. I wish I had mentioned it to her before now because she told me Gabriel and the queen had an affair a few months back.”
“So you’re telling me,” Fallon said slowly, “that the child could be either Gabriel’s or Aleksander’s?”
“If Inara’s assumption about Gabriel and the queen having an affair is true, I would wager the odds are in favor of Gabriel. Since, well, they would have had a longer period of time to…”
“Yes,” Fallon said, saving me from having to say the rest, “I understand.”
Fallon looked troubled by this new development, and I found myself wanting to wipe the worry from his face.
I leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. I was fully aware that others were watching us, but I didn’t care. I wanted Fallon to know how much he meant to me, and I hoped the kiss would remind him of that fact on his journey back to Vankara.
“Even if the child is Gabriel’s,” I whispered. “It doesn’t change how I feel about you, John.”
I wasn’t sure if Fallon smiled because I used his first name or because of what I said, but it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he confessed. “But, you have to admit, it does complicate matters.”
“Only if we let it,” I said.
Fallon nodded. “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything.”
“If you decide that I’m the man you want, would you call me John again? Otherwise, it would be easier on me if you continued to call me Fallon. At least then, I would know my place in your life.”
Fallon’s words made my heart ache for him. He was trying to act honorably, and I respected that more than I could tell him in that moment. All I could do was nod my head to let him know I would abide by his request.
“Then, come on,” he said, holding a crooked arm out to me, “let me escort you to your dragon, your majesty.”
Once I was settled in the saddle on Vincent’s back, Aurora nestled herself inside the front of my jacket with only her neck and head poking out.
“I’ll see you at Ledmarrow,” I told Fallon, waving goodbye to him.
He waved back. “Until then, your majesty.”
“Please make sure you are holding on tightly,” Vincent said to me. “My take offs are still somewhat unsteady.”
I grabbed the front of the saddle with both hands as Vincent took flight.
The further away from the palace we flew the more my body began to relax. I settled back into the seat and simply tried to enjoy the freedom of flying through the air on a dragon.
I knew what awaited me in Vankara, a mountain of problems that would have to be dealt with. Nuala was the one who brought war to Vankara, but I was determined to be the one who restored peace.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Dragon Alliance! The third book in the series is titled War of Atonement. As with Dragon Alliance, I will be posting one chapter from the first draft copy on a monthly basis. Yes, there will be typos and small mistakes in this copy. But, if you are just interested in reading what happens next, this copy is sufficient.
You will be able to go to the same Vankara website to read it.
Vankara site: http://vankara.weebly.com/
When I can find time in my 2015 writing schedule, I will complete the third book. The first new chapter will be posted by Dec 15, 2014.
If you wish to keep up with publication dates for all my books, please visit my website (www.sjwest.com) or my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cursed-The-Watchers-Trilogy/493117270724860#)
Thanks for reading!
S.J. West
