“I’m afraid I am one of very few who have not,” Makilien replied regretfully.
“Well, perhaps someday, if we can defeat Zirtan, that will change.”
“Indeed, that is our hope,” Darand agreed.
Makilien had not considered before that victory against Zirtan could, in the future, mean freedom for her family and those she knew in Reylaun. It was an encouraging thought.
Now that Makilien was present, the group did not remain long in the throne room. Darand and the prince led them into the dining room where, over the course of the evening, the men spoke extensively. Makilien was quiet as she ate, listening carefully and trying to learn as much as possible.
Not long after the meal was finished, she felt the effects of the tiring journey and went to her room. After a quiet time out on the balcony watching the stars and the lights flickering throughout the city, she blew out her own candles and crawled into bed.
Chapter Twelve
Two Meetings
The bright sunlight streaming through the window signaled early morning was well past by the time Makilien woke. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and noticed the small table across from the bed held a tray laden with food. The sight of it caused her empty stomach to growl.
Slipping out of bed, she walked over to the table finding a variety of fruit, as well as fresh bread and butter and a small jar of jam. She was going to sit down to eat, but found a note on the tray, which she picked up and read first.
The wardrobe contains a gift from His Majesty.
Surprised and curious, Makilien hurried over to the tall mahogany wardrobe. Inside hung several beautiful dresses. She was quite pleased with this discovery. The night before she’d felt a little out of place in her traveling clothes.
Deciding to dress after she had eaten, Makilien sat down at the table and took bites of each of the delicious food items that lay before her. In the silence of the room, she realized it was the first meal she had eaten alone since she’d met Halandor in Andin. She thought of her family and the last meals they’d shared. They had not been pleasant, and it made her regretful over the large part she’d played in that fact.
Driven by curiosity to explore and see more of the grand city, Makilien ate and dressed quickly. Her new dress was of the same style as her old traveling dress, but of much finer quality and more elegant. She’d chosen a dark blue one for her first day in Minarald since it seemed to be Eldor’s symbolic color.
No one had told Makilien where to look for them in the morning so she decided to check the throne room first since it was the only room she knew for sure how to find. However, before she reached it, she met Halandor at the bottom of the stairs. With a smile, he greeted her.
“Good morning,” Makilien replied happily. “I hope I have not slept too long.”
Halandor shook his head. “It’s good you were able to rest. The days ahead of us could be very tiring.”
Makilien was glad he made it sound like she would have a part in it and not just be an afterthought.
“What are the plans for today?” she asked.
“Torick and I would like to take you to meet Meniah.”
“When?”
“Right away, if you’d like.”
Makilien nodded eagerly. She was anxious to finally meet the man she had already heard mentioned many times since she’d arrived.
She followed Halandor through the palace, and they met Torick near the entrance. As the three of them walked outside, Torick said, “We might as well take our horses. No use trudging all the way through the city.”
Halandor agreed.
“Doesn’t Meniah live in the city?” Makilien asked.
“No, he lives outside of it,” Halandor answered.
Makilien thought this odd since he seemed to be so relied upon, but she didn’t question it until after they’d retrieved their horses from the stable and had nearly reached the city gate.
“Why doesn’t Meniah live inside the city? Couldn’t Lord Darand call on him for advice much easier if he was?”
“Meniah has work to attend to,” Halandor explained.
“What does he do?”
“He is a shepherd.”
Makilien’s eyes went to Halandor, her mouth open for a moment. “A shepherd?” she repeated incredulously. “You mean . . . of sheep?”
Halandor nodded with a faint smile.
A shepherd wasn’t at all what Makilien had envisioned. She almost didn’t believe it. A shepherd was advising the king on how to face the force threatening their very existence? It just didn’t make sense or seem right. Makilien wondered if her confusion was apparent to her companions, but neither Halandor nor Torick spoke.
Some minutes later, they came to a lush, fertile meadow at the foot of the mountains. In contrast, the snowy white sheep were scattered throughout the green grass and moved out of their way as they rode toward the center of the meadow.
Rising to meet them was the shepherd. At first glance, Makilien noticed nothing out of the ordinary or significant about him, though he was younger than she’d expected. She had imagined a more aged man, but he was only in his thirties. He appeared to be as any ordinary shepherd, dressed in plain linen clothing with a staff in hand, nothing like the more sophisticated citizens living within the city. But as they dismounted and approached Meniah on foot, Makilien was quite suddenly overcome with unexpected emotions.
Despite the shepherd’s plain appearance and Makilien’s own pre-conceived notions about Meniah, she found herself stricken with a sense of lowliness and unworthiness. An odd sensation of awe and a little bit of fear overwhelmed her, yet she was drawn to him. She was all together confused by it, but when he smiled, a great calm settled inside of her. She didn’t think she had ever been looked upon in a kindlier way.
Though it barely registered in Makilien’s mind, Halandor introduced her. Still smiling at her, Meniah said gently, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Makilien. Come, sit with me.”
Makilien was eager to accept this invitation. They left their horses to graze and sat down with Meniah on the large mountain stones that dotted the meadow.
“You’ve come a long way, Makilien. Tell me about your journey,” Meniah requested.
Makilien was more than willing to tell him everything she could remember about the last couple of weeks. She went into great detail, but she soon had a feeling he knew what she was going to say before she said it. As strange as it was, Makilien liked him more each minute she spent with him and could now understand why Lord Darand relied on him for advice. He seemed to possess untold wisdom and understanding.
For over an hour they sat in the meadow with Meniah. Makilien didn’t think she could ever run out of things to talk to him about. He seemed interested in every aspect of her life. When finally Halandor mentioned leaving, Makilien hated to go, but knew she could come back and speak to Meniah again. With plans to do that as soon as possible, she said goodbye and they returned to their horses.
On the ride back into Minarald, Makilien was quiet. She had much to think about. Noticing her silence, Torick glanced at her curiously and asked, “What did you think of him, Makilien?”
She looked at Torick and then back to the road. She didn’t know how to explain how she felt. Finally, she turned back to him. “He was very different than I was expecting. I like him very much.”
Torick traded smiles with Halandor, and they were silent again as they entered the city.
Once back at the palace, a man was just leaving the throne room as they entered. He glanced their way, his gaze lingering strangely on Makilien. It sent an uncomfortable chill through her body. Something very sinister lurked in his dark eyes.
Inside the throne room where Lord Darand and Darian stood with Nirgon, Torick asked the very question Makilien was wondering. “Who was that?”
The king’s answer did not come as a surprise. “That was Gornath.”
“What did he want?”
“He wanted to know if I’d made
any new plans or preparations. I’m sure he’s trying to gather information for Zirtan, but I never give him much. Just enough to satisfy him while not enough to jeopardize our safety.”
“When will you have him brought in?” Halandor asked.
“Soon,” Darand told him and went on to say, “Indiya arrived while you were gone.”
“What news did she have?”
“She said there is still no activity along the Claron River. Emaril and Carmine are still patrolling there. Indiya will return to them in a couple of days.”
As soon as Makilien had a chance to speak without interrupting, she asked, “Who is Indiya?”
Looking at Halandor and Torick, Darian asked, “Does she not know of dragons?”
“Dragons!” Makilien looked between the prince and her friends. “They are real too?”
The three of them gave affirming nods.
With a grin and a twinkle in his eye, Darian said, “Come with me. I’ll take you to see Indiya.”
Makilien eagerly followed him, and Halandor and Torick joined them also.
“So the creatures I’ve heard about in stories, are they all real?” Makilien asked as they left the palace.
“Most likely are,” Halandor answered. “Although, I’m sure none of them are described accurately. Dragons for instance, are quite a bit smaller than you’ve probably heard, and while it is true they breathe fire, it is limited and must rebuild between each use.”
Makilien was fascinated. “How many dragons are there? Lord Darand mentioned the names Emaril and Carmine. Are they dragons too?”
“Yes, they are. Dragons are rare creatures. Indiya, Emaril, and Carmine are the only three we know of, though we believe there are others. Many years ago, they began to die out rapidly because of very unfortunate attacks on them. Men killed them to sell off bits and pieces—their scales, teeth, claws, spines, anything they could get a good price for—so most fled to the mountains. Only five dragons remained in Eldor. Carmine and four others who were the parents of Indiya and Emaril.”
“What happened to the four who remained with Carmine?”
“They were killed,” Halandor answered regretfully.
“How?” Makilien asked, thinking the whole thing a terrible shame.
“Two were killed by Shaikes while patrolling Eldor’s border and the other two were killed by Eldorian villagers who had a misguided fear of them. Lord Darand’s father finally had to decree that killing a dragon would be considered murder, and since then Carmine, Indiya, and Emaril have been safe for the most part, at least within our borders.”
Outside of the palace courtyard, near the royal stable, they came to a very large, barn-like structure.
“This is the aviary where the dragons and griffons stay,” Darian told Makilien.
They walked in through a huge door. The open building was adequately lit by rows of windows and was empty save for one stunning creature near the middle. It was true the dragon was smaller than Makilien was first expecting, but magnificent nonetheless. She was still a very large creature, as tall as a draft horse, with a lean, almost cat-like body. Her neck and tail were long, and deep indigo scales that glinted like metal covered her skin. A charcoal colored membrane stretched across her wings, which were folded at her sides. On the top of her angular head were two black, goat-like horns, and black spikes ran down the base of her neck, along her back, and the length of her tail.
The dragon was just finishing up what appeared to be a deer carcass. As the last of it disappeared with one gulp, a little shiver tingled up Makilien’s spine, and she was glad the creature was on their side.
When the dragon heard them, she looked up and gazed at them with large, sapphire blue eyes. Licking her lips like a cat who had just finished a mouse, she said in a deep, yet beautiful voice, “Pardon me, Your Highness, I was not expecting you.” She dipped her head respectfully.
“That is quite all right, Indiya,” Darian assured her. “I just came to introduce you to someone.”
With smooth, agile movements, the dragon approached, a curious look on her face.
After Darian introduced Makilien, Indiya lowered her head to Makilien’s level. “Well, hello there.” Her hot breath warmed Makilien’s face and made her smile. “You’ve certainly come a long way from Reylaun.”
“Yes. I have.”
Indiya peered a little closer. “Have you ever seen a dragon before?”
Makilien shook her head. “No. I didn’t know dragons truly existed until today.”
Indiya narrowed her eyes slyly at Darian, Halandor, and Torick. “Just what have you been teaching her if she did not know of dragons until this day?”
Darian chuckled. “We apologize, Indiya. I think we tend to forget the things that are normal to us but not to those who were born elsewhere.”
The dragon smiled mischievously. “Well, I’ll forgive you . . . this time.”
“Thank you. You are most gracious,” the prince replied with a grin.
Makilien laughed at the exchange.
“Indiya, perhaps, after you’ve rested, you can take Makilien for a ride,” Darian suggested to Makilien’s delight.
“I’d be pleased to.” Indiya once again lowered her head to look at Makilien. “Would you like that?”
“Yes,” Makilien answered, a little breathless at the thought.
“How about tomorrow morning?”
“All right.”
“I shall see you in the morning then.”
Makilien nodded, still hardly daring to believe this was happening, and she and her friends took their leave. Back at the palace, Makilien went to her bedroom. She had a strong urge to sketch. She’d seen so many things already today she barely knew where to begin. Happily, she spent the hours before and after lunch drawing one sketch after another, taking great care with the sketch of Indiya, filled with anticipation for the next day.
Chapter Thirteen
Poison
Makilien’s stomach filled with butterflies as she and Halandor approached the aviary before breakfast the next morning. Halandor had warned against eating anything beforehand, and Makilien was glad she’d agreed.
“Have you ever ridden a dragon before?” Makilien asked, feeling a nervous excitement she hadn’t experienced since she was a child.
“A few times.” Smiling, Halandor added, “It’s certainly not an experience you will ever forget.”
A thrilling shiver raced through Makilien’s body.
When they reached the aviary, Indiya stood outside, the bright morning sunlight making her sleek scales shine vibrantly in varying shades of dark blue.
“Good morning,” the dragon greeted them, the tone of her voice lilting cheerfully.
Makilien and Halandor returned the greeting.
“It’s a fine morning for flying,” Indiya told Makilien. She crouched down. “Go ahead and climb up. It’s most comfortable if you sit between the two spines just in front of my shoulders.”
Halandor helped Makilien up, and she situated herself on the dragon’s strong neck. She took hold of the foot-long ivory-like spine just in front of her and drew in a deep breath.
“Now don’t worry. I won’t let you fall,” Indiya promised. “Are you ready?”
With another quick breath, Makilien nodded. “I’m ready.”
Indiya spread her massive wings and flapped hard. In a moment, they left the ground, and Makilien’s breath was sucked from her lungs as the dragon ascended and the city shrank dizzyingly beneath them. It was the most awesome thing Makilien had ever experienced.
In mere seconds they were soaring high above Minarald. The view was incredible. The sun shone on the snow of the tallest mountain peaks in a dazzling white, and the buildings of the city almost sparkled in the light. It became apparent from this height just how vast the Eldorian plains were. All Makilien could see for miles was green grass, though she did notice a tiny dark spot on the horizon.
“Is that a village?” she called over the wind.
&n
bsp; “Mm-hmm,” Indiya’s throat rumbled in response.
She gradually curved to the left and, looking down, Makilien spotted all the tiny white dots that were Meniah’s sheep. Thinking of him down there, tending to them, brought a little smile to her face, and she planned to ask Halandor if they could visit him later.
Indiya flew around for a good long time, circling the city and then flying up into the mountains before returning to Minarald where she came to a graceful landing in front of the aviary. The dragon crouched and Makilien slid off her neck, still experiencing the rush of excitement from the ride.
“Thank you so much, Indiya. That was amazing!”
Indiya smiled. “You’re welcome. I enjoyed it too.”
The growling of Makilien’s empty stomach cut off any more words she may have spoken. Indiya chuckled lightly. “You better go on to the palace and get something to fill your belly.”
Makilien smiled and turned from the aviary. Back at the palace, Halandor was waiting for her and brought her to the kitchen where her breakfast had been kept. After she had told him all about the ride, she asked, “Halandor, can we visit Meniah later?”
Halandor smiled at her eagerness. “Sure. It will have to be sometime after lunch. Torick, Loron, and I are meeting with Lord Darand and Nirgon about the city’s defenses. They’re probably about to start now.”
Knowing he had to go, Makilien asked, “Can I explore the city until lunch?”
“That would be fine.”
Excited to look around, Makilien finished her breakfast and left the palace right away. It was a perfect day to explore the vast city, and she couldn’t wait to see what she could find. Everything was so new and foreign to her.
Makilien stuck to the main streets in the beginning, wanting to make sure she didn’t get too lost. Near the center of the city, she found a market and spent most of the morning there looking at all the wondrous contraptions and goods for sale. She wished she still had some money left over from her purchases in Andin. She would have liked to buy some little things for Leiya to give her whenever she returned home.
Truth: Makilien Trilogy - Book 1 Page 10
