by Nathan Roden
“He is also a passionate man,” Helena said.
“Aye,” Boone said.
“You have seen him, then—in his human form?” Lamont asked.
“Yes,” Helena said.
“Has the Queen—?”
“No,” Boone and Helena said together.
“This passion will be needed in the days to come—as well as his strength and fire—”
“He loves her, Lord Lamont,” Helena said. “And she loves him.”
The lieutenant looked clearly uncomfortable. He stepped outside of the cave.
Lamont stroked his beard. He flexed his hands and stared at the wall.
“I feared as much,” he whispered.
“Nothing. Nothing in my life could have prepared me for what we face.”
“I have not lived many years, My Lord,” Boone said. “But I have lived long enough to see good, and to know evil. We may all perish in the fight. But we must fight. Or evil will consume us all.”
“It is that simple, is it not?” Lamont smiled. “Who would have thought that such wisdom could come from such a young mind? We must ensure that you and your friends have a proper world to grow old in.”
“We will need an army,” Helena said.
“And an army we shall have!” Lamont said.
There was a rustling in the trees as Simon made his way back to the cave entrance.
“I must be off,” Lamont said. “I hate leaving my wife and daughter alone in that place. Concerning the Southlands—,”
“We must move soon, Lord Lamont,” Simon said. “Sterling and his spies will be on full alert now. It is dangerous for us to remain so close to Islemar—and dangerous for you, as well.”
“But what about plans for the Southlands?” Helena asked. “How much time do we have left to act? Do we wait for Sterling to force our hands?”
“It will take weeks to raise support in the south, at best. And if Lord Lamont and his officers are not known to be either in Islemar or Morgenwraithe, it will arouse Sterling’s suspicion,” Simon said. “There is one thing of immediate importance to our cause,” Simon said.
“What is that?” Lamont asked.
“We must convince the Queen to alter her behavior. To put forth a convincing act.”
Lamont dropped his chin to his chest.
“Have you not heard me, Simon?” Lamont asked. “You ask the impossible. She has no hope—”
“Then we must give her hope!” Simon said.
“How do we accomplish that?” Boone asked.
“I have given this more thought. We should inform her of our plans,” Simon said. “And tell her that Helena is alive and well.”
“You’ve done quite a turnabout on that fact,” Boone said.
“Yes, I have,” Simon said. “But our cause grows more desperate. If the Queen continues in misery and sorrow, the castle will be full of whispers. This will not escape Sterling’s attention. And should the Queen deliver an heir—
“Then many lives are in danger.”
“This is true,” Lamont said. “I will go to Morgenwraithe immediately. I will secure a private audience with Jaclyn—”
“No,” Simon said.
“No?” Lamont, Boone, and Helena said together.
“If I know Lord Sterling at all,” Simon said, “there will be nowhere inside of the castle that you or Lady Lamont can exchange a private word. This will be especially true, now.”
“Then what do you propose?” Lamont asked.
“The full moon will be upon us in one week.”
“What?” Boone exclaimed. “What are you thinking, Simon? Or are you thinking at all!”
Helena tugged at Boone’s sleeve.
“Boone. You are yelling at the King!”
Boone yanked his arm away.
“I am aware of that, my Lady! And I am duty-bound to see that the King remains alive! But it sounds to me as if he seeks to throw his life down a privy-hole!”
“What I propose is less dangerous than asking Lord Lamont to risk himself, his wife, his daughter, and his entire village!”
“What you propose—is foolish!” Boone yelled.
“It is not foolish!” Simon said.
Boone began waving his hands and pacing about.
“Ain’t love just grand, Your Grace? Winks and giggles! Hearts all a-flutter! Flowery words sung by minstrels—”
“Hold your tongue!” the dragon roared. Helena and Lamont stepped back.
Boone stomped across the floor and stood in front of Simon. His fists were clenched at his sides.
“I will not hold my tongue! You are not the first man—the first dragon—to be in love! But I will be damned if I will be silent while it kills you!”
Several moments of silence passed.
“I know that you speak from a place of friendship, and from passion,” Simon said. ”And for that, I am grateful.”
“Lord Lamont.”
“Yes?” Lamont said.
“Can you be at Morgenwraithe on the day of the full moon?”
“I can.”
“Press a note into Jaclyn’s hand. Make it say, ‘Light a candle at midnight where you last met a friend’. “
Forty-Two
Jaclyn sat in her chair, staring out of the window at an afternoon that was dark with rain.
She was startled when she heard a voice. She heard no one enter the room.
“Ah, another lovely day at Morgenwraithe. It matches the mood, as always, wouldn’t you say?”
Jaclyn turned and glared at Lady Magdalena with swollen, bloodshot eyes.
“Have you come to the King’s chamber to make sport of me, Sorceress?” Jaclyn said. “It must be quite thrilling to know that in any other Kingdom you would be put to death for your words.”
“Perhaps you have not noticed, but I am your visitor, and you have not offered me a seat. Has your foul demeanor destroyed your manners? Or had you ever acquired any?”
“What?” Jaclyn gripped the arms of her chair.
“What did you—how dare you—!”
Magdalena laughed. She leaned against the windowsill.
“Oh, my! I have poked the Queen with a stick, and it turns out that she is still alive!”
Jaclyn pushed herself to her feet.
“I will have you—!”
Magdalena lifted her hand and flipped her fingers. Jaclyn was thrown back into her chair.
“No, my Queen. What you will do, is listen to what I have to say.”
“Mother!” Jaclyn said. She looked around.
“Where is my mother?”
Magdalena sighed.
“She may be touring the dungeon—or perhaps watching the kitchen staff butcher a boar for tonight’s dinner. Either of these would be less depressing than staying another minute in this room.”
“What do you want?” Jaclyn snapped.
“I want you to stop acting like a spoiled child—”
“Why do you care what I—?”
Magdalena grabbed the arms of Jaclyn’s chair and leaned close to her face. She ground her teeth.
“I want you to stay alive!”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jaclyn asked.
Magdalena pushed away from the chair.
“Do you think that your behavior is endearing you to the King? Or Lord Sterling?”
“What right do you have to question my behavior?” Jaclyn asked. “You are the one to blame for this! You and your stupid curse!”
“That stupid curse put you at the right hand of the King.”
“And where did it leave you, WITCH?” Jaclyn screamed.
A voice came from the hallway.
“Are you all right, My Queen?”
“Leave us!” Magdalena said sharply.
She raised her hand and the door slammed shut.
Jaclyn gripped the chair. She breathed heavily.
“You remain untouched. You have no need to fear anyone in the Kingdom. Sterling cannot harm you. And Lucien does not dare.�
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Jaclyn sneered.
“You have no one to fear but the dragon.”
Magdalena dragged her fingers along the windowsill.
“Of course,” she purred. “I hold the only key that locks him inside of that beast, and you think I fear him? Such is the power of the dragon, my Queen! Their legend has so filled the minds of the people that death by dragon-fire is a fate worse than death itself! But, you see, this dragon has a mind—”
Jaclyn laughed.
“Yes! Yes, Sorceress. Keep telling yourself that you are dealing with a rational mind! Tell that to yourself as you burn! My handmaid—whatever her motivation was—threw her life away to save the dragon—
“What did it get her? What did her sacrifice attain? The most horrible of deaths!”
“They will assign you a new handmaid soon,” Magdalena said. “Do not fool yourself, my Queen. They were well-aware that you were close to Helena. You must not trust—”
Helena laughed again.
“Trust? Do you really expect me to listen to you when it comes to the issue of trust?”
Magdalena stepped toward Jaclyn.
“Have you given up?”
Jaclyn was perplexed.
“What…what type of question is that?”
“Have you given up? Have you no hope—that this life will ever be more than it is?”
Jaclyn scowled.
“Why should I stand here and listen to a lecture from the Witch who cheated the realm? The Witch who chose to twist the fate of the entire kingdom?”
Magdalena grabbed Jaclyn’s hand. Jaclyn tried to get away, but there was magic at work.
“Be still!” Magdalena said. Magdalena raised her other hand.
Jaclyn continued to struggle.
“What are you doing?”
Magdalena placed her hand on Jaclyn’s belly. And then she let go.
Magdalena sighed.
“I find it difficult to imagine that even a brief moment of passion brought this about.”
“There has never been a single moment of passion—for either of us!” Jaclyn said. “Only the fulfillment of duty! Of expectation! And the fear of—!”
“The fear of Lord Sterling’s wrath!” Magdalena finished.
Jaclyn’s silence confirmed the truth.
Magdalena pointed at Jaclyn’s belly.
“We have precious little time,” Magdalena said quietly. “Our fate will be sealed when the child comes.”
“What are you talking about?” Jaclyn asked.
“Climb out of your selfishness long enough to think, my Queen. The moment that Lucien has an heir, Sterling’s existence as King’s Regent gains new breath.”
“He has but two years—” Jaclyn said.
“He has but two years if Lucien is alive!”
“You think that Sterling would kill—?”
“Lower your voice!” Magdalena whispered.
“A newborn King would afford Sterling another generation of rule—likely more ruthless than what we have already seen. And your life—”
“He will kill me, as well,” Jaclyn said.
“Yes,” Magdalena said. “And me.”
Jaclyn looked up.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“This could all be for naught,” Jaclyn said. “The baby could be a girl, and—”
Magdalena shook her head.
“No.”
Jaclyn put her hand to her mouth. She stared out of the window. Her shoulders fell.
Magdalena stepped beside her.
“With the birth of Lucien’s heir, Simon’s claim to the throne will become unclear, even if the curse was broken.”
“Do you think that I care?” Jaclyn asked. “If you thought to put an end to your madness, you have waited too long! He killed the girl that saved him! Whatever mind he once possessed—it is gone! He is no longer a man! The dragon has consumed him!”
Magdalena leaned close to Jaclyn’s ear.
“What if I told you that your handmaid is alive?”
“You heartless, lying bit—!” Jaclyn growled as she pushed Magdalena away from her. She drew back her fist and swung at Magdalena’s chin.
Magdalena leaned back at the last second. Jaclyn twirled herself around and fell to the floor. Magdalena grabbed Jaclyn’s arms and pulled her to her feet with an inhuman strength.
“Liar! You are a lying witch!” Jaclyn struggled. “I saw her with my own—!”
Magdalena covered Jaclyn’s mouth with her hand.
“What you saw, was not intended for your eyes. What you saw, was what was intended for Sterling to see.”
Jaclyn slumped into her chair. She sobbed as she chewed at her finger.
“Why did you come here?” Jaclyn asked. “Why did you not just let me die? You expect me to have hope—hope based on your words? I would not only have to believe that Helena was alive—but that a noble heart still beats inside of that beast.”
“What if I told you that the dragon was dead?”
Jaclyn leaped to her feet.
“No! You are lying! Again!”
“Not a lie, my Queen,” Magdalena said. “A test.”
Magdalena narrowed her eyes.
“The dragon lives—somewhere within the realm. Just as he lives in your heart!”
Jaclyn glared.
“I should have you killed this instant.”
“But you will not. Because I speak the truth. I am leaving now. If we are to survive, we will need for you to stop incurring the wrath and the attention of Lord Sterling. We will also need the power and fire of the one who holds the Queen’s heart.”
“You are truly mad—” Jaclyn said.
Magdalena dismissed herself with a wave of her hand.
“From the lips of the one in love with the dragon-King.”
Forty-Three
Simon flew them to the sight of the cave that would become their newest temporary home. Boone slid from Simon’s back and helped Helena down.
“This cave is closer to the village than any of the others,” Boone shook his head. “Is this the wisest course of action?’
“It is the last thing they would expect after my escape,” Simon said.
Boone walked into the cave, looked around, and walked back out.
“They’ve found it, Simon!” Boone exclaimed. “The cave is stripped clean! They know that we were here!”
“Just as I said before,” Simon said. “They will never expect us to remain here.”
“You are not thinking clearly, Simon,” Boone said. “They have enough resources to investigate every possibility. They may think that we would abandon this location, but that does not prevent sending someone—anyone—to have a look. It wouldn’t have to be a soldier—it could be a child! What does Sterling care if you burn a child alive?”
“Your thoughts frighten me at times, Boone.”
“Someone has to remain grounded in reality, Your Grace,” Boone said. “Of late, I believe that responsibility has fallen to me.”
“I will not argue with you.”
“I will gather our beds,” Helena said. “I could sleep for days.”
“It will be dawn soon,” Boone said. “I know this area. There should be game nearby. I will see that we have meat before I sleep.”
“I will go with you,” Helena said.
Boone shook his head.
“We should be extra careful while we are here. Plenty of game means a greater possibility that someone else may be hunting nearby. There’s a greater risk of being seen.”
“Maybe you’re just getting tired of having me along,” Helena said.
“Don’t start in with your games,” Boone snapped. “We’re all tired. I wish to stay alive long enough to eat and then sleep for three days.”
Boone turned and started into the woods. Helena stomped her foot and snatched up her bow.
“No, Helena,” Simon said. “Boone is right. He did not dismiss you. He means to keep you safe.”
&nbs
p; “He means to become my father!”
Simon chuckled.
“No, no, no. He does not mean to become your father. Make your bed and get some sleep. We will all think clearer after we have rested. We will have to.”
“You are one to talk!” Helena said as she stormed away. She tossed her head and murmured out loud.
“Don’t go in the woods, little girl! It’s far too dangerous, little girl! But I am a dragon, and I will waltz right into the castle and visit the Queen if I wish!”
Simon lay on the floor and closed his eyes. Helena gathered the leaves and straw that littered the cave floor. She lay down, closed her eyes, and immediately began sneezing. She sneezed several times, and then closed her eyes again.
Seconds later, the sneezing began again. Helena jumped to her feet in a huff. She swore as she kicked the bedding away from her. A cloud of dust rose from it. Helena stomped across the floor, and out the door.
Helena screamed.
Simon leaped to his feet and ran outside.
Helena stood still—face-to-face with a black wolf.
“Do not move,” Simon whispered. He inhaled. And then he held his breath.
The wolf stood on its back legs, and transformed into a tall lady in a black gown.
Magdalena grabbed Helena and stood behind her.
Helena jerked her arms. She kicked back with her feet.
Magdalena did not seem to even notice.
“What are you doing here?” Simon snarled. “Let her go!”
“Turn off your fire, and I will let her go,” Magdalena said. “That is only fair.”
“The only way to turn off the fire is to starve myself,” Simon said. “Unless you know of another way. You are my Creator, after all.”
“It was a joke, Your Highness,” Magdalena said. “It is one reason I always look forward to our meetings. I so seldom get to express humor while in the village.”
