by Simone Pond
Afterward, they held each other quietly. The only sounds were the distant waves crashing and their breathing. Evelyn swelled with a peace she had never known. And it was something she didn’t want to lose.
“You should stay in Eshlan,” she blurted.
Doran laughed softly into her wavy copper hair. “We’re in this together. I’m not leaving your side.”
Evelyn propped herself up on her elbow. “I’m serious. Stay here with Aine. She won’t have the spear protecting her anymore.”
Doran pulled her down on top of him and kissed her cheek. Then he began to make his way over to her neck, where she moaned in delight.
“Stop it!” She moved away, laughing. “You know that’s my Achilles heel. I need to rest. The journey north will be strenuous.”
Doran pinned her to the bed, holding down her wrists. “I’ll tell you what’s going to be strenuous …”
Though Evelyn wanted to play along, she couldn’t. “Please, Doran. We must be serious now.”
He chuffed and rolled off to the side. “Dragon slayer mode has resumed.”
She rested her head on his outstretched arm. “It will never go away. That’s who I will always be … I hope you can live with that.” She immediately felt her cheeks grow hot.
Doran gave her a coy grin, his green eyes gleaming in the candlelight. “Are you implying that we will always stay together?”
She smiled. “I suppose I am. But I’m begging you to stay here. I prefer to keep you alive.”
He sat up. “I thought you suggested I stay here to protect Aine.”
“Yes. That too …” Evelyn pulled up the blanket to cover herself.
“So you don’t think I’m capable of handling battle?”
“I know you are,” she said, looking directly into his eyes.
Doran got up and began to put on his clothes. “I told you that we’re in this together. Where you go, I go.”
Continuing the conversation was pointless. Evelyn couldn’t convince Doran to stay. There was only one way around it without arguing the rest of the night.
“Please,” said Evelyn, “come back to bed. It’s late, and we must rest before the journey.”
Doran stood wearing only his trousers. Evelyn grinned and patted the bed, lowering the blanket from her body. He cracked a smile and hopped back into bed.
***
Evelyn crept out of the room while it was still dark. Dawn would come soon, so she hurried down the corridor to her father’s room. He was already awake, doing stretches and breathing exercises.
“We must go,” she said.
“Why are you whispering, Daughter?”
“We’re leaving without Doran. Now come on.” She grabbed Lugh’s arm and pulled him to the door.
He stopped and stood still, towering over Evelyn. “Why would you want to take away his manhood?”
“It’s not that … I just want him to stay so he can … protect Aine.”
Lugh chuckled. “You cannot keep the ones you love in a prison, Daughter. But I know you are stubborn.”
She rolled her eyes and yanked him out the door. “I must get that from you.”
Evelyn and Lugh rode behind Clovis along the northern trail. Much of the forest had been ravaged by fire.
Clovis said, “The dragon’s blazed through several villages in retaliation for my men slaughtering much of Verubri’s army.”
“How are your men able to survive the fire of the dragon?” asked Evelyn.
“Oxybii are born and bred dragon warriors. We are well equipped. We can detect when the beast is coming and know how to hide. The dragon might’ve burned through much land and many villages, but my warriors have continued progressing north and killing Kieran’s men along the way. Now that we have the dragon slayer and Lugh of Gorias, nothing will stop us.”
The horses continued through the charred forest, making good time. In the beast’s desire to destroy, it had inadvertently made the path much easier to navigate. They rode through the day and stopped at night to rest, camping out in a deserted burned-out village. Evelyn lay down for the night among the ashes and destruction, crying softly to herself and praying that her mother was still alive and somewhere safe.
The days passed quickly as the three rode north to join the dragon warriors. With each destroyed village they passed, Evelyn’s hatred for the dragon grew and fueled her hunger to slay the beast.
At night by the fire, Lugh would share his former adventures. Clovis had his fair share of stories as well. Both men had accomplished much, making them true legends. What impressed Evelyn even more was their humility. They weren’t in it for the accolades.
One evening when they were mid-way through their journey, Clovis said to Evelyn, “Tell us about the first dragon you killed.”
She held up the spear and said, “It would’ve been nice to have my partner with me …” Then she went through the account and as she heard herself speak, she realized how miraculous it was that she was alive.
The campfire cracked and there was a moment of silence.
Clovis gave a hearty laugh. “Legendary …”
“My daughter gets her sharp wit from her mother.”
“And my stubbornness from you,” teased Evelyn.
The next morning as they were riding north, the spear began to glow from its place on Evelyn’s belt strap. She ordered her horse to stop. Lugh and Clovis slowed down and trotted back to Evelyn.
“What is it, dragon slayer?” asked Clovis.
Evelyn held up the glowing spear. “The dragon is coming.”
Clovis inhaled deeply. He closed his eyes and inhaled again, then looked at Evelyn. “That cannot be. I sense nothing in the air.”
“The spear doesn’t lie,” said Lugh.
“Then we must prepare for battle,” said Clovis.
Evelyn held up the spear. “Guide us!”
The spear shot forward from her grip. The three galloped along the trail after the blaze of blue light. They turned down a path in the woods that led them to a large green pasture. Then the spear returned to Evelyn’s hand.
“Now what?” asked Clovis.
“I don’t know. Father?”
“We wait,” said Lugh.
Evelyn stared up to the crisp blue sky. “It seems rather foolish to sit here out in the open just waiting for the beast.”
Clovis said, “I agree.”
“The spear knows,” said Lugh. “If it wants us here, it’s for a reason.”
They waited, the afternoon sun growing hotter. Evelyn dismounted from her horse and paced around in the grass. Both Lugh and Clovis remained on their horses. Day passed on with no sign of the dragon. Night was approaching and the temperature dropped rapidly.
“We’ve wasted an entire day of travel.” Clovis had grown impatient.
“Maybe we should find shelter?” Evelyn suggested.
Lugh didn’t reply. He remained mounted on his horse and stared up at the dark sky. The spear lit up again. It began vibrating. Evelyn jumped to her feet just as a flash of fire shot across the sky. Clovis’s horse bucked and threw him off the back. He slammed to the ground and didn’t move. His horse galloped away and Evelyn’s horse followed.
Lugh shouted, “Stay focused, Daughter!”
Evelyn looked down to Clovis. “Is he okay?”
“That is not your concern,” said Lugh. “Focus on the spear.”
Another flash of fire came from the sky. It poured down into the pasture and ignited the grass. The flames created a circle around the perimeter of the field, trapping the three of them. The dragon swooped overhead in a circle. Evelyn stared up at the enormous creature. It was much larger than the one she had killed in the cave. It screeched as it flapped its wings. Evelyn’s ears popped and everything around her became muffled. The dragon began to nosedive toward them.
“Father!” Evelyn yelled.
“Let the spear guide you!”
Evelyn gripped the spear, watching as the beast came cruising down. She ran
over to Clovis and shouted for her father to come. He dismounted from the horse and ran over. The dragon opened its mouth and began to breathe down more fire. The roll of flames came right toward them. Evelyn communicated with the spear and it lifted out of her grip, rose into the air, then boomeranged back toward the ground. It pierced the dirt and created a dome of blue-white light around all three of them. The flames poured down, but couldn’t penetrate the protective shield.
The dragon circled overhead, screeching wildly. Its flapping wings fanned the flames around the perimeter of the pasture. They needed to get out of there before they were burned alive.
“Father, you must get Clovis out of this field. I’ll take care of the dragon!”
Another ear-piercing shriek cut into the air. The spear dislodged from the earth and flew into Evelyn’s hand, then shot up into the sky, carrying Evelyn upward. They were heading directly toward the dragon.
She glanced down at the field below being consumed with flames. Her father and Clovis were still down there. They would burn to death if she didn’t go back and help them. She remembered Ocelum. She thought of the charred villages they had passed along the journey—all the innocent people that died because of this fire-breathing monster. She couldn’t turn back to the burning field. She had to keep going forward.
She gripped the spear as it increased in speed. As they rapidly approached the dragon, she shouted, “I’m Evelyn of Gorias, dragon slayer. That was your last breath of fire!”
The dragon’s glowing green eyes flashed with understanding. But it was too late. Evelyn yelled for all of Galicia as she shot right through the belly of the beast. An eruption of fire and light covered the sky. The spear continued upward, carrying Evelyn away from the flaming dragon. She gazed down, watching it fall from the sky toward the field.
“Go get Clovis and Father!” Evelyn shouted over and over, but the spear continued north.
20
Ciara ushered Olen upstairs to her chambers through the chambermaids’ corridors and the back staircase to avoid detection from the late-night castle guards or anyone else who might’ve been wandering around. Though the guards were usually asleep while on duty, Ciara decided these extra cautionary measures couldn’t hurt.
They silently stole into Ciara’s room, closing the door.
“My lady?” Her chambermaid’s voice cut through the silence and Ciara’s heart nearly exploded through her chest.
Ciara recovered her wits and cleared her throat. “Clarice? I thought you were out for the evening.” She smiled and motioned over to Olen. “This is my brother from Ocelum. We have much catching up to do.”
“At this hour?” Clarice raised her wiry eyebrows.
“Pardon me?” Ciara snapped.
The chambermaid lowered her head. “I’m concerned for your well-being, my lady.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine. Now, get the room next to mine prepared for my brother. When he and I have sufficiently caught up he will go to lie down and rest.”
“Yes, my lady.” She curtsied. “Is there anything I can get you?”
Ciara shook her head and shooed the woman off.
Suddenly the only sound in the room was the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace. Olen went over to it then stood, staring into the flames. Ciara waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. He simply gazed into the fireplace. She ambled over to his side and kissed his cheek.
“Don’t be angry with me,” she said.
“I’m not angry. I’m perplexed. We should leave this evil place as soon as possible. In fact, I’m pleading with you, Ciara. For our daughter’s safety.”
“You have nothing to worry about. I assure you we are fine. I made an arrangement with the head knight before the army departed. It’s been over a month, surely Declan has killed the prince by now.”
Olen took Ciara’s hands and brought them to his lips, sending a shiver of delight through her. “If he is dead, this would be the perfect time to leave.”
Ciara pulled away, growing irritated with Olen’s inability to see the larger picture. She was too exhausted to argue. She removed her dress and let it fall to the floor. Standing before Olen in her undergarments, she smiled and turned toward the bed.
“The healer said no,” he called after her.
She sat atop the bed and patted the blankets. “We can just lie together, can’t we?”
A slight grin appeared on Olen’s mouth. He strode over to the bed and embraced Ciara. They kissed, stirring the pot of passion. Ciara removed her undergarments and showed Olen her bare belly. He stroked it gently and beamed with pure joy, whispering her name. She lay back against the pillows and fell fast asleep.
The next morning, Ciara awoke to the sound of trumpets blaring. She thought she’d been dreaming, but when she sat up fully awake and heard another round of the trumpets, the reality of the situation slammed against her chest. Prince Kieran had returned to Verubri.
She shook Olen’s arm. “You must hide. The prince is back.”
He yawned and rolled over. “Not at all amusing.”
Ciara pulled herself out of bed and gathered up Olen’s clothes. She tugged his hand until he was halfway hanging off the bed. He opened his eyes and dropped to the floor.
“The prince has returned. You must hide!” she repeated.
“You said he was dead.” Olen collected his scattered clothes.
“I thought he was.” Ciara frantically tried to help Olen yank on his trousers, nearly tripping him.
Olen held her shoulders and locked eyes with her. “You must calm down. I will hide and come for you later. We must leave.”
Ciara nodded, trying to suck in longer breaths.
He pulled his tunic over his head. “We’ll be okay. I promise, my love. But you must not let the prince see you like this. Just remain calm until we can escape.”
She reached around his back and held him. “Be safe.”
Olen kissed her, lingering there for a moment, then slipped out of the room.
Ciara called for her chambermaid.
Clarice entered promptly and already knew what to do. She efficiently clothed Ciara in a red satin robe and got to work combing Ciara’s hair into an elegant twist. When she finished, Ciara grabbed her wrist.
“You mustn’t tell the prince about my brother visiting. He’s not very fond of him.”
Clarice straightened up the dressing area and toddled out of the room without a word.
The morning slogged on. Ciara sat by the fireplace, pretending to read. Why hadn’t the prince been to see her yet? The lunch hour came, and the only visitor had been one of the maids delivering a plate of roasted duck and cheeses. By late afternoon, Ciara’s eyes grew heavy with fatigue. She rested on the daybed and drifted to sleep.
When she woke, the drapes had been drawn and a tray placed on the table in her seating area. She had no appetite; her nerves had gotten the best of her and indigestion burned in her throat. The prince should’ve been by to visit. Perhaps he had business to attend to first?
Prince Kieran didn’t come by that night. He didn’t come the next morning either. Ciara worried about Olen. She waited until the middle of the night, then decided she would go and search for him. When she tried to exit her room, the door was locked. The next morning she inquired about it to Clarice. The chambermaid simply shrugged and said, “I’ve been given strict instructions by the castellan to keep the door locked at all times, my lady.”
Ciara clenched her fists and employed every ounce of willpower to stop from screaming. She forced a smile and her voice slightly shook when she said, “Thank you, Clarice. That will be all for now.” She could do nothing about her present predicament. Prince Kieran refused to see her.
An entire week passed with no word from her husband. Then another week went by. She hoped Olen was safe, but she was also increasingly growing more concerned for her own well-being.
Clarice entered the chambers with a fresh dress for the day.
“Anything?”
asked Ciara.
“I haven’t heard a word, my lady,” said Clarice.
“What good are you if you don’t know the inner workings of the castle?”
“You are my focus, my lady.” Clarice got to work brushing Ciara’s long black hair.
Ciara snatched the brush and threw it, then stood up. “It’s been weeks. I’m going to see my husband.”
Clarice laid her pudgy hands on Ciara’s shoulders, pressing her back down into the chair. “You must stay put, my lady.”
Clarice finished up and left Ciara alone in her chambers. Being cooped up like a chicken was beginning to cause her sanity to slip. Ciara wrapped a wool blanket around her, opened the doors to her balcony and stepped outside into the brittle January air. She looked over the edge. The frozen moat below might as well have been a hundred miles away; she’d never make it down alive. In her condition, she’d be lucky to make it down a flight of stairs without assistance.
She remained out on the balcony for the duration of the morning and into the afternoon. The cold air kept her alert while she mused over various possible escape plans from her locked room. In the mid-afternoon, Clarice brought out a bowl of stew and a cup of hot tea.
“This cold mightn’t be good for the baby.” Clarice set the tray on a small table next to the chair Ciara was seated in.
“Crisp, fresh air is exactly what is good for the baby.” Ciara grabbed the bowl and blew on a spoonful of stew before eating it.
“Will there be anything else, my lady?”
“Yes, my dear. Would you be so kind as to leave me be?” She slurped some more stew.
Clarice quietly exited.
The sun set and the air grew quite frigid. Ciara stood up, pleased with herself––for she had finally crafted yet another new scheme. It was time to go inside and sit by the fire. She stepped back into her chambers and noted several vases of dark red roses placed throughout the room. A chill rippled through her body. Prince Kieran was sending some sort of a message.
