Convergence (The Dragon Within Saga Book 1)

by Roberto Vecchi

  Safe. Now there was a false hope. When the guards burst through the door and made their way to Athlorial’s bedchamber, they would find her and Nadalize quietly folding the linen napkins embroidered with the Golden Dragon of the Dragon's Lair.

  "What is the meaning of this?" questioned Nadalize.

  "Take her," said a single voice, clad in the green and blue of house Cuetori

  Over the next few hours, an investigation was conducted and while it was evident Athlorial had been assaulted, it was her fame that prevented her from being formally charged by the nobility in the death of Lord Cuetori's son. Eriboth, however, would not find the same fortune, though his fame was much greater. Branded as a murderer, the bounty placed upon his successful retrieval exceeded the limit of any such bounty before. As the hours turned to days, and the days dissolved into weeks, Athlorial never wavered in her belief that he would return for her and sweep her away into his life. But as the weeks passed, and exactly a month after their last evening together, all things would change and her life would never again be fully hers.

  Although her schedule necessitated late nights, she had never slept into the mid-morning hours, always waking early to assist Nadalize with the preparation duties of The Dragon's Lair. This morning, however, saw her sleep extend well beyond her norm. As her eyes opened, she felt the muscle behind her right lower leg tighten. When she reached down to rub it, its partner on her opposite leg tightened as well. What began as a gradual cramping soon escalated into a full blown pain attack causing her to release a burst like scream.

  Nadalize, still on edge from the horrible events of last month, burst through the door, "What is it?" she exclaimed.

  "I do not know. I woke up and my legs started to tighten and hurt. I tried to rub them, but it would not lessen." Athlorial replied.

  "Are they still hurting?" the older woman asked again.

  "No, it seems to have stopped. What do you think it was?" Athlorial asked.

  "I have my suspicions. Stay here and rest. I will fetch the physician," she said through squinted eyes.

  The elderly physician entered her room several hours after Nadalize had left. His brief examination consisted of listened to her heart by placing his ear on her chest, checking her temperature by placing his hand on her forehead, and examining her eyes by holding a candle in front of them and asking her to focus both eyes upon the tiny flame. After he concluded, he asked her a single question, "When was the last time your womanhood flowered?"

  "Oh my," Athlorial said as she struggled to remember. "It must have been longer than a month ago."

  "Have you lain with a man since then?" he ask as he extinguished the candle.

  Athlorial looked to Nadalize, seeking guidance. After her mother silently nodded her head, the young woman answered, "Yes."

  "My dear, you are with child," said the physician after a slight pause to look at Nadalize and then back to Athlorial.

  Fueled by her hope that Eriboth would remain true to his promise and return to her when he was able, her face slowly formed a very large smile. Nadalize had accompanied the physician and was present during his examination and diagnosis, and though her shock was considerably less than Athlorial’s, and in spite of her concerns regarding Eriboth's eventual return, she joined the young woman's smile with her own. The genuine joy upon Athlorial’s face was entirely irresistible to the point where it necessitated a reflection in kind. Excitedly she spoke after a few brief seconds, "Nadalize! Can you believe it! I am with child! This day, this last month could not be any better!"

  "Yes, my Eklirin," returned Nadalize with no less enthusiasm, "I can believe it! I am relieved this has come to render joy upon you, even in his absence."

  "Oh Nadalize, he will return for me and our son, or daughter," she said as she instinctively rested her hands upon her belly.

  "I did not mean to imply he would not. Of course he will and he will be very pleased with the news of his child!" she said as she took a seat next to her daughter on the bed.

  At the mention of this, the look of joy on the young woman's face grew gravely still as the smile and the light in her eyes faded, "Please, Nada, tell me the truth. You know him best. Do you think he will be pleased with me?"

  "My Sweet Little Eklirin, of course he will be pleased with you, Why would he not?"

  As soon as Nada finished her question, the physician interrupted by clearing his throat. "Thank you, sir," said a smiling and grateful Athlorial. "You have been the bearer of great news today."

  "Even so, this great news will amount to nothing if you do not follow my instructions and allow the new Dra’thiny to grow strong and healthy. You must make sure you are eating enough. No starving yourself to try and stay thin. You must make sure you are drinking enough water and juices squeezed directly from fruits. Eat three extra portions of vegetables per day. The greener the better to help with the condition of your blood, which will tend to weaken the closer you progress to giving birth," said the physician as he continued with a large list of the things Athlorial should and should not do along with their resulting effects upon the Dra'thiny. As soon as Nadalize saw the young woman now mother become overwhelmed with the influx of information, she halted the growing soliloquy of the physician by stating that the young mother was looking a little pale and needed to rest.

  "Very well. I will have my scribe send over the instructions later in the evening. I have also been working with the University to create a special potion specifically for this very situation. I will have him carry a drought of it for her to take this evening. If she feels good in the morning, I will prescribe a single drought of it every evening before bed," said the elderly physician as he stood up and began walking to exit the young woman's bed chamber. But before he crossed its threshold, he turned and said, "Congratulations. The effect of this child is already strong. I dare say I have not seen one develop quite this early. He or she is sure to be a strong child."

  As the physician left, Athlorial spoke to her guardian, "Thank you Nada. I do not think I could have gone through today without you. You have been such a blessing for me. Truly, you have given me everything when I have given you nothing. And now that I am with child, I could not think of anyone I would want in my child's life more than you. Can you promise me one thing, please?"

  The older woman looking inquisitively at the younger woman, "Please, you have given me a second chance at being a mother," she said as she sat down on the bed and took Athlorial’s hand in hers. "I hope, one day, when your child is grown and has seen all of his dreams fulfilled and you are married to the man of your dreams, you will be able to share with them a moment such as this. Because this is one of the most special moments I have ever had."

  "But will you promise me one thing?"

  "Yes, My Eklirin. What do you ask?

  "No matter what happens to me or his father, please take care of our child."

  Pausing for a few moments because she was caught unaware of the direction of her request and did not know of which apparent foreboding Athlorial spoke, she decided it was better not to press the young woman and responded with a simple, "Of course, my Eklirin. Of course." After the new mother smiled as if to say thank you, Nadalize continued to rub her hand. In response, the younger woman rested her head upon the tavern owner's thigh. She felt Athlorial's breathing deepen and slow. Moments later, the new mother had fallen asleep.

  The day was progressing and Nadalize needed to check upon the well-being of her guests and the Dragon's Lair, but this moment was too special to shorten with responsibilities and requirements. Its demand for continuance and complete integrity was such that regardless of the condition of the tavern below, she would not interrupt its sincerity. Nothing short of the world's end would pull her from the side of this young woman, her young woman. Yes, though Athlorial was not born from the tavern owner's womb, she nonetheless considered her as if she had been the continuance of her own blood. They had been though too much together, grown too much
together, and been too much together to consider her anything less than blood. And blood, to the woman who had none of her own, formed a bond stronger than responsibility, for it was the cause of all. So they rested together, again, in the peace and quality only they could give to each other removed from all things outside of their bond.

  In spite of Nadalize's insistence, Athlorial continued to work her regular hours serving the guests of the tavern including her regularly scheduled performances. And in the months following her legendary performance (legendary because the customers had begun to come from the bordering provinces, some even as far as other kingdoms), the business grew at an alarming rate. Nadalize found herself seeking employment from anyone she could draw upon, for no other reason than to manage the increasingly long line at her tavern door. Several skirmishes ensued and the city guard had no other recourse but to schedule more men during the nights when Athlorial was scheduled to sing. Furthermore, her peace keepers needed a solid buffering to their numbers. But even with the added security, the chaos was balanced upon a very fine edge, until one evening, it tipped, and reigned.

  Such was the magnitude of the battle between the patrons and security, that Nadalize was called to answer for her lack of adequate peace keeping forces. It was sighted that her establishment was becoming a danger to the safety of the surrounding community. As evidence, the Lord's prosecutor produced a story of a young family that had been tragically killed as a result of the collateral damage resulting from the monumental bar brawl. There were two witnesses who were able to corroborate the claims against Nadalize and The Dragon's Lair, though there was no physical evidence of the family's presence within the city let alone its close proximity to her tavern.

  Nadalize smelled skullduggery which was later confirmed by a visit from her cloaked friend who indicated this trial was staged as punishment for her involvement in Eriboth's escape. Because they could not dare punish Athlorial, or even insinuate her role was anything greater than a helpless victim, and because Eriboth had managed to flee, albeit forcefully as he ended several of the Lord's guards who attempted to stand between he and freedom, there was but one element upon which all blame could be placed and all vengeance could be administered - The Dragon's Lair. After all, one of the conditions of mortality's failings and faults was that it needed an object of blame to reduce the necessity to look within.

  About the same time as the trial's beginning, which lasted a solid month, a local and wealthy merchant had begun frequenting The Dragon's Lair. He was well known throughout the city as he currently sat on several advising committees ranging from the Transcommuntiy Trade Committee (TTC), to the Cultural Committee for Financial Gain (CCFG), and even to the Fiduciary Advisory to the Kings Emporium (FAKE). Most of the days he was present, Athlorial was working and though he never requested her in the beginning, it always worked out that she was his dedicated serving girl. The first few times she took care of him, he left tips that exceeded even what she was accustomed to receiving, the last of which was a small emerald. True, the emerald was not large enough to garnish much on the trade market, but its worth was greater than any other tip she had received before. The week after he left her the emerald, he did not enter through the tavern doors. When he did return, he requested someone other than Athlorial even though she was present.

  While he was sitting and eating, she approached him and thanked him for his generous tip. "My Dear, your name is Athlorial is it not?"

  "Yes, My Lord, it is," she replied with formality.

  "Please, I am neither a Lord, nor am I yours, so the combination of the two is certainly granting me more title than I am deserved, though certainly not more than I desire," he replied with a small grin and wink.

  She blushed slightly as his meaning was not lost upon her and she replied, "You flatter me greatly, Sir. But I am saved for my Love who is away, but will return soon."

  Deliberately looking to her mid-section, then to her hand, and then to her eyes again, "My Dear, I can see that you are in love by the presence of the child within your womb and the glow in your eyes, yet I question his return because your finger lies barren and alone without a ring to accompany it."

  "Sir! Perhaps I have given the wrong impression. I meant only to thank you for your more than generous gift. I did not think my presence at your table would instigate a conversation questioning the condition of how much I am loved!" she stated firmly.

  "My apologies, my Lady. I did not mean to question anything. Perhaps I am simply weary from life," he allowed his continuance to trail off as he looked deeply into his mug of ale, taking a long pull from its bitter liquid.

  The expression on her face changed quickly from staunch indignation to empathy as she saw the sadness within his eyes. "I am sorry to have been so harsh. I did not mean to at all. Please, tell me. What has drawn upon your life that you find yourself weary?"

  The local merchant reluctantly launched into a heart wrenching story regarding the infidelity of his current wife of ten years. He assaulted the strings of her heart and the tears within her eyes with story upon story regarding his selfless struggle to win her approval for him and only him; yet only to fail time and time again within her eyes. He told Athlorial tales of his rise to prominence in the textile industry and how that lead to his promotion within the trade community and eventually to his inclusion into The King's main financial committee; The Fiduciary Advisory to the King's Emporium. He told her, quite convincingly, how his rise was simply a means to provide his wife and their family a greater status and financial position resulting in the propagation of the lifestyle his wife had always desired. And as appreciation for all of his efforts and success, he told her of how his wife hand been unfaithful to him on at least four different occasions with four different men, one of which was Eriboth.

  Unseen within her were planted the beginning seeds of doubt. Starting as a subtle questioning of his intentions, a question that would be watered by her conversation with the wealthy and sad merchant, her doubt of Eriboth's intent to return to her grew. She would not be able to recall the exact day, but her visions of their days together as she lay awake at night would be transformed into a fear that they would never manifest. Stemming from that realization, and his continued absence from her, grew visions of her alone with her child suffering the cruel whims of life given to an unwed mother and a fatherless child. When the doubt hit her, it hit her hard. Though she had been through a great deal of pain in her young life, more than most people would see in the totality of their years, she was unaccustomed to functioning through pain when it stemmed from the crushing weight of unfulfilled hope, because until the presence of Eriboth, she had never felt true hope.

  Slowly the grief set in. At first, she was able to progress with her duties in spite of it; however, when her nightly tears were no longer sufficient to keep it held within the confines of her lonely bed and its awful solitude, she began missing shifts. Stating her growing baby was causing her to feel ill and tired, being with child provided a plausible cover for her growing grief; a grief of not simply missing him, but losing him.

  When she was present at work, the wealthy merchant was always there, waiting with a smile and conversation. After one particular evening, while Nadalize was held late by the inquisitors' endless questions, Athlorial was left with the responsibility of performing the closing duties of The Dragon's Lair because, other than the short owner herself, she was the only one possessing both the knowledge and trust to do so.

  But she was tired. Oh was she tired. She had added only a few pounds to her slight frame, but her growing baby was seemingly consuming more than just the food she ate, it seemed to feed upon her very energy. Even only a couple of weeks ago she would have been able to finish the closing duties without a second thought, but today found her weary and weak. She had asked the other serving girls to lift the stools and place them on the tables so the floor could be mopped in the morning, but while she was counting all of the money in Nada's office, the girls had
left without complying with her instructions. Such was her dedication to Nada and The Dragon's Lair, that regardless of how she felt, she was going to complete all tasks, even if she felt she could not. Somewhere in the middle section of the dining room, she felt the weight of her head lessen, and the room start to spin. She stumbled against one of the tables in an effort to sit on one of the stools. After gathering herself for a moment, she reached for another stool to put it up and felt the room grow dark.

  She woke and instantly shot to a sitting position. This was only the second time in her life she had opened her eyes after a night of sleep without a firm recollection of the preceding events and without the knowledge of where she was and how she had gotten there. It was clearly day as the sun shone brilliantly through the translucent blue drapes, but she did not know how late in the day it was. Allowing her legs to dangle off the bed, she took a mental inventory of her conscious self. She found all of her physical and mental attributes unaltered and intact; however, she was not wearing the same clothes she had worn to work at The Dragon's Lair the night before, if indeed it was still only the next day, for in truth, she did not know.

  "Oh, I see you are awake. Oh my, you are a pretty young thing," said a distinctly female and subtly firm voice from behind her. As she turned to identify her current hostess, she saw a tall and slender woman dressed in fine but humble clothing standing at the arch of the doorway. The color of her dress was comprised of various shades of blue similar to, but not identical to, the curtains that hung from the windows. She was an attractive woman, and was several years Athlorial's elder. Her attractiveness, however, was more a result of the inherent dignity with which she carried herself, almost with perfect posture, than any singular or summative physical distinction. "It is no wonder my husband brought you home when he found you laying on the floor of that dreadful tavern," she said as she drew the last few words out emphasizing her dislike.