by Ivy Clyde
Helena blinked several times like she was making sure the vision before her wasn’t a hallucination.
“You?” she whispered with a disbelieving expression.
“I’m not the person you were expecting,” I said in a calm, measured voice. “Apologies for the surprise.”
Helena’s face distorted with rage. The ugly expression marring her beauty was the one I was familiar with.
“Guards!” she shrieked. “Capture this woman.”
For a moment, I simply stared at her and wondered whether she was right in the head. Only seconds ago, she saw me morph into a human from my dragon form. She should at least be a little scared.
“Capture that woman!” she shouted as soon as a group of guards came on the terrace.
The soldiers looked at me curiously but no one approached me.
“What are you waiting for?” she shouted, stomping her feet on the ground.
“How did she get in here, My Lady?” asked one of the guards. “There is no way anyone can surpass the security down below and come up here.”
“Stop asking stupid questions and arrest her right now. She is full of tricks but if she escapes I’ll have all your heads!”
They inched forward, looking wary.
I stood still, letting them approach me. Another minute later, they fell upon me and put heavy manacles around my wrists.
“Get Mekhi and Zane to see me,” I said as one of the guards gave me a push to make me walk. “They would want to know their father’s dead.”
The soldiers looked between each other.
“Take her to the Fat Priest’s Tower,” said Helena. “Get her on the stone throne and make sure to chain her down well.”
Fat Priest’s Tower was located far from the palace grounds. It was the place reserved for the punishment of dragonborns. The manacles and torture instruments available there were imbued with magic that suppressed our powers to burn and melt through our bindings.
Helena thought she was being smart, chaining me with iron that would suppress the fire within me. She didn’t know those trinkets had absolutely no effect on a true dragon.
I let the soldiers drag me away.
One more confrontation with my cousins and I could put an end to this episode. Walking through the paths that led to the torture tower, I thought of Cain, Adal, and Norvin. They must be on their way to their kingdoms and preparing for new battles. I worried most for Norvin. He was still badly injured. Would he able to stand up against his treacherous brother who sold him out to Ivan?
Stay strong, I prayed silently in my mind. Norvin’s handsome face flashed by my mind, making my heart squeeze painfully. It had only been a few hours but I was already missing my princes.
The guards took me up the tall, narrow staircase that led to the Fat Priest’s Tower. Once I gained my throne, I’d have to ask someone the reason behind the ridiculous naming of a torture tower.
“Make sure she is bound tightly,” said one of the men. He was overlooking the process of having me chained to a large chair. The material was made of dark stone. As soon as my bottom was forced on it, I could feel the wisps of magic rising from it. Too bad for Helena, they had no effect on me.
The tight manacles they put on my wrists chafed my skin but I kept silent. I needed the soldiers to complete the task quickly and call for my cousins.
I was left alone in the dark room. Not a single ray of the afternoon sun came through the cracks, making it a really dismal chamber to get locked up in.
Closing my eyes, I decided to take a nap. It was the only thing to do in that darkened tower room. The hard stone chair was uncomfortable but I could sleep in worse condition.
It was a while before anyone disturbed me.
When the door to the room was thrown open again, I saw three figures silhouetted against the light. Blinking the sleep out of my eyes, I sat up straighter.
Torches were lit around the chamber. As the glow from the flickering flames washed over the surrounding area, I found my company to be Helena and her brothers. Zane snarled at me and was about to get nearer but Mekhi stopped him.
“Not yet, brother,” said Mekhi in his cold, detached voice. “I need some answers before I can give her up to you.”
“Then ask,” barked Zane. “I am going to chop her body in little pieces and feed it to the dogs!”
Helena smirked at me. I grinned back, making her frown again.
“Look here.” Mekhi stood before me now. His pale gray eyes stared into mine as he gripped my chin in a painful grip. “Tell me how Prince Adal changed into a dragon. I might just spare your life if you do so.”
I chuckled. “Your word has absolutely no worth to me. Chances are you’ll kill me as soon as I tell you. Your father would have done so. In fact, he did do so. He murdered every scholar who could read the Ancient Tongue in the four kingdoms.”
“Tell me.”
“You’ll never know the secret, Cousin.”
Something flickered behind his eyes. “Why did you call me that?”
“Because we are cousins, Mekhi,” I said in a soft whisper like I was telling him a secret. “I am more of a sister to you than that street urchin over there.” I gestured over the spot where Helena stood.
Mekhi’s hand fell away from my chin. “You are that Daria?”
“I am.”
Mekhi took a step backward and stared at me closely.
“She is playing with your mind,” shouted Helena, marching forward. “Don’t let her trick you.”
“Your father is dead,” I said, keeping my gaze on Mekhi. “I and my mates killed him yesterday. You will have his head in your possession soon enough.”
“Shut up!” he spat out.
As Mekhi walked to and fro in the chamber, too lost in his thoughts, Helena approached me.
“Is Prince Cain one of your mates?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And he is a dragon?”
“A silver-scaled one,” I said cooly. “You must have heard the rumors about him.”
“Step aside, Sister,” barked Zane, pushing Helena out of the way. “I want to cut up her cunt so badly she can never mate with another man again.”
Helena smiled at his declaration.
“You know, I’m going to bear him an heir soon,” I said, keeping my gaze on Helena. “You can forget about becoming his queen or concubine. It’s never going to happen.”
She moved forward to strike me but Mekhi stopped her. While they remained locked in a brawl of fists and nails, the sound of a sword leaving its scabbard rang out in the chamber.
Zane stood before me with a raised sword.
“Enough with these mindless talks,” he said in a low voice.
“Don’t you dare,” I warned coolly. “Stop him, Mekhi, or I will rip your head off too.”
He stopped his skirmish with Helena and came to stand beside his seething brother. “Tell me how Cain transformed into a dragon and I’ll let you live.”
“You don’t negotiate with your queen, Cousin.”
Helena scoffed. “She’s either lost her mind or doing a horrible job of tricking us.”
I nodded. “Ivan seemed invincible, didn’t he?” I said softly, looking between her and Mekhi. “But it was him against four dragons. This time there was no chance for him to play an underhanded trick like last time. He died by my hands.” Taking a deep breath, I continued. “Bow to me now and accept your punishment for all the crimes you’ve committed against the people of the four kingdoms. It is the only way to preserve your life.”
“I’ll never bow to you!” spat Zane. He raised the sword and rushed at me. Something rippled within me. The shifting magic within me was triggered without me calling for it. My dragon had taken over at that moment. She was enraged with the man trying to hurt the baby in her womb.
The chair, manacles, and chains that bound me shattered like glass as my true form emerged into the small chamber of the tower. Helena, Mekhi, and Zane stood frozen before me.
I soared high into the sky. The cool, fresh air of the afternoon felt liberating after the dark, congested tower room. My glowing red eyes fixed on the two men before me. They screamed for mercy but I had none left. Loosening my grip, I let my cousins slip out of my talons.
Mekhi and Zane shrieked helplessly as they fell through the air.
With two sickening thuds, their bodies hit the hard ground down below. Soldiers standing near that area glanced up at me as I hovered over the spot.
A few of them checked my cousins’ bodies. They remained motionless and in a broken, bloody mess.
Swooping down, I reached the ground and folded my wings. The soldiers fell to their knees immediately. Shifting back to my human form, I looked down at them. They were far more sensible than my departed cousins.
“Clean this mess up and arrange the bodies to be cremated,” I said in a strict, commanding voice. “And you,” I added, pointing at a young soldier who’d glanced at me that moment. “You are going to be my valet for the day. Prepare the best room in the palace for me to rest in.”
“What?”
“I am Princess Daria of Drakhaven,” I declared in a strong voice. “Obey me and I’ll protect you from all harm.”
They stayed quiet but the young soldier I’d pointed to earlier got to his feet. Staring at me with wide, curious eyes, he said, “This way, My Lady.”
I followed after him, desperately hoping for a private hot bath and a clean, warm bed. The task to consolidate my power had started but my exhausted body needed a respite.
11
Daria
“Tell someone to notify Prince Ren,” I said after a while. We’d entered the palace by now. “He must come to see me at the earliest.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“What is your name?”
“Yejita, Your Highness.”
We walked along the palace corridors until we reached the area where the kitchens were located. Men and women in maroon uniforms worked busily at their chores. No one glanced at us.
Yejita stopped a young maid on her way to the stoves. “Where is Jarina?”
“Over there,” she said, extending her arm outward. Following the direction of her gaze, I saw an older woman in a neat maroon dress. Her head was covered by a white scarf and she looked like she was in charge of the place. In a moment, I recognized her. Jarina used to stuff sweets into both my and Ren’s hands when we were children.
Jarina walked towards us. A frown deepened the wrinkles on her face. “What are you doing here, soldier?” she asked. “The kitchen is not a place to be playing in.”
“I am not playing,” said Yejita in a low voice. He glanced at me and then back at Jarina. “We have a new princess now. She needs the best place to stay in. You’re the only one I could think of who could help with that.”
“New princess?” Her gaze fell on me. I must’ve looked terrible at that moment. My clothes were dirty with caked up blood and sweat. I could understand if the head of the maids and servants didn’t look impressed with me. Instead, Jarina moved nearer and looked closely at me. Her mouth trembled as she continued to stare at me. “You look just like the dead queen,” she whispered.
“You recognize me?” I asked.
“Yes. Even as a child you resembled the queen but how are you here? This must be a trick of some kind.” Her gaze shifted from me to Yejita.
Before she could start berating him, I said, “This is not a trick. I am Princess Daria, the lost daughter to King Helmut and Queen Eibhlin.”
Jarina’s hand rose to cover her mouth as her eyes widened. “No one has uttered that name in a decade now.”
“My old quarters have been taken up by the fake princess,” I said in an annoyed tone. “Of course, it’s not her fault. The fake emperor handed it to her.” Taking a deep breath, I fixed a grim stare at Jarina. “I will deal with Helena another time but for now, I need a hot bath and a private chamber to rest in. You can manage that, can’t you?”
“I don’t know.” A worried look came over her. “The emperor would want to know about it first.”
“The emperor is dead,” I said in a cold, detached voice. “So are his sons, Mekhi and Zane. You don’t need to follow anyone’s commands but mine from now on.”
All activity in the kitchen suddenly stopped. People stared at me openly now. Only the crackling of wood and bubbling of a stew sounded in the otherwise quiet kitchen space.
“My Lady is a true dragon,” said Yejita from behind me. “Don’t mess with her. Just tell me where to take her and I will.”
“Well then,” said Jarina, struggling to get her bearing after hearing the news I’d just divulged to the whole kitchen. “Come this way…Your Highness.”
Picking up her voluminous skirts, she hurried to the staircase that would take her to the upper levels of the palace. I walked after her with Yejita following behind me.
She led me to the second floor of the palace in the western wing.
“No one comes up here much,” said Jarina, striding along a deserted corridor. “I know nothing about what is going on but even an old woman like me can sense something has happened. The emperor is dead, you say? The Great Dragon is gone?” She came to a sudden halt and turned around to face me. “If you are truly Princess Daria, tell me what your favorite sweet was.”
“Almond and date pastries dipped in honey,” I said, looking into her suspiciously-narrowed eyes.
A soft moan escaped her as she covered her face. “This is too much for me.” She swayed on her feet. Moving forward, I held her by the waist to steady her on her feet.
“Oh, my princess!” she gasped, holding onto me. “Only you and Prince Ren could know of this! The number of times I had to complain to the queen because you were stealing the pastries from the kitchen!” The elderly woman’s breaths grew heavy and erratic.
“Calm down, Jarina,” I said in a soft voice. “Breathe. Everything is going to all right.”
Yejita patted her back soothingly.
“For the life of me…I can’t…” She was heaving. “Oh, come this way. Let me show you the room and arrange for some hot water to be sent to you. It will take me time to get used to this incredible news.”
Jarina muttered under her breath but showed me into a vast bedchamber. It was smaller than the one Helena was occupying but it was fine for now. At least, it would give me the privacy to arrange my thoughts and rest while I waited for Ren to come.
“I am sending you some food too, Your Highness,” said Jarina, hurrying out of the room.
“Go after her,” I told Yejita. “See to it they prepare me a bath immediately and make them get me some clothes. I don’t mind a simple dress for the moment but tell them to hurry.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Closing the door after Yejita left, I walked to one of the tall windows on the other side of the room. Sunlight was quickly fading, leaving a crimson sunset in its wake. It seemed like a fitting way to commemorate the bloody day.
All my blood relatives were dead.
An exhausted sigh escaped me.
There was no remorse or sadness within me at the loss. They were the reason the four kingdoms suffered for fifteen years. They were the reason I was beaten and burned down in Linmoor Valley and reshaped as an assassin. This day was their own making.
Closing my eyes, I searched for Tuto. To my surprise, he was quite close to me. Entering his mind, I saw him perched on a tree branch in the woods behind the palace.
“Come to me.” In the quiet melancholy of the room, Tuto’s presence would be a familiar comfort.
Within a few minutes, Tuto flew through the open
window and flopped down on the large bed in the corner. He hooted excitedly.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I caressed the soft feathers of his folded wings. His hoots became softer as he closed his amber eyes to enjoy my touch.
“You will have to fly a long way for me,” I said in a low, gentle voice. “The mission my master gave me is finally over. The emperor is dead and the three princes lived through it all. I am never going back to Linmoor Valley again.”
Tuto hooted.
“Stay with me and guard me through the night. I don’t have the energy to be vigilant tonight.”
A knock sounded at the door. Tuto ruffled his wings at the intrusion but I calmed him.
“Come inside,” I said loudly.
Jarina entered the room with four women. Two of them carried pails of steaming water while the other two stood there with linen undergarments and a luxurious gown. The maids walked past Jarina and wordless carried all the items across the room to reach a door at the far end. Beyond it, lay the bathing chamber.
“They will help you bathe, My Princess,” said Jarina.
I shook my head. “That won’t be necessary. They can stand outside and wait and clean up after I am done.”
Jarina’s gaze fell on the ghost owl beside me. She was about to say something but stopped herself. Instead, she bowed her head and walked inside the bathing chamber to oversee the maids.
They came out after a while. “Everything is ready, Your Highness,” said Jarina.
“Thank you.” Leaving Tuto perched on the bedpost, I headed towards the bathing chamber. “Before closing the door, I said, “If Prince Ren comes, bring him to my chambers. Also, keep a watch over Helena. I don’t want her to escape just yet.”
Jarina bowed her head in agreement.
I closed the door to the bathing chamber. Several stubs of candles lit the space up in a warm glow. A modest tub of copper stood in the center. My heart swelled at the sight of the steaming water filling it up.
It had been a while since I had the luxury to take a proper bath. Stripping out of my dirty clothes, I hurried to dip myself in the warmth of the clean water.
