by L. H. Nicole
Men cheered and women laughed. Morgana twirled her way next to Aliana as Vira danced off with her two friends. She took Aliana’s hands and they started to swing around in a wide arc, spinning under each other’s arms and clapping to the rhythm.
A small girl was trying to copy them. Aliana snickered, her head thrown back, feeling, for a small second, like she was at home again with her best friends.
The little brunette stumbled back and knocked into a drunken man, causing him to drop his mug of ale.
Aliana froze.
“Why you little tramp,” the drunken man roared, swinging his catcher’s glove-like hand at the girl who had fallen to the ground.
Aliana rushed forward, anger rising up like a soaring Firebird, and blocked the man’s hand, slapping it away in a practiced block she had memorized many years ago. The little girl sniffled and scrambled behind Aliana.
“You filthy wench!” The man’s hand pulled back, even as he swayed a little off balance. She saw the punch coming. The clumsy oaf swung and she bent herself back in an arch and then pulled back up, her feet shifting at the same time. She sidestepped the man as he stumbled forward onto his hands and knees.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vira and Morgana placing themselves in front of the children. The sound of heavy feet and weapons surrounded them as guards and the knights closed in, blocking any routes of escape.
Red-faced, the angry man pushed himself back onto his feet and bellowed as he came at Aliana again. She ducked his meaty fists as her anger and adrenaline kicked her fighting instincts into high gear. She blocked and deflected his blows easily enough, but she could see the rage building in this man. She knew she needed to end this.
He managed to grab her arm in a tight grip, but he only had one hand on her. Blocking his free, raised hand, Aliana flung herself forward, slapping her hand onto the hard, sweaty chest and jabbed it up, with all the strength she had, into his throat. He coughed, spit and blood flying from his open mouth as he choked. Using her momentum she spun, her hands grabbing his arm as her back hit his chest and she bent forward. The heavy man went sailing over her shoulder and hit the ground in a heap of sweat.
The whole scene hadn’t taken more than a minute but it felt like much longer. Breathing heavily, her anger starting to ebb, she looked up and saw Galahad, Arthur, Percival, Lancelot and Gawain watching with surprise and amusement. Their swords were partially drawn, but they pushed them back into the sheaths.
Holding her head high, she walked past the groaning man and went to Vira’s side.
Vira’s eyes looked at her with an awe that made Aliana extremely uncomfortable. But the awe morphed into fear as the girl looked behind her. Reacting on instinct Aliana slid into an attack stance; half-turned and snapped out her leg. Her boot slammed into the man’s jaw, the sound of breaking bones mixing with the cries of outrage from the knights. Her foot came back down, her hands balled, her arms in the guard pose, tucked tight to her sides, and she glowered down at him. A stained dagger lay just inches from the man’s hands on the dirt street.
He was curled up in a ball, his hands clutching his face and neck as the tips of four swords were suddenly pressed against the moaning, pathetic drunkard.
Aliana stared at the dagger until Vira’s small hand on her arm distracted her. For a second she thought the dagger looked familiar, but she couldn’t place from where. It seemed like something she’d seen in a dream, or maybe a nightmare, long ago.
“Take him to the dungeon!” Arthur’s clipped order startled her. Clearly his easy-going demeanor from moments ago was gone. “A few days in the stocks should teach him.”
Gawain and Percival got the choking man to his feet and dragged him away. The drunkard had blood and spit leaking down the already purple and blue flesh of his jaw. She had likely broken his jaw and probably done some serious damage to the guy’s esophagus. Her hands trembled with the remains of her adrenaline.
Vira’s big awed eyes were focused on her again. “How did you do that?”
Huffing out a breath, Aliana said, “I told y’all, I have been trained to defend myself.”
Arthur came to her other side. “I guess that is a lesson to all of us.” He seemed calmer now.
“Waste of a good weapon,” the white knight remarked, handing the dagger to Merlin. “Do you think you can use your magic to make this a decent piece again?”
Morgana came to Merlin’s side, studying the deadly instrument as she wrapped her arm through Merlin’s and pressed close to him. “What do you think, my love?”
Morgana’s head tilted slightly, her hair slipping over her shoulder. “It is worth trying, but I wouldn’t hold out much hope.”
Aliana’s stared at the pair. What were they talking about? Then she remembered Merlin’s brief lesson on enchanted weapons. She remembered how magic could be used to restore or even make certain weapons undefeatable. Just like the one she had made for her Galahad before their trip to the Isle.
Galahad wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders, but Aliana could feel his blue eyes on her. “We should get back to the castle.”
Aliana refused to look at the knight for fear of what her heart might do.
Arthur placed his hand on her back, leading them up the path back to the castle. “Dinner will be waiting for us,” he said as they entered the training yard again.
“If it is all right with you, your majesty, I’d rather skip dinner tonight.” And she needed to start reading through that book!
The king frowned, pulling her slightly to the side as the others passed them.
“Are you feeling unwell? Did that brute hurt you?” His rage returned like hot lava.
Aliana placed her hand over his. “I’m perfectly fine, Arthur.” She paled, then felt her face flush. “Er…your majesty.”
His anger cooled as the king smiled. “I’m glad you are comfortable enough to call me Arthur.” He stepped closer. “I truly wish for us to get to know each other well enough to be so friendly, Aliana.”
Her mind was empty for a long second. Was Arthur hitting on her? “Um…Arthur…I don’t think Delphina would appreciate that.” It was hard but Aliana forced herself to take a step back.
His brow pulled together, the corner of his mouth turning down. “What does she have to do with any of this?”
Aliana shook her head to clear away the image of Delphina and him in the hall earlier. Clearly they had just “been together,” how could he turn his emotions around so quickly?
“I’m fine, really. I just want to relax a little and go to bed early.” She wasn’t going to dignify his question with an answer. Delphina was the girl he loved, and she needed to accept that fact.
With a frustrated sigh, he relented. “I’ll have a servant bring you a plate of food and some wine.”
Grateful for his acceptance, Aliana turned, familiar enough with this hall’s layout to make it back to her room on her own. She pushed the door open, slid through and closed it, and leaned against the hard wood.
A feminine voice cleared her throat. Aliana’s eyes shot up to meet the pale sunlight eyes of a tall woman with very dark honey-colored hair. She was standing beside the small table and chair by the lit fireplace.
Aliana looked around the room quickly to be sure it was hers. “Forgive me, but I am in my room, right?”
The woman smiled, a throaty laugh escaping her. Her face was slightly familiar, but she couldn’t figure out why.
“Yes,” she said, amusement in her tone. “I am Queen Igraine. My son and Merlin were telling me about you after my return earlier today.”
The blood drained from Aliana’s face. This was Arthur’s mother! She curtsied quickly not wanting to offend such a powerful woman.
Jeeze this day just keeps getting better and better!
“I see I have startled you. Please sit down.”
Aliana steeled herself, pushed away from the door and went to the woman’s side, but didn’t sit. “I am fine, thank you. You just surpri
sed me.”
“I was on my way to see to dinner when Sir Gawain and Sir Percival brought in a man who looked in dire need of healer and a remedy for drunkenness. They told me what happened and I simply had to meet such a brave young woman.”
“Um…” For the second time today, Aliana couldn’t think of what to say.
The queen’s long face softened even more. “Please do not feel uncomfortable by my presence. My son has told me you will be staying with us for a while. You seem to have made quite the impression on many people since your arrival.”
“Everyone’s been very kind.” Why did she feel like the queen was trying to tell her something her misfired brain wasn’t seeing?
“Yes, dinner will no doubt be ready, are you joining us?”
Aliana shook her head. “Thank you but no. It was a…long day today. I haven’t really gotten to rest since we entered the city yesterday.”
The queen headed toward the door. “Then I will not keep you any longer. I hope we will have some time to talk tomorrow.”
Aliana nodded and the queen left looking satisfied. Though why she was, Aliana had no clue.
“What was that all about?” she asked Dagg as soon as he became his normal self.
“I think we just met a piece of the puzzle we have been missing.”
Aliana wheeled around to the Dragon who was perched on the top of the chair. “Say what?”
His lips pulled back, amused. “You didn’t feel it did you?”
“Feel what?”
“The air humming around the queen.”
Aliana straightened trying to recall it, but failed. “No. What does that have to do with anything?”
Dagg jumped from his perch, hovering before her. “She’s a Dragon. A Golden Dragon to be precise.”
8
The Grail of Power is proving more elusive than I had hoped. Puck has yet to locate it, which means he has not yet informed my queen either. She still thinks I do not know Puck spies for her. I do so hope her preoccupation with her Destined One hasn’t clouded her vision from realizing the trickster’s true motives. There is, however, the problem of the sword she received from the mortal king. She must be kept from unlocking the true powers of its gems. Nothing and no one could stop her ambitions then. She must not get the Grail of Power first!
~Oberon
AFTER DAGG’S MONSTER BOMB DROP, Aliana barely remembered crawling into bed, the magic book totally forgotten for the night. How could Arthur’s mother be a Golden Dragon? Arthur sure as heck wasn’t one, at least not one hundred percent Golden Dragon. Dagg had reassured her of that. But he also explained that the more diluted the blood magic, the less likely a descendant was to be a true Dragon, able to take beast form. The fact remained he did have some Dragon DNA in him.
Aliana wondered, before fading for the night, if Arthur’s talent for getting people to not only listen to him, but do exactly as he ordered wasn’t because of his Dragon heritage. What if all of his years spent trapped in Avalon’s magic enhanced his Dragon blood and brought out more of its powers in the king?
Since the queen was a Dragon, it was likely she realized the presence of another Dragon, so they both agreed that they would talk to the queen and find out her story. Maybe she would turn out to be another ally.
Lying in bed, the morning light illuminating the stone room, Aliana tried to remember what Arthur had told her about his mother. But she couldn’t remember much. She knew that his father was deeply devoted and in love with her, that she worshiped the old gods and not the Catholic beliefs of Rome. Only his mother had been able to cool his father’s raging temper, and Arthur loved her very much.
She was starting to realize, despite how well she knew her Arthur, there were still many things about him that were a mystery to her. She wanted to know more about him. Her heart squeezed. Maybe she could, if she got back to her time.
“When,” Dagg corrected her, probably feeling her doubt. “We will get home safely!”
Shelving it for now, Aliana rolled out of the bed and padded across the bearskin rug to her changing screen. This time she put on the dark blue dress Titania had sent her with a white belt. A few minutes later she was lacing up her heavy boots and Dagg changed to his bracelet form again.
She headed toward the stairs, hoping that the throne room would be a good place to find the queen. But then she remembered her first trip to Camelot, weeks ago, in the Isle. They had passed a beautiful room Arthur said his mother used to pray to her gods. Hoping she remembered the way, she passed behind the throne room and turned down another hall. Several more servants and scholarly people passed, a few giving her a curious glance before moving on.
It took her only a few minutes to find it. The wooden door was closed, the fragrant scent of burning herbs filling the hall.
“Aliana?” She turned at the sound of Arthur’s rich voice coming up beside her. “What are you doing outside my mother’s prayer rooms?”
She flushed, realizing they were totally alone in the long hallway, and she had no way to explain how she’d known to come here without lying. “The queen said she wanted to talk to me.” She fumbled with her belt’s hem to hide her trembling fingers. “I was shown the way here.”
“Just not by anyone here.” Dagg laughed in her mind.
Arthur looked relaxed in a white tunic and red vest. “Yes, she said she had spoken to you briefly last night.” He took a few steps closer, crossed his arms across his broad chest and leaned his shoulder against the wall. “Yet another person you seem to have won over in your brief stay with us so far.”
Everyone seemed to love telling her that. She felt her cheeks flush, not sure if it was because of his praise or the fact she was enjoying the sight of his broad chest and flexed arms. “I think you’re giving me too much credit. Give it a few days and everyone will get bored and forget all about me.” She could only hope it would be that easy!
“I very much doubt that.” His soft words cut straight to her rapidly beating heart. “I cannot imagine you ever being boring, much less forgettable. There is just something about you that makes it hard to think about much else.” He straightened, reached out and pushed her hair back from her shoulder. His long fingers slowly threaded through the thick, dark mass. “I wonder what it is?” he murmured, so quietly she thought he might not have realized he said that out loud.
Aliana held totally still, her eyes trapped on his. He seemed fascinated. Something so simple shouldn’t feel so intimate, but she couldn’t help feeling like he was somehow trying to weave a kind of claim over her.
The door opened behind them. Arthur didn’t show any kind of startled reaction, but his fingers slid from her hair. Aliana sucked in a breath, not realizing she had stopped breathing.
“Arthur, Lady Aliana.” His mother’s voice was bright and musical.
Arthur turned to the golden-haired woman. “Good morning, Mother.”
The sunlight eyes of the queen shimmered with happiness as she looked between both of them, noticing just how close Arthur was hovering next to her.
Snapping from her thoughts, Aliana curtsied quickly. “Good morning, your highness.”
She laughed, her voice light and airy. “I do not believe such formality is needed, do you?” She looked at her son and winked at him. “Please just call me Igraine. I am glad you came, my dear.”
“I suppose I will leave you two to your plans.” Arthur kissed his mother’s cheek and gave Aliana a smoldering smile. “I hope we can finish our conversation later, Aliana.”
She watched him walk down the hall.
“Come, my dear.” Aliana turned back to Igraine. “We should speak privately, I think.”
Aliana followed the woman, admiring the cream-colored dress and golden belt that she wore so elegantly. She couldn’t help comparing the Dragon Queen with the Fae Queen. Both women were mysterious and had airs of ultimate power, but where Titania was cold and calculating, Igraine was open and friendly. Two very powerful women who were very differen
t, but still similar in many ways.
They turned another corner and Igraine led her into a large room with a wide table, richly decorated walls and a large, lit hearth. The same servant girl that always attended Aliana was there, straightening the queen’s bed.
The girl turned as soon as they stepped in the room and curtsied low. “Could you please excuse us, Clara?” She rose, grabbing a basket filled with several dresses and pieces of cloth.
As soon as the door closed Igraine took a seat at the table and waved her hand for Aliana to take another chair. She did, her hands folded together and resting on the tabletop. “You said last night that you wanted to speak to me.”
“But first I think you should introduce me to your companion.” Igraine waved a tapered finger toward Dagg’s metal form peeking out from beneath her sleeve.
The Dragon didn’t hesitate to take his true form. “My lady.” He bowed his head, one claw covering his chest. “It is an honor to meet you. I am Daggerhorne, guardian to Aliana.”
She smiled. “You are quite the charmer, DragonLord.” She looked between the two, her sunlight eyes flashing a dark gold quickly, a swell of hot magic filling the room and Aliana’s magic senses.
“Wow,” Aliana said when the power faded in the next instant. She studied the queen with a new respect. Her magic could easily rival Titania’s!
“I echo your sentiments. It is rare for a half Fae and Dragon to have such a strong bond.”
Aliana jerked up. “You know I’m half Fae?”
“Of course. You hide it well, but I have walked this earth for many long ages. It takes much more than a veil to hide your true powers and heritage from me. I imagine Queen Titania is quite pleased with you.”
Aliana sank back against the chair’s back.
“I see you did not expect anyone to know your secret.”
“You could say that.” Aliana flushed, realizing how informal she was being. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, your highness.”
“Igraine,” she reminded Aliana, “and I do not think the two of us need to stand on such formality.”
