The man had been in charge for less than two months, selected by Commander Locke to lead the guard in his absence. Though the man had proven his worth on the battlefield, he was inexperienced at defending an entire city, much less one as large as Rona. Fear crept into his eyes as he watched the approaching hordes, which he estimated to be near three hundred dragons. He shoved his shaking hands into the pockets of his overcoat to keep the men under his command from sensing the terror their leader felt. Steeling himself inwardly, he forced determination to show in place of fear and turned to face the men.
"Send a messenger to the stables. I want all dragons battle ready within the hour. Rouse the soldiers. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, is to be in formation in the courtyard in an hour. Anyone not there will face court martial. You—go find Captain Iriden and tell him to ready the militia."
As the messengers left to relay their messages and the other men moved into position, the captain looked to his second in command.
"Gillith, go find the queen and get her out of the city. You remember the drill, right?"
"Yes, sir. I just inspected the tunnels last month, and the staff at the manor are under orders to keep it always ready for her unexpected arrival. When she became queen, we sent a messenger to them to have them move her to the king's chambers and make the necessary adjustments."
"Very good." The captain looked to the sky again, noting the swift progress of the advancing attackers. "Go now. They'll be here in less than two hours. She needs to be out of harm's way before then. Go!"
The man in charge of the queen's safety nodded once at his captain and turned to leave. Pausing, he looked back, locking eyes with his commander before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Be safe, my friend."
The captain stared after Gillith, confusion and fear creeping into his heart. He had always known the man to be hard and unemotional, never one to fall to sentimentality. The care and concern that had tinged his voice gave the captain a foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. Looking at the dragons once more, he knew deep in his soul that the day would not end well for many of those under his command.
Chapter 33
Gillith left the captain with a pain in his heart. He had known the man for nearly a decade and had worked as his second for almost that long. He hated that what he was about to do might cause the captain trouble, and he hated that the approaching hoards would put his friend in extreme danger. But he had worked for this moment his entire life and he was not about to lose his chance. He climbed the last of the seven staircases to the queen's private chambers and nodded as he walked past the two guards at the door. He knocked twice and waited for one of her handmaids to grant him admittance. His heart beat furiously and he feared the guards would be able to hear it. Closing his eyes, he took several deep, silent breaths, calming his nerves and steeling himself for what was to come. The door opened and the woman on the other side gazed at him intently. He cleared his throat and bowed.
"Lady Rila, a pleasure, as always. I need to speak with the queen, please. It is a matter of some importance."
Rila returned the bow and moved to one side, a smile dancing in her green eyes. Suppressing a grin, he entered the room, searching for the queen. She was not in the main chamber and Rila offered to go get her. As the young woman left through a door on the far side of the room, Gillith made his way over to the roaring fire, attempting to remove some of the chill from his bones. He played over the plan once more in his mind and jumped when the queen appeared at his elbow unexpectedly. She had gained quite a bit of weight since the disappearance of her brother and being in charge had definitely not helped her complexion or her mood.
"Well? What do you want, Gillith?" By her irritated tone and her disheveled appearance, he could tell the woman had not been informed of the incoming dragons. As her window faced the opposite direction of their approach, she could not have seen them, either.
Bowing deeply, he responded, "I am deeply sorry to disturb you, my queen, but we have a situation."
He paused, looking at her to gauge her reaction. Alarm did not register on her face, only further irritation. "Well, then, get on with it." She tapped her foot impatiently and crossed her arms, which looked like sausages in her too tight dressing gown. The glare she leveled at Gillith threatened to bring the man to his knees, but he pressed on.
"Dragons are approaching, your highness. They are not our dragons, and there are hundreds of them."
Her splotchy face grew pale and her pig nostrils flared.
"What?" Her high-pitched voice squeaked feebly.
"It appears we are being attacked, your highness. Likely by the Gypsies. Any movement from dragons outside Layr and we would have known."
Her hand fumbled behind her and he slid a chair underneath her as she collapsed.
"This isn't happening. This isn't happening," she mumbled repeatedly.
"Your highness, we must move you. You cannot stay here."
Slyvania stared into the fire, her eyes wide as tears streamed onto her fat cheeks.
"Your highness..."
Still she did not answer. He gripped her shoulder and shook her, calling to her in a firm voice, "Slyvania!"
Shaken from her state of shock, she looked up at him, anger in her eyes. "You will not address me as such!"
"I apologize, my queen. But we need to get you out of the palace before they get here. You are in grave danger. We need to get you to the safe house."
"Yes, yes we do. See that my escort is ready. Rila! Where is that useless girl? Ah, there you are. Pack my things. We must leave. Gillith, how long do we have?"
"A half hour at most, your majesty."
"I see. Rila, get your lazy butt moving! Go, you stupid thing!"
Gillith stepped out of the queen's way and attempted to make himself invisible as she rushed around her chambers, gathering things she thought she would need. By the time the half hour was up, she had packed three trunks and two bags. A handful of guards were assigned to escort her to the safe house and all of them were forced to bear her belongings. No one wanted to waste the time an argument with her would take. They moved as swiftly as their heavy burden would allow, using servant passages to reach the lower levels. As they passed near the dungeon, the queen eyed the double doors menacingly, practically daring the prisoners on the other side to revolt. Rila merely bowed her head and tried to ignore the screams coming from the next corridor.
They moved quickly and were at the end of the hall well before the dragons reached the city. Beyond the heavy doors awaited a small ship, barely large enough for the queen, her entourage, and all her belongings. She was escorted below decks and secured in the captain's quarters along with her handmaid. Two guards under Gillith's personal command stationed themselves on either side of the door to the cabin, blocking the passage of anyone but Gillith himself. The crew cast off the ropes and the ship set sail for the queen's safe house.
Gillith stood on deck, watching the palace disappear behind him. Once the last tower faded from sight, he made his way to the bow and gazed off into the distance. The overcast skies and constant rain decreased his visibility tremendously, but he squinted his eyes and scanned the horizon intently. Nearly an hour later, he found what he was looking for. Off to the right, a small boat appeared. Gillith watched the boat grow larger, keeping an eye on the captain to gauge his reaction. As the new boat neared the ship that carried the queen, the captain called to his crew and the guards, telling them to make ready for potential boarders before approaching Gillith.
"Do you think they'll attack?"
"No. Just wait."
Confusion crossed the captain's face, but he remained by Gillith's side, watching the boat silently. As the vessel came closer, they began to see the shapes of men moving along the deck. One walked toward the flag mast carrying a large bundle. Astonishment caused the captain to gasp as he saw the queen's colors being raised. Gillith continued watching expectantly, his lips set in a firm line. Exactly five minu
tes after the colors were raised, a flare was sent aloft. Thirty seconds after the first flare, another burst into the sky. Gillith turned to the captain, his face hard.
"Prepare to tie up when they pull near. We are transferring the queen to that boat for the next stage of the voyage. You will continue on to your destination."
The captain fumbled for words. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand."
"Did you really think we would transport the queen directly from the palace to a safe house? No. We will be switching boats several times. Each time, the captain will believe they are the final ship on the way to the real safe house."
The captain looked confused and a bit miffed that he was not trusted with the queen's final destination. He thought about protesting, but the look on Gillith's face stilled his tongue. "Very well, sir. We will prepare to be boarded."
As the captain gave orders, Gillith went to speak quietly with the two guards watching the queen.
"They are approaching. Is everything ready?"
The guard on the left spoke first. "Yes. The others are below. They should be sufficiently inebriated by now. They were given a bottle of spirits, spiked with some sleeping potion."
"Very good. Now I must convince the queen to come with us..."
He stepped through the door, shutting it softly behind him. The queen lay on the bed, her face pale with a greenish tinge. Rila sat in a chair in the corner, gazing out the open window at the rain. The young woman jumped up as the door opened and quickly crossed the room to where Gillith stood, speaking to him in hushed tones.
"Is it time?"
"Yes, it is time. Are you ready?"
"Absolutely. Everything we need is in the bag on the desk."
"Good. The captain has been appeased and the other guards will be staying below."
"Good." Rila looked to the queen. "I guess we need to deal with that now."
"Unfortunately... Let's get this over with." He approached the bed and gently shook the queen's shoulder. She opened her eyes and glared up at him. "Your highness, it is time to get up. We need to move you again."
"What? What do you mean 'move me'? Are we at the safe house?"
"No, my queen, not yet. We need to switch boats first."
"Switch boats? What are you talking about? That was never in the plan!"
"I sincerely apologize for the deception, your majesty, but your safety is of the utmost importance. We made a few changes to the plan. We need to switch boats now, then we will take a carriage to the new safe house. All but two of the guards we brought on board will remain on this ship and will carry on to the other manor, to keep up appearances. They will pretend you were secured in your chambers in secret and will put on a show for the staff, making them believe you are staying there."
"But what about my things? I need my stuff!"
"Rila has packed everything you will need. The other belongings will be transported to the manor, to keep up appearances."
"I don't like this. I won't do it."
"Please, your majesty. It is for your own protection. We could have easily been followed, or one of the guards or crew members could be an informant. With all that has been happening lately, we cannot trust anyone. I beg of you, please go along with this. I promise nothing will happen to you under my watch."
She glared at him for several tense moments, her jaw grinding as the gears inside her tiny brain forced themselves to turn. "Very well. But if anything happens, I hold you personally responsible."
Gillith held in a laugh. "Yes, your majesty."
Gillith helped the queen out of the bed as Rila pulled her cloak from a hook. Once Slyvania was wrapped comfortably in her cloak, her hood pulled up and her face hidden, Rila pulled on her own cloak. Gillith grabbed the bag from the desk and ushered the ladies out the door. He stepped in front of them as the guards at the door filed in behind and they made their way up the stairs to the deck. The captain was calling orders to the crew members as they were tying a plank between the two boats. The trip across would be treacherous and Gillith was afraid the queen would change her mind. On the other boat were six men, all wearing dark clothing and hoods that kept their faces in shadow. Gillith explained to the queen that this was to keep the men on the ship from knowing who the men on the boat were, thus guessing the queen's potential destination.
When the plank was secured, one of the guards stepped up onto the railing. A rope had been tied around his waist, in case he fell. Holding the rope tightly, he made his way down the plank and jumped off the other side. Untying himself, he threw the rope back to the ship and Rila was tied in. Once she was across, it was the queen's turn. Slyvania looked fearfully at Gillith, backing up a few steps as the rope was brought to her.
"Please, your highness. It's the only way."
Slyvania looked around and saw the dozen crew members on the ship staring at her. The men on the boat watched her intently, as well. Raising her chin, she took a deep breath and stepped up to the plank. The rope was tied around her waist and she climbed up on the rail with the help of the second guard. She hesitated for several seconds before stepping out onto the plank. It was slippery from the rain and her feet slid slightly on the wood. Her hands gripped the rope so tightly her knuckles turned bright white, but she moved forward, inching her way down to the boat.
When she was nearly there, her right foot slipped out from under her and she lost her balance. Her gold-trimmed slipper fell off her foot into the waves between the boats, disappearing beneath the dark waves. Her hands slipped down the rope, giving her burns, but she held on and managed to regain her balance. She covered the last few feet quickly and was pulled onto the boat below by the men in the cloaks. They rested her gently against the side and Rila came to care for her as the rope was tossed back.
Gillith crossed quickly, followed by the last guard, then the plank was removed and the boats untied. With a wave and a nod of thanks to the captain of the ship, Gillith made his way to the captain of the new vessel and told him to push off. He watched the ship carefully, trusting Rila to care for the queen. When it finally disappeared from the horizon, he turned to the captain and gave a swift nod. The man took the wheel and turned it swiftly, bringing the boat around to a new heading. Gillith continued to scan the waters around them, making sure they were not being followed. Once he was certain they were safe, he turned to Rila, who came to his side
"How is she?"
"Irritated, ill, looking to make someone suffer, but lacking the energy to punish them to her liking."
A smile played across the woman's lips, a twinkle dancing in her eye. Gillith grinned, then looked at the queen. As this boat had no private captain's quarters and only very rough living quarters were available below decks, a small section of the boat had been set off using crates and sheets of canvas to give the women some privacy. The door to the little room was pinned to one side at the moment, allowing a view of the queen.
She lay on a palette that had been lined with a thin mattress. She was wrapped tightly in her own cloak and had commandeered Rila's, as well. One of the crew members offered her a heavy sheet of canvas, which she snatched rudely from his hands, glaring at him as she arrayed it around her, being sure it did not touch her skin. She sighed audibly and curled up around her knees, closing her eyes and pretending to sleep. Gillith laughed and turned to Rila.
"Has she figured it out yet?"
"Ha! No. She still thinks that the world is here to serve her and that this will all be over within a couple days and she can return to the palace and go back to being her horrible awful self."
The bitterness that crept into the handmaid's voice stunned Gillith. He knew she hated the queen, but he had never realized how deep that resentment went. As Rila rubbed her arms and clenched her teeth to keep from chattering, he understood why. When the angry frown flipped into that sweet smile he always looked forward to, his heart lightened. Taking off his cloak, he handed it to the young woman.
"Go, dear Rila. Get some sleep."
; She took the cloak from him a bit reluctantly, but after she wrapped herself in its warmth and lay down near the bow on some sacks, the anger smoothed from her face and she fell into a peaceful sleep. Once Rila was settled comfortably, Gillith made his way to where the queen lay. She had fallen asleep as well and he silently thanked the stars that they were on a boat in the middle of nowhere. Had they been on land, her snores would have waked anything within a day's walk. Her mouth hung open and drool trickled down the side of her mouth onto Rila's cloak, which she had tucked under her head.
Gillith made a noise of disgust and nudged her with his foot. She snorted, flailing an arm toward his foot, but did not wake up. He rolled his eyes and nudged her harder. This time a growl escaped her lips and she turned over, muttering something about the stupidity of boats and sea travel. He set his jaw in a firm line for a moment, then grinned as a thought came to him. He leaned down close to the queen and yelled in her ear.
"Slyvania, wake up! The boat's on fire!"
She jumped, his loud, commanding voice startling from her sleep. She blinked repeatedly and looked around with wide, terrified eyes. When they settled on him, a smirk on his face, she curled her lips up and growled again.
"How dare you address me as such! I am your queen! You refer to me as 'your highness' or 'your majesty.' You never, ever call me by my name!"
He leaned in close, staring menacingly into her pudgy face. The look in his eyes gave her pause and she moved back a few inches, unconsciously trying to distance herself from him. He answered, the venom of his words spraying across her heart like his spit sprayed her face.
"Your highness... Let me explain something to you. You are no longer at the palace. Your guards are gone. You are all alone." Confusion melded with anger and she began to sputter. He smirked at her uncommon silence. "Are you starting to get it yet? Do you realize who I am, and where you are going?"
Blood of the Dragon: An NA Epic Fantasy Page 18
