by Jade White
“With or without you, I am going to have to travel to get my bride.”
Rowan nodded. “Tomorrow we will leave to get away from all of this. Are you sure you can get Father to drop the campaign?”
I started laughing. “Of course, I will be able to have him drop the campaign. It would look better if two princes married into the same family to expand our connections, wouldn’t it?”
Rowan groaned. “I never thought of it that way, but I guess I should get married.”
A vivid memory of when I was younger came into my mind. My mother and I were traveling to see her family. She had been speaking so fast in the woods that at the time it sounded almost gibberish.
“There are times in which I will have to leave for a little bit. Always know that I will be with you. Make sure to take care of 100Rowan,” my mother said, glancing down at me.
“Where are you going to go, Mother?” I asked.
My mother sighed. “In time you will understand fully without a word ever spoken. Be careful who you speak with and who you trust. It is that trusting bond that will get you in trouble.”
“Are you going far away?”
“I am afraid so, Merek.”
“Are there dragons and knights where you are going?”
My mother laughed. “Of course there will be dragons and knights. Why wouldn’t there be? You will be the king of them all one day.”
I snapped back to reality when Rowan began talking again.
“I am sorry I probably shouldn’t have worried you with any of this,” Rowan began.
I shook my head. “No, I was just thinking of one of the last times that Mother took me to the Servon Isles. She told me to protect you and watch over you. She also told me that one day I would be the king of all the dragons and knights. Do you think she was trying to tell me something back then?”
“I always wondered the same thing, especially with her nightly stories she would tell us. We were the only two that she would talk about dragons with. The other two she would leave with the kingdom, kings and knights that way.”
I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn’t believe all these years that our mother had hinted that we weren’t King Athalos’ sons, but we never paid attention.
We grabbed our belongings and I tucked the letter that my mother wrote in my shirt where no one would find it.
***
“My brother and I have been to almost every single kingdom and some of the kingdoms we have gone to more than once,” Sadon boasted as we entered the great room.
“I think that is beyond incredible. You are both quite lucky and I am sure as knights, as well as princes, you are establishing good allies,” Lady Elizabeth stated.
Of course, my other two brothers, Terrain and Sadon, loved to boast about their accomplishments.
The truth was, as I traveled on different quests, I never seemed to have the need to tell people where I had been.
Lady Elizabeth wiped the smile off her face when she saw Rowan and I standing in front of her.
“Where is Father?” I asked.
She looked at me with disgust as if it was a silly question that I had been asking.
“I am sure he is around. I think he said he is speaking with Lord Crewe. What brings you in need of him?”
“I don’t think that is any of your business. You are just a lady and I must point out that your rank is far from that of a prince,” I said as I grabbed my bag and hoisted it over my shoulder.
If words could choke her, I would have said something to do so. The woman was pure evil and I was hoping our mother would be back soon enough to dethrone her once again.
Lord Crewe and my father were both in the study when I walked in with Rowan.
“Where do you two think you are going?” he asked.
“I am going to find a bride. I thought to ask if Rowan would join me. On the way to prove we are fit for the kingdom, I thought we should execute your quest of beheading Maelyss. I am sure that the people of the kingdom would be honored to have two strong princes in their royalty.”
My eyes were set upon what was in Lord Crewe’s hands. It was a box that I had never seen before. The box seemed to be made out of solid marble with an ornate engraved dragon on it.
“You wish not to be accompanied by a full campaign?” my father asked.
I shook my head.
“Very well, you both can leave. When would you like to journey on your quest?”
“We will be leaving before dusk tonight.”
My father nodded as he looked at Lord Crewe. “I think that is fair enough. Two of the princes get married and take down Maelyss. That in itself would prove to the people that my sons are worthy of the kingdoms.”
“I think the princes are right. They do have a very good point. It would be quite honorable if both the eldest and the youngest princes accomplished this.”
I didn’t smile or say anything about the fact that they went with this plan. I had a feeling they would, since they were trying to kill both of us off.
Rowan looked at me as we went out to the stable. “Did you see that box?”
“I remember one like it when I was younger. Mother was showing us. It had some sort of dragon claw pendant for each of us inside. She was explaining to us about a faraway kingdom and how the dragon king would recognize us if we wore those.”
Rowan looked around and looked back at me. “We have to figure out how to get the pendants.”
“How are we going to do that? We are leaving before dusk.”
“I wish I could remember the rest of the story.”
I tried hard to recall it, but like Rowan, the story seemed to be a fading memory.
“I don’t remember much of it except that there was a king who tried hard to kill and outlaw all dragons. He tried hard to make sure they didn’t exist. I thought it was just a story that kept our interest as kids.”
“It did seem to keep our interest, but our childhood has a new meaning to it now. It seems that our mother covered the regular stories with something more meaningful. It seemed even back then she tried to condition us with the truth, although she couldn’t tell us.”
“We need to get those pendants,” Rowan repeated.
“I am trying to think of a way to get them. You know that Lord Crewe hardly leaves the study. I am sure there will be a way we can get rid of the both of them out of the study.”
The pendants seemed to be at our fingertips, yet so far away. It was also something we needed if we were to gain access to the dragon’s lair were Maelyss was to be found.
Neither one of us really wanted to kill Maelyss. I figured this out the more I spoke with my younger brother. It was more that we needed to harness our own shape-shifting abilities before we got ourselves killed.
The conversation that we had overheard between King Athalos and Lord Crewe echoed in our minds. They seemed to want both of us to die so the prophecy could never be fulfilled.
The burning question was the fact we were only given bits and pieces of the prophecy which only made us curious about the rest of it. The other burning question was the fact that Queen Bethany was still missing.
“I have a plan,” I said as I looked at Rowan. “When I address the people and we celebrate the fact we will be accompanying the quest together, you will sneak back in and find the box.”
“What about Terrain and Sadon? They are apt to be lurking around besides Lord Crewe.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
There were several people we would have to try to dodge to get that box. It would be quite hard, but at the same time we had to obtain our princely duties and address the people. It wasn’t like this happened often for me. I did go on quests, but my scholar duties allowed me to stay behind for most of them.
“Rowan, I am sure we will think of something.”
“You have a plan?”
“I might have a plan. Marvin still owes me a favor.”
“Fine, but we need those pendants if we are going
to stay alive.”
The memories and dreams of childhood seemed to be intertwining with both of us struggling on this level. Rowan had thrown the book about being a dragon somewhere in his bag and as I packed up our horses I seemed to keep my mind on getting as far away from King Athalos as possible.
There was something uneasy about this day that brought dread and a distinctive feeling of doom.
When we finally disappeared, we found ourselves at the pub. The whole place was empty except Marvin, who was wiping down the whiskey glasses.
“I need a favor.”
“Merek, I hate it when you tell me that you need a favor. It often leads me into a dangerous mission.”
I set down a large bag of gold on the counter. “If you pull it off, I will pay you this, plus my brother has one equal to it that we will pay you.”
“I heard that both of you were venturing out. Two princes trying to conquer the world as they kill innocent creatures,” the man who I had shared a room with said as he suddenly appeared.
I stared at him for a second. I shook my head and let out a sigh. “You have us both wrong. Our father wants us to kill Maelyss. We aren’t into killing dragons.”
“What is your favor?” Marvin asked.
“Our father has a black marble box in his study with an ornate dragon design. Inside are two dragon claw pendants. We need them.”
The man’s eyes seemed to light up. “Is that how you are going to gain access to the dragon realm to kill Maelyss?”
“Dragon Realm? What are you talking about? We aren’t …” I stopped. “This doesn’t pertain to you.”
Marvin opened the bag and looked at the gold coins my brother and I had put in the first bag.
“This is very important to you, isn’t it? Please tell me that it has nothing to do with King Athalos ’ obsession with the prophecy.”
“I am afraid it does, but both of our lives are on the line.”
“What about Maelyss’s life? Do you not think of him?” the stranger asked.
I looked over at him. I was getting beyond frustrated. “I am sorry, good traveler, but I do think of Maelyss. I don’t believe in killing anyone or anything that has not threatened us. I think you have already prejudged my brother and me.”
“Lord Crewe usually does not leave the study, but our other two brothers will be lurking around.” Rowan added.
“I understand what you are asking me. What does Queen Bethany think of two of her sons going on such a quest?”
“Quest? You forgot that I still have to travel out and get a mail order bride. I already sent the paperwork ahead.”
Marvin shook his head as he let out a sigh. “I am not surprised King Athalos has pulled something like this. Where will you be staying?”
“I was hoping that we could bunk here in one of your rooms.”
“You will have to bunk with the traveler.” Marvin motioned to the man I bunked with the other night.
“Fine, we will bunk with him.”
“When I am done with what you ask of me, I will make sure to wake you with it. You must leave before morning or your father’s men will be trying to find you and you both will be in much bigger trouble.”
“I know. We both think he is sending Terrain and Sadon to kill us after we leave. We heard Lord Crewe and our father speaking,” Rowan added.
The man at the other side of the counter shook his head as he looked at us. “It is remarkable that two princes can get themselves in so much trouble. The other part of your quest I think is quite funny. You have gotten yourself a mail order bride? Why don’t you fall in love with a girl the traditional way?”
“I am unsure where you are from good traveler, but our father believes in a prophecy where he thinks that one of our sons will be a dragon and will kill him with a single claw to the throat.”
“That is quite amusing since he loves to kill dragons. I guess karma itself will get King Athalos,” the man said with a smile.
He never looked exactly at us, but he seemed to be quite mysterious, as well as extremely nosey. Rowan took a liking to the traveler instantly, but I wasn’t exactly sure about him.
“You said your mother is missing, where is Queen Bethany?” the traveler asked.
“Our Queen Mother went to visit our grandparents in the Servon Isles. She has been gone for three days now. Lady Elizabeth seems to think that she is suddenly queen and we do not at all like this.”
“Return for the ceremony and farewells and I will be here waiting for you with your package,” Marvin stated.
We both nodded at Marvin saying this.
“I would leave your belongings here. You wouldn’t want your brothers to go through and sabotage anything you have.”
The traveler didn’t say anything as we brought our packs in. Marvin had already placed the gold under the counter.
“Boys, one last thing if we don’t speak before you leave on your quests,” Marvin stated.
“What is that?”
“Be careful out there. I would hate to see the only two princes that could change this whole kingdom die due to the fact that you seem to be on a quest that is a setup.”
“We will be as careful as we can be. If you hear anything about our mother, do you think you can send a message to us?” I asked.
“I will. I am sure your mother is fine. She has many protectors within the woods and the Servon Isles that will guide her to safety.”
I was hoping Marvin was right about our mother. It didn’t seem to please me at all to think she was somewhere out there and hadn’t returned. Three days from when she was supposed to return wasn’t looking very good.
“Do you want me to have a message sent to her telling her that both of you are on this crazy journey?”
I nodded. “That might be a good idea to send a message to her about our crazy quest. By the time both of us return, we both will have brides.”
“I can see your mother asking how you have met your brides. What are you going to tell her?
I looked at Marvin. “I don’t know. I am sure we will think of something. I never expected to have such a crazy deadline and I think we already discussed this. I wanted our mother to be there
and to honor our choices in the next queens. This isn’t our ideal way of choosing our mates.”
“Mates? That is strange wording for you to describe your new beloveds. Perhaps your father is right and you are dragons. After all, dragons do have mates.”
I looked over at him. “Don’t you dare spread that around! I have no problem eliminating a loose lip who will try to cause my brother’s and my death.”
The traveler started laughing. “I don’t fancy anything King Athalos does. I only come to see what the miserable king is up to this time. If you are a dragon, why would I risk the prophecy where it would free everyone from King Athalos and Lord Crewe’s grasps?”
I shook my head. “Take it as a warning then and keep your word.”
“You two best be getting back or your father will send a search party after you,” Marvin pointed out.
I looked up at the clock. He was right. The ceremony would begin soon. Rowan and I had to make it back before then or else our father would search us down.
The traveler didn't asked any more questions, which was good. He also didn’t put in any of his own opinions, either. For a slight amount of time, we got a break from him. I wasn’t sure what to think of the traveler, but Marvin kept telling Rowan and I both that he was trustworthy. He had known him for years and never gave up a secret.
I was hoping Marvin was right because our lives were on the line on this secret. I knew, however, that Marvin would come through with bringing us the pendants. Soon enough, we wouldn’t just have our brides, but also we would visit Maelyss to hone our skills.
Marvin looked at me one last time before I reached the door.
“I hate to say this, Prince Merek, but you might want to put your riding gloves on,” said as he motioned to my left hand.
I looked
down at the scales that seemed to be appearing.
Rowan looked down at his arm as he was itching. Glittery transparent scales seemed to be falling out of his sleeve.
“We are dragons,” I whispered.
“This isn’t going to be good! What if we turn into a full dragon at the ceremony?” Rowan asked.
The traveler seemed amused by this. “I guess karma did seem to bite King Athalos on the behind. It does tickle my fancy seeing the oldest and youngest princes aren’t his at all.”
