Might of the Dragon

by Jessica Drake

  “It is…trying,” Trattner said, seeming to struggle with himself. I could tell part of him wanted to confide more, but his sense of duty and self-preservation were holding him back. “But never mind that, Lady Zara. I don’t wish to bore you with my quibbles. Overall, life is quite good, and things are moving in the right direction.”

  We turned a corner and found ourselves right outside a tall hedge that seemed to stretch for quite a distance.

  “What is this?” I asked, placing a hand against the thick wall of vegetation.

  “The royal hedge maze.” A breathy moan floated across the air toward us from the other side of the hedge, and General Trattner’s eyes flashed with distaste as he lowered his voice. “The unwary visitor can get quite lost in there, but for the natives, it is a favorite place for dalliances, as there are many private nooks and benches within. I would not suggest attempting to traverse it during gatherings such as this one, unless you’d like to come across a rather unpleasant surprise.”

  I laughed at the look of utter disgust on his face. “It sounds like you are speaking from experience,” I said as we walked along the outside of the maze.

  He shuddered. “A tale I would rather not speak of.”

  My treasure sense pinged, and I paused as another breathy moan floated up from beyond the hedge. Both seemed to be coming from a spot several yards ahead, and as I focused, I realized that they were the crown jewels Lady Hariana and the king had been wearing earlier. The two of them must be in the maze, engaging in that “private time” Hariana had promised the king right in front of Salcombe and me. My initial instinct was to steer Trattner away from the area—I had no desire to hear more—but just as I was about to, an idea struck me.

  A brilliant, terrible idea.

  “General,” I said as we continued to walk, “would you tell me about your family? You seem very fond of them, and I would have you talk of something that lifts your spirits, especially on a lovely night like this. How did you and your wife meet?”

  The general immediately lit up. “It’s quite a funny tale,” he began.

  As he talked, I surreptitiously passed my hand over the sparkling glass of wine the general held and pressed the button on the side of the ring that Salcombe had given me. The general didn’t notice the two drops of serum that fell into his wine glass, and when I lifted my own glass to my lips, he automatically followed suit. By this time, we’d passed the spot where the king and Lady Hariana were necking, so we walked to the other end of the maze, then turned around and headed back.

  As we neared the spot where the king and his mistress were hidden, I suddenly bent over, clutching my foot. “Oooh,” I moaned in pain, switching from Zallabarian to Traggaran to make sure we were overheard. “I hate these slippers so much! I think I have a blister forming.”

  “Do you need to sit down?” Trattner asked, automatically switching languages as well. He likely would have questioned the change had he been in his right mind, but the serum was in his blood now, affecting his judgment. He immediately steered me over to a nearby bench, which was exactly my intention. “Here, let me see that foot.”

  “Oh no, I couldn’t,” I demurred, tucking my legs beneath my skirts. “Someone might come upon us. It would be very improper for you to be examining my foot.”

  “To hell with propriety,” Trattner grumbled—more proof that the serum had taken effect. “I have basic medical training from my days on the battlefield, and always carry a few supplies with me. I see no reason why you should suffer needlessly.” But he didn’t push the matter, and a pang of guilt hit me. General Trattner was a genuinely good man…did I really want to do this to him?

  He may be a good man, but he’s still the enemy.

  “General,” I said, steering his attention before he started to push the matter again—I did, in fact, have a blister on my big toe, but that wasn’t the point—“how does a man of your distinction feel about King Zoltar’s court, and the Traggarans in general? From the few times you have mentioned them, you don’t seem entirely impressed.”

  Trattner’s nostrils flared, his eyes too bright. “That is because there is nothing to be impressed about,” he said bluntly, fully under the drug’s influence now. “The people here are lazy and dishonest, and the soldiers are preening amateurs, barely fit for battle. If not for Traggar’s fairly impressive navy, we wouldn’t give a thought to allying with them.”

  “Really?” I pressed a hand to my breast, as if shocked. “But Traggar has won quite a few wars. They have many colonies in the south, don’t they?”

  “Yes, and again, that is thanks to their navy. The king certainly knows how to use it, and again, that is the primary reason we are allying with him. But our own ruler has never had any love for Zoltar, and now that I have met the man myself, I can see why. He is a fat, ugly fool,

  led by his privates and has lost all sense of responsibility. I heard all about how he fondled that trollop of his, draped in the crown jewels, in front of all those innocent young ladies presenting themselves today—such poor taste would never be tolerated in Zallabar.”

  “How dare you!”

  The general froze as King Zoltar stormed from behind the hedge maze, adjusting his pantaloons along the way. His face was beet-red with fury, and he jabbed a meaty finger at Trattner. “You have spent the last several weeks at my court, enjoying my hospitality and everything I have to offer, and you think you can speak of me this way, in my own garden! I’ll have you sent back to Zallabar in pieces, you ungrateful worm!”

  “Your Majesty.” Trattner rose from the bench, his face marble-white. “I did not mean—”

  “He meant every word,” Lady Hariana said, clutching the king’s arm. She was just as furious, the color in her cheeks high, her dark eyes sparkling with rage. “I told you there was something off about him, Your Highness. The Zallabarians have never considered Traggar to be an equal—they think of us as uncouth heathens, even as they sit on our doorstep begging for our help! What kind of allies are these?”

  Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd that had gathered around. Despite Lady Hariana’s disheveled appearance—her corset laces were undone and one of her breasts was dangerously close to tumbling out of her dress—all eyes were on General Trattner, who looked like he would prefer to do nothing more than sink into the ground and never come back up again. Another wave of guilt hit me, and I put my hand on his arm instinctively, wanting to comfort him. An absurd urge, since I was the one who’d put him in this predicament, but I couldn’t help it.

  The king’s eyes bulged as he noticed the motion.

  “Get out!” he bellowed. “Both of you!”

  “Your Majesty—”

  “You are no longer permitted to address me, General Trattner,” the king spat as guards converged on the both of us. “You are banished from my court, and ordered to leave my country post-haste. Be sure to tell Richstein he can take his alliance and shove it up his bony arse when you return home to inform him of your failure!”

  “Your Majesty.” Salcombe elbowed his way to my side and seized my arm. “Is my wife in some sort of trouble?”

  The king turned his bugged-out gaze on Salcombe. “You and your wife are no longer welcome at court either,” he spat. “I saw how the chit sympathized with this witless worm after he insulted my country. Begone, both of you, before I have her jailed!”

  The royal guards promptly escorted us from the premises, shocked murmurs following us all the way to the gates. Salcombe said nothing, and I glanced at him curiously out of the corner of my eye. I expected him to be angry about this, but he seemed remarkably calm, unfazed by the wave of gossip and scandal I’d created. My gut was a mass of roiling emotions—elation, fear, guilt. There was no way King Zoltar would sign that declaration of war now, even if the Zallabarian government sent him an entire harem of women to make up for their ambassador’s grave insult.

  Traggar was well and truly out of the picture.

  “That was very clever, Za
ra,” he said once we were alone together in the carriage.

  I blinked, the picture of innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “It doesn’t require genius to deduce that you coaxed the general into confessing his true feelings about Traggar within earshot of the king.” His gaze dropped to the ring on my finger. “That is not what I had intended you to use the serum for, but I suppose I cannot fault you for wanting to protect our country. I now understand why you were so keen on getting close to General Trattner. Was this Lord Tavarian’s idea?”

  My insides froze, but I managed to hold onto my composure. “Tavarian and I haven’t spoken since the garden party,” I said. “But I imagine that he will be quite happy when he learns of this development. Perhaps Zoltar will finally invite him to court.”

  “Hmph.” Salcombe’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he did not press the matter. “You may have found a way to help your knight in shining armor, but he will not be able to save you, Zara. We are leaving for Lord Fanuel’s estate tomorrow.”

  My spine stiffened. “Tomorrow? So you’ve managed to ferret out the location, then?”

  Salcombe smirked. “I did quite a bit more than that. Lord Rycroft has agreed to give me a letter of introduction to take with me. Lord Fanuel has taken up residence in a small seaside village to the south. If we leave early tomorrow, we should arrive the following afternoon. It is quite fortunate in a way that you got us ejected from the party, as that gives us more time to prepare for our departure.”

  “Great,” I said, hiding a grimace at the irony. It was considered extremely rude to retire before the king, so if not for the scandal I’d created with Trattner, we’d likely have been stuck at that party until the wee hours of the morning.

  The carriage ride back to the townhouse seemed to drag on forever, and by the time we pulled up in front of the temporary residence, it took everything in me not to fling myself out of the conveyance and race up the stairs to my room. As it was, it took nearly an hour before I was allowed any sort of privacy—the maid had to get me out of my court dress and all the contraptions that went with it, plus stow all the jewels and remove the hundreds of pins in my hair.

  “Do you need anything el—”

  “Just some peace and quiet, please,” I interrupted. “I have had a very trying day. Thank you for your help,” I added, not wanting to be too rude.

  The maid quickly made herself scarce, and I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn’t been joking about the need for peace and quiet—my head was pounding, my feet aching, and a big part of me wanted nothing more than to flop onto the bed and close my eyes.

  Instead, I grabbed the magical earpiece from its hiding place and headed straight for the bathroom.

  “Miss Kenrook?” Tavarian’s voice came through on the third try. “Is everything all right?”

  “More than all right,” I assured him. “You should try to get another invite to court tomorrow. I have a feeling the king is going to be more than willing to see you now.”

  There was a long pause. “What did you do, Zara?”

  I grinned, then launched into the tale. Now that the ordeal was behind me, the enormity of what I’d done was finally sinking in. Yes, I felt bad for throwing General Trattner to the wolves, but only because I liked him as an individual. He might like me too, but if he’d ever found out that I was Elantian military, he would have me thrown into the dungeons without hesitation. He was here to destroy my country, and if humiliating him in front of the king had been what it took to save my people, I would do it again a thousand times over.

  “This is incredible,” Tavarian said when I’d finished. He sounded a bit dazed, as if he were recovering from a hard hit to the head. “I was about to pen a letter to the council to tell them that the declaration was being signed tomorrow, and that we should prepare to be hit on two fronts. But because of your ingenuity, everything has changed. You’ve achieved the impossible, Zara. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done.”

  To my surprise, emotion welled in my chest. Had anyone ever sounded so proud of me before? “You don’t have to thank me,” I said, struggling against the sudden lump in my throat. “You’ve done so much for me and Lessie, Tavarian. And this isn’t only about helping you out. This situation affects the fate of our entire country.”

  “I know that better than almost anyone,” he said roughly. “And that makes me appreciate it all the more. The moment I am done with the king, the two of us will return home, and I will have you acquitted of whatever trumped-up charges the military court has decided to pin on you. As far as I am concerned, you are a war hero, and what you have done today should be more than enough to get you and Lessie excused from the front lines so that you can resume your training in safety.”

  This time, the tears really did fall from my cheeks. “That might be easier said than done,” I said shakily.

  “Why?” Tavarian’s tone changed as he sensed my anguish. “What’s wrong, Zara?”

  Zara. Were we on a first-name basis, now? Should I start calling him Varrick? But no, that didn’t seem right. “Salcombe found out the location of the mage he’s been looking for,” I said heavily. “We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

  “Do you know where?”

  “Some seaside village to the south.” I pressed my head against the wall, exhaustion seeping into my bones. I was so close to being reunited with Lessie again, and yet so far away. “He didn’t say which one.”

  “Blast it.” Tavarian was silent for a long moment. “I could come and get you now.”

  “No.” I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see. “You need to take advantage of the opportunity and secure an alliance with Zoltar before someone reminds him of his hatred for Elantians. Salcombe might be on the outs with the king right now, but he hasn’t been outright banished from Traggar, and he still has plenty of friends. If you try to take me from him, he might find a way to get you kicked out before you can see the king.”

  “You’re right,” Tavarian said, resigned. “The king must be dealt with. I am glad the spectacle you created was so public—it will be easy for me to ensure that the exact nature of the argument is spread far and wide, to eliminate any chance of the king forgiving Zallabar for their slight against him. I will be paying visits to the gutter presses right away. If everything goes well, I should wrap things up in a few days. Truthfully, it is best that you leave the capital now anyway—the factions who were trying to block me from seeing Zoltar will be furious at having a profitable war snatched from them at the last moment, and if they find out you are the reason they will come after you. But the magical earpieces won’t function once you leave the city, Zara. It’s quite possible I won’t be able to reconnect with you again.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, though I felt anything but. “Heading south should put me closer to the channel.” And thus, the military camp. “I might be able to reach Lessie at that distance.”

  “She will have a difficult time coming to you, as she’ll be under guard,” Tavarian warned. “If she is unable to get away, I will head to the camp myself once I have completed my business here and try to secure her release myself.”

  “Thank you,” I said fervently. Even if Lessie wasn’t able to come get me, knowing that Tavarian would check on her once he was done here took a weight off my shoulders. I hated knowing she was suffering in captivity day after day and there was nothing I could do about it.

  “No, thank you,” Tavarian said. “I mean it, Zara—you are a hero. Your actions tonight have saved countless lives. No matter what anyone else might say to you, I will always remember what you have done.”

  I laughed through my tears. “Now you’re laying it on thick.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Tavarian said. “The only people I go out of my way to flatter are despot kings and warmongering emperors.”

  That startled a laugh out of me. “And ground-dwelling thieves, apparently.”

  I could hear the smile in his voice. “
You are far more than that, and you know it. Don’t give up hope, Zara. I know it may not feel like it, but you are not alone.”

  I held those words close to me as I retired for the night. I might not have managed to derail Salcombe yet, but things were finally going in the right direction. Something had to give soon. It was just a matter of when.

  6

  As planned, Salcombe and I set off bright and early for Lord Fanuel’s estate. As the carriage rolled along the paved roads, heading out of the capital, I turned my attention to the golden dawn rising outside the window and did my best to ignore the shivers that crawled up my spine at Trolbos’s proximity. My brief reprieve from him was long past—Salcombe wasn’t going to leave his right-hand man behind even if he had tried to strangle and rape me. But between Trolbos and the second guard, who sat right next to me, it was almost claustrophobic in the carriage.

  Stay positive, I told myself, breathing deeply. I may not have figured out how to thwart Salcombe yet, but I’d figure out a way. After all, I’d just managed to foil the plans of an entire nation, hadn’t I? Surely I could do the same with a single man, even if he was far better versed in the art of manipulation than I was.

  “What are you smiling about?” Trolbos grunted. He glared at me and seemed surlier than ever. I was pretty sure he hated that Salcombe had forced him to back off these past few days and thought that I was given entirely too much leeway. “Think you’ve figured out a way to escape?”

  I smiled sweetly—my version of flipping him the bird. “I’m just enjoying the ride,” I said. “The city has been interesting, but it’ll be nice to see some of the countryside, don’t you think?”

  Trolbos grunted.

  “I think you will enjoy Whitmouth quite a bit,” Salcombe said. “By all accounts, it is a picturesque village with lovely beaches. Not my cup of tea—I much prefer the mountains. But I remember how much you enjoyed the sea whenever I took you to a coastal town as a child. You thought starfish were the most fascinating creatures,” he said fondly.