Privateer

by Margaret Weis

  “If so, he will have a great many to count,” said Sophia. “He does not intend to return to Rosia. He writes that he is next traveling to Bheldem to visit his mother and father.”

  “Bheldem!” Cecile exclaimed, displeased. “Prince Thomas should make the time to visit you, Sophia. He is, after all, your fiancé.”

  The princess made no comment, but asked the servant for another helping of salmon. Kate concentrated on her food, though she could not have said what she was eating. Cecile was in an ill temper and sharply ordered Bandit to stop barking.

  The servants cleared the dinner table and brought in fragrant tea, sage cheese, fruit, and walnuts. The countess dismissed the servants, saying she would serve the tea herself. Sophia freed Bandit and rewarded him with cheese for having been good during the meal, though he had barked almost constantly.

  The countess recovered her good humor. They discussed their journey tomorrow and she told them about the history of the city of Cieleterre, explaining that the name meant “land and sky” in the language of the dragons.

  “What business do you have in Cieleterre, Mistress Katherine?” Cecile asked, handing Kate a cup of tea.

  Kate had been expecting the question and trying to think of an answer that did not involve Dalgren. She wasn’t ashamed of her friend, but she knew Dalgren was ashamed of himself.

  She was going to say she was planning to visit an ailing relative, but before she could reply, Sophia spoke up.

  “I hope you have a more pleasant reason to be there than I do. I must attend a court-martial.”

  Kate stared at her in confusion, wondering why she would be attending Dalgren’s court-martial. Whatever the reason, Kate had to discard the ailing relative.

  “I am here to attend the court-martial, as well,” she said. “The accused is a friend of mine. I plan to ask permission to speak at the trial in his defense.”

  “You are Lord Dalgren’s friend?” Sophia asked.

  Kate nodded. She and the countess would soon find out the truth anyway. Might as well reveal it now and get it over with. “He and I have been friends for many years.”

  “I am so glad he has a friend to speak for him!” Sophia exclaimed. “I think what you are doing is splendid.”

  Kate looked up, startled. “You do, ma’am?”

  Sophia was passionate. Her eyes flashed, her cheeks flushed rose. “The countess’s own son was present at the battle. He was a lieutenant with the Dragon Brigade. He gave his word of honor that he would accept the enemy’s surrender and he almost gave his life to keep his word. His dragon died when that horrible captain fired on his own forces. His Grace still grows angry when he talks about it. I think the dragons are very wrong to make Lord Dalgren stand trial!”

  “Please consider, Sophia, that Lord Dalgren is a deserter,” Cecile said in mild rebuke. “He swore an oath to defend Rosia. He broke his oath and fled the battle.”

  “I know you are right, my lady,” Sophia said somberly. “But I remember the suffering we saw during the war and I cannot find it in my heart to fault anyone—man or dragon—who decides that he can no longer face the horror and brutality of war.”

  Sophia trembled in her earnestness.

  “I know, my dear,” said Cecile, her austere demeanor softening. “This is why I did not want you to come. I was afraid the memory of those dark days would return to upset you.”

  “I do not like to remember that terrible time,” said Sophia in a low voice. “Yet I have always hoped that some good may come of it. I understand why Lord Dalgren broke his oath and fled. That is why I wanted to be present at his trial.”

  Kate had no idea what they were talking about. She wondered very much how a princess could know the horrors of war. It was not her place to ask, of course. Sophia wiped away a tear. Cecile was gazing into the fire. Both seemed to have forgotten Kate. She was thinking she would quietly withdraw when Bandit, undoubtedly under the impression no one was watching him, chose that moment to jump on the table.

  Kate made a deft grab and managed to catch hold of the dog. Bandit yelped in protest. Sophia looked up, startled.

  “He was making a raid on the cheese,” said Kate.

  Sophia laughed, shook her head at the dog, and tweaked him on the nose by way of punishment. She then consoled him with a piece of cheese and returned to her chair, keeping Bandit in her lap.

  The countess cast Kate a grateful look. Kate had the feeling she was thanking her not for saving the cheese, but for lifting the dark shadow that had fallen over Sophia.

  “Will you sit in judgment on Dalgren, ma’am?” Kate asked.

  Sophia shook her head. “I am attending the trial as an observer, representing the crown.”

  “I thought a court-martial proceeding was strictly a military matter,” Kate said, confused.

  “That would be true in the case of a human in the Rosian army or navy,” Cecile answered. “The Dragon Brigade is far more than a branch of the military. Although the Dragon Duchies have their own laws, they are part of the Rosian kingdom and felt that they should share in the responsibility for the defense of their homeland. The King of Rosia and the Dragon Duchies drew up a treaty that created the Brigade and proudly proclaimed the bond between our two nations.

  “The dragons will be represented at the trial by the Duke of Talwin, the Count of Whitcliff, the Countess of Rothvar, and Countess Anasi Deehaven. Her Highness represents the crown of Rosia. My son, His Grace, the Duke de Bourlet, will also be in attendance, both as a witness and a signatory to the treaty.”

  Kate regarded her in dismay. She had known Dalgren’s offense was serious, but she had never imagined he would be facing the wrath of two nations.

  “I am afraid I don’t understand,” said Kate.

  “The dragons believe that service in the Dragon Brigade is a high honor,” Cecile explained. “Those who serve bear the honor of all dragon clans. Lord Dalgren’s crime brought disgrace not only upon himself, but on his family and the entire dragon nation. All dragons feel dishonored by his actions.”

  Kate was sick with fear. “Do you know what Dalgren’s punishment will be? Will they put him to death?”

  Cecile shook her head. “Dragons are far more civilized than humans. They do not kill their own kind. But I fear Lord Dalgren’s punishment will be severe. The dragons are taking a very serious view of the matter. No other dragon has ever before deserted. They need to reclaim their honor.”

  Kate despaired. “Then they have already made up their minds. They mean to make an example of him. My testimony cannot help. Who am I? A nobody! Perhaps they won’t even let me speak!”

  Sophia dropped Bandit to the floor and came over to sit by Kate. She took hold of her hand and pressed it warmly.

  “You are Lord Dalgren’s friend. You have a better right to speak than any duke or count. I will make certain you are heard!”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” said Kate.

  She looked down at her hand—brown and rough, her nails cracked and broken from grappling with the griffin’s reins. Sophia’s hand, by contrast, was white and soft. Rings sparkled on her fingers, and her nails were carefully trimmed and rounded.

  Sophia gave Kate’s hand a confident pat and smiled reassuringly. Kate realized suddenly that the princess did not notice the difference between the two of them. Kate was ashamed that she did.

  Cecile gave a delicate cough. “You will be speaking before the Council of Dragons, as well as officers of the Royal Navy, Mistress Katherine. What are you planning to wear?”

  “My riding skirt and jacket, my lady,” said Kate, surprised. She had not given the matter thought until now. “They are the only clothes I brought with me.”

  She did not add that besides her slops, they were the only clothes she owned.

  She had the feeling the countess guessed, however, for she said smoothly, “You were traveling by griffin and of course you lacked room to pack.”

  “But those clothes will not be suitable, will they,” Kate said
.

  “I may not be able to help you win your case for your friend, but I can loan you a dress,” said Sophia, adding with a laugh, “I always pack more clothes than I need, as the countess will tell you.”

  She regarded Kate with a thoughtful frown. “We must do something for a hat. I gather you don’t like to wear wigs. I don’t either. They itch. How did you lose your hair?”

  “We must not pry, Sophia,” Cecile said, mildly scolding.

  “I am so sorry!” Sophia said, flushing. “I didn’t mean to. It’s just that I lost my hair once. I used to suffer from terrible headaches. One of the physicians gave me medicine that caused all my hair to fall out. My poor mama was in hysterics. She refused to look at me until my hair grew back!”

  “I was thinking a draped turban,” Cecile suggested.

  “The very thing!” Sophia clapped her hands. “Draped turbans are extremely popular among the ladies at court. I learned how to drape them. Rodrigo taught me.”

  “Now that this is settled, we should retire, Sophia,” said Cecile. “We must rise early in the morning.”

  Kate thanked both the princess and the countess for a lovely evening and then withdrew. She was grateful to return to the quiet and solitude of her own room to think.

  She was tired, but when she lay down, she was wide awake. She blew out the candle and went to the window to look out at the Oscadia Mountains. Moonlight shone on peaks that were already white with an early autumn snowfall.

  The city of Cieleterre was located in those mountains. Dalgren was there now, awaiting his trial. He had parted from her in anger and disappointment, and despite what he had told Akiel, he might still be upset with her. He might refuse to see her or the dragons might refuse to let her see him.

  “I will make Dalgren listen to me,” Kate said aloud. “I will make the dragons listen to me. Dalgren and I will stand together, never mind how many dukes and counts they line up against us. We might have to fight the whole bloody dragon nation, but we’ll win, my friend. I know we will win.”

  NINETEEN

  Kate woke up well before the hour appointed to meet Sophia and the countess. She tried to go back to sleep, but she was too worried about Dalgren.

  When the maid brought in Kate’s skirt, jacket, and shirt, cleaned and no longer smelling of griffin, she dressed and then went outdoors in the chill mountain air and roamed restlessly about the yard. She watched the countess’s servants load the luggage and then enter their own wyvern-drawn coach. They made an early departure, presumably to have everything ready for the princess and their mistress when they arrived in Cieleterre.

  Despite Cecile saying they needed to make an early start, Kate supposed that early meant noon. So she was pleasantly surprised when, not long after the servants had left, Sophia came downstairs, dressed and ready to travel.

  The coachman drove the coach to the door, keeping the restive wyverns under control. Kate sat with her back to the wyverns, facing Sophia and the countess opposite, and Bandit resided in a basket on the floor.

  The coach was warm and snug. They wrapped themselves in furs, and the servants had placed bricks heated by magical constructs on the floor at their feet. The coachman mounted the box and sent magic flowing to the lift tanks. He snapped the whip over the heads of the wyverns to get their attention, and gave the command to fly. The wyverns spread their wings, the coach rose effortlessly into the air, and within moments, Kate was in the Dragon Duchies.

  “How long have you known Lord Dalgren?” Sophia asked.

  “I met him when my father and I were visiting Westfirth,” said Kate. “I saw the dragons of the Dragon Brigade performing their maneuvers in the sky above their fortress and I was entranced.

  “The dragons were so magnificent and powerful that I longed to see them up close, and I sneaked onto the grounds where the young dragons were practicing. I ventured too close, and when Dalgren was coming down to land he nearly flattened me. A human officer saved my life. He was very kind, and he introduced me to Dalgren. That’s when Dalgren and I became friends.”

  She fell silent, gazing out the window at the spectacular view of the mountains and not seeing it. She was vaguely aware of Sophia starting to ask another question and the countess stopping her with a silent pressure of her hand.

  “Cieleterre is a fascinating city,” Cecile remarked. “The oldest human colony in the Dragon Duchies.”

  “Being Freyan, my knowledge of Rosia is limited, my lady,” said Kate, grateful that the countess had changed the subject for her benefit. “Have humans always lived in the Dragon Duchies?”

  “Humans and dragons on Rosia began as enemies,” said Cecile. “Dragons once killed humans for food. Humans killed dragons out of self-preservation. During the time of the Sunlit Empire, humans and dragons made peace, and the dragons formed the Dragon Duchies. During the Blackfire War dragons joined with Rosia to fight and defeat the Freyans. Afterward, the king invited them into the Rosian court and granted them titles. The Dragon Brigade was formed not long after.

  “But humans did not then live in the Dragon Duchies, only dragons. As it happened, when the dragons visited Rosia, they were impressed by the beautiful palaces they saw. Their own caves seemed very dark and dismal by comparison. The dragons wanted to build palaces for themselves, but even dragon magic has its limitations. Dragons knew nothing about architectural design or even how to construct such massive buildings, and they hired humans to do the work.

  “At first humans were reluctant to travel to the Dragon Duchies. The dragons paid them in gold, however, and soon architects and stonemasons, crafters and carpenters came here to work for them. The dragons developed a fondness for human culture and hired musicians to entertain them and artists to decorate their new dwellings. Human villages soon grew into cities as more and more humans moved here to work for the dragons.

  “Cieleterre is the largest of these cities and the oldest. For many years, it was a thriving city with a large population. When King Alaric disbanded the Dragon Brigade, the dragons were outraged. They claimed the humans had broken the treaty and they cut all ties with the crown.”

  “My father didn’t always make wise decisions,” Sophia said. “But he loved me and that is what I like to remember.”

  “Your father loved you very much, my dear,” said Cecile. “That is what you should remember.”

  Kate was struck by their remarks. Like Sophia’s father, her own father had rarely, if ever, made wise decisions. But, again like the king, Morgan had loved her, at least as much as he knew how to love anyone. And she had loved him. She felt less in awe of Sophia, as if the princess had left her golden throne and come to sit with Kate on a shabby but comfortable sofa.

  “When was the Dragon Brigade reestablished, ma’am?” Kate asked.

  Dalgren had never told her anything about the history of the Dragon Brigade. He had rarely mentioned the brigade at all, except during those times when he was training Kate how to ride. Even then, he only talked about Captain de Guichen and Lady Cam and how they had trained him.

  “The Treaty of D’eau Brisé reestablished the Dragon Duchies as a part of Rosia after the war with the Bottom Dwellers, and with that, King Renaud formally reinstated the Dragon Brigade.”

  Sophia asked the countess about the style of architecture used in Cieleterre. Kate, who knew nothing about such things, dropped out of the conversation, glad to be left alone with the view of the mountains and her thoughts.

  At midday the coach descended at a wayside built by the dragons for the convenience of human travelers. The wayside was crude, consisting of a grove of fir trees, a table made of stone, and a clear, cold mountain stream for water.

  The servants who had gone ahead were waiting for them, with dinner prepared. The women, wrapping themselves in their fur cloaks against the cool mountain air, ate beneath the fir trees. After they ate, Sophia said she needed to walk Bandit, for he would miss his exercise, and asked Kate if she would like to keep her company.

  As it
turned out, walking Bandit meant that Sophie walked while Bandit rode in comfort in her arms.

  The two young women started talking about Haever, the capital of Freya, which was still at peace with Rosia since their wartime alliance, though the peace was now somewhat uneasy.

  Sophia had been attending university in Haever, as a gesture to prove that the Rosians were serious about peace. She had come to love the city and its people, and asked about her favorite places.

  Kate had lived in Haever with Amelia when she was working for Sir Henry, and she was able to tell Sophia that the pond in Whiteover Park was still home to black swans and that the famous floating house of the eccentric duchess continued to drift over the city.

  Sophia put Bandit on the ground and watched the dog in silence.

  “Are you tired?” Kate asked. “We could go back.”

  Sophia shook her head. Her cheeks were already rosy from the cold, but the rose color deepened.

  “I know that Haever is a very large city with thousands of people, but I was wondering if you happen to know His Grace, Phillip Masterson, the Duke of Upper and Lower Milton?”

  Phillip Masterson.

  “You mean Pip?” Kate asked, astonished.

  The moment she blurted out his name, she realized she’d made a mistake. She should have said she had never heard of Phillip Masterson, and Sophia would have dropped the subject. Why should she ask about him anyway? Kate wondered worriedly. Does she know who I am? Is this her way of telling me?

  Kate stammered and tried to repair the damage. “I … have met His Grace … I don’t truly know him…”

  “Yet you call him by his pet name,” said Sophia, smiling.

  “The … uh … newspapers call him Pip. Just as they called Prince Tom … Prince Tom,” Kate finished lamely.

  Her excuse was very feeble and she was grateful to Bandit, who had caught sight of a squirrel and dashed off in pursuit. Sophia called after him, but the dog was oblivious, intent on the hunt.

  “I will fetch him,” Kate offered, glad for the reprieve.