Golden Braids and Dragon Blades: Steampunk Rapunzel

Chapter 18: We Love Lucy?

We spent the morning lingering in the field, watching the egg, waiting for it to do something. Aside from glowing, there wasn’t much to see. Once or twice the tiny creature within shifted. Part of me worried that the sun was bothering it. What if the dragon was lunar like Luna? For the love of all things holy, I could be cooking it alive. I’d thought about moving it, but the longer the egg sat in the sun, the more it glowed. That, and I trusted the girls. If they thought the egg should be in a nest in the sunniest part of the field, I wasn’t going to second-guess them. In truth, the dragon seemed to be waking. Now I just needed to learn the right song. In the late afternoon, the girls—and Ewan—decided it was time for a rest. Ewan laid down under the shade of the oak tree, the girls finding cozy spots amongst the branches. I had just decided it was time to join them when a figure appeared on the other side of the meadow.

It was Estrid who first spotted the stranger. She clicked to me and let out a low growl.

“Ewan,” I said, shaking his shoulder. “Wake up.”

“What? What’s wrong,” he asked. Pulling his pistol, he rose.

“There,” I said, pointing. On the other side of the field was a figure in a red cloak.

“Ewan,” a husky voice called.

Ewan smiled and reholstered his gun. “It’s Lucy,” Ewan told me. “Lucy,” he called then waved to her.

Panic gripped me. Telling Ewan about the egg, letting him see the girls, that was one thing. A stranger was something else.

I rose and turned to the girls. I was about to call to them when Ewan set his hand on my arm.

“You can trust Lucy,” he said, an earnest expression on his face. “We have all sworn an oath. We Pellinores will protect you. You can trust us, trust Lucy. You’ll see.”

I inhaled deeply and watched the woman crossing the meadow.

“Not the egg,” I whispered. “Don’t tell her about the egg.”

Ewan gave me a sidelong glance. “All right.” Nodding to me, he rose and crossed the field to meet his partner while I went back to the little nest the girls had built to gather up the egg.

Kneeling down, I touched the egg. It was hot. “Well now, little solar dragon, are you planning to wake up soon?” I whispered.

I laid out a handkerchief and placed some of the leaves, herbs, and flowers the girls had collected onto it. Gingerly picking up the hot egg, I set in on the fabric then placed it in my satchel once more.

“We’ll come again, little one. Tomorrow. I promise you. For now, I must keep you safe.”

To my surprise, the egg trembled.

“Are you a silly one like your sisters? I can’t wait to meet you.”

But even if the dragon hatched, then what? Gothel was missing. I was already being hunted. What if the dragon bloods found me here? A newborn dragon needed protection and care. What would happen to this little one—to all of them—if they fell into the wrong hands? Estrid had grown twice her size since she was first hatched. How big would she become? In a world where the sky was filled with airships, what would happen to a grown dragon? My dragons needed me. I couldn’t let anyone take them.

I sighed. Mother would know what to do. If she did not, maybe her people would. If worse came to worst, Mother could take the dragons to the land of the Seelie and keep them there. I glanced toward the forest beyond the old oak.

“Mother, where are you?” I whispered.

Again, the wind picked up. I felt the gentle breeze on my cheek and the soft sound of voices murmuring amongst the blades of grass. I returned to the oak tree once more. I glanced up at the girls. “Mind your manners. She’s a friend.”

Estrid huffed uncertainly while Wink opened a single eye, watching the stranger approach. Luna crept back into the shadows.

“Rapunzel,” Ewan called as he and the stranger neared.

Lucy was very unlike what I expected. She was as tall as Ewan and just as broad. Her dark hair was cut short at the nape of her neck but hung long on her chest at the front, her bangs cut blunt. She wore leather trousers, a bodice, and a dark top. A red cape billowed from her shoulders. I caught the glint off the pistol hanging from her belt. She crossed the field toward me, her strides long and powerful, then bowed low.

“Blood of Anna,” she said, her voice full of reverence.

“I…um…hi,” I stammered.

She stood and looked me over carefully. “Dainty thing, save all that hair,” she said then turned to Ewan. “Are you sure?”

“Her eyes,” Ewan said.

Lucy gave me a hard look, tipping her head as if she was watching something that perplexed her. “The colors…move.”

Ewan laughed. “You get used to it. And that’s not all.” Ewan’s eyes met mine.

I glanced at Lucy once more.

Trust.

I needed to trust her, trust Ewan.

I turned from Lucy to the old oak tree. “Girls, come meet Lucy,” I called.

Lucy’s gaze followed mine.

From where we were standing, we couldn’t make them out clearly. The tree branches rattled, and Estrid emerged from the top of the tree then glided down toward the tall woman. The air shivered, and Wink appeared, floating in the air before Lucy. Luna landed on my back. She crawled up my braid and peered at the stranger over my shoulder.

“Angels and ministers of grace,” Lucy whispered, her eyes going from dragon to dragon then back to me once more. “None other than the blood of Pendragon could wake such creatures. They’re…amazing.” She reached out to touch Wink who, much to my surprise, permitted it.

“Watch that one though,” Ewan said, pointing to Estrid. “She’s feisty.”

Estrid blew a smoke ring at him. I grinned, surprised to see the love-hate relationship that had blossomed between them. But then my eyes rested on Ewan once more. No, it didn’t surprise me, not really. There wasn’t much about Ewan that was hard to love.

“Ewan, what in the hell do we do now?” Lucy asked.

“Protect them,” he said simply.

Lucy huffed a laugh. “Easier said than done. If Dormad learns she has these, there will be no stopping him. What did Agent Hunter say?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly tell him about the dragons.”

Lucy watched the girls who, having made their welcome, went back to rest amongst the branches of the oak once more. Lucy nodded slowly. “Good. When William comes, we Pellinores will decide. This is our mission. They have laughed at us for years. But now…”

“Exactly. Hunter did say he would have to inform Her Majesty. After all, Rapunzel is the rightful heir of the realm.”

Lucy chortled. “Something tells me Victoria won’t be pleased.”

“Ewan…the queen… She won’t be angry, will she? I mean, I don’t want anything. I just want to find my mother and…I don’t know…keep out of the way.”

Ewan smiled reassuringly at me. “I’m sure Her Majesty will understand once she meets you.”

“Her mother? But the line of Anna… I thought it was extinguished.”

“She means Gothel, the faerie guardian. We think the dragon bloods picked Gothel up. Agent Hunter sent Agent Louvel after her.”

Lucy laughed once more. “Dormad and Owyr have no idea who they’re messing with. I hope Louvel remembers she’s supposed to avoid killing them if she can,” she said then bobbed her chin toward me. “Do we know who Rapunzel’s real mother is? Sorry, Rapunzel, I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just… It is our job to mind the blood of Pendragon. Apparently, we lost someone along the way.”

“It’s all right,” I said. “I don’t remember anyone other than Gothel.”

Lucy frowned. “There was that woman in Lancashire, but she never had any children.”

Ewan nodded. “I thought of her too. We did lose track of that line near the Fens. Could be there. When we find Gothel, maybe she will tell us.”

“Tell you…about my real mother?” I asked.

Ewan and Lucy both looked at me.

“Yes. Maybe. Let’s leave off of this topic for now,” Ewan said, apparently picking up on my distress. “Shall we go back? Maybe we can grab a spot of tea.”

“Tea? Dragons are alive and here is a descendant of Anna in the flesh before us. Ale seems more fitting,” Lucy said with a laugh.

Ewan pulled out his pocket watch. “Past midday. No reason not to. I could eat something too.”

“Eat? Again?” I asked.

Lucy laughed. “I see she’s got you figured out already. Miss Pendragon, if a woman ever wanted to win Ewan’s heart, all she would need is—”

“Bacon,” Ewan finished then winked at me.

We both laughed.

“Ale and bacon it is then. And let’s be sure to eat and drink as much as we can. Boss’s account, after all.” Lucy looked toward the tree once more. “They coming?”

I grabbed the wicker crate and looked up at the girls. They looked so comfortable, so free. No. Enough hiding. Enough living in cages. “We’re going back now,” I called. “Come to the balcony of my room. Stay out of sight of the servants.”

Estrid clicked, Wink chiming in after her.

“They understand you?” Lucy asked.

I nodded. “Luna?”

After a moment, I heard a soft click of assent. My brave girl.

Ewan picked up the picnic basket then offered his arm to me. “Princess.”

Lucy chuckled then gave Ewan an assessing look. I saw her eyebrows arch, but she said nothing. Together, we headed back to my personal Pemberley.