The Last Dragon: Book Four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Elizabeth regulated me to the alcove while two women dressed and fixed her hair. I dressed without help. The clothing she’d ordered for me appeared almost military, the trousers cut too narrow for my liking and the neck of the shirt too high. A banner of green went over my left shoulder to the right side of my waist. A new belt had appeared to carry my sword, also polished to reflect light.

To further enhance the military cut, green stripes matching the banner went down both outside seams of my pants. The new boots with hard heels added to the impression. I stood and looked down at myself, pictured my new beard-style and haircut, and realized my sister would walk right past on the street without recognizing me.

A woman approached and asked permission to do something with my hair. I saw no reason to refuse. She used a scented oil to tame the wayward strands and gave me a few words of encouragement.

Elizabeth called for them all to depart. I left my alcove and found a princess had arrived in her place. My old friend stood near the foot of the bed dressed in a satiny material of butter-yellow. It shimmied as she moved. I’d never seen her so lovely.

The balls at Crestfallen were competitions between all the unmarried women, intended to attract the most eligible men. Even the married competed, yet none compared to Elizabeth. I couldn’t even guess what her dress had cost.

A golden stone the size of my thumb hung on a gold chain at her throat.

She said, “Yes?”

“If that does not attract attention, I don’t know what will.”

She smiled. “I do. The dress is nice, but I need to ask you a question. The golden halo you made for me, will the color match of my dress?”

“It is the same. I can adjust it if need be.”

“What does it take for you to maintain it? I mean, what if I ask you to make it appear and keep it in place all night? Even while you’re busy dancing or talking?”

Remembering the incident of the personal rainstorm, I’d held it in place while joking and playing. Even napping, in a manner. It may have slipped then, but I would be awake all night. “I can do that.”

“Good. We will be formally announced. Our arrival will be after most of the other guests, and instead of hiding, I want to make such a scene the king invites me to meet with him. Your crown will help do that.”

I gave her a slight bow.

She continued, “Practice making the crown here. Match the colors exactly. Adjust the amount of glow to maximize impact. I want every eye looking at me, every mouth to drop open at my appearance. Can you do that?”

I sat and looked at her as she stood alone. I reached for essence and dabbled it around her head in the vague shape of a crown, the center open. It grew taller and overshadowed her face. I reduced it, and adjusted the color to match her gown better, then played with intensity. Too much and she lit the room like a candle.

I finally got it right. Her crown was the gold hue of a summer sunset, not lighting the land as the sun in daylight, but as dusk on a clear twilight when all eyes are drawn to the last rays of the day. I fixed it in my mind. Duplicating it and maintaining all evening it would be no problem, not even while I talked or listened to music. Despite what she’d said, I didn’t believe I’d be doing much dancing as I watched and protected her.

I glanced at the small windows and found it was full dark. I’d been at it far longer than expected. “I’m ready.”

“Will it do as I asked?”

“And then some.”

She lifted a linen robe. “Help me into this. There is one for you too.”

They were simple, colorless, baggy, and lightweight. They would keep dust off us while in the carriage. Bran was waiting at the front door of the Black Swan, wearing all black, from hat to shoes.

He helped us climb in, and without a word started the trip. I leaned closer to her. “Excited?”

“Yes. Listen, if you must drop the crown after my entrance to keep any of the six mages at bay, do so. I want the king all to myself for a few heartbeats.”

“How much of a scene can I make?” I laughed.

She didn’t. “You can burn down the ballroom if that’s what you need to do. Keep those damn mages and any sorceresses away from the two of us while we talk.”

“They, the mages, I mean, will know how your crown is made. One of them may make it disappear and I might not be able to stop him.”

“No matter. It is the initial impression we are going to make. After that, we’ll do what we must. You are authorized to do any trickery without asking me for permission. You will stop any of their antics, and if that is not clear enough, you are authorized to use your sword. Do I make myself clear?”

“You do.” I sat back and considered her instructions. She was worried and that was to be expected. She was also in command. Instead of asking my opinions and discussing them, she told me the results she wanted. I’d become more of a tool than a friend.

I allowed the coolness of the night air to revive me. Her changes didn’t upset me, they encouraged me to an extent. I was not afraid because there were too many unknowns to consider, too many things to go wrong. My tasks this evening were simple. Act as the escort of a princess and keep her glowing halo of a crown intact while protecting her from mages, assassins, thieves, and worse.

She had all the hard work to do.

We arrived at the ballroom and found three coaches in front of us. We waited silently. When we dismounted, there were aides to walk us inside. Honest Bran helped us out of our linen dusters and my eyes saw his reaction. I glanced at the aide and saw the same. Elizabeth impressed.

I fought to withhold my smile. They hadn’t seen the whole package yet. The glowing crown would come later, so the impact would stun.

Inside, she handed the invitation to an aide who read it before handing it off to the caller, the royal Herold, if they had such a position. Her title and what she wanted him to introduce was on the invitation. His eyes went wide as he did a double-take at Elizabeth, who stood cool and calm, her eyes lowered. Clearly, they had not expected a royal princess from another kingdom.

To me, he leaned closer and whispered as he held the invitation where I could see it, “All this?”

I glanced down. In tiny writing, instead of simply our names, and perhaps a title, she had written a lengthy description detailing her entire royal name, her royal position, some of her many duties, and embellished the kingdom of Dire as the ‘wonderland of the north’ among other things.

I said abruptly, “That will do.”

On the last line, she introduced me as a Kaon Prince of the Old Order, whatever that meant. I was no prince, of any order, and doubted there was such a thing as the Old Order, but it sounded nice to my ears.

We stood at the top of the stairs behind two other couples waiting for the Herald to announce them and finally us. Below, music merrily played softly, softening even more as each measured announcement by the Herald was made, then it increased again until the next announcement.

Looking over the baluster, the room was smaller than expected, the royal dais at the far end, the band under us, and the crowd of people in the center talking, drinking, dancing, and generally ignoring those arriving and descending the stairs in honor.

Our turn came. The Herald glanced at the invitation, up at us, and at my nod, he shouted the standard call for attention, which was ignored. The music softened. I took Elizabeth’s arm and she said from the corner of her mouth, “Wait until we reach the third step.”

We moved ahead as he read the card, which drew more attention than I’d expected. A few heads turned to see the new princess. On the third step, I placed the glowing halo as her crown.

More heads turned. Conversation stopped in mid-sentence. The band quit playing. The room went still as we slowly took each step and paused before taking the next. I held my chin up, knowing nobody was looking at me but trying to do my part.

When we reached to bottom, instead of blending in as others had done, Elizabeth walked directly ahead, pulling me along with her. She walked regally, precisely to where the king sat, a younger version of himself standing at his side. She stepped up, released my arm, and curtsied deep and low, in the most respectable manner possible.

She was only two steps away from him. When he motioned for her to stand, she whispered fiercely, so softly I had a hard time hearing her and she was next to me, “We must talk. Now.”

The king slowly stood, his eyes, like those of the hundreds of people in the room, guests and servants alike, on the crown of light on her head. In comparison, his gold crown trimmed with jewels was pale and unimpressive. He was momentarily confused at her words, then recovered.

His voice boomed in the still air as he threw his arms wide to embrace her, “This is an unexpected surprise.”

Before any objections could be made, he kept his right arm around her shoulder and mumbled in her ear as he led her to the side, “Come with me.”

I meekly followed, expecting to be ordered to halt at every step, however, we managed to reach a door that I had not seen. We quickly entered, and for the first time, I realized there was a fourth person—the son that had been at his father’s side firmly shut the door to the rest of the guests.

The king fell heavily into a chair, one of five or six. His breath came hard and fast, his face flushed, but his eyes were stern and focused on Elizabeth.

The son was confused, part angry, part mesmerized by the beauty of Elizabeth. I was far too smart and well versed in royal manners to speak.

The king said between heavy breaths, “Who are you and what is this all about?”

“We are from the Kingdom of Dire and I am Princess Elizabeth, second in line to our throne, and this is Damon. I come here on a matter of urgency that cannot wait.”

He said, “I find most emergencies are because you have a problem, not me.”

“In this case,” she used the same droll tone as him, “It does concern you as much as me. Maybe more.”

“Sit. Tell me the short version of this dire emergency.” He chuckled. “Dire emergency. Did you hear my pun?”

“I’ve heard it too many times over the years and this is no laughing matter.”

His eyes drooped. Sweat beaded his forehead. It hadn’t been there a moment earlier. Elizabeth saw it too. She motioned to the prince. “Is there medication? No, never mind. Just listen.”

She quickly told of her father’s illness, the increased number of mages at Crestfallen, and when she had their full attention, she told them of Trager, Vin, and Dagger. How the royalty in each either sickened or died in accidents, the royal rule had eventually been taken over by a council of advisors.

As she talked, the king and his son exchanged several meaningful glances.

I cannot say she told the shortest version, but anger and fear replaced their festive expressions. Neither interrupted. She skipped a lot, especially about the last dragon, Kendra, and me but hit the highlights of the rest.

“Who is behind this attack on all of us?” The son asked.

I’d missed hearing the prince’s name if any had mentioned it, so I extended my hand to introduce myself and ask. As our hands clasped, a scream filled my ears, almost a wail of joy. It receded, but my hand tingled. It was so intense, my concentration lapsed, and the halo of gold flitted from existence as a result.

The prince was as surprised and confused as me. He backed away as if I’d done something to him on purpose. His surprise and confusion turned to anger.

However, I found myself smiling. I’d heard and felt the same before. Once. Without thinking of the breach of protocol, I slipped my sword free and raised it high. I said, “Please remove your sword.”

Obviously thinking we were going to fight, he pulled his blade and as the distance closed, the keening increased. I gently moved mine closer and the odd sound increased. I pulled it away and the sound quieted.

The king said, “What is this happening?”

“You can’t hear that?” the prince demanded.

“Hear what?”

The prince said to me, “What do you know of this?”

I decided to respond fully. “Over two hundred years ago, at least three swords were made and enchanted by someone unknown. They were to never be crossed in battle. Only the owners hear the sound we call singing.”

He moved his closer and backed away. I waited. He said, “You knew about this. You knew it would happen.”

I shook my head. “I knew of two swords. Mine and one that belongs to the rightful heir of Vin, Prince Angle. We discovered the spell as we attacked each other in battle. He is now recruiting men from Vin and Trager to help us take Dagger and march on Kaon and a magical being who is known to us only as the Young Mage.”

“Is that who makes my father ill and caused the horse to throw me?”

Elizabeth said as music drifted through the door. “To take control of Malawi all that is required is a long illness by the king so properly appointed advisors from Kaon can be placed, one of the princes falls down stairs he has climbed since childhood, a second dies in a hunting accident and the last by the same illness that has plagued him since birth. Without knowing for certain, I’ll guess the next and next couple in the royal line has already met with untimely deaths.”

The king and his son exchanged another telling look.

Elizabeth said, “So the next to wear the crown is either weak, aged, or feeble. A council should be formed to rule until such time as the crown can be restored—which will never happen.”

The king said, “So, you came to warn us.”

“No. To ask you to join with us in defeating the Young Mage. My kingdom, my father the king of Dire, and my eldest brother, and the rule of my kingdom are all at risk, the same as yours. We’ve merely stalled the Young Mage. Unless we act and band together, he will use other methods to defeat all of us. His primary plan is already in place here in Malawi. His alternative is to attack you with the combined armies of five kingdoms.”

The last statement drew blood from the faces of both.

She continued, “When in all your history have six mages gathered in Malawi? Or even three?”

The prince snarled, “I never liked them.”

The king looked at me then back at Elizabeth. “What do you want of us?”

Without thinking, I knelt and held out my sword, the blade in the palms of my hands, and bowed, baring my neck. I said nothing.

After a time, the king took my sword and from the corner of my eye watched him examine it critically. He asked, “This was made here? One of the finest swords in the entire world?”

“It was.”

“Yet you offer it to me without condition?”

“I do.”

He took the sword by the hilt and tapped each of my shoulders. “Arise, Sir Damon.”

That hadn’t been my intention. I was as stunned as Elizabeth. She said with a giggle, “Wait until my father hears you’ve been abducted by the Malawi kingdom. He’ll be furious.”

I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t refuse. I didn’t have the option to accept or not, it was done. Both the king and his son were smiling at our reactions. The king said, “The longer we remain in here, the more rumors will fly, the more the mages will be curious and warned. Make her hair glow again, and the four of us will attend my ball as if we are the oldest of friends.”

“The mages,” I began to say.

He continued, “Are all in the castle, and we will decide what to do with them after the ball. Of course, I cannot allow two of the children of my oldest friend, the King of Dire, stay at an inn. Suites will be prepared for you.” He looked at his son. “See to it when you can slip out for a moment. You know which to use.”

We were almost ready to leave the small room when an odd feeling swept over me. My knees went weak. Inside my mind, I smelled the rot. A foul stench that sickened me. I sat heavily and reached out in my mind, *Anna!*

*Yes.*

*Help with what is in my mind. Can you?*

*It is close to you. Reach out with your mind and follow it to the source.*

My eyes were closed, but inside my mind was swirling red, like a red mist in a storm, and in that mist was a single spot of blackness. I followed it and found a tiny place where essence was stored, not much, just a drop or two. It was in the neck of the king. My eyes flashed open.

The three of them were administering to me, trying to help. I threw my arms wide and leaped to my feet. They backed away as if scared.

Anna declared, *That is the source of it. Evil. It smells like death.*

I said, “Before we go out there, you should know there is a small amount of what we call essence, a substance that allows mage’s magic to work, and it is located inside your neck. It is what makes you ill.”

“Can you remove it?” Elizabeth asked.

“I don’t know,” I said.

The king said, “Removing it might be a bad idea. I’ve had it for who knows how long, so a while longer won’t hurt. Removing it will tell whoever put it there you are on to him.”

Elizabeth nodded once and snapped at me, “Give me back my golden crown. We have work to do tonight.”

*We are fine. I’m going back to sleep unless you need me again.*

I thanked Anna and restored Elizabeth’s crown. If we had been alone, I’d have poured myself a tall glass of cool water from the tip of my finger and relaxed. Or maybe something stronger. I walked outside the door as the other three stepped onto the raised dais, a woman intercepted me.

I thought my abilities at hand-to-hand combat were adequate, however, they failed to compare to her snatch-and-grab of me as she clutched me whirled me onto the dance floor. It was funny. She got me there, but couldn’t keep me, as another beautiful young woman managed to slip between us and spin me away. She whispered in my ear, which was moist, damp air, and she nuzzled my neck. I don’t remember the words.

I did my best to escape her clutches. That is a lie, but saying it seems the right thing to do. Nearer the truth is that every unattached, and probably some attached women, wanted their time alone with me. Resisting was futile. I let them have their way with me, spinning, swooping, whirling, and dancing until late. I ignored their suggestions and blushed at several.

Elizabeth stole a dance with me, during which she hissed like a snake, “It is time for you and me to disappear. Dance us closer to that door below the stairs.”

I did as she commanded. The door opened at our approach and we danced through, where we were greeted by the prince. He said, “Quickly, this way.”