《The Queen's Aerie by KimBoo York》 Prologue Agadart ver Kleelan was sixteen years old when she realized that she did not, actually, want to get married and go to the capital to serve as a handmaiden to the Dragon Queen of Kaaltendt, Theaedra. She thought that, given her family history, there were better things she could do with her life. She announced her new plans to her father, Lord Stigar ver Kleelan, over their shared breakfast. ¡°You¡¯re what now?¡± Her father put down the broadsheet he was reading. ¡°Volunteering. For the Dragon Maids Corps.¡± He frowned a little, then returned to his reading. Agadart drank her tea and waited. ¡°Any particular reason?¡± he asked a few minutes later, without looking up. ¡°I thought maybe it was time I got out for a bit.¡± ¡°Harumph.¡± She kept waiting. Eventually her father put the broadsheet aside and looked at her. ¡°Does this have anything to do with your betrothal to Baron Parrel Stewardt of Trinx?¡± She nodded. ¡°Oh yes.¡± He smiled, because he had as much patience with the stuffy manners of Baron Parrel Stewardt as she did. In fact, she suspected there was no man who would ever gain her father¡¯s approval for her hand, which suited her just fine. She knew her father would never have allowed her to be married off to Baron Stewardt in the first place if her mother had not been so keen on the alliance. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Her father sighed. ¡°Dangerous business, working with dragons.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect I¡¯d be working with them, would I? Helping the wounded and whatnot.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a tough lot.¡± ¡°The wounded?¡± ¡°Dragons. Remember your uncle,¡± her father admonished. Agadart sighed. The only living dragon in their family was her father¡¯s older brother Hrecht ver Kleelan, who had disappeared into the far Westlands to work as a hired mercenary for some exotic Westlands queen, last anyone heard. More sordid gossip was that he was less a proper guardian than a favored courtesan, but either way, it had been quite a scandal. Agadart¡¯s father, who inherited his title and lands in the aftermath of his brother¡¯s abdication, rarely talked about it. It had happened years before she was born, anyway. Her father knew a lot about dragons, growing up with one, but no one would guess it by his manners or comments. That the proper ver Kleelan lineage had once again been besmirched with the birth of a dragon after several generations without was a stain not easily overcome, but Agadart¡¯s mother was doing her damnedest to try to erase it by way of betrothing her only child to the baron. To Agadart, it felt like being sold off to the highest bidder. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome to come home when it gets rough, sweetheart.¡± Her father smiled at her. ¡°I know, Father. And I will come home again, eventually.¡± He nodded agreeably before picking up the broadsheet, then paused as they both heard sharp heels clicking down the hallway to the breakfast room. Agadart¡¯s mother swept in triumphantly to tell them that the marriage contract had been signed by Queen Theaedra and the date for the wedding set. Staring down at her plate, Agadart thought it had been nice to pretend otherwise for a moment. 1. Twelve Years Later Mani let Ro squirm and shift and grumble when they sat down in their private coach car on the train, because trying to rein in the finicky noble always left Mani sleeping alone. He found that his bed stayed occupied when he let his charge be his normal, dissatisfied self long enough to get settled into a chair with a soothing glass of wine. Ro knew he was a fussy nobleman, which helped, because he put up with Mani glaring at him the whole time. Mani considered it a trade-off. ¡°Are we going to Endestern to end a war, or start one?¡± Mani asked as he finally poured himself a glass of wine out of the decanter and sat back in his chair. ¡°Neither. Officially we all hope that Emperor Rhezv is pursuing peace, but my job is to assume otherwise.¡± Mani grunted, sipping his wine. His family was nobility in the distant country of Akanata, where dragons were thick in the skies and politics easily settled through marriage or consort alliances between dragon clans. That Emperor Rhezv of Iskaryyva might actually declare war for the sake of annexing the Isle of Watt was something Ro described as distasteful. Rude, even, which from Ro was a vicious rebuke. ¡°I suppose they will want you to step in as field marshal.¡± Mani mumbled into his glass. ¡°Doubtful. Harry the Fifth of Clan Lomartaan will receive that special blessing, and all power to him, for he has the experience and intelligence to do it well. But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be roped into wearing the admiral talons on my epaulettes again, should war come to Watt.¡± Mani thought Ro¡¯s skills were better suited for the rank of commodore, leading a collection of dragon flights into battle, but his military experience and his role as a prince of the royal Clan Leonteinparre ensured that he would be placed in a prominent position. It was the price of nobility to never have any say about the role they played in history, after all, Mani thought mulishly. The only thing Ro had ever chosen for himself was Mani, but even that did not count for much as Ro had to choose somebody as his guardian in order to fulfill the diplomatic negotiations, of which he was merely one pawn of many. Mani was simply his choice. Mani treasured that, as sentimental a fool as he was. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I even see the appeal. Watt is a lovely, cold, wet, rainy mound of dirt; the emperor can¡¯t possibly imagine that it is some flower-drenched land of willing dragons.¡± Ro grimaced. ¡°Watt is the unconquered land, the country without a queen, and as you well know, my dear, it is strategically placed between continents.¡± Ro gave Mani a smile full of teeth. Mani grimaced. ¡°Sorry, love.¡± Ro sighed. ¡°I know you miss the sun-drenched lands of your youth. I feel guilty enough as it is.¡± Mani shrugged, unfurling a little from the rebuke. ¡°I knew I was never going home when Father sent me to Kaaltendt. I¡¯m only pleased that I ended up as your guardian.¡± Ro nodded. Mani had been sent to Kaaltendt from Akanata for much the same reason that Ro had been sent from Watt, a fact that served to bind them closely together as foreigners in a strange land, beholden to Queen Theaedra of Kaaltendt in ways that they assumed meant neither of them were likely to see their motherlands again.?Admittedly, chances of Ro getting them to Watt, at least for an extended visit at some point, were better than Mani getting them across the vast sea to his remote, expansive and endlessly rich homeland. Akanata was far away and shrouded in myth and rumor and only played in the politics of the Northern Realms at her queen¡¯s amusement, and no one believed any different, even Mani, who, like Ro, had been moved across the game board for reasons he could not scry. The Guardians of Akanata were treasured and wooed but could rarely be bought, and only then for the sake of their queen¡¯s often obscure plans. Mani assumed if he lived to over two hundred years old he might be obscure about his plans too. Long-lived dragon queens did not have to answer to anyone, after all, and looked at the world around them from a different, unknowable perspective. Compared to his queen, who was also his distant ancestor, the queen of Kaaltendt was but a child at eighty years old. Looking over his handsome charge, who was focused glumly on his wine, Mani smiled. ¡°It is a long ride to Endestern. We have seven hours, and that¡¯s if the train doesn¡¯t break down on the way.¡± Ro nodded, looking up at him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We should, perhaps, rest.¡± Mani waved a hand towards the door that opened to the boudoir of the coach. Ro¡¯s confused look turned into a sly, welcoming grin. Mani made to pick up his journal. ¡°Or we could discuss Queen Theaedra and King Larit¡¯s plans in more detail. Study some maps, perhaps?¡± He gave Ro an innocent look. Ro frowned, put down his wine, and stood up. He grabbed Mani¡¯s hand as he walked by, dragging him to their bed. 2. Dragon Maid Corps Apprentices for Dragon Maid Corps training were only accepted once a year at the legendary dragon fort of Endestern on the eastern peninsula, so by the grace of circumstance Agadart was allowed three months before she had to leave her father¡¯s house. She welcomed the reprieve, trying to hoard as many memories of her home as she could before her exile. But leave she would, or face further, harsher punishment, and once she started the journey it would be ten years before she could return to Miesesenwold Manor. Ten years before she would be allowed see her father again. He was prohibited from even visiting her from wherever she ended up being stationed after training. Her villainous husband had robbed her of so much, and it felt unfair that even after her husband¡¯s execution he would rob her of even more. She had missed her mother¡¯s funeral years before. She lived in fear of her father dying while she was gone. ¡°You still have your life, and that is a gift provided to us in return for my prayers. I will wait for you to come home, My Little Hopper.¡± He held her close, arms wrapped around her, holding her up as she tried not to cry on his shoulder like a child. He was right in that the sentence she had been given was the best they could have hoped for, far and above her original fear of being executed with her husband despite having actively worked against him for several years. Mandatory conscription as a dragon maid for a decade was by far a vast improvement over that fate, but still it was not something to take lightly, especially at the ripe ¡°old¡± age of twenty-seven. It was not a death sentence, but it was not going to be a pleasant life either. She would be alone. To his credit, her father did not try to pretend that it would be easy for her. Uncharacteristically, he sat in her bedroom as she packed the meager belongings she would be allowed to take with her and gave her random advice about campaigning. While his own service years were long over, they had consisted mostly of vicious battles against fearsome encroachers from the Westlands, so Agadart paid attention. Oddly, he spent a considerable amount of time on how to keep clean while campaigning. Agadart figured out quickly that what he was really telling her was that taking a bath was a rare feature of military life. He promised to send her care packages containing her favorite milled soaps. Her father then personally saw her off when she boarded the train for Endestern. A few of the locals were there as well, people she had grown up around and who still cared for her as if she was a child, despite the scandal, despite her fall from grace. The house cook gave her a corsage sachet of grayknife flower buds and cried uncontrollably to the point that Agadart¡¯s father?pulled the woman away and into the arms of their long-suffering butler. Agadart herself did not cry until the train was in motion. The private cabin was not a luxury but a precaution, to separate her from other passengers. She was given the decency of not traveling under armed guard, mostly due to her station as the sole heir of her father¡¯s estate, but the expectation was that she would act in accordance with her banishment from polite society. Agadart assumed that there were spies around to report her movements back to the king and queen. Still, it was a small private cabin, and her tears flowed freely in solitude. Once that was over, she opened the blinds and watched the scenery passing by. Not having traveled much, other than between estates and the capital, she was entranced with the changing landscape. After two days the view had become routine, though. By the fourth day it was monotonous, and by the time the train pulled into the station at the small city at the foot of the mountain, Ransewellen, on the seventh day, she was about ready to climb the walls. The cold, rocky landscape of the peninsula had appeared outside of her window the night before, and she stared at the gray, green, and brown mountains as they pushed in around her. Fort Endestern was the farthest point out, on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea, and she had been told by everyone that it was a harsh land to live in. Ransewellen was the end of the line, as well; the train would simply loop around to face the other way to return to civilization. It would go back without her. Once disembarked, Agadart grabbed her small bag and stood on the platform, clutching her coat closed. It was a bitterly chilled wind that snapped around her, threatening to take her hat with it and sending her skirts billowing. There were more people waiting to leave than were getting off, and since Agadart did not know where to go she stopped to watch the others, hoping for a clue as to what she should do. Her Orders to Report had said that she would be met at the station, but not by who nor exactly where. On the platform? In the station building? On the side facing the street? There was a bustle of activity behind her from a private car. She had traveled by private car exclusively when she was a baroness, and she recognized the stir it caused. Bystanders stayed close to gawk, and the train crew was hustling to get everything sorted correctly for the passengers before they disembarked. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Agadart stepped closer to a respectable elderly couple who were waiting to board the train. ¡°Do we know who of stature is arriving?¡± she asked the lady politely. The woman gave her a kind smile. ¡°It is Duke Raudolf, Rodgardae Leonteinparre, and his guardian Mani Roki.¡± Agadart sucked in a breath. She had never personally met the man she knew by his Kaaltendt title,?Duke Raudolf, despite his status as the fourth prince of Watt and an admiral in the Kaaltendt Dragon Corps. He had a reputation for remaining on the fringes of the queen¡¯s court, often staying out at his remote estate just outside the capital. No one questioned it, as he was both a foreigner and a dragon, and most of polite society felt safer the further away dragons were, no matter how highborn. In addition, his taking a male companion was fairly irregular in Kaaltendt. Dragons were exempt from most social rules, but it was unusual enough to incite scurrilous gossip. The fact that said companion was a guardian sent from Akanata just added spice to the story for most people. ¡°He is posted here, then? Do you know?¡± The woman glanced at her again, her expression serious as she studied Agadart¡¯s clothes and bearing, which clashed with her small bag and her lack of chaperone. ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t here as a dragon maid?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± The woman shook her head but did not ask why, since it was certain no highborn woman would voluntarily become a dragon maid. She probably assumed Agadart was escaping a small family scandal, and she did not disabuse her of the notion. It was not far from the truth, aside from all the politics. It was the man who answered. ¡°The Emperor of Iskaryyva is spoiling for the Isle of Watt, again. War is on the horizon, and with Duke Raudolf being an admiral in the Wattish military, Queen Theaedra has given him a commission in ours.¡± The man looked a little sour about it, but kept his tongue. ¡°Oh. Thank you. I have not been reading the news of late.¡± She had, in fact, been avoiding all mention of politics entirely. The woman clucked sympathetically, probably imagining all sorts of horrors in Agadart¡¯s life. The man wrapped his arm around his wife. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy this time around. The emperor has had years to set up for this.¡± He looked at Agadart with pity. ¡°Bad time for a well-bred woman to march into the corps.¡± Agadart nodded. ¡°Often we have little choice in the paths we must take.¡± ¡°Ah, there he is! Such a fine nobleman, for a dragon.¡± The woman rose up on her tiptoes, as curious as any citizen to get a glance at nobility. Agadart looked up the platform and was struck dumb by beauty. She had seen many gorgeous people in her time at court, of course, but there was something to him that was akin to a shimmer of gold. The duke was tall and lithe, wearing his Dragon Corps uniform and sparkling in the meager sunlight from the reflection of the uniform¡¯s many medals and golden shoulder guards. His sword swung easily at his side, and he moved with the grace of a dancer¡­or a fighter. Agadart had seen enough exhibition sword duels to know the look of a man who was profoundly aware of his power. His movements were economical but smooth as he shook hands with the train master, who bowed awkwardly with a broad grin on his face. The duke was clearly one of the set of nobility who aimed to charm rather than intimidate, and Agadart liked him immediately. His companion stood by silently, his smile genuine but subdued. He was no less beautiful, but in a different style, with his darker complexion and riot of curls. He was a little shorter than the duke but powerfully built, wide where the prince was tall, and wearing a dark, simple suit with dark red satin trim and no other decorations. Together they were a study in opposites, and Agadart envied the artist who ever got the chance to paint them together. Agadart ignored the chattering couple as they moved to board the train, too busy staring at the men down the platform. The duke sensed her gaze and looked at her, his hazel eyes bright with amusement. He touched his hand to his cap, nodding at her politely, before returning his focus to the people waiting on him. Agadart blushed, feeling silly for such a childish reaction ¡ª she was no girl, and neither a virgin (as unpleasant as her ex-husband¡¯s fumblings had been, he had done the deed) but the duke was certainly man enough to spark any warm-blooded woman¡¯s interest. She glanced back again, this time to catch the companion looking at her with an expression of interest, keen and curious. He looked away first, but not before Agadart got a full dose of his dark, intense eyes and handsome features. Agadart took a deep breath. She would likely be serving in the duke¡¯s command, and it would do no good for her to wander around like a lovestruck girl during her training. Purposely turning away from the attractive couple, she looked around and finally saw someone wearing Dragon Maid Corps colors: a bored looking, stocky woman in the knee-length gray and purple tunic that marked her service. There were two other civilians with her, nervous looking young women clutching their satchels, so Agadart headed for the group. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach. She was firmly at the point of no return. ¡°Hello? I¡¯m here for Dragon Maid Corps training?¡± ¡°Aye. What is your name?¡± Agadart tried not to flinch. ¡°Agadart ver Kleelan.¡± The girls ignored her, clearly not recognizing her by her maiden name. It was a small blessing that she hoped would hold until she was bestowed with her new name as a dragon maid. The older woman seemed not to care either, simply nodded briskly at her and the girls. ¡°I¡¯m Maid Pyrite. Get your things, yeah? You¡¯re all that¡¯s left to show up, the others arrived earlier this week. So let¡¯s go, wagon¡¯s waiting.¡± She turned and walked off, the heavy wool of her trousers rustling as she walked. Agadart gave the other two a broad, forced smile that they nervously returned and turned to follow their guide. She managed to keep from craning her neck to catch another glimpse of the duke and his consort guardian, but it was a near thing. 3. Endestern Arrival Endestern was usually supervised by a low-ranking noble, a human officer of good family who was clocking time to move up a promotion and be sent somewhere warmer. The fort was unpopular with the people of the nation of Kaaltendt because it was too reminiscent of the rocky, mountainous regions of the Isle of Watt, with the same inclement weather. Cold and windswept, the craggy cliffs that fell dramatically into the thundering, dangerous surf below were nearly black and glistened like a dragon¡¯s egg. To Rodgardae, it felt like home. He had not actually returned to his holding on Watt for a dozen years. The treaty the Five Clans of Watt engineered with King Larit of Kaaltendt essentially put a son of one of the five dukes of Watt on permanent ¡°duty station¡± in Kaaltendt, and in his generation that duke was Rodgardae. He was paid handsomely with various estates and lands, and given Kaaltendt titles to add to his own noble rankings. Rodgardae, the youngest of his family and who had little patience for court intrigue, saw it as a way to travel and see new lands. It was an easy choice to make, to go to Kaaltendt and serve under Queen Theaedra and King Larit as a duke of the realm and a court adviser. He had met and contracted Mani, for one, and Rodgardae often thought that was more than he ever could have dreamed for if he had stayed on Watt to sit in his family¡¯s aerie waiting for war. Instead, his third brother took that honor and was, by all reports, serving it well. Rodgardae missed his homeland, though, however much he had gained in the trade. The long ride up to the fort itself was bouncy and uncomfortable, which was just one more thing to remind him of home. The current Master of the Fort, Captain Wildt, was a weathered but handsome middle-aged man who had met them?at the train station and was riding with them. He was deftly making small talk about the weather and trying to be polite, although it was easy to read his pleasure at being relieved of duty. Rodgardae paid light attention to the discussion and relied on Mani to pick up the pieces for him when he got distracted looking out the windows at the mist swirling up the hill, thrashing like a dragon¡¯s tail. They passed a small encampment that Wildt pointed out as the training camp for the Dragon Maid Corps. Rodgardae remembered reading something about it, but it still surprised him to see it. ¡°I understand the Isle of Watt has no dragon maids in service?¡± Wildt asked, despite obviously knowing the answer. ¡°Our military is integrated, due to the number of dragons among our ranks. So there is no need for an auxiliary of helpmeets, as all their roles are carried out by our enlisted troops. It was perhaps one of the more startling differences I saw, when I first came upon Kaaltendt¡¯s shores, to see camps of women outside of the dragon forts. I heard they were all trained here, but had forgotten.¡± The camp was well-built and sturdy, large logs serving as frames for the buildings which were heavily covered in thicket and plaster. They looked homey and warm, bright among the dark rocks and grass. ¡°Indeed, they train here for a year before being stationed elsewhere to serve their term. I assure you, my lord, that I find your country¡¯s mores as unfathomable as you find our own.¡± Wildt gave him a genuine smile. Mani laughed. ¡°Do not start us down that path, Captain Wildt, for between the two of you, I will always win.¡± Wildt tipped his head at Rodgardae¡¯s guardian, still smiling. Rodgardae decided that he liked this dragon, so far, and might tempt him to stay if he could. He would wait to see how the other dragons at the fort felt about Wildt, though, because that was always the true mettle of a man. ¡°There is a new batch of potential dragon maids starting training this week. As Master of the Fort you will ostensibly be overseeing them, but if the last three years are any indication, you will mostly sign the paperwork put in front of you by Mistress Seraphinite, who runs a tight ship. If I may be forgiven the naval metaphor.¡± Mani laughed again. ¡°Mine is a naval family, so you are forgiven, whatever His Grace may grumble.¡± Captain Wildt frowned. ¡°Please, Captain, have no worries. My guardian enjoys mentioning my hereditary title often, for his own sense of importance. You may continue to treat me as merely Duke Raudolf of Kaaltendt.¡± ¡°I contracted well, forgive me for basking in my success,¡± Mani said, pleased in his calm, calculated way. Wildt looked between them for a moment, to ensure that they were teasing each other, then smiled. ¡°Of course, Your Grace. Forgive my misunderstanding. I know of your esteemed position as a duke of both Watt and Kaaltendt, but I find myself drowning in titles and offices and I barely know an Earl Whatshisface from a Lord Whomever.¡± Rodgardae laughed gently at that, because he was not much different. ¡°We will get along well, Captain.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡± Wildt smiled gratefully. ¡°As I was saying, the headmistress is stern and competent at her job.¡± ¡°Was she raised with dragons?¡± Mani asked. Unsurprisingly, Captain Wildt shook his head. ¡°I do not think so, but it¡¯s hard to say. Dragon maids change their names when they enter the service, and their background is a closely guarded secret. The only ones who really know who they are or where they came from are the recruiters and, naturally, the headmistress.¡± He pursed his lips. ¡°She had mentioned being concerned about a couple of the current recruits, that they might be troublemakers. I doubt they will last long if that is true, though.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Rodgardae nodded. ¡°I will trust her judgment in such things. Given how little I know about the Dragon Maids Corps in general, I¡¯m better off leaving the totality of it in her hands.¡± Captain Wildt smiled. ¡°Indeed, that has been my own approach and it has worked out very well for all involved.¡± The rest of the climb was steep and the carriage they were in groaned theatrically with every bump in the ragged road. Wildt winced in apology, but it was no different than many such trips Rodgardae had taken in his homeland. Mani stayed in good humor, well laid from vigorous effort on Rodgardae¡¯s part throughout the train ride, and did not complain about the trip at all. The fort was tall, rising black and ominous out of the mountainside it was carved from. Already, Rodgardae picked up the scents of an aerie, the fires stoked with herbs and spices and the charged, metallic aroma of molten rock. Compared to other nations, Kaaltendt had a very small number of dragons. A previous king several generations back had gone mad and ordered all dragons hunted down and slain. As a cleansing went, it was fairly ineffective, but it reduced numbers enough to impact Kaaltendt¡¯s military might to the present day. It was what had forced the previous king of Kaaltendt to agree to the demands of the Five Clans in a treaty: he needed the leadership of the dragon lineages that would come from an influx of Watt dragons and their entourages to the country. In turn, the Isle of Watt benefited from the prestige and protection of a real monarch, as King Larit swore his allegiance to the Queen Dragon of Kaaltendt, Theaedra. She was a powerful dragon, old in comparison to other Kaaltendt dragons, who had dwarfed Rodgardae with her size, speed, and intelligence. She was easily twice his age but he would have gladly thrown himself down for her if she had wanted an egg from him. Not that it was something he would ever admit to Mani. It was hard to explain to the non-dragons in his life how strong the urge to follow a queen and serve her was for dragons. Mani would understand, coming from the royal line of Akanata himself, but even so it was impossible to comprehend the blind compulsion to follow that would grip a dragon when a queen was near. Rodgardae¡¯s sense of loyalty was tempered by the fact that Queen Theaedra was in no way connected to Watt, since dragons were territorial creatures by nature and their connection to the land was a powerful magic no one could break. He had affection for his adopted country of Kaaltendt, but in the end it was simply a temporary home, so he remained at a polite distance from Queen Theaedra and her court and her palace aerie. It did not stop the gut-level reaction he had when she was nearby. Endestern was no place for a queen, though. Rodgardae looked up at the dark towers and roosts, thinking that the place was actually much smaller than its presence suggested. It was tightly knit into the mountain and hung over the cliffs, with only three primary towers that probably could hold no more than five dragons at a time. Wildt caught him studying the fort as they approached the gate. ¡°As storied a history as she has, this fort is cramped and old. It¡¯s location is its charm, tactically speaking.¡± ¡°We have twenty dragons here?¡± Rodgardae asked, to confirm what he already knew. Wildt shrugged regretfully. ¡°Technically, yes, including myself. However, two are currently down with the flu. Nothing serious, the human doctors assure us, but it is keeping them in their walking forms and quite miserable to boot. I have continued running drills, when the weather is clear enough, but one of the sick dragons is Captain Tray, who is our formation leader. A full recovery is expected in a week or so; he has improved considerably, but it has been nearly two months since he¡¯s flown.¡± Rodgardae nodded politely but cringed inwardly. Being floored was something every dragon loathed, no matter the reason. Rodgardae himself could not go more than two weeks without shifting into his flying form just to get away from the ground. It was not that one form felt more comfortable than the other, it was they pressed against each other in strange ways. Stay too long in one shape and the needs of the other became acute. ¡°He will know when he¡¯s strong enough to shift.¡± He spoke offhandedly, and Wildt nodded. He seemed to have held the fort together admirably in the absence of an admiral to serve as the official master of the fort, at least according to the reports Rodgardae had read on the trip. The posting had been made suddenly for Rodgardae, with the rattling swords of monarchs canceling all the plans that nobles had previously made for the winter in order to send them scrambling for their new assignments. Rodgardae had been given a brand-new commission as a Kaaltendt admiral and the minimum of information about Endestern and her current master and dragons. He had studied those papers diligently but it barely gave him more knowledge than their names, ranks, and ages. He had also been given an older naval map of the region because the king¡¯s military advisers and the defense council did not want to part with any maps of more recent vintage. Rodgardae had planned on taking up the fort¡¯s own cartographer to make an aerial accounting, but it occurred to him that Wildt was competent enough to have already done so. ¡°The map I was given by the defense council is laughably outdated. Have you made any improvements?¡± Wildt nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Grace, we made a new series of maps in the spring. It was mostly for exercise but seems rather fortuitous at this point.¡± ¡°Nothing is by accident, Captain,¡± Mani intoned, looking out the window with slight interest as they passed through the heavy irons of the front gate. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Wildt nodded, agreeable to the last, although it was clear he did not understand what Mani was talking about. Rodgardae saved him by giving him a slight shake of his head, and Wildt relaxed into the final leg of their journey. Rodgardae honestly did not understand Mani¡¯s spiritualism, but he had grown used to it over the years. The nation of Akanata was marked for its old, centralized religion, which held such power that it all but ruled the throne itself. Strict and merciless, their faith was nonetheless a rich, murky mix of superstitions, spirituality, pomp, and circumstance. Rodgardae enjoyed sparring with Mani over their warring concepts of gods and man, but it was definitely an acquired taste. Mani could be bizarrely cryptic without meaning to, falling back on beliefs and notions he was raised with that were foreign to both Kaaltendt and Watt. Rodgardae had learned quickly to account for that in social situations. When they pulled up in the central courtyard, the entire company of the fort was there to greet him, spit-shined and standing rigid, from officers to ensigns to servants. The seventeen other dragons in service were there, even the ones in their walking form easy to spot, their decorative green uniforms bright like tropical birds amid the shades of gray that marked the regular military uniforms. Sighing to himself, Rodgardae pulled on the mantle of nobleman, officer, and dragon that was as familiar to him as the coat he wore, and stepped out to meet his new responsibility. Mani, amused and bored by the ceremony, simply leaned against a carriage wheel and stared at the roosts up high in the rock above them. 4. The Training Camp The Dragon Fort of Endestern was one of the oldest dragon forts of Kaaltendt, built and rebuilt over the thousands of years it had existed under one name or another. Imposing and intimidating, it rose up into the sky, following the black-rock cliffs it was carved out of. Agadart had seen engravings of the fort before, but none captured the feeling of being in its shadow, overwhelmed and made small. It called to her in an odd way, a tug at her navel, as if there was something exciting about it that she needed to discover. It was disconcerting, but then, most people said that Endestern was full of dragon energy that made humans feel off-kilter. She tucked the feeling deep into herself, keeping her face neutral around the strangers next to her. The most important lesson she had learned as one of the queen¡¯s handmaidens was to trust no one. The training camp for dragon maids was nowhere near the fort itself, which was no surprise since putting it closer would likely upset the dragons who lived there. Instead it was situated halfway down the rise, a good hour¡¯s walk or more from the fort proper. Agadart and her erstwhile companions sat on boxes of supplies in the old, rickety wagon as it made its way up the road to the camp. The glistening black masonry of the fort loomed ever larger over them the closer they got, immense in a way only something sitting majestically in the middle of nowhere could be. The girls were unsettled, but Agadart had already forgotten their names ¡ª she berated herself to try harder, but she had always been bad with names, a fault that had not served her well at court and, she suspected, would go over no better in her current position. The youngest girl was a factory girl from a manufacturing city along the Wywaar River hoping to escape black lung or unwanted motherhood. The other was a very young widow, which was not uncommon as many poor, young widows joined the Dragon Corps as a maid. Unable to work in the trade industries and with no inheritance to feed their children, the choice often came down between a slightly tarnished reputation as a dragon maid or the social ostracism of becoming a whore. The factory girl was presumably trading one questionable career for another, and Agadart could not blame her for that. It wasn¡¯t much different than what Agadart herself was doing in some ways, although in Agadart¡¯s case it was not voluntary. The young widow, though, was risking everything to keep herself and (presumably) her family out of the gutters. The differences between the two was clear, as the factory girl talked openly of herself and her hopes with the Corps, while the widow kept her own company, looking out at the passing if dull scenery and clutching her personal bag. Agadart did not know how to fit between them, and wondered how well she would fare with her new colleagues. Noblewomen were hardly ever dragon maids, and her presence was not voluntary. Anyone who heard her married title would know who she was, if they did not already know by the simple matter of deduction. Dragon maids were supposed to be twenty-five years or younger, so between her age and her natural bearing, she would stand out. Her sentence had been kept out of the newspapers, but gossip made its way everywhere. She did not expect anonymity ¡ª did not deserve it ¡ª but was hoping the tradition of the dragon maids to take new names would at least give her a reprieve from the curiosity of strangers. Traditionally, no maid was allowed to have a history outside of the Corps, as they were all supposedly equal in the eyes of dragons. Agadart knew better than to believe that she would be allowed to disappear that way. Not entirely. Halfway there, the wagon lumbered to one side of the road so a well-dressed coach could speed by. It was clearly the duke on his way to the fort, and Agadart envied the fact that he would end his weary travels with a warm hearth nearby and a handsome, warm consort in his bed. Sighing, she looked over to the camp where she would be staying for most of the following year. From far away it looked much as any farming homestead might, with a lodge and several smaller outbuildings around it. As they got closer, she saw that the lodge was not so large and that everything wore the mark of age and use despite the bright plaster. It all looked in good repair, even the fence keeping a small herd of goats in place, but it could hardly be called well-loved. It was utilitarian and Agadart supposed that was what she had expected to begin with. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The woman in charge of their training, the headmistress of the Dragon Maids Corps, met the wagon personally, standing by until the women and their bags were gathered in front of her. The tall, severe, middle-aged woman looked like she was carved from rock herself, her expression both stern and blank. Agadart¡¯s heart nearly stopped beating when she realized who this woman was, and she tumbled out of the wagon, eyes wide. She had been too young to meet her before she left for the Corps, but even with the effect of twenty-five years past, she still looked like the young woman in the family portraits Agadart had grown up seeing on a daily basis. As the other girls sorted themselves out, grabbing their meager luggage to stand at attention where Maid Pyrite pointed, the headmistress grabbed Agadart¡¯s upper arm, hauling her up from her stumble. ¡°Hello, cousin,¡± she said with a low hiss, just above a whisper. ¡°Bertrag.¡± Agadart tried to yank her arm away, but as skinny as her cousin was, she was strong, and held on. ¡°I did not want you here, but our queen sent the order herself. Behave yourself and don¡¯t put on airs, and we¡¯ll get along.¡± She let go with a soft shove, just enough to make Agadart almost trip. The girls noticed, and glanced at each other in wide-eyed confusion. Bertrag inspected the three of them, then clasped her hands together and gave them a long look.?¡°Welcome. I am Mistress Seraphinite. As headmistress here, I am the ultimate authority, answering only to the fort master himself. I expect my rules to be obeyed and my orders respected. If you have questions, you may ask them, but I will not waste my time repeating what you have already been told or humoring your insecurities. I have been the mistress of this camp for a good many years so there is nothing you can tell me that I have not seen or heard before, I warn you.¡± Her eyes flicked over to Agadart for an instant. ¡°The other apprentices have already been settled, and we begin your yearlong training tomorrow. You will be given your bunk and a chance to clean up and rest, which I suggest you take. Starting at dawn, your life will change irrevocably. If you work smart and work hard, at the end of the year I will sign your papers as a dragon maid and you will be given your first official assignments. Not all of the women here will make it that far, but if you do, I believe you will find purpose and meaning in this calling.¡± She paused, glancing over at the wagon driver to see that she had his attention, then nodded. ¡°Mostieg will see to you. Good luck.¡± She turned and walked off, heading towards a small cabin set away from the other camp buildings that was pristine and pretty, obviously cared for in a way that nothing else was. Mostieg said nothing, just motioned for them to pick up their meager bags and follow him to one of the larger outbuildings that turned out to be their barracks. Agadart was given a hammock and a small trunk to put her things in. The lodge was long and wide, with hammocks strung between columns, but there were at least twenty-five woman also getting ready for bed, making the place feel small and crowded to Agadart. They were all quiet as the newcomers settled in. Everyone was clearly apprehensive about starting their apprenticeships, holding themselves back from being too loud or drawing attention to themselves. There were only low murmurs around Agadart as she unpacked and went to the washroom. It was as spartan as the rest of the camp, the water from the shower spout hard and cold and the soap abrasive, but Agadart was too grateful to be clean to be offended. She took to bed early, as did most of the other women, and tried to ready herself for the trials to come. She knew what to expect in general: lessons in dragon biology, lore, and etiquette, followed by time working as stable hands for the Army¡¯s horses as a way to inure them to the worst of dragons¡¯ flying forms. Eventually there would be specialized training for the most promising students in areas such as medicine or husbandry. Agadart had already set herself the goal of working with the dragon doctors, figuring she could do more good there than helping out with the rare dragon egg or mating dance. She worried that she did not have the stomach for blood, but it was something she would find out one or way or the other eventually. She slept, but kept dreaming of jumping into the sky as if running off the edge of a cliff. She would startle herself awake then lay there, staring at the ceiling until she drifted off to sleep again. She could not decide if the dream was innocent or ominous. 5. A Name, a Stone The first morning broke early and loud, with the woman who had met them with the wagon at the train station (Pyre? Perta? Agadart grimaced at herself for not remembering) ringing a loud bell as she walked through the barracks. They all rolled out of their hammocks, quiet and grumpy in the brisk cold of early dawn as they did quick ablutions and changed into the simple tunics and leggings they had been instructed to bring with them.?Class and region were marked by the outfits, sewn in similar styles but with a wide range of fabrics and sometimes with unique cuts that labeled the maker as from one area or another. Agadart had made hers from simple sack cloth, the house mistress helping with the cut as she cried copiously about Agadart¡¯s future. The high waist and broad hems gave her away as a being from the Orange Hills of Battenruck, although she had been careful to keep from using any material that was too fine or too local. The others had similarly tried to hide their origins, so despite the differences, they all still cut a very bland, monotonous picture as a group. Agadart saw the girls who had ridden up in the wagon with her the night before and tried to give them a friendly smile, but word must have somehow spread of her mysterious?run-in with the headmistress, because all the polite greetings of the night before were gone. No one wanted to look at her, and the women on either side of her did their best to lean away from her as they all stood in lines out front of the barracks lodge. Mistress Seraphinite appeared in clothes not so very different, if more solidly constructed and with some embroidery around the edges of the high-necked collar. Tall and formidable with her braided mane of stiff black hair that was shot through with gray, she was intimidating in a familiar way for Agadart, since she was very clearly the daughter of Agadart¡¯s eldest aunt. Not that such an observation would be welcome. ¡°The first week will primarily be tending to the compound along with classroom lessons. There will be a significant amount of reading and tests.¡± There were a few quiet groans at that from those who, presumably, had little schooling outside of what was required in their previous lives. Mistress Seraphinite gave them all a scathing glare, and everyone settled down again. ¡°You will be given your new names today as well. We expect you to sew them on your outer tunics.¡± She tapped the space over her own heart. ¡°It is a large class this year, as expected as the queen readies her dragons for possible political instability. We expect your complete loyalty and dedication to this training. We also expect proper behavior and strong moral fortitude. You are not here to have fun or make friends. Am I understood?¡± Everyone chorused ¡°Yes, Headmistress!¡± as if they had already practiced it a hundred times. She nodded curtly, then released them to have breakfast. The food was plain but plentiful, and Agadart noticed at least a few of the girls shoving their portions into their mouths as if they had been starving. It occurred to her that maybe they had. Breakfast was followed by lessons in the same room, a blackboard rolled in once they had all cleared away their dishes and cleaned the kitchen as instructed by the cook. They all sat back down at the long tables with the pencils and notebooks they had been issued, looking toward the front where a squat, squinty-eyed maid of at least seventy years old was glaring at them. ¡°I¡¯m Maid Ajoite. I will be your primary instructor for the next week. However, before we start¡ª¡± She pulled out a simple elegant box. ¡°Time to pick your new name.¡± She put the box down on the table in front of her. ¡°Your tables are numbered. As I call out each table, you will come up and pick a stone from the box. That stone will be your name going forward. Table one!¡± She shouted the last part and the girls at that table scrambled to get up and walk to the box. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Agadart was at table eleven, about halfway through, but the box was full of stones so she was not too concerned. When it was her turn, she looked down and was immediately taken by a small chunk of stone that was so green it was almost black, with a copper-colored marbling. It was craggy and almost brutal in shape, all pointy edges. She picked it up, mesmerized by its fierce beauty. ¡°Maid Aegirine,¡± Maid Pyrite announced, and her assistant scribbled it down in a ledger. Agadart saw her maiden name listed there, no mention of her former or family titles, now followed by ¡°Aegirine the Fourth.¡± ¡°There are four of us?¡± she asked in surprise. Maid Pyrite frowned at her. ¡°In all of the history of the Corps, yes. When a maid dies her stone is returned to the box.¡± Agadart felt her eyes widen, and clutched the stone to her chest as she quickly returned to her seat. After that, things settled into routine quickly. The first week was almost entirely classes in the main lodge that started as soon as breakfast dishes were cleaned. The recruits did everything, from serving themselves to cleaning the kitchen after the cook left, and other meals were no different. Their only breaks in lessons were to help out at the camp¡¯s barn, milking cows and cleaning the goat hatch. It was all new to Agadart, who had previously only theoretical knowledge about where the cream for her tea came from, but she threw herself into it as best she could. Her cousin, whom Agadart stubbornly refused to acknowledge outside of required interactions with her as the headmistress, seemed determined to mostly ignore Agadart in turn. That was fine with her. Bertrag, being years older than Agadart, had decided to pack up and join the Dragon Maids Corps when Agadart was a child. She remembered her cousin as sour and bitter and mean. It seemed that little had changed, even if Bertrag had managed to find herself at the top of Dragon Maids Corps hierarchy. The only excitement to their days was when the dragons flew out on practice maneuvers or simply for fun (it was impossible to know their purpose?just from watching). Agadart counted nineteen, including the iridescent dark green behemoth who was obviously Duke Raudolf, or as he was more correctly referred to by the maids, Admiral Leonteinparre. They were all majestic beasts, though, and mesmerizing to watch. Unlike her, most of her fellow maids had not seen too many dragons and certainly not as up close as they did watching them flock out of the fort. Agadart was familiar with dragons from court, the queen¡¯s flight always in attendance and on rotation for who was flying and who was walking. The queen¡¯s flight was only seven dragons, not counting the queen, and had been scrupulous about keeping their distance from the human women who served as the queen¡¯s handmaidens. Everything about them was steeped in the powerful magic of the queen herself, and Agadart never felt the pull to watch them fly as she did the dragons of Endestern. When the dragons launched out of the aerie, the maids all came to a standstill, their heads tilted up to the sky. Agadart was as transfixed as the rest of them, her heart clinching with a strange jealousy as she watched the dragons fly free. She had wanted nothing but her freedom from the day she married Baron Stewardt, and while his treachery and execution had freed her from a wretched, dangerous marriage it had sentenced her to a decade of harsh service in the Dragon Maids Corps, far from home. She imagined flying as free as a dragon could, and her soul ached. Some nights she drifted off thinking about the dragons, and dreamed deeply satisfying flights of fancy where she soared above the clouds, calling out for others, although when she woke she was not entirely sure who the ¡°others¡± had been. They were lovely dreams nonetheless, and she began to look forward to them as a welcome escape from the plain life she found herself in. 6. A Very Wrong Feeling It wasn¡¯t until the fifth week that the maids in training were marched up the mountain to the gates of the fort. It was a long trek up a road that was nearly too steep to allow for carriages, well maintained but not paved. Agadart was suddenly glad of the harsh physical labor she had been forced to do, as she was certain she would not have made it all the way up without collapsing otherwise. At least two apprentice maids had fallen down, one twisting her ankle severely enough to be sent back down by a very unimpressed Mistress Seraphinite. The fort¡¯s heavy iron main gates were built to keep enemy dragons out in case of invasion, and were massive and heavy in ways similar to the most majestic cathedrals Agadart had visited. The human staff of the fort itself were all soldiers ¡ª?people who were well trained and well monitored. There were no rude overtures of the kind that her father had warned Agadart might happen in military camps. She did not know if the Master of the Fort was that strict or if Mistress Seraphinite was that frightening to them, but either way she was grateful. They were given a short tour of the yard and main buildings, then herded up long flights of stairs to the warrens where the dragon lairs were. By the time they got to where they were to start actually working, Agadart¡¯s feet and calves were already hurting. The lairs were very simple caves carved out of the rock, forming a warren built for both humans and dragons to use. Many were empty, but at least three were occupied that Agadart could see. Very few dragons spent their entire lives as dragons, but many found the shifting from form to form exhausting and would stay in their dragon shape for days, sometimes weeks, before returning to live as a ¡°walker¡± for an equal length of time. Quite a bit of her studies on dragons by that point had focused on when and why dragons shape-shifted, especially regarding breeders, who tended to go for longer stretches in one form or another. If they were impregnated in one form they would remain in that shape until the child was born or an egg laid, but that was a rare and precious event, and certainly not one that was expected at any time at Endestern. They were all directed to cleaning supplies stored in various locations and Agadart became a glorified barn hand to fork hay and clean lairs, switching off with other maids between collecting old, dank hay into wheelbarrows and being the one pushing the wheelbarrow around. No one expected any more or less from Agadart than any of the other maids, despite the hard labor and close quarters, so Agadart enjoyed her anonymity as simply one dragon maid among many as they all plodded along at their tasks. Mistress Seraphinite kept a fierce eye out for lallygagging but stayed out of their way, mostly spending her time leading individuals from one place to another. Nonetheless she never missed an opportunity to glare at Agadart when they passed each other, and the other maids picked up on it. There were rumors here and there as to the reason, but they were mostly far-fetched. However, if her cousin¡¯s goal was to keep Agadart separate from her dragon maid peers, then she was successful. The other maids skittered around Agadart as if fearing they would catch the headmistress¡¯s ire if they got too close. Of course, the truth was that they were probably right. After the first day, the apprentices ended up spread out over several levels, and Agadart quickly realized that while she had only seen about twenty dragons in flight, the fort was built to hold dozens more. It hurt something inside of her, her chest being squeezed tight, to realize how empty the place was. ¡°Are you doing okay, Maid Aegirine?¡± Maid Unakite asked in her timid way, stooping down a little to talk to her while also keeping a sharp eye out for the headmistress. Agadart paused in her sweeping, looking around at the little-used lair. The launching platform hanging outside the large cave was covered in the scratches left by massive talons, but most of those scratches all looked old and worn. There were very few recent markings. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel wrong?¡± she asked, gazing at the pile of hay Maid Unakite was throwing into the wheelbarrow. It was dry and dusty. It was clear to her that no dragons used that lair regularly. ¡°Wrong?¡± Maid Unakite squinted at the walls. ¡°No.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Why do you ask? Does it feel wrong to you?¡± ¡°A little. There are no eggs here, and very few dragons. It just¡­just feels wrong.¡± She wanted to explain the sensation better than she was currently able to do, but it was almost like being nostalgic for something she had never experienced. Even at court there were only about a dozen dragons total. The queen, her flight, and a few noble-born dragons were the only actual dragons that lived in the palace. Out of hundreds of people, there were few enough dragons that one never met them unless purposefully introduced. Agadart had never thought that having so few dragons around was in any way lacking. It felt normal, then, but as she stood in the little-used lair in a mostly dragonless aerie, she could not help but feel sad and alone. Maid Unakite nodded, but not with understanding. ¡°I suppose it is a little weird for the place to be so empty. But isn¡¯t that what our treaty with Watt is for? They have all the dragons.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Technically, their treaty was to support the Isle of Watt. It did not seem to her that their paltry number of dragons would be much help to a nation, however small, that was predominately populated by dragons. But then, the whole issue there was that for all their dragons, they had no queen, and had been without one for centuries. If war were to come, the queen of Kaaltendt was supposed to stand in stead for them, and support them with the many natural resources of Kaaltendt. In return, Watt served as a barrier. She sighed. ¡°I suppose. Enough navel-gazing, though. Let¡¯s get this done before the headmistress circles back around.¡± Maid Unakite¡¯s eyes went wide with panic and she started throwing hay around vigorously. At least she gave Agadart a lot of hay dust to sweep up. The following days were marked by more hard labor but different tasks. Agadart¡¯s primary job was to drain, clean and refill the many water troughs that were in the lairs and randomly set around the warren. They were all part of a brutally primitive plumbing system that Agadart assumed was far older than her own grandfather, but regular use and cleaning had kept everything running well enough. She had a scrub brush that was more like a broom, as the troughs themselves were at least ten feet long and three feet wide. Draining them took time, and Agadart quickly designed a system where she worked on two nearby troughs at a time, draining one while another refilled. She started mapping out all the troughs in her head, wondering if she could find a more efficient routine for doing all of them in a staggered fashion rather than individually, one after another. She was lost in those practical thoughts when she turned a corner into a private lair and saw Mistress Seraphinite with a dragon. It was not the admiral, but Agadart did not know who it was other than it was a male. He was curled around Seraphinite protectively, the very tip of his tail swishing back and forth in a way that Agadart immediately understood meant he was pleased, or happy. Mistress Seraphinite was reaching up, stretching her arms to rub under his chin with her knuckles, practically standing in between his wings, which were braced on the floor as he leaned on his claw knuckle. He looked up and snorted, shuddering his wings in startlement, and Mistress Seraphinite spun around. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Wordlessly, Agadart raised the scrub brush. She really had nothing to say about the intimate display of affection, which she was certain she wasn¡¯t supposed to have seen. ¡°You were two lairs over!¡± Seraphinite snapped, stepping forward as if to protect the huge dragon behind her. He was not moving, his bright marbled eyes trained on Agadart. ¡°I was trying out a new system, I was¡ª¡± ¡°Go.¡± Mistress Seraphinite pointed and Agadart fled with what dignity she could. From that point on she made a lot of noise as she walked through the aerie¡¯s warren from lair to lair, which earned her a few odd looks but seemed a far better plan than surprising a dragon and his human ¡°companion¡± in a compromising situation. Especially since that companion was, technically, a Dragon Corps maid. They were specifically barred from interacting closely with dragons other than as servants, and to be caught in a ¡°dalliance¡± with one meant instant expulsion. Why Mistress Seraphinite would take such a risk, given?her station, Agadart quite honestly did not want to know. At the very least, she comforted herself with the fact that she did not know who the dragon was. Ignorance was rarely a good defense, but Agadart figured that in this situation it would work in her favor. She returned to her tasks, focusing again on the simple manual labor, putting the scandal out of her mind. She managed to distract herself from worrying about Mistress Seraphinite for a while, until she sought out Agadart for herself. ¡°Maid Aegirine,¡± the headmistress said, standing in the interior door of the lair Agadart was working in. Agadart dipped a half-curtsy in acknowledgment, but finished scrubbing down the water tough with her scrub brush and rinsing it out. She put the large cork stopper back in place then turned the simple faucet on so the fresh mountain stream water flowed back into it. Only then did she turn to face her dour cousin, who was immobile in the doorway. ¡°Have you anything to say?¡± she said, her voice steady and her expression blank. Agadart took her time ¡ª she had learned the hard way at court, during the tribulations surrounding her husband, that trying to answer too quickly often meant answering foolishly. After a moment of consideration, she shook her head. ¡°Only that I apologize for rudely interrupting.¡± Mistress Seraphinite¡¯s eyes narrowed as she considered the answer. ¡°I understand that liaisons between dragons and dragon maids are forbidden, but as I did not see anything of an improper nature, I don¡¯t believe what I saw in any way violates our code of conduct.¡± Mistress Seraphinite continued staring for another beat, then her mouth twitched in a very slight smile. ¡°You could impress a barrister with that line, Agadart.¡± Agadart smiled back, baring her teeth just a little, unable to keep from poking at her just a little. ¡°Thank you, Berta.¡± They glared at each other for a long moment before Bertrag snorted in a very unladylike fashion and walked out. When her footsteps had faded away, Agadart leaned against the trough, dizzy with relief. She did not need enemies, and even less did she need one in such a position of power. They had barely known each other when they were young, Bertrag always at the edges of society and Agadart at the center of it. She did not think she had ever insulted the woman, but perhaps Agadart¡¯s very existence was salt on the wound for the barely claimed bastard. Her future for the next ten years lay decidedly in Mistress Seraphinite¡¯s hands, though, and Agadart did not want to have to petition the queen for mercy ¡ª again ¡ª simply because she got on her cousin¡¯s bad side. 7. A Fateful Meeting The next day, swallowing her pride, Agadart carefully took the time to explain her staggered method of trough cleaning, and the path she would take through the warrens, so that Mistress Seraphinite would know where she was at all times. The headmistress nodded curtly, as if the matter was beneath her, but Agadart felt that it was better to be safe than sorry. The more Mistress Seraphinite treated it as a trivial matter, the more likely it was that the situation would be brushed aside. By early afternoon she was done, having significantly cut the amount of time necessary to clean. She searched out Mistress Seraphinite and asked if there was something else to keep her busy until the maids left the fort at sundown. ¡°Possibly.¡± Mistress Seraphinite looked as if she was seriously considering something for a minute or so before nodding sharply, once. ¡°Yes. Admiral Leonteinparre¡¯s lair.¡± Agadart kept her surprise in check. The admiral, as Lord of the Keep and Master of the Fort, was never tended to by dragon maids. He had his own staff, of whom Mistress Seraphinite was considered one, so Agadart was caught off guard. ¡°It needs cleaning?¡± Agadart asked, hearing the uncertainty in her own words. ¡°Yes. It is my duty to do so and try to tend to his needs first, but there was a minor problem in the kitchens,¡± she said, pausing to rub her temples. Mistress Seraphinite shook her head and pulled herself together. ¡°Such as it is, I need to be in two places at once for the next two hours. If you tend to his lair, that would be of great assistance. If nothing else you have the¡­hm, the proper breeding to behave like a lady in his presence.¡± She looked like she had bitten down on a sour berry. Agadart nodded. ¡°I¡¯m at your disposal,¡± she said, stating the obvious. ¡°I¡¯ll show you where.¡± Mistress Seraphinite took off at a fast clip. Agadart bounced forward to follow, chasing the quick-footed woman through the labyrinthine warrens. Mistress Seraphinite finally took a turn that was new to Agadart, which led to a slightly more refined hallway. Unlike the bare cut rock walls of the rest of the warrens, the hallway to the admiral¡¯s lair was carved to look like the hall of a mansion or other fine house, with columns and wainscot formed out of the rock. It was incongruous to Agadart, but she did not have time to dwell on it as they made a sharp turn into the largest lair she had seen yet. Even so, the admiral¡¯s lair was not really too much more luxurious than the others she had tended, the roof curving up high, the carved rock simple and unadorned. The nest itself was a bit more appropriate to his station, a pile of heavy carpets and smooth river boulders in the shape of a lumpy bed. It looked charming, but Agadart could not imagine that it would be comfortable for anyone but a dragon. ¡°As you can see, he does not like hay. Sweep the carpets as best you can and straighten the place up, along with cleaning the water trough. You will find brooms and scrubbers in that cabinet,¡± she said, pointing to a utilitarian cabinet stuck out of the way in a low-ceilinged corner off to the side of the main space. ¡°If the admiral returns while you are here, keep quiet and finish what you are doing as quickly as possible. Do not engage with him in any fashion. Remember: he is not your equal anymore. You¡¯re just a servant.¡± Agadart nodded and the headmistress stomped out quickly. Agadart was not convinced Bertrag actually had a problem in the kitchens, but she was not going to follow that thought up in any way. If the headmistress wanted to use Agadart as a cover for her illicit assignation with a dragon, then Agadart was going to stay out of her way. She got to work straightening things up, which was easy enough. Then there was both the trough, although it was bronze and not simple iron, and a man-sized bathing tub. The tub was carved from a block of marble and was currently empty, but Agadart saw that the large tank connected to it had live coals under it for warming the water up, so she suspected the admiral was due to change back into a man in the next day or so. The trough was the worst of it so she set it to drain while she wiped down the tub, which mostly suffered from dust and dirt from the admiral flying in and out. She had just soaped up the brush to wipe the trough down when she heard the cry of the dragons echoing off the cliffs. She froze solid, realizing that she was not finished and had no way to clean up her work and leave before the admiral himself returned to his lair. Nonetheless she tried, swabbing at the trough frantically as the calls got closer and closer. She had turned on the faucet to rinse out the soap when she heard and felt the draft of the flapping wings as they approached. She stopped and stared at the admiral as he landed on the roost, screeching at the other dragons before turning to stride into the lair. No one could say dragons on the ground were graceful, but the admiral had an air of athleticism that made all of his moves precise and dangerous looking. Agadart held her breath, waiting for him to notice her. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. His dark green hide glistened, shining like glass and reflecting the sunlight coming in through the landing bay. His eyes, as broad as the span of Agadart¡¯s hand and a deep, shifting gold in color, peered at her. He opened his mouth and his long, thin tongue lashed out at the air. She had read that this was part of how they smelled the world around them, like snakes, but it was weird to watch. Such a display would never have been countenanced at court. He hissed, low and thunderous, shuffling towards her. She dropped the scrub brush and backed up until she ran into one of the small tables set towards the back of the lair for human use. His giant head dipped low and came close to her, and he sniffed at the hem of her trousers, working his way up, thankfully not pausing over her private area as he went. His head was as half as long as she was tall, and his breath on her face was incredibly hot, like a wind out of a furnace. She kept herself resolutely still as he inspected her, but flinched when his tongue whipped out to lick up her neck and face. ¡°Ew,¡± she said, instinctively pushing at his nose to shove him back, then freezing in horror at what she had done, hoping she had not infuriated him. He drew his head back, although his body and wings still blocked her in. Tilting his head, he huffed out a short breath then backed away. He lifted one foreleg and gestured at the trough with his clawed ¡°hand.¡± ¡°Oh! Right!¡± She rushed to finish rinsing it out, then shoved the cork in place and turned the faucet on to fill it up. Distracted by her work, she had not noticed the admiral settling onto his nest. When she stood up straight again and saw him there, she understood more clearly how it could be comfortable for dragons, as he looked very content, almost sleepy, curled up on all the carpets and large stones. His eyes were nearly closed, and he reminded Agadart of a cat trying not to doze off. ¡°Don¡¯t you look comfy,¡± she said, unable to help herself, then slapped a hand over her mouth. He opened one eye, but didn¡¯t move otherwise. It almost looked like he was smiling. ¡°Your Grace!¡± Mistress Seraphinite ran in, holding her tunic up as if it were a full dress she needed to keep out of her way. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought¡ª¡± She stalled, looking at Agadart and then at the admiral. ¡°Is, is it adequate, Your Grace?¡± she asked, sounding tentative and uncertain for the first time since Agadart had met her. He opened both eyes fully and nodded, squirming a little on the nest as he settled in. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be taking our leave,¡± Mistress Seraphinite said firmly, nodding at Agadart to quickly put up her supplies. They both curtsied as they walked out, and then Agadart was running in order to keep up with the headmistress. Once they were out of the duke¡¯s personal warrens, Mistress Seraphinite stopped and took a deep breath. Agadart stopped behind her and did the same. After a long moment, Mistress Seraphinite turned around. ¡°Seems he approves of you. He did not push you around when he landed?¡± She eyed Agadart top to bottom as if inspecting for damage. ¡°No. Sniffed me, but did not push.¡± She did not mention the face licking. It felt personal somehow, and not something she wanted to share. ¡°He has terrible breath as a dragon, all saltpeter and iron,¡± Bertrag said, wrinkling her face, then looking surprised at what she had said. She glared at Agadart, who bit down on a wayward smile, trying to still her face to blankness. Mistress Seraphinite snarled. ¡°As he has accepted your presence, you can expect to be tending his lair more often. Not every day, mind; and we will be switching out jobs for the maids soon so you get a hand in doing a variety of tasks. But in the future you may be called out at any moment to perform these duties for His Grace.¡± ¡°Is he due to change back soon?¡± Agadart asked while Mistress Seraphinite straightened out her tunic and sleeves. ¡°Yes, the day after tomorrow I believe. We will beat out the carpets of his nest then, among other things.¡± She turned and walked off. Stumbling to catch up, Agadart could not decide how she felt about having met a dragon face-to-face, especially one as august as Duke Raudolf, the Admiral Leonteinparre. It should have been a monumental, life changing moment, she thought, but it had been somewhat anticlimactic. It had felt more like meeting an old friend, someone who was supposed to be a part of her life in a familiar way. Or maybe she was just too tired from all the hard work to be impressed by anything anymore. 8. The Missing Sister ¡°Baron Stewardt still haunts us,¡± Captain Wildt said, loose and relaxed in the officer¡¯s club in the heart of Ransewellen which was, really, little more than a small library with a nice view of the harbor below. He, like Rodgardae, was on his third glass of wine and they had long passed the stage of stuffy formality. Mani was tucked into Rodgardae¡¯s quarters back at the fort, claiming no desire to socialize, and Rodgardae missed him even if he enjoyed the way Wildt tended to relax more when Mani was not around. The two men got along well enough, Rodgardae could tell, but Wildt was very concerned about impropriety with a foreign-born duke¡¯s guardian-slash-consort, and Mani found Wildt confusing in that way he found most of Kaaltendt dragons confusing. ¡°He made many allies during his time, and they still lurk in secret in court,¡± Wildt continued. ¡°His execution hardly dampened their spirits. Emperor Rhezv will have a great advantage, given Stewardt¡¯s position with the Royal Military Cabinet.¡± Rodgardae waved a hand around. ¡°Eh, the king is wise to that, and his advisers were so mortified by the treason that they have worked hard to reverse the damage.¡± He paused, swirling the dregs of his drink. ¡°The ones who survived being interrogated by the queen, that is.¡± Wildt studied his own glass, letting the terrifying implications of that settle between them without comment. He finally finished it off and set the glass down. ¡°They say Stewardt¡¯s wife was privy to much of his work, which she provided to the queen¡¯s Investigators.¡± Rodgardae grimaced, familiar with the scandal that had rocked the court despite his own distance from it. He had only seen Baroness Stewardt from a distance when she had been brought before the queen to reveal her part in betraying her own husband in order to bring him to justice, but Rodgardae had been impressed by her stature and bravery, and also the many members of court who stood up to speak in her defense. He was sorry to know that while she had been cleared of all accusations, she had retreated to her father¡¯s estates in some distant rural land of Kaaltendt. She was still considered guilty by association, and there was no way the dragon queen of Kaaltendt would simply let the poor woman retire in privacy. There had been talk of stripping her of all titles, or pressing her into service for the king¡¯s Army, or remarrying her to a backwater lord far from court. She kept her head, he supposed, which was more than many others. ¡°Yes or no, she¡¯s off the board,¡± Rodgardae said. Wildt nodded. ¡°True.¡± He sighed. ¡°Rhezv is biding his time, I fear. Any word from your people?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Rodgardae paraphrased himself with a chuckle. ¡°My brother the prince writes me that everyone is bracing for invasion. The coasts have become armor-plated, for all the fortifications being raised. We might be forced to change the name of our fair land to the Isle of Turtle.¡± Wildt laughed softly. ¡°Ah, Your Grace.¡± He shook his head and refilled their glasses from the decanted whiskey that had been waiting for them when they arrived earlier that evening. Rodgardae did appreciate the perks of his rank sometimes. He picked up his glass and gave Wildt a salute. ¡°But that said, there is no movement, for which we are grateful.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Wildt waved a hand around lazily, mimicking a wing in motion, as if he forgot he did not have them at the moment. ¡°Most analyses I¡¯ve read put Rhezv¡¯s potential actions years out. Five? Or so.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read the same.¡± Rodgardae sighed heavily. ¡°But something is in the air. My brother the prince and his advisers feel the same, and are pushing to be ready, as you know. All of us ¡ª the dragons of Watt, I mean ¡ª are training and flying hard, but we know from experience that such precautions stop no one.¡± ¡°Without a queen you are all quite crippled,¡± Wildt said, then blanched. ¡°Forgive me, I meant no offense, I¡ª¡± ¡°Shhh, shhh. You aren¡¯t saying anything my own people haven¡¯t been complaining about for centuries. For all the eggs laid and kits born, and we have many, there is a distinct lack of what we really need.¡± ¡°Nonetheless, I am sorry, Your Grace.¡± Rodgardae studied his glass. ¡°The line died out. We know it, if no one admits it.¡± If possible, Wildt looked even more horrified. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Tis true. Our last queen, Her Royal Highness Esthae, gave no eggs.¡± Wildt worried his bottom lip. ¡°So we know, but what of the histories that say she had a sister?¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ahhh, she who keeps the myth alive.¡± Rodgardae raised his glass. ¡°We are all raised on the story of Princess Beatra, who was stolen out of the palace during the battle that killed Queen Esthae, and how Beatra went into hiding and kept the line alive, and whose progeny we simply wait to awaken.¡± Wildt nodded at the familiar story that had a romantic allure, even in Kaaltendt, whose ancient people had never known a single year without a queen, despite their current dearth of dragons overall. ¡°But, and here perhaps I break confidence so take my words as you will, we have no proof of this. None. Not a record, or an eyewitness, or even a reliable rumor. It is more accurate to say the palace burned as Esthae died, and Beatra simply disappeared in the fire.¡± Rodgardae tipped his head to suggest the obvious. ¡°Dear Gods. I pray that you are wrong, Your Grace. While the Treaty with Watt serves Kaaltendt well, and I have no desire to speak treason by suggesting otherwise, I prefer the notion that your queens have simply been latent, rather than unborn.¡± Rodgardae smirked at him. ¡°You, sir, are nothing but a hopeless romantic.¡± Wildt nodded. ¡°I am, and I take no shame in that. I await the hand of a fair lady who will appreciate the bad poetry I shall shower upon her.¡± A wistful, slightly sad expression crossed his face. ¡°Godesses help the future Lady Wildt, then,¡± Rodgardae said, raising his glass. ¡°Now you sound like my mother,¡± Wildt said with a grin. ¡°Mani says I sound like his mother. Perhaps I am just naturally matronly,¡± Rodgardae said with as much solemnity as he could muster. Wildt broke out into boyish giggles, then covered his mouth, trying to control himself. ¡°Your Grace,¡± he chastised when he got his breath back. Rodgardae flapped a lazy hand at him. ¡°Oh, speaking of matronly, I meant to ask: have you a thought to the latest round of apprentice maids Mistress Seraphinite has brought up the mountain?¡± Rodgardae snorted. ¡°The headmistress is not one I¡¯d call ¡®matronly¡¯ by any stretch.¡± Wildt smiled softly ¡ª too softly, perhaps, for an objective observer, and Rodgardae tucked that observation away to discuss with Mani later. Wildt begrudgingly nodded. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s far more militaristic than that. However, she¡¯s always done well with the training; she¡¯s been at it for well over a decade at this point.¡± ¡°And continues to do so, from what I can tell.¡± He sighed. ¡°Even after all these years, I still find the practice of the Dragon Maids Corps an odd Kaaltendt tradition. I therefore have no commentary on the adequacy of their training.¡± Wildt nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s an old and archaic practice, to be sure. Yet the queen dragons of Kaaltendt have supported it since it was first instated, so who are we to argue?¡± ¡°How old is the corps, then?¡± Rodgardae asked, wondering about it for the first time. He had assumed it was timeless, like most dragon traditions tended to be. ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m not entirely sure. About seven or eight hundred years, I believe. Under the reign of Queen Viridis, in any case, but she ruled for over two hundred years, so it¡¯s hard to say. I assure you that Mistress Seraphinite would know the exact date.¡± Rodgardae snorted. ¡°I¡¯m sure she does.¡± He paused. ¡°I might need to put a crimp in her plans.¡± Wildt, predictably, frown. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°My brother, the princely one, has sent word that he is directing one of our doctors to come to Endestern, to be stationed here as the on-site dragon physician.¡± Wildt¡¯s eyes went wide and he whistled. ¡°An actual draconic physician?¡± The implications were not lost on either of them: that the crown prince of Watt was expecting war, and a war so fierce it might reach Kaaltendt¡¯s shores. ¡°It is part of some new sub-treaty, I think. Your queen¡±¡ªhe raised his glass in respect, and Wildt did the same¡ª¡°is not blind to the effect that several generations of a drastically reduced dragon population has had on the education of qualified draconic physicians in Kaaltendt. We do not have many to spare ourselves, but my brother is sending over a venerated doctor from our clan.¡± Wildt narrowed his eyes. ¡°A good way to send a valuable elder out of the way of a war front, if it comes to that.¡± Rodgardae nodded. ¡°My thought as well. Make no mistake, though. Doctor Worthan whelped me and my siblings right out of our eggs and has a mind like a steel trap. He does not stand on ceremony and takes his work seriously.¡± Wildt paled. ¡°Oh no,¡± he whispered. ¡°That¡¯s right. Expect to get your dragon hide poked and prodded beyond all reason.¡± Wildt groaned. ¡°He has a fetish for making sure our teeth are strong, something about how ¡®show me one bad tooth and I will show you a rotted wing¡¯.¡± Wildt groaned again, and put his head in his hands. ¡°No one will like this.¡± ¡°When was the last time a draconic physician attended Endestern?¡± Wildt paused in thought for a moment. ¡°We had one cycle through about five years ago. Caused quite a stir. He had very, ah, intrusive hands.¡± He glared out the window. Rodgardae laughed. ¡°That seems to be true of all doctors, I think.¡± Wildt shook his head as if trying to get rid of a bad stench. ¡°Back to the point, what does this have to do with asking a favor of the headmistress?¡± ¡°Oh, that. Yes. Apparently staff cannot be spared, so Dr. Worthan is coming alone, with no assistants. I¡¯d like to have one of the more educated maids assigned to work with him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an unusual request but not unheard of. Do you have a particular maid in mind?¡± Rodgardae thought back to the clever, beautiful maid whom he had startled in his lair the day before. ¡°No, no one in mind. Any maid will do.¡± 9. No Home but the Aerie A few days later, Mistress Seraphinite sent Agadart to the admiral¡¯s lair again, as there had been some kind of conflict between two of the more boisterous apprentice maids that she would have to resolve herself and thus could not attend him personally. Agadart knew the girls, of course, and had seen them butting heads before so steeled herself to expect that one or the other or both would be kicked out of the Corps for their childishness. She was sympathetic to the fact that dragons did not want to be surrounded by immature maids, but she was also eager to not have to play witness to the games herself. Compared to the literally life-or-death disputes she went through at court, it all seemed so silly. She veered off from the course she had originally been assigned in order to trudge up to the admiral¡¯s lair. This time, though, she stalled at the entryway, staring blankly at the admiral. He was curled up with his head resting on one wing as a very sharp-dressed gentleman worried at one of the dragon¡¯s knuckle claws. It was the admiral¡¯s guardian, and Agadart remembered his beauty from the brief time she had seen him long before on the train station in Ransewellen. He looked up, his expression neutrally polite but his eyes sharp as the talon he was holding. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Maid Aegirine, sir. Here to, ah, straighten up?¡± She coughed, trying not to stare at the admiral. ¡°To clean the drinking trough, mostly.¡± ¡°I thought that was the job of that terrifying woman? Seraphinite?¡± He looked at the dragon, who gave a very small shrug ¡ª small for his stature, anyway. ¡°Such as it is, I don¡¯t care.¡± The admiral huffed out a laugh in response to the careless reply. ¡°I can return later, sir, if¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m Guardian Roki.¡± His manner was as brusque as his clothes were fine. Agadart remembered him looking dapper at the train station, but he was far more alluring in person. The stark black suit and the silky pink shirt contrasted beautifully against the darker tone of his skin, which was tan with a deep umber undertone. He looked out of place but comfortable, still clasping the giant knuckle claw as if he and the admiral were simply holding hands. Which, Agadart realized, they were. ¡°Yes sir.¡± She bowed. ¡°Do you know him?¡± he asked, pointing at the admiral, who finally lifted his head up in the air, as if to get a better view of the both of them. ¡°We only briefly met last week.¡± Agadart bowed again just to be safe and went to the utility cabinet. The admiral and his guardian ignored her as she set up to clean the trough. While it was draining, she took a rag and went around dusting off the small amount of human-sized furniture. There was a bed recessed into the wall, literally a small cave, that she had not even noticed the day before. The drapes that hid it from view were now tied back, though, and she saw that the bed was adorned with a multiplicity of overly stuffed pillows and luxurious, heavy blankets. She steered clear of it and returned to the trough once it was empty. She knew they were watching her but she did not want to encourage interaction. One of the rules of the Dragon Maids Corps was to be discreet to the point of invisible¡­not unlike the maids that used to serve Agadart herself back home, or when she was married. Servants were not meant to stand out, which was directly opposite of what her mother had trained into her as the daughter of a lord of the realm: stand out, stand strong, stand proud. Unlike her mother, Agadart was no great beauty by Kaaltendt standards, but in the right dresses and with the right attitude her introduction to society had not shamed the family name at least. In her innocent youth she had enjoyed the attention. Her life had turned to the point where being invisible almost felt like a gift rather than a punishment. Sometimes she wondered if Queen Theaedra meant it that way, as a mercy given to Agadart to disappear for long enough that most people would not care about the scandal anymore by the time she returned to society. It was possible. The dragon queen¡¯s thoughts on any given matter were inscrutable. Scrubbing kept her mind busy. The trough was clearly cleaned every day as befitting the admiral¡¯s station so it was hardly dirty by any stretch, but it did not matter. She was there to clean, so clean she did. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Nonetheless, it was hard not to overhear the discussion of the admiral and his guardian-consort. Or rather, his guardian talking at the admiral. ¡°I suppose I should be grateful this doctor is coming to us. I hardly dare trust the butchers that Kaaltendt calls physicians.¡± There was a heavy sigh from the admiral, strong enough to gust against Agadart¡¯s back. She had to hold back a laugh at the idea of a dragon sighing with such obvious resignation. ¡°No no, I understand. They do the best they can with such tragically limited resources.¡± There was a clinking of glass as he talked. Agadart assumed he was fixing himself a drink from the small bar set against the wall near the bed cave. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard of Dr. Worthan. His published work on wing rip physiotherapy is well known in Akanata. Hurricanes tend to throw a lot of debris around, you know.¡± The draconic huff in reply was, even to Agadart¡¯s untrained ears, a sound of agreement. ¡°Right. Oh no, don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s not like anyone wants to fly through a hurricane. Mother sends out search-and-rescue teams if we know there are boats still at sea.¡± ¡°Oh, Father has done the same when we experience a rash of tornadoes,¡± Agadart said without thinking, then froze. There was dead silence behind her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Kaaltendt native?¡± The question was spoken from right behind her, and she jumped in surprised. She had not heard Guardian Roki move. ¡°I¡­I am a dragon maid, sir.¡± She spun around and bowed low. ¡°I have no home but the aerie and no name of my own.¡± She repeated the first lines of the Dragon Maids Corps oath without looking up. ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± the guardian said, but he sounded amused, not angry. ¡°Rise,¡± he added. She saw him flap a hand at her, motioning her to follow his command. She did, but kept her eyes focused on his shoes. ¡°You have some prior experience with dragons, despite being a Kaaltendt native. That¡¯s interesting.¡± He peered at her so intently that she could feel his gaze. ¡°No. I have had very little interactions with dragons. I was simply stating the orders my¡­my father gave after natural disasters.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± he said. His gaze was intense and she felt like something deep in her rib cage was melting. There was another huff from the admiral, although Agadart had no idea what it meant. ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll quit pestering her.¡± Guardian Roki took a sip from his tumbler. ¡°No, wait, I do want one honest answer from you. Where are those tornadoes you talk about?¡± Agadart thought for a moment about how she needed to phrase it before answering. ¡°As all Kaaltendt knows, the principality of Battenruck experiences a rash of tornadoes every spring. It can affect shipping on the Wywaar, so the queen often sends out two dragons from the capital to assist the local lords.¡± ¡°Two dragons?¡± Guardian Mani exclaimed loudly. ¡°How are two dragons supposed to help in a natural disaster? Dearest, are you listening to this? Outrageous. Mother sends out two dozen for every storm¡ª¡± Another heavy sigh stopped the guardian in his rant. He grimaced, then saluted Agadart with his drink before sharply turning on his heel to walk away from her. She took in a deep breath as she picked up the scrubber brush and quickly set about finishing the job. Talking about her past was a direct violation of her apprenticeship oath, and the admiral was within his rights to have her kicked out of service that very day. While neither he nor his guardian seemed too upset, Agadart did not want to push her luck. As she went to put the cleaning supplies back into the little hidden cabinet, she glanced over at them only to lock eyes with the admiral. His eyes as a dragon were like those of a cat, the pupil a vertical slash of darkness against a bright, faceted golden iris that glowed despite the low light of the candlelit lair. She froze, staring back at him. She knew that dragons were like most large predators and stared down their prey, often as a form of hypnosis before attacking. Yet, she did not feel threatened, instead overcome by an irresistible tug of curiosity. She caught herself stepping toward the admiral when Guardian Roki¡¯s voice broke the trance. ¡°Interesting,¡± he said, his voice and his eyes dark and intensely unsettling as he stared at her. She collected herself quickly and bowed at the admiral first, then his companion. ¡°My work here is done for the day. I shall take my leave. Good afternoon, Your Grace, Guardian Roki.¡± She swiftly spun away and speed walked out of the lair into the welcome anonymity of the warrens. She did not breathe freely again until she was two levels down and standing in an empty, unused lair. She had no idea what had just happened. 10. Strong in the Way of Dragons Maid Aegirine left, leaving Rodgardae to wonder what was so peculiar about her presence. She had the strong, solid build of women of the tradesman class, or perhaps a farmer, but twice now she had faced him directly and held herself with a quiet dignity that Rodgardae found surprising. Usually, even experienced dragon maids found him off-putting and intimidating in his dragon form. In general, his experience with the dragon maids of Kaaltendt was that they were often plucked from the lower classes, so he had always ranked his expectations of them accordingly. But Maid Aegirine struck a note with him that he could not quite hear clearly, as if she were familiar or known outside of a time when he had surely seen her with the other maids working in the fort. It had startled him when she had first encountered him the week before, and the discomfort had not faded on their second meeting. He shook his head again and turned back to the matter at hand. Interesting? he asked through the bond he shared with Mani. In his dragon form, thoughts and language were precarious things to translate for the human brain, but Mani, the son of a dragon and the sibling of many others, was used to extrapolating the complexities. ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty of people who were not scared of you, but few who would look you in the eye and then step closer.¡± Mani sipped at his drink, his eyes still on the door Maid Aegirine had bolted out of a few moments earlier. Strong, Rodgardae said. ¡°Strong¡­hmm¡­yes, but not like a human is strong. Strong the way a dragon is strong: curious, proud, self-confident.¡± Not a dragon. ¡°Definitely not. She would never have been accepted as an apprentice dragon maid. In fact she¡¯d be sitting at Queen Theaedra¡¯s elegantly clawed foot.¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°But it does suggest she has prior exposure to dragons, does it not? Along with her comment about her father. Very, very interesting.¡± Mani tapped the glass in his hands with his fingernails, much as a dragon would tap a rock while thinking. Rodgardae decided not to ask any further about it, but was not surprised that Maid Aegirine showed up on the list of recommendations for Dr. Worthan¡¯s assistant. When Mani had time to needle Mistress Seraphinite about it, Rodgardae had no idea, and he was genuinely happier that way. A few days later, when he had reshaped himself back into his walking form, he held a meeting with Captain Wildt and the headmistress. Each had brought their own assistants with them ¡ª Lt. Helmnen for Wildt, and Maid Pyrite for Seraphinite ¡ª as the matter was considered of high priority. They all stood in his office, at attention, as he reviewed the list. Mani was behind him, but sitting in his favorite lounge chair and drinking tea, feigning disinterest. ¡°The scores on these three are fairly equitable. I do not know them personally, however. Mistress Seraphinite, as you work with all three apprentice maids, do you have an opinion to offer on which one would suit Dr. Worthan best?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Mistress Seraphinite looked blankly at Rodgardae for a long moment. She was an intimidating woman and her behavior always impeccably proper. He found it a comfort that a woman with such a stern hand had some say in the aerie. She hardly replaced a queen dragon, of course, but the effect was similar if less powerful. ¡°I recommend Maid Aegirine. She¡¯s of fine mind and strong stock, but she has a genteel hand.¡± She was also straightforward and honest in her opinions. Rodgardae appreciated that, as too often people were intimidated by him so much they did little more than stammer. She was an excellent choice for training future dragon maids, he thought absently before nodding at her. ¡°The maid will suit, then.¡± She nodded back. ¡°I am glad to hear it, my lord.¡± Wildt was self-consciously studying the wall opposite him. Rodgardae looked at him directly. ¡°Have a comment to add, Lieutenant?¡± Wildt¡¯s eyes shifted quickly to Mistress Seraphinite before turning to Rodgardae. ¡°No, my lord. I trust the opinion of the headmistress without question. The maid will suit.¡± Rodgardae tried not to let his surprise at Wildt¡¯s brusque formality show, and wondered if possibly Wildt and the headmistress suffered a falling out in their working relationship. He wasn¡¯t blind to Wildt¡¯s interest in the headmistress, but he also knew that dragon maids were contractually prohibited from engaging in any kind of romantic or sexual liaisons with the dragons under their care. He resolved to ask Mani about it later, dismissing the matter for the present. ¡°Then we¡¯re settled. Have her schedule rearranged to assist Dr. Worthan when he arrives.¡± ¡°Perhaps assign her some advanced dragon anatomy books as preparation,¡± Wildt offered, then looked surprised at his own audacity before turning to face front again. ¡°Thank you for the suggestion, Captain,¡± Seraphinite said primly, although the tone of it did not sound like gratitude in the least. Rodgardae tried not smirk as Mani made an inelegant grunt of amusement behind him. ¡°You all are dismissed,¡± Rodgardae said instead, pushing back from his desk to stand. They all bowed, and Mistress Seraphinite cast a quick, hard glance towards Wildt before leaving the room quickly, a very flustered Maid Pyrite on her heels. Wildt and Helmnen left after only a brief pause, nodding at Mani as they retreated. ¡°Brave man to tell the headmistress her own job,¡± Mani said, a wicked smile to his lips. ¡°You can tell some dragons have never been in direct service to a queen.¡± Rodgardae picked up his own tea cup and settled across the small table from Mani, who was laughing. They relaxed and drank tea for a few moments before Mani looked him over. ¡°Did you truly have no opinions about the list of candidates for the position?¡± ¡°I did, but unlike Wildt, I know when to bend my neck. Mistress Seraphinite says Maid Aegirine is the right choice, then I will take her at her word.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Mani pursed his lips. ¡°Yet she did not seem very happy about it.¡± ¡°More to her credit. It¡¯s one thing not to like a colleague serving with you in a hellhole like this, but to recommend them for a prestigious position such as being assistant to a draconic physician despite that shows character.¡± Mani sighed. ¡°You forget where you are, beloved. Most natives of Kaaltendt would not consider that a prestigious position.¡± He drank the dregs of his tea in one full swallow and gave Rodgardae a sardonic, slightly pitying look which Rodgardae accepted as his due. 11. Singled Out On the start of their third month of training, and her second month of filling in regularly to maintain Admiral Leonteinparre¡¯s lair, Mistress Seraphinite called Agadart in for a personal interview. She met Agadart at the door of her trim, colorful little cabin and politely ushered her inside. The small front room served as the Mistress¡¯s office, a spare and efficient space with one desk and two simple wooden chairs. She gestured for Agadart to take one of the chairs, then followed suit. They sat, silently looking at each other for a few moments, a game Agadart knew well from her jousts with high-society matriarchs. The headmistress was about fifteen years older than Agadart, her countenance grim and her gaze unforgiving, but when it became clear that Agadart was intending to wait her out, she started talking. ¡°You know the old wives¡¯ tale, that dragons can smell purity?¡± It was definitely not included in the dragon maid apprentices¡¯ curriculum, but it was a common belief throughout Kaaltendt, so Agadart nodded as expected of her. ¡°It¡¯s a lie. No matter their gender, they can no more smell purity than I can. More so, they do not care.¡± Mistress Seraphinite settled back into her chair. Agadart took care not to mirror the movement, holding herself stiff and upright in posture. ¡°But what they do notice is character. Breeding, I mean, and manners.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s why the admiral has noticed you.¡± The words dropped like bombs on Agadart, nearly stealing her breath away. She thought of just running out of the cabin for one panicked moment, knowing that there was no way this could end well for her, but she managed by dint of years of practice to hold her countenance neutral. Instead of fleeing she simply tilted her head as indication that she was still listening. Mistress Seraphinite grimaced anyway. ¡°I do not mean this as rank flattery. It is explanation of why you have been singled out. We get enough fallen scullery maids and cobblers¡¯ widows, who are hardworking but ignorant. They have their place. Let me be clear, Maid Aegirine: the society of dragons is no less convoluted and filled with intrigue than the Queen¡¯s Court.¡± She watched Agadart closely for a reaction. ¡°I am familiar with that particular beast,¡± Agadart offered, trying to keep her voice neutral. ¡°I know. The former Baron Stewardt played a dangerous game, and you came out of it with a clean hide, regardless. That impresses me. Many a spouse would have lost their head not long after he lost his.¡± It was a brutal summary of some of the worst years of Agadart¡¯s life, but it was true nonetheless. She nodded again. ¡°Your skills are not suited to the hard labor of husbandry or even general aerie management. Your comport and intelligence will serve you well in close quarters with dragons, who will sense your character and thus allow you access to them.¡± ¡°I do not understand, Headmistress.¡± Agadart struggled to keep her voice neutral. The seriousness of Mistress Seraphinite¡¯s behavior suggested that all of her compliments were not necessarily a precursor to good news. The headmistress leaned back in her chair, but it was not a casual move. ¡°Dr. Worthan is a leading dragon physician from the Isle of Watt. He has been called to Endestern by the express wishes of the admiral, our Duke Raudolf.¡± ¡°The Master of the Fort called for a physician?¡± Seraphinite nodded. ¡°Yes. Fear not, he is strong and full of vitality, as are all the dragons of Endestern. However, as things stand, having a respected draconic physician here might save lives. As I am sure you are aware, Duke Raudolf is one of the Treaty Dragons from the Five Clans of Watt. Dr. Worthan is a leading physician for the noble dragons, and the admiral feels that his presence is necessary.¡± ¡°In case of war,¡± Agadart amended. Seraphinite tipped her head but did not voice agreement. ¡°The admiral has informed me that due to the Isle of Watt¡¯s own preparations for invasion, Dr. Worthan is traveling without his staff. He is coming here alone.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Agadart folded her hands in her lap. ¡°You know that I have no medical background, much less knowledge of dragon physique outside of what has been taught to me as a dragon maid. If you intend to conscript me to Dr. Worthan, I feel honor bound to tell you that I probably will not be much help to him.¡± Mistress Seraphinite sat up straight again, her expression pinched in disapproval. ¡°That is for him to decide. The admiral asked me for a dragon maid to serve as the doctor¡¯s assistant, and given that such a maid would be in close contact with not only the officers of the fort but the admiral himself and his consort, I feel you are the best choice.¡± Seraphinite looked out the tiny window at the misty hills ranging in the distance. ¡°I could hardly send Maid Limonite, or even Maid Epidote. There are twenty dragons in that fort, one of whom is a foreign-born nobleman, and they have already sniffed out the quality of the maids we send up there. To have anything less than a well-born woman in direct attendance to nobility would reflect poorly on us all.¡± ¡°I hoped that in the Corps I would escape such classifications,¡± Agadart pointed out. Seraphinite¡¯s expression turned even colder. ¡°Don¡¯t we all, Maid Aegirine? And yet, our pasts will always haunt us. I suggest you take this position as the boon it is, rather than risk your future with the Corps over something as inescapable as your history.¡± Agadart knew a dismissal when she heard it. Nodding her acquiescence, she left the cabin and joined her fellows in preparing dinner. She considered the fact that if Queen Theaedra had sent her into the Corps to disappear, this new assignment would likely not meet that goal. It was an unsettling thought but she knew better than most that politics and alliances could change on the twitch of a dragon¡¯s tail, and that once again she was nothing more than a pawn on the board. Nothing changed too much for her over the week, although she was given extra readings to prepare her for assisting a draconic physician. It was made clear to her that once Doctor Worthan arrived, she would be sent up to the fort to remain there for the rest of her training or until she was dismissed from the Corps. There was some jealousy from a few maids, but most actually were relieved not to be put in the spot of answering directly to the admiral, who had quickly developed a reputation at the fort for being a strict and hard taskmaster. However there were no unhappy murmurings of unfairness from the soldiers, draconic or human, under his command so Agadart took it as a good sign. She hoped that keeping her head down and doing her job would be enough for her to pass muster with both Mistress Seraphinite and the doctor. Dr. Worthan arrived by boat directly from the Isle of Watt, midweek and on the tail of a dark, festering storm. Everyone knew when new ships appeared in the harbor, so Agadart had a day to prepare herself mentally for the man who was going to be her own lord and master for the foreseeable future. After the carriage carrying him zipped by the training camp, Mistress Seraphinite herself oversaw Agadart packing her duffel and walked with her up the mountain to the fort. They were expected and taken to the main tower, where Agadart had not as yet been allowed access. The boy guiding them was quiet and proper as he led them upstairs and through short halls to what was, Agadart assumed, the officers¡¯ lounge. It was more like a gentleman¡¯s library, packed with shelves of books and comfortable chairs, which was not so different from the one in her father¡¯s house. This one, however, was full of people. Agadart clutched at her bag as Mistress Seraphinite walked comfortably in and bowed at the admiral. Agadart had not seen him in his walking form since the brief sighting at the train platform, months ago. He was even more handsome up close, his face lean and sculpted with the bone structure of a well-bred nobleman. He was a little more rugged than polished, with an afternoon shadow darkening his jaw and a tired look in his eyes, but he smiled kindly at Mistress Seraphinite. ¡°Thank you for coming in person, Headmistress. Milles, allow me to introduce Mistress Seraphinite of the Dragon Corps, headmistress of the training camp you passed on your way up. Mistress Seraphinite, Dr. Milles Worthan.¡± Mistress Seraphinite bowed again while Dr. Worthan bowed back at her respectfully. He was an older man, short and stout, with a barely trimmed white beard and a delicate set of eyeglasses resting low on his nose. ¡°I brought up the dragon maid assigned to assist the good doctor, Your Grace. Maid Aegirine,¡± Seraphinite said, waving Agadart forward. Dropping her bag, Agadart stepped up and bowed to both the admiral and the doctor, who each bowed solemnly in turn. ¡°Thank you for volunteering, Maid Aegirine. Do you have any medical training?¡± Dr. Worthan asked, leaning in toward her, studying her carefully. ¡°No sir, but Mistress Seraphinite has been providing me with advanced texts in an effort to educate me on the matter.¡± Dr. Worthan nodded, something about Agadart¡¯s answer or bearing giving him satisfaction as to her usefulness. Next to him, Admiral Leonteinparre frowned and wrinkled his nose, apparently trying to figure something out. For a moment, no one moved, waiting for his lead, but he shook his head as if clearing his mind and smiled at her again. ¡°Mistress Seraphinite recommended you, so I¡¯m sure your services will suffice. Mirrel, please escort Maid Aegirine to her new quarters.¡± The duke motioned at a sergeant who was standing stiffly by the door. Agadart picked up her bag and quickly shuffled out of the room, deciding that she had at least passed the first hurdle. She hoped there would not be too many more. 12. One Good Nurse Maid Aegirine left, as meek and contrite as Rodgardae had ever seen her. He looked around at everyone remaining. They had all come to meet the esteemed Dr. Worthan, but introductions had taken place before Maid Aegirine arrived and there was precious little other business to attend to that could not be put off until the following day. ¡°I shall catch up with Dr. Worthan, privately. Have another bottle of wine sent up. That will be all.¡± He motioned the doctor to one of the chairs. Milles followed his lead and settled into it gratefully while everyone else filed out. Mistress Seraphinite snapped her fingers and her assistant dashed through a side door to retrieve the requested wine, but otherwise took no notice of any of the soldiers or dragons around her. Wildt held the door for her, and they were the last to leave. Rodgardae sighed and glanced over at Mani, who was himself falling elegantly into his chair next to him. They reached out and held hands briefly before Rodgardae let go to pour wine for the three of them. ¡°That was unduly exhausting,¡± Mani complained, taking his glass and sniffing the wine. ¡°Ohyi, everyone thinks I¡¯m gonna take an iron rod to their buttholes,¡± Milles said, causing Mani to cough and sit forward quickly in order not to choke. ¡°Physician!¡± Mani cried out, the tone reprimanding but his eyes filled with delight. Rodgardae rolled his eyes but stayed out of it. ¡°Am I wrong, Lord Roki?¡± Mani paused at that. ¡°Most don¡¯t call me ¡®lord¡¯ here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not from around here. On Watt we respect the lineage first, the rank second.¡± Mani blinked at the older man a few times before nodding. ¡°I have not yet traveled to Watt, so I am glad that now I have been¡­prepared.¡± The delivery was as dry as high-altitude ice and most people would not even clock it for the joke it was, but Milles, bless the man, laughed. Rodgardae smiled softly at both of them as he sipped his own glass of wine. It was, like most local vintages, rustic and rusty but strong. ¡°So, you got me here. Now what?¡± Milles settled back in his chair. Rodgardae answered. ¡°We¡¯re changing up the training regimen to more closely align with Wattish principles.¡± Milles snorted. ¡°These pampered pets not holding up to the strain, are they?¡± Rodgardae chuckled. ¡°They are hardly soft. Kaaltendt military training is not lacking, per se; it¡¯s just very different. If war comes we will have flights and wings flying together.¡± ¡°And?¡± Milles frowned at him. Mani picked up the thread. Rodgardae let him since it had been his idea after all. ¡°There are so few dragons that they are often spread thin over this vast continent, and are therefore not used to flying, or fighting, in any formation greater than what we would call a small flight, much less a full wing.¡± Milles let out a long noise of understanding. ¡°So they are flying closer than they are used to and banging each other up.¡± He nodded. ¡°Wing rips?¡± Rodgardae nodded. ¡°A few. Some scratches as well.¡± ¡°Collisions?¡± Milles asked, squinting at him, reading the problem right away. ¡°It¡¯s like herding twenty fledglings off a cliff, to be honest,¡± Rodgardae groaned, slipping down in his chair. Mani laughed outright. ¡°That¡¯s giving fledglings a bad name. At least those raised in full clutches grow up jostling each other. These Kaaltendt dragons are tripping over each other like they are drunk.¡± Milles shrugged. ¡°Like trying to take a plow horse and train it for war, more like. Skittish? Awkward? Prone to panic?¡± ¡°You do seem to have a grasp of the situation,¡± Rodgardae said. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to patch them up, then.¡± He quickly polished off his drink. ¡°The dragons upstairs?¡± Milles asked as Rodgardae filled his wine glass. ¡°Most. You met four of them just now; the other fifteen are in their lairs. After a few group trials I¡¯ve had them stagger their shifting so we only have four in walking form at a time.¡± ¡°Three-week shifts?¡± Ro shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve cut it to two weeks. I fear complacency, given the unpredictable political situation.¡± Milles nodded slowly. ¡°This fort is purely a defensive position, correct?¡± ¡°Aye, it is. Not built as a launching point at all. Anything like that would go out of Tunwwe Harbor, south of here. But should things become desperate on Watt, we¡¯re also the front line for intercontinental offense.¡± He smiled tightly at Milles, who snorted. ¡°Twenty Kaaltendt dragons and you? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all die horrible deaths.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Your confidence endears you to me, as always.¡± The doctor waved a hand around. ¡°I saw you out of that egg, and fixed your wing after your first flop off the Devillin Cliffs.¡± Rodgardae cringed. ¡°Can we not discuss these matters?¡± He hunched up over his wine glass. Mani grinned. ¡°Oh, but we must!¡± ¡°This is why I dreaded bringing you here, old man.¡± Rodgardae pointed at Milles. Milles laughed and leaned forward, patting Mani¡¯s knee. ¡°We will get along well, Lord Roki. Our duke¡¯s older sister bid me harass him in her stead, after all.¡± Rodgardae groaned, causing Milles to turn back to him. ¡°And also your brother, His Excellency, Prince Tonae, whose word just happens to be law. I am helpless but to obey their commands.¡± Milles relaxed in the chair, radiating smug satisfaction. Rodgardae took another swig of wine, which Mani quickly refilled, although he was smirking far too much for comfort. ¡°Anyway, none of your family have met this handsome consort who stole your heart¡­and your seed; don¡¯t think no one took issue with that.¡± ¡°My actions are common enough everywhere but here,¡± Rodgardae defended. ¡°True enough. Fear not, no one genuinely begrudges the match, and your father has played the business angle of that alliance to everyone¡¯s satisfaction. The Clan Roki are majestic traders.¡± Milles nodded at Mani, who pretended he wasn¡¯t preening at the praise for his family, then turned back to Rodgardae. ¡°But as I say, your family has yet to meet this gentleman warrior. So in their stead, I will have to interrogate him mercilessly.¡± ¡°Sweet Goddess of the Aerie Fires, please do no such thing.¡± Rodgardae stared at him. Milles¡¯s grin grew even wider. ¡°Dear boy, what else do I have to while away my time in this Gods-forsaken pit?¡± Mani started laughing loudly. ¡°Perhaps practice medicine?¡± Rodgardae stared glumly at his drink, realizing that he was outnumbered. Milles sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have my hands full training that maid. I hope she is as bright as the Dragon Mistress says.¡± ¡°Dragon Maid Auxiliary Corps Headmistress.¡± ¡°I shall never get used to that.¡± ¡°They are touchy about their titles here. To call her a dragon mistress might get you slapped.¡± Rodgardae grinned despite the seriousness of the topic. Milles snorted in surprise at the double entendre. ¡°Such a strange people. Ah well, as it stands, if I can get one good nurse out of this maid, I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± Rodgardae lowered his glass. ¡°So you truly do not expect any assistants to arrive?¡± Milles shook his head. ¡°No. Dr. Alphine has been assigned to Galworthy, where she was immediately made lead physician of the fort, while my nurses were called back to Herinfay University to teaching posts. Anyone who applies to the program is being accepted. Those who cannot cut the studies are washed out, but it is seen a better investment to pull in as many future nurses as possible rather than cull unlikely candidates at the first. And those who do wash out are still being posted to hospitals as nurses¡¯ aides.¡± Mani whistled softly. ¡°My brother the prince suggested war was close, but your words bring that home much more clearly to me.¡± Rodgardae tipped his head to stare at the ceiling above, cut stone beveled with the simple, spartan design that marked all of Kaaltendt. ¡°And here I am.¡± ¡°Serving the princely counsel as a good child of Watt should, Your Grace,¡± Milles said gently. ¡°I simply fear for the safety of my family, while I am here playing diplomat and contract keeper.¡± ¡°Diplomacy has its place in war as well as battle. You know this.¡± ¡°Speaking of: Have you heard any word of trading dragons for land?¡± Mani leaned forward. ¡°Not much, though we are all certain the offer of marriage has been put forth to Emperor Rhezv. He wants our fair country, our defensible cliffs rising out of the ocean and our place as halfway mark to the coast of Kaaltendt. No number of fine or fair dragons will match that.¡± He grumbled a bit before continuing. ¡°Anyway, gossip is that he wants a queen of his own, and that is one thing Watt could not provide even if we wanted too.¡± They sat in silence for a while, refilling their glasses from the spare bottle that Maid Pyrite delivered. Rodgardae set his glass aside and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. Mani and Milles looked at him but waited for him to collect his thoughts. ¡°This land is nearly barren of dragons, as you know, and treats the few they have with ill-disguised contempt, outside of the queen and her flight. Your maid, for instance, had to be chosen carefully from the Corps by Mistress Seraphinite as most of them are low-ranking women of little education. Hardworking and respectable, I should add, but without training in manners or academics. Some are nearly illiterate. Such is the value placed on the people who tend to aeries.¡± Milles whistled. ¡°I have read many reports of this country, and their fine literature of course. But to hear it firsthand from you is somewhat disheartening. That mad, evil King Maganrad, was it? Who killed off their dragons?¡± ¡°Almost all. The slaughter hit most draconic families like an ax. Even three generations on, they are still recovering, and still suffer some of the antagonism toward dragons that fed his insanity. The queen at the time and her flight were spared, at least. His madness did go that far.¡± Mani¡¯s lips thinned and he looked away. He knew it all the same as Rodgardae, and they had lived in the strange country for long enough to be inured to the treatment of dragons, but he always took it personally anyway. ¡°It always comes down to the queen.¡± Milles harumphed. ¡°I shall make do, in any case. If I may say, you seemed flustered by the woman. She is handsome and well-mannered.¡± Milles grinned at him. Rodgardae sighed heavily. In his youth he had been marked as rake, loving and leaving any number of pretty faces through the court. He had not shown much discretion then, and more than one scandal had to be settled via public apologies and business contracts. Rodgardae suspected it was one reason his father had chosen him for Kaaltendt and his brother for the family throne, as sending troublesome heirs overseas was a time-honored tradition in Watt. He shook his head. ¡°Such times are behind me. Age or experience or love, I do not know. But I hit these shores weary and lonely, and then had the fortune to meet Mani within the year.¡± He held out his hand and Mani took it, his expression fond. ¡°I grieve as much as the next dragon that such a match means I¡¯ll never sire an egg, but I am content nonetheless. I reserve the right to appreciate beauty, and Mani reserves the right to make me sleep alone for it.¡± He smiled at Milles, knowing his feelings were written on his face. Mani snickered at that, and Milles¡¯s smile slid from amused to paternal. ¡°You have grown into a fine dragon, Your Grace. I look forward getting to know more of the consort who has trimmed your claws.¡± He nodded at Mani, who was back to subtle preening again, with an added shade of smugness. They toasted their glasses one last time before retiring for the evening. Rodgardae put the thought of the unusual dragon maid out of his mind and pulled Mani to his bed later that night with filthy promises and the clumsy tanglings of the besotted. 13. Fire in her Bones Agadart did not rest well, despite the proper bed and the small chamber that was her first private moment in months. It was neither wide nor long but it held a bed-bench with a thick mattress, a comfortable chair, a small table, and a wardrobe to hold her meager belongings. Still, sleeping inside the aerie was strange, and she tossed and turned with thoughts of the fine duke and flying dragons filling her mind instead of sleep. The bells of the fort woke her just after dawn. She got up and dressed, then realized that her most crucial task was to find the closest toilet. It was the start of a frustrating morning trying to orient herself to a part of the fort she had never been privy to, among people who did not know her and, to her surprise, did not know why she was there. The few ensigns she saw were running errands and had no time to hold the hand of a lost dragon maid, and told her so in no uncertain terms. Agadart ended up in the laundry pits twice, the front gate once, and never any place that looked like it might hold a dragon¡¯s physician. She was standing completely still in a central hallway, figuring that at some point someone she recognized would walk by, when someone recognized her instead. ¡°Maid Aegirine?¡± Agadart spun around to find herself face-to-face with the admiral¡¯s guardian. Up close he was even more handsome, his clothes refined and elegant over a sturdy, muscular frame. He had a trim waist and broad shoulders and dark green eyes, none of which was lost on Agadart. She was a noblewoman who had played a deadly game in the capital for years, though, and caught herself before she started gawping like a young girl. ¡°Yes sir.¡± They stood in the hallway taking each other¡¯s measure, although why was a mystery to Agadart. The consort was leagues above her in station, and so had no cause to stop to talk to a dragon maid. He frowned a little at her. ¡°Are you not assigned to Dr. Worthan?¡± he asked, his soft accent rolling the words together into a languid drawl, but his eyes glittering with intensity. Curiosity or dislike, she could not tell. ¡°I am. Do you need my assistance with something, my lord?¡± she asked politely. It was a formal request more suited to the queen¡¯s court than an old, drafty fort at the tip-end of nowhere, and while it perhaps gave away more of her past than she wanted, it also put him on the spot for acknowledging her properly or breaking quickly away. He tipped his head up, considering her for a moment. ¡°I often find handsome ladies looking covetously at His Grace. I wish to know your intentions.¡± His attractiveness was swept out from Agadart¡¯s mind in a wash of rage. ¡°Perhaps you might ask yourself why you should be concerned, that his fidelity is so fickle that every handsome face claims it?¡± Guardian Roki jerked backwards as if slapped. ¡°You dare suggest?¡± ¡°No, apparently you do.¡± His jaw worked silently for a moment before he straightened up with a haughty look. ¡°You¡¯ve got a brash tongue, for a dragon maid.¡± ¡°And you a loose one for a consort.¡± She expected the rebuke to send him howling in rage for the duke to have Agadart thrown out of the fort immediately, but instead he just twitched a little. After a moment, one eyebrow rose and he cocked his head, smiling. ¡°You do have fire in your bones.¡± She frowned at him. ¡°Were you simply trying to rile me?¡± He shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving her, his expression soft and curious. ¡°Never such a thing, mika.¡± It was an odd phrase, and while ¡°mika¡± wasn¡¯t her name it clearly wasn¡¯t an insult either, so Agadart let it pass. ¡°Then let us be at peace.¡± She paused, debating her next question before giving in to the inevitable. ¡°Do you have any idea where Dr. Worthan is?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He shrugged slowly, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. The cut of his suit was sharp and looked faintly like it came from the tailor shops of the capital, but the material was heavy and shiny and very nearly black purple over silks of deep burgundy. Despite the dark hue of his clothes, the consort was one of the most colorful men she had ever met. He looked her directly in the eyes, his expression slightly mirthful. ¡°No, but I suspect he is with the duke. Shall I take you to them?¡± ¡°If you would be so kind.¡± She nodded, and prepared to follow. He turned and then stopped, holding out his arm in a gentlemanly way. Agadart was stuck taking it as a lady or spurning his manners like a gutter rat, so she linked her arm in his. ¡°So, Maid Aegirine, I suppose I should introduce myself formally. I am Mani Roki, Guardian to Duke Raudolf of Kaaltendt, Duke Julvua of Watt, Admiral Rodgardae Leonteinparre.¡± ¡°A heavy weight of titles you bear, my lord.¡± Mani laughed, a warm and soothing sound that rang down the dark-stoned halls. ¡°None of them are mine, they are all just tacked on to my name by association.¡± He looked at her slyly out of the corner of his eye. ¡°You have none to bear yourself?¡± ¡°I cast off such trappings when I joined the Dragon Maids Corps.¡± He hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Willingly?¡± She grit her teeth as discreetly as she could. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Was that a rude question?¡± He turned them down a smaller hall to an outside corridor with large windows. ¡°Some would say yes, but I am not offended.¡± He hummed again. They walked in silence for a while, twisting their way through the interior of the aerie tower of the fort, before he spoke again. ¡°At the risk of offending you again, I observe that you are a well-born Kaaltendt lady, of manners.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, so Agadart did not bother to answer. He nodded for both of them before continuing. ¡°I have been His Grace¡¯s guardian and consort for five years. He could have chosen better, I think, and many of the clans¡ªexcuse me, noble families of Kaaltendt agree.¡± He sighed. ¡°News of Duke Raudolf¡¯s love match filled the society pages. Your union caused great glee for many,¡± Agadart said neutrally. That much at least was true, even if a good portion of the glee was from the scandal of it all. ¡°Yes, it was amusing to them. But the duke came here to strengthen ties with Kaaltendt, not Akanata.¡± ¡°I believe he has done that admirably.¡± He walked up to a utilitarian door and rapped on it. ¡°Perhaps. But we should continue this discussion at another time.¡± Before Agadart could open her mouth to reply, the door swung open and one of the admiral¡¯s lieutenants ushered them in. ¡°Guardian Roki! It is always a pleasure to see you. Oh, and Maid Aegirine.¡± The man bowed, and Agadart racked her brain for his damn name as she bowed in return. ¡°Captain Wildt, thank you. We are in search of Dr. Worthan.¡± Guardian Roki stepped away, motioning at Agadart. ¡°Here!¡± The doctor¡¯s voice rose above the murmurs of people talking. Agadart noticed only then that the room was full of people standing around a large table covered in maps. It did not take any sixth sense for Agadart to know that she was face-to-face with the entire flight of Endestern¡¯s dragons, as they were all decorated with the garish, red sash that marked their breed. Agadart had by that point met them all, but never in their walking forms. They all smelled the air discreetly, and Agadart assumed they were trying to place her. ¡°Admiral, Doctor, dragons.¡± She bowed again. ¡°Maid Aegirine here, reporting for duty, Doctor.¡± Most of the dragons recognized her name and odor, except for one woman, a tall raven haired beauty who did not look far out of her teens, if that. But she wore the uniform of the Dragon Corps, and she looked at Agadart with suspicion. Agadart wondered if she was new. The admiral stepped forward and Agadart bowed even lower. ¡°Lord Raudolf.¡± ¡°Here I prefer the military rank, Maid Aegirine. At least that one I¡¯ve earned,¡± he said with a humble smile, giving her a slight bow. The other dragons shifted restlessly but were quiet. ¡°Dr. Worthan, you are excused, if you choose, to familiarize your new assistant with her position.¡± Dr. Worthan sighed heavily. ¡°All the better to get out of this war room full of antsy dragons. Back! Move!¡± The doctor shoved at a couple of them to push his way through. Startled at the manhandling, they skittered to the walls. Admiral Leonteinparre laughed. ¡°Do not abuse the Kaaltendt dragons, dear Doctor. They are not used to such handsy physicians.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll appreciate it when war comes,¡± Dr. Worthan mumbled as he stomped out. With a quick bow to the room Agadart fled after him. For an older, short man, he waddled pretty quickly down the halls. It was just the start of Agadart¡¯s desperate run to keep up with the doctor. 14. A Sealed Fate The months she spent at the training camp were a leisurely stroll compared to the tutelage she received from the dragon doctor. Worthan did not suffer fools very gladly, and he seemed quite convinced that war was coming sooner rather than later. He had many medical texts which he had brought with him, and he shoved them unceremoniously into her hands. He gave her ¡°surprise¡± quizzes almost daily. She stayed up late at night reading and memorizing, and spent most of the day with Worthan as he reviewed surgical techniques with her. When she had first asked if she would not be a liability, given her inexperience, he had shaken his head solemnly. ¡°My own assistants, doctors and nurses I have personally trained were called away to other duty stations. They could not be sacrificed to send to Kaaltendt, not when our very shores are in such danger. You are my first and last resort. It may be that you will have to train others to be nurses as well.¡± Agadart nodded at him, unsure of what to say. War was always a distant notion for Kaaltendt, and there had not been an invasion force on its shores in over a thousand years. Despite being several generations on from Mad King Maganrad, the kingdom had very few dragon doctors. Those they did have were either elite specialists in the capital serving the Queen¡¯s flight, or very low-ranking medics assigned to military posts. It occurred to her that Kaaltendt was far more unprepared than the Isle of Watt for true warfare, but she said nothing and focused on her studies. She drifted between her quarters and the doctor¡¯s study for the first two weeks, with meals brought to her by the fort¡¯s kitchen staff on Worthan¡¯s orders. Undisturbed, she read for hours and asked questions of the doctor when he was present. She thought often of her father, and the life she had been raised to that was, perhaps forever, lost to her. When she had first proposed to be a spy against her husband, she had meant it in exchange for the lives of her parents. Her mother had died unexpectedly from an illness not long after, and sometimes Agadart wondered about that; her mother had grown to dislike Agadart¡¯s husband, and had just enough clout with Queen Theaedra to cause him trouble. But whatever the case might be, it left her father in a precarious position. Agadart loathed her husband as a man and as a nobleman, so betraying him was less of an issue than her concerns that the political backwash would drown her father. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Being punished by being sent to the Dragon Maids Corps had not been on her radar, but in the end, it too was an easy exchange to make. She had personally never expected to inherit her father¡¯s title, anyway. Part of her had honestly always been infatuated with dragons, as unseemly as it was to admit. She remembered fondly the portrait of her uncle Hrecht, her father¡¯s elder brother, stately and somewhat mesmerizing, as he stared out of the painting. His flying form was represented behind him, a particularly stunning beast of orange and brown and blue. Truly a son of the Orange Hills of Battenruck. She had never met him, as he had fled Kaaltendt years before she was born, but she secretly wished she could have asked him what it was like to fly. Reading dry textbooks about the physiology of dragons was as close as she was ever going to get to the dreams of her younger self, who had once thought that being a dragon maid would be the height of drama and excitement. The drama and excitement of the royal court had cured her of her desire for adventure, but she knew it would be a long time before she would ever know the peace of feeling safe at home anywhere. A memory floated up, unbidden: the admiral and his guardian, as they stood on the train station platform, at ease with each other, so different in looks and style and yet so perfectly matched. They had clearly found their ¡°home¡± together that fit like puzzle pieces into each other¡¯s lives, no matter how unlikely it had happened at all. She wasn¡¯t jealous, exactly. It was more that she was sad she would never know such affection or love from anyone. She of course had gotten a few propositions for affairs while at court, and one lord had offered her the ¡°asylum¡± of his bed when the scandal of her husband¡¯s treason had finally been revealed. She had accepted none of the invitations, well aware by then that no one was honest and every offer of ¡°help¡± came with a high price, whether it was stated upfront or not. Being a dragon maid with no background meant that she was, at long last, removed from the heated politics that had defined and nearly ruined her life for the past ten years, but it also removed her from proper society in general. Alive or dead, her fate was sealed. She focused on the text she had been reading again, grateful at least for the chance to challenge her mind and focus on something other than her own sorry, lonely story. 15. So Rare By the middle of the second week she had made good progress but she was going out of her mind, despite her natural interest in the material. There were only so many hours a day a person could read and study before their brain went numb, and she had more than hit that number every day, over and over again. Sitting by the window, tapping the text in front of her with her fingers but staring out at the inner courtyard below where young soldiers were training in hand-to-hand combat, she was unprepared for the admiral¡¯s guardian to walk in, stately and quiet and without even knocking. ¡°Is the doctor keeping you busy?¡± Agadart stared as Guardian Roki folded himself into one of the upholstered chairs near her small reading desk. ¡°Very much so, sir.¡± She purposefully did not rise and bow to him. If he was going to be a mannerless heathen, then she was not going to lower herself to pretend otherwise. ¡°Please call me Mani. I¡¯m just the guardian, no one stands on ceremony.¡± He studied his fingernails as he lied to her. Everyone, including his own mate, referred to him as Guardian Roki. Agadart refrained from rolling her eyes at him. He was, as usual, immaculately put together. His somber gray suit was set off by a dark maroon vest and neck cravat set against a pale yellow silk shirt, his wavy locks of hair loose but shiny and smooth, his boots spotless. Agadart took no shame in appreciating what she saw, although she at least tried not to be obvious. ¡°They should, as you are attending a man who is a duke and admiral of both Kaaltendt and Watt.¡± ¡°I am misplaced here in this austere military fortress, and we all know it.¡± He sighed, although his voice was tight through his smile. ¡°I did not contract for the sake of a war campaign.¡± ¡°But you knew he is a dragon. Surely you were aware of the likelihood of being sent to a military post?¡± Agadart closed the book, glad for the break. Mani shrugged. ¡°I fell in love. The rest of it I merely tolerate.¡± ¡°So rare, that one would fall in love with a dragon.¡± ¡°Here in Kaaltendt, I suppose it is.¡± He looked thoughtful as he considered it. ¡°I honestly never doubted that I would. It is more that he is a dragon of Watt that I still find surprising.¡± They sat in silence for a moment, Mani studying the bookshelves across from them while Agadart tried not to stare. Finally she leaned forward a little, to catch his eye. ¡°Are you waiting for the doctor, my lord?¡± His eyes flicked over at her. ¡°No. I was hoping to catch you here.¡± She straightened up, praying that he was not about to solicit her affections. It would end badly for all of them, because she would have to rebuff him, and she suspected he was one who did not take rejection well. He seemed to notice her posture. ¡°Relax, Maid Aegirine. I am here to ask for your assistance.¡± That caused her to pull back a little. ¡°My assistance?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered simply and completely, with no explanation. She fought to keep her expression neutral. ¡°If my lord needs assistance with the admiral¡¯s lair I am afraid I cannot help. I am currently and exclusively assigned to Dr. Worthan. I¡¯m sure Mistress Seraphinite can provide you with however many dragon maids you might need¡ª¡° ¡°I do not need a dragon maid,¡± he said sharply, then looked her over like a chef inspecting a chicken. ¡°The flick of your tail betrays your breeding, as my mother would say.¡± She shook her head but stopped, taking a deep breath. ¡°Is this, perhaps, the conversation you mentioned that we would be continuing?¡± He smiled slightly, but it was not mocking. ¡°Indeed. You have a good memory.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°It has proven helpful in the past.¡± She folded her hands over the closed book in front of her. ¡°To answer your unsubtle queries, I do hail from the upper classes of Kaaltendt, but it is a life that has been left far behind. The reasons why are not material to you, the duke, or anyone but Mistress Seraphinite. I hope you will respect that.¡± He nodded his head in return. ¡°I intend to. I am not concerned with your past, only my future.¡± ¡°And how can I assist you with that?¡± He sat up in a more gentlemanly fashion. ¡°War or not, I expect to spend many more years here in Kaaltendt. I was tutored on this country¡¯s history and politics, and some etiquette, when I was sent here by my family on business matters. Rodgardae ¡ª Admiral Leonteinparre ¡ª is from Watt, so he knows more than I do, but nonetheless we both find ourselves at odds more often than not. Kaaltendt is the strange, exotic, dragonless land our parents warned us about as children, and here we are, lords in it. I do not represent my dragon, much less myself, very well.¡± This was all news to Agadart, who frowned. ¡°You have both been here over five years.¡± ¡°Six for me, eight for Ro.¡± He nodded. ¡°I do not know if you ever made it to court, Maid Aegirine, but if you had, you would likely not have seen much of either of us. Queen Theaedra keeps her flight close, and all other dragons of Kaaltendt are usually stationed far from her by necessity of their own jobs.¡± He waved an elegant, long-fingered hand around, indicating that Endestern was itself an example of that truth, which in fact it was. ¡°The middle space between the queen and the distant borders of her realm is liminal and rarely occupied. His Grace and I have inhabited it as best we could. Now here we are.¡± He was correct, though. She had seen them only a few times at court, usually for solstice celebrations and the new year. Hardly enough to even recognize them from a distance. At the moment, she was grateful that the reverse was also true. ¡°I trust you are telling me the truth, as it reflects my understanding of the august court.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I still do not see how I can be of assistance. Especially here.¡± She mimicked his hand wave. ¡°You are as close to a noblewoman as I can get without scandal, and whether you¡¯ve ever been to court or even visited the capital is less important than your knowledge of social conduct in general.¡± Agadart blinked at him, confused for a moment as the only possible implication of that became clear to her. ¡°You want me to tutor you in etiquette?¡± she asked incredulously. He tipped his head in acquiescence. ¡°I would ask that you help acquit me of the social conduct I need to master.¡± ¡°Surely¡ª¡± ¡°That I need to master, Maid Aegirine. Not that I need to be barely competent at.¡± ¡°There are tutors who do this, for the families of the nobility, or for commoners who are trying to buy or marry in.¡± ¡°Why had I not thought of that?¡± His tone was so dry and biting that Agadart cringed. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s a valid question, if a frustrating one.¡± He stared at her intensely, willing her to figure it out on her own. It was not hard to do, in the end. ¡°They refused your offers of hire. I assume because of the proximity to a dragon?¡± ¡°You got it in one. Even when I promised to visit them, no dragon in tow, they were firm.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°The dragons of Kaaltendt are generous enough, but do not have time or patience to teach me what most of them grew up knowing.¡± They were also likely sheltered from polite society themselves, Agadart knew, and suspected Guardian Roki knew that as well but was too polite to mention. He sighed heavily. ¡°I have inadvertently insulted the hostesses of parties, slighted noble families during important political functions, and found myself on the odd end of conversations.¡± Agadart stopped herself for a moment to consider. ¡°It is likely the subtleties you are missing.¡± ¡°Oh, definitely. The broad strokes such as when to bow and whom to bow to, I have no issue. That much I can find in books.¡± ¡°True.¡± She nodded. ¡°I could help, but only if Dr. Worthan approves it. Any time I spend with you will be time away from my training.¡± She waved a hand over the stack of thick books on the desk in front of her. ¡°I was unwilling to ask his leave until I had approached you with the idea.¡± He stood up, and Agadart followed suit. ¡°Admittedly, Rodgardae finds this all easier than I do, being that Watt and Kaaltendt are more closely related by history and temperament.¡± ¡°He could very easily be mistaken for a noble of Kaaltendt,¡± Agadart replied, knowing that her comment implied the opposite of Guardian Roki. His smile was charming, highlighting his beautiful features. With his guard down, his beauty turned warm and inviting, and Agadart had to hold herself from being drawn to it like a moth to flame. She bowed instead. ¡°My lord.¡± He bowed in return, proper and graceful. ¡°Maid Aegirine.¡± He left as brusquely as he had entered, and without bothering to close the door behind him. Agadart sighed, shutting it firmly before returning to her studies. Guardian Roki was as good as his word. When Dr. Worthan showed up later that afternoon from his visit to the warrens, he told her that she could meet with Mani but only every other day for an hour. She thought that was more than generous for the task and tried not to feel too excited about spending time with the attractive guardian. It was not as if she were a young eligible girl, and it was not as if he were a bachelor. They both had their commitments, as appropriate to their ages. Yet¡­ 16. Too Short an Interlude The following weeks were more than pleasant for Mani. Maid Aegirine was not only well-versed in conduct befitting nobility, she was also cunning enough to explain it intelligently. He had generally found his so-called court tutors to be one or the other, when they were even marginally competent to begin with. Kaaltendt¡¯s natural and cultivated isolationism meant that not many people even wanted ¡°outsiders¡± to understand their more esoteric customs. There was no status to be gained teaching the consort of a foreign dragon the intricacies of behavior and expectations of polite society in Kaaltendt. It wasn¡¯t as if Mani was unfamiliar with court hierarchies and politics, as he had been raised in it as the human brother to seven dragons who were all grandchildren of the reigning queen. His whole family and clan were long-standing nobility of Akanata going back untold generations. He knew how deep to bow and who was the great-granddaughter of the second bastard prince of Etatanku. None of which helped him in the equally ancient but far more bizarre realm of Kaaltendt, a land bereft of dragons. Which was not true, of course. There had always been dragons, but there in the modern era there were so few and they were so looked down upon that it was as if they barely kept their claws dug into the land of their birth. Everyone claimed to loathe Mad King Maganrad for the genocide he exacted out on the very dragons who were loyal to him, but then they paid homage to his madness by continuing the tradition of treating dragons as less than human. Feared, but not respected. Which meant that Maid Aegirine¡¯s lessons were a breath of fresh air. She pulled no punches in discussing the thirty-three noble families and their histories, nor did she seem to have much patience with the politics surrounding Queen Theaedra and her flight. It was clear she knew them all intimately and extensively, and he settled on the fact that she was somehow the daughter of one of those noble families herself. He entertained fanciful notions of her being a runaway from an unhappy marriage, or perhaps cast out for some scandal. She was smart enough never to give him any clues to her own past outside of the obvious, but he always did enjoy a challenge. Of course, it did not hurt that she was also strikingly beautiful. As devoted as he was to his dragon, Mani was only human. Her curves and sloe-eyed beauty were possibly due to her remote heritage, he figured. She was familiar with the regional differences between what she called ¡°the Western Highlands¡± and the court etiquette of the capital located in the middle of the southern steppes of the Uhltric Mountains in a way that suggested personal, rather than secondhand, knowledge. The majority of the people of Kaaltendt that Mani had met were closer to Ro¡¯s looks, tall and swarthy. Maid Aegirine was neither but she was Kaaltendt stock without any doubt. She was different enough from the rank and file to be interesting. Mani had not cared one whit about contracting himself to a dragon when he was sent to Kaaltendt¡¯s shores by his father, simply because it seemed so far-fetched a possibility. He was more ambassador than merchant and so believed he would have little chance to meet many dragons outside of court. He had enjoyed the intimate company of women and men in equal measures during his bachelorhood, and had planned to continue to do so. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Then, of course, Ro had shown up and stolen Mani¡¯s¡­his everything, if he was being truthful. And while he would never say as much to Ro, whom he loved fiercely, he did on occasion miss the attentions of a beautiful lady. So he flirted a little and enjoyed the view in a harmless way, keeping his hands and his mind in their places while she coached him through a number of increasingly complicated and awkward scenarios. She shook her head sadly at his latest fumble. ¡°No, Guardian Roki, if the lord of the manor has three sons by two different wives, remember to address the oldest of the second wife with the same title as the youngest of the first.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Children come in sets, by descending ages. Two can¡¯t be ¡®the youngest.¡¯¡± She sighed, sitting down, and he followed, sitting across from her with possibly less decorum than was proper. He hated the rules of inheritance in Kaaltendt, mostly because they seemed very random to him. Sometimes the elder child could inherent, sometimes they couldn¡¯t; sometimes only girls could inherit, sometimes only boys; and dragons never could inherit anything other than money. The reasons Maid Aegirine gave him for each instance were always complicated and he rarely remembered them. What was the point of having inheritance laws when there were a thousand ¡°exceptions¡± to each one? ¡°It¡¯s just that the firstborn is usually the most important, so no one cares who the youngest is, or if there is more than one who is ¡®the youngest¡¯.¡± ¡°Even if he is the firstborn of another woman? Does she not count?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. There are simply¡­laws.¡± She shrugged. ¡°And the women put up with this?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I do not see my sister, a second wife to a man whose first love died tragically from wing-rot, accepting that her firstborn is not a first born. Because I assure you, my nephew is a firstborn.¡± She tilted her head, thinking. ¡°But that¡¯s just as confusing. Instead of having two youngest, you have two eldest.¡± ¡°Two eldest from different women. Each is eldest in his own right; what rank they are as sons to their father is secondary.¡± Her delicious lips tipped downward. ¡°When you put it that way, it does make more sense.¡± ¡°Of course it does. Akanata is nothing if not orderly and sensible.¡± He nodded, as it was true. ¡°Except for perhaps your religion?¡± She smiled. It was already an old argument, more of a tease than a disagreement, and Mani sighed heavily, feigning persecution. ¡°We should not be judged negatively for the length and complexity of our scripture.¡± ¡°I have seen law books that weighed less.¡± She laughed, and he was so charmed by the rare event that it took him a moment to gather his riposte. ¡°You have never seen more than the first volume of the Katah. The entire text would break your desk.¡± She raised her hands, laughing. ¡°Enough! You cannot threaten me with the mystic ways of the dragon god of Akanata!¡± He smiled and readied to answer, to keep the pleasant banter going, when Dr. Worthan burst through the door like a foot-bound fledgling to shout at Mani, breathless and scattered. ¡°War!¡± 17. War! Maid Aegirine looked at Worthan as if he had gone insane, but Mani knew what he meant. ¡°Isle of Watt has been attacked?¡± He stood up and Maid Aegirine followed, her expression turning to shock as realization set in. ¡°Indeed! Lord Brerttin just landed with dispatches and reports of the siege.¡± ¡°Brerttin?¡± Mani paused. ¡°Rodgardae¡¯s cousin, Lord Brerttin?¡± ¡°Aye, a green-tint swooper, from his mother¡¯s side. Fastest dragon on the Isle. The prince sent him straight over as soon as the coastal battles engaged.¡± Mani nodded. ¡°The admiral is in counsel with Lord Brerttin right now?¡± ¡°Yes. He sent for you, no one knew where you were, so I came straight here.¡± ¡°Damnation. Yes, I¡¯m going.¡± He turned to Maid Aegirine. ¡°Thank you. I must take my leave.¡± She nodded, then gave him a short bow. ¡°No apology needed, Guardian Roki. The news cannot be good and I am certain Admiral Leonteinparre requires your presence.¡± He walked out of the small office, heading for the map room, which Rodgardae had already indicated would be his ¡°war room¡± when the time came. Mani entered and the first thing he saw was a man stretched out in exhaustion on a bench, wearing the simple tunic and breaches provided to a recently transformed dragon. His long lines and swarthy complexion marked him as a member of Rodgardae¡¯s family, and his profile was not unfamiliar either. They could have been brothers, as opposed to cousins. Rodgardae sat in a chair near Lord Brerttin, reading a missive intently. He glanced up sharply when Mani entered. ¡°War.¡± ¡°Dr. Worthan said as much,¡± Mani answered softly, approaching the men. Captain Wildt was next to the large map table with a couple of other dragon officers, who all ignored Mani¡¯s presence. ¡°Lord Brerttin.¡± Mani bowed. The man glanced over at him, smiling broadly in an unaffected, open way that was definitely not like his reserved cousin, who was still frowning at the correspondence in his hands. ¡°Guardian Roki, I presume? Would that our first meeting happen in better circumstances. Forgive my rudeness, but the flight was fast and hard, and I only returned to walking form within the last hour.¡± ¡°Understandable. Most of my family are dragons, I know the stresses of flight and transformation well, even if only by proxy.¡± ¡°Ah, of course. Thank you.¡± He smiled then closed his eyes. Mani looked directly at Rodgardae, who finally looked up again. ¡°Emperor Rhezv is directly attacking the coast of Ouien, but holding some of his forces back, drifting southerly toward the Peveillin Cliffs.¡± ¡°As much as we expected, if sooner,¡± Captain Wildt spoke up, giving Mani a confused shrug. ¡°The tactics are unsurprising, but the timing is. We expected to have a couple of years, at least.¡± Mani nodded. ¡°Something to do with the empire¡¯s dragons, perhaps?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Rodgardae snorted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°What we know of the dragons of Iskaryyva is precious little, but I cannot imagine they are altogether different from us. Makes no sense.¡± Mani walked over to the map, which had little pieces scattered over the coast of Kaaltendt, and massive groupings on and around the Isle of Watt. ¡°This war makes no sense. I think Emperor Rhezv must be insane, to believe he can stage an attack on Kaaltendt from Watt. He¡¯d do as well to take over the Western Lands from a perch in Akanata.¡± Wildt laughed, shaking his head. ¡°No argument from me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s insane or he has other plans, makes no difference in the meantime,¡± Rodgardae snapped, folding up the letter and thwapping it down on his cousin¡¯s chest. ¡°My brother continues to be vague in some important details.¡± ¡°In His Highness¡¯s defense, he sent me out within the hour of the attack. There simply wasn¡¯t much to report.¡± Lord Brerttin grabbed at the papers before they slid off of him, but he did not move otherwise or open his eyes. Mani assumed the flight over had been particularly hard. ¡°The weather is bad too?¡± he asked, earning a surprised glance from Wildt and a few others. Lord Brerttin nodded slowly. ¡°Wretched. Wet and windy and unforgiving. We are going into winter. There will be icebergs in the ocean around us, that is, around Watt. Nothing smart about such a move.¡± ¡°Unless you intend to use the icebergs as floating fortresses. They do not melt quickly, even until they reach Akanata sometimes.¡± Mani tapped the empty area of the ocean between Watt and Iskaryyva. ¡°Damnation.¡± Wildt pinched the bridge of his nose. Rodgardae stood up, speaking to Lord Brerttin. ¡°Sentie, have we heard anything of the giants of Khzern?¡± ¡°A few reportings, nothing¡­no, they couldn¡¯t.¡± Lord Brerttin¡¯s eyes flew open, wide and shocked. Mani shook his head. ¡°The tales of giant dragons are just rumors. We¡¯ve chased them for years ourselves, sent long-range wingmen out to search the southernmost mountains of Iskaryyva, the ones that slip into the Low Sea. No giants.¡± Rodgardae shook his finger at him. ¡°But if they did, if they found them and recruited them somehow, they could use such beasts to carry man and supplies without worrying about boats being wrecked in the winter trade winds¡ª¡± ¡°If they have them, they are staying to the back, close to the coast. Our patrols would have seen them at some point, surely.¡± Lord Brerttin sat up slowly, still pained from his efforts but interested in the speculation. ¡°And there were ships, all over the place.¡± ¡°Too many ships?¡± Wildt asked. There was a long silence before Rodgardae spoke up, voicing the conclusion that Mani had come to as well. ¡°If the whole of the fleet was flung at the coast, it could wear us out while the main thrust of the attack is sitting with the giants back in Iskaryyva. The Imperial Navy will wage war on us mercilessly, if the numbers my brother speaks of are true. They can take a beating, great losses no doubt, but worth the price for softening us up and damaging our front lines.¡± Mani nodded. ¡°A feint. It¡¯s an old dragon tactic, after all.¡± Rodgardae and the other dragons present nodded. Wildt frowned. ¡°No one has seen or heard about any giants. We can¡¯t risk strategy on pure speculation.¡± ¡°Surely His Highness or the dukes have considered this?¡± Lord Brerttin said plaintively. ¡°He has,¡± Rodgardae admitted. ¡°In fact, I suspect his conclusions are similar to ours, given his orders,¡± he said, stopping there with a frown. Mani knew that meant there was something to those orders that he did not like but was not yet sharing. Rodgardae took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°In the meantime, there is no choice but to fight off the naval incursion with everything we have, and pray there is enough left over for what might come next if we do.¡± He stared at the map, worrying his lower lip. ¡°If these speculations are even halfway right, then my brother is correct: this has simply become a matter of whether we will lose the war on the first wave of attack, or the second.¡± For the first time since the possibility of war was mentioned, a heavy chill ran down Mani¡¯s spine. 18. Matrica It bothered Rodgardae that no one had been able to find Mani that morning when Sentie appeared with the bad news. He knew he tended to be jealous of his consort¡¯s time and attentions, and he also knew that Mani was utterly trustworthy in all regards. It was simply in Rodgardae¡¯s nature to be possessive (as was true of most dragons), and when Mani was missing it made Rodgardae cranky. Mostly because he was mad at himself for being mad in the first place, which was a vicious cycle. He knew he could not hold his thoughts in check for too long and it was obvious to Mani that Rodgardae was not happy, above and beyond the unexpected attacks on Watt, so after a sparse lunch of cold cuts brought up to the map room, he made their excuses to his staff and Milles. Gathering up the correspondence from Watt, and sending his cousin off to sleep in a proper bed, Rodgardae left the war room with Mani on his heels. Mani at least held his tongue until they reached their suite ¡ª it was stoked warm, the way both men preferred their quarters ¡ª and switched out his boots for padded slippers. ¡°Ah, Ro. My darling. You¡¯re mad at me.¡± ¡°Arguably, I¡¯m mad at everyone right now, especially Emperor Rhezv.¡± Mani nodded, although Rodgardae did not think it was in agreement. ¡°Where were you earlier?¡± Rodgardae asked, stripping off his jacket and waistcoat. ¡°Ah, now we get to it. You hate when I go missing.¡± ¡°It only disturbs me that you cannot be found.¡± Mani cocked his head. ¡°Is this a matter of language? Because that sounds like what I said.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t own you, Mani. You are not something I misplace and call ¡®missing¡¯. I simply wish to know where you are.¡± Rodgardae sighed, running his hands through his hair. It was short enough that the cowlicks ruled and he was sure it was all sticking up in some crazed way. Mani seemed to like it, which was all that mattered. ¡°No, but it bothers you when I¡¯m not at hand.¡± ¡°It bothers me when no one knows where you are. We¡¯re going to war.¡± Rodgardae walked over to where Mani was sitting and crouched down in front of him, putting one hand on his knee. ¡°War, with a sly and devious enemy whose goals are either obviously crazy or completely inscrutable. I do not need you tethered to me but please at least let Wildt or our staff know where to find you.¡± Mani sighed, but covered Ro¡¯s hand with his own. ¡°Worthan found me. I was reading in his study.¡± ¡°You have a sudden interest in dragon physique?¡± Rodgardae stood up again, somewhat mollified but convinced that Mani was not telling him the full story. His consort was cagey at the best of times, but that was also the nature of a guardian, so he was told. Mani snorted imperiously. ¡°No. But he also has very nice volumes on culture and geography.¡± ¡°Of Watt?¡± ¡°Yes, of Watt. The land my lord comes from, and where we shall be going soon. I thought it fit to know north from south.¡± Mani studied his nails. Sighing, Rodgardae took the wine decanter off the sideboard and set it on the table between the chairs, then fetched their goblets. Mani eyed their drinks. ¡°Early for such extravagances.¡± ¡°You are the one who always complains that we don¡¯t start early enough in the day.¡± ¡°Yes, but after all, it is my charge to try and civilize you north-sea heathens.¡± Mani took his goblet of wine with animated pleasure. Rodgardae settled back in his chair, allowing himself a similar enjoyment of the luxury. He usually kept his drinking habits to the social hours, but given the news of the day and the hard future that faced them, he felt he was owed at least a short moment of repose. ¡°We face dark times ahead.¡± ¡°I know, Love. I try not to imagine it too clearly.¡± Mani studied the wine in his glass. ¡°What troubles you?¡± Mani rolled his eyes, and Rodgardae laughed. ¡°Aside from war, I mean?¡± ¡°You should use me better than you do,¡± Mani said. Rodgardae¡¯s eyebrows shot up and he knew he looked incredulous. They had nearly broken the bed that very morning, and he was not sure he could survive trying to meet his consort¡¯s needs more than he already did. Mani looked at him in confusion before doubling over laughing. ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± Rodgardae grumbled as Mani collected himself, wiping tears from his eyes. ¡°Oh, ha! What I mean is that, unlike the people of Kaaltendt, I was raised around dragons, and now I am guardian to one. I know them intimately, and in fact sat in the nursery dens many a time as a young man to oversee the kits. I do not know war, I make no pretense to soldiering, but I do know dragons better than most here, not counting the dragons themselves or Dr. Worthan.¡± Rodgardae nodded in agreement, for there was nothing to dispute there. ¡°There is nothing for you to do. The day-to-day tending to lairs, and any immediate needs we have, are in the hands of the dragon maids. Dr. Worthan is a most able physician, and I am the military head of this fort.¡± ¡°But you have no Matrica.¡± Mani spread his hands wide. Rodgardae blinked at the archaic term for ¡°Queen¡¯s aide.¡± He knew that Akanata still had revered Matricas, or at least he knew that people held that position in their society, but he truly had no clue as to why. Given their rarity and, in his mind, uselessness, he had never asked. Mani seemed to take his surprise as a question. ¡°Every future dragon consort is trained to be a Matrica. My education is even mentioned in our contract.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Our contract is six feet of rolled calves-hide and written in small script. My brother¡¯s solicitors read it; I didn¡¯t.¡± Rodgardae sipped his wine. ¡°You cared so little for it?¡± Mani smiled teasingly. ¡°The old Akanata tradition of guardians and contracts carry little weight for me. I cared so much for you that I had no concern for what the contract said, as long as it bound me to you.¡± ¡°Hm, I thought it was to bind me to you.¡± Mani sipped his wine, trying to hide his blush. ¡°Whatever it may say, I assure you that I am yours.¡± Mani stared at his wine again. He was a proud and sometimes arrogant man but he always became bashful under the weight of Rodgardae¡¯s affections. Rodgardae suspected that Mani had been the son with the lowest expectations in his family, although he would never ask. But he had seen how his own younger brother had chased approval from those he could never catch up with, and many younger nobles of Watt had burned their fires too hot and too fast in attempts to make up for being the youngest brethren. It was only a suspicion, but Rodgardae was confident that he was right. ¡°Back to our point: the fort lacks a Matrica. Such as it is, all of Kaaltendt outside of Queen Theaedra¡¯s flight lacks a Matrica.¡± He sipped at his wine and stared darkly at Rodgardae. Then he set the glass aside, sitting up properly as if he had made up his mind. Rodgardae waited patiently as there was no use in pushing him. ¡°As for your mystery, I was taking lessons from Maid Aegirine on Kaaltendt etiquette, manners, and politics.¡± Rodgardae bit his lip before answering. ¡°She is a fine woman.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a jealous nag,¡± Mani sighed, rolling his eyes. ¡°But not a blind one. Yes, she is handsome and of a fine figure. I¡¯m not without appreciation, Rodgardae.¡± Rodgardae tried not to glare at him, but failed miserably. He felt lucky that Mani did not humor his jealousy, because it was a thing that could turn dark and nasty if encouraged, as Rodgardae knew too well from his youthful indiscretions at his brother¡¯s court. Clucking his teeth, he shook his head. ¡°I am unconvinced of the need for a Matrica here, nor what your lessons with the entirely too generous Maid Aegirine might have to do with the matter.¡± Mani leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. ¡°Ro, have you any idea what a Matrica does?¡± Rodgardae opened his mouth to give a witty reply, but thought better of it and simply shook his head instead. ¡°We are ambassadors for the dragons. They are our sole concern, above state or country or even the Gods. You are all forthright and honest, but it makes you appear blunt and rude to humans. A Matrica serves as the voice of dragons to the community, the smoother of dragon scales and human pride.¡± ¡°We get along well enough in Watt without them.¡± ¡°Nor do you have a queen.¡± Mani dropped the phrase as bluntly as any dragon would, and Rodgardae could not hold himself back from flinching. Mani sat back in his chair. ¡°If dragons were as common in Kaaltendt as in Akanata, there would Matricas here. If there was a queen to give coherence to your five scattered clans of Watt, you would have Matricas there, serving as the bridge between her inscrutable dragon ways and the humans under her rule.¡± Rodgardae did hold back his cringe, but not without a cost. He knew the history of his country since the death of Queen Esthae was mercurial at best, bloody at its worst. ¡°As Matrica of Fort Endestern I would be your representative to the dragon maids, and to your military, in all social and community matters. Since there is no queen of Watt for me to represent or speak for, I would naturally be beholden to your own prince, securing my loyalty beyond the confines of our contract. With Maid Aegirine¡¯s assistance, I could perform such a role with dignity and efficiency within the mores of Kaaltendt society as well, assisting you in communicating with Queen Theaedra¡¯s court. I mean no word against him, but Captain Wildt, for all his human-like charm, is still a Kaaltendt dragon in the end. Tell me you have not heard him explain dragon matters to your other military staff too plainly at times.¡± ¡°Roosting is rarely dignified, there is no other way to explain it than plainly. I feel that they think we are giant chickens sitting on the cliff, sometimes,¡± Rodgardae muttered, remembering just such a disastrous discussion with lower-level commanders that he had unfortunately been witness to. Mani started laughing again. Rodgardae glared at him. ¡°Five years we¡¯ve been contracted and you have never brought this to me.¡± Mani shrugged. ¡°We have never been stationed at a remote military aerie getting ready to fight the hordes of Iskaryyva ¡ª and possibly the mythological giants of Khzern ¡ª before, either.¡± ¡°You have a point there.¡± Rodgardae waved a hand at him. ¡°I am still not convinced this is necessary, but your timing, as always, is impeccable. I will need assistance in all matters as we prepare to sail to Watt.¡± Mani did a double take. ¡°Sail to Watt?¡± ¡°Your conclusions in the war room reflect my brother¡¯s thoughts on the matter, and his letter was plain: the fall of Watt is nearly guaranteed.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s guaranteed, why go?¡± Mani set down his glass with a heavy clink, anger coloring his expression. ¡°It will be a suicide run.¡± ¡°Our goal is to delay the inevitable, I suppose. And miracles do happen in war, after all. My brother was not, shall we say, generous with specifics. It is much as Captain Wildt spoke earlier, though, and they demand every dragon to the front.¡± ¡°Kaaltendt keeps you here as guard of its coast. Taking your tiny flight of dragons, which need I remind you is not even a full wing, and heading directly into the war zone might be considered abandonment of post.¡± ¡°Rhezv has no shortage of dragons serving him, and neither does Watt. Kaaltendt alone is bereft of its natural defenses. Should Watt fall, then it will not matter if every dragon in Kaaltendt is ordered to fight, there will not be enough of them. One division of Emperor Rhezv¡¯s army will outnumber them, and that¡¯s not counting if the giants of Khzern are actually in the mix. No, the crux of this battle is Watt itself. Both for the defense of my home territory, and to obey my orders from Prince Tonae, we must go defend Watt.¡± ¡°You mean the whole compliment? Dragons, soldiers, dragon maids, support staff?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long enough flight for a fast dragon! By sail it will take weeks!¡± ¡°Sentie flew straight through for four days without stopping. By ship it will take at least seventeen days, possibly three weeks if weather is against us. It will take us two weeks to prepare to leave.¡± He turned the glass in his hands around, studying it. ¡°Which is why my brother called for us now. At best we can continue the defense. At worst, we will be turning around to help evacuate.¡± He knew, but did not add, that the entirety of the government had been moved from the capital to the most western outcrop, the Netherien Naval Base, in preparation for just such an eventuality. He fully expected for them to encounter passenger ships heading in the opposite direction toward Kaaltendt filled with the spouses and children of noble families. It would be a futile effort if Watt fell but both humans and dragons were equally prone to grasping at thin shreds of hope. He felt, sometimes, that Watt had been doing so since Queen Esthae burned. Mani was still staring off into the distance, slightly stunned by the news. Rodgardae could not blame him, as he was not particularly encouraged by the thought himself. Rhezv¡¯s forces were mighty in numbers and strength, and if their speculation about the giants being tamed to use as carriers was even close to truth, then Watt¡¯s downfall was inevitable. The entire encampment of Endestern would be a pebble thrown at a tidal wave. Rodgardae had considered sending Mani back to Akanata for his safety when he first read the orders from his brother. Consorts and mates would not be treated well by the conquerors, Rodgardae knew that for a fact. But given Mani¡¯s proposal to take on the mantel of Matrica of Fort Endestern ¡ª a title that had maybe never existed before, or perhaps so long ago that no one remembered ¡ª he doubted that his beloved would leave his side willingly. They stayed in quiet contemplation for a while, until Mani¡¯s natural restlessness had them dressing for dinner. Rodgardae planned to regroup in the war room after the early meal, and would announce Mani¡¯s new role to his staff at that time. He sent a message to have both Doctor Worthan and Maid Aegirine present for that. If nothing else, they needed to know what was coming for all of them. 19. New Orders Agadart called on her best court manners to stay still and nondescript during dinner with the officers. Dr. Worthan fidgeted a bit next to her, but on the whole, dinner was a quiet affair. The usual compliment of smaller tables had been moved and the tables fitted together to make one large, oblong table for all of them to sit around. Agadart got odd looks from the servants bringing in the dishes, but she honestly did not know why she was there either, so could only commiserate with their confusion. She had been included in the invitation sent to Dr. Worthan, who had himself been confused by the invitation because he had assumed he was going to join the admiral for dinner anyway. Everyone was simply confused overall, she mused, watching some of the junior officers trying to throw each other looks of uncertainty and urgency. By dessert, there was some murmuring around the table, and Doctor Worthan was conversing with a young lieutenant of the Dragon Corps in a genial way about the weather, when Admiral Leonteinparre rapped his glass with a spoon. The room went instantly quiet, people even freezing in their quest to scrape the last of the porrono custard from their bowls. The admiral nodded in acknowledgment of their united attention. To his right, his cousin Lord Brerttin sat looking grim, staring at his glass of wine. On his left, Guardian Roki looked around the table as if weighing the soul of each person there, and finding them all lacking. It was a fierce expression that stirred something unwanted but pleasantly warm in her belly and she firmly told herself to get a grip. ¡°Lord Brerttin brought us news of the war with Iskaryyva.¡± He paused, looking over at Guardian Roki for a moment. ¡°I will speak more on that in a moment. What I wish to inform you first is that Guardian Roki has asked, and I have affirmed, to raise his status to Matrica of Endestern.¡± The dragons present all gasped, while the humans mostly looked puzzled. Doctor Worthan, though, nodded in obvious approval. ¡°I know that Matricas are not in place here in Kaaltendt, and have been unknown in Watt since the death of Queen Esthae, may she fly in peaceful skies eternal.¡± Lord Brerttin and Doctor Worthan mumbled the final phrase along with him and raised their glasses. One young Dragon Corps officer raised his hand like a schoolboy. Admiral Leonteinparre blinked at him for a moment, then nodded. ¡°My grandmother was one of the last two Matricas to Queen Oltia¡¯s court. So, we¡¯ve had them in place, in the past.¡± He looked around uncertainly. ¡°I just wanted to point that out?¡± He tipped his head to show his throat, which made a few of the other Kaaltendt dragons snicker. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant Ruditt. I was unaware that a Matrica had been in place so recently.¡± Admiral Leonteinparre didn¡¯t smile, exactly, but his lips twitched in that direction. ¡°I know that it seems unusual to promote Matrica Roki to this position now. What need has Endestern for a dragon-human liaison? One has not been needed here in generations.¡± Most of the Kaaltendt officers, human and dragon alike, nodded in agreement. ¡°Which brings me to my next point.¡± He stopped and took a deep breath. ¡°Prince Tonae and the five dukes of Watt have ordered the entirety of Endestern to the cause. We leave for the Isle of Watt as soon as possible.¡± There was a stunned silence for a single fragile moment before chaos erupted. Agadart moved as if to get up ¡ª she wasn¡¯t even sure to what purpose, whether to leave or perhaps throw cold water on the panic-stricken lieutenant next to her ¡ª but Worthan put his hand over her forearm, pressing down. She glanced at him as he genteelly sipped his wine. Finally Captain Wildt banged one of the salt kettles on the table until everyone went quiet. He turned to Admiral Leonteinparre. ¡°With all due respect, His Majesty does not have the authority to order Kaaltendt forces into war, much less call us away from our own shores.¡± He looked genuinely regretful to say it, but also firm. Many other officers nodded in relieved agreement. The admiral nodded slowly. ¡°My orders to come to Fort Endestern were a joint collaboration between Queen Theaedra and Prince Tonae. I was given complete discretion on my authority here, with instructions to follow the orders of each monarch as if they were both my own.¡± Matrica Roki stood up. ¡°I witnessed Queen Theaedra signing that order myself.¡± Captain Wildt was still standing, a salt kettle in one hand, a shocked expression on his face. ¡°How?¡± Roki glanced at Admiral Leonteinparre, who nodded, before talking. ¡°The respective monarchs of both Watt and Kaaltendt have been fully aware of Emperor Rhezv¡¯s ambitions for some time, although for obvious reasons they have not admitted such openly. There has never been any doubt that war would come to all of us; the only question was when.¡± He frowned, tapping the table with one finger. ¡°Most political observers had placed the start of aggressions several years out. No one knows, or at least no one has yet shared, why the emperor has begun now.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°The giants of¡ª¡± someone started, but Admiral Leonteinparre cut them off. ¡°No, I do not believe that. It¡¯s possible but unlikely. I suspect there is a motive obscure to us at this point.¡± Captain Wildt nodded thoughtfully. ¡°With all due respect, Admiral, you remain a citizen of a foreign nation, despite your diplomatic ties to the Court of Queen Theaedra. I had assumed you were put in charge of Endestern in a primarily advisory way, and you have never countered that assumption. I would like to see these orders of yours, both of them, for myself.¡± There were a few scandalized gasps from around the table. Agadart knew that sharing orders with staff was highly unusual, and for a subofficer to demand such was nearly tantamount to treason in the eyes of some. Yet, she could not fault Wildt for the request, since neither Admiral Leonteinparre nor his guardian ¡ª his Matrica, now ¡ª were citizens of Kaaltendt. Even Agadart felt an uncomfortable itch between her shoulder blades at the thought of leaving her natal land. She did not consider herself a possessive sort of person, but this was her country, the place she was born, where her father still lived. She joined everyone else in looking expectantly at the admiral. He had not moved since Wildt made his demand, but Matrica Roki had, putting a gentle hand on the admiral¡¯s forearm in much the same way Worthan had settled her down earlier. The admiral finally nodded, but stayed silent as Matrica Roki turned to face them. ¡°I will hold the orders for Captain Wildt to read, in the admiral¡¯s office after dinner.¡± It was clear that only Captain Wildt would be reading them, but that settled everyone else at the table. Lieutenant Gravsech, who was probably a decade older than everyone at the table other than Worthan, sighed heavily. ¡°To set a whole flight to travel is no simple thing, and no one in living memory has ever heard of the entire Fort of Endestern packing up to go overseas for a fight, if it ever happened at all. If we are to leave immediately, we¡¯re only as good as the preparations needed. May I suggest that dinner be concluded so that we may all take stock?¡± ¡°An excellent suggestion, Lieutenant Gravsech. If you would kindly inform Mistress Seraphinite of our orders, as well? The dragon maids will be traveling with the wing when we depart,¡± Admiral Leonteinparre said. ¡°Naturally, sir,¡± Lt. Gravsech said, throwing a look over at Captain Wildt before standing up and bowing, everyone else quick to their feet to follow his example before shuffling out the door. This left the admiral, Matrica Roki, Captain Wildt, Worthan, and Agadart in the room. She glanced over at the doctor but he gave her a minute shake of his head, so she kept her seat and simply folded her hands in her lap as everyone else sat back down. Matrica Roki sat back and folded his hands over his abdomen, staring at the far wall. The admiral went back to finishing his dessert. Captain Wildt was still for a moment before leaning forward and putting his head in his hands. No one spoke for a while, until Worthan stood up to reach for the wine jug. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect anyone to be ecstatic about this, surely?¡± he said to the room at large as he refilled his glass. ¡°Of course not.¡± The admiral pushed his dessert dish away. ¡°Fort Endestern has not even seen battle in twelve hundred years,¡± Captain Wildt said, sitting up properly and attacking his own wineglass. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to ask twenty dragons and five hundred soldiers to pick up sticks and go to Watt on the orders of a foreign prince.¡± He paused. ¡°No offense meant, Admiral.¡± ¡°None taken.¡± The admiral settled into his chair, his own wine in his hand. ¡°Maid Aegirine, please, feel free to have a glass of wine if you like.¡± He smiled at her politely. Dragon maids were not supposed to drink alcohol, ever, for any reason. Doing so could be grounds to get her thrown out of the corps entirely. She eyed the wine jug for only a moment before taking her as-yet unused wineglass and filling it. Worthan snorted in amusement, and Matrica Roki tipped his head to give her a benevolent grin. ¡°To your¡­is it a promotion?¡± She looked over at him with her glass held up. Captain Wildt and Worthan quickly imitated her. ¡°Not technically, but I suppose in this situation it very much is. Prior to this I held no official position on the rolls of Fort Endestern.¡± Matrica Roki¡¯s eyes crinkled up into half-moons in amusement. ¡°Then congratulations, Matrica Roki. We are honored.¡± Captain Wildt finished the toast for them and they all drank, some more deeply than others. ¡°None of that, please.¡± Matrica Roki stood up. ¡°Captain, let us adjourn to the admiral¡¯s offices so I can show you the orders.¡± Wildt responded with a weary nod and followed him out. The admiral watched them go, his face set in the usual unreadable countenance that seemed to be more due to personality than to being a dragon. Compared to him, some of the younger dragons were extravagant emoters. ¡°The emperor has grand appetites if he¡¯s set his gaze on Kaaltendt,¡± Worthan said quietly, studying his wine. ¡°But he¡¯s been content to play his cards slowly so far.¡± The admiral nodded slowly, then leaned back in his chair and tipped his head up, closing his eyes. Agadart glanced away from admiring his noble profile as he spoke. ¡°Every intelligence brief I¡¯ve been privy to has made it clear that at his current rate of armament, full-scale war was two to five years out. Something tipped his hand. We don¡¯t know what, or it has not been shared outside of my brother¡¯s counsel in any case, but there is something. Emperor Rhezv is many things, but he¡¯s not a fool.¡± Agadart kept thinking about what Captain Wildt said. According to the histories she had read in her father¡¯s library, Kaaltendt was simply too remote from the other great nations to bother trying to invade. Fort Endestern was technically a defensive measure, but in practical terms was too remote from any important cities in Kaaltendt to factor into politics much at all. It seemed ironic to her that if Watt fell to Emperor Rhezv, Fort Endestern would become immaterial to Kaaltendt¡¯s defense. The hordes of Iskaryyva would simply overrun them. 20. Something of a Shame Word quickly spread that Captain Wildt had confirmed the orders with his own eyes, and for nearly a whole day everyone from the officers down to the apprentice dragons maids were walking around in shock. That faded quickly into an extended burst of energy as the immense scope of their collective mission hit home. They had two weeks to be ready to sail. The admiral was fierce in the face of the massive operation, and Agadart thought that part of his mood was due to the grim news that was coming regularly out of Watt, sometimes by dragon, occasionally by ship. She mostly saw him during his conferences with Worthan, where she was acknowledged but otherwise ignored while they went over supply lists and tried to reassure each other that Watt had a fighting chance against the emperor¡¯s forces. The first week flew by, but by the second week, tempers were fraying. The dragons, who were all being required to resume their walking forms for the trip, were particularly stressed. Agadart saw little of it, practically chained to her desk doing a crash course on dragon physique and the general culture of dragons on Watt. There were, apparently, some things one should never ever ask a Wattish dragon, such as ¡°how big was your sibling clutch?¡± and ¡°how old were you when you first took flight?¡± Agadart thought that was all very silly, but Worthan assured her that doing so might get her bitten. The realization that their medical patients could bite her was an entirely new concept to her. When she expressed as much to Worthan, he simply laughed and walked away. She was neck-deep in her studies when the door to the office flew open and Mistress Seraphinite stormed in. ¡°Doctor Worthan!¡± Agadart was stumbling to her feet before Mistress Seraphinite finished shouting. ¡°He was called to the war room by Admiral Leonteinparre!¡± She shifted awkwardly for a moment, trying to get her body to stand at attention. Mistress Seraphinite stared at her for a moment, her expression gone very blank but her eyes betraying her anger. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking through clinched teeth. ¡°This was the third time a dragon sent a maid screaming from the warrens. If they want their lairs cleaned or help with packing, they need to stop taking their frustrations out on my maids.¡± Agadart nodded in agreement but could not think of anything to say. She had absolutely no authority over the dragons. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. ¡°I can tell Doctor Worthan?¡± she offered. ¡°Tell whomever will listen. I cannot even get an audience with the admiral, and his consort¡ª¡± She paused, took a deep breath, then started again. ¡°His Matrica finds the situation hilarious.¡± Her expression was thunderous. ¡°He¡­he laughed at you?¡± Agadart frowned. She had thought Matrica Roki would take a more serious view of his duties. ¡°He chuckled, then excused himself from the room. I¡¯m sure the very idea of dragon maids is funny to him, but we take our jobs seriously and we have an important role in the Dragon Corps.¡± She looked Agadart over with an unfriendly eye. ¡°And everyone knows he will listen to you.¡± Agadart, used to much finer stilettos from her time at court, managed to keep her own temper from flaring. She tilted her head. ¡°I was unaware that anyone would carry more weight with the Matrica than the Mistress of the Maids, but I will bring it up whenever I have the opportunity of being in his audience again.¡± Mistress Seraphinite¡¯s eyes narrowed, but she did not stay to continue to battle with false politeness. Instead she nodded once and turned on her heel, leaving with as much vigor and noise as she had arrived with, slamming the door shut behind her. Agadart rang for one of the ensigns assigned to Worthan and asked him to send for the Matrica. The boy gulped a few times but then dashed off. Finally, Agadart collapsed back into her chair, wondering unkindly if Mistress Seraphinite was purposely trying to make her life difficult. She knew that was not the truth of it, even if she was certain the other woman did not like her very much due to her background. Matrica Roki walked in without knocking while she was deep into wrestling with those thoughts. She started at the noise. ¡°Does no one knock?¡± she asked, stomping to her feet. He froze mid-stride, surprised by her outburst. ¡°Maid Aegirine? You sent for me?¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°Of course I did no such thing. One does not send for the Matrica. One requests an audience. Do you think I was raised on a fruit wagon?¡± He lowered his foot, a grin spreading across his face. ¡°So you have been to Queen Theaedra¡¯s court!¡± ¡°Is that your sole takeaway?¡± ¡°For now.¡± He nodded and motioned at the Berg¨¨re chairs by the window. ¡°Shall we?¡± She nodded with as much regality as she could muster and sat down across from him. ¡°What was the reason you requested an audience?¡± He sat in the chair casually, crossing one leg over another. ¡°I just had a visit from Mistress Seraphinite.¡± He frowned, but waited for her to continue. ¡°It¡¯s about the issue of the dragons being short-tempered with the dragon maids.¡± ¡°Oh. That.¡± ¡°Mani! It is one thing for them to snap and growl at each other, but remember that most of the dragon maids here are still apprentices! They are not¡ª¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He raised his hand to stop her, a slight smile on his lips. ¡°That woman doesn¡¯t waste the wind under her wings, does she? That happened only a few hours ago.¡± It was Agadart¡¯s turn to frown. ¡°She said you laughed it off, but I admit that I am surprised you would take such a thing so lightly.¡± He sighed. ¡°Yes, I found it amusing, but that does not change the fact that I planned to bring it up with my¡­with Admiral Leonteinparre.¡± Agadart cleared her throat, embarrassed at overreacting. ¡°Ah. Well, good! Then I suppose I sent for you for no reason at all.¡± He smiled and relaxed further in the chair. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m glad to take any excuse to get away from the madness. And your defense of your fellow Dragon Maids Corps members was very, ah, queenly.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°That means something different in Kaaltendt than what you intend.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Perhaps I mean it both ways.¡± He let out a long breath. ¡°In any case, everyone is on edge, humans and dragons alike, and for all the same reasons. I doubt there will be any calming down at this point. From here on out, our circumstances are bound to just get worse.¡± Agadart decided the conversation was not going to improve, so she got up and brought over a jug of wine from the sideboard and poured for both of them before sitting down again. ¡°Doctor Worthan won¡¯t tell me specifics, but what little he shares sounds grim. Are things really that bad on the front?¡± ¡°Word is the southern coast of the island was decimated in the first wave of attacks,¡± he said softly, his expression tight. ¡°The Leonteinparre estates are west of the location, but the duke knows it is probable that friends and family have fallen.¡± Mani leaned back in his chair again, sipping his glass of wine thoughtfully. ¡°Have you never been to the Isle of Watt?¡± Agadart asked. She was fairly sure Mani had never left Kaaltendt since his contract to the admiral had been signed, but the way Mani talked about the place made her think he knew it well. He seemed to pick up on her thoughts. ¡°No, I have never been, and before Rodgardae I never intended to go. It sounded cold and rocky and forbidding¡ªmuch like Endestern itself.¡± He gave a small laugh at that, and Agadart smiled in return. ¡°But I knew when I contracted with a duke of Watt that my life would end up there, eventually. Maybe not as soon as it is, but nonetheless it became an inevitability. And I shall have to trip over the social graces there as nimbly as I do here¡­which is to say, not at all. However, I took it upon myself after our commitment ceremony to study my lord¡¯s homeland. I¡¯ve read histories, and studied the geography. Rodgardae has shown me the map of his family¡¯s holdings.¡± He sighed heavily, returning to his wine. ¡°And it is even further from Akanata than Kaaltendt is,¡± Agadart said softly. As hard as it had been for her to travel across the wide continent to Endestern, it did not compare with leaving her native land entirely. ¡°Yes. My mother swore never to visit me there, claiming her wings would freeze.¡± Mani laughed. Agadart paused. ¡°I had no idea your mother is a dragon.¡± Mani¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡°Why yes, she is. My father, no; but her and my brothers are all fliers. I was born the human way, and have no desire to ride the winds. I am happy being simply human, but I am very used to living deep in the hearth of a dragon clutch. It is common in Akanata, as we have as many dragons as humans among our population. So, the company of Rodgardae, whom so many in Kaaltendt found odd, was familiar to me.¡± Agadart played with the rim of her glass before speaking. Mani let her have her time, realizing that she was preparing to share something important. With a deep breath she spoke. ¡°My uncle is a dragon.¡± He blinked at her, then smiled. ¡°How wonderful! Where is he stationed?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. For us, for my father and our family, it is something of a shame. A dragon in the family! No, here in Kaaltendt, that is not a good thing. It is something I have shared with almost no one who did not already know.¡± Mani frowned. ¡°I have seen this attitude, but I was not aware it was so ingrained.¡± ¡°He was firstborn, set to take the title, but being a dragon, there was question of his suitability. So he left to become a soldier of fortune. Last my father received word, my uncle had traveled over the desert wastes to become a liege of a queen of the Westlands. That was some time ago.¡± ¡°Throwing away family for sake of human pride? Perhaps I¡¯m not so upset to leave Kaaltendt as I profess.¡± His voice held scorn and displeasure, but Agadart could not bring herself to answer it. He looked at her for a long moment. ¡°It does explain your natural affinity for working in the aerie, and handling the medicine. You have dragon in your blood.¡± She sat up straight. A comment like that in polite society was no less than a slap in the face, and it was hard for her to counter her emotional reaction. Mani saw it and held up a hand in supplication. ¡°Among my people, it is a compliment. Forgive me.¡± He didn¡¯t sound too regretful, but she knew it was his nature to be angry rather than morose about such things. She allowed herself to slump a little. ¡°I know. Working here has been¡­honestly, I thought it would be a trial. My life has taken some unfortunate turns, and I wish I could have simply hidden away at my father¡¯s estates. But I was sent as far from that world as possible. I was prepared to accept the hard and unpleasant work and lack of luxuries, but what I found was, for a moment, much greater than that. The work was hard, but fulfilling in its simplicity. I liked the dragons, even. I¡­I thought I could have a home in the corps.¡± She looked out the window. ¡°I see you sometimes,¡± Mani said softly, startling Agadart out of her reverie. She stared at him, wondering what he possibly meant. He smiled. ¡°Knowing you are dragonkin, it makes sense now, the way you watch them longingly when they fly out.¡± He leaned over and put his hand on her knee, gently, as a lover might, but a chill went down her spine in a way never inspired by her former husband. ¡°You watch them, craning your neck, almost aching to follow.¡± Agadart looked up into his eyes and lost herself, gazing at him in wonder. He was handsome, she had always known that, but he was so close she could feel the warmth of his skin and it almost burned through her skirts where he touched her. The door slammed open, Admiral Leonteinparre walking in and then stopping dead to see them in such an intimate moment. Agadart knocked the side table as she jumped up, catching it before it fell over, grateful that the wine bottle was further away. As she frantically tried to compose herself, Mani simply leaned back in his chair, his legs stretched out, looking like a negligent and indulgent prince as he held his wine, his eyes darkly focused on the admiral. ¡°If you wish to oversee the packing of our quarters, now is the time to present yourself.¡± The admiral¡¯s tone and posture were stiff as he stared down at his consort. ¡°I¡¯ll be along shortly.¡± Mani sipped from his glass, his eyes never leaving their prey. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you.¡± The admiral¡¯s jaw actually twitched. ¡°I am needed to assist Doctor Worthan,¡± Agadart clipped and headed for the door, but stopped when the admiral stepped into her path. She squared her shoulders and looked up at him, expecting the worst of his temper ¡ª jealous men were rarely soft-spoken. Instead he just stared at her with an open curiosity. Clearly, his anger was reserved for his consort, and Agadart was perfectly at peace with that for the moment. She bowed when it became clear he had nothing to say, and then left. She knew this would spell the end of her tutoring Mani on the ways of Kaaltendt society, but with their sea journey beginning the following day, chances were slim he would ever need to use that knowledge again¡­because chances were slim that any of them would return to the cliffs of Endestern, or Kaaltendt itself. 21. Triamond Mani had followed him quietly to their rooms. The majority of their belongings had already been packed into trunks by staff and hauled down to the docks to be loaded onto the ship they would be sailing to Watt. That left personal belongings and a few changes of clothes for them to sort out personally. There was one open trunk in the middle of their bedroom, and several empty satchels ready to be filled. Mani brushed by him and sat on the bed, leaning forward with his hands braced on either side of him. ¡°Is this what jealousy looks like on you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rodgardae turned his back to his mate and opened a drawer to start placing his jewelry into a small carrier. ¡°No. I¡ª.¡± ¡°It was a compromising position, after all,¡± Mani said, staring at him, his inflection flat. It had been a very compromising position, but the feelings Rodgardae had felt then were not anger or fear, and the jealousy he experienced was not what Mani clearly assumed. ¡°Go on, yell at me then. Everyone¡¯s temper is short and hot, I understand.¡± His voice remained emotionless. ¡°You started without me,¡± Rodgardae snapped, then froze when he realized what he had said. ¡°I¡­what?¡± Mani stood up. ¡°Wait. Hold on. You were mad because I didn¡¯t wait for you to seduce Maid Aegirine?¡± He sounded torn between being delighted and being furious. ¡°Are you teasing me?¡± Rodgardae snorted. ¡°When have I ever?¡± Mani came up to stand behind him, not quite close enough to touch, but Rodgardae felt his warm presence. ¡°Ro, my beloved. Does Maid Aegirine pique your interest?¡± ¡°We have agreed that she is quite beautiful.¡± Ro did not move, frozen with one of his favorite broaches in his hand. ¡°We have.¡± Mani sounded amused. ¡°Yet, you¡¯ve never mentioned an interest in bringing her to our bed, or building a triamond¡ª¡± Rodgardae squawked at that, as undignified as it was. ¡°Who said anything about a triamond? We¡¯ve never¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mani interrupted. ¡°We¡¯ve never. Even when we were propositioned at the Kaaltendt court, we¡¯ve turned them down. I assumed because you had no such proclivities.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°I had no such proclivities with them,¡± Rodgardae clarified. ¡°Oh.¡± Mani ran one finger down Rodgardae¡¯s spine, from his neck to his tailbone. His nerves lit up. ¡°Mani,¡± he started to say something, but the thoughts flew away. ¡°It¡¯s not that you oppose the idea, you are just picky.¡± He placed hands on Rodgardae¡¯s hips. ¡°I thought you knew that.¡± ¡°That you¡¯re picky? Yes, I know that well. But we¡¯ve never talked about triamonds, for or against. I assumed with how you flippantly turned down some of the greatest beauties of Kaaltendt, it was not to your tastes.¡± ¡°I was not flippant,¡± Rodgardae argued, because he was proud of his formal etiquette and manners, damnit. ¡°That is what you want to argue about?¡± Mani shoved him to spin him around so they were facing each other. Mani brushed his lips over his, whispering. ¡°You were mad that I had a hand on her, and you didn¡¯t?¡± Rodgardae¡¯s words fled, leaving him with little more than draconic grumblings which, in his walking form, sounded more like a hungry kit than a grown dragon. ¡°Or mad that you had not been invited to watch?¡± Mani laughed before kissing him properly. Rodgardae dropped the broach he still had in his hand and wrapped his arms around his mate. They kissed for a while, heated but not going anywhere for the moment, until Mani pulled away to study his face. ¡°Would you? If she were interested?¡± ¡°I would, if the both of you were interested,¡± Ro said, breathlessly. ¡°I am very interested, I think you know that. I find her enchanting in ways most Kaaltendt humans are not.¡± Rodgardae rolled his eyes. ¡°You like her air of mystery.¡± ¡°I do! But also, hmm¡­¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°What do you like about her?¡± Rodgardae stopped to think for a moment. She was gorgeous, but not the greatest beauty he had ever seen. By all reports she was a competent dragon maid, and Milles was pleased with how quickly she was learning about draconic medicine. There was something to her that made his heart rate pick up though, something about her that was clever. As a dragon he would say that her blood sang to him, but humans rarely liked that kind of metaphor. Then again, his mate was Lord Mani Roki, guardian and Matrica, son of Akanata. ¡°Her blood sings to me,¡± he said softly, looking down into Mani¡¯s brilliant green eyes. ¡°Oh,¡± Mani said, his expression going soft with wonder. ¡°Mn,¡± Rodgardae hummed in agreement. Mani shuffled even closer. ¡°I can work with that.¡± Rodgardae figured the packing could wait. 22. The Journey Begins The trip was to last twenty days at most, given sea currents and winds and distance, but hopes were high that it would take no longer than two weeks. Agadart expected to spend most of her time continuing her studies with Worthan. That was exactly how she started out the first couple of days, but then everyone got bored and evenings were given over to socializing. At least that was something she had an abundance of experience with, if usually not in such informal a setting. It almost felt like a vacation from the real world, as if being on the seas put them into a no-man¡¯s-land where nothing mattered the way it did on land. She spent several dinners as the guest of the younger officers (stiff, formal, and too polite, with the ensigns fidgeting in their heavily pressed uniforms while being scolded by the lieutenants) and then at the captain¡¯s table, where she sat at the very end, far from the ship¡¯s captain and Admiral Leonteinparre. It reminded her in unpleasant ways of her years at court, where she was constrained by the rules of etiquette and the expectations placed on her as Baroness Stewardt. The main difference was that, given her status as a dragon maid, she was not expected to participate in conversation nor have opinions about politics, which was just as well, since she was fairly sure that anyone with a keen mind would quickly see through to the nature of her background. Matrica Roki had discerned as much on less evidence, so Agadart was at peace with keeping quiet and polite, even if it all was stultifyingly boring. The eighth night, they were more than halfway to the Isle of Watt and everyone was of good spirits. The ship captain begged off hosting dinner, claiming to need to focus on navigation and whatnot, although Agadart suspected he was simply a man who liked his own company and needed an evening to himself. She was happy to set up in the cabin set aside as the medical bay, which was where her own hammock was slung since Worthan was bunking in with the lieutenants in a forward cabin. The seas were calm so as the sun set outside of the small porthole, she decided to risk a reading lamp. As she lit it, a knock came at the door. ¡°Maid Aegirine, Admiral Leonteinparre bids you join him, Matrica Roki, and Doctor Worthan for dinner.¡± Sighing heavily as the ensign shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, Agadart nodded. ¡°Tell him I will attend momentarily.¡± The ensign was pleased to have a reason to escape ¡ª Heavens only knew what he had once been told about dragon maids ¡ª and Agadart turned to dress for dinner. There was not much she could do other than switch out her overgown with one a bit more formal. Her hair, petticoats, and shoes were a loss but she knew that most everyone else who didn¡¯t have an actual uniform had the same limitations. She knocked on the door to the admiral¡¯s private cabin, which was probably the ship¡¯s lieutenant¡¯s own cabin given its primary location fore, to find only the admiral and his consort in residence. Both men gave her polite bows and she looked around awkwardly for a moment before Mani stepped up. ¡°The doctor was to join us, but I believe he¡¯s found a card game he cannot refuse,¡± he said, his expression polite and a little contrite for the situation. ¡°Oh.¡± The admiral swept his arm around the small room that had been reorganized to make way for a short table full of food. Three chairs were crammed around it. ¡°It is not Kaaltendt tradition for a woman to dine alone with two men who are not relatives, but given your status as dragon maid and assistant to Doctor Worthan, I felt it would not be detrimental to you. However if you decide that it is inappropriate, you are free to go.¡± ¡°No!¡± She shook her head and both men¡¯s eyebrows went up in surprise. She smiled. ¡°No, it is acceptable. I would enjoy a quiet evening with familiar company,¡± she said, nodding at Mani, who smiled broadly and led her to the table. ¡°We are so grateful, otherwise we would be forced to host the ensigns, who are irredeemably boring.¡± ¡°Mani,¡± the admiral sighed, although his exasperation was tinged with fondness. He turned back to Agadart. ¡°Both of us come from cultures where unaccompanied women are more common, and thus less prone to gossip. Mani was concerned you would refuse.¡± ¡°Again, the ensigns,¡± Mani stressed. Agadart laughed and sat in the proffered chair. The men scuttled up against the other wall to take their own seats, trying not to dislodge the table. She nodded towards Mani while looking at the admiral. ¡°By Kaaltendt custom, I must point out that due to your consort being present, your invitation is considered quite proper.¡± She smiled. Both men stalled, hands on their napkins and wide-eyed looks on their faces as they stared at her. She frowned, trying to understand what they could possibly be thinking, then felt herself go crimson. ¡°Oh!¡± Mani all but stuffed the napkin in his mouth trying to stifle his laughter, his whole body shaking, while the admiral looked supremely embarrassed and uncomfortable and red-faced. Agadart reached for words. ¡°I expect¡­there are different traditions in Watt?¡± she asked carefully. Mani was reduced to covering his whole face while the admiral glared at him. ¡°Such, ah, alliances? Shall we say? Are not unheard of. I admit I was quite taken aback at court by the considerable number of mistresses.¡± He coughed. ¡°But I suppose such solutions are necessary when, uhm, beds are so small?¡± Agadart tried to parse what he was saying. ¡°There are no mistresses in Watt?¡± Back on safer ground, the admiral shrugged then offered to serve her, reaching for her plate, which she handed over in surprise. ¡°Not as such. We call them triamonds. As in triangle? They are more stable, we find, and it allows children born of such unions to be legitimately recognized. I mean no offense when I say that Kaaltendt is overrun with bastards.¡± ¡°I suppose this is true. I have never considered it from another perspective.¡± Agadart thought of the number of illegitimate children of nobles, including her cousin, and the significant number of scandals and threats to titles they always involved. More than a few legal cases as well. Mani had recovered himself and handed his plate to the admiral to be filled. ¡°I think it is once again tied to dragons. My country is much the same as Watt, allowing different configurations of romance and marriage. Dragons in general tend to be more open with their affections, whereas it can complicate human matters of the heart.¡± ¡°That is only true for some of us, consort,¡± the admiral said curtly as he put food on Mani¡¯s plate and passed it back to him. ¡°You are only jealous of those you don¡¯t find interesting yourself,¡± Mani said with a haughty sniff. Agadart focused on her food, which was not quite as lavish as their first couple of days at sea but was still fresh and well prepared. The admiral did not deign to reply to Mani on that point, and instead served himself. ¡°Is it common practice for lords to serve themselves and guests, in Watt?¡± Agadart asked. She had not mentioned it at first, too caught off guard to comment, but it was not something she had ever seen before. Usually at least a steward was on hand to serve. The admiral tilted his head. ¡°It is, in small private company. It is considered gentlemanly and proper. I remember the many, many lessons our house butler gave me and my siblings on serving etiquette. I was actually quite charmed by the Kaaltendt practice of never touching your own food until it is plated for you.¡± Mani waved a hand around. ¡°Akanata is more like Kaaltendt in this. I was appalled the first time Ro served me food.¡± The admiral, whom Agadart could not quite bear to call ¡°Ro,¡± even in her own head, smiled softly at Mani. ¡°It was quite an adventurous honeymoon.¡± Agadart focused on her vegetables, which admittedly were a little wilted. Even just eight days at sea was not good for the food stores, she supposed, as she pushed some mushy saut¨¦ed squash onto her fork. ¡°Did we make you uncomfortable?¡± the admiral asked, his tone almost painfully mild and polite. Agadart looked up to see Mani frowning at his own plate, assaulting the slab of grilled meat as if it had offended him. ¡°No, Admiral, it simply struck me as a private moment.¡± The admiral chewed slowly, staring at her for a long moment before glancing at Mani. ¡°You always fear the worst.¡± ¡°I do not understand this puchairt country,¡± Mani grumbled. ¡°Pusaird?¡± Agadart asked, never having heard Kaaltendt described with that term. The admiral barked out a surprised laugh while Mani choked on his food. The admiral slapped his back a few times. Mani gasped for breath and waved his arms around. ¡°Maid Aegirine! Never repeat that.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Agadart stared between them, realizing that it was probably an Akanatan curse word. The men waited for the abjuration they surely would have gotten from any noble lady who figured out as much, visibly torn between mirth and dignified horror, which neither was succeeding at very well. Unable to contain herself, Agadart laughed. ¡°You both look like naughty schoolboys.¡± Mani¡¯s shoulders relaxed and they laughed with her. The admiral shook his head and rolled his eyes at Mani, and in that moment he was transformed from the handsome but distant soldier and nobleman Agadart had first spotting getting off the train at Endestern into a charming, warmhearted man. Her admiration must have been too visible, as Mani caught her looking and winked. She frowned at him but he laughed again so she focused once again on her food. They talked some more about the trip and her studies with Dr. Worthan, and it was all pleasant enough that Agadart relaxed to the point that when the admiral piled up the plates and serving dishes, she found herself mourning the end of the evening. Just as she was starting to rise, the admiral laid his hand on her arm, holding her in place with a surprisingly gentle touch for a dragon. She looked up at him. He stared down at her for a moment too long, his gaze calculating, but then he pulled his hand back and smiled. ¡°We have wine that needs to be drank.¡± Agadart looked over at Mani, who was already pouring three glasses out. As the admiral pushed the table as far as it would go towards the bed shelf (which, Agadart noticed with a flush, was just barely big enough for two people), Mani handed her a glass. ¡°We expect nothing but the pleasure of your company, Maid Aegirine,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°If this is a seduction, you fed me too much. I am lethargic on roast.¡± She smiled. It was all fairly scandalous compared to the world she had moved through at court, with the strict lines of propriety and class, but as Mani had pointed out earlier, as a dragon maid she was somewhat exempt from those rules. She had always preferred time spent with her father and childhood friends over the rarefied atmosphere she had married into, and despite the admiral¡¯s formal title as a duke of Watt, he was in private almost as forthright and easygoing as Mani. Mani laughed at her words. ¡°Less food, more wine, for Kaaltendt women?¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± she said, sipping her wine. The admiral sighed heavily at them as he eased back into his chair, this time with room enough to let his long legs trail out in front of him. Agadart was slightly ashamed of how easy it was to imagine him debauched from a night spent in bed with his lover, but on the other hand it was a very pleasant image. Mani also stretched out, still conscious of his fine suit but far more relaxed than Agadart usually saw him. Taking their cue, she unwound a little, letting her back relax and sitting askance in the chair, her feet tucked up on a bracer bar. It made her feel young, reminded of times spent sitting similarly in her father¡¯s den, drinking her hot chocolate while he sipped brandy and read one of his science books out loud to her. ¡°You are wearing such a happy expression,¡± the admiral noted quietly. Agadart startled at his words, but he smiled. ¡°Far happier than the vintage calls for,¡± he added, raising his wine glass. ¡°Remembering my father, reading in his den. Many nights we kept company, when Mother was too sick to join.¡± Mani pursed his lips, staring into his glass, but the admiral nodded. ¡°Fond memories are the best cause of happiness,¡± he said, his expression almost unbearably soft. Agadart looked away. ¡°I have many. My life has not been as harsh as dragon maid lore often suggests.¡± ¡°Not left flat, begging on a street corner for bread?¡± Mani asked, his mouth quirking at the joke. ¡°Not quite, no,¡± Agadart answered with her own smile. ¡°But you are a noble lady, yes?¡± the admiral asked, and it was clear from his expression and Mani¡¯s grunt of displeasure that he knew he was overstepping. Agadart played with her glass. She was less worried about being found out by him than being sent home in disgrace because of it, but they were just days away from Watt and, therefore, war. She doubted anything would come of being honest, at least insofar as what she had already revealed to Mani in private. ¡°Yes, but it is not something I wish to trade on.¡± ¡°We met at court,¡± the admiral added, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. It wasn¡¯t quite a question, but it was also not a declaration that he knew who she was specifically, just that he had finally recognized her from somewhere. ¡°Perhaps? I was there, in season.¡± The admiral nodded and sat back again, apparently content to let the subject go. Agadart glanced at Mani, trying to get a read on him, but he was staring at the admiral with an unreadable expression. As they emptied the wine bottle, conversation moved on to a discussion of what Emperor Rhezv¡¯s motives for starting his attack earlier than anyone anticipated could possibly be, and what the admiral knew of Watt¡¯s defenses. Agadart felt warm and comfortable, much as she did at home, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh when the music of the sailors drifted down from topside. They played every night, jigs and maudlin love songs and very poor renditions of popular tunes, and some of them where at least proficient if short of talented. The admiral stopped in the middle of a description of dragon-enforced battlements to look at her. ¡°Do you dance?¡± The song in play was a simple dancing waltz, different instruments weaving in and out of the tune as different sailors joined in. ¡°Of course, Admiral,¡± she said, because it was true. She had loved dancing once, remembering how it felt to fly across the floor with a competent partner. If there was one single thing she allowed herself to remember fondly of her husband, it was that he was an excellent dancer. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got him now,¡± Mani said, and Agadart realized that he had probably imbibed a few more glasses of wine than she had if the slightly glazed look of his eyes was any indication. ¡°All dragons love to dance, even if they don¡¯t admit it.¡± ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m a dragon in secret, then, for I love nothing more!¡± she cheered, then blushed in realization that perhaps she, too, had imbibed more glasses than she had realized. She started in surprise as the admiral glided to his feet, giving his glass to Mani and holding out his other hand to Agadart. She laughed, looking around the small, cramped cabin. He kept his hand out, his normally stern and dour countenance softened by a hint of a smile. His mouth was lush and red from the wine, and against her better judgment Agadart stood up and met him in the middle. He did not crowd her but brought her in closer to hold her in an odd configuration that she assumed was a style from his homeland, with one hand low on her back and the other holding her hand, their forearms up and pressed together. They were much closer than any standard dance form of Kaaltendt, their torsos almost touching, and she felt herself blush even further. She waved her other hand around a little until Mani laughed and said, ¡°The shoulder! The shoulder!¡± She almost giggled putting her hand up on the admiral¡¯s shoulder, given how tall he was to her, but managed to keep her dignity a little. Mani had an inch or two on her, but the admiral was easily a wide hand span taller. He moved them to her left in a small step, which she tried to mirror, then he moved her back, and after a few more steps she realized he was moving them in a square, a very small box with their feet swinging out and back and forward to the rhythm of the song from above. Mani was humming along, and Agadart was trying to keep up with the smooth, fluid movements of the admiral. He was warm, his skin blazing with heat much as dragons did in their draconic form, and he smelled of the iron of their hides. However, it was not the burnt scent she was familiar with from the warrens, but musky and human. ¡°Please call me Rodgardae,¡± he said softly, his words gusting over her ear and making her shudder. ¡°Rodgardae,¡± she whispered back, and he spun her around. They danced and danced, and by the third song, which was a jig, she felt the wine had drained from her blood and left desire in its wake. It nearly made her head spin, being so close to a dragon in his walking form, and she swayed towards him like a flower to the light. For that brief moment, he was everything, and then he was kissing her, pulling her in tight against his body. Agadart gasped, which deepened the kiss, and she lost track of whether that was what she wanted or not. She shuddered as another hand ran gently up her back. ¡°Aegirine,¡± Mani said, his lips near the back of her neck. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, struck speechless by the feeling of being pressed between the two men. She instinctively tilted her chin up to reach for Rodgardae¡¯s lips as Mani continued to mouth down the soft skin under her jaw. After a moment Rodgardae pulled back and his eyes were blazing, his power barely contained within. ¡°You taste like flight, like the green lights of the sky¡¯s borders,¡± he said breathlessly. ¡°What?¡± Agadart blinked at him, only then registering that Mani¡¯s arms were around her waist. ¡°Ro?¡± Mani asked, leaning forward to nestle his head against hers, the skin of their cheeks brushing together. ¡°Like¡­like a flier,¡± Rodgardae managed to say, his hands shaking where they clutched her shoulders. ¡°Like the dust of a warren.¡± She felt Mani chuckle behind her. ¡°You never make sense when you talk like a dragon, my love.¡± ¡°I am a dragon,¡± Ro said, looking dazed, before leaning down to kiss Mani. Agadart felt and heard Mani inhale deeply, and she could see them kissing, feeling almost as if she were a part of it. There was a peculiar feeling unfurling in her, desire and affection and possession all twisted up together in a way she never felt during the perfunctory marital fumblings of her former husband. They traded kisses for what seemed like hours, and when the three of them tugged each other to the bed with all the grace of newborn foals, Agadart laughed. ¡°Are you still drunk?¡± Mani asked, his hands paused over the ties to her outer apron. She shook her head. ¡°Dizzy with want, I think. I¡¯ve read of feeling like this, but¡­ah.¡± She fell back on the bed, which meant falling onto Rodgardae¡¯s bare chest. She was nestled in his spread legs while Mani was crouched between hers, and both men were down to their trousers. She felt the hardness of Rodgardae¡¯s cock pressing against her ass. ¡°Have none of your lovers ever truly pleased you?¡± Mani asked, sounding like a shopkeeper asking about her favorite tea. Behind her, Rodgardae was humming as he nosed among the curls of her hair, which was undone and cascading everywhere for the first time in she could not remember how long. ¡°My lovers?¡± She laughed, pulling Mani into a kiss that he returned with a happy noise. ¡°I never took lovers.¡± She stopped there, thinking briefly of her life at court with her traitorous husband, trusting no one and fearing for her life every moment of the day. She shuddered for less pleasant reasons than her company. ¡°Mmmm, no. Shhhh.¡± Rodgardae murmured, kissing over her shoulder as Mani pulled off her dress. A sharp, angry part of her mind reminded her of all the rules she was breaking, of the risks involved with such an assignation. Deeper still, though, was a powerful need to claim and be claimed, to push these two men to their limits in pleasing her, and for the three of them to be wrapped up tightly together like dragons mating in flight. It was like the fabled aphrodisiacs peddled by traveling apothecaries, promising a moment of transcendent pleasure. She felt wild and powerful, and pulled Mani down on top of her with a possessive growl. They all smelled of dragon and lust and magic and Agadart felt herself locked to them like a puzzle piece. She pushed her doubts away and sank into a pleasure she had never even dared dream of. 23. A Taste of Dragon Rodgardae did not sleep. The bed was too narrow for the three of them to settle comfortably, so as the strongest of them he took the brunt and let Mani and Maid Aegirine pile on top of him. He was calm at last, strung out by the exertions of pleasing two lovers. The seduction was unplanned and had, at first, been meant in good fun, a way to break through the Maid Aegirine¡¯s wall of formal Kaaltendtian manners, and Rodgardae had known that the dancing would amuse his lover, who had a not-very-secret fondness for voyeurism despite the fact they had never done anything about it before. A few times they had been invited to ¡°spy¡± on assignations of other couples in gardens or follies, and it had always wound Mani up into a fit of sex and lust, but a triamond? Never had Rodgardae humored the idea, not while they lived in the prudish country of Kaaltendt, and not while he felt so territorial over Mani, which was more a human reaction than a dragon one. But when he had pulled Maid Aegirine close to him, she had smelled so good, rich and spicy and like¡­well, he had not lied. She smelled and tasted of dragon to him. He assumed it was from her exposure to dragons at Endestern. What else could it be? ¡°Sleeeeeeep,¡± Mani complained quietly, nosing at one of his nipples. ¡°I feel like I imagined this,¡± Rodgardae admitted, whispering in Mani¡¯s ear. ¡°We are all here naked and sated and you claim it¡¯s a dream?¡± Mani laughed. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Maid Aegirine mumbled, squinting at them. The moonlight through the window over their bunk cast them all in shadows, and Rodgardae could not help but be struck by the romanticism of it. His lovers were so beautiful. ¡°Ah, Maid Aegirine¡ª¡± Rodgardae started, but at the mention of her name she shook herself awake, pushed away and slipped off the bed. She stood up quickly as Mani and Rodgardae tussled with each other to sit up properly. She was naked and majestic and Rodgardae was gripped by the desire to fall at her feet, wings outstretched, neck low, tail high. She took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped away from the edge of the bunk. ¡°I cannot stay.¡± ¡°Maid Aegirine,¡± Mani started, but she slashed her hand through the air. ¡°I cannot stay,¡± she repeated, and turned to start picking her clothes up from the floor. Mani tried to get up but Rodgardae held him tight. They could not force her to remain with them, as much as it hurt to think of her leaving. He felt a little fatalistic about it, as if it was no less than expected, and yet somehow he was not broken by it. Their joining had been something special and he felt like she was lodged firmly in his ribcage. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Mani was looking over at him with an expression that said he knew what Rodgardae was thinking, and he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Is a triamond not to your taste?¡± Mani said harshly. Rodgardae pinched him but Mani shook him off. Already tying up her underclothes, Maid Aegirine picked up on his tone and glared at him. ¡°I am a dragon maid. A night of stolen pleasure is one thing, here on the high seas, but there are rules against any kind of extended affairs for a reason.¡± ¡°That hasn¡¯t stopped Mistress Seraphinite,¡± Rodgardae pointed out, still holding his annoyed mate to his chest. ¡°And look at the trouble she invites because of it. None of us can ever be mated to a dragon, and I certainly don¡¯t want to be thrown into prison for such a breach of propriety.¡± ¡°Things are different in Watt,¡± Rodgardae offered as Mani gave up struggling and collapsed on him with a huff. ¡°So I have been told. But I am a citizen of Kaaltendt, and Queen Theaedra is my liege, and I am a dragon maid.¡± She stopped as she put her over-apron back on, and looked at them on the bunk. It was too dark to see her clearly, cast in shadows as she was, but Rodgardae felt like he was somehow connected to her roiling emotions, feeling both the sadness and the determination behind her words. She did not want to leave them, he was certain of it, but she felt she had no choice. There was a deeper reason there, one she was not sharing with them, and he could not bring himself to pry. ¡°Maid Aegirine,¡± Mani tried, holding out his hand to her. She shook her head and stumbled out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. ¡°No one who sees her will mistake what she was up to,¡± Mani grumbled, dropping his hand. ¡°Were we such terrible lovers? Why would she turn on us so quickly?¡± He crossed his arms over his chest petulantly. ¡°She wanted to stay.¡± ¡°Does not appear that way to me.¡± ¡°I can sense her,¡± Rodgardae said, tilting his head thoughtfully as he considered his words. Mani sat up, back against one of the window frame and slinging his legs over Rodgardae¡¯s lap. ¡°Interesting. You talk about her like she a dragon.¡± ¡°She feels that way¡­it is hard to explain.¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Mani said with a sigh. ¡°Her family are dragons.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rodgardae considered that. ¡°It explains some things, I suppose.¡± ¡°But not everything?¡± Rodgardae locked eyes with him. ¡°You were inviting her into a triamond based on one night together, and she is the first third we¡¯ve brought to our bed. Does all of that strike you as coincidental?¡± Mani hummed thoughtfully. ¡°I suppose not. Although I hope she does not feel like we pressured her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I was not¡­picking up on that.¡± Mani studied him for a long moment. ¡°There is something to her that is more than just her family¡¯s heritage, isn¡¯t there?¡± Rodgardae nodded slowly. ¡°There is, but damned if I can tell you what it is, exactly.¡± They both sat in silence as the ship sliced through the water around them, the waves and some distant noises from the sailors on duty above a background to their separate ponderings. 24. Significantly Different The following day, Agadart kept to the medical cabin, reading by the light of the sun slanting through the porthole. Dr. Worthan came in late in the morning looking leathery and unbalanced, and it was all Agadart had in her not to tease him about his hangover. As if she was one to talk, in any case. Instead she let him sit in peace until he had finished his coffee and toast, then asked a few questions she had marked down about dragon anatomy. He tapped at the paper with her questions, pursing his lips. ¡°There is not significant size dimorphism between male and females in general, as you know.¡± ¡°Except for queens?¡± ¡°Oh, well, yes, they are often noticeably larger.¡± ¡°But why? If dimorphism isn¡¯t a constant, and isn¡¯t significant for mating, why?¡± ¡°There is a point where science ends, and legends and magic take over. I do believe that someday we will come to understand the magic of dragons as well as we do the nature of electricity, but for now, the common theory is that size is linked to the magic of the land they rule. It explains the smaller queens of the empire of Iskaryyva. Truly, if the emperor ever found a queen who would take him, she would be probably be one of the fabled giants of Khrzv.¡± He chuckled at his own joke. ¡°Queen Theaedra¡¯s flying form is not so large, despite the size of Kaaltendt.¡± ¡°Ah, you bring up a contradictory theory, which is that size is matched to the number and health of the dragons the queen rules. That argument, of course, falls short when it comes to Akanata, which is twice the size of the Isle of Watt but has three times the dragons, and yet the queen is on par with your own Queen Theaedra.¡± She frowned at her book. ¡°I have read about none of those theories.¡± ¡°Because few true scientists or draconic philosophers would be caught dead making such speculations about magic.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Sounds like a major oversight based on pride,¡± she grumbled. He smiled at her. ¡°You have the mind of a scientist, Maid Aegirine. I suspect your true worth was never acknowledged in Kaaltendt.¡± She nodded politely. ¡°Our cultures are significantly different in that regard.¡± ¡°You mean in every regard,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I do think Matrica Roki has a point, that the cultural influence of dragons carries significant impact on social structure and codification of gender roles. Hard to parse, really, but it¡¯s obvious. As radically different as Watt and Akanata are, they share far more in common with each other than either does with Kaaltendt.¡± Agadart thought of the triamonds the admiral had talked about the evening before, then fought down her blush as she remembered how the evening ended. ¡°Triamonds,¡± she said awkwardly, trying to join the conversation again and distract herself. ¡°Indeed. Formalized in Watt, informal in Akanata, and non-existent in Kaaltendt. Mistresses and bastards you have in abundance, but not dragons. And therein lies much of the reason.¡± She quickly managed to steer the conversation back to more medically-related questions, and spent the next couple of days going over diagrams of dragon anatomy and wound care. She was not looking forward to the cause of her education, but it remained a fascinating topic. Moreover, it kept her out of the way of the admiral and his consort, which she felt was prudent for the time being. If her father had taught one thing well, it was that resisting temptation was a far better plan than cleaning up the mess it created. Her thoughts wandered to her dead husband for a moment, realizing that if he had been able to resist the temptation of power and money, he would have avoided the Iskaryyvan spies and they would likely still be married. Suppressing a shudder, she gave thanks that he, at least, had possessed a weak moral character. By the afternoon of the third day, though, Mani had clearly reached his limit on avoiding the situation and knocked on the door to the cabin. His rapping was impatient and loud, so Agadart let him in quickly. Dr. Worthan looked up from his notebook with a frown. ¡°Matrica Roki?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for my lesson with Maid Aegirine, if it isn¡¯t inconvenient.¡± Mani spoke formally and stood rigid, his back straight. Worthan frowned. ¡°Oh, I thought those were suspended for the duration of the crossing? Well, never mind, I find myself in need of fresh air and a stretch of the legs. One hour, Maid Aegirine,¡± he added, pointing at her. She nodded meekly and he left them alone. Mani didn¡¯t move. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°You genuinely wish to resume etiquette studies?¡± Agadart asked, careful of her tone. He shook his head and removed his hat, bowing deeply as he did so. ¡°Did we offend you? If so, please accept our apologies.¡± Agadart blushed again, helpless against reaction. ¡°I¡­I wasn¡¯t offended. It was a flattering offer,¡± she choked out, her skin hot and flushed from embarrassment. Mani¡¯s face pinched up in confusion. ¡°We were sincere, it was not base flattery. We had no cause to simply lead you on at that point.¡± At the point where they had all already fallen into bed, Agadart amended mentally. She forced a smile. ¡°No. It was a very unconventional invitation, for Kaaltendt. But I was not upset. That is, I was not angry or offended.¡± ¡°But you were upset?¡± Mani asked, his voice and his posture softening. ¡°I was flattered. But we are going to war, and such a¡­ah, such an alliance would be¡­complicated. And difficult. It was not an easy decision, to walk away after¡­after. But I had to. I hope you can understand.¡± She got out the words, staring out the porthole. ¡°Oh.¡± Mani stood still for another moment, then crossed the small space to sit on a trunk near Agadart, only barely within arm¡¯s reach of her ¡ª a careful, circumspect distance. ¡°But upset, nonetheless.¡± She took a deep breath, deciding on how honest to be, but then realized that she cared too much for Mani to lie. ¡°Most dragon maids serve for a limited time. Five or ten years, usually. They then leave service and only then settle down, marry, find a trade.¡± Mani nodded. ¡°You are still young.¡± ¡°Not by Kaaltendt standards. Anyway, when they do leave the corps, they are given a lifetime retirement pay. Such work is so disdained in Kaaltendt that they have to bribe young women to do it.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I am indeed not so young, nor was I bribed. I was ordered to join for a period of no less than ten years, by the queen herself, without any promise of a retirement stipend or any other recognition by the crown.¡± Mani frowned deeply, obviously wracking his brain for any hint of her identity. ¡°So you are here under duress? As punishment?¡± She had pondered that question herself for a long time, which was why she shook her head. ¡°No. Not as punishment, except perhaps incidentally. I believe the queen mostly just wanted to make me disappear for a few years. Whether that was as a grace to me or for some purpose she has not shared, I couldn¡¯t say. But even once I¡¯m separated from service, even then, I¡¯ll be, ah, used property.¡± ¡°Because you were married? Or¡­are currently so?¡± He narrowed his eyes, inspecting her for the first time with a hint of suspicion. Agadart chuckled, but it was a weak, bitter laugh. ¡°Oh no, my husband is well and truly dead. A traitor who met a traitor¡¯s end. If I had not been a key witness against him, I would have joined him on the chopping block.¡± Mani looked pale, his eyes wide. ¡°Baron Stewardt.¡± She nodded. There was nothing else to say. He looked out the porthole for a few moments, gathering his thoughts. ¡°You are indeed lucky, I suppose.¡± He finally looked over at her again, his head dipping in respect. ¡°Mmn¡­some say that. I assure you, I put my life on the line to earn that pardon. And after all, the queen has stated that she will allow me to remarry in order to retain my father¡¯s lands and title, which I can only do if I have an heir to give it to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡± Mani sighed, but didn¡¯t argue, at least knowing enough about the arcane Kaaltendt inheritance laws not to fuss at her about it. ¡°Such as it is, I agree. Furthermore, I will have to marry simply whomever will have me, whomever wants the political alliance and lands my father can offer. That on top of having to acknowledge being a dragon maid as well, which will further hinder any suit of my hand. All that will prove difficult enough, but to also put into that any kind of dalliance, especially with foreigners, and worse! With a dragon? No. I cannot risk it.¡± She twisted her hands together, still keeping her gaze out to sea. ¡°And a triamond, no less,¡± Mani said softly. ¡°I understand. I will explain to my Dearest, and he will listen, and we will talk of this no more. We had a lovely moment together, but we would not want it to tarnish or hinder your future.¡± At that, Agadart turned to give him a grateful smile. They sat for a moment in silence, but then Mani straightened up. ¡°I do not believe you will have such troubles with finding a husband, when the time comes.¡± ¡°If we live that long,¡± she sighed, before covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. That was¡­that was bleak, wasn¡¯t it?¡± It was his turn to chuckle. ¡°It is also the truth, I fear.¡± After a short moment of introspection between the two of them, she shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find an acceptable match, eventually. My father¡¯s estate is attractive enough to some, no matter my own lack of appeal,¡± she added with a small smile. Mani ground his teeth, seeming at war with himself, then scooted forward in the chair and leaned across to kiss her gently, softly on the lips before smoothly returning to his original position. Agadart knew she looked stunned, and she was at a loss for words. Mani¡¯s expression turned fond, and he smiled. ¡°Your appeal is far greater than you know, Maid Aegirine, or should I say, Agadart ver Kleelan, Baroness Stewardt of Hiltinbarg.¡± He ran his tongue over his lips, and Agadart shuddered, feeling herself flush from ear to ear with memories of his mouth on her. ¡°You taste of dragon,¡± he added in a whisper. Before Agadart could embarrass herself again, Mani stood up and briskly straightened out his jacket. ¡°I am glad we cleared the air. We will press no further, but please know that we will also miss what we could have had, the three of us.¡± He looked at her keenly, staring for a long moment at her lips. ¡°I will inform my lord of our discussion.¡± ¡°All of it?¡± she snapped before she could rein it in. Mani, though, did not seem bothered by her indignation or his forthrightness. ¡°Yes, all of it.¡± He turned and walked out, leaving Agadart to stew in both her cultured hostility and her primal desires. Growling at herself, she slapped open the book she had been studying, although it was a long time before she could bring herself to pay attention to it again. 25. Landing at Alleman Landing day happened so quickly Mani felt that his head was spinning. No sooner had they spotted land than they were sailing toward the westernmost tip of Watt, the port city of Allemann, with massive anchors lowering to bring the ships to as much of a stop in the water as they would ever know. A fleet of smaller transport vessels peeled out from the docks, followed by flights of dragons taking to the air. It was a majestic sight to witness from the decks, and with all the dragons in the air (including Ro), he finally felt like he was someplace that could be a home to him. If it wasn¡¯t for all the war going on. He sighed and looked around, assuming he would need to do something once the transport boats pulled up, but then caught sight of the baroness¡­Maid Aegirine, as he had to remember to call her. To out her in such company would likely put her life on the line. He walked over to where she was staring up at where over a hundred dragons were running drills and patrolling. ¡°The sky is filled with dragons,¡± she whispered, awe in her voice. ¡°Not quite,¡± he replied with a teasing tone. She grimaced, but did not look away from the dragons she was watching. ¡°I know that is not literally true, but it seems that way, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It is nearly a full wing of flights. You have never seen so many at once, have you?¡± Mani said, but it was not a question since the answer was obvious on her face. ¡°I have never seen a flight bigger than thirty or so, even at court.¡± She clutched at the railing of the ship as she spoke, never switching her view of the sky over the port. A few sailors commented politely that their transports would be pulling abreast soon, probably assuming she was anxious to get back on solid ground. It was clear to Mani that she didn¡¯t care about that, not in the least. Watching the majestic beasts swoop and bank and turn held her attention like a magnet. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. ¡°I remember seeing Queen Theaedra for the first time, the reflections of her pink and white hide sparkling like diamonds in the air as she circled the palace atrium for a landing. I was a girl, less than ten, at court for the first time.¡± She glanced over at the sailors, making sure they were not within hearing of her. ¡°After all my trials at court, the thrill of watching the queen and her guard had worn down to a dull interest. Familiar. But here I see how wrong I was. The sight of them in flight sings through my bones. It is watching joy in motion, and I am in awe.¡± ¡°You speak of the poetry of flight,¡± Mani said, thinking wistfully of his own clan back home, of the holidays where thousands of dragons would fill the skies like confetti. ¡°I am revealing too much, perhaps. But I have never been more jealous of anyone or anything in my life than I am right now of those who can take to the skies.¡± She smiled softly but kept staring at the dragons as the transport ships drew closer. ¡°It is indeed mesmerizing.¡± He leaned against the railing, mirroring her pose, looking at the dragons. ¡°Those of us with dragon in the blood find it alluring in ways that are mysterious and torturous. I will never turn, never know the taste of it, same as you. Yet it calls to us.¡± Maid Aegirine dipped her head at that, remembering that she had told Mani a while ago about her uncle. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°But in Kaaltendt, most never know. There are just too few dragons to ever make an impression. Not that your dragons aren¡¯t majestic,¡± he added quickly, ¡°but there simply are not enough of them.¡± ¡°Even the queen¡¯s personal flight is less than ten,¡± she said in agreement. ¡°The rest are all her guards.¡± She glanced over at him. ¡°How big is the queen of Akanata¡¯s flight?¡± ¡°One hundred and forty, but that does include fifty guards.¡± Maid Aegirine gasped like a maiden, hand over her heart. Mani chuckled. ¡°There are at least that many in flight now.¡± He waved a hand at the dragons of Watt. ¡°My family¡¯s flight is forty-two. But then Mother collects strays.¡± He sighed heavily, but waved off her questioning look. It was a long and, honestly, boring tale of too many husbands and too many (in his opinion) step-siblings. They both stood quietly for a while as the ship slowly drifted in place, the transport ships finally bumping up against it, causing all the sailors to burst into motion. Mani suspected the maid was supposed to be helping Dr. Worthan get ready to depart the ship, but he was enjoying her company and her honest words too much to possibly send her away by asking. ¡°Oh, Ro!¡± Mani waved happily at his beloved, who flew over the boat, his dark green hide sparking with light, three equal-sized companions who were strangers to Mani trailing him. The admiral turned and came in low, sailing by with his belly toward the boat, one wing dipping the water, creating a massive spray that drenched Mani and Maid Aegirine. She screeched and jumped backwards, dripping seawater, while Mani laughed like a madman. ¡°You beast!¡± he yelled as the admiral crowed loudly, gliding back to shore. Agadart stood with her hands out to her sides, the cold water spilling off her body, weighing her dress down. Mani flapped his jacket, spreading water around him. ¡°What a jerk, that man, he is no nobleman,¡± Mani grumbled with a grin on his face, then stopped when he saw Maid Aegirine¡¯s expression. ¡°Oh, I forget you are not used to dragon games.¡± ¡°What?¡± She glared at him, wiping at her face and pushing wet hair out of her eyes. ¡°Dragons are fastidiously clean in every aspect except when it comes to play. It does not occur to them, in their flying form, that normal people such as us might not want to be sprayed with filthy seawater or mud.¡± ¡°Mud?¡± Maid Aegirine croaked. A cabin boy ran up and handed them towels, glancing nervously behind himself at the quartermaster, who was scowling. Mani patted at himself with the towel, ignoring his waterlogged hair in an effort to salvage his clothes. ¡°Mud. It¡¯s a horrifying story which always makes Ro laugh like a demented fox.¡± Mani was still smiling. ¡°It¡¯s a sign of affection, really.¡± Maid Aegirine blushed furiously at that, shoving her face in the towel to cover her reaction. ¡°In Kaaltendt, dragons do not come close enough,¡± she said, her voice muffled. ¡°I know. Another aspect of your people I find cold and perplexing.¡± Mani finally rubbed at his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure a single one of you would survive a week in Akanata; my brothers alone would delight in swoop-splatting you.¡± Maid Aegirine lowered the towel, glaring at him suspiciously. ¡°Swoop-splatting?¡± Mani grinned again. ¡°Flying by so close and so fast that the backwash of their wings send you sprawling to the ground.¡± She stared at him. ¡°They would do such a thing to a maid?¡± He nodded, wondering how she would handle it happening to her. Ro was too dignified to do that to random people, but he had certainly done it to Mani a few times. He stopped himself there, remembering her wish to keep them at arm¡¯s length. Understandable, of course. He sighed. She was back to staring at the flights ¡ª he counted at least three ¡ª with longing. There was something there, something about her that spoke to him of dragon lairs and the petrichor of their breath. He stepped away from the railing, leaving her be. He had his own luggage to gather for their departure from the ship, and as Matrica he was in charge of the dragons of Endestern for the time his own dragon was shifted and in flight to meet with his brothers miles inland. There were still days of travel ahead as they needed to cross nearly all of Watt to get to the eastern front. He was not looking forward to it. 26. Lightning and Light Feet Agadart eventually tore herself away from the upper deck to head down to assist Doctor Worthan. She had not meant to get quite so poetic with Mani ¡ª Matrica Roki ¡ª but she could not have stopped herself even if she had tried. It wasn¡¯t even just watching so many Wattish dragons in flight, it was the sight of the land itself. It felt familiar, but as if from a dream. Both the dark, craggy rocks covering the shore falling away from the coastal city and the mountains that rose steeply beyond rang with age and something nearly electric. She felt as if she were standing on an open field in a lightning storm, waiting to be struck down. It was unsettling but alluring and she had forced herself to leave it behind to go below decks. She found Doctor Worthan tying up one of his trunks, cursing loudly until he noticed Agadart in the doorway. ¡°Maid Aegirine! Done mooning after the dragons?¡± She wrung out her skirts, watching the water trail away across the floorboards. ¡°They are quite the sight.¡± Worthan frowned. ¡°Did you fall over the side?¡± ¡°No, the admiral was playing dragon games, at least according to Matrica Roki.¡± Worthan chortled like a kindly uncle. ¡°Not much change from when he was a youth, then.¡± ¡°It is not a side of him that I am familiar with,¡± she said primly. He just laughed again, but a bit more ruefully. ¡°And not one you are likely to see much more of, given the circumstances.¡± He kicked the trunk, making it rattle. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking the train across, to Suychet, just south of the Peveillin Cliffs. By all reports the fighting has not made it inland, although at great loss. How long we can keep it up, I don¡¯t know.¡± He sighed heavily and looked up at her. ¡°We need to talk.¡± ¡°Of course, Doctor.¡± She sat down at her usual study spot, even though the desk there was now empty and bare. He sat down with a huff. ¡°You are barely trained, by traditional standards. But war is making experts of us all, in a variety of ways. I have asked both the Matrica and Mistress Seraphinite that you be allowed to continue as my assistant. All of my trained doctors and nurses have already been given assignments all across the land and cannot be spared, especially the ones at or near the battle zone.¡± She was actually relieved to hear it, for several reasons, two of whom had names dear to her. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you do, but you¡¯ll find out soon enough. So! How familiar are you with the social mores of Wattish nobility?¡± ¡°Honestly? Very little. There was not much cause to study it.¡± That was as true in her previous life as it was for her as a dragon maid. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can lay my hands on a copy of Angelique¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°Angelique¡¯s?¡± ¡°Angelique¡¯s Guide for Young Kits and Their Kin. Usually assigned as part of etiquette lessons for noble children. Obviously beneath you but it does cover the basics.¡± ¡°I would appreciate it, then.¡± She paused. ¡°I do have a question.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I know that discussing the historical problem of a lack of a dragon queen for Watt is generally considered rude, so I wished to ask you about it first.¡± He frowned. ¡°It is rude, but not¡­not because it¡¯s rude. It¡¯s rude because it is upsetting. The dragons feel the emptiness of her absence keenly. That is true even with a powerful prince who is a direct descendant of our last queen, Queen Esthae, may she fly in peaceful skies eternal.¡± He bowed his head in respect before continuing. ¡°So what is your question about it?¡± ¡°For Kaaltendt, our queen, though revered, is merely that: our queen. That she is a dragon is merely incidental.¡± She paused, trying to frame her question. ¡°So now that you¡¯re here, and see so many dragons frolicking about, you are wondering what the big deal is?¡± ¡°I suppose so, yes.¡± He looked out the porthole, considering his words. ¡°I think maybe because Kaaltendt has so few dragons, that her presence is not quite as overwhelming as it would be otherwise. Mind you, I can¡¯t say what having a Queen Dragon of Watt would be like, none of us can. But without her magic to infuse our land with its natural power, we all feel lackluster, even those of us who are not dragons.¡± She frowned. ¡°But the land already feels electric to me. As if as soon as I were to step on it, it would¡­it would light up around me. So I wondered why it would feel that way without a queen.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. He stared at her for a long, long time. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It does,¡± she said, straightening up, slightly affronted that he would question her on it. ¡°You are perhaps dragonkin?¡± She paused, but then nodded. What could that knowledge hurt her, here in Watt? ¡°Yes. My paternal uncle.¡± ¡°Hm. He is in service, I expect?¡± ¡°He is not. It¡¯s not something we care to mention, but he absconded for the Westlands rather than go into the Dragon Corps.¡± ¡°Ah, how inconvenient. Well, that does explain some things about you. That said, it¡¯s still curious that you would feel that way about Watt. Usually dragons only feel that kind of connection with their own territory¡­but you never did?¡± ¡°No sir.¡± She tried to remember her youth on her father¡¯s lands, but as much as she loved the Orange Hills of Battenruck and missed her father¡¯s home, they never called to her like this small port city in a foreign land. That much, she was not willing to share with the doctor. He tapped the table between them for a few beats. ¡°Can¡¯t think of a reason for it. Alert me immediately if the feeling intensifies or, I don¡¯t know, changes in any meaningful way.¡± ¡°Of course, Doctor. I will keep an eye on it.¡± He stood up with a groan. ¡°I am eager to be off of this ship. Let¡¯s finish with the packing and get to one of the transports. Here, I want you to carry this bag to shore yourself; it contains some of the rarer and more valuable medicines. I don¡¯t trust those sailors not to throw it around like a rubber ball.¡± She did not laugh at that, but just barely. By the time she was crawling over the towering rail of the ship to scale the ropes down ¡ª refusing all offers to be carried, which some other dragon maids accepted with delight ¡ª she was carrying that bag and two more satchels in addition to her own. When she was finally deposited on the docks, she was reunited with the person she least wanted to be around, Mistress Seraphinite. Agadart had not missed her presence during the trip over, when they were on different ships. Her cousin gave her a cold, blank look but focused on organizing the maids and all their trunks and bags and supplies. It was slow progress as they were herded down the docks to the port city proper. Agadart was keenly aware of the ground under her as it shifted from the dirty port water to craggy beach to roads and avenues. The land thrummed under her feet. Every step closer took her breath away, and she had to concentrate on breathing or end up panting like a dog. When her foot first settled on the beaten dirt lane off the wooden dock, it felt like a pop of effervescence in her veins and she had to stop to take a deep breath in. Even the air felt charged, even though there were only light clouds in the sky above them. One of the other maids asked her if she was feeling well, which brought Agadart back to her senses. ¡°Not entirely,¡± she said, trying to sound as pathetic as possible. ¡°Setting foot on the ground was disconcerting, was it not?¡± ¡°Oh, it left me unbalanced not to be walking around on a swaying deck anymore too! They talk about ¡®sea-legs¡¯ but then never mention having to adjust to ¡®land-legs¡¯!¡± The young woman smiled at her own joke, and Agadart smiled back at her pleasantly. She asked around a little more, not enough to come across as suspicious, but it appeared that Worthan was correct in that no one but Agadart was experiencing the odd feeling of the air fermenting her very blood. They were ordered into marching formation eventually, and Agadart took her place among the detachment of dragon maids as they made a spectacle of themselves, walking through the city like a very drab flock of birds. Unfortunately, for the time being, all the dragon maids were being billeted in a large warehouse set out with cots. It was better than the hammock she had been relegated to during the trip, but not by much. ¡°You will be expected to behave in accordance with the corps¡¯ rules,¡± Mistress Seraphinite snapped at her as she passed, ostensibly talking generally to all of them, but it was not hard to notice who it was directed to. The other maids skittered as far away from Agadart as they could. Later, she called the maids to formation before dinner in a large field that probably served as a storage area members of Her Majesty¡¯s Dragon Corps. ¡°We are dragon maids here to assist the dragons of Kaaltendt. They are our focus and our priority. As we get closer to the front lines, you will be asked to assist in the war effort in many different ways. I encourage you to do so, when you can, but never to the detriment of your duty! Am I understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Headmistress Seraphinite!¡± they all chorused loudly. ¡°We are here as guests of a foreign nation. Behave like it. Dismissed!¡± Agadart let all the other maids flow around her but remained in place. As she was left standing alone in the field, Mistress Seraphinite finally acknowledged her. She walked over, slowly, making it clear that she had no need to hurry to Agadart¡¯s bidding, instead focusing on talking to Maid Pyrite who was rarely out of her orbit. Agadart wondered, as Maid Pyrite glared at her, if she knew their secret. ¡°Is there something you need to discuss with me, Maid Aegirine?¡± ¡°Yes, Headmistress. I just wanted to confirm that I am still assigned to Doctor Worthan¡¯s staff.¡± ¡°As you are all the staff he has right now: yes, you are.¡± ¡°Thank you, Headmistress.¡± Mistress Seraphinite¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she stepped a little closer, lowering her voice. It seemed unnecessary to Agadart, since they were in the middle of the field and no one else was present aside from Maid Pyrite. ¡°Do not let the feel of being on foreign soil make your feet light, cousin,¡± Bertrag said, almost hissing the words. Maid Pyrite glared even harder at Agadart, which at least answered the question of whether or not she knew who Agadart was, and her relation to Bertrag¡­who was still talking. ¡°I know the strangeness of it sets all of our blood to singing but you represent more important things than family here.¡± She turned and walked away, Maid Pyrite on her heels, before Agadart could muster any reaction to it. It seemed that her cousin was experiencing the same bone-deep electric sensation that she was, standing on the soil of Watt. Agadart wished she understood what it meant. 27. Patterns After half a year, Agadart was once again on a train, traveling across an entire nation to a fate mostly unknown. This time, however, she was pretty sure that the destination would be far, far worse than the dragon maids¡¯ training campus at Fort Endestern. She, and everyone she was traveling with, were heading straight into the war that was consuming the eastern edge of Watt off the coast of Ouien. It would also be a shorter trip. Watt wasn¡¯t even a third as wide as Kaaltendt so the trip would be at most four days, and that was with multiple stops along the way. They had spent exactly forty-eight hours in Allemann and the dragon maids had worked most of the time, helping load the train and sort supplies. What they did not do was anything remotely related to what they were trained to do, as there were no lairs to clean out or food to transport and prepare. All the dragons from Kaaltendt were currently in their walking forms, resting up during travel in order to shift quickly at the front. While they would get there faster by flying, they would also get there tired which would therefore defeat the whole purpose of bringing them forward. Admiral Leonteinparre himself was recovering from changing back into his human form in his private coach, with Mani in attendance of course, but he was still having meetings with all of the high-level officers under his command, most of whom were dragons. Agadart knew this because Worthan complained about it when he shoved piles of papers at her, detailing battles that had happened at the front and expectations for what the admiral¡¯s flight was going to be assigned to do. Apparently Worthan would be put immediately to work in the field hospitals already set up for the wounded, and the reports being provided grimly stated those numbers. Worthan had put her in charge of tallying them in a ledger, mostly, she thought, in order to avoid doing it himself. ¡°This can¡¯t be right,¡± she said, tapping the latest paperwork in front of her. ¡°It can¡¯t?¡± Doctor Worthan asked without much interest, not even looking up from the medical journal he was reading. ¡°That the admiral has one thousand dragons in his wing.¡± ¡°Sounds about right to me. He¡¯s a duke and the prince¡¯s brother but he¡¯s still a low-ranking admiral. Only two talons on his epaulettes, you know. I respect his abilities but he¡¯s not even fifty years old; you can¡¯t expect him to handle much more than thirty to forty flights, honestly.¡± She blinked at him. She knew the numbers of Wattish dragons were in the tens of thousands, because she had read as much in her studies of late, but it still seemed like a preposterously large number. There were only a few thousand dragons in all of Kaaltendt, in total. ¡°One thousand?¡± she repeated. ¡°Mmm.¡± He closed the journal. ¡°Ah, I see where you are coming from.¡± ¡°From Kaaltendt,¡± she clarified, raising her eyebrows. ¡°Right, right. In the same way you were shocked when we came into port at all the dragons in the air. Oh yes, I saw you, staring like a maiden pining for her lost beloved¡ª¡± ¡°I did not!¡± She reared back. Had she? She feared that maybe she had, and that was worse than simply be accused of it. He laughed but did not confirm or deny. ¡°Such as it is, those numbers must seem unreal to you.¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more of a culture shock than I was expecting, despite my studies.¡± She sighed and looked out at the craggy, gray-green low-slung mountains they were passing through. Worthan let her gaze for a few moments. ¡°Are you still experiencing that strange feeling you described to me on the ship, before we disembarked?¡± She didn¡¯t pull her eyes away from the beautiful, if harsh, landscape. ¡°Yes. It peaked when I first walked on land but now it is¡­background noise, I suppose.¡± ¡°Hmph. Still odd.¡± She paused for a moment, but decided that it was not a secret she had been entrusted with, merely something she had been told. ¡°Mistress Seraphinite has expressed that she felt similarly. I believe it was disconcerting to her.¡± He sat up a little at that. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s interesting. Two unrelated dragon maids feeling a dragon-like pull to a foreign land? I would say it is unheard of but, eh, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve ever had any Kaaltendt dragon maids on our soil before. Maybe it is due to your previous proximity to dragons?¡± He pulled out a large journal that he seemed to use for random thought collecting. Agadart almost corrected him, but he still did not know who she was, and her family relationship to the headmistress was definitely a secret she could not reveal lightly. She personally thought their strange reaction when stepping onto the land of Watt might very well be a family trait, she thought as she considered her long-lost uncle. But again, not something she could discuss with the doctor, so she returned to her tallying. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Despite spending her days in the doctor¡¯s cabin continuing her studies or helping him with paperwork, she was assigned a bunk in one of the rear cars of the train along with the rest of the dragon maids and lower ranking staff. There was a large number of military support staff, some of whom were women and, even more shocking, many of whom were dragons. It seemed like she could not walk ten paces without bumping into a dragon. She realized that the unique hum of energy she had first experienced in the warrens of Endestern and associated with the proximity of dragons was all pervasive in Watt, even on a moving train, preventing her from singling them out. She had never even needed to try in Kaaltendt. Most of the time she was sure she would never have even known what they were, but they all had distinctive wing markings printed, or sometimes embroidered, on the backs of their uniforms. Sometimes it felt like everyone was a dragon, the magic was so thick around her. It was late afternoon on the final day of travel, and she had spent a little time repacking what little she had unpacked of the doctor¡¯s library so she decided to break for a late lunch before attacking the last of the paperwork. The train was slinging back and forth through switchback mountains as they gained altitude, and took a turn she was not expecting as she opened the cabin door to go to the staff dining car. She stumbled right into the arms of someone in the narrow hallway as the train shifted on the rails. ¡°Maid Aegirine,¡± Admiral Leonteinparre said as apology, setting her back on her feet. ¡°Your Grace! My apologies.¡± She stepped away from him, hoping her blush was not as obvious as it felt. Behaving like a young maiden in his presence was the last thing she needed to do. He looked past her. ¡°Is Doctor Worthan in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Your Grace. He said something about a meeting with some junior officers.¡± The admiral rolled his eyes. ¡°Probably a game of cards, then.¡± She tried not to smirk. ¡°As you say, Your Grace.¡± His lips quirked up in the cute not-smile that seemed to be the extent of his humorous expressions. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± she asked, looking off to the side, trying to avoid eye contact. They had not been alone together since that night on the ship, and her nerves were jangling with the close proximity. He thought about it for a second. ¡°Perhaps. I need one of the reports I provided to him yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh, that I can definitely help with. Please step inside while I locate it, Your Grace.¡± She suspected that he had actually wanted to talk to the doctor, since he could have sent a dozen different runners to get a report, but she was not rude enough to point that out. He sat down in the doctor¡¯s usual chair while she went to the box where she had filed away the report. ¡°Was there something specific you were looking for?¡± ¡°With the report? No, I wanted to re-familiarize myself with the numbers of wounded and the types of wounds. We seem to have a high percentage of them. My impression is that the Iskaryyva forces, as brutal as they are, are targeting tail wounds.¡± ¡°They definitely are. Especially during midweek.¡± She handed him the latest report. ¡°They¡­are?¡± He squinted at her. ¡°And you know this?¡± He paused. ¡°Midweek?¡± She nodded. ¡°Right before they get a supply run from the south, according to the reports I¡¯ve read. I assume going hungry makes them vicious, but also weaker? So, going for the tails of their opponents.¡± He held the report but did not open it. ¡°My own advisers have not made such a connection.¡± She went and pulled out her oversized ledger. ¡°I don¡¯t think they would without looking at the patterns of the numbers.¡± She opened her ledger to where she was tracking the wounded and several other factors. One side was four columns of lists, and the other a graph she had whipped up out of it. It was the fourth version of it, but she was happy with how the data was easily understandable. He put the report down and carefully took hold of the ledger. She turned back to sorting papers while he perused her work. He eventually closed the ledger and tucked it under his arm as he stood. She rose to stand as well. ¡°This is excellent work, Maid Aegirine.¡± He glanced up but avoided her gaze, obviously trying to hold back from asking how she had learned such skills. She realized he had not made eye contact with her since he entered the cabin, and wondered just what Mani ¡ª Matrica Roki, she reminded herself harshly ¡ª had told him. ¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡± She bowed her head and lowered her voice. ¡°My abilities with accounting were what led to my discovering my husband¡¯s treason. I am very familiar with how a pattern in simple things can reveal greater weaknesses.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± he said with a slight grimace before recovering, straightening up but still not looking her way. ¡°I am going to share these numbers with my staff, but will have the ledger returned to you by the time we pull in to Suychet,¡± he said politely, looking out of the windows behind her. ¡°Of course, Your Grace. It is yours to do with as you see fit.¡± ¡°As I see fit,¡± he repeated, he shifted, tilting his head to look at her directly. Her breath caught in her chest, despite her strange desire to call out to him somehow. She held herself completely still as they stared at each other, his face still and stern but his eyes blazing with something she did not want to name, or acknowledge. Then he blinked, seeming to come back to himself as he shook his head. ¡°I beg your pardon, Maid Aegirine.¡± He turned slightly away, once again looking out the windows at nothing beyond. ¡°I must be going. Please tell Doctor Worthan I was looking for him.¡± Her breath finally came back under her control. ¡°Yes, Your Grace,¡± she said far more timidly than she was feeling. He left the cabin quickly then, and she was glad to be alone as she stumbled back into her chair, exhaling heavily, wondering what had just happened between them. 28. Locked Away They arrived in the city of Suychet well after midnight, but everyone was wide awake, as was the city itself. Agadart was impressed by how busy the train station was, as supplies were unloaded from trains coming in from the north and south. Sadly, there were also passengers boarding to head back, most of them in stretchers or using canes to walk. There was at least one dragon slumped on a platform, bandaged and too badly hurt to transform back into their human form. They would fill up a whole train car, and Agadart wondered who would help them as they traveled, since the Isle of Watt did not have anything like a Dragon Maids Corps. Other dragons, perhaps? She would have to ask Doctor Worthan. The man himself was in the middle of a clutch of people welcoming his arrival. She stayed behind him, sorting out his luggage and her own, as well as the precious medical supplies he had put in her care. The people Worthan was talking to all wore the deep red robes and jackets of the Wattish military medical branch, and loudly expressed their relief that he had arrived. Agadart tried to contain her surprise when two of them, one man and a woman, shifted to reveal that they had dragon wings printed on the backs of their jackets. ¡°Maid Aegirine!¡± Teri turned to see Maid Pyrite marching up the platform, scowling at her. Directly behind her was a young ensign who looked awkward in his starched uniform, glancing nervously between her and Agadart as they approached. ¡°Maid Pyrite. May I help you?¡± Agadart said as perfunctorily as possible, while giving the ensign a quick, hopefully reassuring, smile. Instead of replying, Maid Pyrite turned to the ensign. ¡°Well, this is her. Go on! Go on!¡± She shoved at the poor boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maid¡­Maid Aegirine?¡± he asked. Maid Pyrite rolled her eyes. ¡°Maid Aegirine. That is me.¡± Agadart nodded. He looked unreasonably relieved. ¡°Oh good. I mean, uh, thank you? That is, I am here with a message.¡± She nodded for him to continue, but he didn¡¯t. They looked at each for a long moment before Maid Pyrite shoved at him again. ¡°Go on!¡± ¡°Yes! Of course. Uhm. Admiral Leonteinparre the Younger sent for you. I believe it is about the ledger?¡± The ledger he promised to return before they arrived at Suychet, but had not. She refrained from rolling her eyes in turn, wondering why he hadn¡¯t just given it to the ensign to deliver. Although, on second thought, she figured the information it contained was too sensitive to just send it around with any low-ranking staff, even one chaperoned by a dragon maid. She nodded, resigned to the detour. ¡°Very well. Let me inform Doctor Worthan first.¡± The ensign nodded vigorously as she stepped away. ¡°Doctor?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, everyone, this is my new assistant, Maid Aegirine.¡± ¡°Maid Aegirine?¡± a tall woman with the patches of a full doctor on her chest said with surprise. ¡°So they did bring over their Auxiliary of Maidens?¡± ¡°Dragon Maids Corps,¡± Agadart corrected before she thought better of it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. To her credit, the doctor simply nodded. ¡°Oh, right, thank you. It is a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Doctor Thorrein.¡± ¡°Likewise, Doctor Thorrein.¡± She bowed slightly then faced Worthan. ¡°Doctor Worthan, Admiral Leonteinparre has requested my presence.¡± She gestured to where the ensign was standing. She was surprised to note that Maid Pyrite was nowhere to be seen, but Worthan glanced over long enough to notice the ensign¡¯s uniform and nodded. ¡°What the admiral wants, the admiral gets. I¡¯ll be setting up in Gerrinaux Hospital, so find me there. Likely they will have your dorm bed already set up as well.¡± ¡°Yes, Doctor. Would you prefer to carry this?¡± She indicated the satchel of valuable medicines, but he shook his head and waved her off, already returning to the conversation she had interrupted, so she walked back over to the ensign. He had turned his back to them to watch the unloading of supplies, and startled when she came up to him. ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked politely. He was younger than the youngest maid Agadart had trained with, and she felt terrible that he was stationed at the war front at his age. She smiled encouragingly. ¡°I am. Lead on.¡± They walked off the platform and into the bustle of the train station. He took them through the throng of people to a side stairwell, broad but less busy, that led downwards. Two flights down, he veered off to a narrower hallway that had a few switchbacks to it. A chill ran down Agadart¡¯s back, but she assumed it was due to being underground. They passed very few people as they walked on. ¡°I would have thought the admiral would be at the military headquarters?¡± she asked when they went through yet another door into an even emptier, even narrower hallway. ¡°Oh! Yes, he will be. Eventually.¡± The ensign stepped up his speed a bit and finally stopped at a plain door. The area they were in was very empty, and she instinctively stepped backwards, clutching the valuable medicines to her chest. ¡°Just through here!¡± the ensign said with a broad, forced smile and stood to the side as the door swung open. They both stood there as she stared into the room beyond, which looked more like a storage room than an admiral¡¯s office, but it was hard to tell since there were no lights on inside. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She looked over at the boy again, but this time he didn¡¯t smile back. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure.¡± He swiftly stepped behind her and shoved her forward. She was so shocked she did not have time to react, and her arms pinwheeled for balance as she stumbled into the room. The door slammed shut and she heard it lock behind her, taking what little light had been coming in from the meager gas lamps lining the hallway. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she yelled as she got her bearings and turned around. She slammed her fist against the door. ¡°Open up!¡± No one answered. After a few more minutes of yelling, she stepped back from the door with a deep breath. She was not getting out that way, but there were clearly no windows in the room. There might be other doors, she thought, and moved forward to reach for the wall. The tiny bit of light coming in from around the door was just enough for her to see the outline of furniture around her, but no detail. As she moved, she felt the bag she was holding bounce against her hip. It had to be the medicines, she realized. They wanted whatever she was carrying for Doctor Worthan, enough to lure her away and lock her where no one would stumble over her. Chances were good that whomever masterminded this kidnapping was not the nervous young ensign, and would probably be looking to kill off any witnesses to their theft. Although why he had not just knocked her out and grabbed the bag, she couldn¡¯t figure. Walking around, she felt that there were a couple of filing cabinets in the room. One was unlocked, so she pushed whatever files were there in one of the lower drawers forward and shoved the bag behind them. It wasn¡¯t much of a bolt-hole, but it might buy her time to try and make an escape when they came to retrieve them. She quickly discovered that there was another door, which probably led to a similar room but was also locked up tight. She fumbled over one very fancy chair, if the feel of the brocade was any indication, so she sat down to wait, trying to channel the steel nerve of her father and the dignity of her mother while her heart pounded in her chest. She had no doubt that the situation was grim and no one was going to rescue her. Her only bargaining chip was the hidden bag of medicines which the thieves could easily find if they threw the place over, so she hoped that she would be able to make a run for it when the time came. 29. A Maid Gone Missing Endless meetings were Rodgardae¡¯s first impressions of war. He was fully recovered from the quick change he had made back when they landed at Allemann, but his sister who outranked him by several talons and was the war¡¯s field marshal under direct command of the their brother the prince, was holding him back for some reason. He was not even sure of the reason because she had not returned from the front lines yet. The front line itself was twenty miles northeast of Suychet, only a couple of miles off the coast and creeping ever closer to the Peveillin Cliffs of Ouien. The emperor¡¯s forces were making inroads through the naval blockade, and his dragons were flying straight inland as far as they could go to drop bombs before being chased off. There were simply too many to have guards over every potential target at every hour of the day. To the extent that anyone was willing to admit it, which wasn¡¯t much, they all knew that it was just a matter of time before their defenses suffered a permanent breach, at which point the emperor¡¯s military might would slam down on the Isle of Watt mercilessly. Still, in the short term, he had his hands full with his own wing. Only one flight consisted of the twenty Kaaltendt dragons that had come with him, but they were walking around in a state of shock at the sheer number of Wattish dragons around them. Their instincts were swinging wildly between fight or flight, and in at least one case, a little bit of both, in that order. They had lived their whole lives thinking that a flight of twenty or so dragons was massive, and grown up mostly surrounded by humans until they joined a military, which even so was less than 1% dragons. For all that Kaaltendt had the population and size to rival Iskaryyva, their Mad King Maganrad had utterly destroyed the nation¡¯s ability to protect itself. He thought Emperor Rhezv was himself a madman for going on a war spree, since neither the Isle of Watt nor Kaaltendt would peacefully bow to his invasion, but his opinion did not change the facts of war. As it was, he was enjoying a short break between meetings, drinking the tea Mani had sent his way. His companion was living up to his new role as Matrica of Endestern, Consort of Duke Raudolf of Kaaltendt and Duke Julvua of Watt, and Aide-de-camp to him as Admiral Leonteinparre the Younger, by running roughshod over the Kaaltendt dragons. He was forcing them to do practice flights randomly and arguing with Captain Wildt about ¡®exposure therapy¡¯ and Rodgardae was glad to be (mostly) out of the way. The paperwork being generated was more than enough, and it had only been twenty hours since they disembarked at the Suychet train station. ¡°Your Grace?¡± Doctor Worthan opened the door to his office, while a consternated guard stood behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lieutenant Brussieu. Doctor Worthan is allowed in anytime.¡± ¡°Of course I am, what a ridiculous thing to say.¡± Doctor Worthan closed the door on Lieutenant Brussieu¡¯s shocked face. ¡°How can I help you, Milles?¡± He already had another cup on the tray, getting ready to pour a cup of tea for the doctor, when he saw his face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Maid Aegirine is missing.¡± It was war, and tragedy was everywhere around him in different flavors, but something about those words made his breath catch. ¡°What do you mean, exactly?¡± ¡°Last I saw her was early morning yesterday at the train station, while we were all disembarking. She was carrying a bag of rare and valuable medicines, and agreed to meet me at the hospital once you were done with whatever you needed.¡± ¡°Whatever I¡­needed?¡± Milles sat down with an audible thump in the chair across from his desk. ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Rodgardae shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t need anything.¡± Milles frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t send an ensign to get her?¡± ¡°I did not, and moreover, have not seen her since before the train pulled into the station.¡± ¡°But the ensign!¡± ¡°What ensign?¡± ¡°Ro.¡± Milles stopped. ¡°There was an ensign. He was brought to Maid Aegirine by one of the other dragon maids. Maid Aegirine told me he was fetching her to meet with you for some reason. She left with him.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve not seen her since? Perhaps she¡­got lost?¡± Rodgardae steepled his fingers together, trying to put the points of the tale together. Suychet was not a metropolis but it was currently three times its usual size with the military encampment sitting on top of it. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°If she did, then she did it very effectively. No one has seen her since.¡± ¡°Mistress Seraph¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a damn fool, Rodgardae! I checked with her first. She told me that Maid Aegirine was assigned to me and therefore was not her problem. Seemed rather short about it, but then, I was interrupting.¡± Worthan took off his hat and ran his fingers through his ginger hair. ¡°I asked a few other maids, in case they had seen her. I also asked around with staff at the hospital. She¡¯s just gone.¡± Rodgardae simply frowned at him, at a loss. How could she just disappear? ¡°Rodgardae, what I¡¯m trying to say is that I think there is foul play afoot,¡± Milles added softly, seeing his confusion. A surge of panic, odd and misplaced, skittered down his back. ¡°Surely not.¡± Milles shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to be wrong. Very happy. Especially since she had that bag of medicines with her, a few of which might be the only supply in this entire city at this point.¡± ¡°You think someone grabbed her for the medicines?¡± ¡°It¡¯s war. Black market goods are selling for high prices, especially dragon medicines. People do desperate things during desperate times.¡± ¡°Would you recognize the ensign?¡± Milles shook his head. ¡°I absolutely would not. I was deep in conversation with a few colleagues, and he kept his back to us anyway. Which, now that I think about it, is odd.¡± ¡°The maid?¡± ¡°Possibly. She was older¡­I think I¡¯ve seen her with the headmistress a few times.¡± ¡°Hmph. Given that she was there as your assistant, if I had really sent someone to fetch her, I would have made sure that they cleared it with you,¡± Rodgardae added grimly. He stood up. ¡°I do not have time to track down one errant doctor¡¯s assistant, but I know she would not just disappear. This calls for a keen mind and someone who can afford the time to investigate.¡± ¡°Matrica Roki?¡± Milles said with a meager smile as he followed Rodgardae out. ¡°Mani will figure out what is going on,¡± Rodgardae said, nodding. He knew his consort would not appreciate a problem like this being landed on his shoulders, but on the other hand, he cared about Maid Aegirine and would want to know about her possible situation. They tracked him down at the large, expansive drill fields deep inside the military base on the outskirts of the city proper. He and Wildt were facing off in another heated argument, Wildt reduced to pointing and flapping his arms like wings as they were obviously yelling about Lieutenant Dersk and Lieutenant Yvetle, who were flying in lazy circles above them, looking down occasionally to see if there were instructions coming their way. They saw Rodgardae before Mani and Wildt did and landed quickly, tucking their heads down and their wings folded tight in the Kaaltendt fashion. ¡°I¡¯m here for Matrica Roki. Your exercises are canceled, go make yourselves useful somewhere else,¡± he said as he walked up. Mani and Wildt had finally seen him approach, and stopped their ¡°discussion¡±. ¡°Your Grace?¡± Wildt asked, frowning. ¡°I thought you were at headquarters all day.¡± ¡°All day and for the foreseeable future, if my sister has her way,¡± Rodgardae confirmed with a sigh. ¡°But Doctor Worthan has brought something urgent to my attention, and I wanted to hand it off to our Matrica.¡± He turned to Mani, whose eyebrows had gone sky-high. ¡°Sorry to do it, Mani, but I think you will agree it is urgent. Captain, I want you here as well, you will be assisting the Matrica as much as you can. I¡¯ll pull a couple of Wattish sergeants to help as well, since they will be more familiar with the city and locals than either of you.¡± ¡°What on earth is going on, Ro?¡± Mani¡¯s expression and failure to use his titles gave away his worry. Rodgardae waved at Milles to step up and explain the situation, and when he was done, Mani looked genuinely upset. ¡°Would it help to even know where she was last seen?¡± he asked, obviously guessing the answer. Milles shook his head. ¡°Not really. We were in the middle of our train platform, and she disappeared into the crowd pretty quickly. As I said, the ensign, if he was that at all, took pains not to face us directly. I doubt anyone would be able to recall him, except possibly the maid who brought him there.¡± ¡°Mani.¡± Rodgardae stepped up and grasped his upper arm. ¡°I simply cannot take any more time away from my job than I already have. I must return to headquarters, especially since my sister and our brother the prince is due back later today.¡± Mani grimaced, but placed his hand over Rodgardae¡¯s. ¡°And Worthan has to return to the hospital, I¡¯m sure.¡± He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°I will take charge of the search. Don¡¯t expect an update from me until this evening, but I¡¯ll alert you immediately if we find her before then.¡± They shared a look, and Rodgardae felt through their bond the same fear and panic he had earlier, overlaid with determination. Maid Aegirine ¡ª Agadart ver Kleelan ¡ª technically meant nothing to either of them, and yet, they shared a bond that reached out to her and probably always would. It was a feeling Rodgardae cherished, even as sad as it made him that the three of them would never be a formal triamond, but more than anything, he wanted to simply know she was safe. He leaned over and blew propriety out of the water by kissing Mani softly. ¡°You know I trust you above all others,¡± he whispered. Mani wrapped his hand around Rodgardae¡¯s neck to bring him close again and press their foreheads together. ¡°I will get to the bottom of this, my beloved. I swear to you.¡± Rodgardae nodded, relieved, but he wasn¡¯t sure if Mani was talking about Agadart¡¯s disappearance or the mystery of Agadart herself. 30. The Search Mani was not a man prone to panic. He had watched his younger brother¡¯s first flight off the edge of Mount Nafmunkii without even blinking. He had traveled straight into a war zone with his mate without pause. But now, his heart was beating out of his chest. Agadart was missing. Agadart was, very likely, in trouble. He had, almost since he met her, tried to push his desire and interest into the background. Even a flirt like him knew that there were times and people to not engage with, but in the end he had been unable to keep those boundaries with her. He thought, often, of Ro¡¯s confused attraction towards her. Ro, in general, did not find humans attractive at all. Like most dragons, he thought humans were stubby and clumsy, and creatures to be tolerated and occasionally humored (in this, he was not too different from Mani¡¯s father, something he chose not to think about too often). Mani was, apparently, his first human lover. That, despite the fact that Ro had been stationed in Kaaltendt for several years before Mani got there himself. And yet. Both of them were almost unreasonably attracted to a person who theoretically should have been completely out of their line of sight, either as a fallen noblewoman or as a dragon maid. Who was now missing under suspicious circumstances. Ro was already striding away, back to his duties, when Wildt dashed off to talk to another officer on the field. Mani assumed he was going to secure him a few soldiers to assist in the search. He grilled Worthan about what he had seen when Agadart left him at the station platform. Despite his own personal opinion that Doctor Worthan was correct about the futility of starting their investigation at the platform where Agadart had last been seen, it was still the logical place to start. He had a small office in the training grounds compound, due to his status as the Matrica of Endestern. He personally thought it had been set aside for him because no one else wanted to be in charge of the Kaaltendt dragons, however small their number, and so giving him an office on-site would keep him close to his subjects. Effective, if slightly underhanded, and he wished he knew who had made the decision so he could let them know how much he admired them for it. Two confused sergeants showed up to meet him there after only a few minutes, and introduced themselves as Sergeant Moularre, who was the older and higher ranking one, and Sergeant Eirshau, who kept glancing at Moularre for guidance. He had been making a list of places to check, including the train station, the dragon maid barracks, and Agadart¡¯s assigned dorm room at the hospital (which he assumed she would be sharing with some nurses or other hospital staff who might have seen if she had shown up there at any point). After explaining the situation, he had them bring a carriage around to take them to where the dragon maids were stationed. He suspected that the maid Worthan had seen was the headmistress¡¯s assistant, whose name he could not remember. He had to start somewhere, after all. The headmistress greeted them in her office, which was shockingly even smaller than Mani¡¯s. The maid in question was there, one Maid Pyrite, but she claimed that the ensign had presented himself to her at the train station, looking for Maid Aegirine. The headmistress was unsettled that Maid Pyrite had not asked the boy for any identification, and as Mani left them he suspected there was going to be some punishment meted out. He was pretty sure it didn¡¯t matter, because if the ensign was involved, he either would not have any identification at all, or a very good set of fake papers. They had no choice but to head to the train station. Aurelia Bettita, the station master, was an old woman with a shocking amount of hair that was, in Mani¡¯s opinion, completely wild and unkempt (such was the fashion for elders in Watt, it seemed). She had apparently been warned of his visit via a message sent from Ro¡¯s office, and Mani sent up a quiet ¡°thank you¡± to his mate for clearing the way for him. She didn¡¯t even ask about the soldiers behind him, just waved at them to follow her through the station toward the platforms around the side. ¡°Can¡¯t say we¡¯ll be of any help. We¡¯ve never been a gated station, and with the volume of people arriving these days it would be fool¡¯s errand to start. Frankly I don¡¯t have the staff to even try.¡± She looked apologetic, at least, but Mani had known that trying to track down the so-called ensign that lured Agadart away was a long shot to start with, so Mani just nodded politely at her. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The station they walked through was quiet. ¡°No trains in right now?¡± he asked, catching up to her brisk pace. ¡°Nope. None due for twelve hours yet, and our last departures went out a few hours ago. Enough time for us to refill water tanks and check the tracks for problems. Always something to do, whether trains at station or not.¡± ¡°Especially these days,¡± he tacked on for her. She chuckled, but it was a grim sound. ¡°Never seen the likes of it; never thought I would. We¡¯ve had more traffic through here in the last two months than in the last two years combined.¡± She pushed through a gate and walked them out into the open air on a long wooden deck. It looked like all the other platforms stretched out to either side, but that particular platform was eerily empty. A few other platforms down from them had people on them, but overall, the station felt nearly barren compared to the first time Mani had seen it when he disembarked nearly two days ago in the deepest dark of early morning. She stood next to them, hands on her hips. Sergeant Moularre and Sergeant Eirshau stood by politely, waiting for orders¡­as all good soldiers would, Mani supposed. Mani faced the station itself, his back to where the train would pull in. The station was an old, elegant building that emerged from the cliff in graceful curves and arches. It was obviously very old, much older than the technology that now ran through it. ¡°What was this before trains came here?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Master Bettita lit up with pride. ¡°She¡¯s quite the beauty, eh? She was actually the autumn palace for Queen Esthae, don¡¯t you know!¡± The sergeants stood at attention, their interest piqued by the name of Watt¡¯s last queen dragon. ¡°I think for a while it might have been a health sanitarium for sick dragons, due to all the warrens, you know? But that made it perfect for trains coming in through the mountain.¡± She pointed out the mountain, as if Mani or anyone could miss it. It curled around Suychet as if it was a massive, ancient dragon itself. ¡°Anyway, it was renovated about one hundred years ago when Suychet became such a popular tourist destination. Glory days, to hear my father tell it. Still, we¡¯ve always been someplace people want to visit. Dragons really enjoy flying the winds sweeping off the mountain range and hitting the warm ocean current, I¡¯m told. Like a roller coaster for them!¡± She grinned, proud of the place. Mani stared at the royal-palace-cum-train-station. It went up several stories and likely, given it was built for a queen dragon, also went down several stories. It was beautiful but haunting, and a chill ran down his spine. ¡°Are there any unused sections?¡± She nodded. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s just a train station, we don¡¯t have enough staff to fill over two hundred rooms worth of offices, even during wartime. We¡¯ve repurposed a few, but¡ª¡± ¡°We need to search them.¡± The station master and the sergeants stared at him for a moment. ¡°All of them, sir?¡± Sergeant Moularre asked. ¡°Every single damn one of them, occupied or not.¡± He turned back to Master Bettita. ¡°We¡¯re going to need the layout for every floor, if you have them.¡± She was obviously used to dealing with crises, as she took the request in stride. ¡°Of course, Matrica. Might not be labeled accurately anymore, I think the most recent ones are from a refurb we did forty years ago. But they will show the rooms. Even got writing tissue you can lay over them to start marking off.¡± She started walking away briskly, leaving Mani and the sergeants to scramble after her. ¡°You think the maid is still here, sir?¡± Sergeant Eirshau asked as they followed the station master. ¡°Honestly? No. But think of it this way: in a crowded station, wouldn¡¯t the fastest way to disappear be to just stay here, rather than traipse about the streets being seen? Maid Aegirine was picked to assist Doctor Worthan because of her intellect and quick mind. She would not follow anyone, not even an ensign in uniform, into a dark alleyway to get mugged. But if they walk her into a room and just never walk out? No one would notice that she¡¯s vanished and she would not realize anything was wrong until the door locked behind her.¡± ¡°Aye, that makes sense,¡± Sergeant Moularre agreed. Mani nodded as the station master led them through a series of rooms to what was clearly a former library but now seemed to be the station¡¯s own archives. She motioned for them to stop at a large table then went to root around in piles of ledgers and boxes. He knew that it was a long shot, but it was at least a starting point. More importantly, to his mind, was the fact that news would spread fast that Admiral Leonteinparre¡¯s consort and aide-de-camp had taken an interest in the missing dragon maid. If anyone had absconded with her, it might give them pause and cause them to release her. Or, he thought grimly as he ordered Sergeant Moularre to go rouse up ten more soldiers to help in the search, they might at least find her body. 31. A Mystery It was late in the evening, yet Rodgardae had retired to his quarters only an hour before. His brain hurt from all the meetings and strategy sessions he had endured. His sister, Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder, had arrived in a swirl of anger and misery. Lives were being lost in staggering proportions in their attempt to hold the emperor¡¯s forces off the coast, and it having become a battle of attrition, the Wattish forces were destined to lose. No one liked to acknowledge the truth, least of all his proud and moribund sister who had grown up believing the Isle of Watt was invincible. Trying to convince her and the other elders of the impending disaster was its own battlefront, as they just believed that if they threw more dragons forward, the sooner they would gain the upper hand. Rodgardae was determined that the mere wing he was in charge of would not be one of the ones thrown into the crucible as a pointless sacrifice. It had been a long, long day. While his staff had prepared his study with a nice fire and a warm pot of honeyed tea on a table next to a comfortable chair, the most important element was missing: Mani. Of course, he knew that he probably would not see Mani that night, but it still felt odd not to come home to him. Worse, the fact that he was not there clearly meant that he had not found Agadart, or indeed, had any news to share about her disappearance. With a sigh, Rodgardae stripped out of his uniform straight into his pajamas, figuring there was no point in wearing casual clothes if he was just going to drink his tea and then head straight to bed. A headache was threatening to form, and he felt the magic of his flying form pressing against his skin, anxious to take to the skies and defend his home. He was deep into his second cup of tea and considering spiking it with whiskey when Mani stepped through the door. Rodgardae¡¯s first instinct was to rise with a smile, glad to have his mate back by his side, but the grim expression on Mani¡¯s face made him falter as he stood up. ¡°What did you find?¡± Rodgardae asked, filled with trepidation. ¡°Not your worst fears, but it¡¯s definitely not good news. I wanted to come and report it to you myself.¡± Rodgardae took his hand and led him to the chair opposite his, the one more thickly upholstered and covered in opulent fabrics. Mani snorted at that lightly, but it was only a momentary reprieve from his serious demeanor. He sat down and accepted the cup of tea Rodgardae offered him. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the important part first: she¡¯s definitely been kidnapped. We assume she was taken alive, but past that, I have no information to provide.¡± Mani did not relax in the chair at all, sitting on the edge of it, his posture tight. ¡°What did you discover, then?¡± ¡°The medicines we assumed were the reason why she disappeared.¡± He sighed. Rodgardae frowned. ¡°All of them?¡± ¡°All of them. Untouched in the bag they were originally packed in.¡± Mani raised his hand to still Rodgardae¡¯s questions. ¡°We got to the station and I decided we would conduct a room-by-room search. The station master was incredibly helpful and pulled some older plans for the station, which ¡ª oh, I suppose you already know it used to be an autumn palace for Queen Esthae?¡± Rodgardae nodded, because everyone in Watt knew that. ¡°May she fly in peaceful skies eternal.¡± ¡°Right, right. The soldiers Captain Wildt assigned me got more soldiers and I had them conduct a thorough search. Here¡¯s the hitch: I told them to literally leave no box unturned, and they didn¡¯t. Everything got tossed over. Old trunks, closets, wardrobes, cabinets¡­if it had a door or a lid, they opened it. I¡¯ll give them credit for following directions.¡± Rodgardae read between the lines of what Mani was saying: they had been looking for a body stuffed into an out-of-the-way location. ¡°In one of the lower levels, there is a section that probably used to be a series of wine cellars and now serves as random storage rooms, occasionally offices. Dank and dreary, and the gas lights barely cut the mood. One of the soldiers found a room that was utterly trashed, like a dragon had been spinning around madly knocking everything over. An old filing cabinet was tipped on its side, but he dutifully checked the drawers and ta-da! The missing bag, with all the medicines in it.¡± He stared at his half-drank cup of tea angrily, got up, fetched the whiskey from the nearby cabinet and topped it off before sitting down again. ¡°We assume she hid it there on purpose,¡± Rodgardae surmised. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We do. We also assume she fought like a demon when they came to drag her out. No blood, and we had a shifted dragon come sniff it out just in case. Whomever took her was careful there too; it mostly smelled of widdlegrass.¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Rodgardae said instinctively, cringing. ¡°Right. The dragon ¡ª one of the Wattish dragons in your flight, sorry I cannot remember his name ¡ª took one sniff and scuttled out of there quick as you please. He at least confirmed there was no blood, while also confirming that whomever took her knew that someone, at some point, might come looking for her.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Rodgardae looked at him. ¡°Who would want a random Kaaltendt dragon maid?¡± Mani looked over at him. ¡°Is she really so random, though?¡± Of course she wasn¡¯t, but they were far out of Kaaltendt and even further from Queen Theaedra¡¯s court. But Mani was shaking his head. ¡°No, not Kaaltendt operatives. If they wanted her, they had plenty of chances to grab her on their own turf.¡± He paused, sipping his spiked tea, which Rodgardae was getting jealous of. He stood up and went to get the whiskey. He simply took the bottle and set it on the table between them after he filled his cup. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Her husband was Baron Stewardt, who was executed for treason a year ago. He was a spy for the Rhezvan Empire.¡± Rodgardae had to sit in silence for a moment digesting that. It answered so many questions that Mani had hedged around when explaining her situation. ¡°A serious court scandal,¡± indeed. He sighed. ¡°What on earth would they want with his widow? The one who turned him in to begin with?¡± Rodgardae shook his head. ¡°Even if it was just revenge, it would be easier to get a sniper¡¯s sights on her. This whole complicated plot is too convoluted for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking the same thing. The only thing I can think of is that somehow, someway, she has knowledge they want from her. Maybe something she doesn¡¯t even realize might be important to them. Perhaps something her husband told her at some point?¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°Honestly I have no idea. Grasping at straws.¡± He finished off his cup but did not refill it. ¡°Anyway, the search continues, but we¡¯ve moved out past the train station to surrounding alleyways and bolt-holes. The whole city is crammed with people, though, so if her body was dumped anywhere near there, I¡¯m certain someone would have stumbled over her by now.¡± ¡°You believe they grabbed her and took her out of the city? To where?¡± He paused, thinking. ¡°A ship. So they went to the coast where presumably a small cutter or similar would be waiting¡­I don¡¯t know, Mani, that¡¯s a hell of a lot of work for someone who is just not important anymore, no matter who she might have been once.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that or they mistook her for someone else? That¡¯s the going theory among the soldiers, who are all Wattish and not impressed with dragon maids as a rule. Although one mentioned that maybe she is someone else, like a high-ranking member of your brother the prince¡¯s court.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd.¡± Rodgardae snorted disdainfully. ¡°As if anyone at court would be caught dead pretending to be a dragon maid.¡± Mani waved a hand at him as if that explained everything. Perhaps it did. ¡°What is your next step, then? After having reported to me?¡± He smiled, but it was rueful. Mani would not be staying, and Rodgardae would not be leaving. They did not spend many nights apart anymore, but this was important. Rodgardae¡¯s stomach roiled with the thought of Agadart being injured, although he chose not to explore the reasons behind that too much. Mani didn¡¯t respond right away, instead tapping the empty cup in his hand with his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s all so odd, Ro. The mysterious ensign, the fact the medicines were not even searched for, that they took her out of the station and likely out of the city entirely.¡± He was holding back on something. ¡°And?¡± Mani sat up straight again. ¡°I do not mean to be callous, because I am fond of her, as are you. But why do we care so much? Why do I feel like an important piece of myself is missing? Why are you vibrating with the strength of holding yourself back from shifting and flying out the window to find her?¡± Rodgardae realized, as soon as Mani said it, that indeed he was clutching at his self-control, and he had not even realized. But he shook his head again. ¡°She¡¯s not a dragon, Mani.¡± ¡°No. No, she¡¯s not. But¡­and I am breaking confidence here, but I feel the situation warrants it: she¡¯s dragonkin.¡± The news was not surprising at first, since everyone Rodgardae had ever grown up with was dragonkin, but then he realized that Mani was talking about a Kaaltendt noble family. Dragons were a rare and precious commodity there, but not respected outside of the queen¡¯s court. A necessity and little more, they were not treated kindly by the society that had once turned on them. Mani nodded as he saw realization dawn. ¡°Her paternal uncle, apparently. He did not want to serve in the military¡¯s dragon corps and, even as the eldest, could not inherit the family title and lands, so ran away to the Westlands. A bit of a shameful episode, to hear her tell it. Mind you I don¡¯t think her mysterious uncle is involved in this, but I feel like there is something to that story we might be missing. Something that might be playing into this whole matter.¡± Rodgardae considered that. ¡°How many dragons are assigned to help you right now?¡± Mani paused, thinking. ¡°I have twelve soldiers assigned to me at this point, and two of them are dragons.¡± ¡°Get Wildt to provide you with at least five more dragons, and have them shift to their flying form. If dragons are involved in this, they will be better able to sniff it out.¡± Mani stood up, and Rodgardae followed. ¡°Yes, Your Grace,¡± he said formally, but ended with a slight smirk that Rodgardae kissed off his face. It was less romantic than it was soothing and calming for both of them, and would be the last kiss they would share for a while¡­possibly days if the search took Mani out to the coast. 32. Meeting the Duke Agadart shifted to try and flex her feet as the deck swayed. She was grateful that her kidnappers had taken off the blindfold when they lugged her up over the side of the small boat, because the motion of being on the water while blindfolded had been giving her uncharacteristic seasickness. In fact, her kidnappers had overall been polite and respectful, for kidnappers. At least they were once they let her out of the sack they had shoved her unconscious body into at the train station. The three people who came for her were stout and obviously used to fighting, but Agadart thought she had put up a fairly good defense right up until one of them managed to get close and shove a rag covered in the most foul smelling thing she had ever had the misfortune to smell over her nose. The next thing she knew, she woke up being dumped out of the bag on the beach of a small inlet, trussed up like a bird for the pot. They had blindfolded her immediately and kept it there as they put her in a small rowboat, and had not taken it off until they were all aboard the boat that was in the process of, she assumed, sailing out to sea. Beyond that she had no idea where they were headed. Her kidnappers were not exactly loquacious. All in all, though, they had not been purposefully abusive or tried to harm her in any way, just kept her tied up to a post below decks. While she was grateful for the courtesy, it was profoundly odd for kidnappers, she thought. The trip kept going and going, and she was exhausted both from the train trip over the whole of the Isle of Watt followed by being kidnapped, so she found herself waking up occasionally without remembering falling asleep. At some point, one of her kidnappers had thoughtfully tucked a blanket around her while she slept, and it was only when she woke up to find it there did she realize that the cabin she was in was getting colder. ¡°Wake up.¡± Agadart startled awake again at the words. She looked up at a short, squat man who resembled a rectangle. He spoke with a soft, melodious accent that she couldn¡¯t place, and was clean shaven in the common manner of sailors the world over, with a mop of light brown curls on his head. He wasn¡¯t young, but not particularly old either, and did not wear any kind of uniform. ¡°I demand¡ª¡± She stopped to cough, her throat dry and parched. He just raised an eyebrow at her, smirking. ¡°Ahem. I demand to know who has kidnapped me, and when I will be returned to the Isle of Watt.¡± She wheezed more than she spoke the words, but was proud to have gotten them out. ¡°Not your home, why do you want to go back there?¡± He grabbed a stoppered gourd that was hanging off a hook on the wall by a leather strap, and then stepped over to her. He opened it and crouched down to hold it to her lips. She figured there was nothing to gain by being stubborn, so let him dribble some water into her mouth. When he stepped back to hang the water bottle up again, she almost answered by explaining that she was a dragon maid and had been assigned to Suychet the same as any soldier, but she wasn¡¯t sure that her kidnappers knew who she was. What if they had kidnapped the wrong person by mistake? She did not want them to realize that and decide that she was expendable, so instead, she just kept her mouth shut. He shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re not going back, so it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re almost at our destination, and I wanted you to be fully awake when we get there.¡± That was ominous, but again she decided that silence was the better part of valor. He turned and left her alone again in the cabin. The noise crept on her unnoticed at first, but once she became aware of it, it was like a cacophony surrounding the boat. She had only been to a few port cities in her time, and the noise seemed similar, but not quite. She had no doubt they were surrounded by other vessels, probably a number of much larger ones if the shifting of the boat was any indication. But she knew enough of maps to know that there was no way they were near a coast, not in the short trip they had taken thus far. There weren¡¯t even any islands between Watt and Iskaryyva along any longitude. Yet not long after the kidnapper had left, she felt and heard the sounds of their boat being docked. A different person came in to untie her from the post and to free her feet for walking. He graciously helped her up and held her steady as she stomped a little to get blood flowing quickly. She thought this was a most bizarre set of kidnappers. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! They didn¡¯t even blindfold her again, which was the biggest clue she had that they were far, far away from being spotted by any Wattish dragons. Her current escort led her up the narrow, steep stairwell to the deck, where the other kidnapper she knew was waiting for her along with three others she did not know. Just from looking, she could not tell who was in charge, so instead of addressing them she turned to look out over the rail, and gasped. The ship was tied to a dock attached to a massive, multi-storied floating platform. It was massive in size, and had at least six other ships tied up to it, most of them large military ships that loomed over everything beneath them. The boat she was on was insignificant in comparison. They were also, perhaps unsurprisingly, ships of the Iskaryyva Imperial Navy. She held back a shiver, although that might have been due to the cold winds blowing over the massive dock. Above them, countless numbers of dragons flew in large, overlapping circles or figure-eight formations, some coming in to land on the very top floor of the platform, which was bare except for a small cabin on the far edge. The dragons were every color under the sun, from deep ruby red to bright yellow and glistening black. A few wore muted, flat colors, and others were so reflective that they appeared colorless, just mirroring the light around them. They walked her down the steep gangplank, the dark water below them sloshing against the boat. They were in the middle of the ocean, and there was no telling how deep the water was that she was stepping over. She looked up as soon as her feet were on the dock proper. Her escort, all five men, walked with her, almost like an honor guard, towards a staircase up to the floor just under the top deck. As they got closer, she realized that the whole floating city was made up of strange kinds of ships lashed together and anchoring the platform together. They had no masts and she noticed when they walked over a section they were actually sitting on the water like summer bugs on a pond. She was walked over a bridge onto what was obviously a large, formal receiving room. Even weirder than all of that was how so many people stopped to stare at her. They all wore Iskaryyva navy uniforms, or Iskaryyva style civilian clothes, all heavy cloth and drab colors. She knew she looked out of place in her Kaaltendt dragon maid uniform and her neatly braided hair, but she did not think she warranted such close scrutiny. The walk ended abruptly in a fine, large office that was just off the opulent receiving room. It looked a bit like every high-ranking military officers¡¯ office she had ever seen growing up, filled with expensive but sedate furniture and military-themed decorations like maps and exotic weapons. Including, she realized with a chuckle she barely suppressed, a mounted tragart knife in pride of place, like an exotic trophy¡­the same knife her father and her mother and everyone she knew carried, a utilitarian instrument that was as common in her homelands as fish in the sea. ¡°Ah, Agadart ver Kleelan.¡± She snapped her attention to the man who used her real name. He was old and wrinkled in that flabby way of officers who led from a desk, but there was something dangerous about his eyes that had her on edge. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you would call me that,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Maid Aegirine of the Kaaltendt Dragon Maids Corps.¡± ¡°Oh, I know.¡± He tapped a folder in front of him, and then stood up. He was short, and yet his presence still took up the entire room. ¡°Forgive me. I¡¯m Duke Paruask of Ittar, Second Prince of Iskaryyva.¡± Agadart inhaled quickly, almost choking. The older brother of Emperor Rhezv, who by all reports had been instrumental in putting his younger brother on the imperial throne. She bowed, pulling on the hand of the man holding her arm. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°Such excellent manners.¡± He smiled, wolfish. ¡°Put her there and leave us.¡± She was tugged quickly into a stiff-backed wooden chair before her escort quickly jogged out of the office. Paruask came around the desk and then leaned against it, folding his arms over his chest. Despite his stature, he was imposing, and she thought that when he had been a young man he had probably been quite handsome. As it was, years of hard military living were carved into the wrinkles of his face and the leathery skin. ¡°You don¡¯t look like much to me, Lady ver Kleelan, but you¡¯ve certainly caused His Imperial Majesty a lot of trouble.¡± She decided that keeping her mouth shut would continue to be her best policy. ¡°Losing Baron Stewardt was a blow, especially to a clever counter-agent such as yourself.¡± She opened her mouth to disagree with the description of her as a ¡°clever counter-agent¡± but fortunately caught herself in time. He huffed in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we didn¡¯t go through all this trouble just to execute you.¡± ¡°Then why go through this trouble at all? As I¡¯ve said repeatedly, I¡¯m just a dragon maid of Kaaltendt. I¡¯m worthless for ransom, even if I was this ¡®Lady ver Kleelan¡¯. I do know enough about Queen Theaedra and her king to know they won¡¯t blink at letting me die in foreign hands with war on the horizon.¡± He looked bored. ¡°Are you seriously arguing for me to just have you thrown overboard for the fish?¡± She paused. ¡°Ah. No, that¡¯s not my plan.¡± ¡°Good, because it¡¯s not my plan either. Frankly this isn¡¯t my plan at all. I think my brother was rattled in his egg, but he gives the orders, so if he wants Lady Agadart ver Kleelan as his empress, then that¡¯s who he gets.¡± ¡°What?¡± 33. The Lost ver Kleelan Agadart had been missing for a week, and Mani had put Sergeant Moularre in charge of the ongoing search because Ro could not spare any officers to do it, and Mani could not completely remove himself from his duties as Matrica of Endestern for the sake of an apprentice dragon maid. The Kaaltendt dragons were finally starting to look to him for support in regards to shoring up their abilities and dealing with their Wattish counterparts, but it was a fragile connection built through their trust in Captain Wildt, his most outspoken supporter. Mistress Seraphinite had begrudgingly offered two of her apprentices to be detailed to the search, which Mani thought was pointless but accepted anyway as a gesture of alliance with the stern, unfriendly woman. At first, she had seemed completely disinterested, but as the days went by, she at least acknowledged that the matter was of high importance. That was enough for Mani, in the meantime. Of more pressing and disturbing news was that the Iskaryyvan forces were¡­not fighting very hard. It was odd, everyone agreed: they were still mounting a formidable offense, but the front line had not moved ashore yet, and seemed unlikely to do so. None of the Wattish scouts got through to look behind their lines (or, if they did, they themselves did not return), so it was impossible to know if they were massing for a frontal assault, or if they were settling in for a war of attrition. Neither spelled good news for the Isle of Watt, but it was simply disconcerting to everyone that Emperor Rhezv was not pushing the advantage he had in numbers and strength. Mani and Ro fell into bed every night too tired to do anything more than give each other a brief update of their day and then possibly make out for a bit, but Ro was getting testy about not being able to shift into his dragon form and being held back from the front. Mani was sympathetic, but he was an older brother while Ro was the baby of the family, so he understood where Ro¡¯s siblings were coming from. He would hold back his younger brother and sister from a war front too. Of course, he did not say as much to Ro, for fear of being ejected from their bed for an indefinite period of time. Such as it was, they would all be fighting for their lives soon enough, so it did not matter too much in the long run. It was not something they talked about. They simply found what comfort they could, and readied for what was ahead. For Mani, that meant working at the military encampment most of the day. He was sitting in his office, which he was pretty sure used to be a storage closet, going over paperwork that never seemed to end (he cravenly hoped there was a paper shortage soon, just so he would not have to deal with the bureaucracy of Watt), when his secretary stepped into the room. ¡°Jarr¨¦?¡± Mani asked, looking up in surprise. ¡°Sorry, Matrica.¡± The young man bowed politely. ¡°You have a visitor.¡± He paused. ¡°A civilian.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mani put down the report he was reviewing. ¡°Does he have a name?¡± ¡°Hrecht ver Kleelan, but he offers no documentation to support that.¡± Bells went off in Mani¡¯s mind, and his reaction must have shown on his face, as Jarr¨¦ straightened up. ¡°Shall I show him in?¡± ¡°Yes, immediately.¡± Jarr¨¦ spun around and zipped out of the office. He reappeared a few moments later with a man who did not look anything like Agadart, yet obviously was related. Mani thought it was something about the set of their eyes. He was tall and rail thin, with a shock of bright white hair piled up on his head in a wild collection of braids. It was not a style native to Kaaltendt, Mani knew that much if little else. ¡°Lord ver Kleelan? A pleasure to meet you.¡± He bowed then offered him a chair to sit in. The ¡°lord¡± part was a long shot, but the man did not argue about it, so Mani figured he guessed correctly. ¡°Thank you, Matrica,¡± ver Kleelan said, his western Kaaltendt accent far thicker than Agadart¡¯s own. He settled in the chair with a military air. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Forgive my presumption, but are you¡­ah, are you Agadart ver Kleelan¡¯s father?¡± Mani took the other guest chair, not wanting to put the desk between them. He hoped to keep their interactions casual and friendly, if possible. He tilted his head curiously. ¡°What an interesting question. Why would you ask about her?¡± Mani opened his mouth, then closed it. He kept looking at Mani, his eyes a piercing, silvery blue. All at once, with a shiver through his body, he realized that the man he was dealing with was, in fact, a dragon. And a powerful one. ¡°No, you¡¯re her uncle, aren¡¯t you?¡± He smiled, his teeth pointed and sharp like no human would possess and most dragons would not show. ¡°You¡¯re a smart one.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord ver Kleelan.¡± He was at a loss at what the dragon¡¯s actual title might be, if he had one at all, but it never hurt with strangers to stay on the formal side. ¡°I asked around. The word is that you are the one leading the search for my niece.¡± Mani was glad they were not pretending that Maid Aegirine was not Agadart ver Kleelan, but that did not leave him with much else to feel glad about. ¡°Yes sir. Although as I¡¯m sure you are aware, we¡¯ve had no luck in finding her.¡± He paused, thinking. ¡°Although I¡¯m surprised you are here at all. She has only been missing for a week, and the last reported sightings of you were in the Westlands, beyond the Barrens.¡± He felt like he was talking to a bird of prey with the way Lord ver Kleelan was looking at him. Dragons rarely gave their full attention to humans in such an intense way unless they were getting ready to fight or fuck. ¡°I was headed eastward long before now.¡± Mani frowned at him, bordering on a glare. ¡°You could not have known of her kidnapping so long ago, unless you were involved in it.¡± He thought about how fast Jarr¨¦ could get in there if he yelled for help. Not fast enough, he reckoned. He kept his posture loose and unconcerned. ¡°I am not here because of her kidnapping.¡± Lord ver Kleelan leaned back in the chair, but Mani was not fooled, he could tell the dragon was tense and coiled, ready to strike. ¡°Although I am here because of her, and I¡¯m not surprised she was kidnapped. I assume agents of Emperor Rhezv?¡± Mani took a moment to process that. ¡°Why would you assume that?¡± ¡°Who else would want her?¡± ¡°Why would the emperor want her?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He sniffed the air, more like a dog than either a human or a dragon. The man was weird and Mani felt completely wrong-footed around him. ¡°Where is your mate?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at military headquarters. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that I am the consort and guardian to Admiral Leonteinparre the Younger.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Lord ver Kleelan repeated. ¡°I think we should discuss this with him present. If it¡¯s not inconvenient.¡± ¡°The admiral is incredibly busy, as you can imagine,¡± Mani parried. Lord ver Kleelan shrugged. ¡°I can try to get her back myself, but I¡¯m told that would likely cause an increase in hostilities. I am aware, Matrica Roki, that right now the Isle of Watt is sitting on the razor¡¯s edge of disaster. You might not believe me but I wish to avoid making things worse.¡± ¡°We appreciate that, Lord ver Kleelan. But to be perfectly honest, I¡¯m not sure what your actions might result in, politically. Technically, your niece is just a dragon maid of Kaaltendt, nearly anonymous and not worth any kind of ransom. Furthermore, you still have not explained why the emperor would bother to kidnap her. She was serving as an assistant to the esteemed Doctor Worthan; she had no secret military knowledge outside of some admirality numbers of wounded soldiers.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°I am sure that is why the emperor does not expect anyone to come after her.¡± He looked around the tiny office before focusing on Mani again with his unnerving gaze. ¡°Send a message to your mate and bring him here, so I can explain how, if we do not go get Agadart back, the Isle of Watt will fall to the emperor¡¯s forces faster than a snowball in a fire pit.¡± Mani moved slowly, standing up and going to the door. He stepped out but left it open, motioning Jarr¨¦ to stay in place in order to keep an eye on their guest. He went down the hallway to two offices over and requested that a runner be sent for Admiral Leonteinparre the Younger, on an urgent matter, on the Matrica of Endestern¡¯s orders. Then he paused and took a deep breath before turning around and going back into the dragon¡¯s den. 34. Wild Rumors Rodgardae was aggravated. He respected Mani¡¯s position as Matrica of Endestern, despite the fact that Fort Endestern itself was currently many thousands of miles to the west. However, the urgent summons had pulled him out of a meeting with his sister, where once again he accused her of purposefully holding him back and she accused him of insubordination. So, the same script as the past three days, he thought sourly. He grabbed a ready horse from the stable and made good time over to the military encampment where Mani was working. By the time he had handed it off to a stable hand there, he was already fuming in frustration and was ready to fight about it. The feeling fled from him when he walked past the guards outside Mani¡¯s office door, who looked spooked. He paused, unfurling his senses, and immediately tensed up. Feral dragon. He dashed into the office and squared off with a man who was a handspan taller than he was rising from his chair. He was layered with the essence of wild dragons, but his hair was braided up on his head like a Wattish noble of old, the dozens of braids twisting around each other into a halo of whitened hair. His bright blue, silvery irises sparked with power. Rodgardae moved in front of Mani to protect him, but he knew in his gut that a hand-to-claw battle with this stranger would not end well for him. ¡°Ro. Ro!¡± Mani tugged at his arm, pulling him back. ¡°Stop it. Lord ver Kleelan isn¡¯t here to attack us.¡± ¡°Lord who?¡± Rodgardae allowed himself to step backwards, but slowly, refusing any suggestion of retreat. ¡°Technically, I¡¯m not a member of the nobility anymore, but it¡¯s as good a title as any.¡± The stranger talked with the same sharp tones of western Kaaltendt as Agadart. If he was a ver Kleelan, he was likely related. ¡°Stand down, boy, I¡¯m just here to talk.¡± He sat back down, obviously and purposefully refusing to follow etiquette. Rodgardae moved to stand next to Mani, and they both looked down at the man before them. Even so, it still felt like they were looking up. ¡°What do you want?¡± If ver Kleelan was going to be rude, Rodgardae would meet the challenge. He heard Mani sighing behind him, mumbling ¡°Dragons!¡± under his breath. ¡°I am hoping that I can get my niece back from the emperor¡¯s clutches, if you must know.¡± ¡°Niece?¡± Rodgardae paused. ¡°Lady Agadart ver Kleelan?¡± ¡°Does everyone know of her secret identity?¡± Mani stepped up to Rodgardae¡¯s side, subtly shoving him aside to make room. Rodgardae still wanted his mate behind him for protection, but he managed to hold his instincts back. ¡°As far as I know, we¡¯re the only two. Ah, I¡¯m sure the headmistress of the dragon maids knows as well. She would, right?¡± Mani glanced over at Rodgardae for confirmation. Rodgardae nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certain of it.¡± He never took his eyes off the wild dragon wearing the trappings of civility. ¡°Yes, I know of the headmistress¡± ver Kleelan said cryptically. ¡°In any case, you should know I¡¯m not here to ask your permission, or for your help. This is simply a polite call to let you know of my actions, and why I¡¯m taking them.¡± ¡°You mentioned that not rescuing Aga¡ªMaid Aegirine would lead to the fall of Watt,¡± Mani prompted. ¡°What?¡± Rodgardae made to step forward again, but Mani¡¯s arm across his chest held him back. ¡°Are you threatening us?¡± ver Kleelan rolled his eyes. ¡°No.¡± He motioned at the other two chairs. ¡°Sit down.¡± Rodgardae flinched at the direct order but felt compelled to follow it. He nodded at Mani and they slowly sat down. Rodgardae took a deep breath and dredged up the last shreds of his diplomacy. ¡°Would you care to explain?¡± With a smile, which might have been condescending, ver Kleelan nodded. ¡°I would, very much. You know who ¡®Maid Aegirine¡¯ is, and so do I, obviously, although I have never met her. I left most of Kaaltendt society behind years before she was born.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Did her father send you?¡± Mani asked. He was keeping a hand on Rodgardae¡¯s forearm, either for moral support or to hold him down, he wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe both. ¡°No. Her maternal ancestor did.¡± Rodgardae and Mani looked at each other. ¡°Maternal ancestor¡± was a dragon term, used to describe individuals so far back in the line that their correct relation would have been absurdly long and meaningless. Few used it outside of royal families. Seeing their confusion, ver Kleelan nodded. ¡°It is as convoluted as you might suspect. I am going to tell you this, and it must not leave the room. At least, for now. The truth will be revealed soon, but later rather than sooner is my preference.¡± He pulled in from his languid rest in the chair, sitting up straight and formal. ¡°Do I have your word as gentlemen and dragons?¡± ¡°I am not a dragon.¡± Mani pointed at his chest. ¡°You¡¯re the Matrica of your mate¡¯s flight, and a son of Akanata. Close enough, isn¡¯t it?¡± ver Kleelan smirked. ¡°You have a point,¡± Mani said graciously. ¡°I give you my word, then.¡± They both looked at Rodgardae expectantly. He grit his teeth for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I give you my word.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ver Kleelan settled back down. ¡°Agadart ver Kleelan is the only remaining direct descendant of Princess Beatra of Watt.¡± Rodgardae was out of his chair and grabbing the jackass¡¯s coat, pulling him to his feet, before he even thought about it. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Ro! Ro, stop it!¡± Mani was at his back, trying to pry him off, using their connection as well as his voice, which meant that Rodgardae was moments away from a full shift. He shoved hard at the blasphemous asshole, sending him stumbling into his chair, and let Mani herd him to the other side of the room. ver Kleelan righted himself, then his chair, and sat down again as if nothing happened. Given his power, Rodgardae¡¯s outburst was probably no more than a kit playing at wrestling for him, but Rodgardae did not care. ¡°You have some damn nerve to even mention her gracious name, never mind making such spurious accusations.¡± He pointed at ver Kleelan, his fingertip still more claw than nail. ¡°They are neither spurious nor accusations. They are fact. When Princess Beatra was ordered out of the burning castle by Queen Esthae, she was pregnant from her own mate, who died protecting her retreat. Those are facts.¡± ¡°They are wild rumors and myths and legends,¡± Rodgardae spat back. Hopes and dreams, he did not add, because every Wattish child, human or dragon, longed to believe that such tales were true. But no one dared speak of them in such a way, so casually, as if they knew. ver Kleelan did not seem impressed. ¡°What I¡¯m here to tell you,¡± he said, stressing each word, ¡°is that somehow Emperor Rhezv found out, and is determined to have her mate with him to gain control everlasting over the Isle of Watt.¡± ¡°You are dangerously insane, and I am having you thrown out.¡± He tried to pull out of Mani¡¯s grasp. ¡°Why do you think he¡¯s never taken a queen? There are three queens of Iskaryyva as we speak, each controlling her own domain within those lands. Any one of them could be elevated to empress with a snap of his fingers. That they either don¡¯t want to or can¡¯t is interesting, but immaterial. What Emperor Rhezv craves is control over all the world¡¯s dragons. Right now he can¡¯t get the queen of Kaaltendt, but he can get the queen of Watt.¡± ¡°Watt has no queen and has not had a queen for eight hundred years. That is not changing because of a raving madman!¡± Rodgardae waved a hand at him. ¡°Also I don¡¯t think he would find warm welcome in Akanata,¡± Mani added. ¡°How long will Akanata hold out if both Watt and Kaaltendt fall?¡± he asked, almost pleasantly, his smile grim. Years, probably, Rodgardae thought. Years of bloody fighting that would eventually end in the proud nation¡¯s destruction. Mani had paled next to him, likely thinking the same thing. ¡°You have no proof of such wild claims,¡± Mani said after a moment. ¡°I do, but not here, and not easily retrieved. Nothing that I could bring to you in time.¡± ver Kleelan looked genuinely annoyed by that, which to Rodgardae¡¯s mind meant it was the most honest thing he had said yet. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not here to convince you of the truth. That will happen no matter what you believe. I am simply here to let you know why I am going to go and try to rescue her. Once the emperor has his claws in her hide, the winds will shift and there will be no changing them.¡± Mani had the look on his face that meant he was running the political calculations. ¡°Why come to us? Why not Prince Tonae?¡± ¡°As if I could even get close to him?¡± ver Kleelan huffed. ¡°Anyway, I was not looking for the most politically expedient contact in Watt. I followed her scent, like a proper dragon, and you both reek of her claim.¡± He shrugged like he had not just said something scandalous. ¡°I look forward to punching you in the face,¡± Rodgardae growled. ¡°Sure, sure, as soon as I am back with your queen. Do as you please. Won¡¯t be as if my liege hasn¡¯t done worse.¡± He slapped his thighs and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a room at the Hoolar¨¦e, you can reach me there if you decide you want to help me rescue your queen.¡± Then without a by-your-leave the asshole just walked out. 35. Nothing Better to Do Upon Duke Paruask¡¯s absolutely ridiculous pronouncement, Agadart thought she would be immediately carted off to be set up at the Imperial Palace as a prisoner or something absurd like that. Instead, the duke took her for a personal tour around the floating platform, which was a technological marvel, but more importantly to her situation was located near the middle of the Viretic Ocean. Short of trying to become a stowaway, she was not escaping. That seemed to be the whole point of the tour, since she was hardly qualified to comment on the fitness of the tall military ships surrounding it, all bristling with cannons and landing decks for dragons. He talked the whole way, and she did not. He did not appear to even notice her rebellious silence, which took some of the rebellion out of it. He was convinced that he knew who she was, and he was also convinced that his emperor wanted to marry her, and so he was content to talk about everything but either of those things. She was not going to convince him that she was not who she, in fact, actually was. When they finally returned to the receiving hall, instead of going back to his offices, he led her up a steep stairwell to the topmost deck, which covered the buildings. The squat cabin she had seen earlier from a distance sat to one side and up close looked more like a garden shed than anything nautical. ¡°Get used to it, Lady ver Kleelan.¡± He gestured out to the empty deck as if it were their finest horse stock. She looked at the deck, then back at him. ¡°Get used to what, precisely?¡± ¡°Your new home.¡± He looked ineffably smug about it. She looked around. The wind blowing in over the ocean all around them was only broken by the ships, which wasn¡¯t much when there was so much exposure. It whipped around them, making her skirt flap along with his jacket¡¯s tails. ¡°I¡¯ll just be kept up here? In the elements?¡± Maybe the plan was to kill her off, after all. He scoffed, and had one of his guards haul her over to the garden shack. Which was not a garden shack after all, but a small one-room cabin, with a bed and a wardrobe and a table with two chairs. No place to cook, but then, they were smarter than to give her the means to burn their precious military base to the waterline. Unfortunately. She turned to face the duke, trying to radiate the haughty displeasure that her mother wore so well. ¡°Am I supposed to thank you?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± He scoffed. ¡°However, as you are trained, you will need to rest and recuperate. Hence your fine lodgings.¡± ¡°Trained?¡± ¡°I have it on good authority that you have never actually shifted into your flying form. I assume because you grew up in Kaaltendt and not the Isle of Watt.¡± He shook his head while she tried not to panic. They thought she was a dragon? He continued talking. ¡°Can¡¯t say I expect much more of the Kaaltendt barbarians, who don¡¯t know what to do with dragons other than murder them in their sleep.¡± ¡°That was two hundred years ago!¡± she snapped. He looked at her pityingly. ¡°And yet dragons are still a rare breed there, aren¡¯t they? Your mad king killed off all the breeding pairs and smashed eggs like a cannibal. What a tragedy.¡± He looked genuinely troubled, which to be fair Agadart could not fault him for. The Kaaltendt legacy of Mad King Maganrad was truly horrific. That much, she could not argue. But. ¡°I am not doing anything for you,¡± she said sharply, turning her back to him. That she technically could not turn into a dragon at all was beside the point, she thought. Even if she could, she would not give him the satisfaction. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He was, unsurprisingly, unconcerned. ¡°You will, you will.¡± He must have motioned for one of his guards to act, as she was summarily tossed fully into her small lodgings. The guard freed her from her bonds and another one threw a satchel into the room that landed with a heavy thud. The door slammed shut. ¡°Enjoy your stay, Lady ver Kleelan! Keep in mind there are always two guards stationed to protect you.¡± To protect her. She snorted and did not deign to reply. She got up and tried the door handle to find it locked, which she had expected anyway. She looked around more carefully, and it was only then she realized that there were no windows, only a couple of narrow vents high up near the edge of the roof to let air circulate through. Everything in the room was well made but utilitarian in nature, down to the bed linens which were plain and roughly woven. Enough to keep her warm. She sat down in one of the chairs and dragged the heavy satchel over, finding it packed with warm, woolen overdresses and a long, heavy coat. All suitable for cold weather, all in the high-waisted Iskaryyva style. Better than nothing, she supposed. It wasn¡¯t until she had unpacked the satchel (for nothing better to do) that she realized that she had¡­nothing better to do. There were no books, no reading material of any kind, in the room. No paper or writing pens or drawing leads. Absolutely nothing. She banged on the door. ¡°Can I ask for something to read?¡± She heard one of her guards scoff and mumble something in Iskaryyvan to his companion, so she assumed the answer was ¡°no.¡± Sitting down at the table, she wondered what the hell she was supposed to do. She had never thought too much about what being a prisoner might be like, and she was surprised to find that, mostly, it was boring. She decided to take a nap, or at least lie in bed under the covers, fully dressed, to warm up and stare at the ceiling while pretending she was not as panic-stricken as she was. She was rousted from sleep by the door opening. She had no idea when she had succumbed to her exhaustion, but it was dark outside and the room had moved from ¡°chilly¡± to ¡°freezing.¡± The man who had opened the door walked in, carrying a tray, and set it on the table. Behind him was a very well armed soldier holding a travel lamp, who did not look like she was happy to be there. The man, clearly a servant, stood up after depositing the tray. ¡°This place is too cold.¡± ¡°Not our problem, Vlet,¡± the soldier sighed, holding the lamp higher. Vlet turned to Agadart, who had moved to sit up with her feet on the floor. ¡°Dinner for you, hearty fare fit for a dragon. Eat all of it.¡± He stood back, waving an arm at the table. Agadart blinked at them, but they did not leave. Were they going to watch her eat? And what did he mean, ¡°fare fit for a dragon¡±? She buttoned up her coat and sat down at the table. The food consisted of three meat main courses, as far as she could tell, with minimal vegetables and only a few slices of bread. She loved meat dishes as much as the next person from the Orange Hills of Battenruck, and it was definitely a meal that a real dragon would dive into gratefully, but she had no idea how she was going to eat all of it. She tried, but got through at most about half of each dish before pushing them away. ¡°I¡¯m full. Thank you.¡± She put the covers back on the plate just in case they did not get the hint. Vlet and the guard, who had not introduced herself, frowned at her, then at the covered plates that were still filled with food, then back at her. ¡°Are you not hungry?¡± the guard asked, clearly confused. ¡°Nope. I am very annoyed and very cold, but not hungry.¡± ¡°You are a dragon, so you could stop being stubborn and just shift and be warm,¡± the guard said reasonably, and suddenly everything became clear in Agadart¡¯s mind. With horror she realized that the whole purpose of keeping her there, of putting her on the top deck where dragons were landing and taking off all the time, of refusing her any creature comforts, was to try and stress her enough to shift into a dragon. Which she could not do, but which she could not tell them she couldn¡¯t do. If they suspected she was not able to do it, or worse, that maybe they had kidnapped the wrong person after all, there was nothing preventing them from slitting her throat and dumping her into the ever-deep waters of the ocean right below them. She sat in furious silence as Vlet cleared the table with a troubled expression, and stayed sitting there long after they locked her back up in the dark and in the cold. 36. Why Her? ¡°We cannot, and we will not, associate with that insane, feral dragon.¡± Ro stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, radiating fury. Mani knew better than to try to calm him down, instead sitting in his armchair and sipping a nightcap. Ro had marched out of Mani¡¯s office earlier that day without saying a word. Mani had just let him go, since they both had a lot of work to do in any case, and there wasn¡¯t much they could do in the interim about Hrecht ver Kleelan short of arresting him. Mani was genuinely surprised that Ro had not, in fact, arrested him. ¡°His story is ludicrous and blasphemous. I should have him arrested.¡± There it was. Mani tried to hide his grin behind his cup. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Ro all but snarled at him, coming to an abrupt stop in front of his chair. ¡°Because I knew at some point you¡¯d spiral down to demanding his arrest.¡± ¡°And you think that¡¯s funny?¡± ¡°No, beloved. I think it is hilarious.¡± Mani put his cup down and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands on his stomach and looking lazily up at his dragon. ¡°While I do think his story is outlandish, it¡¯s clear that he believes it wholeheartedly, and that he is a very powerful Kaaltendt dragon. Is he really Hrecht ver Kleelan? Maybe. Honestly I think we should drag Captain Wildt into this situation first thing in the morning. But in the meantime I¡¯m just enjoying watching you get riled up like a young buck at his first mating flight.¡± He grinned. Ro¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously. ¡°Are you trying to seduce me in order to distract me?¡± Mani sighed and closed his eyes. ¡°Maybe a little. But also to distract myself. Either way, Agadart is still missing and this odd Kaaltendt dragon is disturbing on several levels. How did he even get to Watt, and this far across Watt, without our offices being notified? Why does he wear his hair like that? Where has he really been, out in the Western Barrens? And if ¡ª if ¡ª he¡¯s right about why Agadart was kidnapped, how does he know? What if his outlandish story is true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely not true,¡± Ro stated firmly. ¡°You¡¯re missing the point,¡± Mani finally snapped. Ro pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long, hissing breath. ¡°His hair is an old, old Wattish style. No one alive now has ever worn their hair like that outside of the theater. You only ever see it in paintings from hundreds of years ago, and he¡¯s not that old.¡± ¡°Did it signify anything specific? Maybe he¡¯s trying to tell us something with it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s telling us that he is a royal consort. So I think you can understand why I fail to take him seriously.¡± Ro rolled his eyes and flopped down in his own chair, finally picking up his by-then cooled down cup of tea. Mani just stared at him. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°What?¡± Ro asked after a couple of minutes of being stared at. Usually he could last longer than that, since dragons generally did not consider staring as rude has humans did. ¡°That is what his hair style is telling us?¡± Ro squinted at him in confusion. ¡°Yes? It¡¯s obvious, but also not something that¡¯s been done for centuries. My brother the prince¡¯s consort would rather cut her hair off, I think. She always wears it down, except for the crown braid of her station.¡± Mani continued to stare at him, somewhat aghast at not having known any of that. ¡°Where in the hell is this explained to anyone? I¡¯ve read dozens of books on the history of the Watt Royals; none of them mentioned ¡®crown braid¡¯ or ¡®consort bird¡¯s nest¡¯ or¡ª¡± ¡°Hardly a bird¡¯s nest, Mani. It¡¯s a circlet of forty-eight braids, woven together.¡± Ro sighed like what he was saying was obvious. Mani closed his eyes and sipped at his drink again, thinking. If their strange ver Kleelan dragon was wearing Wattish consort braids, it either confirmed that he was insane, or perhaps¡­ ¡°What if, just hear me out: what if he¡¯s telling the truth.¡± He raised his hand immediately to stop Ro from arguing. ¡°What if?¡± Ro glowered and looked out the window. ¡°Ro, think about it. We were both taken with Agadart from the first time we saw her.¡± He rolled his neck, considering his next words. ¡°Do you know I saw her our first night in Ransewellen?¡± Ro looked over at him again, his curiosity piqued. ¡°You did? How? We got off the train and straight into a carriage up to the fort.¡± ¡°She was on the train platform. She was dressed as a commoner, not a dragon maid yet. I saw her staring at us. That is, everyone there was staring at us, knowing you were the new master of Endestern. But she caught my eye. She stood out. I could not even tell you way, it¡¯s not like I was transported by her beauty.¡± ¡°She is beautiful, though,¡± Ro said, reasonably. ¡°Yes, but not in any unusual or striking way. She¡¯s beautiful in the same way most people of noble background are beautiful: a good face, a healthy body, the stature granted by never starving in the streets or working hard labor. Stop bristling, yes, she¡¯s very pretty and I obviously appreciate her looks. But we were busy and distracted and being hustled quickly off the platform and I noticed her. I assure you, despite my reputation, I don¡¯t generally go around trying to flirt with strangers, and even if I did, I would not be so stupidly bold as to do it with you standing next to me in a strange new town.¡± He leaned forward to refill both their mugs with the calming tea. ¡°I think you likely felt the same when you first met her in your lair. You could not take your large, draconic eyes off of her and I was standing right there. My point, if you would consider it for a moment, is that we both noticed her. She stood out.¡± He eased back in his chair again. ¡°Why? Out of two dozen dragon maid trainees that were crawling all over that goddess-forsaken rock, why her?¡± ¡°You honestly believe she is the descendant of Princess Beatra?¡± Ro looked adorably confused. ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe that much of the story; but that she might be someone who is more important, more draconic, than anyone suspected? That much, yes, I think is possible.¡± Ro looked thoughtful for a moment, then sighed. ¡°What you are saying without saying is that I should not have him arrested.¡± Mani snorted, then chuckled. Ro gave him a very pained expression. ¡°What you are also not saying is that I should take Captain Wildt and possibly Mistress Seraphinite with me to visit our erstwhile Lord ver Kleelan in the morning. Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even in your flying form and yet here you are, sharing my mind.¡± Mani grinned at him. Ro laughed out loud, finally releasing some of the tension he had been holding tight in his shoulders, as if he could feel his wings readying for flight. Mani stood up and held out his hand. ¡°If we are both not sleepy and stressed out, I do have an alternative occupation you might enjoy.¡± Ro grinned at him, slapped his hand in his and stood up only to haul Mani over his shoulder and then drop him on their bed. They did not stay up too late but by the time they drifted off to sleep, they were both too exhausted and sated to worry about what the morning would bring. 37. Unexpected, But Convenient Wildt looked very confused about Rodgardae requesting his company on their trip to the Hoolar¨¦e hotel. It was the most illustrious hotel in Suychet and was being used mostly as barracks for mid-level officers. Rodgardae kept trying to figure out how to explain to Wildt what they were doing and why, but finally Mani grew impatient. ¡°Since we¡¯re almost at the hotel, I figure one of us should explain what is going on,¡± Mani said, giving Rodgardae a burning side-eye that he ignored by looking out the window of the carriage. He had caused quite a stir by canceling both his and Mani¡¯s morning meetings, and then Wildt¡¯s on top of that. His sister had flapped her hand irritably at him and said that as long as he didn¡¯t leave the city and still got his reports finished, she didn¡¯t care. He was really getting tired of her. ¡°Wait, do you honestly think this is Lord Hrecht ver Kleelan?¡± Wildt¡¯s question broke into Rodgardae¡¯s musings. ¡°We are open to the possibility, but he has not provided any evidence,¡± Mani hedged. ¡°Even if he is, that does not explain why he would want to mount a rescue mission for a random dragon maid. Or how he knew she was kidnapped. Or why he thinks she¡¯s still alive ¡ª if you¡¯ll pardon the implications,¡± he finished quickly, seeing Rodgardae¡¯s expression. ¡°Also, if he¡¯s at Hoolar¨¦e, why are we pulling up to the training grounds?¡± ¡°Because we are bringing Mistress Seraphinite with us,¡± Mani said with a sigh. A complex expression passed over Wildt¡¯s face, and Rodgardae wondered at how the man could possibly believe that his dalliance with the headmistress was a secret. The whole fort was aware of it, or at least all the dragons were. He knew that such relationships between dragons and dragon maids were illegal, to the point that both would not only be thrown out of service but imprisoned, but it wasn¡¯t as if any of his fellow dragons would care. And Rodgardae thought it was highly unlikely they were the first such coupling in the long history of the Dragon Maid Corps. ¡°Shall I go and get her?¡± Wildt offered politely, and Rodgardae could tell that Mani was holding back his laughter. ¡°Please.¡± Rodgardae nodded. When Wildt returned with Mistress Seraphinite, she looked as sour and off-putting as usual, but at least not like she was gearing up to argue with them. She climbed into the carriage wordlessly, and by her lack of questions Rodgardae assumed that Wildt had sketched out the purpose of their trip to the hotel. Infuriatingly, ver Kleelan was sitting in the lobby, his long legs crossed, reading a paper as if he had been expecting them. His hair was again wrapped up in the complex braids of a royal consort, the silvery-white of his hair actually reflecting the sunlight pouring in through the broad front windows. Rodgardae honestly did not have words for how much he disliked the dragon. Wildt sensed what Rodgardae had felt yesterday, that there was something intrinsically feral about this strange elder dragon, and walked over with them as if readying to fight or defend. No one could miss how he kept himself slanted in front of Mistress Seraphinite. ver Kleelan stood up, an easy smile on his admittedly noble features. If he was the oldest ver Kleelan, then he would have made quite an impressive lordship, and it seemed all the more bizarre that Kaaltendt law had not let him be the heir. ¡°Welcome, welcome. Ah, Berta! You¡¯ve grown into a lovely, stately woman.¡± Rodgardae looked over at Mani, who looked as confused as he did, while Mistress Seraphinite paled like she had met Death himself. ¡°No,¡± she whispered, stepping backwards. ¡°Admittedly the last time I saw you was when you were, what, five? I didn¡¯t expect you to remember me.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be him!¡± She sounded desperate. ¡°Oh, so you do recognize me! Unexpected, but convenient.¡± He kept smiling. Rodgardae was back to wanting to punch him again, and it looked like Wildt would be one step behind him. ¡°You threatened my father at my fifth birthday party, transformed into a dragon, bit him, and then flew away.¡± She spoke with a clenched jaw, her color coming back as her anger ramped up. Rodgardae could almost smell it. ¡°Cousin Jutter was refusing to marry your mother and take responsibility for you. The least I could do was bite him,¡± ver Kleelan patiently explained, as if to a child. Despite himself, Rodgardae could see his point. ¡°Wait, are you two related?¡± Mani asked, pointing between them. ¡°He¡¯s my cousin on my mother¡¯s side. Very distant cousin,¡± Mistress Seraphinite confirmed, albeit grudgingly. Mani frowned. ¡°So that means that Maid Aegirine is also your cousin?¡± Mistress Seraphinite and Wildt zeroed in on him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mistress Seraphinite snapped. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Mani opened his mouth but Rodgardae held up his hand. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of the lobby and causing a scene. Can we take this somewhere private?¡± He looked over at ver Kleelan, who at least he knew for sure was ver Kleelan. ¡°I arranged for a suite. Took some arguing, your military is crawling all over this fine establishment, but we can go there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know if you have noticed but we¡¯re currently at war,¡± Wildt finally spoke up, his own anger about the whole situation seeping through. ver Kleelan ignored him completely. ¡°Come on, elevator¡¯s this way.¡± He loped off. Up in the suite, which was very nice but clearly not the best on offer, they all politely sat down in the sitting room, although no one was relaxing. ¡°The information I am about to share, Captain Wildt, must not leave this room. Am I understood?¡± Mani looked at him, his words and demeanor serious. Wildt nodded, obviously confused about being singled out. ¡°Yes, Matrica. Of course.¡± ¡°Right. So, let us all agree to acknowledge that Maid Aegirine is actually Lady Agadart ver Kleelan, formerly Baroness Stewardt of Trinx.¡± Wildt actually gasped at the news, but Maid Seraphinite just glowered at all of them. He looked at her and she just nodded. Wildt let out a long, low whistle. ¡°I had no idea,¡± he said. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to. She was sent to the Dragon Maids Corps as punishment,¡± Mistress Seraphinite said, glaring out the windows. ¡°Punishment? But wasn¡¯t she instrumental in bringing the traitor down?¡± Rodgardae asked, confused himself for once. ¡°I assumed she was just sent into the corps to keep her safe from reprisals.¡± ¡°That might have been part of it. I do not presume to know the queen¡¯s mind on such matters. But Agadart was Stewardt¡¯s wife, after all, and there were plenty who wanted her head taken with his, despite her role in his downfall. Some suspected she was a spy for Iskaryyva all along and sacrificed him as a decoy.¡± Wildt shook his head in amazement at the news, but Rodgardae found himself tamping down his temper. Such lies and gossip were not the reason they were there, after all. He looked over at ver Kleelan, who of all of them seemed the most relaxed and the least interested in talking. Mani picked up on Rodgardae¡¯s change of focus and turned to ver Kleelan. ¡°But you think she¡¯s more than just a disgraced baroness,¡± Mani prompted. ¡°I do. The question is, do you really want to share that here and now? Isn¡¯t the fact that she¡¯s my niece enough incentive for me to try to rescue her?¡± ¡°I doubt there is much left to rescue, with all due respect, Lord ver Kleelan,¡± Mistress Seraphinite said without any respect in her tone whatsoever. ¡°She¡¯s alive, and in danger, and I plan on rescuing her. None of those facts are up for discussion at the moment.¡± There was a pause while everyone considered that, then Wildt, good man that he was, asked: ¡°Then what is up for discussion at the moment?¡± ¡°Whether any of you will help me, or not.¡± ¡°Or not.¡± Mistress Seraphinite stood up and made to leave, but Wildt reached out and grabbed her hand. ¡°Sera,¡± he said softly, tugging her back. She followed his lead but was angry about it. Rodgardae studied their joined hands, which they immediately released, and picked up on the magic swirling between them. He raised an eyebrow at Wildt, who blushed furiously and looked away, looking more like a naughty kit than a man nearing fifty years old. Rodgardae knew he would have to talk about the mate bond between Wildt and the headmistress at some point, but Rodgardae put it at the bottom of his list. ¡°I think the vital question is how, exactly, you mean to find her and what, exactly, you need help with. I cannot commit to anything without those eggs in hand,¡± Rodgardae said, and waited for ver Kleelan to explain. ¡°I have my sources, to whom I have vowed to protect, so understand that while what I say here is true, I cannot explain why.¡± ver Kleelan crossed his legs and clasped his hands over one knee, his posture stern and proud like a true lord. ¡°There seems to be a lot you cannot or will not explain,¡± Rodgardae rumbled, the vibration low in his chest. Mani placed a calming hand on his thigh. ¡°Lady Agadart is being kept on an urshvalkin roughly four hundred miles northeast of here.¡± ¡°No one has floated an urshvalkin in generations,¡± Mani scoffed, then realized everyone including Rodgardae was looking at them in confusion. Rodgardae thought the term sounded familiar, but he could not place it. ¡°A floating platform for landings at sea,¡± Lord ver Kleelan said dryly. Rodgardae nodded his head. ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯ve read about floating platforms, but only in history books.¡± ¡°The emperor has two in service, a third being built, but that¡¯s neither here nor there¡ª¡± ¡°For us, that is vital military information,¡± Rodgardae snapped at him. Lord ver Kleelan just nodded agreeably, the insufferable bastard. ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. Be that as it may, I don¡¯t care. My concern is for my niece, who is being held on one as a prisoner.¡± ¡°Assuming you are correct,¡± Mistress Seraphinite said, her voice dripping with such fierce disdain that it did lend credence to the idea she was born to nobility, ¡°what do you plan to do? Just flap your wings on over? Drop in for tea and pick her up like a lost kit?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Even I know the front has been stationary off the coast for weeks because neither side can do more than poke at each other¡¯s defenses.¡± ¡°True. Although Rhezv¡¯s forces could overwhelm us at any moment, they¡¯ve been content to just try and bottleneck us. Aside from a few short battles they¡¯re just sending in scouts and fighting off our own scouts.¡± Wildt nodded in agreement with the headmistress. ¡°Exactly.¡± Lord ver Kleelan aggressively poked at the air with a finger. ¡°They are waiting for something, and I assure you that waiting with them will spell disaster for the Isle of Watt.¡± He tilted his head and met Rodgardae¡¯s eyes, silently tacking on the implied phrase ¡°and you know why, even if they don¡¯t¡± but then continued talking. ¡°My plans are not far off from dropping in and picking her up, if you must know. But having an ally to help distract our enemies would be appreciated.¡± Mani grimaced, recognizing a suicide plan when he saw one, and Wildt already had his mouth open to argue, but Rodgardae raised his hand. ¡°You want to save your niece, and I want to win this war. How about we work together instead of separately?¡± ¡°I make no guarantee of agreeing with your plans,¡± Lord ver Kleelan said as he leaned forward. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to listen.¡± 38. Transfer at Sea Lieutenant Jenna, the guard who seemed to be posted at Agadart¡¯s ¡°duty station¡± the most, shook her head. ¡°Are you sure you are not Iskaryyvan? You¡¯re stubborn enough.¡± She waved for the servant to collect the half-eaten plates of food. Agadart resolutely kept her mouth shut. Being quiet was something she learned quickly was the best way to avoid problems. No one aside from Duke Paruask had threatened her, but it would not take much for any one of the military guards around her to decide that maybe she needed more physical convincing to shift into her dragon form. Given that she had no dragon form to shift into, provoking them was a risk she could not take. ¡°You are just delaying the inevitable. When Emperor Rhezv gets here, he will force you,¡± Lieutenant Jenna said pityingly. That was the standing threat, actually: that she would be sorry for being stubborn once the emperor arrived. No one told her where the emperor was, but it had been ten days since she had been kidnapped out of the train station, so she figured he had more pressing business to attend to. Either way, she understood the implications. She just shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s your funeral.¡± Lieutenant Jenna shrugged and turned to go back out to stand by the door to the shed. It was definitely going to be Agadart¡¯s funeral since she could not give them what they wanted from her and she could not escape. She was stuck, literally, in a very cold and sparsely furnished prison cell in the middle of the ocean. At least she was being fed well. She had also finally been provided with reading material, but most of it was historical treatises on the history of the royal family of Iskaryyva. She had also been given a few volumes of natural history journals which were mostly very boring and technical. She was simply bored senseless. All the adventure novels of her youth had given her a fanciful notion of what being a prisoner was like, and there were some things they got right such as the dreary surroundings, but what none of them had mentioned was the unrelenting boredom. She was not given anything to write with, and she was not allowed anything that might be repurposed as a weapon such as lead pencils or knitting needles (although she was terrible at knitting, so that was not much of a loss). The wide but narrow vents were high enough not to make for easy viewing, even when standing on a chair. Pacing in a circle to keep warm was not enough activity to engage her mind. Her only excitement was when, at random points throughout the day, she was hauled out of the cabin to walk around the deck, the guards close by in case she tried to make a running jump off the side, she supposed. Dragons landed and took off, mostly for no purpose that she could tell. She suspected it was part of the absolutely pointless attempt to force her to shift. Mostly, she sat around reading the materials provided to her, eating small portions of the feasts brought to her twice a day, and lying on her cot, staring at the ceiling while trying not to get depressed. It was becoming a losing battle. She did manage to scrape marks on one of the boards of the wall, which she had to do each time she ate because that was the only time she had something sharp enough at hand to do it. They counted the utensils when they left, but at least they did not stop her from marking the passing days. After Lieutenant Jenna and the servant left, Agadart thudded back into her chair with a heavy sigh. She looked at the book sitting on the table, but she was not motivated to return to the dry historical overview filled with dates and names that she was determined would stay meaningless to her. The low-level dread she felt about her hopeless situation simmered in her bones, but there was no outlet for it aside from screaming, and that would simply cause trouble for her. Instead she simply zoned out, listening to the bustle of ships and dragons outside of her prison. Not long after she had been locked up the first day, the entire fleet and the platform were put in motion, so the sounds of the sea and calls of sailors drifting over for the ships surrounding the massive floating platform were familiar. It struck her as she sat there that the noise was more chaotic than usual, but she decided to just to focus on the sounds more intently and let her brain wander. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there, staring off at nothing, when the door was slammed opened without anyone even knocking first. Agadart blinked at Duke Paruask as he came in. She wasn¡¯t sure, but she thought he looked troubled as he stopped and stared at her for a long moment. ¡°As much as I personally admire your determination, we are all frustrated by your obstinance, Lady ver Kleelan, and I¡¯m afraid our time has run short.¡± Agadart wondered if this was it, the moment when the duke would give up on her and have her body thrown off the platform. They continued staring at each other, and he was obviously waiting for her to say something, but finally just huffed in annoyance and waved in a couple of guards, including Lieutenant Jenna. They tied her hands behind her back and looped a rope around her neck, carefully wrapping around her shoulders like a harness so it would not strangle her. The duke picked up the end of the rope like a leash and simply walked out, Agadart stumbling behind him. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She had seen the platform when it was busy by peeking out the door when it was opened, but nothing compared to what she saw as she was led across the massive platform. There were thousands of dragons of every size and color in the skies, some in cohesive flights of hundreds, others singular fliers darting around and between the flights. Some landed on the platform even as she and her ¡°honor guard¡± were crossing it, the vibrations of their landings and takeoffs carrying up through the thick heels of her ill-fitting boots. There were three large ships with chains towing the platform, pulling it across the ocean like a sled, but she did not get a good look at any of them before she was led into a large basket. It looked just like one of the deep woven baskets she saw gardeners use, only large enough for four people. The guard who got in last closed the gate and secured it, and before Agadart could ask what was happening, two smaller dragons took off, the chains connecting their broad leather harnesses snapping tight just before the basket was lifted into the sky. She screamed and sat down, back pressed against the wall, while the duke and the two guards looked at her like she was crazy. They were all holding on to the tall sides of the basket as if they traveled that way every day. Fortunately it was a short flight, and soon the basket was thudding down in a bumpy landing. The basket¡¯s gate was once again opened and Agadart was yanked to her feet and out onto the deck of a ship. The basket was pulled away by the small dragons flying off. It was majestic, a tall ship of the line, and fit for an admiral of the fleet. As she was marched across the lowest deck ¡ª one of four levels of outer decks, she noted ¡ª she realized with a heavy sense of relief that if they were putting her on a ship, they were not going to kill her any time soon. It was a reprieve for her, no matter what else was going on. On the deck, the military soldiers were switched out, although the duke kept hold of her ¡°leash.¡± The new guards were far more ostentatious and ornamental in appearance, their uniforms bright, sparkling green and their epaulettes were wide, sweeping metal wings. A chill ran down her spine as she recognized it from drawings in one of the history books: the Royal Guard of Iskaryyva. Duke Paruask walked her up a couple of decks, and there, just under the top deck, was the door to a set of rooms. The door, deeply carved and decorated with the symbols of Iskaryyva royalty, could only lead to one person, one man: the Emperor of Iskaryyva himself, Rhezv the Beholder. She stopped, planting her feet on the deck. The leash snapped tight as the duke kept walking, and when he felt it he turned. ¡°Cold talons?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going in there.¡± ¡°You have very little choice in the matter.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Allow me to explain: I will not go in there of my own willpower.¡± ¡°I can just have you thrown in,¡± the duke said, amused, gesturing at the formidable guards around them. ¡°It will not be dignified or honorable. You will be treated like a sack of potatoes.¡± She shrugged. ¡°How is that any different than I¡¯ve been treated so far?¡± He frowned and she yelped loudly as someone picked her up from behind. She was, indeed, treated like a sack of potatoes as the guard entered the cabin and tossed her to the floor. She managed to twist a little so as to not get too banged up or broken when she landed, but not by much. With a groan, she twisted over onto her knees. With her arms still tied behind her back, her balance was thrown off and it took her three tries to get to her feet. Someone chuckled, and she froze in place. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± said a voice. It was a bit nasally, Agadart thought, as she slowly turned towards where it was coming from. The emperor himself was a rather plain middle-aged man, with blunt features and small eyes, and straight brown hair that fell to his shoulders. He was of average height yet he commanded the room with his presence and his attire, wearing a long double-breasted red coat beautifully embroidered with gold dragons and roses. Everything about him spoke of fabulous wealth and impeccable craftsmanship. Agadart straightened up, the lessons in courtly comportment her mother drilled into her coming back in a rush. She bowed, since after all he was emperor of half the known world, but then stood up as tall as she could. ¡°Emperor Rhezv the Beholder, I presume?¡± He nodded graciously, and at the flick of a wrist, one of the guards untied Agadart¡¯s wrists and released her from the rope yoke and leash. She took a moment to straighten her gown. It was one of the heavyweight cotton dresses that were too wide and too short, but she did what she could. ¡°You are Lady Agadart ver Kleelan,¡± he said. It was a statement, and not a question, but Agadart made sure to keep her mouth shut in any case. ¡°My brother tells me that you have been stubbornly refusing to shift into your dragon form.¡± Again, not a question, so she just kept staring at him in the rudest manner possible. He shrugged, then looked past her to Duke Paruask. ¡°Your own ship awaits.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± the duke said as he bowed low. He gave her a final, pitying look before he spun and walked out quickly. Emperor Rhezv focused on her again, and a chill went down her spine. She ground her teeth together to keep from speaking. He shook his head and slowly made his way around the large desk he had been standing in front of and sat down. He clasped his hands in front of himself, resting them on the desk and tilting his head a little. She could see the dragon in him then, and it was unsettling, nothing like the warm fire of power she always felt around Rodgardae. Nothing like him at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear you¡¯ve been so disagreeable, Lady ver Kleelan. I understand why you might be hesitant to shift into your dragon form at this point, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to insist.¡± His smile was soft and cruel, and sent Agadart¡¯s instincts to screaming in fear. She knew without a doubt that there was no way she was getting off that ship alive. 39. Giant of Khzern Rodgardae had thought that the hard part would be convincing his siblings that Lord ver Kleelan wasn¡¯t simply insane. None of their scouts had seen an actual urshvalkin (at least not and lived to tell about it) and that was unfortunately the most believable part of his story. He also thought the hard part would be to change the minds of all the admirals and Admiralty of Watt, who agreed with his sister that their best offense was a good defense. He had thought all those things, and he had been wrong. His sister swayed by his side, her gray curls popping out from her hat brim. ¡°Do you see what I see?¡± she asked in a hushed voice. ¡°Yes,¡± Rodgardae said, and meant to say more, but what was there to say? ¡°That is a damn big dragon,¡± Doctor Worthan said, following with a long low whistle of admiration. Rodgardae figured that was definitely something that could be said about the dragon in front of them. They had all agreed to meet at the Admiralty¡¯s office the morning following their meeting at the Hoolar¨¦e, and ver Kleelan said he would send word for a ¡°friend¡± to meet them there. Since Rodgardae¡¯s sister was ensconced there with the rest of the upper level officers, it was the best place for Rodgardae to make his proposal since she would feel more relaxed in her own territory. How she had never manifested as a queen herself, he would never know. When they got there, a very pale young man with a riot of bright yellow curls falling down over his shoulders was loitering by the door and causing the guards outside the main entrance to eye him distrustfully. Rodgardae had not blamed them, for as young as the man was, probably no more than twenty years old, he was almost seven feet tall and built like a bear. He probably weighed more than he and Mani put together. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him around,¡± Mistress Seraphinite had said, looking at the youth who was talking in low tones with ver Kleelan. Then the boy had gone to stand in the middle of the street, dropped his heavy cloak to reveal that he was stark naked only long enough to twist into his dragon form. His giant dragon form. Rodgardae¡¯s sister had come running out a few moments later, obviously alerted by the guards, and they all stood on the broad stoop of the building, staring at the strange dragon who was easily four times as tall and long as Rodgardae¡¯s own dragon form, yet definitely not any kind of queen. Lord ver Kleelan strolled over. ¡°The giants of Khzern are truly amazing to behold. He¡¯s not even full-grown.¡± He looked like he was showing off his prized puppy. ¡°Who in the blasted hell are you?¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister snapped, looking Lord ver Kleelan up and down. ¡°Are those consort braids?¡± She turned her incredulous expression on Rodgardae. ¡°What did you do now?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t my fault!¡± Rodgardae said impulsively, only to hear Mani laugh from behind him. Drawing the tattered remains of his dignity together, he glared at his sister. ¡°Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder, this is Lord ver Kleelan, of Kaaltendt, and I have no fucking clue as to why he¡¯s wearing his hair like that.¡± ¡°Did you bring that damn big boy here?¡± his sister asked point-blank. Lord ver Kleelan lit up with a wide smile. ¡°I did! He¡¯s how I know that Emperor Rhezv has at least one urshvalkin.¡± Everyone looked away from the giant to ver Kleelan, but Rodgardae¡¯s sister turned back to him. ¡°Admiral Leonteinparre the Younger, you better have a good explanation for this.¡± Rodgardae gave in to the impulse to pinch the bridge of his nose. ¡°I don¡¯t, not really, but as you can see, we have someone in contact with Khzern, along with important military intelligence regarding the emperor¡¯s fleet.¡± ¡°Dare I ask how?¡± She squinted at him, which made her look so much like their father it was almost funny. Mani shifted to stand beside Rodgardae, who sent him a silent thank you. ¡°I think the better question, Admiral, is why,¡± Mani said with flourish that ended with pointing at Lord ver Kleelan. His sister finally turned back to him. ¡°You stink like a feral.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived around ferals for years, I do apologize.¡± He did not sound apologetic at all. ¡°Where are you from?¡± She bared her teeth, but he looked up as if thinking deeply on the question. ¡°Do you know, that if you go far enough to the west, you end up in the east?¡± She frowned at him, and Rodgardae discreetly shuffled back a little, pushing into Mani to keep them out of it for the moment. ¡°Of course I know that the world is a sphere. Every dragon knows that!¡± ¡°We know that, but we don¡¯t do it often. When I left my ancestral home, I headed west.¡± He waved a hand at the Khzern giant, who was at that moment sitting placidly taking up most of the street and looking very much like a draconic pigeon. ¡°And that¡¯s where you¡¯ve been for however long, wing-slapping with ferals?¡± ¡°What? No! The Khzern aren¡¯t ferals.¡± His sister looked out at the giant, who seemed to be going to sleep, and back at ver Kleelan. ¡°I believe you, but you need to quickly get to the part where you brought a Khzern giant ¡ª who¡¯s barely more than a boy, don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice ¡ª and plopped him on our doorstep.¡± Rodgardae knew it was time for him to intervene. ¡°It was my suggestion. He has his own agenda, but I convinced him that ours might match it well. Perhaps we can take this inside?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Lord ver Kleelan looked out toward the Khzern giant and said something in a clicking, melodious language. The dragon nodded, then tucked his head under a wing to very obviously take a nap. Everyone still on the street were all looking at each other, but it was clear that the giant was not going to move and also could not be moved. Carriages started to back up and turn around, and the regular noises of the city slowly returned. Rodgardae was certain, though, that news of a Khzern giant basically roosting in front of the Admiralty¡¯s offices was already spreading across the whole of the city. It would be front-page news by nightfall. With a sigh, he followed his sister inside, Mani next to him and ver Kleelan behind him. Worthan, Wildt and Mistress Seraphinite took up the rear of their little parade. When they got to a conference room, his sister sat pointedly at the head of the table and motioned for the rest to take a seat. A couple of aides came in promptly with trays of coffee carafes and cups that were far too delicate to be standard issue. His sister poured herself a cup with no finesse and took a large swig of it like a sailor. Rodgardae frowned at her but she rolled her eyes at him. Mani poured cups for both himself and Rodgardae, while ver Kleelan ignored the coffee entirely. Worthan held his cup in both hands but leaned forward eagerly. ¡°How old is he, exactly?¡± ¡°Fo?sh? He¡¯s thirty-eight years old,¡± ver Kleelan said as if it was obvious. Everyone stared at him. ¡°He¡¯s no more than twenty,¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister countered. ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s definitely thirty-eight. It¡¯s just that giants live unusually long lives, even for dragons, and so mature later. He won¡¯t be considered fully adult until he¡¯s fifty, at least. Right now he¡¯s in what Khzerns call ¡®the in-between.¡¯ More than a teenager, less than an adult. He¡¯s here under my supervision to help rescue my niece.¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister frowned again and put down her coffee. ¡°Your niece?¡± ver Kleelan waved a hand at Rodgardae, who glowered at him for a moment, but then explained the story of Agadart ver Kleelan¡¯s kidnapping. He left off the whole blasphemy that Lord ver Kleelan claimed about her being the heir of Princess Beatra, though, because he knew that would set his sister¡¯s temper off like a firecracker. ¡°I read about that trial for Baron Stewardt,¡± she said. ¡°I wondered what happened to his wife after she turned on him. Lucky to get out of that with her life and her head.¡± ¡°My family is good at surviving against long odds. It¡¯s how we managed to get through Maganrad¡¯s Culling mostly unscathed, despite our draconic lineage. We lost a lot of land and prestige but the family line continued.¡± Mistress Seraphinite spoke primly and looked straight ahead, avoiding everyone¡¯s gaze. Rodgardae¡¯s sister nodded respectfully at the mention of the great horror of Kaaltendt¡¯s history. She focused on ver Kleelan again. ¡°I understand that. However, it does not explain how you knew that she had been sent into the Dragon Maids Corps, much less how you found out she was kidnapped since that did not happen until after we arrived in Suychet.¡± Lord ver Kleelan looked solemn and serious for the first time since Rodgardae had the displeasure of meeting him. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, clasping his hands. ¡°Despite decades of separation, I have always maintained an irregular correspondence with my brother, Lord Stigar ver Kleelan. It had to be kept secret as it would reflect poorly on the family if it was known, especially after Queen Theaedra scratched through my name. However, as soon as the scandal of Baron Stewardt¡¯s treason broke, he sent word for me to return.¡± Mani hummed. ¡°To steal Lady Agadart away from the queen, if necessary, I take it?¡± ver Kleelan nodded. ¡°Hence my request to bring Fo?sh with me. He¡¯s very loyal and his family owes a life debt to my liege. If we had to grab my niece and run, well, he¡¯s much faster with that wingspan than I could ever hope to be.¡± ¡°Your liege¡­and who would that be?¡± Worthan, surprisingly, was the one who asked. Rodgardae¡¯s sister just looked like she had eaten a sour fruit. ¡°She is not someone who wants her identity bandied about, but I am her consort, and she is my liege, and you will get no further information out of me than that.¡± No one liked that answer, but it was clear that it was all he was going to say on the matter. ¡°Your unwillingness to name your true loyalties makes you suspect, surely you understand that?¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister said with a false veneer of pleasantry. ¡°I do. But as I explained to the younger admiral here, your opinion of me is immaterial. I am here to save my niece. Even if my brother had not charged me with doing so, it would be my only goal here, for many reasons. I do not care much about your wars.¡± ¡°Our war will become everyone¡¯s war if the Isle of Watt falls, Lord ver Kleelan. Emperor Rhezv has made no secret of that.¡± ¡°Your liege is Wattish, isn¡¯t she?¡± Mani spoke up. ¡°She¡¯s Wattish and she¡¯s your mate.¡± Rodgardae looked at him in surprise, then over at ver Kleelan, whose hair was up in an ancient style that very literally announced that he was a consort to a Wattish dragon of noble descent. ver Kleelan looked at Mani as if he had spoken gibberish, but then his expression cleared and he nodded. ¡°She is old and flew into the Barrens a long time ago.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t narrow it down.¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve had our share of draconic adventurers over the past hundred and fifty years. The price of being a hunk of rock in the middle of a massive ocean.¡± ¡°Did you know in Khzern the lifespan for dragons is five hundred years, not two hundred?¡± ver Kleelan said with a smirk. ¡°How?¡± Doctor Worthan asked, entranced. ¡°I¡¯d rather get back to why we¡¯re even having this meeting, if Consort ver Kleelan here is damned and determined to go haring off after his niece anyway.¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister spoke authoritatively, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to her. ¡°Admiral the Younger here had a proposal that I found interesting.¡± ¡°Admiral Leonteinparre the Younger,¡± Rodgardae snarled at ver Kleelan until Mani put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m open to hearing it, obviously, since we¡¯re all sitting here anyway,¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister said calmly, although Rodgardae (and probably every other dragon in the room) could tell that her patience was fraying. Rodgardae took his cue and spoke up. ¡°To cut to the chase, I think we should use Consort ver Kleelan¡¯s intelligence about the Iskaryyvan forces to launch our own offensive attack.¡± ¡°Oh, not this again.¡± His sister rubbed her eyes. ¡°RoRo¡ª¡± ¡°I would appreciate it if everyone would stop saying ¡®consort¡¯ with such disdain. I am a consort, and I¡¯m proud of it, same as Consort Roki sitting next to his mate over there,¡± ver Kleelan snapped. Rodgardae¡¯s sister looked at ver Kleelan with some small amount of respect for the first time. ¡°Our apologies, Consort ver Kleelan.¡± He sniffed haughtily, but then pointed at Rodgardae. ¡°I am not opposed to his suggestion, if only because I know that getting to Agadart is going to be damn difficult as it is. It¡¯s already been over a week since she was taken, and the longer this goes on, the more at risk she is. If you all launch a massive attack, it might be distracting enough for Fo?sh and I to get to her.¡± ¡°Do you even know where she is being held?¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister leaned forward. ¡°She was on an urshvalkin for a while, but I suspect she¡¯s transferred to a different ship now, headed towards us.¡± ver Kleelan looked out the window as if he could see an armada in the distance. ¡°How would you know that?¡± Rodgardae asked pointedly. ¡°Which ship, then? If you know so much.¡± His sister talked over him. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. She¡¯ll be put on the emperor¡¯s flagship.¡± Everyone was stunned into silence again by that, but ver Kleelan shrugged, looking specifically at Rodgardae, as if daring him to reveal the madness that Rodgardae knew lurked under the feral¡¯s hide. Because, of course, if Agadart was the heir of Princess Beatra, if she was the queen of Watt merely waiting to manifest, then of course Emperor Rhezv would have her on a short leash. Consort ver Kleelan grinned at him, all pointed teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll need proof of the validity of the intelligence you provide, but if it is true that the emperor¡¯s flagship is in motion and headed our way¡­well.¡± His sister sighed and caught Rodgardae¡¯s gaze. ¡°Then our time has run out.¡± 40. Into the War ¡°If you persist in refusing to shift to your flying form, I do have ways to force you,¡± he said pleasantly, pouring himself some tea and not offering any to her. She twisted her hands together behind her back and pulled on the same fear-born strength that had carried her through spying on her husband for three treacherous years. Her life was on the line again, in a different way, but she would not meet it cowering. ¡°I personally do not need you to shift, you understand. I will make you my queen and Empress of Iskaryyva, either way. Unfortunately, the people of Watt will not believe your claim to their land unless you do. The magical connection needs to be formed, and for that, you need to shift. You need to fly.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Are you not worried I will just fly away?¡± His smile grew even colder. ¡°That¡¯s what harpoons are for,¡± he said calmly. She managed not to flinch. He sat back with his tea held in both hands and studied her intently for a long moment. ¡°Once I have mated with the queen of Watt, you will be queen of Iskaryyva as well.¡± He waved a hand around, indicating the opulence of the room and it¡¯s priceless treasures. ¡°Perhaps even Kaaltendt as well, eventually.¡± He sipped his tea. ¡°Have you no ambition?¡± She shook her head once and kept her mouth shut. He sighed, setting down the tea and calling out for one of the guards. Agadart was not surprised when she was hauled out of the emperor¡¯s quarters and thrown into a small room below decks. It was small and incredibly dark, and she could tell by the sounds of the ship around her that she was below the waterline. It was disconcerting and felt unnatural. Every trip she had ever taken by water had been on a vessel where she could stay well above the waterline. The ship lurched into movement, sails obviously catching a strong wind. She lost her footing and found a small chair by dint of falling over it and smashing her face into the wall in the darkness. Snarling in frustration, she aggressively righted the chair and sat down in it, not that anybody cared. She took a deep breath. It was not the time to panic or wallow in feelings of despair. Why was the emperor himself there to lead the armada she had glimpsed sailing around them? There was only one logical reason, and it was that the emperor was in the midst of making his long-awaited, entirely expected frontal assault on the Isle of Watt. She held back a keening wail as the full force of what was going to happen hit her. Everyone she knew would likely die, and the Isle of Watt would fall, and she would never see her father again. She would never see Mani again, or Rodgardae. If she lived long enough to gaze on the shores of Kaaltendt once more, it would be to watch her country be overrun. Biting down on her hand to quiet herself, she took several deep breaths and considered her options. None were good, and none allowed for her survival. She closed her eyes. The duke had not resorted to torturing her to try and force her to shift, but there was no guarantee that the emperor would be so generous. There were simply not a lot of ways to force a dragon to shift to either form, though. A dragon might shift involuntarily if their mate or children were in danger, and there were a couple of drugs rumored to instigate a shift, but they were outlawed everywhere for a reason. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Of course, if one was an emperor, such matters were not a big concern. She waited for her fate to come to her. Yet for the next few days, nothing happened. She was fed and given a chamber pot, at least, but otherwise simply kept in the dark like a piece of luggage. No one talked to her or even looked at her. From what she could tell she knew the ship was moving fast through the waters at an unbroken pace, and suspected that some dragons had been put in harnesses to pull it along, as she had read that was a common thing that the Iskaryyvan navy did simply because they had the numbers to spare. She tried to do some simple calisthenics just to keep from atrophying, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do when she did not have enough room to spread both arms out at the same time. Sleep was difficult as the floor was slightly damp and the one blanket she had been provided with did not do much, but eventually exhaustion won out and she slept fitfully, sitting up in the chair until she fell out of it. Worse, though, was the day the explosions started. She had no idea what time it was, just that it was some point during the day due to the cacophony of noise from the upper decks. The explosions were far in the distance from the ship she was on, which made sense given the presence of the emperor on board, but unmistakable. There were multiple shots of what she assumed were cannons being fired, and then occasionally singular explosions that she assumed were bombs dropped by high fliers. Still, no one came to let her out. She got food later which she presumed was dinner, another plate overflowing with too much for one non-dragon human to eat, accompanied by the glares of the sailors who delivered it and the marines who protected them. Agadart figured that they were all angry at her for not shifting into a full dragon form to please their emperor. She kept reminding herself that it was not her problem. The ship sailed nonstop, with the explosions getting sometimes closer, sometimes further away. She had finally been reduced to sleeping on the damp floor, and the blanket was not enough to keep her warm, so by the third, or possibly fourth day, she was chilled to her bones and felt like a fever was creeping up on her. She was glad she wasn¡¯t a dragon because the temptation to shift, if only to keep warm, would have been too great for her to deny. Instead she was shivering on the floor, sniveling with snot all over her face, when one of the emperor¡¯s guards opened the door, gave a look of pure disgust, then grabbed her arm to yank her to her feet. Slightly dizzy and numb, she stumbled face-first into him. He shoved her off, grabbed her arm again, and started walking down the narrow hallway. He did not let go of her as they went up very steep stairwells that were more like ladders. If it was the same route she took days before down into the bowels of the ship, she did not recognize it. She could barely feel her feet, though, so if the guard had not kept a tight hold of her, she was sure she would have tripped a dozen times already. Instead, she was hauled out into the open and had to close her eyes for a moment due to the brightness. She blinked them open to clear blue skies, but no sails. The heavy canvas was all rolled up tight except for a few smaller sails toward the aft. She kept blinking as the guard shoved her to stand in place, and as she blinked again, the emperor came into focus. He was standing in the middle of what was, she realized, the captain¡¯s deck, the highest deck on the ship. Once again he was wearing a sumptuous double-breasted long coat with golden dragons and roses embroidered all over it, although the coat itself was bright blue instead of red. ¡°Here we are,¡± he said, motioning out to the water beyond. Squinting, Agadart stepped closer to the railing. One of the guards kept a heavy hand on her shoulder, probably assuming she might jump overboard. Instead, she was staring out at the stunning view in front of her. Hundreds of ships, possibly thousands, most flying the emperor¡¯s colors, stretched as far as she could see, and flying above them were twice as many dragons. It was a full invasion force, all of the emperor¡¯s reserves coming out to play. It was breathtaking in the worst, most ominous way, but what grabbed her attention was what laid beyond. Just past the armada by a few miles were the glittery, glistening, deep green crystals of the Peveillin Cliffs of Watt. 41. Fly Safe Mani had heard of war, and had seen a few bloody fights between dragons in his time. He had also been raised in a country that was universally acknowledged as ¡°dragon heavy¡±, whose numbers of large flights filled the skies and were renown the world over. What he had not ever witnessed was the overwhelming sight of dragons massing over the air off the Peveillin Cliffs, just to the north of where he was standing on the docks of the ancient port town of Meintresse. There were thousands of them, possibly ten thousand or more. Likely, more. ¡°Quite a sight,¡± Doctor Worthan said. He spoke softly, and sounded grim. It had only been a little over two days since the meeting with Consort ver Kleelan at the Admiralty¡¯s offices, but that already felt like it had happened a month prior. Once an accord had been reached, Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder had dispatched scouts to verify what they could of Consort ver Kleelan¡¯s intelligence, led by a quiet Fo?sh, who could fly higher and faster than any of Watt¡¯s own scouts. His role, accordingly, was to help them get in and get out alive. It came as no surprise to anyone when he returned actually carrying one scout slung over his back and the other clutched in his talons, both injured by gunfire, but at least alive enough to report that, indeed, the emperor¡¯s forces were incoming and even included two urshvalkins bringing up the rear. The details Consort ver Kleelan had written out for the Admiralty had been accurate down to the numbers. Which meant Agadart was currently on her way back to the Isle of Watt, but held prisoner by Emperor Rhezv himself. Ro had sworn Mani to secrecy about ver Kleelan¡¯s wild claims, but had hardly needed to. Mani figured out a long time ago how seriously the citizens of Watt took their legends, and how dearly they hoped for the return of a queen. To be told that their queens had been unmanifested and living idly in Kaaltendt for centuries would come across as mockery to them. Personally, Mani thought it made sense. If the revered Princess Beatra had escaped at all, the only two places she might have been welcomed were Kaaltendt or Akanata, and he sincerely doubted she would have gone to his homeland simply because of the troubled relationship Watt and Akanata had shared back then. They had never gone to war, but there were a few times over the past few thousand years when they had come close to it. Given that the Kaaltendt queen dragon at the time, Queen Viridis, was even a cousin by marriage, it made sense she would be the one Princess Beatra would turn to. With all of Consort ver Kleelan¡¯s military intelligence confirmed, it seemed the entirety of the Isle of Watt had burst forth to ready for battle. Ro had finally convinced his sister and the rest of the Admiralty that waiting onshore to be overwhelmed was a bad plan, and that their best defense would be a hasty yet solid offense. If they could sink a number of the emperor¡¯s ships, at least that would lessen the numbers when the battle eventually, inevitably, came to ground. No one was under the delusion that the mighty armada of Iskaryyva could be stopped, not with the sheer number of dragons and ships on the way, but the hope was to lessen the impact of invasion and reduce their numbers to something they could possibly fight. At least for a little while. Mani cursed his great-aunt for choosing to keep Akanata out of the fight. It would come to her eventually, but she was an old queen who preferred Akanata¡¯s storied tradition of isolationism and failed to comprehend how power hungry Emperor Rhezv actually was. The numbers and speed of her military flights would have been helpful. He looked up and saw Ro, their bond dialed down for his sake. If Ro got injured, Mani would still feel it, but not as acutely as if their bond was completely open. Fly safe, beloved, he sent up as a prayer. Stay safe yourself, Ro sent back aggressively, and Mani just laughed at him. There would be no safety for either of them any time soon. Ro, at least, was stationed over the coastline. He had been given command of three additional wings, two of which were mostly made up of civilians of fighting age. They were not professional military fliers but they were protecting their homeland, which would count for a lot once the battle got to them. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The navy ships of Watt that were not already several miles out as a primary attack force were coming around and heading northwest. Watt¡¯s ships were smaller than the Imperial Navy they were facing off against, but that made them faster and more maneuverable. If dragons were not factored into the fight, Mani thought the two navies would be evenly matched despite Watt¡¯s lesser numbers. ¡°Are you certain you want to assist the medical unit?¡± Doctor Worthan asked, breaking him out of his reverie. Mani nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be much use anywhere else, and I at least can help with basic draconic medical care.¡± His role as Matrica was not a wartime one, was never meant to be. He had given an Akanatan prayer of victory to Ro¡¯s primary flight before takeoff, which at least was well received, but it was the most he could do. He had managed not to tear up while giving it, which he thought was a personal triumph. ¡°Sadly, there will be enough work to go around.¡± Worthan turned from their spot on top of an observation tower to work his way down the stairs. A series of medical tents had been set up on the fields just past the crest of the shore, and within sight of the famous emerald green cliffs in the distance. There were few tents set up for human patients, since most of the human fighters for the first wave were on the ships heading to battle. If they got injured, they would be lucky to even make it back to shore. There were a few smaller dragons standing around, draped with vests carrying the green, five pointed star marking them as a medical flight. Compared to the number of fighters in the air, there seemed very few of them. The first twelve hours of battle were distant, marked by muffled explosions and a few plumes of smoke. A few dragons limped in with bullet wounds, and one had a wing severely injured by a cannon ball, half-carried by two members of the medical flight. Mani mostly helped prepare for what they all knew was coming by moving supplies around and cutting large bolts of linen and cotton into bandages. ¡°Wow,¡± said a young nurse next to him, looking up. Mani followed her gaze and saw Fo?sh gliding by like a flying mountain, three regular sized Wattish dragons in formation around him, looking tiny in comparison. He dipped low and with a single, long sweep of his gigantic wings turned upwards and shot into the sky. Even as far away as he was, the backwash of wind sent tent doors flapping all over the field. The Wattish dragons trailing him visibly stumbled as they tried to follow. No one knew where Consort ver Kleelan was, though. He had slid out of the Admiralty¡¯s offices the same day his reports about Emperor Rhezv¡¯s forces were confirmed without a backward glance, which once again infuriated Ro, but there was little they could do about it. Part of the agreement was that Fo?sh would help with scouting, and ver Kleelan would help with absolutely nothing whatsoever because he was going to focus on finding and rescuing his niece. Mani hoped the man had a chance in hell of saving Agadart. Everyone slept in short sprints, too anxious to really sleep at all. The battle continued as evening crept up and slipped into night. The lights of the battle moved in from the edge of the horizon to become a field of gunfire and cannon blasts and ships on fire. The number of wounded dragons, some with fierce burns along their bellies and tails, grew from a trickle to a steady stream. Late into the night, he felt Ro¡¯s consciousness brush up against his. He followed the tug out to a landing field that was mostly empty. Ro landed with a soft thud that belied his impressive size. Your worrying is distracting me, he scolded. ¡°Liar, you just wanted to come see me,¡± Mani replied, rubbing the soft tip of his nose. Ah, that too, Ro sent with a bob of his head. ¡°How goes it?¡± He received feelings of dread and hopelessness, followed by apology. ¡°No no, I¡¯d rather you be honest with me.¡± Their numbers are too great. I don¡¯t think we are making a dint. They just keep coming. Ro sat down, tucking his wings close. I don¡¯t think I will get another chance to get away. He looked up, stretching his neck to look into the distance. Promise you will retreat when the time comes. I will follow, but don¡¯t stay for me. ¡°I promise,¡± Mani said, meaning no such thing. He would stay wherever Ro was, and they both knew it. Ro huffed. I have not seen nor heard from the feral. Ro refused to use ver Kleelan¡¯s name when he was in dragon form, and it was delightfully petty of him. Mani snickered. ¡°You know he¡¯s not actually feral?¡± Ro sniffed in disdain, making his opinion clear. He looked up again, his emotions colored by regret. I must go. ¡°I love you. Please come back to me.¡± He hugged Ro¡¯s face, touching their foreheads together. He stepped backwards until he was clear, and with one last look at Mani, Ro jumped into the skies. Only minutes later, the entire field was overrun with wounded being brought back from the ever-encroaching front lines. 42. Bloody and Ruthless As the battle engaged in the distance, the emperor had Agadart¡¯s hands bound and secured to the railing of the deck. She could jump off but she¡¯d likely just dislocate her shoulders and end up hanging off the side of the ship for however long the emperor wanted her to dangle there. She ground her teeth together but did not say anything. They watched for hours as the massive, relentless forces of Iskaryyva lashed out against their opponents. The ship she was on was too far out to be in immediate danger, but close enough to watch ships engage and sink, dragons fight each other bloody and fall into the waters below to sink out of sight just like the ships around them. Watt had the advantage in speed and agility across all metrics, but the Iskaryyvan numbers were just too overwhelming. Eventually her legs gave out and she let herself collapse to the deck. One of the guards tried to get her back on her feet, but she just pretended to be a sack of flour and flopped over. She heard the emperor chuckle. ¡°No mind, no mind. She will be your future empress anyway, she can sit. Bring her a chair, however. We must maintain some dignity.¡± She rested her head against a railing post. Not long after, when she had indeed been provided with a short and uncomfortable stool to sit on, someone came onto the deck and saluted the emperor with a flourish, then held out a folded piece of paper. The emperor¡¯s aide took it and handed it off to the emperor, who read it then smiled. ¡°It appears they have moved Prince Tonae inland, but his younger brother is in the fight above the coast.¡± He tapped the paper at his mouth, thinking. ¡°A royal kill worth taking, even if it is not the current prince.¡± ¡°Rodgardae?¡± she said with a gasp before she could stop herself. He looked at her keenly. ¡°Ah yes, you were in service to him at Endestern, weren¡¯t you?¡± He stepped up to her until they were barely a hand¡¯s width apart. ¡°Were you close?¡± He smirked at her, and the implication was clear what he meant. She slammed her shoulder into his chest, causing him to stumble backwards in surprise. She stilled when she felt a blade at her throat. The emperor studied her for a moment, but then waved the guard off. The sword moved slowly but finally was re-sheathed. She let out a long breath. ¡°My patience is at an end. Even watching your own land be invaded and your dragons killed, you refuse to shift.¡± His tone was blas¨¦ but his eyes were sharp and glittering with anger. ¡°I will kill this prince, and when I return from my victory, you will shift and accept me as your king. It will be the only way to save the Isle of Watt.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t make me do that,¡± she said, meaning it literally even if he only took it as defiance. ¡°There are ways. They are unsavory, but effective. I have my draconic physicians creating the draught as we speak. You will shift, and I will claim you, and that will be the end of your ridiculous, pointless resistance.¡± Without another word between them, the emperor left the deck and returned to his quarters. A few minutes later, the ship was moving again, picking up speed as it aimed for the small city of Meintresse. ? No one came to untie Agadart, so she settled back down on the stool to watch the battles get closer and louder. She was not sure how much time passed, but possibly little more than an hour, when the emperor re-emerged. He was wearing a shifting tunic, thin and loose, which would easily rip apart when he changed into his flying form. He nodded at her, almost gleeful in his actions, and went down to the broad landing deck. His shift was quick and impeccable, no shuddering or stalls. His coloring was a brilliant red with gold streaks shot through his hide, clear markers of his imperial pedigree. He was not particularly large, but as with his walking form, he did not have to be. His bearing and his power were evident to anyone watching. He took to flight wi1th a brief, economical flap of his wings and was quickly soaring toward Meintresse with a flight of at least a dozen guards. They cleared the path before him with brutal efficiency. The ship she was on followed in their wake, slower but just as relentless. Agadart pulled at the rope binding her hands, as futile as she knew it would be. Just as she saw the emperor engage with a small group of dragons, still too far away for her to know for certain if one of them was Rodgardae, the ship she was on shuddered as if it had hit something, the fore of it tilting down and causing everyone aboard to fall forward, and a few to fall off completely. Sailors were clutching at ropes as they swung through the air on the masts, and Agadart found herself doing the same with her bindings. The ship crashed back down into the water with a loud splash, but then it was pulled over on its side before anyone could get their feet under them, including Agadart. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. It once again straightened up in the water with another splash, bobbing up and down like a child¡¯s toy. Everyone was running around either trying to secure anything that had not already been thrown overboard or looking over the edge to see what they had hit. The boat tipped again, this time on Agadart¡¯s side, bringing her face-to-face with the ocean¡­and a dragon. A dragon who was swimming under the water, clutching at the boat with its claws to pull it over. Before she could scream, it lifted one claw up and broke apart the post she was tied to, freeing her hands. It gave her just enough time to grab what remained of the railing to hold onto as the dragon let go of the ship again so it tilted sharply back the other way. She watched it curve away into the darkness of the water, disappearing, only to reappear meters away, shooting up into the air. She tried unsuccessfully to struggle to her feet as she watched it fly straight up into the sky, quickly outpacing its pursuers. She looked around at the chaos on the ship. No one had noticed that she was no longer bound to the railing, so she crawled off to the side, still holding on for dear life as the ship continued to violently bob back and forth. She kept her eyes on the bizarre dragon who had freed her ¡ª she realized quickly that doing so had to be the whole reason the dragon attacked the ship but did not otherwise damage it. It caused a distraction so no one would notice when it freed her. It clipped a sharp turn and then plunged back down behind the ship Agadart was on, causing two of its pursuers to collide in midair and another two to tip wide to avoid the same fate. It kept going straight down, three more dragons quick to nip at its tail, but it didn¡¯t stop. Agadart held her breath, waiting for it to pull out but it didn¡¯t; it went straight into the water at breakneck speed but hardly made any waves as it breached the surface. One of its pursuers did not pull up in time and belly flopped with a painful screech and a splash of water that sprayed up several meters. What a bizarre dragon, she thought as other dragons started circling the ship, trying to spot it in the water below. What Agadart did notice, however, was that all the splashing had pushed the boat closer to the front lines, closer to where the battles were raging. The boat continued to bob sharply in the water, so Aggy hung on to the railing for dear life but cast her eyes towards the fight that was happening over the coast. The fight where the emperor was attacking Rodgardae. The pushing and the shoving of the strange dragon, along with all the waves and splashing going on around the ship, had caused them to get substantially closer to the fight. Agadart could see now, very clearly, that it was Rodgardae that the emperor had attacked, just as he said he would. She cried out in dismay watching the scene unfold. The emperor was only slightly larger than Rodgardae but obviously more powerful and just as obviously fighting as dirty as possible, with no honor or restraint. His own Imperial Guard was engaged with fighting the dragons who might have been able to help Rodgardae, so the fight was coming down to the two of them facing off, one-on-one. It was bloody, and it was ruthless. Agadart could see the sprays of blood droplets in the air as the two dragons fought each other. Agadart had never felt more helpless in her life. Even when she was working against her own husband and felt trapped by all the intrigue and danger around her, she had always felt like she had some control over what was happening to her and how she could respond to the situation¡­even if the choice was to simply allow herself to be killed. But now she was reduced to screaming Rodgardae¡¯s name as he was battered about by the emperor. All Agadart could think about was that he was going to die, and she would never see him again, and that Mani would leave the island, cloaked in grief. One man would die, and the other would disappear from her life, and she felt the unfairness of that deep down in her bones in a way that was beyond mere grief or regret. It was as if two things that were precious to her were being stolen straight out of her hand. She had stopped paying attention to anything around her as she watched the fight, but the ship had slowly started evening out and sailors were busy fishing each other out of the waters that many of them had fallen into, with some dragons flying as close as possible to it in order to ward off the bizarre amphibian dragon. Bizarre amphibian dragons were not her problem, though; her problem was that her mate was being killed before her eyes. As the tears streamed down her face, she stopped for a moment, brought up short by the very thought that she just had. It felt out of place to think about it¡­ but when she was feeling it, when she was screaming about her loss, it felt natural. She looked up again and saw the moment that the emperor bit the back of Rodgardae¡¯s neck and yanked, clutching Rodgardae¡¯s wings in his own claws. Her breath left her and she felt ghosts of pain throbbing down her own neck and back and shoulders as if she was feeling a phantom of the agony that her mate was experiencing. ¡°No!¡± Agadart yelled at the blood-drenched sky. ¡°No!¡± Her words felt lost in the tumult of the ship¡¯s crew erupting into action around her, but she could not stop. She screamed over and over until her throat was raw and the deck was shaking under her and people were screaming as they ran away. Everything tumbled in her mind, the world tipping to a wrong angle and her voice becoming a raking noise over her nerves. Her chorus of ¡°no!¡± turned into a wordless, echoing screech as she launched herself from the bonds of earth, flying like a demon into the skies. 43. To Catch Her King The Iskaryyvans crashed over the defenders of Watt like endless waves, their fliers and their ships creating breakpoints in the Wattish front lines that they then poured all their might into widening. The medical compound would have to be moved, but the order to retreat had not been given yet. Unfortunately, there were many dragons and, slowly, more humans who were injured enough that they could not be safely moved and no one wanted to abandon them to whatever fate the Iskaryyvan forces had in mind. It was a death sentence either way, but it was obvious to Mani that the longer Worthan could put off the decision, he would. Mani knew that Ro was engaged with the fighting by that point, feeling the rage and fear and frustration as his mate defended his homelands. To their credit, the Wattish navy was causing massive damage to many of the Iskaryyvan ships, even at great cost to themselves. Likewise, the dragon flights somehow kept pushing back the influx of dragons, but the fighting was tooth to claw and dirty as hell. Worthan grabbed a sheet of paper and scribbled numbers on it before thrusting it at Mani. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder is on the ground, but if she¡¯s planning to call a retreat, these are the numbers of wounded we will have leave behind. Tell her people, make sure she knows.¡± Mani slipped the paper into a pocket, whipped off his bloody apron, and ran out of the tent. War was raging merely a few miles off the coast, clear as day, as he pelted up the paths to where the Admiralty had set up an ad hoc headquarters. Word was that Prince Tonae had been forcefully made to retreat inland by his own guards, which was a blow to morale but made sense. That left Ro¡¯s sister in charge as the field marshal, so Mani suspected she had not taken flight but was leading her troops in her human form. He got to the entrance when he doubled over, pain lancing through his side. It wasn¡¯t his pain, though. He spun around and headed for the closest lookout point, but it was easy to find what he was seeking. Ro was flying hard from what was clearly an attack, five dragons on his tail. He was far out over the water but Mani would recognize his dark green and red scales anywhere, and he did not have to reach through their bond to know. Ro had been injured and was fighting for his life. Mani saw why, too. The fighting was close but there was a particularly large Iskaryyvan dragon who was targeting smaller Wattish dragons, and Mani watched it grab one by its neck, killing it instantly. It fell into the water with a large splash that Mani was too far away to hear. Ro and several of his flight ¡ª Mani thought one was Wildt ¡ª were targeting the Iskaryyvan dragon, but each had their own guards. It was a small but bloody, ruthless engagement with at most five dragons on each side. With fighting all around them out into the sea, this fight should not have mattered, but it did. Somehow, it did. Mani studied the other dragon. It was bright red with yellow, almost gold markings. Something about it pinged his memory. ¡°It¡¯s an imperial!¡± a guard shouted next to him, and everything slotted into place. The markings were those shared by the imperial royal family of Iskaryyva, of whom a fair number were, of course, in the military. It felt like the whole camp had gone quiet as everyone turned to watch the fight. Mani felt someone familiar next to him and he glanced over at Ro¡¯s sister, who was watching with real fear in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered backup for him, but everyone¡¯s got their own fight,¡± she said, not looking at Mani. ¡°Admiral, you cannot go up there!¡± one of her aides said, obviously continuing an argument started earlier. ¡°He¡¯s injured, but clear headed,¡± Mani offered. She let out a relieved sigh, but then gasped when Ro and the imperial struck at each other, claws out. Blood sprayed through the air as Wildt fought two others to get to Ro. Another strike, and Ro was impaled, held fast in the talons of the larger imperial dragon, shrieking in agony and writhing as the other dragon bit him, over and over. Blood was pouring out of Ro¡¯s wounds, falling like rain to scatter in the wind. Wildt peeled off from the close quarters fight he and another had been waging with three opponents, making a desperate run to help his leader. Other dragons tried, some more successful than others, but it was clear that the dragon who had Ro in his grip had purposefully moved away from the pack, rose up above them. He was steadily ripping Ro apart. Ro was screaming¡­ Rodgardae Leonteinparre was dying. Ro¡¯s sister was yelling something at Mani¡¯s side, but he was screaming along with Ro, on his knees, pain radiating through him. He could barely look up at where his mate was being murdered before his eyes for the agony of it, physically and mentally. He saw Ro twitch at another bite and suddenly their connection cut off. ¡°No! Rodgardae! No!¡± Mani jumped to his feet, stumbling forward. Someone held him back or he would have walked right off the edge of the platform. Ro was still alive but he had shut down their connection, a drastic measure that proved without a doubt that Ro believed he was facing death. Mani kept yelling at him but his cries were overpowered by a primal scream of fury, a noise filled with so much pure sound that it knocked all of them backwards, tumbling to the ground. Mani once again dragged himself to his feet, eyes out over the water. A huge dragon was barreling toward the fight, screaming a challenge that no one could mistake even if they did not believe what they saw with their eyes: a queen had joined fray. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The camp below and around them was pure chaos as people yelled and pointed and ran, for where Mani could not guess. The dragon was large, nowhere near as big as Fo?sh but still a queen in size and appearance, her multifaceted black scales reflecting the colors of the rainbow as she shot through the air. The backwash from her breakneck speed sent ships under her bobbing and at least one smaller ship capsized completely. Mani thought he felt the ground under his feet vibrating up his legs. ¡°Who the fuck is that?¡± Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder shouted. ¡°Rhezv has a queen?¡± The last word was screeched out in horror. Mani shook his head but words failed him as the queen dragon finally caught up to the imperial¡¯s slow drag upwards with Ro limp in his claws. Ro wasn¡¯t dead, that much Mani knew, but there was no way to know how close he was, with their bond sealed. He knew without a doubt who she was, he knew it in his bones, as if she had called for him by name: Agadart had manifested, and she was a queen after all, just as Consort ver Kleelan had claimed. Above them, the queen dragon let out loud, cawing shouts of fury as she aimed for Ro and the imperial. Mani knew what she was doing without looking. Ro was a prince in every sense of the word, so of course he was the one Agadart would choose for her own. Perhaps, as Consort ver Kleelan said, she already had, long before. Mani assumed that she saw her potential consort being torn apart and manifested on the spot, wherever the emperor had held her. It was not without precedent, but the stories Mani remembered seemed more like a romantic fancy than history. The other Wattish dragons responded as every dragon must to the appearance of a queen: they battled back, fighting harder and meaner than before, all along the coast. Whatever ground the Wattish forces lost was regained by the time the queen slammed into her opponent. Mani watched with everyone else, knowing how tricky this would be with Ro still trapped in the enemy¡¯s talons. ¡°Wait, is she¡­is she fighting the imperial?¡± Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder gasped. Mani looked over at her in surprise, but then realized that everyone watching had assumed that the dragon was Iskaryyvan, and likely the emperor¡¯s own queen. ¡°Open your bond, you damn fool!¡± Mani yelled at her. She looked at him in shock. ¡°Open it, feel your magic!¡± She paused, blinking, then gasped in shock as she realized the truth: it was a queen of Watt flying over her own lands. People who heard him started screaming, some with joy, others with the screech of a dragon shifting forms on the spot as the sensation flooded their senses. The call went up around him that their queen had returned, and was taken up all along the coast within seconds. He turned his face back up to see what he could of the fight. The imperial was impeded by his hold on Ro, fighting with wings and teeth. But Agadart was as big as he was and she was strong, ripping at one of his wings and overpowering him. With a flick of her tail she flipped over, grabbed her opponent¡¯s neck in her jaws then continued to fly straight up for the dome of the sky. ¡°What the hell is she doing?¡± one of the nearby soldiers yelled to no one in particular. Mani shook his head, because he did not know either. The clutch of the dragons became a single distant spot far up in the air. Then it became two, and then it became three. ¡°She killed him to force him to let go of Rodgardae. Now she speeds down to catch her prince,¡± Mani said dispassionately, saving his fear for later. ¡°To catch her king,¡± someone corrected, their voice filled with awe. ¡°Not dead, but limping,¡± Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder said, pointing at the imperial who was flying slowly back toward the Iskaryyvan navy. Mani barely glanced that way, eyes on the falling bodies of Ro and Agadart. An impromptu flight of dragons was racing her way, but she managed to reach Ro before they got to her. It seemed like, even as the battles in the distance raged on, that the entire camp around them was silent, watching the mysterious new queen of Watt save her king. Or try to, Mani thought, hoping that Agadart was not too late. There was a collective gasp as she grabbed him and tilted off, tacking like a ship on the water to slow their descent without tearing their wings. She made their flight into a wide, looping spiral to the ground, clearly aiming for the medical field. Mani slapped the admiral¡¯s shoulder and turned to sprint back the way he had come, leaping the last few steps off the platform. He ran all out, nearly tripping several times as he tried to keep Agadart and Ro in his sight line. She was landing as he got to the medical encampment, and by the time he made it to the field she was gently setting him down where Doctor Worthan and a whole team of support staff were already waiting. She took a few awkward steps back after licking Ro¡¯s neck once, then licking over his wounds while Worthan shouted at her to back away. Mani slowed to a jog, trying to tamp down on his reaction to her obvious claim on Ro, and also not wanting to get in the way of the doctor and his assistants as they literally swarmed over Ro¡¯s stationary form. Agadart looked Mani straight in the eye, then looked away, oddly shy. She then stomped her feet and stood up completely, her tail swishing back and forth. She looked like she was listening for something no one else could hear. She took in a deep breath and Mani knew instinctively what was coming next. ¡°Cover your ears!¡± he shouted. A few people managed to do so before Agadart let out another bone-rattling war cry. It was instantly answered by thousands of Wattish dragons from every direction, including the wounded in the medical tents. Mani felt someone grab his arm. ¡°Our queen calls to us!¡± Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder had lost all sense of decorum, weeping openly. She shook him in excitement then turned to face her staff, who had run behind her the whole way to the medical field. ¡°Spread the word! Watt has a queen!¡± Mani thought that the word did not need to be spread, as it was obvious. It was as if the land itself was calling out through Agadart to her dragons. No one could miss it. Then he heard Ro groan, and stopped caring about anything else, stepping forward to take his mate¡¯s draconic face in his hands. Ro¡¯s eyes were clouded with pain. ¡°Hold on, beloved. Please hold on.¡± Ro closed his eyes but pressed their foreheads together in the same gesture they had shared before he had left to go fight. Ro was alive, and for the moment, that was all that mattered to Mani. Behind him, the queen of Watt roared out another battle cry and took to the skies to chase after the one who had injured her king. 44. On the Verge of Feral Ro was completely unconscious, which was a good thing. His wounds were deep, and the one on his neck required three nurses and two doctors to hold it together with pliers in order to be properly stitched up. Mani had a strong stomach but he had not been able to watch, instead sitting in a low camp chair up by Ro¡¯s head, petting him, talking to him, while keeping his back to the surgery. He just hoped that Ro could hear him, even though he was still, thankfully, unconscious. He tried not to focus on what the doctor and his assistants were saying to each other, but in the close quarters it was impossible to ignore. ¡°Doctor Worthan, are you seeing this?¡± ¡°I am, damn it. Change out the thread, no, not that one, this one. Get us another spool of this heavier silk thread!¡± Mani glanced over his shoulder, trying to keep all the blood out of focus. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No. The opposite, in fact. He¡¯s healing too fast.¡± Mani paused. ¡°How is that possibly a problem?¡± ¡°If the wound heals before we stitch it up, it means massive scarring. Scars in this form will make shifting back into his walking form damn near impossible!¡± Worthan let out some curse words after that. ¡°If I have to recut these wounds just to seal them properly I¡¯m going to be right fucking annoyed!¡± He sounded far more than annoyed. ¡°Her Royal Nectar,¡± Mani said. Everyone working on Ro paused, if the silence in the tent was anything to go by. ¡°That¡¯s a legend.¡± ¡°Not according to my great-aunt. You might have heard of her? The Queen of Akanata?¡± Mani tried not to roll his eyes. ¡°Blasted hell,¡± Worthan grumbled, then came around to stand in front of Mani. His leather apron was awash with blood. Ro¡¯s blood. Mani swallowed and forced himself to look up at Worthan¡¯s face. Worthan glared at him. ¡°So her saliva really does have healing properties?¡± Mani nodded. ¡°If she¡¯s the queen of Watt and he was injured in her territory, and he¡¯s her mate or a consort, then yes.¡± ¡°Blasted hell!¡± Worthan repeated, stomping back off to surgery. ¡°I would have thought the idea would make you a bit happier,¡± Mani said, rubbing the ridge of Ro¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m ecstatic,¡± Worthan snapped, deadpan. There was a long pause as the team did other things that Mani did not want to know about, but Worthan finally continued. ¡°I am very glad that he¡¯s healing fast from these very serious wounds, but as I said, it¡¯s now a race against time to get him stitched up properly to avoid scarring. A deep wound healing wrong can be as bad as it never healing. So far, everything looks to be in the right place. However, blood can¡¯t magically regenerate, that¡¯s a scientific fact, and he¡¯s lost a lot. I¡¯m worried about the toll the accelerated healing is having on him.¡± Worth came up and looked over Ro¡¯s head. ¡°Are you picking up anything from the bond?¡± He was, indeed ¡ª feelings of anger, shame, frustration, and, distantly, awe bordering on worship. Nothing seemed to be anything that might help Worthan. ¡°Only that his mind is not absorbed by pain.¡± ¡°After all the anesthetics we gave him, I should hope to hell not,¡± Worthan said before ducking back to direct one of the other doctors about something. Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder stepped into the tent, looking her brother over with a professional eye, but she did not ask Worthan for an update. She crouched by Ro¡¯s head and slid her hand over his jaw, her worry for him subtle but obvious in her gentle touch. ¡°How¡¯s the war?¡± Mani asked. She frowned, keeping her gaze on her brother. ¡°The queen¡¯s call took hundreds of fighters with her after the emperor. I assume it was the emperor, anyway. By all reports, it was him.¡± She sighed and stood up. ¡°Meanwhile all of us have felt the pull of the land, our connection to it strengthened by her presence. We can all feel her, to some degree, or at least feel that she exists.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Two of my one-talon admirals shifted without permission and jumped to battle, and I have no idea how many other fighters have done the same. We¡¯re one step away from chaos.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°She is the queen of Watt, then?¡± Mani asked, even though he knew the answer. The admiral nodded, seeming struck by the words. ¡°Unbelievably, yes. She is. Never in my life did I believe¡­or expect¡­¡± She stopped rubbing her eyes, glancing down at Ro again. ¡°Take care of my brother, Matrica Roki.¡± ¡°Call me Mani,¡± he said, sounding weary even to his own ears. ¡°Are we not in-laws?¡± She smiled back, looking more like Ro in that moment than Mani had ever seen. ¡°Then please call me Marralda.¡± She turned and left before he could respond. The medical team was done much sooner than Mani expected, but then he assumed that was due to Ro¡¯s fast healing. Mani could feel how exhausted Ro was through their bond, even though the dragon was completely knocked out. Mani asked one of the medical aides if they could provide him a cot, as he figured he would not be leaving Ro¡¯s side. It was, by that point, only mid-afternoon but he knew to plan ahead. He was left alone, given that Ro¡¯s condition was stable (and improving by the minute), while medical staff was desperately needed elsewhere. He was sitting there, thinking about how to get dinner, when the front tent flap opened and a strange dragon stuck its head in. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Mani shouted, standing up. The dragon looked at him and something about the wild colors around the iris tipped Mani off. ¡°Consort ver Kleelan?¡± The dragon blinked and nodded. ¡°Is that¡­is that¡­seaweed?¡± Mani asked, peering up at him. Consort ver Kleelan shook his head to dislodge the offending matter, which was definitely seaweed, then turned to look at where Ro was still asleep, a silent question. ¡°He¡¯s healing quickly, but the blood loss was severe.¡± Mani went and sat down again. ¡°Her Royal Nectar, I assume, is the reason he¡¯s healing so quickly?¡± Consort ver Kleelan nodded again, then ducked out of the tent. Mani shook his head. The man might not be a feral, he thought, but he wasn¡¯t completely sane either. Less than thirty minutes later, Consort ver Kleelan walked back in on two legs, human again, and dressed in his slightly antiquated clothes, his hair done up properly in Wattish braids. He looked back and forth between Mani and Ro. ¡°Out with it,¡± Mani said. ¡°Agadart is on the verge of going feral,¡± Consort ver Kleelan said. He unfurled what looked like a blanket and shook it out. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Mani said, watching him curiously. ¡°Neither am I. The shock of shifting, the fight with the emperor, then leading a whole flight into battle with the imperial guards¡­she went from one traumatic event to another. None of which was helped by her mate nearly dying.¡± ¡°You believe he¡¯s her king, then.¡± Consort ver Kleelan kept inspecting the blanket, but smirked at Mani over it. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡± Mani nodded. There was no telling how this was all going to settle, in the end, but Ro was absolutely the mate of the queen of Watt. ¡°Admiral the Elder is keeping a tight hand on all the flights still in the air, but just barely. Half the wing¡¯s-worth of dragons that followed Agadart out to battle have limped home, injured and unable to shift back to update anyone on what is going on. The assumption is that Agadart is fighting the emperor himself.¡± ¡°The assumption?¡± There was something odd about the way Consort ver Kleelan explained it, but Mani could not figure out what it was. ¡°The whole reason the emperor was trying to steal a queen for himself is that he¡¯s not powerful enough to fight one. He lost pretty quickly.¡± ¡°How do you¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s taken him to the urshvalkin she was held captive on, and is using the Wattish dragons who accompanied her as her personal guard. As long as she has the emperor captive, none of the imperial fleet dare come near, much less attack.¡± Mani frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be telling this to Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder?¡± He stepped up and looked at Ro, shaking his head. ¡°What could she possibly do? Agadart¡¯s half mad at this point, and she needs her mate to help center her, to ground her, or she¡¯ll go all the way over the cliff and become feral with no way back.¡± Mani stood up, concerned for the first time, his sense of danger banging against the inside of his skull and his heart rate spiking. He stepped in between Ro¡¯s unconscious body and ver Kleelan. ¡°Ro can¡¯t do that, he¡¯s not fit to even be awake yet, much less fly!¡± Consort ver Kleelan sighed, laying out the blanket on the ground between them. ¡°Oh, Consort Roki, I was not talking about Leonteinparre.¡± Mani only had time to register ver Kleelan¡¯s fist as it came at his face, but then everything went dark. 45. To Honor the King Rodgardae woke up alone. Not technically, since there were two nurses and Worthan there, but Mani was not present, so he felt alone in a primal way. He reached out through their bond, as delicately as he could, and felt his connection to Mani¡¯s quick, brilliant mind, but it was faded. He suspected Mani was holding him at a distance after Rodgardae had severed their bond. He did not regret doing it, as he remembered the feeling of being killed. He had believed he was going to die, and he was not going to drag Mani down into that eternal darkness with him, no matter¡ª ¡°I know you¡¯re awake,¡± Worthan said, slapping lightly at the tender skin of his nose. Rodgardae grumbled and raised his head, shoving Worthan backwards in the process. He looked around the tent. It reeked of blood and medicine, panic and exhaustion. He looked down at Worthan curiously. ¡°Get up, get up, you lazy kit. Get up.¡± Worthan flapped his hands at him as the nurses quickly tied back the sides of the tent, opening it up to the field beyond, which did not smell any better than the tent had. He slowly rolled off his side to sit up on his haunches. He picked up his front legs and put them down, stretching out his claws, then carefully and with great trepidation, unfolded his wings. Nothing hurt. He looked over at Worthan, confused. He distinctly remembered being literally torn apart by the imperial dragon. Rodgardae was a proud man, but he knew he had lost that brutal fight. ¡°I know, I was as confused as you are. But it¡¯s true, you¡¯re healed up. In fact, if you actually want to talk to me, maybe shift?¡± Worthan and the nurses politely turned their backs to him. Shifting felt easier than it usually did, the magic that created their different forms swirling around and through him as if it was delighted to help him change forms, rather than fighting him as it usually did. It was bizarre to shift as easily as shrugging on a coat. Speaking of¡­he looked around and grabbed the clothes laid out for him, a proper uniform, and dressed quickly. ¡°Where is Mani?¡± ¡°Straight to it, hm?¡± Worthan said, but he sounded exhausted. ¡°Milles?¡± Worry clawed at his stomach, telling him that something was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s been thirty-six hours since the end of your fight with the emperor¡ª¡± ¡°The emperor?¡± Rodgardae did not shriek like a kit on their first flight. ¡°I was fighting Emperor Rhezv? Why? How? What on earth would bring him out from behind his forces? That¡¯s madness!¡± he all but shouted. Worthan sighed as the nurses scuttled away, leaving them alone. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s been thirty-six hours since you fought him. More accurately, since he nearly killed you. Aren¡¯t you curious about how you¡¯re even alive right now?¡± He was, of course he was, but his worry was slowly building into panic. ¡°Milles, where is Mani?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± ¡°No, you insufferable lordling. I mean he¡¯s not here, as in, he¡¯s not on Watt at all.¡± Rodgardae tried to process that, and failed. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Your sister asked me to bring you to her the moment you were up and about. Let¡¯s go there to¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell happened.¡± He folded his arms over his chest. Worthan looked around as if hoping for backup, then walked over to him. ¡°Stop panicking and focus on who is actually connected to you,¡± he said, almost pitying. ¡°What?¡± Rodgardae asked instinctively, but then did as he was told. He closed his eyes and thought carefully about Mani, imagining him as if his mate were standing next to him. Normally, even in his human form, doing so would immediately bring up the bond between them as a strong emotional connection. Even if they could not talk mentally to each other that way, it was often a good form of communication, and one they used to easily check on each other¡¯s psychological state. He did not expect to feel Mani¡¯s presence vividly, both because of the way he had severed the connection when he was injured, and the knowledge that Mani was not anywhere close by. What really shocked him was the wave of worry that he felt and the secondary consciousness that was both foreign and familiar ¨C familiar because he recognized immediately that it was a mate bond connection to Agadart, but foreign in that she was very clearly not thinking human thoughts. Which meant, of course, that she was not human. He probed the connection between the three of them and realized that as familiar and comforting as Mani was, even at such a distance and through a fog of confusion, there was a powerful rightness to his connection with Agadart. He opened his eyes and looked over at Worthan, knowing that the surprise and shock he was feeling was written large on his face. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°So you feel her presence, don¡¯t you?¡± Worthan asked with a solemn expression. ¡°The queen?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s unmistakable.¡± He had half believed that ver Kleelan was insane, but it was clear that he wasn¡¯t. He looked out at the open field that was still very busy with the wounded being tended to. Then he looked back at the doctor. ¡°Where is Mani, Worthan?¡± It was a demand that Worthan could not ignore. ¡°We are not entirely sure, but given what happened we¡¯re convinced that Consort ver Kleelan grabbed Mani to deliver him to the queen, who is on one of the emperor¡¯s urshvalkins.¡± He shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t know why.¡± Rodgardae blinked a few times trying to process that whole sentence. ¡°Consort ver Kleelan kidnapped him? To take him to¡­to the queen? Who is on one of the emperor¡¯s urshvalkins?¡± He felt like he could not stop posing everything as a question because it was all too absurd. Nonetheless, absurd or not, Worthan nodded. ¡°Again, it is speculation, but from everything our scouts can tell, that is what has happened and where we stand. Speculation is that he might be working with the emperor after all, and using your mate as some kind of ransom against our queen.¡± Rodgardae nodded, then shook his head. ¡°What? No! If that even made sense, which it doesn¡¯t, my main question right now is: where is the emperor?¡± ¡°Oh I left that part out, didn¡¯t I?¡± Worthan said with a chuckle that sounded far more grim than amused. ¡°Our queen is apparently holding the emperor hostage on the platform. The emperor¡¯s own forces cannot get close to her. She also has a few of our own dragons acting as her personal guard.¡± Rodgardae felt the incredulity on his face. ¡°She is holding the emperor hostage,¡± he said, just to hear himself say it, in the hopes that maybe it would make more sense to him. It did not. ¡°Probably. By the way, it looks like that at least four of her personal guard are from your own flight, including one from Endestern.¡± ¡°Captain Wildt?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± As he thought about what he had just been told, it all kept getting more and more bizarre. Rodgardae felt the heat in his chest rising. His mate, his flight, and his queen were all faraway and outside of his protection or his ability to help them in any way. The very thought disturbed his usual calm equilibrium. He wasn¡¯t a wild beast, but he suddenly understood why a dragon would go feral if the situation called for it. Everything was out of control. Mani was his guardian, the person whose job was help calm him down and keep him from going feral, but Mani was with their queen, who would herself normally be able to give him guidance and purpose. Both were too far away, even if he could sense them through their bonds. ¡°You need to calm down,¡± Worthan told him, frowning as he looked him over with a critical doctor¡¯s eye. ¡°Flying off into the distance right now is not going to help anyone or anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a damned sight better than standing around here, waiting for updates!¡± He looked around. His uniform¡¯s overcoat was folded over a chair. He went to grab it. ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no reason for me to be here if my mate and my queen are surrounded by enemies out in the middle of the ocean!¡± The sense that Agadart and Mani were still connected to him was all that kept him from shifting and flying away immediately, but he had no intention of letting anyone stop him from doing just that once he rounded up the remains of his flight to join him. He went to storm out of the tent but stopped dead when he heard the sounds of a group of people approaching. He stood still as his sister marched toward them along with a fair number of military officers and guards. He suspected it was all of them who had not shifted at the queen¡¯s call. As she strode past him to stand under the awning of the tent, the guards smoothly moved out around the entrance and stood at attention. His sister looked him over critically. The only thing revealing her worry were the slight creases in her crow''s-feet around her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving yet,¡± she said simply. ¡°You can¡¯t stop me,¡± he snapped In return, the fierceness of his words making at least one officer flinch in reaction to the defiance. ¡°No, I can¡¯t stop you, and I¡¯m not trying to. I¡¯m trying to make you delay a little bit so that we can work together to figure out what needs to be done.¡± She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes flaring with the power of the dragon she was. There was a reason she had risen so high in the Admiralty, and it only nominally had to do with her family name. Yet Rodgardae had grown up with her, and as intimidating as she could be, she was not a force strong enough to challenge his instinctive call to go to his mate and his queen as soon as possible. He stepped back into the tent to stand next to her. ¡°Then say what you will, and quickly, for I will be going in a moment.¡± It almost felt like his blood was boiling with the need to get out of there and go to where he was needed. She nodded once and sank to the ground on one knee, bowing her head. Rodgardae was too taken aback to react, and in that moment everyone else except the guards standing on duty outside of the tent followed her in showing their fealty. It was an old custom, and it had not been in practice since the death of Queen Esthae. No one got on their knees to honor any of the princes or princesses who had ruled over Watt since her death. Rodgardae was too stunned to say anything. His sister looked up at him. ¡°We have come to honor the king of Watt, and to request his orders for us, so that we might help him retrieve our queen,¡± she said very formally and properly, still down on one knee. It was as official as it could be given the circumstances, short of his brother the prince crowning him in the Hall of Ashes. Rodgardae was the new king of Watt¡­the first king in over eight hundred years. His anger and desperation fell away. He felt a little faint, and it was not from his previous blood loss. 46. Hers Agadart shuffled on the platform, her claws scraping against the wood. The sound was weird and unsettling, so she picked up her hand and looked at her fingers but didn¡¯t recognize them. They were darkened and leathery, her fingers long and bent at strange angles, and her palm did not look like it was supposed to. Like the way she remembered it. She sniffed the air, the salty brine of the sea rife with the rich scent of the life that swam within it, living and dying and mating and giving birth in the deep, unfathomable, waters. It felt strange to be sitting on the water in such a way, and her senses were tuned to everything that was happening around her ¨C including the people who were out on the ships, circling the fake, floating strip of land that she was on. There was blood in the air too, but that she knew the source of. It was the person/dragon/creature curled up in a ball, like a baby animal trying to protect itself from a storm. But it was the thing who had attacked her chosen mate, so she had no sympathy for it. The drive to kill the enemy who had hurt her mate was strong, but deep inside, somewhere in the dark recesses of her rational mind, she remembered that doing so would be wrong. That killing in a straightforward way like that, as much sense as it made to her, was also something that at other times in her life she would call murder. Whatever crimes he had committed he should stand trial for them, no differently than what she had been through facing her queen¡­No, not her queen. The dragon she was thinking of was just a dragon to her. A peer, not a ruler, not someone who was in any way divine or special. And what did that mean? She wondered as she toddled over to her injured enemy and sniffed over him with her sensitive nose. Walking was weird as well, because with every step she warred between her instinct to stand on her hind legs versus the sensation of being off-balance and wanting to walk on all fours with her strange hands-claws. Part of her stood outside of herself looking at herself, and knew that she had become a dragon ¨C the most impossible thing that she could have ever imagined had happened to her without warning, and without explanation. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She heard a strange cry in the skies up above and looked up and saw a distant spot becoming larger quickly as it shot down from the heights that it had been flying toward the fake land ¨C the platform ¨C that she was standing on. She grumbled, but knew that this dragon was not a danger to her. In fact she knew that few single dragons would be¡­ she did not stop to question why she believed that to be true. The massive beast dropped down lightly onto the far side of the platform, opposite from where her enemy lay bleeding and whimpering. It had one front leg held out daintily, then gently set something down on the platform. It smelled familiar to her and she went closer to inspect it. The large dragon, who owed her no fealty, dipped its head and then took off again, straight up into the sky, avoiding the enemy dragons that were circling with the ships at a distance. She looked back towards what had been dropped on her platform and gently, if awkwardly, used one claw to pull the fabric away. She knew who it was before she even saw him, as his scent rolled out from the material as it fell open: Mani. Matrica Mani. Her¡­mate? Another? Also? She scooted backwards a little, scared to touch him in her current form and afraid of her own power. She heard a splash off to the side and looked over to see another dragon, one with a hide similar to hers, such a dark blue indigo it could be black and scattering light like diamonds across it as water shed down off its wings and tail. She did know this dragon, even if he was unfamiliar to her. She knew him. He was family. She did not know how she knew that, but she did in the same way she knew that Mani was one of her chosen; that he was, in the most basic sense, hers. 47. More Truth to the Story Rodgardae shook himself and stepped up to grab his sister¡¯s upper arm, dragging her to her feet. ¡°Marra, don¡¯t do this to me.¡± He tried really hard not to whine. She shook her head, although she had a slight grin on her face. ¡°I should have known that the baby of the family was going to be the one who ended up our king. You were already spoiled, so it makes sense.¡± He looked at her in shock for a moment before punching her in the shoulder. A few of the officers, all of whom were still on their knees, flinched again, but no one moved, not even Worthan. She reached up and grasped his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet. Let us back you up. You have hundreds of wings at your command, and each and every one of them is ready to follow you to our queen.¡± The plea competed with the pull of his mates, but it was sincere and, more importantly, smart. His rational mind fought with his instincts but she was right. He put his hand on her shoulder in response. ¡°I will not fly off to get myself killed, as I hear some others are doing.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Holding dragons back has been difficult. Our brother the prince is currently flying off the coast, acting more like a prison guard than His Royal Majesty, chasing back anyone else who tries to fly out.¡± ¡°I will be one of those dragons soon, Marra,¡± Rodgardae admitted softly, releasing her. She closed her eyes but nodded. ¡°I know. I cannot imagine how you must feel right now.¡± He knew her words were sincere, since her own mate was back at their home deep in the heart of Watt, keeping watch over their children. No one on Watt was entirely safe at the moment, but that was as protected as a family could get. ¡°We need to plan. Start from the beginning. Worthan told me that dick ver Kleelan kidnapped Mani?¡± His sister¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Yes. Consort ver Kleelan came out of the ocean like a kraken and followed your scent to this tent. Before we could get guards here to meet him or realize what a danger he posed to your consort, he had shifted into his walking form, knocked Matrica Roki out, and carried him away. He moved quickly, and that damn Khzern giant of his grabbed Mani and took off. We suspect that ver Kleelan shifted back into his flying form and slipped under the waves again.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He switches back and forth without a care in the world, as if it has no adverse effect on him whatsoever.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Rodgardae had read enough of their legends, and heard enough from Mani about the habits of his great-aunt¡¯s consorts, to know what his sister was implying. ¡°You think he¡¯s bonded to another queen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense.¡± She shrugged. ¡°After all, we know that there are a few queens in the wide countries of Iskaryyva who have their own courts and swear loyalty to the emperor but stand apart from him with their own kings and their own agendas. And who is to say what lives beyond the Barrens on the far border of the Westlands?¡± Rodgardae thought it all sounded outlandish, but he was not prepared to go down that warren hole. ¡°Be that as it may, my priority is to get to Mani and our queen.¡± Worthan nodded, and stood up to join the conversation. It was a gross breach of etiquette, if Rodgardae had really cared about being the king of Watt, but it felt very normal so he wasn¡¯t going to say anything about it. He wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to be king anyway. ¡°What worries me is why hasn¡¯t she come back home? If we are assuming that she is a queen of Watt then she would naturally, instinctively, return to her homeland.¡± He waved a hand at Rodgardae. ¡°Where her territory and her king are.¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister shook her head. ¡°She might be the queen of Watt for whatever mysterious reason, but she is from Kaaltendt, and being so far from its shores was disorienting for her. In the middle of fighting the emperor, I think it likely she did not consider which direction she was going.¡± Only in that moment did Rodgardae realize that nobody present had heard the story that Consort ver Kleelan had told him when they first met in Mani¡¯s office. Rodgardae had sworn Mani to secrecy, and he himself had told no one. He had somewhat assumed that, should the unlikely event come to pass wherein Agadart was revealed to actually be the queen of the Isle of Watt, ver Kleelan would be there to explain it¡­and more importantly, Agadart herself would be present on the land of the country she was supposed to rule. Dashing out to sea to chase after the emperor of Iskaryyva had not been remotely on Rodgardae¡¯s list of possibilities. He raised his hand up to indicate that he had something to say, and the murmuring that had started up among the officers at his previous comment died down quickly. His sister continued to stare at him in shock. Rodgardae rubbed his forehead for a moment then told everyone to get to their feet. They all rose and crowded in a little closer, but no further than where Rodgardae¡¯s sister stood firmly with her arms folded over her chest staring at Rodgardae. ¡°There may be some information here that I had failed to share with you earlier. To be fair, when I was first told this, I assumed it was a fantastical lie that ver Kleelan was weaving in order to convince me to help him. But given the circumstances, I¡¯m inclined to believe that there is more truth to the story than I was willing to admit.¡± He looked around at the confused faces of his sister, Worthan, and the officers and then took a deep breath before he launched into the most unbelievable story he thought he could ever tell anyone in his life. 48. Special Delivery Mani woke up slowly, but kept his eyes closed to ward off the pain in his face. He tried to remember going to bed, but he couldn¡¯t, and wondered if somehow Ro had carried him to bed as he had done plenty of times in the past. Yet something seemed wrong and was nagging at his sleepy consciousness, and not just how much his face hurt. He gently touched his cheek with the tips of his fingers and hissed at the pain radiating out. He forced himself to open his eyes, because there was something definitely not right about his face feeling like it¡¯d been hit with a brick. He looked up at a cheaply made wooden ceiling with bare rafters and plain wooden planks. As he slowly reached full consciousness, he realized that there was a slight swaying motion under him. Slowly, he shifted his feet over the cot he was on and sat up. Looking around, it was a very nondescript little cabin, with a table and a couple of unadorned chairs. It was dark except for where there were wide but narrow windows high up along the wall, just under the rafters, which were obviously less for light than for letting air flow through. He had no idea where he was, and no idea how he got there. He sat there blinking through the pain and the confusion for a while. He had no idea how much time actually passed before his brain finally clicked over like a watch starting up after being frozen for several minutes, and he remembered Consort ver Kleelan walking into the tent where Mani had been watching over Ro. He remembered his confusion and then, with startling clarity, he remembered Consort ver Kleelan punching him in the face. He didn¡¯t remember anything after that. It was hard to believe that he had been kidnapped by the nearly feral dragon, but it did seem to be what had happened. His memory was a little foggy in places, but he did remember clearly the blanket that Consort ver Kleelan had laid out on the ground and realized as he looked down at the bed that it was the same blanket he had been wrapped up in on the cot. He stood up very slowly, gingerly testing out his feet and legs and leaning over to grab the back of one of the chairs for stability. The floor was definitely shifting a little, but Mani had been on enough ships to know that the motion wasn¡¯t quite right. It felt more like a floating dock then a ship on the move. Given that there were no windows except for the high narrow ledges, he had no way to tell exactly what the situation was. As he stood there he thought about maybe trying to stand on one of the chairs and look out through the windows that were barely more than slits, but he thought, given the circumstances, it might not be a good idea to risk life and limb that much just yet. He could wait. He walked around the room a few times just to get his blood flowing and then finally tried the door that was the only way in or out, but was unsurprised to find it locked. With a sigh he went back to one of the chairs and sat down. He tried to think about what he might be able to do, although his options were distressingly limited. Fortunately, as if notified that he was up and around ¨C which for all he knew could be the case; if they had guards outside the little cabin he was in, then they would¡¯ve heard him moving around ¨C the door rattled as it was being unlocked and a board being slid away. Mani stood up just as it opened to reveal, unsurprisingly, Consort ver Kleelan. The dragon walked into the room looking mostly the same as he had when he kidnapped Mani, although Mani thought that he looked a bit more stressed than he had ever seen him before. Consort ver Kleelan usually looked calm and unconcerned about most things, but now the skin around his eyes was tight and he held himself with a certain fragility that Mani took as a warning sign of the situation that they were in. Whatever was going on, Consort ver Kleelan did not feel like he was in control of it, and if that was the case, Mani would be on his best behavior. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you are awake,¡± Consort ver Kleelan said, inspecting his face but standing by the door and not moving into the room very far, which was probably wise of him. Mani did have half a mind to just attack him, even if it would be a losing battle. It was the principle of the thing. Kidnapping was not a very gentlemanly thing to do to anyone. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yes I¡¯m awake, and I¡¯m sitting here, very confused about what is happening. Where the hell am I?¡± Consort ver Kleelan tipped his head curiously. ¡°You don¡¯t remember our conversation?¡± Mani stopped himself from shaking his head and paused to think back over what he did remember. Then he looked up at Consort ver Kleelan in surprise. ¡°You literally kidnapped me and brought me out to the urshvalkin? Are you telling me that outside that door is Lady Agadart and the emperor?¡± It seemed too absurd to humor the idea. Consort ver Kleelan smiled. ¡°Actually, yes they are. Both of them. The emperor is wounded and in no position to fight off Agadart or make a dive for the water, at least not yet. Not that he would live long if he did, because flying through water is much different than flying through the air, and anyway his blood would attract every shark within a hundred kilometers. So he¡¯s remaining motionless as possible, which is the first smart thing he¡¯s done in this whole damn war.¡± Mani just looked up at him, his mouth ajar. ver Kleelan walked over and smoothly sat down in one of the chairs. He waved at Mani to take the other seat across from him. Mani carefully walked back to the table, never taking his eyes off of ver Kleelan as he did so, and then slowly sat down. ¡°Are you going to tell me what¡¯s going on or am I supposed to guess?¡± ¡°I think you already know most of it. Agadart fought the emperor and when she finally got the upper hand against him, the closest landing site for her was this urshvalkin. I took it upon myself to deliver one of her mates to her, as I saw that she is bordering on going feral, as I explained to you back at the medical camp.¡± He shrugged, crossed one knee over the other and clasped his hands around that knee, sitting there like a schoolmarm lecturing a class of children. ¡°You were the more convenient one to carry.¡± ¡°Yes, I got that much. But you have not explained how you could possibly know if she was verging on going feral, since last time I checked, she has never met you before¡­at least not since she was a very young child.¡± Mani folded his arms over his chest and glowered at Consort ver Kleelan. ¡°You have never struck me as a man who cared about the politics.¡± ver Kleelan laughed. ¡°Admittedly I don¡¯t care a lot. But the queen of Watt murdering the emperor of Iskaryyva would incur major repercussions far beyond the borders of the two countries themselves. Furthermore, I don¡¯t think a new queen, and certainly not the first queen that Watt has had in eight hundred years, needs to be dealing with the political nightmare that would result of her actions if she did that. She is my niece, and as I have said, she is my primary concern. I admit I planned to grab her out from under the emperor¡¯s hold, but obviously those plans went to waste ¡ª she was too closely guarded for too long, and then she manifested. If I can get her back to Watt without any further international incidences, such as killing the emperor in cold blood, then that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡± ¡°How considerate of you.¡± Mani leaned back in the chair a little bit, still studying the strange man across from him. ¡°I do see the holes in everything that you are telling me, all the things that you are leaving out, but the most important one is why you think that I can be of any assistance with helping her when she¡¯s feral. The only people that can ground a dragon who is going feral is their mate, their guardian. I can ground Ro, although I¡¯ve never needed to. He could ground Agadart, if he were here. But he¡¯s not here so I¡¯m not sure what you think I can do.¡± Consort ver Kleelan stared at him for a few moments. ¡°Tell you what, instead of me trying to convince you of anything that you don¡¯t plan on believing anyway, let¡¯s go out and talk to Agadart directly.¡± Mani shook his head. ¡°If she¡¯s that close to feral it would be too dangerous for me to go out there.¡± ¡°Then I suppose you¡¯re just going to have to trust me,¡± Consort ver Kleelan said, standing up, grabbing Mani¡¯s jacket, and hauling him out of the chair and across the room to the door before Mani could even try to fight him off. Not that he would get far fighting such an old and experienced dragon as Consort ver Kleelan. He dug in his heels as a token resistance but there wasn¡¯t much more he could do as Consort ver Kleelan threw open the door and physically tossed Mani out onto the deck. He tripped and fell down, catching himself on his hands and knees. He started to get up but stopped. Above him, looking down at him with emerald green eyes shot through with gold, was the most beautiful dragon he¡¯d ever seen. 49. Bertrag ver Kleelan At the end of his wild tale, Rodgardae looked up to see the majority of Watt¡¯s admirals looking at him as if he were insane. Which was fair, he thought. ¡°The descendant of Princess Beatra?¡± Worthan asked skeptically, the first to recover himself. ¡°So Consort ver Kleelan claims.¡± He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s an old family legend. Even I did not believe it, and Agadart is my cousin,¡± a voice from behind the wall of admirals said. Mistress Seraphinite tilted her chin up in defiance. The guards had known not to stop the headmistress of the Kaaltendt dragon maids, but she herself had not stepped any further into the space. Her eyes were narrowed as she glared at Rodgardae malevolently. But Rodgardae was looking past her at Captain Wildt, whom he had assumed had flown off after Agadart himself. He was holding Maid Pyrite by her upper arm in a clutch so tight it would eventually bruise her, if it hadn¡¯t already. Even more perplexing, Maid Pyrite was gagged. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister stepped forward. ¡°Mistress Seraphinite? Explain yourself.¡± The clutch of officers parted to let Mistress Seraphinite through. Wildt followed behind her, dragging a very unwilling Maid Pyrite with them. ¡°This person,¡± Mistress Seraphinite said, dripping disdain as she motioned at Maid Pyrite, ¡°is a spy for Emperor Rhezv.¡± There was some murmuring from the observers, but Rodgardae¡¯s sister cut a hand through the air. ¡°That¡¯s her death warrant, certainly, but I do not understand what it has to do with why you brought her here, or your connection to the missing Maid Aegirine.¡± ¡°Lady Agadart ver Kleelan,¡± Mistress Seraphinite corrected fiercely. ¡°As you say,¡± Rodgardae¡¯s sister said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Explain yourself. I shall not ask again.¡± ¡°Maid Aegirine is my cousin. I was of course informed of her identity by Queen Theaedra when she was assigned to the Dragon Maids Corps. What I did not know was that Maid Pyrite, whom I trusted, was reading my personal correspondence and so found that out herself. She is the one who related to Emperor Rhezv¡¯s spies that Lady Agadart was being sent to Endestern.¡± She turned to face Rodgardae. ¡°You¡¯ve heard the story of the legends. Clearly, so had Emperor Rhezv, and that was why he targeted her, knowing that she could be the next queen of Watt.¡± That had his sister stepping forward. ¡°Mistress Seraphinite, I have always given you the respect of your station, despite the differences between our countries. Please understand that I do not mean this disrespectfully, but your claim is that of a lunatic.¡± There was some shifting among the observers, but no one spoke up. Seraphinite did not rise to the bait, merely shrugging her shoulders. ¡°I am merely human, but I do know what it feels like to have a queen. I know what it feels like when the dragons around me are confident that their queen is hale and healthy. I admit I do not know what it is to belong to a land that does not have a queen, but I myself saw her fly in to fight the emperor, same as all of you. I knew who she was immediately, because I have seen the ancient paintings of the ver Kleelan dragons of Battenruck.¡± She stepped forward into the tent proper at last, the officers nearest to her stepping backwards to clear a path for her. ¡°I have spent my life believing those old stories about as much as you do now, which is to say, not at all. But I cannot deny the facts when faced with them in the form of my cousin flying through the sky.¡± Worthan scoffed at her. ¡°Are you really suggesting Maid Aegirine is a queen of Kaaltendt?¡± ¡°We have to admit that it is at least a possibility,¡± Seraphinite said. ¡°You have a queen, and I have a cousin who is reputed to be the heir of Princess Beatra.¡± She looked over at Rodgardae speculatively. ¡°Unless Admiral Leonteinparre the Younger disavows her?¡± Rodgardae bristled at the implication and found himself standing right in front of Mistress Seraphinite, looking down at her, his shoulders pulled back. He could feel the vein of fire that was his dragon essence creeping up his spine and out into his blood, probably making his eyes glow, but to her credit she did not back down. ¡°I know for a fact that she is my queen. I say that as her king, as her consort, as her mate.¡± There were several gasps around the room, and only then did it hit Rodgardae that the majority of the people present, including his own sister, had no idea of his relationship with Agadart, if it could be called that. Whatever it had been, or whatever she had decided it couldn¡¯t be, the fact was that he loved her and was bonded to her in the same way that he loved and was bonded to his own consort, Mani. His sister looked at him with shock on her face, as if she had never seen him before. ¡°Are you saying that there was a preexisting relationship before she manifested?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He turned his focus to her, ignoring everyone around them. ¡°Yes. Although she decided not to pursue it with us once we made it to the shores of Allemann.¡± ¡°It was my understanding that dragon maids would be harshly penalized if they became romantically involved with any dragons in their care,¡± his sister said, tilting her head as if she was trying to figure him out. ¡°I personally did not see the reason for such a rule but I have heard that the Kaaltendt people take it very seriously.¡± Rodgardae carefully transferred his gaze from his sister back over to Mistress Seraphinite and stared at her. She pursed her lips. ¡°We do. But as in all things, sometimes passions cannot be corralled the way we think they should,¡± Mistress Seraphinite said, staring back at Rodgardae with bright eyes. The timing wasn¡¯t ideal but he supposed the truth would be coming out anyway. He looked over at Wildt. ¡°Captain Wildt, please answer me: How did the two of you discover Maid Pyrite¡¯s treachery?¡± Wildt closed his eyes briefly. ¡°I was spending the night with Mistress Seraphinite and woke up to hear someone rifling through paperwork several rooms over.¡± Some of the dragons present snickered, knowing that he was indirectly mentioning the heightened senses dragons experienced after sex. Rodgardae¡¯s sister just raised her eyebrows. ¡°Looks like the Dragon Maids Corps is doing a smashing job of upholding those principles.¡± ¡°Marra,¡± Rodgardae sighed. His sister shook her head. ¡°Fine. Let us return to the topic at hand.¡± She faced off with Mistress Seraphinite again. ¡°If the legends pointed at Maid, ah, Lady Agadart being a possible heir of Princess Beatra, I¡¯m surprised your queen would have spared her the execution block with her husband.¡± ¡°Have you all forgotten that Queen Esthae was a close cousin to our Queen Viridis?¡± Apparently many had, if the expressions on most of the people present were any indication. Even Worthan was frowning. ¡°As such, this made it a family matter, and Queen Theaedra spared her thanks to the plea of Lord ver Kleelan on behalf of his daughter. However, the queen of Kaaltendt wanted to keep Agadart¡¯s identity a secret within the dragon maids, not simply because of the scandal involving her traitorous former husband, but also because there were those in the nobility who were fully aware of the family legends. Their goal was to keep her as far away from court as possible, in the off chance that she might be forced to manifest in reaction to her situation, or a perceived threat...especially if she felt genuinely threatened by Queen Theaedra. No one needed a fight for ascendancy, or suffer the aftermath of a queen¡¯s death in battle.¡± ¡°That does at least explain why she spared her life,¡± Rodgardae said thoughtfully. The violent killing of a queen, even one that was not manifested, could destabilize an entire country with the uncontrolled magic that would be released upon her death. Wildt nodded along with him, having clearly come to the same conclusion. She straightened up again. ¡°I did not come here to explain old legends. We came here to turn in Maid Pyrite as a traitor to Kaaltendt, and by association, an enemy of the Isle of Watt,¡± Mistress Seraphinite said with her eyes locked on Rodgardae. ¡°Given that, I am here now to seek asylum in Watt.¡± She stepped forward and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a rock and held it out to Rodgardae. He looked at it in confusion. It seemed like a regular rock to him, if pretty, the dark emerald color of it shot through with streaks of reflective, feathery, bright green. He looked up at her face again. ¡°We take our names from the rock we choose when we enter service. It is considered a connection to the elemental powers of dragons. This is a chunk of seraphinite, and it has been in my pocket for over twenty-five years. I am now returning it to the Master of Endestern, as notice of my resignation as headmistress.¡± She was staring at him with a stoic expression, but her eyes glittered with tears that she refused to let fall. ¡°I am throwing myself at the mercy of the king of Watt,¡± she added. Everyone looked on at the scene in dead silence. Wildt, who had passed off Maid Pyrite to one of the more attentive guards, stepped forward as well to stand next to her. ¡°I beg leave to be granted asylum in order to remain with my bonded mate, my consort, my beloved and cherished guardian.¡± He reached out and grabbed Mistress Seraphinite¡¯s other hand, and they clutched at each other, eyes on the ground. Rodgardae held out his hand and she dropped the rock into his waiting palm. He closed his fingers around the rock. ¡°You have the asylum, and the thanks, of the clan Leonteinparre and the whole of Watt for your service.¡± His sister sighed loudly. ¡°Meaning now that your cousin is the queen of Watt she can leverage her political position to keep you from suffering the consequences of your actions.¡± Mistress Seraphinite looked at her placidly, and simply nodded. ¡°It was never my plan, but given the circumstances I would be a fool to let the opportunity pass me by.¡± Rodgardae raised his eyebrows at her sister. They had to respect Mistress Seraphinite¡¯s brutal honesty, if nothing else. She returned to facing Rodgardae directly and then, holding her skirts back, got down on one knee and bowed her head. Wildt followed her lead immediately. The message was clear. ¡°Your allegiance is accepted¡­by me at least. I cannot speak for our queen.¡± He put the piece of seraphinite in his pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t think this gets you out of service though, because while we may be going into battle against the Iskaryyvan Navy, our true goal is likely to be a group of nearly feral dragons protecting both of my mates, one of whom might herself be on the verge of tipping over into madness. You have your work cut out for you, Mistress¡­¡± He stalled, wondering what to call her. ¡°Bertrag ver Kleelan.¡± His sister snapped her fingers, picking up the slack quickly. ¡°You¡¯re still mistress of the dragon maids for Kaaltendt, at least for now. Your experience will be helpful as at least three of the Endestern flight are in immediate service to the queen at this very moment.¡± She gave Wildt a long, critical once-over. ¡°You are reassigned to assisting Lady ver Kleelan in her work, Captain. As my brother said, we¡¯re going to need all the help we can get in this unprecedented situation.¡± Everyone looked very grim at the statement. Even as Admiral Leonteinparre the Elder spoke, though, Rodgardae¡¯s blood sang with the connection to his queen and the presence of Mani at the back of his mind. He needed to get to them, and quickly. 50. Gentle and Loving She gently wrapped her claws around the human ¨C Mani, her brain told her. Mani was his name insomuch that she remembered that people had names. Her mind was filled with a heavy fog edged with a bright light. It suffused her mind, as if somewhere the sun was starting to burn it off but it was too far away to give her clarity. In the meantime she was caught up in the roiling mists of confusion and anger and fear¡­ But this person in her clutches was safe. He was known. He broke through the fog with his soothing words and his familiar gestures as he hung on, his hands clutching her claws for stability. Their minds touched gently, the wordless landscapes of her emotions tamed and sorted by his clever, butterfly-like thoughts. She closed her eyes and sank into the soothing waters of his mind, letting him soothe her heart. She felt him adjusting his hold, the nerve endings in her claws blunted by layers of the horn-like material between them, but still sensitive enough to pick up on even the slightest motion he made. She picked him up gently and brought him to her face so that she could sniff him carefully, wary about damaging such a fragile thing. His skin was like fine, delicate tissue paper that his blood thrummed directly under, so delicate and yet so strong. She knew he was beautiful and inspected his face before licking up the side of his neck to his ear. He laughed and pushed her nose away with one hand, which unbalanced him in her hold just enough to make them both scrabble a little bit to settle him again. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She tenderly put him back down, slowly releasing him from her claws so that he could find his feet and stand up once more without her help. He was in fine health and that settled her mind. Among the storm that was everything she was feeling at the moment, his mind was a lighthouse of sanity and love. He sat down tailor-style on the deck and patted his lap, saying something with words that she could not remember how to understand. But the gesture was a clue, because she had seen similar types of behavior before, even if it wasn¡¯t directed at her. She lay down, her belly flat on the platform, and put the tip of her snout in his lap. Her whole head was as big as his torso, but he took the weight of her jaw and simply adjusted his legs a little bit before starting to gently pet and stroke her face. It was the calmest she could remember feeling in a long time, and it parted the mists of her exhaustion completely. She had been utterly overwhelmed by everything that was happening to her, but those feelings dissipated with the red mists of her anger, leaving a clear and serene landscape of emotions in its wake. She let her eyes drift closed and allowed the sweet, safe darkness of slumber to embrace her as her mate soothed her worries with his gentle and loving hands. 51. Flying to His Queen Rodgardae needed to shift back into his flying form, the pull of it primal and grating. The only thing keeping him from going feral and taking to the skies in desperation was that his connections to Mani and Agadart were, for the most part, calm. Agadart was confused and furious, but not hurt or irrational (at least, not by dragon standards). Mani was unhurt, if annoyed. Together their feelings twined through Rodgardae¡¯s soul, colorful threads of a deep love connecting them. It meant that, for the moment at least, they were not in immediate danger. Rodgardae had time to marshal the resources needed to rescue them from the Iskaryyvan navy, which would not hold off from attacking the urshvalkin in order to retrieve their emperor for too much longer. His sister needed his help to organize the assault against the Iskaryyvan forces, most of which were still preying out off the coast, even if they were not actively trying to engage. Their brother, Prince Tonae, had arrived, lacking the pomp and ceremony that usually accompanied the prince of Watt wherever he showed up. His brother at least looked sympathetic to the fact that Rodgardae¡¯s consort had been kidnapped. What they all did not talk about directly, because it was still far too overwhelming, was the sensation of the queen in the back of their minds. She was incessantly, if gently, calling them to fight with her against their enemies who had dared tried to breach the borders of her realm. A queen of Watt lived, in his own generation¡­ it was almost too much to bear. They were all on a deadline, because whether they admitted it or not the pull of the call was too strong to withstand for very long. They were slowly losing numbers of fliers who could not resist and shifted to take to the skies to answer their queen, and more were showing up at the coast every minute that passed, military and civilians alike. Rodgardae was not entirely sure that they weren¡¯t flying to their deaths, since it was already known that the platform Agadart was holding the emperor prisoner on was surrounded by almost the entirety of the emperor¡¯s massive ships of the line. Agadart was a queen now, but even a queen could fall, as every citizen of Watt knew too well. The dragons of Watt had to get out there and get to the fight en masse as a unified assault because there was no way any single one of them could do it alone, not even Rodgardae. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. His sister and his brother the prince demanded that Rodgardae plan with them and organize his own troops so that they would all know what role they were to play in the upcoming battle. He was technically the king of Watt, outranking his brother, the prince, but they still worked together to fashion the flights under their command into an attack force. They had started the morning with eleven hundred seventy-four military wings numbering over ten thousand dragons, but with the surging numbers of dragons arriving, they had created an additional three hundred wings by early afternoon. The plan was to launch at dusk, a bad time for naval engagements but a good one for dragons who all had both enough night vision to fight by and inner eyelids to protect them from the flash of cannons. They would not be able to hold them back long, but they were betting against the clock with the hope that it would be long enough to get everything in place. In an ominous turn of events that morning, most of the Iskaryyvan navy had turned away from Watt. Some admirals cheered at the news. Rodgardae and his sister did not, knowing that while it meant there was no immanent invasion, it suggested that the forces were headed to help reclaim their emperor. Agadart and Mani were out at sea, alone except for the few Wattish dragons who managed to follow her and perhaps the half-feral rogue, Consort ver Kleelan, with only Agadart¡¯s hold on Emperor Rhezv keeping the mighty forces of Iskaryyva at bay. Finally, as the sun settled on the western horizon, Admirals Leonteinparre the Elder and the Younger stood in their flying forms next to their brother ¡ª two princes and a princess of Watt at the head of two hundred and fourteen fighting ships and thousands upon thousands of fliers. The very land under their claws vibrated with the power of a manifested queen, as if even the flora and fauna of their country was reaching out for her. Rodgardae took to the skies, all the forces under his command either at his back or riding the waves. At last ¡ª at last ¡ª he was flying to his queen and his consort; flying to Agadart and Mani, the beloved of his heart. 52. Mani鈥檚 Trial Agadart raised her head, taking the warmth of her body with her. The cold ocean winds snapped over Mani and shook him out of his reverie. Something had caught her attention, but he did not see anything different from when he first stepped out of the cabin, except perhaps for the fact that Consort ver Kleelan was not there anymore. The Iskaryyvan forces were still circling the urshvalkin, and¡­then he saw what she was staring at. The circle was tightening, getting closer. The ten Wattish dragons who made up the whole of the Queen¡¯s Flight were still flying above them, but were dropping their altitude. Mani looked over at where the emperor had been curled up and saw him staring back, his dragon eyes glowing white with rage and pain. He managed to pull himself up on his front legs, flapping his wings a little. They were still covered with old blood but Mani realized that it had, indeed, been over a day since the emperor had fought with Ro and then Agadart; his injures were obviously too severe to have healed, but a dragon as powerful as the emperor would still heal faster than most. Agadart turned her back to Mani, blocking his view of the emperor, and screeched at her enemy with a queen¡¯s roar. It vibrated through Mani¡¯s bones and he starting moving backwards, away from them. If they decided to dual on the deck of the urshvalkin Mani could easily get swept right over the edge. Both dragons were bristling at each other, and despite Agadart¡¯s slight size advantage, the emperor was furious and desperate enough to be a serious challenge. Her flight would know to stay out of it and work to keep Iskaryyvan dragons out of it too, but Mani realized that the number of ships and dragons had grown significantly while he had been wrapped up in his connection with Agadart. All the forces that had been directed at Watt were now facing the lone urshvalkin that he was on with his queen. Ro and all his flights might be on the way, but were not there yet. Everything felt frozen for a long moment, no one moving except the dragons in the air. Then a single cannon shot rang out, and within a hair¡¯s breadth of time the roar of dozens more followed. Some cannons hit the urshvalkin, causing it to list to one side due to the force of the impacts. It then swung back up like a pendulum, and Mani nearly lost his footing. There was another round of cannons, a few more hitting the deck and other parts of the urshvalkin. As Mani worked to try to figure out where the hell he could go that might be safe, he saw Agadart looking around wildly, uncertain whether to attack the emperor or the ships firing at them. The cannons went off again, and someone had modified their aim because a cannonball slammed into one of Agadart¡¯s flight, causing the dragon to scream in pain and spiral down into the water. Spurred into action, Agadart launched herself off the deck, the force of it sending it tilting even more violently. The emperor¡¯s claws scrambled for purchase as Mani fell flat on his back. He lost track of where Agadart was as he tried to get to his hands and knees while the deck pitched and rolled from the continued assault. Out of the periphery of his eyes he saw dragons lunging in and out, enough that he could tell that the fear of the emperor¡¯s survival at the hands of an enraged queen dragon was keeping most Iskaryyvan dragons from being too risky. He assumed that the cannon fire was aimed either purposefully low at the waterline, or high up to hit enemy dragons. It was still a hell of a risk for ship¡¯s captain to take, he thought as another round of explosions ripped through the air. He knew a few, at least, hit their mark as the urshvalkin shuddered and started swaying dangerously under Mani¡¯s feet. He scrambled for the only stable thing on the whole deck, which was the small little cabin where he had first woken up. It was not much better than simply sliding down over the edge into the dark, dangerous waters. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The urshvalkin tilted even more steeply in the other direction, and waves crashed up high enough to send water streaming down the wooden planks. He slipped and fell to his knees again with a painful thud that he felt up to his teeth but could not hear due to the sounds of the battle raging around him. Once the first flash of blinding pain had passed through him, he shook his head and wiped the saltwater that was being splashed into his eyes and started crawling to the only protection he might be able to grab, if he could just get to it: the lone, empty cabin. He was still a couple of meters away from the door, which was being slammed open and shut from the onslaught of waves, dragons, and cannon fire around the urshvalkin. He thought that with a burst of energy he might be able to make it there and at least have something to grab onto, but just as he pushed off with his feet, the entire urshvalkin tilted dangerously up to one side, and it was unfortunately the wrong way as the bottom dropped out from under Mani and he collapsed against the wood, watching the little cabin rise up into the air above him. He rolled to one side as he started sliding down the deck, heading straight for the ocean, trying desperately to avoid the furniture that was spilling out the door. Chairs tumbled past him while he desperately fought to find purchase even as he kept sliding down the steep grade of the listing urshvalkin. He started screaming instinctively just as his feet were hitting the water and he saw a clawed hand reaching up out of the sea to grab the high edge of the urshvalkin and yank it down. Mani barely had time to register what he had seen with his own eyes before the urshvalkin violently tipped back the other way and Mani found himself slip-sliding straight into the small cabin, banging his shoulder on the doorway as he tumbled in. Knowing that the urshvalkin was going to tip back the other way, he angled his body to slam up against the opposite wall instead of back out the door and braced himself for impact. As he collided against the wall, he cried out in pain. His mind burst with the violent colors of both Agadart and Ro, and while he knew he could not actually hear them over all the noise and the rushing waters and the battle guns, he felt their calls of fury and frustration deep in his bones. But they could not get to him ¡ª Agadart was besieged with enemy dragons attacking her, and Ro was simply too far away. Even as he tumbled about the small cabin and tried to avoid getting sent back out the door, he marveled at the feeling of them, a connection that was even richer and more complex than the one he had previously shared with Ro. Their thoughts were a chaotic jumble of what they were feeling and doing, and despite being thrown about like a child¡¯s toy in a washbasin, he knew they were coming for him. He knew they would be able to save him if he could just hold on long enough without getting his head bashed in or falling into the drink. Eventually the urshvalkin¡¯s pendulum-like sway that had been tipping the deck back and forth so dangerously started to slow down. Mani had lost track of time in his effort to keep from being too banged up. He was catching his breath as the sway became a little faster but less deep, sitting on his ass with his back to the wall near the door, when he felt it. He didn¡¯t even hear it at first, because his ears were ringing from the barrage of sounds from the battle and the splashing of the waves and the screams of dragons, but he knew immediately what was happening: the urshvalkin was starting to break apart. He figured at least one of the broad, flat-bottomed boats under the deck that made up the body of the urshvalkin had taken several lethal hits below the waterline from a cannonball¡­or perhaps been attacked by the weird underwater kraken whose claw he had seen pulling on the deck. As the sound of the urshvalkin violently ripping apart reached his ears, he realized that the little cabin which had been his sole source of safety in the midst of the chaos was going to become his coffin. He screamed again as the roof was ripped away and a red and gold, bloodied claw reached in to grab him. 53. She Asked, He Answered Agadart was completely helpless as she watched her vile enemy grab her mate. The enemy could barely fly, unbalancing with each flap of his wings, her mate clutched in one of his hands. Mani¡¯s fear was an overwhelming emotion crowding every other thought in Agadart¡¯s mind, blinding her to the immediate danger around her as she lunged futilely in his direction, caged in by dozens of dragons trying to peck and claw at her. Her enemy did not go too far, landing with an ungainly wobble on a massive ship that had been curving in close to the fake island. With her enemy on board, the ship turned away as the fake island broke apart and started sinking, sending large waves out from its demise. She did not see what else happened to her mate at that point, too busy lashing out at her attackers. Her own dragons were down to three and they fought viciously around her, pulling other dragons away by wings and tails. She was the center of the battle, though, and every enemy she faced at that moment knew that defeating her was their only priority. There was a lance of bright, clear light through her fury and anguish. Come to me; regroup and lead us to battle! It was her other mate, the flier, the one with the golden eyes. Her king. She yelled at her own dragons and shot straight up into the air, going for a high arc to send her in the direction of her king. He was almost to them, she just needed to outpace her pursuers by seconds to get to him and the massive numbers of dragons behind him. She swooped down at full speed and when she broke through the cloud layer again she finally saw her own people spread out in a massive array on the water and in the air. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Her pursuers tumbled after her, trying to slow down or simply spin around to go back, but it was too late. A least five flights, numbering possibly two hundred or more dragons, dashed up to meet them in bloody battle. Agadart left them to it, instead slamming into her king and tumbling with him, legs and tails intertwined as their wings worked in unison to send them back up into the high atmosphere. She nuzzled him, tasting old blood and pain and medicine, but his energy flowed strongly through her. Part of her wanted to steal him away, but they both felt the tug of their missing piece, of Mani still held captive by their enemy, driving her to fury and madness. Her king growled and pushed away to roar in anger as she shared her memories with him, his red-gray of fury bleeding through their connection. She was no warrior, she knew that, but her king was. She asked, and he showed her in glorious detail his plan, unfurling it wordlessly in her mind almost like a picture book. Together they swung around back to the head of the massive attack column, where a grizzled older dragon cawed at them. Family, her king sent to her. Sister; leader; warrior. She took her place out in front, her king and his sister by her side, and with every breath in her lungs, with all the magical power of her realm and her people to aid her, pushed herself to fly faster to rescue their beloved. 54. Emperor, Besieged Mani had no idea what the emperor thought he was going to do with him, other than possibly negotiate a ransom to call off Agadart¡¯s attack against his forces. It was clear that the emperor¡¯s navy and all of his flights had become aware that they were up against a queen and her entire reign, and the few that had not actually turned tail and run were focusing on coalescing a protective ring around the emperor¡¯s ship rather than trying to continue an invasion that was now obviously doomed to failure. Sopping wet and freezing cold and completely exposed on the captain¡¯s deck, Mani could only watch as the battle raged around him. There was nothing he could do to escape other than just jump overboard, but that was certain death. The emperor, sprawled on the main deck below him, too injured to directly lead his troops, was obviously communicating with a man that Mani had to assume was the emperor¡¯s brother, the elder Duke Paruask. There was reported no one the emperor trusted more. Mani was actually surprised that the emperor was still trying to fight. He thought that it highlighted the emperor¡¯s instability, only worsened by his injuries and blood loss and frustration. Nobody had ever seen a queen fully engaged in battle in centuries, but the legends were legends for reason, and that reason was because it was said that a queen at the head of her reign, fighting for her territory, could bring the powers of nature to her bidding and destroy her enemies with a single cry. Mani wasn¡¯t sure he believed the legends that much, but even from a distance he felt the electric buzzing of the air around them in preparation for the now-inevitable battle. He could tell that the emperor still was in command of his navy and his flights, but it was also clear that there was a hesitancy to those forces, an unwillingness to risk everything against a queen, even a new queen, even a queen that no one had ever heard of before. She had manifested in the fires of rage and as the Wattish forces came closer and closer across the massive swells of the sea, cannons firing and flights starting to attack each other viciously, Mani knew, even if the emperor did not, that the battle was lost. He had thought he would be going down with the platform, but despite the reprieve the emperor had given him by grabbing him, Mani still felt very certain that he was going to meet a watery grave if Agadart and Ro did not get to him soon. He braced himself against the mizzenmast, clutching at whatever ropes he could grab, as the ship was sailing fast if beleaguered by the natural waves of the all-powerful ocean and the launching of cannons and the wing-to-claw combat of the dragons, some of whom created momentous waves of their own as they crashed to their deaths. His perception of the battle, which was actually a collection of many smaller battles taking place all around him, was that the Iskaryyvan navy was headed eastbound, indicating they were in a retreat, however disorganized. They were traveling so fast that the water was spraying high enough to splash over the railing, the spray salty and stinging like shards of glass against his exposed skin. If he could bring himself to take a moment, he thought he could concentrate on his connection to Ro and to Agadart to let them know where he was ¨C for all they knew he had been on the platform when it sank. But his own panic and fear kept him from being able to send any kind of emotional signal to them other than the repeated refrain that he kept shouting out loud in the hopes that they would pick up on the meaning, even if they could not hear the words. ¡°I am alive! I am alive!¡± The emperor screeched even more loudly than he had when he first landed on the ship with Mani in his claws. It seemed to be a signal, and Mani noticed everyone looking in a specific direction, not quite stopping whatever they were doing as they reloaded cannons or worked the sails, and he followed their gaze. Headed towards them like the sharp tip of an arrowhead was a small flight of less than twenty dragons, cutting through the battle straight toward the ship he was on. Above them was a single dragon, the largest Mani had ever seen, it¡¯s wingspan almost reaching tip to tip from one side of the flight formation to the other. The head of the arrow, though, was obviously a queen. His queen, he knew instinctively. She was slightly larger than the dragons around her but radiating monstrous power, her eyes glowing so brightly that even from a distance Mani could see the burning orange embers like two small suns breaking through the smoke of war. And behind Agadart, just off to her side and slightly ahead of the others in the formation, was the familiar, beloved shape and colors of Ro. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. They had come for him. Mani decided to stay as low as possible while the ship bobbed in the water, but then he heard some of the sailors screaming in horror. He looked out instinctively over the railing and saw a dragon crawling out of the water up the side of a nearby ship. As the ship tipped dangerously to one side due to the extra weight, the dragon grabbed the mainmast, even as several sailors tried attacking it with swords. Instead of letting go, it lurched out of the water to put all its weight into yanking the mainmast all the way over. With hardly any resistance at all, the whole ship flipped upside down. The dragon disappeared into the waters and the screaming of the men on board was cut short as they were swallowed by the dark ocean waves. There was a momentous pause in the battle as those who had observed the attack stared on in utter shock and horror. Dragons didn¡¯t swim, and it made no sense for a dragon to simply appear out of the water and attack a ship. But then the cries of horror changed and Mani looked up into the sky to see that the queen¡¯s flight had taken advantage of the distraction to fly hard, low, and fast. The ships nearest to the emperor¡¯s immediately tried tacking to close in on her. The problem was that they could not fire at her or her flight without risking hitting their own ships across the way. She was too close. The emperor reared up on his hind legs, tail thrashing across the deck, sending one of his own sailors over the side into the water, and screamed. It was a gut-wrenching sound, powerful yet desperate. Mani looked back over to the flight and saw Agadart and Ro peel away from the others. Slicing through the air with their wings tucked close, they came in for the ship that Mani was on. He started yelling at them, waving his hands about as far as he could, hoping that they would notice him on the deck. And then suddenly, something shifted in Mani¡¯s mind, akin to watching the clouds break after a violent storm and letting the rays of sunlight fall through: brilliant, blinding, and full of hope. He staggered, trying to get to his feet as the emotions of Agadart and Ro flooded into him, swamping all of his senses and rendering him speechless. Ro had reopened the connection between them as fully as possible, and Mani could sense between them that he was teaching Agadart how to reach out to Mani. When dragons communicated in such a primal way, their language consisted of color and sensation, but it was no less powerful or meaningful than spoken words. Mani felt wrapped up in the adoration he was feeling from them, the relief and the hope and the love that they shared altogether, and he started crying. He knew no one could tell, in the middle of the battle with water spraying over the edge into his face and making his skin feel numb, but as Agadart and Ro came up to the ship all he knew was that they had come for him, that they loved him. The emperor screeched again, bringing Mani¡¯s attention quickly back down to the reality of his situation, which was that he was stuck on a ship that was seconds away from being directly attacked by a queen, her king, and every flight under her command. At the last moment Agadart pulled up and spread her wings wide, tipping so that her back was to the ship, one wing dipping low and skimming sharply through the water to spray it directly into the emperor¡¯s face. Guns were going off, and in the distance so were other cannons. He heard the creaking and cracking of ships that were being torn apart by the queen¡¯s many flights, and as he looked out over the waters he saw that the main Wattish forces had arrived on the heels of their queen, masses of dragons and ships charging through the air and over the waters directly toward them. Out ahead of the ship he was on, Mani saw the bulk of the Iskaryyvan navy in full retreat. The emperor was screaming again, his gaze following Agadart as she circled around the ship. Her intent was clear to anyone watching: she was angling directly at the emperor. Faced with a direct attack, he leapt off of the blood-soaked deck to meet her claw for claw and tooth for tooth. In the middle of his desperate gamble though, he had lost sight of Ro, who had swerved up and dive-bombed just as the emperor snapped at Agadart¡¯s jaw. She swatted him away, straight into Ro¡¯s clutches, who tore mercilessly at the emperor¡¯s wings. Other dragons in her flight started harassing the ship¡¯s sailors, while the rest of the emperor¡¯s navy and his flights circled around, leaderless, picking fights with anyone they could get close to. It was utter chaos with ships firing at each other and dragons fighting indiscriminately. Ro and Agadart were tag-teaming the emperor, whose guards were joining the fray in an effort to extract him before he was killed. A desperate scream caused Mani to look away from his mates to see a knot of four, possibly five, fighting dragons, covered in blood and tearing at each other, as they slammed into the fore of the ship. It shuddered under the onslaught as the dragons spilled across the forecastle, breaking everything as they went and spilling over the side, taking half the deck with them. The ship tipped dangerously on its side, pausing for an eternal moment, suspended between where it had been and what was coming. Mani braced himself as the ship shuddered again, cracking under the strain, the breaking wood groaning loudly. The sailors screamed and the dragons fell into the water as the ship finally fell over completely, dragging Mani down with it. 55. Freezing Cold Waters She felt the battle raging around her¡ªor, rather, the many dozens of battles. It made her blood boil to hear, to feel, the injuries of her fighters, and to sense when their presence disappeared entirely from her consciousness. She did not sense each of them as individuals but as a collective of people, humans and dragons, all tied to her through their connections with the magic that fueled her. The only specific people she was tied to closely enough to identify, though, were her mates. As she harassed her enemy, she saw one of her mates on the uppermost deck of the ship, alive but still in danger. She had to get her enemy off the ship at all costs, so she quickly spun around and headed for him, knowing that he would not back down from a direct challenge, even as injured as he still was. His attack was sloppy and she kicked him easily to her king, who had become powerful enough to take on the dragon who had hurt him so badly before. Now, Rodgardae was bolstered by her power, healed with her own magic. There were few he could not beat, and together they were quickly destroying their enemy. Sharks circled in the waters, waiting for their catch, drawn by the blood spilling out of all the injured dragons and humans thrown into the sea. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Her enemy was trying to claw at her face when she felt a spike of panic so sharp it made her stumble. Her mate felt it as well, and they both threw their enemy as far from themselves as possible as they spun towards their guardian. The ship he was on had capsized and Mani was in the water, under the ship as it bobbed on the waves¡­she felt his desperation, his fear of drowning in the dark, freezing cold waters. Without a thought she slammed into the water, roaring with all her might to scare off the sharks, and pushing aside all the ship¡¯s detritus with her claws. Water was not air, though, and hard to move through and impossible to breathe. She heard the muted call of her king screaming at her, desperate and terrified. She knew from their bond that he had lost sight of her and they both knew that Mani was drowning. I have him! She sent the sensation of grabbing Mani¡¯s body with her hand, pulling him to her and spinning as fast as she could in the thick, churning, debris-filled water to get out from under the ship and back to the surface. Then everything went black. 56. Her Radiant Majesty He saw the emperor being caught and carried away by his own dragons, his limp body held in their talons as they wobbled for a nearby ship. But his instinct to go after him and finish him off was wiped out by the overwhelming fear he felt for Mani, who was drowning, who was dying¡­ He came down and landed on the hull of the ship, trying to figure out what do when Agadart simply slammed into the water like a diving bird. He screamed at her but nothing he sent through their connection could puncture her blind panic. She was in the water with Mani and Rodgardae was clawing at the ship¡¯s side while hundreds of Wattish dragons flew around the site where their queen had disappeared below the water. It was too churned up to see beneath the dark waves; some sailors managed to climb up the side of ship to safety despite the way it was still rocking violently, but kept their distance from where Rodgardae was peering into the water, calling out to his mates. Agadart¡¯s connection to him blinked out and he went headfirst into the ocean without thinking, desperate to get to his queen and their guardian despite his instincts to stay out of the dangerous waves. He could barely see in the water, but as he pushed debris aside he saw her body, floating down. But it wasn¡¯t her flying form; it was Agadart, naked and clutching at Mani as she sluggishly kicked to the surface. Rodgardae could barely guess why she had switched back to her walking form at such a terrible time, but he could not think it through while he was being clobbered by the ship as he tried to pull away, the wild swings of inverted masts and sails and broken pieces all assaulting him as he pushed his way to them. He figured out quickly that getting knocked out cold might have been what happened to Agadart, so he made a dash to grab them both, one in each hand, then held them close as he dived down to escape the hulking mass of the ship as it bounced around, breaking apart. Flapping his wings in the water was like moving in slow motion, and incredibly awkward, and he realized that he could not hold his breath much longer. With a momentous push, he shot toward the surface, breaching it like a whale and with far less grace. He still had both of his mates in his claws as he bobbed, trying to get wing clearance to take off. This was why, he thought grimly as his flapping got him a lot of water in his face, that dragons did not swim. Suddenly he was airborne. He squirmed in panic when he realized that massive claws were wrapped around him, and craned his neck to look up. With the placidity of the unbothered, Fo?sh was sailing up and away from the ocean with Rodgardae in his grasp. Uncertain of what to do, Rodgardae just held on to his mates, hoping his own body heat was warming them up, as Fo?sh curved up and over the whole battleground with a few snaps of his massive wings. In the next minute, Rodgardae was dumped like so much garbage onto the main deck of his sister¡¯s flagship. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He looked up at her call, where she was flying over them. He felt like hell but it was not the time to have a protective older sibling fussing over him. He gave an ¡°all clear¡± call back as he settled his legs under him and spread out his wings, shaking water off. Several sailors had run up with blankets, but the best person Rodgardae saw walking toward them was Milles. ¡°I know better than to ask if you are hurt!¡± he shouted up at Rodgardae. ¡°Put them down, they¡¯ve been in the water and we need to clear their lungs!¡± He motioned to where a couple of sailors spread out a blanket, then turned to one of his assistants. ¡°Get the queen some clothes!¡± The assistant ran off like his heels were on fire. He kept shouting at people as Rodgardae gently laid his precious cargo down on the blanket. Both were alive, he could feel their heartbeats through their bond, but in shock and, in Mani¡¯s case, not breathing. He tapped Mani¡¯s chest with a claw. ¡°Yes yes, I know. Back up! Move!¡± Milles pushed at Rodgardae¡¯s forearm to settle next to Agadart. ¡°Doctor Thorrein! We have a drowned human!¡± he yelled at one of the people standing off to the side while pointing at Mani. She rushed forward, dropping to her knees and immediately starting resuscitation while yelling out instructions to her own assistants. Rodgardae backed up as far as he could, but he knew his time in his flying form was at an end. The battle would go on without him. He bumped a young sailor who was trying to pass by with his knuckle. ¡°Your Grace? I mean, Admiral¡­wait, Your Highness!¡± The sailor dropped to one knee in a panic, and Rodgardae rolled his eyes. He tapped a pattern out with one claw against the wood. ¡°Yes, Your Highness! Clothes! Right away!¡± The sailor dashed off. When he got back with a set of plain transformation pants and tunic, Rodgardae shifted quickly and dressed himself. Milles and his staff were swarming around his patients, so there was not technically room for Rodgardae to get close. He didn¡¯t care. He shouldered his way in. ¡°Oh good. Pick up Her Radiant Majesty,¡± Milles said, flapping a hand at the radiant majesty in question while standing up. ¡°I want to move both of them inside. The admiral¡¯s quarters, Pele! Get the door open!¡± He pushed at one of his assistants. Rodgardae only had eyes for his mates. Mani was still unconscious but was breathing again. Agadart, who had at least been draped in a cloak, startled awake when he bent down to pick her up, gasping for air and looking around wildly. ¡°I¡¯m here, beloved. I¡¯m here. Mani is here and they are working on him.¡± He held her in his arms and waited for the others to lift Mani on a litter to follow. ¡°We¡¯re going someplace warm.¡± She just nodded and closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest. Rodgardae carried her into his sister¡¯s quarters, leading the way for those bringing in Mani. He settled her on the bed then crawled over her to the far side, pulling blankets away as they placed Mani in the bed as well. Doctor Thorrein kept checking on Mani and ordering for specific medicines as Milles stood by. ¡°They mostly need connection and warmth. Let them sleep,¡± Milles said sternly at him. ¡°I know, Milles. I know.¡± Rodgardae curved around Agadart, who had passed out again, probably from the exhaustion and shock of shifting in the water. He reached over and put a hand gently on Mani¡¯s chest, just to feeling him breathing. Their minds were muddled and thick with worry and fear, so he spent his energy radiating calming, loving thoughts. Someone pulled heavy blankets over the three of them, and Rodgardae himself tumbled into slumber to the soft noises of the doctors talking shop. 57. The Return of the Queen [END!] Agadart woke up slowly, her mind fuzzy and confused. The last she remembered was crashing into the water, her body too big and unwieldly for her to swim properly. That thought was like being doused with a bucket of cold water ¡ª the emperor, Rodgardae, manifesting as a dragon, war, Mani¡­memories collided over each other, crashing around in her brain. Panicking, she sat up quickly, but that was its own mistake as she suddenly went dizzy. ¡°Agadart! Shhhh, shhhh.¡± Warm, strong arms wrapped around her and a soothing presence flooded her mind. Rodgardae. ¡°Ro?¡± she whispered, closing her eyes and resting against his chest. She could tell they were both naked under the blankets, the skin-to-skin contact grounding her wildly beating heart. ¡°Mmm.¡± he hummed, pressing his head against hers. She shifted a little and realized that there was someone else next to her. ¡°Mani!¡± Her eyes flew open and she looked down at her other side. Mani was lying there, frowning as he blinked awake. He opened his mouth to say something and started coughing. Rodgardae and Agadart helped him to sit up and rubbed his back while he hacked and gasped for air. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± There was a short knock on the door. Agadart frowned. That sounded like¡ª ¡°Come in, Lady Bertrag,¡± Rodgardae said loudly. The door flew open to Agadart¡¯s cousin walking in, and Agadart could only stare at her. She was not dressed in the uniform of the Dragon Maids Corps, and was instead wearing a smart suit with a long, flowing skirt and a fitted jacket, much like the ladies of the Isle of Watt were known to prefer. Behind her a sailor carried a tray and set it down on a table next to the bed. ¡°Your Majesty; Your Highness; Your Highness.¡± She gave each of them a short bow in turn. ¡°Doctors Worthan and Thorrein have medicine they wish all of you to take upon waking.¡± She gave Rodgardae a stern glare. ¡°Including His Majesty the king.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing well, I¡ª ¡± ¡°Including His Majesty the king,¡± she repeated, picking up one of the mugs and passing it over Mani and Agadart to hand it to him. ¡°The king?¡± Agadart asked, frowning, as she tried to remember what happened. ¡°When did you become king?¡± She pulled the blanked up further to cover herself. Mani just shook his head and gratefully took the medicine and the glass of water Bertrag handed him. Rodgardae stared at her. ¡°When you became queen, cousin,¡± Bertrag said, shoving a mug at her. ¡°Hey,¡± Agadart protested, although not with much heat. She felt like hell. ¡°Wait. When I became queen?¡± She lowered the mug she had been handed, looking out the bank of windows the built-in bed platform was nestled up against, but unseeing, lost in thought. ¡°I became queen.¡± ¡°Yes, you did,¡± Bertrag said. ¡°Now drink your medicine.¡± Agadart obediently drank down the contents of the mug, gagging a little at the foul smell. Remorselessly, Bertrag took it from her and put it back on the tray, along with Rodgardae¡¯s and Mani¡¯s. She glanced between Mani, who looked like he was still recovering from the coughing fit, and Rodgardae, who at least was looking mildly abashed. ¡°The emperor was right?¡± She felt her panic welling up again. Rodgardae folded her back into his arms. ¡°What did he tell you?¡± ¡°That¡­that I was the queen of Watt. That my ancestor was Princess Beatra.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He was a madman.¡± Bertrag folded her hands in front of her. She was wearing her salt-and-pepper hair in a long braid over her shoulder, and it was weird to see it down in such a fashion as would never be seen in Kaaltendt. ¡°He is, but that has little to do with what he told you, which is true.¡± Her voice softened. ¡°It is an old legend in our family, handed down by word of mouth. It is my understanding that your father did not believe it, and refused to let anyone share it with you.¡± Agadart looked back at Rodgardae, who nodded. He launched into a long, rambling story about her long-lost uncle who brought a Khzern giant with him to rescue her but how she manifested while on the deck of the emperor¡¯s flagship, becoming queen of Watt and leading them to a victorious battle that cost them dearly but sent the Iskaryyvan forces fleeing along with the body of their emperor, who might be dead but no one had confirmed that as yet. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When he finished she stared at him for a moment and then turned to Bertrag. ¡°Is he insane? Are we safe?¡± Rodgardae frowned. ¡°The emperor? Clearly. But yes, we¡¯re safe; the Iskaryyvan forces have been in full retreat for days now.¡± ¡°I meant you,¡± she said, glancing him out of the side of her eyes. Bertrag rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s quite sane. The whole story is true.¡± She took a deep breath and then bowed. ¡°I have abandoned Kaaltendt and Queen Theaedra, and my place among the Dragon Maids Corps. I swear fealty to Queen Agaedae of the Isle of Watt, along with her King Rodae and their guardian, Manae.¡± Agadart felt her mouth open and close several times. Mani shrugged, sipping at his glass of water again. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re all here? Grand!¡± A tall man with shocking white hair collected up on his head in a riot of braids walked in without knocking. Agadart did not know him, but recognized him immediately as he looked like a taller, older version of her father. ¡°Uncle Hrecht?¡± He smiled at her, the fondness of it offset by the wild swirl of fire in the irises of his eyes. ¡°Hello, Niece Aggie. It is such a pleasure to meet you at last.¡± ¡°Can you not leave us alone?¡± Rodgardae grumbled. Agadart grabbed his hand instinctively and squeezed it. ¡°I admit I¡¯m not used to having company while I¡¯m undressed,¡± Mani said with a croak. ¡°That¡¯s of no importance, we¡¯re all dragons here. Or, well, dragonkin.¡± He nodded regally at Bertrag and Mani. ¡°I came in to see for myself that you are recovering well. I will be passing over Kaaltendt soon and will stop in to talk to your father to let him know of your circumstances. Although I expect he will be finding out soon, regardless.¡± ¡°My father!¡± Agadart sat up further. ¡°What will you tell him?¡± She turned to Rodgardae. ¡°Can I send for him? Is he allowed to come visit me?¡± ¡°My dear niece,¡± Uncle Hrecht broke in. ¡°You are the dragon queen of Watt. Their first queen in eight hundred years. I suspect anything you ask for, you will receive.¡± He spoke kindly but firmly, and somehow, for the first time, the implication of his words sank in. ¡°I¡¯m the dragon queen of Watt.¡± She put her hands over her mouth. ¡°Bertrag! What do I do? What do I do?¡± Bertrag stepped up and started tucking the blankets more securely around the three of them. ¡°You do your best, cousin. You remain a child of the ver Kleelan line. You will excel.¡± Uncle Hrecht nodded agreeably. ¡°I agree. However, such as it is, I am also here to give you my well wishes. My liege calls to me, and I must return to her side.¡± ¡°Your liege?¡± ¡°And she is?¡± Rodgardae asked at the same time as Agadart voiced her question. ¡°Oh, I thought you would have figured that out by now.¡± He took a deep breath, swelling up in obvious pride. ¡°My liege is the esteemed Princess Beatra, lost to the crown of Watt, rogue dragon and defender of the Westlands.¡± He bowed, turned on his heel, and walked out. ¡°I hate him,¡± Rodgardae muttered while Mani laughed so hard he started choking again. Agadart looked up at Bertrag, who just shrugged, picked up the tray of empty mugs, and walked out. Instead of getting any more answers, she was left to sit with the reality of everything that had happened over the past¡­week? Month? Year? Or did it really start that night five years prior when she was going over the household books and found some well-hidden discrepancies? How long had her life been in free fall? ¡°Agadart?¡± She looked up to see both Mani and Rodgardae looking at her with worried expressions. It was Rodgardae who had spoken, so she focused on him for the moment. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m not sure how I feel about any of this. I barely remember manifesting¡­just flashes of seeing you, seeing you¡­fight¡­¡± She felt the tears welling up and scrubbed a hand over her eyes. Mani scooted closer, humming a little and slinging an arm over her shoulders. ¡°Seeing you fight the emperor was so upsetting and I got so mad.¡± ¡°Dragons have manifested for less than that,¡± Rodgardae said softly, taking her hand in his. ¡°But I had no idea I was a dragon! I spent the whole of my captivity thinking I would be killed when they found out I wasn¡¯t! But then I was!¡± She stopped yelling and took a deep breath. ¡°Now I¡¯m a queen dragon? And of a foreign land, at that.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Mani leaned his head against hers. ¡°Is it so foreign, though? Stop and close your eyes. Focus on our connection. Think about it as the strongest center of a wide web. Feel out its edges.¡± She closed her eyes and did as he asked, and immediately the entire landscape and population of the Isle of Watt appeared for her, a living, breathing connection to the land and the people in it. It was like being at the center of a web, but also like being the beating heart of a massive, majestic creature. The land had been empty of a queen¡¯s magic for so long that it was parched and desperate, so she poured all her love into it. It felt like taking a deep breath of air after coming up from the bottom of a lake. ¡°Oh, my beloved, yes. My queen,¡± Rodgardae whispered, resting his forehead on her shoulder. She felt the fire of her strength and power running through her nerves like electricity. Her king fed into that with his own magic, pulling and pushing at her as they braided their combined strength into something unassailable. Next to them, within them, Mani grounded them and pulled on their metaphorical wings, keeping them centered in their draconic humanity, the epitome of a guardian. Agadart breathed in, smiling, as the connection was reinforced by the entwined energy of the three of them, together creating a perfect aerie. Around the ship that she now knew was heading back to Watt, she heard hundreds of dragons calling out in joy and surprise ¡ª her people, her reign ¡ª celebrating the news: Queen Agadart of the Isle of Watt was coming home.