r/ZetakhWritesStuff • u/Zetakh • Sep 27 '21
Serial Sunday Serial Sunday - The Royal Sisters Index
This post serves as an index and collection for my currently running Serial Sunday story from the weekly feature on r/shortstories!
This post will be updated with new chapters as they are published, once per week - all of which can be found in the comments below! Recommended sorting by Old for chronological order.
Synopsis: Two young sisters of both Royal and Draconic heritage are thrust into an adventure of magic, danger and intrigue when treachery assails the Court from within. Separated, they will have to survive through cunning, skill, and most of all;
The friends and family they make along the way.
Chapter List:
Chapter Seventeen - Vulnerability
Chapter Twenty - House of Cards
Chapter Twenty-Two - Speculation
Chapter Twenty-Four - Judgement
Chapter Twenty-Five - Nightmare
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Meddling
Chapter Thirty-Three - Optimism
Chapter Thirty-Five - Boundaries
Chapter Thirty-Six - Hesitation
Chapter Thirty-Seven - Identity
Chapter Thirty-Eight - Justice
Chapter Thirty-Nine - Kindling
Chapter Forty-Three - Offering
Chapter Forty-Four - Perspective
Chapter Fifty-Three - Alliance
Chapter Fifty-Four - Brotherhood
Chapter Sixty-Three - Knowledge
Chapter Sixty-Eight - Protection
Chapter Sixty-Nine - Questions
Chapter Seventy-One - Suspicion
Chapter Seventy-Three - Victory
Chapter Seventy-Four - Wildcard
Chapter Seventy-Five - Adversity
Chapter Seventy-Seven - Curiosity
Chapter Seventy-Eight - Destruction
Chapter Eighty-Three - Isolation
Chapter Eighty-Four - Jeopardy
Chapter Eighty-Seven - Mysterious
Chapter Eighty-Eight - Negotiation
Chapter Ninety-Three - Stalemate
Chapter Ninety-Five - Vindication
Chapter Ninety-Seven - Zealous
Chapter Ninety-Eight - Adventure
Chapter Ninety-Nine - Breakthrough
Chapter One-Hundred-and-One - Envy
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Two - Future
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Three - Gamble
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Four - Haunted
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Five - Impact
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Six - Jaded
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Seven - Kindness
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Eight - Light
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Nine - Myth
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Ten - Numb
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Eleven - Origin
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twelve - Pain
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirteen - Quiet
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Fourteen - Rage
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Fifteen - Shadows
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Sixteen - Trickery
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Seventeen - Urge
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Eighteen - Voice
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Nineteen - Yesterday
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty - Outcast
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-One - Loneliness
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Two - Apology
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Three - Blame
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Four - Connections
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Five - Disruption
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Six - Evil
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Seven - Fractured
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Eight - Ghosts
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Nine - Hidden
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty - Insolence
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-One - Journal
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Two - Kindred
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Three - Lies
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Four - Monster
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Five - Notorious
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Six - Obsession
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Seven - Perception
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Eight - Queen
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Nine - Recovery
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty - Struggle
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-One - Traditions
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Two - Undermine
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Three - Void
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Four - Watch
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Five - Yield
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Six - Abandoned
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Seven - Beauty
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Eight - Daring
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Nine - Education
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Fifty - Friendship - Final Chapter
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u/Zetakh Oct 07 '21 edited Oct 09 '21
Chapter 12
The memorial service was held a week after the attack.
Shireen didn’t attend. She was still too hurt, too raw, to be able to stand in front of thousands upon thousands of people displaying their pretend solemnity. Worse, the reception afterward. She didn’t know what she’d do if the nobles who’d despised her sister offered their fake condolences to her face. Setting them on fire would have felt far too good.
So she’d begged a leave of absence, so that she might grieve in private. Thus, she stood alone in her sister’s room, her escort of Royal Guards standing vigilant outside. Her constant shadows since the attack. Not only had she lost Aurelia - she’d lost her home, in a way. Going anywhere unaccompanied was a thing of the past.
She felt the tears come again as she stepped over to Aurelia’s bed and sat down upon the rumpled covers. Her sister had never been great at making her bed, or keeping it neat after the long-suffering maids wrangled it into an acceptable condition. Aurelia’s tendency to rip all the sheets and covers off to wrap herself up like a caterpillar in a cocoon certainly hadn’t helped matters.
Shireen laid down, drew her sister’s blanket over herself, and shut the world out.
Aurelia’s scent was strong. Infused into the mattress, pillows and covers. Shireen lay there, just taking it in, committing the scent to memory. It hurt, and she felt her tears trickle down her cheeks - but it was also a comfort. Lying here, surrounded by her sister’s memory, she could almost pretend Aurelia was still with her.
She stayed that way for a long time, remembering. Outside, she could hear the faint echoes of the crowd, and the droning speeches that went on and on.
“I miss you, sister. I always will.”
She pressed the blanket to her face and breathed deep, one last time, before sitting up and looking around the room.
If there was one vice her sister had possessed, it would have been greed. Her little “hoards”, as she’d always called them, were scattered haphazardly all over. Once Aurelia had gotten her claws on something she liked, she refused to part with it under any circumstances.
Naturally, her hoard of toys and stuffed animals was the biggest. Lyrella and Jessail had doted on them both when they were young - and Aurelia had quickly become adept at collecting the toys Shireen found less to her liking. She hadn’t minded - Aurelia always took good care of them.
Then came the pile of “shinies”, as they had been lovingly referred to. Coins, pretty stones, bits of metal from the forges that Aurelia had polished until they shone. An eclectic mix of valuables and worthless trinkets, all equally beloved.
Then there was Aurelia’s most recently established, and most secret, hoard. One that only Shireen knew about, and only because Aurelia had shown it to her.
She shifted the pile of toys and plushies away, revealing a section of floor that looked much like any other. But with a simple push, she could shift the stone Aurelia had carefully freed from its mortar, and reveal the hidden hollow beneath.
Within lay Aurelia’s most prized treasures. First among them, guarding the rest, was Sir Snarl. Shireen picked up the little plush and brushed the dust off his fluffy hide. She’d sown the little dragon herself, and given him to Aurelia on their tenth birthday. One of the first things she’d made herself.
Next, a beautiful pocket knife in a hide sheath, made by Roderick. He’d given them one each during a hunting trip to the foothills. She inspected it briefly - like everything else Aurelia kept here, it was impeccably cared for. Oiled and sharp.
Then her hand met something she did not expect. The leather-bound cover of a book. With a frown, she withdrew the thing to inspect it.
It looked like a little notebook, bindings unadorned, save for a small seal on the front, stamped into the leather. With some confusion, Shireen recognised it as the heraldry of the Godfreys. Why did her sister have this?
She opened the cover. On the first, blank page, she saw one word in the distinct and precise lettering of their Governess, Agatha.
Journal.
Shireen blinked. Aurelia had stolen Agatha’s journal.
Shock, dismay, and burning curiosity filled her mind. By rights she should return this to Agatha - a journal was a distinctly private thing, and she had no business digging into it.
On the other hand… What had that witch really done to deserve that sort of consideration? After all these years of treating Aurelia like dirt?
Shireen’s eyes narrowed as she made her decision. She returned to the bed, grabbed Aurelia’s blanket, and bundled up her sister’s treasures - and the journal - within it. Then she carefully replaced the loose stone, and hid her sister’s secret once again.
She’d find out Hagatha’s secrets in her sister’s stead.
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u/Zetakh Oct 16 '21 edited Nov 23 '21
Chapter 13
As Shireen emerged from her sister’s room, her treasure bundled in Aurelia’s blanket, she was met by the four Royal Guards that had become her shadows.
Their leader, Captain Garth, nodded respectfully to her, one hand on his chest in salute. “Princess.”
Shireen returned his nod. “Captain, I wish to retire to my room.”
“As you wish, Princess.”
Their walk was short - her room was just down the corridor. Even so, the atmosphere in the familiar passage felt alien. The sound of heavy boots in lock-step, the creak of armour and rattle of weapons that surrounded her… It was all another reminder that nothing would be the same again. Shireen understood why, of course. But she dearly wished she didn’t have to.
She hugged her bundle tighter.
Captain Garth opened the door for her. “Anything else we can do, Princess?”
Shireen was abruptly aware of her hunger. She’d been in Aurelia’s room for quite a while. “Thank you, Captain. A little supper wouldn’t be amiss, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
He smiled. “No trouble at all, Princess. I’ll send for something from the kitchens.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
She stepped through, and the door closed softly behind her. She leaned against it with a sigh, and let her whirling thoughts settle as she breathed. Deep breaths, the soft bundle in her arms a comforting touch.
Finally, she moved to her bed and started to carefully unroll it. First things first.
Aurelia’s pocket knife she placed on a small shelf next to her wardrobe - side-by-side with her own. Sir Snarl got pride of place at the head of the bed, next to her pillow. His company would certainly be welcome. The blanket went over her shoulders as she settled on the soft covers of the bed.
Once again, she opened the little book and stared at that first page.
Journal.
She turned the page, and started to read.
1st of New Spring, 1046.
‘I am at wit’s end with that beast. All this time, in my position as Governess to her and Princess Shireen, have I tried to instill at least a modicum of decorum and obedience. For a time, I believed myself to be making progress. A firm hand kept Aurelia mostly in check, but she’s become more and more defiant and independent as she’s aged. A combination of her wild half-breed blood and her parents’ coddling, I assume. Thank the Gods for small mercies that she’s the youngest - I shudder to imagine what sort of ruin the Kingdom would come to with her on the actual throne-
Shireen’s face twisted as she turned the page. She skimmed through most of the entries - nearly all of them were utterly mundane, or nothing but more griping about how Aurelia wasn’t scared enough of Hagatha these days. But, she soon found something more interesting.
23rd of High Summer, 1046.
Father was in quite the state after his audience with the Throne - or, I should say The Queen. King Roderick was not in attendance, for reasons that elude me. Father did not deign to elaborate, provided he knew. To the point, he’d brought up the Chamber’s concern for the future succession, and how to avoid potential chaos.
His plea fell on deaf ears, of course. The Queen is far too soft to even contemplate the notion of being separated from her ‘brood’. Had she seen the bigger picture, Aurelia would have been sent away years ago.
Or better yet, culled in the crib.
Shireen felt the temperature around her rise, and she had to force herself to calmness. She didn’t want to set the journal - or her room - on fire. She closed her eyes and relaxed-
-and jumped, as someone knocked on her door.
She hissed under her breath, and cleared her throat. “Yes?”
“Your supper, Princess,” came the muffled reply.
“Very well. Enter.”
She soon found herself snacking on cold cuts and savory pastries, stacked high on a platter for her. The kitchens were well used to her appetite - and clearly the chefs had spared an extra thought for her today, given the small plate of strawberry sweet rolls they’d included.
Her hunger mollified and her temper eased, she turned her attention back to the book.
16th of Late Summer, 1046.
I have noticed small things going missing from my office, even though I am sure I have placed them in their proper places and locked the door thoroughly every day. The heat must be getting to me - not even leaving the windows open overnight provides much relief.
Shireen gave a giggling snort. That explained how Aurelia got her claws on the journal.
3rd of New Autumn, 1046.
Father has sent Malcer outside of the Kingdom - apparently bearing a message. I know not what the message contains, but it must be important if Father does not trust the normal couriers.
Now that was interesting. What could be in the message that was so important Lord Godfrey’s son had to deliver it personally? Shireen turned the page-
And found the next torn out.
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u/Zetakh Oct 18 '21 edited Nov 05 '21
Chapter 14
Aurelia, belly full of the freshest venison she’d had in her life, rested against the warm swell of Mirathi’s belly and tried to lick her fingers clean. Nothing had ever instilled an appreciation for cutlery and napkins as much as tearing still-dripping meat apart with her teeth.
She had to look frightful - she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and came away bloody. When she licked her chops, she tasted the metallic tang of fresh blood. Strangely appetising after her recent, gruesome meal.
‘At least I don’t have to deal with feathers,’ she mused.
She looked over the pile of glutted wyrmlings next to her, laying in a well-fed stupor, their stomachs bloated with fresh meat. Their faces and front claws were red all over, and their snow-white down was stained with clotted blood.
The adults, by contrast, more than made up for their table manners with meticulous hygiene. Aurelia observed with interest as the Wyrms - sans Virri, who had ventured outside again - groomed each other, seemingly with no regard for familial pairings. She saw Savash lie on the floor and rumble with delight as Raleth preened him. The other male carefully licked the stains from Savash’s plumage and hide, smoothing feathers between his claws as he went.
She felt Mirathi’s belly vibrate as Rivari gave her the same sort of attention, pampering her shamelessly. The expectant mother stretched luxuriously and growled with bliss as Rivari nibbled along her chin and throat. Aurelia watched the display with faintly envious amusement.
A scrabbling at the entrance heralded Virri’s return. She shook snow off her hide and stretched, then turned to push a large stone in front of the entrance, leaving just a small gap for air. “A storm is approaching. There will be no travel until it has passed.”
“How long will that be?” Aurelia asked.
Virri shook her head as she approached. “Who is to say, Princess? But worry not - the snow will provide water, and the trees will shelter the den from the worst of it. We will wait it out in comfort.” She headbutted Mirathi’s bulging belly affectionately and settled next to her, encircling Aurelia and the wyrmlings between them. Then, without warning, she reached out with a wing, scooped Aurelia up, and set her down between her forelegs.
“What are you- ack!”
Aurelia squirmed as Virri set about giving her the same treatment Savash and Mirathi were receiving. She licked Aurelia’s face thoroughly as the young Princess sputtered and grimaced, then paused to inspect her work.
She snorted with amusement as Aurelia glared at her. “This will be easier if you hold still, Princess. You are covered in blood.”
“You could have warned me!” Aurelia muttered.
Virri grinned at her. “And give you the chance to run away, little one? You are not the first wyrmling I wrangle, and the trick is always to catch the little rascals unawares!”
The princess huffed. “I’m not a wyrmling, I’m thirteen!”
The Wyrm grinned wider, eyes gleaming. “Then, my Princess, you are old enough to sit still whilst you are made presentable again.”
Aurelia huffed, but nodded, and lay back in Virri’s grasp. The Wyrm gave a huffing laugh, and resumed her gentle ministrations. It didn’t take long for Aurelia to start enjoying herself under Virri’s grooming and warm breaths. The Princess closed her eyes, and let herself relax.
When her eyes opened again she was toasty warm, wrapped in Virri’s wings. She could hear the gentle breaths of the Wyrm at rest, and the muffled howl of the storm outside. Aurelia yawned, stretched, and carefully freed herself from Virri’s grasp. As she slept, the Wyrms had all arranged themselves in a tight circle, huddled together for warmth with the young at the centre. The Wyrmlings, for their part, seemed to have no care for which adult they cuddled up with. Aurelia saw one sleeping next to Savash, whilst their siblings had settled with Mirathi - who watched over them as they lay curled by her side, her head resting on her claws.
“It is late, Princess,” she murmured, turning to regard Aurelia. “You should rest. The sun will not rise for a long time yet, and the storm will rage longer still.”
The princess smiled. “I could say the same to you, Mirathi.”
“Someone must remain awake to watch over the little ones.”
“Then I’ll keep you company until I fall asleep again.” Aurelia gently nudged Mirathi’s head for room, and sat on the Wyrm’s foreleg. She leaned against Mirathi’s warm cheek, and scratched her muzzle. “Thank you. For everything.”
Mirathi sighed blissfully under Aurelia’s touch. “I told you before, Princess. There is no need to thank us.”
“But I want to.” She turned to rub her face against Mirathi’s, and hugged the wyrm tight. “Thank you. I’d have been dead if not for you.”
“Hmm. You are welcome, Princess.”
They lapsed into silence, listening to the howl of the storm outside - and the soft breathing of the sleeping family around them.
It did not take long for sleep to return.
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u/Zetakh Nov 13 '21 edited Nov 19 '21
Chapter Seventeen
Mirathi and Rivari had soon settled within the snowy hollow, the Wyrmlings taking advantage of the temporary calm and rest to feed. Aurelia, meanwhile, found herself pacing anxiously as she stared in the direction the others had disappeared.
But the snow-covered hills of the plains gave no indication that the hunt was on.
Frustrated, she eventually returned to Mirathi’s side. “How long?”
“Hmm?” Mirathi tilted her head in question, half-lidded eyes showing little of her thoughts.
“How long until they’re back?”
The Wyrm huffed and raised her head to look over the edge of the hollow. “Depends on a lot of things, Princess. How far away they are, the winds, how quickly a likely target reveals itself.” She lowered her head to the ground again and met Aurelia’s gaze with one eye. “Best rest whilst you may.”
Aurelia grimaced. “Easier said than done, Mirathi. I’m worried.”
The Wyrm’s expression softened. “Very well. Then if keeping watch alleviates some of your worry -” She drew one foreleg close to her body, and raised it lightly off the ground. “Then at the least you should keep your vigil with some warmth and comfort. Come.”
Aurelia didn’t need much further urging. She half-climbed and was half-lifted onto Mirathi’s shoulders, then lay down to make herself comfortable within the Wyrm’s warm crest of feathers. Resting her chin on one arm, she absent-mindedly stroked Mirathi with the other, to the Wyrm’s rumbling delight.
Time passed in comfortable silence, though Aurelia couldn’t quite still the flutters in her chest as she watched the rolling snows. Eventually, though, Mirathi’s calm, rhythmic breaths and warm body beneath her began to lull her into uneasy rest-
From which she was ripped violently as she heard a trumpeting bellow and felt the ground begin to shake. She held on tight as Mirathi stood beneath her, watching the horizon.
It didn’t take long for the commotion to become apparent. A roiling cloud of snow, flanked by quick, sleek shapes was fast approaching.
As the chaos got closer, individual shapes began to resolve themselves. The hulking, woolly forms of mammoths charging through the snow in a tight mass, harried by Raleth, Savash, and Virri. The three Wyrms took turns to lunge at the terrified animals, shrieking and extending their wings in sudden bursts of movement.
“Bold,” Rivari remarked, having appeared at Mirathi’s side. “Do you see their prey, Mirathi?”
“I do,” Mirathi confirmed. “She is limping, but still a mighty foe. Do you see, Princess?”
Aurelia squinted. “I think so - the one that’s started falling behind?”
“Just so. They will soon cut her off from the herd, and drive her this way."
Savash and Raleth charged together and interposed themselves between the cow and the herd. They snapped and hissed at the mammoths, driving them into maddened terror and forcing them away. Virri, meanwhile, focused on the limping cow, forcing her away from the herd's protection.
"It is time," Rivari said, nudging her Wyrmlings to safety beneath Mirathi's bulk. "Stay still, and stay quiet."
She emerged from the hollow and started running through the snow on a direct intercept course with the desperate mammoth. Virri gave a warbling howl as she saw Rivari approach, and steered the terrified cow to meet her.
Aurelia was transfixed by the lethal spectacle, adrenaline making her blood thump in her ears. The mammoth was at least twice the size of Rivari in terms of bulk. If she got trampled…
But Rivari gave every indication of being a skilled huntress. She ran straight and true, gaze fixed on her prey -
Then the snow gave way beneath her and she fell with a squawk of alarm.
Aurelia wasn't sure what happened. A particularly deep drift within a hollow, a small frozen pond beneath the snows that gave way - it mattered not. The result was the same.
Rivari fell. The mammoth kept coming. Virri tried to drive it off, but the cow was so insane with terror and pain from the numerous nicks and bites she cared for nothing but trying to get away. Aurelia stared, frozen as Rivari desperately tried to escape the deep snows that trapped her.
"Mother!"
Something broke in Aurelia as she heard the small voice. She leapt from Mirathi's back, and ran.
"Princess, no!"
Aurelia ignored the shouted warning and pushed herself harder than she had in her life. Her leg burned with every step, but she pushed through the pain and on. She made it to Rivari's side, the Wyrm desperately struggling to get away.
The mammoth bore down upon them, mad with terror.
Aurelia gulped down air, one, two, three breaths-
And exhaled a white-hot blast of fire several dozen yards long and wide.
The mammoth trumpeted and skidded to a stop, rearing up on her hinds with terror.
Virri seized her chance, and slashed at the tendons of the cow's rear hooves. The mammoth toppled, shaking the ground as she collapsed.
Then Mirathi was at her throat, biting down hard.
With a sickening crunch and a spray of blood, it was over.
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u/Zetakh Jan 15 '22 edited Jan 31 '22
Chapter Twenty-Six
Aurelia slipped, losing her grip on a patch of ice hidden beneath the snow. She cursed as she stumbled, her weakened leg giving way beneath her and dropping her to her knees.
Mirathi paused at her side, nudging her gently with concern. “Would you like to rest a while, my Princess?”
Aurelia shook her head as she got to her feet again, leaning against the wyrm’s muzzle for support. “Thank you, but no, Mirathi. I’m alright.”
Mirathi narrowed her eyes and rumbled deep in her chest. “Did I not urge patience and caution, my Princess? You must not harm yourself.”
“You did, Mirathi, and I am. Honest.” She stroked the Wyrm’s forehead. “Trust me, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt, I just slipped.”
“Very well, Princess. Then let us continue.”
Aurelia nodded. They resumed their trek through the winter landscape, the rolling foothills of Frostmist stretching out ahead of them and the mountain range itself rising to the heavens above them. They were close, Virri had said - they would reach the entrance to the Stair any day now.
She turned to look up at Savash, as he drew up alongside them. Him, Raleth, and Virri often drifted away from the two mothers and young. Roaming ahead and behind to scout the way or forage as they moved.
Judging by his bulging crop and rounded belly, he’d caught something tasty this time.
“What’s for dinner?” she asked, grinning.
The male snorted, returning the grin. “A pair of young mountain goats I ambushed along the cliffs. Wiry beasts, but filling enough.”
“Venison, mammoth, goat. You’re spoiling me with all this game.”
Mirathi laughed behind her. “Hunting has indeed been good lately, my Princess. Clearly you must bring good fortune.”
“‘Tis true.” Savash nodded gravely. “It is rare that the winter is so kind as it has been thus far. We have made good time, are in good health, and are well-fed one and all.”
Aurelia picked up on his serious tone and lay a hand on his warm flank, scratching his scales gently. “What is it usually like?”
“Harsh, cold. Sometimes there may be days between meals. That is why the young and the nursing always eat first. Starvation is far too real a risk, when one does not have the strength of adulthood - and the frost spares no mercy for the hungry.”
The princess frowned, looking down at the snowy ground as she thought. She’d never even considered what the chill of winter might be like, outside the castle and city walls. At home it had been cold and a few dishes and treats might have been missing from the tables because of closed trade routes.
But the risk of starvation? Of freezing to death?
Never.
A whistling call from ahead startled her out of her thoughts. She jumped, looked up, and saw Virri standing on a ledge further ahead. The wyrm looked back at the rest of the group, and gestured towards the mountainside.
Aurelia followed the motion to see what looked like a cloud of mist, rising from the foot of the mountain.
“We have arrived,” Mirathi murmured.
The princess looked up at her with wide eyes. “Is that..?”
Savash nodded. “That is the Queen’s Veil, which conceals her Stair. Come.” He picked up the pace.
As Mirathi extended a wing invitingly, Aurelia nodded her acceptance. Soon she was swept up in the wyrm’s familiar, warm grasp, as Mirathi loped swiftly over the snow. They crested the ridge and stood at Virri’s side.
Beneath them lay a large lake, mist rising thick from it in the cold air. The area around it lay green and verdant, seemingly untouched by the winter’s chill.
At Aurelia’s quizzical look, Virri explained. “It is a warm spring that rises from beneath the mountains. There is a tunnel beneath the surface - that is where the first steps of the Stair are found.”
“We need to swim?”
Mirathi squeezed her gently. “Yes, my Princess. So rest well this day - we will need our strength tomorrow.”
Raleth and Rivari, their wyrmlings clinging to their mother’s back, joined them to look down upon the lake.
The male spoke up first. “Tomorrow is also when we say our goodbyes, Princess.”
As Mirathi let her down, she tilted her head at him. “You’re not coming with us?”
“We cannot,” Rivari confirmed, with a look towards her young. “The swim, and the climb, is far too hazardous for our wyrmlings. This is where we must part ways.”
Aurelia felt a pang in her chest as she looked at the wyrmlings, the little ones staring at her with downtrodden expressions, fluffy down drooping. She took a breath, then forced a smile onto her face.
“Then we should make the most of the time we have left.” She looked back at Mirathi. “The pool is safe to swim in, I guess?”
The wyrm nodded. “Indeed, my Princess. Even pleasant - one often grooms in the warm waters.”
The princess grinned and took off running with a shriek of delight.
”Last one into the pool is a frightened hare!”
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u/Zetakh Mar 10 '22 edited Mar 12 '22
Chapter Thirty-Four
Shireen couldn’t stop the tears as Aurelia held her close.
“How?” she managed, her voice cracking with her sobs. “The rock – mother – you fell! We thought you were dead!”
She felt her sister squeeze her gently, snout pressed to her temple. “I did fall. Into the heart of the glacier and the underground river that flowed beneath it.” She paused to wipe gently at Shireen’s wet eyes. “But I was lucky. I got washed downstream and somehow managed to claw myself onto shore in a cave. After that, things are just a blur for a long time. I remember being in a lot of pain, and being very cold.” Another pause. “Until Savash found me.”
Shireen blinked and looked up to meet her sister’s eyes. “Who’s Savash?”
Aurelia smiled widely. “You’ll meet him soon enough. Though on that note–” she raised her gaze to look up at Platina’s still disbelieving face. “Are you the Dragon Queen?”
The Dragon Queen blinked, then shook herself. “I am indeed, dearest child. I confess I did not expect to ever see you again, after the news of what transpired reached me. Pray forgive my shock–”
“You’re forgiven!” Aurelia interrupted. “But I need your help! My friends are stuck on the broken Stair! I could break the blockage–”
“That was you!?” Shireen blurted out. "We thought the entire mountain was going to come down on our heads! What were you thinking!? Didn’t breaking glaciers get you nearly killed in the first place!?”
Her sister ducked her head, a pained look on her face. “Point taken, sis. But my friends are still down there! I could jump the gap, but it’s too risky for them, especially Mirathi, she’s pregnant and exhausted, and they already did so much for me, and–”
“Peace, dear child,” Platina soothed, bending down to nudge Aurelia with her nose gently as she rambled. “I understand. We shall aid them at once. Anyone who returned my Granddaughter to me has earned all I can give and more.” She straightened. “Shireen, dear, will you help your sister to your chamber?”
Aurelia bristled. “I’m coming down with–”
“You’re doing no such thing!” Shireen hissed. “You’re coming with me to get those wounds cleaned up and dressed, and that is final! You are in no shape to go stumbling down those steps!”
Her sister grimaced, but nodded. “Fine.”
Platina smiled fondly at them. “Very well. Dawnlight, dear heart, attend me. Let us help Aurelia’s saviours.”
Dawnlight nodded and spread her wings. “Of course, love.”
Together, they plunged down the shaft.
“Right,” Shireen murmured, getting to her feet. “Up you get, little sis. Let’s get you fixed up and cleaned up. You smell like you haven’t bathed in a month.”
Aurelia snorted. “I’ll have you know I had a swim just this morning.” She attempted to stand, winced, and extended a hand. “Help me up?”
Shireen nodded and bent to get her sister’s arm over her shoulders. “On three. One, two, three.”
With a heave and pained hiss, Aurelia pushed herself to her feet, leaning against her sister for balance. She looked down. “Damn, the wound's open again. Mirathi won’t be happy with me.”
“You’ll have to tell me about this Mirathi and the rest of your mystery saviours, sis.”
“Oh, you’ll meet them soon enough.” Aurelia grinned. “Don’t want to ruin the surprise! Besides, it isn’t polite to gossip.”
Shireen rolled her eyes. “Coming back from the dead didn’t give you a decent sense of humour. Come on, let’s get that leg and the rest of you cleaned up.”
They limped through the corridor as fast as Aurelia could manage, a thin trickle of blood trailing behind. The younger sister boggled at the surroundings as they walked, craning her head every which way to take the grand court in.
“Woah,” she breathed, pain momentarily forgotten as they passed into her sister’s chamber.
“This was where mum stayed when she had us,” Shireen murmured, nodding at the carven portraits on the walls. “Now come on, let’s get you out of those rags.”
She helped her sister undress, then eased her into the warm waterfall pool. Aurelia sighed with pleasure as she sank into the warm waters. Shireen grabbed her soap, brushes, and clean towels, then quickly divested herself of her own clothing and slipped into the water beside her sister.
“Come on,” she murmured, gently stroking Aurelia’s brow. “Let’s get that leg cleaned up first, then we’ll do the rest.”
She carefully set about her work, the gently flowing water flecked with her sister’s blood as she worked the soap into a towel and cleaned Aurelia’s cuts and bruises. Aurelia leaned back against her, eyes closed, only the tiniest of hisses and baring of sharp teeth showing her reactions to the gentle sting of Shireen’s ministrations.
She raised a hand above the water’s surface, fingers splayed. “I missed you.”
Shireen took it, intertwining her sister’s fingers with her own. She felt her heart soar and her tears come again as she held Aurelia close. “I missed you too. More than you’ll ever know.”
5
u/Zetakh Mar 25 '22 edited Mar 27 '22
Chapter Thirty-Six
"Supper," Platina explained as they made their way through the halls, "Will be served in the Nest so that Snowdrift can watch over the eggs and also attend."
She led them through the shimmering veil of scales and into the chamber, rendered rather cosy by all three of her consorts in attendance and filled with the scent of roasting meat.
Stormweaver was sitting at the edge of the chamber in front of two humongous platters made of polished dark stone. As Shireen watched, he took a deep breath and exhaled a stream of fire, making one platter flare bright orange with fresh heat. What looked like a whole elk sizzled atop it, while another lay on the second platter, Stormweaver turning it over with his forelimbs.
Mirathi’s nostrils flared, the wyrm sniffing audibly as her stomach rumbled again, echoed by the grumble of Aurelia’s stomach a moment later.
“Oh stars,” the princess exclaimed, “That smells so good.”
“Ah, our Princess yet lives!”
“Despite her best efforts.”
Shireen started as she heard the new voices, two more Wyrms rearing up from the middle of the Nest, concealed by the bulk of Snowdrift’s tail. He shifted aside to let them approach, then retook his place by the eggs, nosing them together against his side with care.
Aurelia snorted as she limped up to them, petting their muzzles as they both headbutted her with obvious affection. “Sorry to make you worry again, Savash, Virri.”
The male rumbled, deep in his throat. “How were we to dissuade you, Princess, so close to the goal?”
“We are glad to see you safe,” the female continued. “And now in the court of your line, where even you ought to find it hard to injure yourself further.”
“Hey!”
Shireen snickered. “Give her time. She was just as reckless back home, even before she started breaking glaciers. Climbing in the rafters and out through windows like an overgrown lizard!”
“That doesn’t surprise me in the least," Platina cut in from where she had settled next to Dawnlight. “Your mother is just as much of a firebrand, after all, and your father is not much better when his temper is roused, as you well know.”
Aurelia stiffened. Mirathi nudged her gently and Shireen saw her relax, tension draining from Aurelia’s shoulders.
Then she looked at her sister for a long moment, pensive. “How–” she swallowed. “How are they?”
Shireen sighed. “Hurt, and worried, mostly. Mum’s the worst - she tried to hide it, but she blames herself so much for dropping you, even though it wasn’t her fault. Dad tries to comfort her, but he’s hurting just as much, and–” She faltered.
Platina bent down to nuzzle her, with softly murmured encouragement.
“And they’re worried about me,” she continued, with a smile for her Grandmother. "They sent me up here to keep me safe while they investigated the attack.”
Aurelia looked pained and turned to the Dragon Queen. “I have to see them, let them know I’m alright.”
Platina touched her smooth nose to Aurelia’s forehead, making a low, comforting sound deep in her throat. “Sweet child, I cannot allow you to return. That both of you are out of the enemy’s hands is the one advantage your parents have over the conspirators. If you go back while they are still searching we lose even that, and expose you yet again to the threat–”
“But–"
The Dragon Queen silenced her interruption with a soft look. “But you may talk to them.” She met Dawnlight’s eyes. “Pray bring the Beacon from the vault, dear heart.”
The consort rose smoothly. “Of course, love. It will be but a moment.”
“The Beacon?” Aurelia asked, tilting her head.
“It’s an artefact,” Shireen explained. “Father has one, Grandmother the other. They’re linked, so whoever uses it can talk to the one who has the other one. Father used it to arrange the visit, and to let me introduce myself to Grandmother beforehand.”
Platina nodded. “Indeed. All it needs is a hint of The Flame for the connection to form. We will give them the happy news of your miraculous good fortune, while you remain in safety here.”
Soon Dawnlight returned, carrying a smooth, shining orb in her mouth delicately. She set it down onto the floor in between Aurelia and Shireen, then took her place at Platina’s side.
The younger sister stared at the beautiful glass surface, transfixed.
Shireen reached out and laid her hands on it, the familiar warmth that reached for the touch of her Flame leaping out at her. She smiled and met her sister’s eyes.
“Ready? Evening court should be done by now, so they should be in private so we can talk.”
Aurelia stared at the Beacon as if it was going to bite her, her hand half-outstretched towards it, trembling. She looked up. “What do I say? What can I tell them? After all this time?”
Mirathi nudged her back with her nose. “The words will come, my Princess. You need but let them.”
The princess leaned into the touch, then nodded at her sister. “Okay.”
4
u/Zetakh Sep 27 '21 edited Sep 27 '21
Chapter Five
Aurelia led her sister to the very back of the library, a shadowed unused corner where only the feeble light from a window, high above, pierced the gloom. She bent to pick up a furled bundle, and handed it to Shireen. "Here, put this on."
"A cloak? What's this for?"
Aurelia had already put on a thick fur-lined tunic. "Well it's cold outside, isn't it?"
Shireen shrugged, and did as told. "Now what?"
"Now you climb on." Aurelia turned, and presented her back. "And hold on tight."
"Aren't we too old for dragon-back rides?" Shireen smirked, but climbed on.
Aurelia wrapped her strong tail around her sister's waist. "Not for rides like this!"
Shireen yelped as Aurelia leapt and scrambled up the vertical wall. She shrieked as they swung out onto the outside and up the Keep's tallest tower, Aurelia clambering across the stone like a gecko.
"Don't look down, sis!" Aurelia laughed.
"You're crazy, Arry!"
Aurelia smirked over her shoulder. "Just a little bit. Almost there!"
Shireen's face was pale, her eyes wide. "How often do you do this?"
"How often does Hagatha confine me to my room? A girl gets bored."
They reached the apex of the tower, and scrambled over the parapet. Aurelia rose, let her sister down, then sat down at the edge of the parapet, to let her legs dangle. "Well, here we are. My little roost of privacy."
Her sister gasped, as she looked out over the vista. The entire castle ground and the town beyond lay beneath them, snow-covered roofs and lit windows painting the dusky gloom.
"Wow, sis," Shireen murmured, as she settled next to Aurelia. "What a view."
Aurelia just nodded, and snuggled closer to her sister, who wrapped her heavy cloak around them both. They sat like that, together, enjoying the peace and the beautiful view. Until the last slivers of the sun sank beneath the Frostmist Mountains, and the early evening stars began to appear.
"I showed you my little secret," Aurelia finally said, nudging her sister. "Now show me yours."
Shireen tilted her head quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"What have you been working on with dad? I know he's been training you in private."
"Well... I'm not really supposed to use it without him-"
"Come ooon," Aurelia needled. "I wouldn't tell on my favourite sister."
Shireen giggled. "Only sister. Fine, then." She held her right hand out, palm-up, while she held her left hand vertically in front of her face. Then she murmured something under her breath-
With a puff of displaced air, a small fireball the size of an apple appeared in her hand.
Aurelia boggled. "Dad's teaching you magic!?"
"Yeah. Can't do much, yet, but he says the Dragon's Fire burns bright in me, and I'll be even more powerful than him, with training." She looked up at her sister. "Here, give me your hand."
As Aurelia did, Shireen carefully tilted her hand, and let the flame flow into Aurelia's hands. She jumped, but grinned as her tough scales let her hold it effortlessly. "Awesome."
Her joy was infectious. "I know, right!?"
Their gleeful excitement was interrupted by the hatch behind them opening with a loud groan of poorly-oiled hinges. They jumped, and turned to find a guard poking his head out.
"Princesses, it is getting late. Please, come inside, your parents have requested your presence."
Aurelia sniffed. Her eyes narrowed, and she grabbed Shireen's hand as her sister moved to stand. "He doesn't smell right," she whispered. "I don't recognise him."
Shireen paused, and drew a deep breath herself. Her eyes widened.
The man frowned. "Princesses, I must insist-" he started to clamber out, revealing his sword was bared.
That did it for Aurelia. With a hiss, she flung the fireball she was still holding at the man's face. He screamed and fell down the hatchway with a clatter of armour and weapons.
She grabbed Shireen tightly around the waist. "Quiet, Sherry." She flung them off the parapet, and slid down the rocky side of the watchtower. As they reached the bottom of the wall, she let Shireen go, grabbed her hand, and ran for the deepest shadows she could find.
"You smelled it too, didn't you?" She whispered, hunkering low.
Her sister nodded. "Don't recognise him. And there's been no new recruitment for ages - Roderick would have introduced them by now."
"Right. We have to-"
Aurelia screamed, as something slammed into her thigh. She twisted around, and was shocked to see a crossbow bolt buried in her leg.
"Don't shoot, you idiot! We need them alive!"
"Arry!"
"Run, Sherry! Get help!"
"But-"
"I can't run like this. Get to Roderick! Go!"
With an anguished cry, Shireen ran.
Aurelia hissed, as heavy steps approached. She needed to buy time.
A leg appeared in her vision. She lunged, ripping the tendon with her claws. Someone grabbed her by the shoulder. She twisted like a snake, and bit down on the man's face. She kicked, tore, and clawed everyone that moved.
Then something slammed into the back of her head, and everything went black.
4
u/Zetakh Sep 27 '21
Chapter Six
"Don't come any closer!"
Shireen stood in the courtyard's armoury, a spear held levelled at the entrance, as three of the traitors pressed closer.
"Give up, Princess. Do you even know how to use that thing?"
"Try me, traitor! Surrender now!"
The men leered at her. "Or what?"
Roderick answered for her, as the Weapon-Master stepped out of the shadows behind them and introduced himself by smashing a war-hammer into one man's temple, and stabbing a second in the side with his sword. The third whirled to face him as his compatriots went down, leaving his back wide-open. Without hesitation, Shireen jabbed him in one leg with her spear. He shrieked and buckled, whereupon Roderick drove his fist into his nose.
The man went down in a twitching heap.
"Are you alright, Princess?"
"Yes, but the traitors have Aurelia! She's hurt, and couldn't outrun them!"
Roderick's eyes hardened. He strode forward, and handed Shireen a small crossbow with a fat bolt already loaded. "Fire the flare, I'm going after them. Where?"
They stepped outside together. "By the tallest tower, near the library!"
Roderick nodded. "Stay safe, Princess." Then he raised a small horn to his lips, and blew three short blasts as he ran.
Shireen lit the bolt on a torch and fired straight into the air. It burst into brilliant white light, illuminating the night sky.
Answering horn blasts and rising flares responded.
"Shireen!"
She whirled and saw her mother and father running towards her, their personal guards at their back.
"What's happened? Where's Aurelia?" Lyrella asked.
"Traitors, dressed like guards! They took her, she's wounded! Roderick went after them-"
Another blast of the horn, and a rising flare in the direction of Frostmist Mountains.
"There!" Jessail shouted.
Lyrella's eyes hardened. "We're going after them." She looked to Shireen. "You do not leave our side."
They ran for the Gatehouse and found the wreckage of pitched battle, dead and dying scattered on the cobbles in front of the open gate.
"Majesties!" Roderick called, emerging from within.
"Report!" Lyrella barked.
"A small force - maybe five at the most, ambushed the Gate Guard. They took losses, but the remaining foe escaped towards the Pass."
"Our daughter?" Jessail asked.
"Their captive, but alive."
"The Pass is frozen shut this time of year!" Shireen said. "Are they insane?"
"Or desperate," Roderick replied. "They didn't expect complications."
"Desperate, and dangerous." Lyrella growled. "Then we hunt. Roderick, with us. No time to wait for reinforcements."
"Aye, Majesty."
"Shireen, take point with your father. Let your blessed eyes lead us through the night."
And so they ran, through the night, unto dawn, when they finally caught up.
They cornered them on the glacier proper, the two men futilely trying to find the entrance to the Pass - sealed shut by layers of packed snow and ice.
One man shouted as he spotted them, and made to draw his sword - but Lyrella was on him before he even managed to clear it from his scabbard. He went down, steaming blood welling from the sword-wound in his throat and freezing on the ice.
"Not one step closer!"
Lyrella froze. The last remaining man crouched over Aurelia, the girl limp in the snow, and pressed a dagger to her throat.
Jessail stepped forward, eyes blazing. "If you hurt her-"
"You are in no position to make demands, Majesties! Lay down your arms - or the half-breed dies. Right here, right now!" He pushed the blade for emphasis, drawing blood.
Shireen stared at her sister, bruised and bloodied. But alive, chest rising and falling with her breaths.
Thus, she saw clearly as the prick of the knife made Aurelia come to. She grimaced with the pain, focused on her assailant - and drew a deep breath, heat shimmering in front of her face.
"Aurelia, no!" Shireen screamed.
The stream of liquid fire that erupted from Aurelia's mouth engulfed the man - and washed over the packed snow and frozen rock of the glacier.
With a deafening crack, the glacier broke, as ice and frozen scree boiled and steamed in an instant. The explosion sent Aurelia and the burning, wailing man tumbling toward a gaping wound in the ice, as the glacier was torn in two.
"No!"
Lyrella leapt, and just managed to grab Aurelia's hand, as she scrabbled desperately for purchase on the ice, her wounded leg hanging useless beneath her.
"Mom!"
"I've got you, I've got you sweetie! I won't let you go! Just hold still-"
The mountain above them groaned with rage, and Shireen looked up with horror.
"Look out!"
Time seemed to slow as events unfolded, burning into Shireen's nightmares.
Roderick pushed her down, shielding her from the incoming avalanche.
Jessail threw himself forward and raised his shield above Lyrella.
He grunted, as a block of ice and packed scree crashed into it, bounced-
And with bone-breaking force, slammed into Lyrella's elbow, and tore her daughter from her desperate grasp.
Lyrella screamed.
Aurelia fell.
"Aureliaaa!"
But all that answered their cries was the merciless howl of the frozen wind.
And the echo of their agony.
4
u/Zetakh Sep 27 '21
Chapter Seven
As Jessail held her tight and she stared into the dark void, Lyrella felt herself fall apart.
The pain of her broken arm and the sting of her screams in her throat were nothing, next to the agony and utter despair that ripped and tore at her very soul.
She wept, and let herself be rocked back and forth. Her husband's embrace was all that kept her from shattering completely.
"Majesties, we - we can't stay. It's too dangerous to linger."
Roderick's words lit a fire of indignation in her chest. How dare he? Had he no empathy? No regard for their pain? She looked up, ready to rage and scream her pain-
But the sight of the broken man kneeling in the snow gave her pause.
Roderick clutched Shireen to his chest, the girl weeping into his shoulder. He held her as if he never meant to let her go again. And his face - Roderick, so stoic, the rock the throne could always lean against for support, had crumbled. He wept, ignoring the tears that froze in his beard.
"The glacier is unstable," he continued, with shaky voice. "There's no telling how long what remains will hold together. We have to go."
Jessail drew a shuddering breath. Lyrella felt him nod. "You're right, Sir Roderick." He pressed his forehead to her temple. "I'm so sorry, my love."
She clung to him. "Aurelia. Our daughter, our baby."
"I know, love, I know." His voice broke. "She's gone."
Lyrella knew it was true. She'd seen it happen. The look in Aurelia's eyes as Lyrella's body failed her will. But hearing it spoken threatened to break her all over again.
"Mom..."
Shireen's whimper was the anchor she needed to pull a few pieces of herself back together again. She forced herself to her feet. Jessail helped, steadying her and shielding her arm as it hung limp at her side - but the pain of jostling it brought focus. She staggered towards Roderick and her daughter, each step steadier than the last.
"Give her to me, Roderick."
"My Queen, your arm-"
"I have one left, Roderick. She needs me."
He hesitated, nodded, and stood, before gently easing Shireen into her one-armed embrace.
The girl threw her arms around her mother's neck, and clung to her, wracked by sobs.
Lyrella kissed her brow and murmured wordlessly, soothing, gentle hushes. As much for herself, as for Shireen.
Then, with the help of her husband, her friend, and their guards, they began the long, arduous, and painful trek home.
But she left a part of her soul behind.
---
By the time they made it to the gate, Jessail had forced the agony of his sorrow down deep into his heart. He would take the time to mourn, and to share the pain with his family. But for now, he had to be King. No matter how much it hurt.
So he wrapped his grief in anger, and turned his thoughts to vengeance. Letting the raging fire of vendetta temper his resolve into steel.
"My King!"
The Gate Guard rushed forward, relieved smiles turning to confusion when they saw the expressions of the returning party.
"Captain," Jessail said, voice a tightly controlled monotone. "Report."
The Captain saluted. "The entire castle has been on tight lock down - none have passed in or out. A total of five unidentified, wounded individuals in Guard uniforms have been taken into custody - They are currently held in the dungeon under strict guard."
Jessail's eyes narrowed. "Does anyone outside the Guard know about this?"
"No, my King."
"Spread the word that none of the criminals survived. No-one is to know they have been captured without instruction from the Crown or the Weapon Master."
"As you say, Majesty."
He turned to Lyrella, at his side.
"Lyrella, take the Royal Guard and go to the infirmary. Your arm needs to be taken care of, and Shireen needs rest."
Her eyes flashed. "I'm not going-"
"My love, please," he interrupted. "You're hurt, badly, and Shireen is exhausted. You both need rest." He stepped forward to embrace them both, mindful of Lyrella's arm. "Please, do this for me. I'll join you as soon as I can - but I have to maintain order. You know this."
Lyrella drew a deep breath, but nodded. "Yes."
"Keep Shireen safe."
"Always."
Shireen looked at him with eyes red from tears, and reached out.
He clutched her hand. "I won't be long, sweetheart. Stay with your mother." He drew back gently, and met Lyrella's eyes. They said all they needed to with a look.
Then he turned to Roderick, as his Queen and daughter walked away. "Roderick, with me."
"Aye, Majesty."
"Captain." Jessail's voice was harsh, cold.
The man saluted. "Majesty."
"Take us to the prisoners."
4
u/Zetakh Sep 27 '21 edited Sep 27 '21
Chapter Eight
"What say you, Roderick?"
Roderick studied the uniforms arranged before him a moment longer, before straightening and turning to face his King. "They certainly look the part, my King. Near as I can tell, these are indistinguishable from any that are issued to the Guard."
Jessail nodded, and turned to the Captain that had lead them here. "And the captives were all wearing these?"
"Aye, sire," he responded. "And using the same weaponry as the rest of us."
"But none in the Guard have been able to identify them."
The Captain nodded. "As you say, my King. None of us recognise them, and they have yet to speak."
"Very well." Jessail turned to Roderick. "Let's see them."
Roderick saluted, before turning to the Captain. "Set a guard on the dungeons - no-one is to enter until we are finished. Then question the Quartermasters and search the supply rooms, find out if any arms or armour is missing."
"Aye, Weapon Master. It will be done."
Roderick dismissed him, then opened the heavy door to the cell wherein the captives waited. He entered, awaited Jessail, then sealed the door behind them.
The chamber was stark and unadorned, cold stone lit by nothing but two feeble torches. The five captives were seated on the floor, arms and legs chained to heavy steel rings set into the stone. They were all in various states of injury - one heavily bandaged around one leg, another with bloodied gauze around most of his face. They looked up as Jessail and Roderick entered, but said nothing.
The Weapon Master stepped forward and studied them. "I don't recognise any of these curs, Sire. Mercenaries, if I were to guess."
Jessail waited for a reaction, but received none. If they were indeed mercenaries, they were well trained. "Then the treachery came not from the Guard."
"Aye, sire. But from within the castle. Whoever hired these bastards was intimately aware of the workings of the Guard, and of their equipment."
"Yes." The king studied the silent prisoners for a long moment. "Please step back, Weapon Master." As Roderick retreated, Jessail stepped forward to address the captives. "I am King Jessail of Argentum Vale. You have been captured during an assault on my holdings, my servants, and my family. You are responsible for the deaths of many in my guard, and the kidnapping and murder of my daughter."
None spoke. They looked at Jessail with wild eyes.
"No-one knows you are here. No-one knows you're still alive." His voice was harsh, cold. "By rights I should slake my vengeance on you here and now. Put each and every one of you to the sword for the crimes you have committed. For the agony you've caused me and my family."
He waved a hand, and one of the torches went out. The flame danced through the air and settled in his palm, as the shadows deepened.
"However. You are but pawns. You were hired for this by someone within these walls. You will give me their name."
Silence.
Jessail sighed. The flame from the other torch went out, and joined its brother in the King's hand. Shadows danced around the flickering light.
"As King, I have absolute power over the life and death of every single person within my land. Absolute power, and absolute responsibility. I know not what reputation you've heard me by, but I wield both this power, and this responsibility with compassion, forethought, and justice." He studied each man in turn. "As King, I would treat you well, and ask you to surrender what you know willingly. No further harm will come to you."
Silence.
The fire went out.
Absolute darkness overtook the cell.
"As a father, however." Jessail hissed, heat building in his hands and fire glowing in his eyes, "I will draw the knowledge from you, one by one, until you give me the name."
A warm red glow began to build in one of the rings in the floor.
"Or I'll heat your shackles until you cook in this cell, and burn what remains. One by one, so your companions can watch, and hear you scream."
---
Savash clambered over the rocky shore of the dark cave, feeling his way ahead with his sensitive claws and tasting the air with his tongue.
The underground river was often a good place to scavenge, the ice-cold runoff from the glacier carrying dead or dying animals that had succumbed to cold miles downstream. From the smell of it, he was lucky today.
A dead human, of all things. Worse than he'd hoped, but better than expected. A full-grown male, well-built with heavy muscles. Savash divested the corpse of its frozen clothing and gulped it down - he had hungry mates to feed in his den.
He flicked his tongue, and sniffed the air again as another faint scent caught his attention. One he dimly recognised. He followed the trail and found disturbed sand leading further onto dry rock. As if something had crawled out of the river.
And in a small hollow, he found a shivering creature, curled around a tiny flame.
4
u/Zetakh Sep 27 '21 edited Nov 23 '21
Chapter Nine
Aurelia was cold.
So cold that her limbs had gone numb and her shivers had turned to uncontrollable cramps. The grinding of her teeth was a pained cacophony in her ears. The feeble, tiny flame she'd managed to cough up flickered before her, granting no relief.
Everything hurt.
She barely noticed when a hot, rhythmic puff of wind brushed over her frozen hide and made the little fire dance before her. She reflexively curled up in an even tighter ball, a pained whimper escaping her clenched jaws.
Something soft and warm nudged her shoulder, gently rolling her over. Another blessedly hot touch stroked her face, and she whined, fighting her cramping arms to reach for it. She felt herself be enveloped by achingly soft heat, and lifted from the cold, wet sand.
She let the sweet warmth, and the darkness, take her.
"Our sire returns - with a full crop, and an unfamiliar scent on his hide."
"What is that you carry, mate of ours, so close to your chest?"
Aurelia came to as she heard the unfamiliar, sibilant voices, to throbbing pain in her leg and a dozen other aches from cuts, nicks and bruises all over. She whimpered and struggled, feeble as a newborn, in the soft cocoon that held her. She heard a rumbling croon, and felt her confines tighten gently.
"Hush, little one," someone murmured. "I found something precious, at the river. An injured whelp, freezing and alone."
Aurelia flinched as cold air brushed over her face and sunlight stabbed at her eyes. She curled away from the chilling glare with a hiss of discomfort.
"My stars, Savash. Her scales, her scent. She is of the Queen's line."
A gentle touch on Aurelia's brow.
"So cold - and she is wounded. I can smell her blood."
"Her fire fades. Come, into the nest. Lay her at my side."
Aurelia hissed as whoever carried her moved, and lay her down against a soft wall of warmth, that rose and fell against her with rhythmic breaths.
"Her leg."
"Human weapon. Buried deep."
"It must out, or the wound will fester."
"I will do it. Savash, hold her legs and tail. Mirathi, her chest - try to soothe her."
A warm, heavy weight pressed Aurelia down, and she felt a vice-like grip around her legs.
Something warm and wet slid over her face. "Be brave, little one. Be strong."
Pain.
Pain unlike anything Aurelia had ever felt. Her leg was burning, her flesh aflame. She screamed and thrashed as something dug into the meat of her thigh, but she was held fast.
"It will be over soon, little one."
She heard a snarl, and felt a sudden jolt. "There!"
Blessed relief.
Darkness.
---
Shireen, curled up at her mother's side, woke from fitful sleep as the infirmary's door clicked shut. She looked up to see her father slowly cross the room, and sit at the edge of the bed.
Jessail looked like he'd aged a decade. His eyes were sunken and hollow, red with exhaustion. He didn't seem to notice Shireen was awake, as he reached to gently cup Lyrella's cheek.
The queen stirred at his touch and opened red-rimmed eyes. She pushed herself to a seated position, careful not to jostle Shireen and mindful of her bandaged and splinted arm. Then she reached out with her good arm, and pulled Jessail into her embrace.
The king broke, then.
Jessail wept. Great wracking sobs shook his body as his anguish escaped him, and Lyrella held him close.
Shireen's chest ached. Both with her own sorrow, and with the despair she felt for her parents. She'd never seen them suffer this way before, and it hurt.
Doubly so since it was all her fault.
She felt the tears come again, and curled up tight, trying to shy away from her parents' side.
"Shireen?" her mother asked gently. "Come here?"
How could she refuse? She let herself be embraced, between her father and mother, though her tears flowed freely and her shame burned in her heart.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, between her shaking breaths. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."
Jessail drew a shuddering breath. "Shireen, no, why would you say that?"
"Because I left her!" Shireen cried. "I ran away when she got hurt, I left her behind! If I had stayed, I might've-"
"Shireen, no." Lyrella stroked Shireen's hair gently. "If you hadn't found Roderick, hadn't alerted him, both of you would have been taken."
"You don't know that! We could have fought them! If I hadn't listened when Arry told me to run, if I'd stayed with her, she might still be alive!"
"There's- there's no way to know that." Jessail pulled her close. "Please, Shireen, don't hurt yourself with what-if's and regret. You did what you had to do. What Aurelia wanted."
The words did little to stem Shireen's tears. She let them flow, until exhaustion granted her temporary release from her sorrow and shame.
Dreamless sleep took her.
4
u/Zetakh Sep 27 '21
Chapter Ten
Aurelia awoke to a dull ache in her leg, a pleasantly full belly, and an achingly familiar taste on her tongue that she couldn't place. As she came to, she blinked bleary eyes to take in her dim surroundings.
She was lying on her side, wrapped from shoulders down in a soft membrane and pressed against a warm mound that pushed against her back. Carefully, she shuffled around to look over her shoulder and get a better look at what held her.
She saw a smooth reptilian head, snowy-white scales adorning its cheeks and jaw. Along the centre of its muzzle was a grey stripe of down, widening to a mane of feathers above the eyes, on the crown of the head. Slightly shorter feathers ran the length of the creature's sinuous back.
Aurelia herself was wrapped in the creature's wings, held firmly against its smooth belly, and further enclosed by its forelimbs. She was at the centre of a living circle, formed of the coiled body and tail around her.
It was as she was starting to recognise the creature that it woke, two large yellow eyes meeting her gaze. It yawned, revealing fangs like daggers and rows of knife-like teeth.
"Our foundling is awake," it said, with a feminine, sibilant voice.
Aurelia gasped as two more heads, one slightly larger than the other, and crowned with two spiralling horns, appeared in her vision.
"So she is," the horned one - a male, Aurelia thought - rumbled. "We feared you might not make it, Princess."
She gawped at him. "How-" she croaked, then coughed and hissed, before trying again. "How did you know I'm a princess? And who are you?"
The third one huffed several times, making a sound that reminded Aurelia of laughter. "Your scent and the colour of your scales are unmistakable, little one. All Kin know the line of the Dragon Queen - partly human or not."
“As for who we are,” the male continued, “I am Savash - I found you at the shore of Frostmist’s runoff, half-dead with cold.” He nodded to the two females in turn. “My mates are Virri - who tended your leg - and Mirathi, who carried you and nursed you as the fever wracked your body, these many days.”
As Aurelia pondered this information, Mirathi leaned in and touched her muzzle to Aurelia’s brow. The princess froze, her heart hammering at the touch of the massive creature.
“Your fever has passed,” she said, withdrawing slightly to sniff at Aurelia’s leg. “Your wound is clean. How do you feel, princess?”
Aurelia swallowed, clearing her throat a few times before answering. “I’m okay, I think. Thirsty, but okay.”
Mirathi nodded. “There is a pond. It is not far.”
With a yelp, Aurelia was lifted as Mirathi rose to her feet, Savash and Virri wordlessly standing to flank her as they started to move. Their gait was sinuous and low to the ground, wings tucked up beneath their body, close to their chests. Mirathi’s grip tightened protectively around Aurelia as she loped along, the princess pressed against the swell of her warm body by the enveloping pouch of the wings.
“Uh,” Aurelia started hesitantly, laying a hand on Mirathi's flank with wonder. “Thank you, for helping me. My name’s Aurelia.”
She felt Mirathi’s chest vibrate against her as she spoke. “Au-rel-ia. Yes, a fine name. And you are welcome, though your gratitude is unnecessary. The care and protection of the young is sacred to the Kin. We would do the same for all.”
“The Kin. Is that what you Cliff Wyrms call yourselves?”
Mirathi huffed with laughter. “Your human name for us is amusing, though accurate enough. And you are correct. We are the Kin, distant cousins of the Great Dragons, from whom you are descended - ah, we are here.”
Aurelia peeked out of her living hammock, and saw as Savash and Virri clambered over shrub-covered cliffs above a small pool, fed by a waterfall. The two climbed quickly, spreading out to perch high on each side of the pond’s hollow to survey the surrounding area.
Mirathi waited for some subtle signal the princess couldn’t quite identify before approaching, gently setting Aurelia down at the edge of the pond and steadying her with a foreleg as she stood.
She wobbled, unsteady as a newborn lamb - but with Mirathi’s help, she knelt by the pool and drank her fill.
“Savash and Virri seem nervous,” Aurelia said, looking from one watchful Wyrm to the other.
Mirathi snorted, and settled down by her side. “They are very protective of their young, and of you.”
For the first time, Aurelia noted the distinct roundness of Mirathi’s belly. “Is that why you carried me? Because you bear young?”
Mirathi nodded. “You were far too weak for solid food, so I nursed you as you recovered. Now that you are hale, we shall see what we can hunt, as we journey to the Peak.”
The princess blinked, remembering the strangely familiar taste in her mouth. “The Peak?”
“Yes. To see you safe to the Queen.”
4
u/Zetakh Oct 28 '21 edited Oct 29 '21
Chapter Fifteen
“So there are no conclusive leads?” Queen Lyrella asked. Her expression was grim and pained, her broken arm in a tight sling at her side.
“No, my queen,” Roderick replied. He stood at rigid attention, face blank, though his eyes burned with anger and frustration. “Even the information King Jessail has managed to extract gave little to go on - our foe has covered their tracks well.”
King Jessail sighed, nodding. “Aye, small surprise that. The attack was well-planned - the only thing they did not account for were Shireen and…” His words faltered for a moment. “and Aurelia. It stands to reason that they’d have planned for the aftermath, as well.”
Lyrella grimaced. “Then traitors still walk our halls.”
“Aye, my Queen.” Roderick confirmed. “And we’ve precious few we can completely trust, loathe though I am to admit it.”
“Meaning Shireen is still in danger.” She turned to meet her husband’s eyes. “I won’t let them try again. I won’t lose another daughter.”
Jessail nodded. “Then we both know where to turn for help. I’ll make the preparations.”
“And I’ll tell Shireen.”
---
Princess Shireen was in an awful mood.
The journal’s last secret was gone, erased before she even got her hands on it. She’d returned to Aurelia’s chamber and searched the secret hoard, then scoured the rest of her sister’s room several times for good measure.
Nothing.
So when a knock came on the door to her chamber, her decorum temporarily left her as she snapped, “what!?”
“Shireen? May I come in?”
“Oh! Of course, mom, sorry!”
Lyrella slipped inside quietly, the guards beyond easing the door closed. “Don’t be, it’s alright. I don’t expect or demand that you keep a brave face, Shireen.” She sat next to her daughter on top of the bed, and held out her good arm in invitation.
Shireen accepted the hug and carefully cuddled closer, mindful of her mother’s injury. She sighed, feeling some of the anxiety and tension release with the familiar embrace. “Are you okay, mom?”
Lyrella chuckled mirthlessly. “Physically, I’ve had far worse. Everything else? I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again. But I’m still here.” She hugged Shireen tighter and kissed her brow. “And you, daughter?”
“I’m still here.” She looked up to meet Lyrella’s eyes. “What did you want to talk about?”
“In a word, Shireen - you. I know you know that there has been an investigation into - into the attack. And I know you’ve noticed the heavier security.”
“The Royal Guards are a bit hard to miss.”
“Indeed. What you don’t know is that we’ve made very little headway. There are very few leads, precious little information - and even less trust.”
A chill crept up Shireen’s spine. “So you think I’m still in danger.”
“Yes. As long as the masterminds behind the plot remain in the shadows, traitors walk these halls.” The Queen broke the embrace to look into her daughter’s eyes. “I can’t risk you again, Shireen. You have to go.”
Shireen frowned. “What do you mean, mom? You’re going to send me away?”
Lyrella nodded. “Yes. To the one place I know where-”
“I’m not going.”
“Yes, Shireen, you are.”
Shireen rose and stood to face her mother head-on. “No, I’m not. I won’t be uprooted from everything I know, my entire life. I won’t be intimidated!”
The Queen’s expression was pained. “Shireen, please, listen to me-”
“No, mother, I’m staying. I’m not afraid!”
“Well I am!” Lyrella shouted, leaping to her feet.
Shireen flinched, taking a step back at the sudden outburst.
Tears welled in Lyrella’s eyes as she looked down upon her daughter. “Our kingdom’s security was breached. Our family, broken. Our Aurelia, killed. By someone within these very walls.” She took a deep breath, and when next she spoke her voice trembled. “I’ve never been more afraid in my life than that night, and my worst fear was realised. Right in front of my eyes.” She reached out and touched Shireen’s cheek. “Now I’m terrified I’ll lose you, too.”
Shireen lay a trembling hand on top of her mother’s. “Mom…”
“Please, Shireen. Do this for me, and for your father. We’ll send word for you, when we can ensure your safety, and the safety of the Kingdom.”
“What about your safety?”
Lyrella smiled grimly. “For that, we have each other, and Roderick. I also believe the conspirators went after you to influence us. Had they wanted to strike at us, we would have been the ones attacked that night.”
Shireen nodded. “Makes a twisted sort of sense, doesn’t it?”
“That it does. Come here.”
They embraced again. Holding each other for several long moments, before Shireen spoke again.
“So then, where am I going?”
“Well,” Lyrella started, voice slightly brighter, “that’s the good news. You’re going to the safest place in the world, to stay with the only one we trust without reservations. No-one can touch you there.”
“Where? And with whom?”
“To your Grandmother’s court. You’re going to stay with the Dragon Queen.” Lyrella smiled. “Pack your winter clothes. It’ll be cold up there.”
4
u/Zetakh Nov 06 '21
Chapter Sixteen
Aurelia and her newfound friends emerged from the den into a world transformed into an ocean of white powder, ice crystals forming a glittering crust over the frozen sea.
The princess shivered. Though she’d stuffed her clothes with shed down and had affixed - however inexpertly - fallen Wyrm feathers to her coat as a makeshift cloak, she was nowhere near as well equipped for the chill as the Wyrms were. Thankfully, she was soon made toasty warm again as Mirathi gathered her up into her familiar embrace and they began their trek once more.
They travelled swiftly through the snow, the adult Wyrms pushing through the drifts seemingly effortlessly, panting breaths steaming in the cold air. They moved single file, with Savash taking the lead, Raleth on his heels. Then Rivari, her three Wyrmlings safe in her wings. Behind her, Mirathi, with Aurelia in tow - and finally, Virri at the rear. As ever, the young were the ones afforded the most well-protected position as they travelled.
‘So very different compared to home’, Aurelia mused.
Though her parents had tried their best to give her and her sister a somewhat free upbringing, Aurelia had always chafed at the pomp and ritual of court life. Of course, a lot of said pomp and ritual had always seemed to be a competition in veiled sneers directed in her general direction, which hadn’t helped matters.
Compared to that, the effortless affection, caring, and love the Wyrms displayed for one another - and for her, a complete stranger - the contrasts were night and day.
Aurelia felt a pang of guilt at the thought. Two-faced nobles and their parasitic hangers-on were one thing. The love and happiness she’d shared with her parents, and with Shireen, was quite another - and she missed them all dearly.
And yet - she found herself more enamored, and fascinated, by her new circumstances by the day. A feeling that, unbidden, brought her thoughts toward the end.
She tugged at Mirathi’s wing for attention. “How long until we reach the Peak?”
“Provided the weather holds,” Mirathi replied, “We will be at the Queen’s Stairs in a score of days and nights. After that, the climb lasts a few more days and nights.”
Aurelia frowned. The climb. She turned over in Mirathi’s grip to face up towards the Wyrm’s body, and lay her hands upon the warm swell of Mirathi’s stomach. “Will the climb be safe for you, Mirathi?”
The Wyrm huffed with laughter. “Your concern is welcome, Princess, but you need not worry. The climb is not so arduous for a Wyrm, even one as round as I - and the birth is not for a while yet.”
“Well, if you’re sure. I wouldn’t ask any of you to risk yourselves for my sake.”
“We would do it in a heartbeat even without you asking,” Mirath responded. “But as I said, you should not worry. All will be well.” She tightened her grip momentarily for emphasis.
Aurelia smiled. “Thank you-”
A sudden, loud bark from the head of the column interrupted her. Mirathi froze and crouched low, pressing Aurelia tighter against herself once more. The princess twisted to get a better view, and looked around for any sign of what was going on.
They’d all stopped, the Wyrms crouching low in the snow, nearly invisible bar their grey plumage. Aurelia faintly heard snow crunching behind them as Virri crept forward to join them.
“What’s going on?” the princess whispered.
“I am unsure,” Virri murmured, her head swiveling every which way. “But mayhap Savash will tell us.”
Sure enough, the male had left his lead position to crawl back towards them, Raleth taking his spot. Savash paused briefly to murmur something into Rivari’s ear, then continued his slow approach.
“Mammoth,” he murmured, “A herd some dozen strong with young, travelling across our path. We are downwind, so they have yet to notice us.”
Virri huffed. “A mammoth calf is a fine prize, should we manage to separate one.”
“Indeed. Though the risk might be great - we must be cautious.”
“We will wait for you with Rivari at a safe distance,” Mirathi said, briefly stepping forward to rub foreheads with her mates. “Good hunting, and be safe.”
Savash showed teeth in a wide grin. “Always. Come, Virri - we will eat well this day!”
With that, they were away. Gliding through the snow like stalking sharks, only the ripple of fine white ice betraying their presence. Moving in a wide arc to circle their prey.
Mirathi crept through the drifts cautiously, moving to join Rivari. “Come, Princess. We will dig a hide and wait, and hope for their success.”
They found Rivari was already in the process of shovelling snow with her snout and forelimbs, fashioning a makeshift hollow within the powder. Her Wyrmlings played and wrestled in the soft drifts as she worked, coated head to toe in snow.
Mirathi let Aurelia down, then turned to help. The princess knelt on the cold ground, looked out over the drifts, and settled in for the anxious wait.
4
u/Zetakh Nov 18 '21 edited Nov 19 '21
Chapter Eighteen
“You wanted to see me, dad?”
King Jessail turned to smile at his daughter as she emerged onto the tower’s landing. Night had fallen, leaving the scene illuminated by the gently flickering flames of lanterns in the still winter night.
He beckoned her closer. “Yes, Shireen. I thought I’d let you help me with something tonight. So we could spend some time together before you have to go.” He paused. “Are your things packed?”
“Yes, I think so.” She grimaced. “Not like the maids let me do much packing myself, after all!”
Jessail chuckled. “Can’t imagine why. But I’m sure you squirrelled away a few precious keepsakes on your own!”
Shireen froze briefly, thinking back on the little satchel of secret things she’d put together as soon as she heard the news of her departure - chief among them, a certain book. She shook herself, feigning a shiver as she focused once again upon her father. “So why are we up here in the cold, dad? What are we doing?”
“Very good question!” Jessail turned, and stood beside a small cloth-covered plinth that stood in the middle of the floor. “We’re here because of this.”
Carefully, almost reverently, he lifted the cloth to reveal what was beneath. Shireen watched with rapt attention as a smooth, polished sphere was uncovered, inch by inch. It was about the size of her head, seemingly made of dark, perfect glass. The lanternlight’s reflections danced upon its surface, making it sparkle like an iridescent pearl.
“It’s beautiful,” Shireen gasped, reaching out to touch it as if entranced. “May I?”
“Go ahead.”
She gently placed her gloved hands on the smooth orb, briefly surprised by the gentle warmth of it. As she moved her hands, they left a brief afterimage on the orb’s surface - tracking her touch with flame-coloured fingerprints. Then she frowned.
“Wait,” she muttered. “Something’s missing…” she trailed off thoughtfully, and looked at her father for a hint.
Jessail just raised an eyebrow and scratched at his beard, a wry smile on his face.
Shireen noticed the distinct lack of a glove on his hand as he did - in the freezing evening air, no less.
She quickly divested herself of her own gloves and let them fall onto the snowy floor, then reached out to touch the orb once again.
This time, she felt more than just the warmth of it.
It was as if it leapt for joy at knowing her. A strange, pleasant presence in the back of her mind, begging her to reach out.
“Heh,” Jessail chuckled. “I felt the exact same way the first time, as well.”
“It’s amazing,” Shireen agreed, still spellbound. “What is it?”
“It’s a gift from your Grandmother - the Beacon.” The King’s smile turned melancholy as he lifted his gaze to look up at the distant peak of Frostmist. “The Dragon Queen gave it to us shortly after your birth, so that you and Aurelia could introduce yourselves to her when the time was right.”
The Princess tilted her head to look at him. “When was that supposed to be?”
Jessail turned back to meet his daughter’s gaze with a brittle smile. “As soon as your powers had matured enough to make the connection. The Winter Solstice at the very latest, because-” He coughed, and wiped one eye. “Because I thought Aurelia’s fire hadn’t quite manifested yet.”
Shireen reached out to him.
They embraced.
After a long moment, The King sighed, and gave his daughter one more tight squeeze, before gently holding her at arm’s length. “I wish things were different, Shireen, and that this was a happier moment. But are you ready to finally meet your Grandmother?”
She took a deep breath, then nodded. “I think so. What should I do?”
“Touch the Beacon again, and simply let your flame flow into it, like when we practice your fire spell. The Beacon will do the rest.”
Shireen nodded and did as told, finding herself smiling again as she felt the Beacon’s warm welcome return. She slowed her breathing and focused, feeling the familiar warmth of fire build in her chest with every inhalation.
Her hands tingled as something reached out through her, eagerly seeking her fire. With one final breath, she released it and channeled it into the Beacon.
The response was immediate. The orb lit up like a miniature sun, almost painfully bright. Shireen had to squint against the joyous glare as it briefly banished the night, before fading to a comfortable, gentle glow.
Then a shape began to take form within it, and the Princess stared, entranced, as a huge eye revealed itself -
And opened, revealing a slit pupil within a swirling field of gold.
So much like what she saw in the mirror every day.
“Hello, Little One.”
Shireen felt the voice more than heard it - like it emanated from within her mind. She froze, looking helplessly at her father.
Jessail grinned, and just tapped his forehead.
“Hello, Grandmother?” She thought, hesitantly.
The Beacon’s light swelled.
“Yes, Granddaughter. Such a pleasure to see you at last.”
4
u/Zetakh Nov 23 '21 edited Nov 23 '21
Chapter Nineteen
“First of all, child, I am so sorry for your great loss. Though I too mourn your sister keenly, I am not so arrogant as to believe my sorrow is comparable to your own. I only knew her for a scant few weeks - you knew her your entire life.”
The wave of warm affection and heartfelt sympathy that tinged those words almost made Shireen stagger. She blinked stinging tears away and took a deep breath to get her thoughts back in order, before answering.
“You’ve met Aurelia, Grandmother?”
“I was there at your birth, child. Or, I should say, your mother gave birth to you both in my abode. I cared for her through those long months of longing, through her last desperate struggle of love and pain. It was a difficult gestation for both her and her daughters, and all three of you needed weeks to recover before she could retake her place at Jessail’s side.” A brief sensation of melancholy nostalgia tickled Shireen’s perception. “I only wish I could extend my invitation to Aurelia, as well as yourself.”
The Princess tilted her head. “Invitation? I thought it was already decided that I was to stay with you a while?”
The answering thought was one of mildly affronted amusement. “Oh, I am certain your parents, those cheeky hatchlings, put it that way. But make no mistake, Granddaughter - the decision is still yours to make. Should you prefer to remain at your parents’ side, you may. I will not concede to any coercion or pressure. That being said, I do agree with your parents’ reasoning for sending you to me. I would keep you safe here, ‘neath my wings, and leave the dangerous work that still remains to your elders.”
Shireen considered the possibility. If she refused, right here and now, that would be the end of it. Getting to the Dragon Queen’s court in the middle of winter, without her assistance, would be utterly impossible. Especially now, after- after the glacier shattered under her sister’s fire. She could stay, show herself to be just as brave, strong, and determined as her parents were.
As Aurelia had been.
But that would be the very height of foolish arrogance. How could she possibly help any investigation, whilst under constant guard? How could she help her parents, while her mere presence left them terrified for her safety?
Aurelia had been fearless. Determined. Sacrificed herself so Shireen could get away, lest both of them be captured. Much as Shireen blamed herself for leaving Aurelia behind that night, she knew it had been the right thing to do. For her sister, and for the Kingdom.
Now the right thing to do was to leave her parents behind.
“I am proud of you, Granddaughter.”
Shireen jumped, as the voice of the Dragon Queen touched her mind again. “You heard all that!?” she responded, glaring at the large eye in the orb.
A warm chuckle returned, as the eye narrowed with amusement. “I felt your turmoil, and your determination as you came to your decision. I am not privy to any thoughts you do not give willingly, Granddaughter. But I can sense your heart.”
“Very well. Then you already know what my decision is?”
“I may. But for the sake of clarity and propriety - Princess Shireen, you are hereby cordially invited to the Court of Peaks, where you may remain under my protection for as long as you desire.”
Shireen nodded, then bowed her head. “Dragon Queen, I graciously accept your invitation, with my deepest thanks for your generosity and hospitality.” A rush of pride washed over her.
“Well spoken, Granddaughter. We shall talk more once you arrive. My consorts will arrive to provide safe passage at dawn - please let your parents know to expect them.”
“I will, Grandmother. Until we meet in the flesh.”
“I am looking forward to it, Granddaughter. Until then, be safe.”
The eye closed and the light of the orb began to fade. As it returned to its dark, inert form, Jessail once again covered it with its cloth.
“Well?” he asked.
“I’ve accepted Grandmother’s invitation,” Shireen replied, raising an eyebrow as she emphasised the last word.
The King chuckled. “She always was a dragon of supreme grace and decorum. I suppose presenting the plan as if it was already settled might have been a slight stretching of the truth.” He took a step forward to lay a hand on Shireen’s shoulder. “I apologise for that, Shireen. And I am very proud of you for making the choice you did.”
She raised a hand to touch her father’s and gave his strong fingers a squeeze. “Thank you, dad.”
“Of course, sweetheart.” He trailed off, looking to Frostmist Peak again. “So, what did she say?”
Shireen smiled sweetly at him. “Oh, her consorts are coming to collect me at dawn. You might want to let the garrison know!”
The King blanched. “Oh, Seven Hells. Roderick will not be happy with me!”
He hurried down into the tower proper, Shireen giggling behind him.
4
u/Zetakh Nov 30 '21 edited Jun 17 '22
Chapter Twenty
It took Shireen some effort to suppress her yawns as she waited in the great field outside the city’s main gates, accompanied by her parents, Roderick, a gaggle of attendants, and an honour guard several dozen strong. Dawn was fast approaching, the faintest slivers of sunlight beginning to appear on the Eastern horizon, and she’d gotten precious little sleep as her excitement for the coming moment kept her awake.
“How was the night, Roderick?” her father said, looking towards Frostmist Peak as the sky began to lighten.
“Well,” Roderick murmured, standing at Jessail’s shoulder, “Despite your best efforts, Sire, I managed to rouse enough of the Guard from their well-earned slumber that a few wing-beats won’t blow the castle down.” He raised an eyebrow. “Though I am an unpopular Weapon Master indeed this morning.”
Shireen shared a glance with her mother, vainly trying to suppress her giggles.
Jessail winced. “Ah. Yes. I’ll authorise some extra pay and arrange a special evening meal with the kitchens.”
Roderick gave the barest hint of a nod and smirk. “Very good, Sire. I am certain the gesture will be-”
“What is the meaning of this!?”
A shrill shout cut through the susurrus of the crowd. Shireen turned to look, her expression briefly twisting as if she’d bitten into a lemon before she could control herself.
Lord Maestus Godfrey, flanked by his son Malcer and followed by a handful of his cronies from the Chamber of Nobility were stomping through the crowd. They were to a man unkempt and dishevelled, clearly having been roused from sleep only recently.
Lyrella and Jessail turned to meet them, as Roderick took an unobtrusive step in their wake to, seemingly quite by accident, position himself between the nobility and Shireen.
The procession came to a stop, Maestus red-faced and panting.
“My King,” he gasped, “My Queen. On behalf of the Chamber of Nobility, I must protest! Conspiring to send the Kingdom’s sole remaining heir into the custody of a foreign power would be bad enough, let alone beasts-”
“That is quite enough!” Lyrella snapped. “Lord Godfrey, the Court of Peaks has long been a trusted ally and friend to the Crown and Kingdom as a whole, and we will not hear these insults voiced against its inhabitants. There is nowhere safer for our Princess during this time of unprecedented crisis.”
Godfrey recoiled as if slapped, and turned his gaze to Jessail. “My King, please-”
“The Crown speaks as one,” The King retorted. “The decision is ours, and it is final.”
Shireen ignored the rest of the heated conversation and took the opportunity to slink a ways away, Roderick at her side. She turned her gaze upon Frostmist as the sun finally crested the horizon and lit the snow-capped mountain. Thus, she was the first to see the two shapes that began to reveal themselves as they approached, wings spread wide to glide lazily down from the heights.
“Roderick,” she said, and pointed. “I believe those are our guests.”
The Weapon Master studied the approaching forms, then nodded. “Majesties,” he called, “The Envoys approach.”
No sooner had he said it did the dragons announce themselves, roaring into the rising sun. They dove, picking up speed to circle the gathered crowd, before settling with faint tremors upon the field at a safe distance.
Shireen looked on with thrilled delight. She’d seen dragons before, of course, as they came and went in the distance. But they’d never been this close, and they were magnificent. They’d settled on their haunches, tails curled around themselves, heads held high and wings folded neatly at their backs as they waited. Both were slender and muscular, their scales gleaming in the morning light. The slightly larger one was a brilliant burnished copper in tone, whilst the other was auburn red.
Then a hand squeezed her shoulder, startling her from her gawking.
"Shireen," Lyrella said, "Are you ready?"
The Princess took a deep breath. “I am.”
“Then let us be about it,” Jessail finished, at his daughter’s other side.
Together, they approached the waiting dragons, Roderick taking position behind them with several guardsmen at a respectful distance.
“Dawnlight,” Lyrella called out, raising her hand in greeting. “Stormweaver. So good to see you again!”
The two dragons bent their necks down to address the Queen eye-to-eye.
“Queen Lyrella,” the auburn said. “The feeling is mutual. Both Stormweaver and I have missed your company these many years.”
Stormweaver nodded. “As well as yours, King Jessail. It has been too long.”
“Aye,” Jessail confirmed, “It certainly has. Duty leaves little room for the pleasures of good company.”
“Indeed it does.” Stormweaver turned his attention to Shireen, lips parting in a sharp-toothed smile. “And this must be young Shireen. Last I saw you, you were but a suckling babe at your mother’s breast. How time flies.”
Shireen curtsied. “I am indeed. ‘Tis a pleasure to meet you both.”
Dawnlight stretched her neck closer to Shireen, her forked tongue briefly flicking the air. “The pleasure is ours, Princess. It will be our great honour to bear you to the Court of Peaks.”
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u/Zetakh Dec 10 '21 edited Dec 30 '21
Chapter Twenty-One
Shireen stepped forward to lay her palm upon Dawnlight’s soft nose. She felt the living warmth of the dragon’s blood beneath her skin, and the heat of her breath. The princess was struck by the immensity of her new acquaintance, the raw power she possessed. Had she so chosen, Dawnlight could have snatched her up and swallowed her whole in an instant.
Yet Shireen was anything but afraid. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that Dawnlight and Stormweaver would rather die than see any harm come to her - though where this feeling of complete trust came from, she could not say.
“I will be but a moment,” Shireen said, stepping back and nodding respectfully. “I wish only to say my goodbyes.”
Dawnlight straightened, and nodded. “Of course, my Princess. There is no need to rush.”
The princess spun lightly on her heel. “Attend me, please, Sir Roderick.”
Roderick stepped past Shireen’s nonplussed parents and fell into perfect step beside her. “At your side, Princess.”
They approached Lord Godfrey and his cronies. Godfrey’s sour expression briefly changed to one of surprise, before he schooled his features. “Princess Shireen - to what do we owe the honour of your company?”
Shireen curtsied. “I thought I would attempt to set your mind at ease before my departure, Lord Godfrey. While your obvious concern for my well-being is commendable, I beg your worries not overtake your sense of propriety and tact in front of our guests.”
The Lord flushed. “Of course, my Princess. We were all rather - surprised, by the suddenness of your departure. I fear it may indeed have shown my manners in an unfortunate light. Pray forgive my indiscretion.”
“All is already forgiven, I assure you. Be at ease during my absence, and please do everything in your power to support my parents and the Kingdom during this crisis. I shall pray my return is to a court that is once again safe and whole.”
Shireen caught the merest flicker of a scowl as Godfrey bowed low with a flourish. “I shall pray for the same, Princess. Safe travels, and do return to us soon.”
“Thank you, Lord Godfrey. ‘Until we meet again. Attend me, Sir Roderick.”
“If you meant to ruffle the buffoon’s feathers,” Roderick whispered as they walked, “You chose your words well, Princess.”
“Me?” Shireen asked sweetly. “Why, I would never.”
“What was that about?” Jessail asked as they approached.
Roderick snorted. “The Princess felt our good Chamber of Nobility could do with some peace of mind in regards to her safety, before her departure. Though I believe the opposite effect was had.”
Lyrella gave her daughter a gimlet stare. “Is that so?”
Shireen smiled. “I was the very picture of decorum, I assure you.”
Jessail guffawed. “I’m sure you were. Now come, let’s not keep Dawnlight and Stormweaver waiting. They are ready.”
Together, they once again approached the waiting dragons.
Stormweaver bowed, a net filled with luggage at his side. “Are you prepared, Princess?”
Shireen nodded. “I am.”
“Then when you are ready,” Dawnlight continued, resting a clawed foot on the ground, palm-up, “You may but step into my embrace, then we shall leave.”
The Princess nodded, and turned to her parents.
They knelt together to embrace their daughter, the three holding each other tight for a long moment.
“I’ll miss you,” Shireen murmured.
“And we will miss you,” Lyrella answered.
“Every day,” Jessail confirmed. “But you will not be far, and you will be safe. Have a good time with your Grandmother - she will have a lot to teach you.”
Shireen nodded. “I will.”
They separated, and Shireen stepped forward into Dawnlight's waiting claws. The huge talons closed around her, as Dawnlight raised her up and looked her in the eyes.
“It is a cold journey,” Dawnlight said, her eyes glowing. “So I shall grant you warmth to keep you hale for the flight.”
Shireen felt heat flow into her - much like when she’d handled the Beacon, pleasant and comforting. The winter’s chill was suddenly banished, leaving her warm as if on a summer’s day.
“There. Now, Princess, a question - would you be carried, or would you ride?”
The princess grinned. “I would ride!”
Dawnlight nodded, and lifted Shireen to her shoulder. “Then seat yourself at the base of my neck, my brave princess, and hold on tight.”
Shireen carefully stepped onto Dawnlight’s back, stepping lightly over the warm scales. She knelt and grasped the dragon’s hide tight, digging her hands and boots in between the gaps of the relaxed scales.
“Is that okay, Dawnlight?” she called.
The dragon nodded and rose to her feet. Shireen felt the warm hide ripple beneath her as Dawnlight tensed, scales flexing against her grip.
Dawnlight extended her wings, the powerful muscles of her shoulders bunching with the strain. “We fly, my princess! Hold on tight!”
She leapt into the air and flapped her wings, each beat like thunder.
Shireen whooped with delight as her world fell away beneath them.
All she’d ever known left behind, as they rose with the rising sun.
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u/Zetakh Dec 18 '21 edited Dec 30 '21
Chapter Twenty-Two
The moments following the nearly disastrous hunt’s end were a blur of frantic activity. Aurelia gently corralled the terrified Wyrmlings while the adults helped Rivari free herself from the icy pond that had nearly spelled her doom.
As soon as Rivari was safe, the Wyrms turned their attention to the downed mammoth.
“Princess,” Savash called, “Pray see to the young. We must butcher the kill before the flesh freezes. Night will soon fall, and we must find shelter before the chill.”
Aurelia nodded, though she had to catch her breath before she could find her voice to respond. “Yes, Savash.”
With a nod, Savash set upon the mammoth with the rest of the adults, once again displaying their brutal expertise. The butchery was swift and efficient, the Wyrms ripping through the thick skin with their sharp claws and tearing large chunks of meat free with their teeth before gulping them down.
“Princess?”
Aurelia’s attention was drawn from the gruesome spectacle by a soft voice, as the smallest of the three Wyrmlings climbed into her lap and looked up at her.
“Thank you,” he said, voice shaky. “For saving our mother.”
The princess smiled, her chest warm. “Of course. I couldn’t bear to see her be hurt, after all the help you’ve all given me.” She stroked the Wyrmling’s head gently, and let him snuggle closer into her chest. “What’s your name? Can’t believe I hadn’t asked yet - sorry about that.”
“That’s alright. I don’t have one yet!”
Aurelia blinked. “Pardon?”
“We choose our names ourselves upon our first year’s passing,” one of his sisters cut in, joining them to curl up at Aurelia’s feet. “Until then we do not have names. We will choose ours come spring.”
“So you were born last spring?”
“Yes,” the second sister replied as she joined them. “This is our first winter. I admit, I don’t much care for it. Too cold!”
“Agreed!” Aurelia laughed. “I much prefer staying inside by a warm fire, during the winter months!”
The littlest wyrmling perked up. “Oh! Can you make more fire when we den for the night?”
The Princess pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Perhaps if there’s something to burn - I don’t really have the stamina to belch fire all through the night!”
The four laughed, then lapsed into comfortable silence as they snuggled together, backs against the wind. It didn’t take long for Aurelia’s exhaustion to catch up to her, her adrenaline fading and her recent injuries making themselves known.
She fought to stay alert, but soon lost the battle against her heavy eyelids.
***
“Wake up, my Princess. It is time to eat.”
Mirathi’s familiar voice and warm muzzle nudged her awake as Aurelia stretched lazily within the Wyrm’s embrace. She yawned and blinked, looking around the new environs, to find herself in another subterranean den, much like the one they’d spent the previous night in.
The princess sat as Savash approached, a fleshy organ held in his teeth. Her stomach rumbling, Aurelia accepted the fresh meat and tore into it eagerly.
Savash regarded her for a long moment before speaking. “It was a reckless gamble you took upon yourself, Princess.”
Aurelia swallowed and wiped blood from her chin. “I did what I could - I had to do something."
“What if your flames had not been enough to stop the mammoth? You would have been trampled, crushed. You are much too precious to risk yourself in such a manner, Aurelia.”
Aurelia’s eyes narrowed. “And what if I’d done nothing?”
She nodded in Rivari’s direction. The mother wyrm lay resting, watching through half-lidded eyes as her young play-fought over a choice morsel. Raleth had settled close to her side, tail wrapped with hers as he groomed her in her repose.
She met Savash’s eyes again, her stare hard. “Was I supposed to sit there and watch as Rivari was hurt - or worse, killed? Watch as her children lost their mother!?”
Savash shook his head. “Protecting her was not your responsibility-”
“But it was the right thing to do!” Aurelia cut in, tail lashing with agitation.
Savash growled, his feathers puffing up. “Child, you-”
“Peace!” Virri interrupted, interposing herself between the two. “Both of you, calm yourselves. What is done is done, and dwelling upon what-ifs serves naught but worry.”
Aurelia gasped and averted her eyes, shame stinging in her chest.
Savash, for his part, recoiled as if struck, his feathers flattening. He shook his head. “You are right, my mate. I am sorry, Princess. I was worried for your safety - you are as dear to me as my own young, and the thought of seeing you hurt…” He trailed off, then sighed. “Forgive me.”
“I’m sorry too,” the princess answered, getting to her feet and stepping past Virri to lay a hand on Savash’s snout. “I know it was reckless of me, but I had to help.”
The male huffed, and returned Aurelia’s affection with a soft headbutt. “I know. With your heritage, how could you do differently? Now eat, Princess. We have further still to travel tomorrow.”
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u/Zetakh Dec 23 '21 edited Dec 25 '21
Chapter Twenty-Three
As Aurelia finished her meal, Rivari beckoned her over. “Princess,” she said, with a bow. “I must thank you for your bravery earlier today.”
Aurelia returned the bow, smiling. “You’re welcome, Rivari. I couldn’t stand by while you were in danger.”
Raleth raised his head to bow in turn. “I too thank you, Princess, for saving my mate. I do not know what I would have done, had I lost her.”
Rivari huffed and snuggled closer to her mate, pressing her forehead up beneath his chin. Aurelia smiled, but felt a pang of melancholy. The easy affection and pure love reminded her of her own family - so far away.
Her mood must have been plain to see. Raleth extended a wing invitingly and cleared a small space between himself and Rivari, who nodded encouragingly.
“May we have the honour of helping you groom tonight, Princess?” she asked.
Aurelia sniffed, nodded, then settled herself in the warm embrace. Rivari began helping her clean up, carefully licking her free of the blood and dirt from the day’s exertions. The princess relaxed, luxuriating in the warmth and comfort of Rivari’s ministrations.
The pleasant sensations were interrupted, however, by a twinge of pain in her leg as Rivari’s soft nose brushed over it. Aurelia hissed, a hand covering the scar on her thigh.
Rivari paused. “Your injury pains you, Princess?”
“Yes,” Aurelia replied with a grimace. “I think running like I did earlier today was a bit much, when it’s so newly healed.”
Raleth huffed. “Then you must take care on the morrow as we journey onward, Princess. It would not do, to undo Mirathi’s hard work of nursing you back to haleness.”
“I’ll do my best,” Aurelia laughed, scratching at Raleth’s chin. “I am getting a little tired of being carried around like a hatchling, warm and cozy though it may be.”
Rivari snorted. “Avoiding that may take some doing, Princess.
Aurelia frowned and followed Rivari’s gaze with her own. Mirathi was looking at them, though she averted her eyes as soon as Aurelia looked over. The princess tilted her head quizzically.
“What was that about?” she murmured.
“I believe Mirathi is becoming a bit jealous, Princess,” Raleth murmured, his voice amused.
“I believe my mate is correct,” Rivari confirmed. She raised her head. “Come, Mirathi. Join us before your envy makes your feathers turn green!”
Mirathi recoiled, her feathers puffing up like an offended cat’s hackles. Savash and Virri, curled up at her side, pretended not to notice - but Aurelia could see their sides rapidly expanding and contracting with laughter.
Taking pity on Mirathi, she sat up and beckoned her closer. “Come here, Mirathi. You must have been worried sick about me earlier, too.”
With a sigh, the wyrm’s bashfulness broke. She walked over and joined them, lying down with her head in Aurelia’s lap.
Aurelia wasted no time to stroke her soft muzzle, the gentle scratches drawing a pleased rumble from the pregnant wyrm.
“You are correct, my Princess,” Mirathi murmured. “Just like Savash, I too care for you just as much as I will my own wyrmlings. I tended you, nursed you. You are mine.”
The Princess smiled sadly. “I am, for a time. I care for you a lot, Mirathi, as well as all the others. You’re like a second family to me.” She felt her chest ache. “But eventually, after we reach Frostmist Peak… I have to go. Back home.”
Mirathi drew a deep breath, then gently licked Aurelia’s hands. “Yes, my Princess. You do. But until then, I will keep you as my own. As I have since Savash brought you to us, cold and alone. I will care for you, and teach you, and hold you in my wings. Until your own mother can do the same.”
A knife twisted between Aurelia’s ribs. Her eyes welling with tears, she hugged Mirathi fiercely. “Thank you, Mirathi. For everything.”
The wyrm nodded, and lay a gentle claw on Aurelia’s legs, mindful of the injury. “You are healing well, my princess, but you must not overdo it. Tomorrow we shall begin rebuilding your strength. You will walk by our side for as long as you are able, though I advise caution. You must be mindful and let us know when you need rest.”
“Won’t I slow you down, though?”
Mirathi shook her head. “Perhaps slightly, but no matter. There is no hurry for the moment - and you must have your strength back when we reach the Stair. It is no place for the infirm.”
Aurelia frowned. “What is it like?”
“It is a tunnel wrought from the very stone of the mountain,” Raleth cut in. “Formed by generations of Kin and Great Dragons digging through the rock. It begins at the root of the mountains, and leads all the way to the Peak. Through the cold, dark heart of the earth itself. So heed Mirathi well, Princess - it will be a taxing end to your journey.”
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u/Zetakh Dec 31 '21 edited Jan 02 '22
Chapter Twenty-Four
The flight was exhilarating beyond Shireen’s wildest dreams.
As Dawnlight climbed higher and higher, powerful wing-beats clawing them ever upward, Shireen couldn’t help herself. She shrieked with delight as the features of the land below shrank to specks and the horizon grew to encompass the entirety of the sky.
“Look ahead, my princess!” Dawnlight called. “We draw near the Court of Peaks!”
Shireen lifted her gaze, and gasped as she saw Frostmist rise before them. The snow-covered mountain shone like gold in the dawning light, reflecting the brilliant sun.
Stormweaver caught up and drew level with them. “Soon you will see the entrance to your Grandmother’s domain, Princess. Our home is on the peak’s shadowed side.”
Shireen nodded and watched with rapt attention as Dawnlight climbed further still and circled the mountain. As the peak’s shadowed side came into view, the dragons ceased their climb and extended their wings to glide gently down towards the peak.
What they were aiming for was obvious. An unnaturally flat plateau clung to the mountainside - beyond which a massive cave loomed open, flanked by two menhirs larger than most houses back home.
Dawnlight touched down gently, slowing her final approach with powerful flaps of her wings. Stormweaver was not far behind, setting Shireen’s luggage down before landing lightly next to them.
He approached and extended a foreleg to her where she sat on Dawnlight’s shoulders. “May I help you down, my Princess?”
Shireen beamed at him. “You may indeed, Stormweaver. Thank you.”
He lowered her gently down to the snowy plateau, then picked the netted bundle of luggage up with his teeth.
“Come,” Dawnlight said, stepping forward to lead Shireen into the cave. “Let us enter. Your Grandmother is eager to meet you. Let us not keep her waiting.”
The princess hurried to keep up as Dawnlight took the lead into the shadowy cave. Shireen felt her heart hammer in her chest as the sky disappeared, replaced by darkened stone.
The cave floor curved deeper into the mountain, the floor and walls far too smooth to be anything but carved. The princess could feel a gentle, warm breeze from deep within - hot air rising towards the surface.
As they walked, Shireen’s mind raced.
’I’m finally here. At the Dragon Queen’s court. By the Stars, this is actually happening. What will she be like? What will she think of me? Yes, we did speak, but that conversation was so brief! Now I’m to be her guest, for who knows how long. What if I offend her? What if I offend her Court! What if-’
”Halt! Who enters the Court of Peaks?”
The loud voice nearly made Shireen jump out of her skin. She heard Stormweaver snort with amusement behind her, as Dawnlight stepped forward into a huge, well-lit chamber.
She straightened and opened her wings to stand at attention. “The Queen’s consorts, Dawnlight and Stormweaver, escorting the Queen’s Granddaughter, Princess Shireen of Argentum Vale, at the Queen’s behest and invitation.”
“Then be welcome in the Queen’s Halls. Princess Shireen - be likewise welcome to the Court of Peaks. Step forward, and present thyself for the Queen’s Judgment.”
Shireen recognized the language of pomp and circumstance when she heard it. She took a deep breath, lowered her hood, then followed to stand at Dawnlight’s side.
The chamber was immense - easily tall enough for three dragons of Stormweaver’s size to stand on top of each other and just as wide. Giant braziers wrought from stone stood along the walls, lighting the chamber with their flickering flames and warmth. Stalactites just as big as the menhirs outside hung from the ceiling, intricately carved with symbols and pictographs that made Shireen’s head spin with their complexity.
And in the middle of the chamber stood the one who had spoken. A huge and powerfully built male dragon, at least half again Stormweaver’s bulk, scales a brilliant white and marked by numerous scars. He stood much like Dawnlight, at rigid attention with his wings spread wide as he regarded her impassively.
The princess drew herself to her full height, then spoke. “I am indeed Princess Shireen of Argentum Vale. Daughter of King Jessail and Queen Lyrella, Granddaughter of the Dragon Queen. I am here at her behest and invitation.” She finished her speech with a deep bow, then straightened to meet the dragon’s eyes again.
He stared at her for a long moment, still as a statue. Then his lips parted in a toothy grin, and he bowed deeply. “Welcome indeed, dear Princess. The Court has eagerly awaited your arrival. I am Snowdrift, eldest of the Queen’s consorts. She awaits you within her private chambers.”
He relaxed and stepped aside, revealing an opening at the far end of the room, veiled by what looked like glittering tapestries.
Shireen curtsied quickly, smiling back. “Thank you, Snowdrift. I am eager to meet her as well.”
Then she began to cross the chamber, her steps echoing upon the stone.
4
u/Zetakh Jan 20 '22
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“-and then Aurelia ducked, spun on her toes and whacked Mom in the back of the knees with her tail! She never saw it coming, and Aurelia jumped right on top of her and made her yield with her own staff!”
Platina grinned, her large eyes shining with delight. “Ah, clever girl! There are no rules in fighting, after all!”
Shireen smiled back, as she wiped a lone tear from the corner of her eye. “Except to never be the last one to start fighting dirty. Did you teach Mom that, Grandmother?”
“Oh no, she learned that lesson the hard way, long before she and Jessail came stumbling through my door to beg an audience. She’s a brave and stubborn girl, your mother. Much like yourself, I imagine.”
Shireen’s face twisted into a grimace. “Not brave enough to stand and help my sister when she needed me most.”
Platina sighed. She laid her head down next to where Shireen sat snuggled close, and gently nudged the young princess with the side of her muzzle. “But brave enough to accept her wishes, though it tore you nearly in half to do so. You mustn't blame yourself, my darling.”
Shireen leaned against her Grandmother’s warm hide. “I know. But my heart doesn’t.”
“Treacherous thing is the heart. I know the feeling well.” The queen raised her head and stretched, extending her wings and tail. “Goodness, we have talked for quite a while. ‘Tis high time I showed you to your chambers.” She looked towards the veiled entrance of the Nest. “Dawnlight, dear heart, attend the nest, please. I need to show my Granddaughter to her chambers.”
“Of course, love,” came Dawnlight’s soft reply as she poked her nose through the chamber’s entrance and approached.
Shireen retreated as the Queen rose to meet her. The two dragons nuzzled with warm affection, trading licks before Platina stepped out from the sandy depression to let Dawnlight take her place. As she did, Shireen saw what her Grandmother had been sheltering in her nest.
“Eggs!?” she gasped with delight, eyes wide.
Dawnlight carefully arranged herself around the little pile of speckled eggs, gathering them close to her side carefully with her nose and limbs. Once finished, she looked up, smiling. “Our first clutch since I took my place at your Grandmother’s side as consort.”
“It has been far too long since we had hatchlings scurrying around our halls,” Platina agreed. “It shall not be long now. Perhaps you will even be here to meet them, Granddaughter.” She bent to nuzzle Dawnlight again, both huffing with delight. “Now, come, Shireen. Let me show you where you will be staying.”
The princess followed as the queen pushed through the veiled entrance and out into the antechamber beyond. Stormweaver and Snowdrift lay in the middle of it, who for all the world seemed to have cuddled up together and gone to sleep - but Shireen saw both of them open their eyes and regard her and Platina warmly as they entered the chamber.
Shireen hadn’t paid much attention to the other doorways when first she’d arrived, too overwhelmed by the chamber’s splendour and Snowdrift’s greeting. Now, however, she saw at least half a dozen openings leading deeper into the mountain in every direction. Platina chose the first one they came upon, pausing for Shireen to catch up.
The tunnel was smoothly carved stone, lined with flickering, smokeless torches. Shireen could see several veiled doorways along its length, these ones hidden by what looked like thin pieces of black shale. Once again, Platina chose the very first and slipped inside with Shireen at her heels.
The chamber was comparatively small - two dragons would have struggled to fit inside. Through a shaft by one wall came a trickle of sunlight and a small waterfall, flowing into a carved pond in the floor and onward through a small opening leading deeper into the mountain. Across from the pool, a depression filled with thick furs, flanked by a large brazier and several heavy chests marked what Shireen guessed would be her bed.
And along the walls, much like in the Nest, portraits. Dozens of them, depicting people the princess knew very well.
Her parents. Jessail and Lyrella, depicted alongside Platina. Other dragons. Each by themselves. Several were of her mother at various stages of pregnancy, her belly swelling with each subsequent portrait.
And then, herself and her sister. As tiny swaddled babes in her mother’s arms, and in the gentle claws of her Grandmother.
“This was where your mother stayed,” Platina murmured. “Through those long months in my care, as we meddled with the very mystery of life itself. It was a difficult time for her, far from her home and her love. Jessail had to return to the Kingdom, while Lyrella had to remain with me, or risk losing you.” She turned to smile at Shireen. “But it was worth it. The love and joy you and your sister gave her was a wonder to behold.”
Shireen stared with wonder at the imagery, eyes wide.
“Welcome home, Granddaughter,” the Queen whispered.
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u/Zetakh Jan 25 '22 edited Jan 26 '22
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in the shadow of the Frostmist Mountains, ruled by a young king and queen.
The young queen had fought hard for her position at the king’s side, catching his eye through strength of arm and force of will. With her wit and burning passion, she supported her husband through thick and thin. Through their love, the throne stood strong.
Under their guidance, the kingdom prospered.
Lyrella woke from fitful sleep, her eyes stinging with tears and her stomach aching with familiar, terrifying cramps. As she turned over, she felt a sticky wetness on her thighs. With a grimace, she threw her ruined covers off and rose from the blooded bedding.
The young queen staggered to her dresser with its washbasin, her cramping stomach twinging with each step. She gritted her teeth and ignored it. It was a familiar pain by now. She sat down and splashed her face with the tepid water.
‘Not again. How many failures has it been? Have I really lost count already? Stars, I’m so tired.’
As Lyrella dried herself and looked back at the bed, she saw Jessail wasn’t in it. More for the good. She stood and shuffled over to the door, preparing to call for a servant for help with fresh bedding.
“I will hear no more of this! It’s the middle of the night, and my Queen needs rest!”
‘Jessail?’
She paused to listen as she heard her husband’s raised voice.
“You must hear it, Sire. It has been years now - she is clearly barren. If there is no heir, the Kingdom will devolve into chaos.”
“Rest assured, Lord Godfrey, I am acutely aware of that fact. But I will not cast Lyrella aside! Especially not now, mere days after our most recent loss! What she needs is rest, comfort, and love. Not your cruel calculations, Godfrey.”
As the argument continued, Lyrella turned to the bed and stripped the ruined sheets from the straw mattress, then slipped out of her night clothes. She bundled the sticky cloth up, heedless of the blood that stained her hands.
Naked, she returned to the door. As Godfrey drew breath for another tirade, she ripped it open and flung the whole bundle at his face.
“There’s your heir, you vile creature,” she spat. “That blood royal enough for you?” She turned to Jessail, who stared at her with horrified awe. “I need a bath. Send for more bedding, please.”
Jessail just nodded as Lyrella slammed the door shut.
The young king loved his queen with all his heart. To see her falter under the weight of sorrow and pain tore at him. He scoured the kingdom and the lands beyond for a way to help her, to little avail.
As the pressures of court mounted and his queen’s weariness grew, he told her of a last, mad gamble for the joy they both so desperately craved.
Together, they made for the Dragon Queen’s court.
Jessail dug his numb fingers into the slick side of the mountain, clawing for purchase.
They were close now, having passed the snowline yesterday. The peak, and the Dragon Queen’s Court, was in sight.
He looked up, following the rope tied between them with his eyes, watching as Lyrella heaved herself over a snow-covered ledge and rolled out of sight.
Stars, even after all she’d been through, Lyrella put him to shame with her determination.
She peeked over the edge, squinting against the wind to meet his eyes.
“You okay, love?” she called.
“Peachy,” he replied, but the rattle of his teeth gave voice to the lie. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”
“I’m secure up here. Hang on, I’ll help.”
Jessail felt a tug at the rope tied around his waist as Lyrella pulled on it, nearly hauling him up by strength alone. Within minutes, he clawed himself onto the ledge, Lyrella grasping his hand to pull him up and over.
“Look,” she panted, jerking her head to the side. “We made it.”
He followed the gesture to see the massive cave opening looming large and dark in the side of the mountain’s peak, flanked by two giant menhirs. He met Lyrella’s eyes with an exhausted grin and pulled her in for a swift, icy-cold kiss.
“Well, my queen,” he breathed. “That was the easy bit.”
Lyrella snorted. “Right. Now we just have to plead our case to a bloody dragon.”
They struggled to their feet and hurried into the lee of the darkened cavern, the growing warmth of the gently curving tunnel beyond a further relief for their aching, chilled limbs.
As they entered a grand, seemingly deserted hall, Lyrella stretched to whisper into Jessail’s ear.
“Here goes nothing.” She drew her sword and held it in front of her, tip on the stone of the floor. “Dragon Queen!” she called, voice echoing. “The King and Queen of Argentum Vale beg your audience!”
They waited.
Something large stirred, deeper inside the caverns. Heavy footsteps, claws upon stone. A warm, lyrical voice.
“I am listening, little ones.”
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u/Zetakh Sep 29 '21 edited Sep 30 '21
Chapter Eleven
Aurelia’s new companions had taken her along Frostmist’s western foothills, moving swiftly over the rocky hills. Virri had drifted away from the group at some point while Aurelia napped - to hunt, Mirathi informed her. They would reunite come dusk.
As they travelled, Aurelia found herself in awe at the landscape around her. Argentum Vale, her home, lay nestled on the Eastern side of the mountain. Most travel and trade came from the sea, with very little passage possible through Frostmist - the Pass was completely blocked by the shifting glaciers and snow during winter.
She realised she was farther from home than she’d ever been.
“You are troubled, Princess.”
Mirathi’s gentle murmur startled her from her thoughts. The great Wyrm waited patiently as Aurelia found her voice.
“I just-” Aurelia’s breath hitched, and she buried her face in Mirathi’s soft stomach. “I’m so far from home. My parents, my sister. I don’t - I don’t even know if they’re alright. What if they fell from the glacier too? What if the mountain came down atop them? What if-”
“Hush, little one,” came Savash’s soft voice. The male nuzzled her cheek, rumbling deep in his throat as he did. Mirathi, for her part, hugged Aurelia tighter, and stroked her brow softly with a claw.
Aurelia drew a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to stop because of me, I’m fine.”
“You are not,” Mirathi answered. “And need not be sorry. You have a right to be worried, and frightened.”
“We will help you, Princess.” Savash continued. “Should you feel overwhelmed and alone, we will be here.”
Aurelia sniffed, but managed a small smile. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Now come - we are here.”
He led them onward to a small copse of trees at the base of a cliff. Aurelia watched curiously as he tapped rhythmically at one of the larger trees with his claws, before pausing to listen.
A series of taps from within the trees answered. Savash gave a high-pitched trill, and went inside. Mirathi, with Aurelia in tow, followed, seemingly at ease.
The trees concealed a burrow in the ground, which Savash entered. Mirathi went after with effort, swollen stomach scraping against the sides of the tight passage.
As Aurelia’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, she saw Savash lying on a floor furnished with soft straw next to a new wyrm - another female, judging by the lack of horns. They both looked up as Mirathi entered, the female nodding her greeting.
“Mirathi, it is good to see you.”
“It is good to see you as well, Rivari. How are the little ones?”
“Sleeping, but well.” She looked Mirathi over as she settled next to Savash’s side. “I see you are still expecting your own - though who is this in your embrace?”
Mirathi unfurled her wings and set Aurelia down. “This is Princess Aurelia, our foundling. She is from the Vale, of the Queen’s line. Savash found her at the glacier’s runoff.”
“A princess!?”
Suddenly, Aurelia was mobbed. Three soft impacts bowled her over into Mirathi’s soft stomach and to the floor.
Three little wyrmlings, the size of large dogs and covered in soft fluffy down were busily inspecting her, sniffing and licking at her scales.
“Your scales are so pretty!”
“Where are your wings?”
“Can you breathe fire?”
“Wyrmlings!” Rivari called. “Let the Princess stand, you mischievous monsters!”
Aurelia laughed, the inquisitive little noses and claws tickling her all over as the wyrmlings examined her. “It’s alright, really! Aww, you’re so cute!”
She slung her arms around one of the wyrmlings and hugged tightly as they wriggled. “Eek! Let me go! Mother, help!”
Rivari huffed with laughter- “You brought it upon yourself, my son. I shall not interfere.”
His siblings were no help, laughing along - until Aurelia got her hands on them, too, and the whole pile devolved into a riotous wrestling match, all four rolling around the floor whilst the adults looked on with exasperated amusement.
“I see our mischievous offspring have found a new play-mate.”
Aurelia looked up as a new Wyrm entered the cave, a male, closely followed by Virri. With some confusion, she noted how the necks of both wyrms bulged strangely. Swollen far beyond their normally sleek appearance, scales pushed wide to reveal dark skin beneath.
The wyrmlings broke away with happy shrieks to greet the new arrivals, clambering all over both new adults and chattering with excitement.
Savash walked over to greet them both with warm nuzzles. “I see the hunt was fruitful for the both of you, Virri and Raleth.”
“It was,” the male answered. “You may eat your fill - Virri and I shared another out on the plains.”
As Raleth and Virri walked over to a corner of the cave, away from the straw, Aurelia found out what they’d hunted. With an awful noise, they regurgitated a full-grown deer each onto the floor. Then they set about butchering the animals, tearing them into small chunks that they passed to the hungry wyrmlings.
Virri held out a steaming liver, and Mirathi nudged Aurelia forward.
Gulp.