The Dragon Rises Page 20

  His mother looked up from her food. “Crying from the cart? Do you think they had someone in there?”

  Captured Menti, Karine thought, but that did not make any sense. The Sisters were very open about what they did. She put down her spoon, thinking furiously. Whoever was in that cart—and she believed Daniel that there was someone—was in danger.

  “Take me there,” she said.

  He shook his head. “You may be stronger’n you look, but there are six of them and one of you. Whatever’s going on, you’d need help.”

  She knew from the beat of anger and remembered terror in her blood that she could not keep out of this situation. She had run away from the Gardens of Anios for what she told herself was a good reason, but she still felt shame that seemed to double with every step she took away from the Gardens. She could tell herself that her fellow slaves were safe until she returned there with help, but this captive was not safe.

  She could not leave them to whatever fate these cloaked people had in mind. She leaned forward to speak to the woman and her son.

  “Come with me,” she said. “You said they’re hooded and cloaked. They’re keeping secrets, and maybe they’re hurting people. If we were to expose them, we could save whoever is in the cart, and they might flee with no blood being shed. There are more people in town, enough that if we stood together, we could take on six people.”

  They hesitated.

  “Please,” Karine said. “I was taken from my home, and I don’t know if anyone thought of helping me. If they did think of it, they didn’t do it. I know you think me foolish, but I can’t let the same thing happen to someone else.”

  The woman sighed, but she nodded. “Ye’re right. With how things are these days, we need to do for one another, or we’re lost.”

  Daniel opened and closed his mouth as though he wanted to protest but then thought better of it.

  The walk into the village was quick. The woman had given Karine a tunic to put over her dress, as well as a shawl to guard against the brisk afternoon wind. She felt less like a ragged beggar and more like someone who could hold her head up proudly.

  The inn was on the far side of town, and they were almost to the town square when Daniel shushed them. A cart was coming towards them, and he nodded at it wordlessly.

  All the villagers were watching it, and Karine could see why. There was something very wrong here, though she could not guess what it was. Who would be so hooded against the light of day, unless they were hiding something awful? And what was in that cart?

  She had to do something. As the cart drew closer, Karine stooped to pick up a rock.

  “Give me your knife,” she told Daniel. “I have a plan.” When he hesitated, she gave him a nod. “I promise, I’ll hurt no one.”

  He handed it over, and she saw he wanted to intervene as well. He was afraid, eager for someone else to help.

  They drew to the side of the road to let the cart go past. It was almost on them when Karine stepped into its path and threw the rock as hard as she could at the driver. They cowered away as the horse shied and the carriage rocked. Because of all the disturbances, the driver’s hood fell back from their head.

  Someone screamed, and Karine’s blood ran cold. It was the face from her nightmare the other night, the face that was half-snake and half-human. Its slit-pupiled eyes stared down at her in hatred, and it made a movement to wrench the hood back up and snap the reins.

  But Karine had been prepared. She darted forward to cut the traces that held the horse to the cart, and the sad, scared beast bolted away.

  “There’s someone in the cart!” Karine yelled. “They’ve kidnapped someone!”

  The townspeople had been frozen in horror, but now they leapt into action. They snatched up shovels and took out their knives, grabbed lamps and torches from inside their houses, and rushed to the cart with yells of fury.

  The monsters were trying to haul their captives out of the back of the cart, but the people would not let them. There were screams and yells, and the beasts were beaten back until they turned and fled.

  Karine pushed her way through the crowd as many hands picked the two figures up off the ground. They wore very fine dresses and had burlap sacks over their heads and iron manacles at their hands and feet. When the sacks were pulled away, Karine gasped.

  “Reva.”

  Reva cried Karine’s name as the gag was pulled from her mouth and threw herself into Karine’s arms. “Oh, Karine. Thank you, thank you!”

  Karine held her friend tight, surprise and relief coursing through her, feeling like warm sun on her skin. There were murmurs from the crowd, but she saw that people were drawing away to give them privacy. Someone was calling for a blacksmith to strike away the chains.

  Reva looked up at Karine, and then around at the crowd, and her smile faltered.

  “Where are the others?” she asked. She saw the expression on Karine’s face and misinterpreted it. “Oh, Karine, what has happened to them? Where are Lottie and Rohesa?”

  Serena

  It was morning when Serena stirred and lifted her head from the side of Raphael’s cot. She had no memory of falling asleep, but she must have. Her fingers were interlaced with his, and she stared down at them for a long moment. She could feel herself blushing and she knew she should take her hand away, but she could not bring herself to do that yet.

  She leaned forward to see how he was doing. His breathing had steadied over the course of the night and his colour was better, she thought. As she leaned forward, steadying herself on the bed, his eyes opened.

  Serena froze. Their faces were far too close together. “I….” Her voice trailed off, and she cleared her throat. She had no idea what she had been planning to say. “How are you?” was all she could produce. She could not seem to move; she was paralyzed by embarrassment.

  “Weaker than I would like,” Brother Raphael admitted. He sounded amused, though, and he startled a laugh out of Serena.

  “You look better,” she told him. “We were worried.”

  Someone near the door cleared their throat meaningfully, and Serena jerked her head. A Brother of the Enlightened stood there glaring at the two of them. His watery blue eyes took in Serena’s flush, their clasped hands, and even the rip on Serena’s sleeve as if it was all indecent.

  She hastily untangled her fingers from Raphael’s and stood. “Forgive me, Brother. I did not see you enter. Are you here to tend to Brother Raphael?”

  “I came to see if he was well,” the Brother replied. His voice carried a low undercurrent of anger. “Now I see he is being cared for very improperly. I wonder if he was even injured.”

  “He was injured!” Serena’s anger flared. Over Brother Raphael’s protest, she balled her hands into fists and glared at the Brother in the doorway. “He put himself in grave danger to save Lady Avalon.”

  “He seems quite devoted to the ladies of the court,” the Brother observed, then cast a contemptuous look at Raphael. “I will tell the head priest what I have seen here.”

  “Please—” Brother Raphael began, but the man was already gone.

  Raphael slumped back onto the bed. Even pushing himself up had been enough exertion to coat his chest in sweat, and he closed his eyes for a moment.

  “I am so sorry,” Serena whispered.

  His eyes opened, and he gave her a tired smile. “It was not your fault. Brother Evan is known to be very strict in his observance. Even stricter than the head priest. No doubt I will receive a stern lecture, but that is nothing to worry about.” His gaze searched hers and landed on her sleeve. “You were hurt as well.”

  “It is nothing,” Serena told him, though the cuts ached fiercely. “Compared to your injuries, it was nothing.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I did not know if you would survive.”

  Raphael’s hand pressed gently on his stomach. His eyes were distant as he remembered the attack, and with a frown, he raised the blanket to inspect the wounds that had been so apparent on his torso just ho
urs before.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “You were healed by a Menti,” Serena explained. “Do you remember Nico? He is a healer.”

  As she had expected, Raphael’s face split into a weary smile. “Is that not wonderful? Help comes from where we least expect it. Maybe he and his fellow Menti can help us heal the sick.”

  “I knew you would say that,” Serena said. “Perhaps he has not already offered his help for fear of judgement. Perhaps if we—” She broke off. “I know what we need to do!”

  “What?” Brother Raphael frowned.

  “I have a plan. I….” But when her gaze rested back on Raphael, her heart sank. “I do not want to leave you like this.”

  “Go,” Raphael told her. “Do what you must. I will be here when you get back.”

  Serena grinned and ran for the door. There, she turned once more toward him and felt something bubble up in her chest when she saw that he was still watching her. Then she left, running down the corridors and biting her lip to keep from laughing aloud. She felt like she could walk on the clouds.

  In her rooms, she instructed the wide-eyed maid to put her in one of her finest gowns. It was a pretty sky blue that Serena knew set off her colouring to great advantage. She had her hair unpinned and brushed so that it hung loose and shining, and she hurried away again without eating, stopping only to ask that a message be sent to one of the lords. Then she searched the keep for Alberto.

  He was studying in the library. Serena paused in the doorway to watch as Alberto’s tutor droned on about declensions. She held out her hand to him and gestured him over.

  “If you will excuse us,” she told his tutor, “I thought I would take Alberto for a walk in the gardens.”

  The tutor frowned. “Alberto still has much to practice this morning.”

  “We will not be long,” Serena said. She knew the man could not overrule her. Alberto came to take her hand, and she walked with him through the corridors to the gardens. “How have you been?” she asked him.

  Alberto smiled up at her. “I like that Luca has returned. He always comes to say good night to me before he goes to bed. Stefan did that, too, but he always glared at me like he hated me.”

  Serena’s heart clenched. Stefan had always looked at Alberto like he was a competitor to be removed.

  “Luca loves you very much,” she said simply. “As do Carolina and I.”

  “I know,” Alberto said. He was dignified and mature for a child. “Carolina and I played horses and dragons all morning until Brother Adam found me.”

  Serena laughed. “Horses and dragons? They seem like a strange combination.”

  “Carolina decided she was a dragon, and I had to dodge her dragonfire. We used scarves.”

  “I am glad you were able to play. Do not tell Brother Adam, but Matias and I used to sneak away from our lessons all the time.”

  “You were naughty, too?” Alberto’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Brother Adam told me you would be disappointed in me.”

  Serena rolled her eyes. “Do not listen to Brother Adam. I will find you a new tutor.”

  When they emerged into the sunlight, she was pleased to see Lord Riziq strolling through the gardens with his daughter. Oriana was nine years old and very precocious. Clearly, Lord Riziq doted on her. Her mother had died many years ago, as Serena understood it, and Riziq had sent for Oriana as soon as Nesra’s Keep was taken. She had been running ahead of her father down a garden path, but she stopped when she saw Serena and curtsied.

  “Your Highness.” She wobbled a little as she came up, clearly eager to keep running around and yet conscious of her manners.

  “Hello, Oriana,” Serena replied. “Have you met Alberto?”

  “No.” Oriana clasped her hands behind herself, clearly bashful. “Hello, Alberto.”

  “Are you Xanti?” Alberto asked, wide-eyed. “I have never met a Xanti before.”

  “Alberto,” Serena chided.

  “Sorry. Do you want to see the big goldfish in the fountain?”

  When Oriana nodded, he led the way at a full-on run, hurtling over several of the bushes in the process. To Serena’s amusement, Oriana followed suit, holding her skirts up around her knees so she could jump as well. Even a dignified, mature child liked to run full-pelt whenever they got the chance.

  Lord Riziq shook his head, but with an amused twitch of his lips. “Oriana has always been high-spirited. Her governesses tell me that I do not keep her well enough in hand, and doubtless they are right. She has her mother’s smile, though, and I find I cannot resist it.”

  Serena shaded her eyes with one hand and watched the two children playing at the fountain. “It is good for children to run and play,” she said. “Sometimes I worry about Alberto. He is a dutiful boy. He needs more laughter and play, I think.”

  “With a young noble girl of his own age?” Lord Riziq asked shrewdly.

  “Yes.” Serena nodded to show she understood. “I wanted to see if the two of them got along. It seems they do.”

  Lord Riziq hesitated as he fell in beside her on the path, and then he said, “Forgive me, Your Highness, but I have always preferred plain speech when possible.”

  “It must be difficult to be a councillor, then,” Serena said. “It is hard enough to be a princess with the same inclination.”

  Lord Riziq laughed.

  “But to speak plainly,” Serena continued, “I have wondered about betrothing Alberto to your daughter. You see—again, I will speak plainly for both our benefits—I wish to make a more enduring alliance between Xantos and Estala.”

  “I see. And Lord Tinian has no unmarried children.”

  “Just so,” Serena said. “But as Xantos has no king, not in the way we do, I hoped that you would find this match to your liking—‘you’ being the council, of course.”

  “It would depend very much on what the alliance entailed, I should think,” Lord Riziq said after a moment. “A bargain may be honeyed, but it must be sound at its root.”

  “Ah, you misunderstand.” Serena looked over toward Alberto, now examining rocks with Oriana. “You clearly adore your daughter, Lord Riziq. Though I do not have children, Alberto is my brother, and I love him with all my heart. Luca feels the same way. He checks on Alberto every night. He has always been sweet to all of his siblings. Luca and I would do anything to see Alberto happy. If he is in Xantos, perhaps even rising to the Gold Council someday, it will be our way of promising you that we will do all in our power to make his life happy and prosperous, like those of all around him in his new home.”

  Lord Riziq stopped and looked at Serena with a new appreciation. “Is this Prince Luca’s will, then, as well?”

  No. Serena swallowed and hoped it was not too obvious. “He expressed reservations to me,” she admitted. “He did not want to sell Alberto—as you would say, to honey a bargain. He is not a king who is willing to use his family as pawns. Seeing Alberto content and safe, however….” She looked over at the two children and frowned thoughtfully. “That is different. If Alberto were happy to go, happy to be betrothed, it would make all the difference in the world to Luca.”

  Lord Riziq’s short nod showed agreement. “If Prince Luca were amenable, I surely would be as well. It is as good a marriage as any there is.”

  “What is?” Lord Tinian asked.

  Serena turned, careful to remain impassive. She was glad to have secured Lord Riziq’s tentative approval for the match. It told her that she had likely hit on a good solution, and she was eager to see what Lord Tinian thought of it. She gestured toward Alberto and Oriana.

  “Lord Tinian. I called you here to discuss a matter that affects the Gold Council and the royal house. As a symbol of the enduring alliance between our nations, not simply a matter of convenience to bring Luca to the throne, I wish to betroth Prince Alberto to Lord Riziq’s daughter.”

  Lord Tinian’s brows rose fractionally as he looked over at the two children. “A very interesting thought, Princes
s Serena. I, too, have considered marriage as a means of securing our alliance.”

  Serena’s skin prickled. She had the sense from Lord Tinian’s too-casual tone that he had a specific alliance in mind. Lord Riziq looked sharply at him, and Serena could see that the Second Councillor also did not know what Lord Tinian was planning.

  Oddly, that was reassuring. Serena decided to say nothing about Lord Tinian’s planned marriage. If she were able to show this marriage to its best advantage, perhaps it would replace whatever Lord Tinian had in mind. After all, he had no marriageable children himself, and he had a wife. What more could he want?

  “Alberto is young,” she said, “but that is a benefit to you, I think. He will learn much about Xantos as he lives there, and he may one day sit on your Gold Council. As I said to Lord Riziq, having Alberto in Xantos will be our promise to you that we will seek Xantos’s enduring prosperity. It will be his home, more than Estala. We will want him to have a good life there.”

  Lord Tinian regarded Serena carefully, and she had the sense that she had said something he had not expected. He appeared tentative, but accepting of the idea.

  “That is a fine promise, Princess Serena,” he said. “A very fine promise. Lord Riziq and I must discuss it, but I think it will be agreeable to Xantos.”

  Serena nodded. She had scored a point here, she could see, but she also had the sense that Lord Tinian’s other plans were still in motion. Leave, you snake, she thought. Leave us in peace. Go back to your golden palace and let Luca rule without your interference. However, she forced a pleasant expression on her face, curving the corners of her lips, just a touch, like any good princess would. She would not let Lord Tinian see her true thoughts.

  Luca

  Luca clenched his hand into a fist and tried not to give in to his frustration. In a bid to make more of his own decisions, he had invited the generals to come to his rooms for refreshment. He wanted to discuss the army’s movements with them. It seemed a kingly thing to do to provide them with wine and food as he spoke to them. In this smaller room, without the rest of his council, he did not have to fear the normal in-fighting that plagued his days.