History #2
I looked down at my hands as I thought of the incident he was talking about.
When I’d reached out to him, I’d found a presence in his consciousness.
I chased after it, almost causing me to be lost in his memories forever.
Now looking back on it, I believe that presence was Miranda, whose memories I’d been seeing in my dreams.
“I trust you to know if I’m ready to try and explore that again. Now that I know what I’m getting into, I think I can handle things better,” I reassured him, taking a deep breath.
“I must confess, when you told me of the figure, it made me curious as to why you can see this apparition. I have searched through all my memories and have been unable to find anything related to this.”
“What I find strange is I’ve been watching her life over the past six months.”
“Come. Hopefully, we will discover this presence again, and we can investigate it.”
I settled against Vasin’s chest and took a deep breath, closing my eyes.
I reached out to Vasin, and this time, instead of opening myself to him, I melded with his consciousness.
When I felt the connection solidify, I opened my eyes to see the world as he did.
Everything was sharper, from the color to the amount of detail.
It was like I could almost see each tiny vein in a leaf twenty feet away.
I could feel the heat of his ember deep in his chest, which had been growing in strength but not yet strong enough to breathe fire.
I could feel my body’s warmth against his cold scales, but I could also sense that my body was void of something.
“This is why I always say we must never harmonize if you’re in danger. Your body's left vulnerable to any kind of attack. Of course, you are safe now because I am here to protect you, and once you’ve had more practice, we can try a waking trance.”
“I never knew it was so obvious to tell when I wasn’t present in my own body.”
“The only reason you can tell so plainly is because you are looking through my eyes. Human eyes cannot see what we dragons can. To others, it would be as though you were sleeping.”
“So, when I go back to my body, will I think I have something wrong with my eyes all the time after this?”
“No, your mind will not remember things as they are now. You will remember them from your normal perspective. Now let us not waste more of the little time we have today.”
That was Vasin for “hush.” He was always straight to the point and made sure we stayed on task.
“Let’s go over some of the old language you have been working on translating. That will be safe enough to delve into. Now, I will open a doorway for you to go through and access that knowledge.”
Before I could ask how he was going to do that, he closed his eyes, cutting off the outside world. It was as if I was being pulled along into his subconscious, a white world that seemed to go on forever. Then a cabinet appeared out of thin air as did an overstuffed leather chair.
“Grab any one of the books in the cabinet. It’s just my way of making the information tangible to you.”
“Can I do this for you as well when we meld on my end?”
“In time and with great mental strength, I think you might be able to accomplish something small.”
“So what you’re really saying is ‘no,’ ” I remarked, reading between the lines.
“When it comes to you, I would never say ‘no.’ You are always a surprise to me. Now, grab the book so we can go over some of the things you are still having a hard time translating. Remember to stay in the moment with what you are reading and let me direct you. If you dwell too much on something, it will bring forth the memory, and I am not sure how much your mind can handle. You mustn’t forget you are in my subconscious, no matter how normal I make it seem to you. ”
“I understand,” I said, opening the cabinet filled with dusty old books.
I grabbed one at random but paused, seeing that one of the books shimmered as if it were glowing in the sunlight.
“Vasin, why would one of the books be glowing?” I questioned as I grabbed for it.
“What do you mean? I haven’t put any particular emphasis on any of the books.”
“Well then, let’s open it and see what your subconscious really wants me to read,” I said as I sat in the chair.
When I opened the book and flipped through the pages, nothing was written on any of them.
“Am I supposed to do anything special to see what’s written in this book?”
“Think about what you have just been working on and bring that foremost to your mind.”
I thought back on the entry of Miranda being asked to come to a meeting with the Crown.
From what I’d gathered, Miranda had a close relationship with the ruling royalty.
They worked together to make sure their lands were safe from outside kingdoms. Yet this meeting seemed different.
Miranda didn’t want to go, and in my last dream, she and her men were fighting over whether she should.
I brought the memory to my mind and looked down at the blank page.
“Queen Miranda, how good of you to come. It has been ages since you last graced us with your presence,” Queen Sarah said, kissing my cheek.
“Unfortunately, things back home with the clans have taken much of my attention,” I answered carefully.
I knew she was mad I hadn’t been able to make it to the last few social events with the royals and nobles from Errit.
I simply couldn’t stand going to them. I had way more practical things to do with my time than parading around in a flouncy dress.
We had a tenuous relationship between our kingdoms, and I did as much as was required to keep things peaceful.
“How have you been, King Edmund?”
“With good health, two sons, and a peaceful kingdom, I couldn’t ask for more,” he answered politely, nodding at me in thanks for my inquiry.
“May I ask why Your Majesties have called this meeting? Not that I don’t enjoy our time together… I just got the feeling there was something you wanted to talk about?” I ventured. If I didn’t move things along, we’d be stuck in pleasant conversation for hours.
“Yes. We would like to secure an alliance with Errit in a marriage between our children,” Queen Sarah said, beaming.
“That is wonderful news, but what can I do for you in this situation?” I asked, feeling a weight of unease in the pit of my stomach.
“One of the terms of the agreement is that your daughter would be married to our second son. They want to know that you and your people are at their disposal as you are with us,” King Edmund answered.
I felt as if I’d been slapped in the face.
Our clans had worked alongside the royalty of this land for generations, each respecting the other.
In this one request, they had shattered years of co-existence.
What made them think I would hand over my only child to be some bargaining chip?
They may do things that way in their kingdom, but there was no way in hell I would ever force my daughter to marry someone she didn’t love.
“Just to make sure I understand this correctly… you want Emery, my only child, to marry your son, she has never met, so our people can be at the beck and call of another kingdom?” I asked, trying to keep my composure, feeling my nails biting into my palms.
“If you need to say it in such crass words, then yes, that is the root of the request. I would, of course, make sure it was an appropriate situation for your clansmen to be involved in. Your daughter would also have the best care and education living here in the castle,” King Edmund rebutted, waving a hand as if it was no big deal.
“I’m sorry, they would ask you for permission to use MY people?” I snapped, unable to contain my irritation at the flippant remark.
“Of course. They are my subjects as well. I’ll want to make sure they are sent on a mission that will help our lands, not just fight a petty battle they might have with another kingdom,” King Edmund said, leaning forward on his throne to look at me.
“Do you have objection to this request from your King?”
Who the fuck did he think he was, calling himself “my king?” I was the Queen of the Mercenaries, not a lap dog to do tricks.
“With all due respect, you are not my king. I’m the ruler of my land, and my subjects are not under your control. I bow to no one, least of all you. My daughter is not some pawn for you to use to make a better deal for your coffers, Your Majesty,” I growled out, feeling my face flush with anger.
I knew very well what I’d just said would be the same thing as declaring war on the Crown. Did I care... no, not really. I wasn’t going to let my people be used at the whim of some royal prick who didn’t even care about their lives.
“Do you realize what you’re doing?” Queen Sarah asked, her face stricken with shock. “Apologize and bend a knee if you want any hope of returning to your daughter.”
I looked around to see the King’s Guard moving in, trying to surround me but still keeping their distance.
I looked behind my five husbands, and guards were now flanking me.
They all met my glance and nodded ever so slightly in understanding.
I wasn’t going to be taken prisoner to be used against my people.
I would either make it out of this castle alive or die trying, and my men were with me all the way.
Not wanting to see any more, I pulled myself out of Vasin’s consciousness and back into my own body.
I gasped when I opened my eyes, emotions coursing through my brain at what I’d witnessed.
I knew she never made it back to her daughter.
It was the first memory I’d had of her, and one I wouldn’t ever forget.
“Why do I keep seeing her?” I asked, cradling my head in my hands, trying to calm myself down.