Allies
The queen’s emerald eyes bore into mine, but I would not back down on this.
We had spilled so much blood over this issue, I was not going to fail those who had given their lives to keep us free.
Now I understood why Miranda did what she did.
There was no way rolling over and letting another take control of my people was ever going to happen.
“Then you leave me no choice…” Queen Mary stated, her voice somber.
“Queen Cassarah, I would be honored to have you as an ally in this battle. I would also like to request your presence in Royal City for one day so that we might come up with a plan you can take back to your people. We are the main target. It would reassure me greatly if I had a solid strategy moving forward.”
My whole body relaxed at her words, and my gaze flickered over to Gavin who also looked relieved at this turn of events. “I believe that is a fair request. I will return with you.”
“Vasin, can you send Tinus here with Izel?”
“They are on their way, but it doesn’t seem like they are coming alone.”
“Very well… they might as well know what’s going on.”
As my leg started to ache, I returned to my seat to wait for my backup to arrive. “Your Majesty, I have six other dragon riders coming to join us. They were waiting off in the forest, but I will need to send one of them back to my people so they know why I haven’t returned.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised you had people lurking in the shadows, but I appreciate you alerting me to their arrival.” Queen Mary smirked as she sat. “How did you know they were coming? Did you have a set time they were supposed to wait before they assumed the worst?”
Now it was my turn to give her a knowing smile. “We might be allies, Your Majesty, but there are some things that I will be keeping to myself. You would never expect another kingdom to give up all its secrets, would you?”
“For only being queen for five days, you’ve learned to play the role very well. I suppose you can thank your mother for all that education you got.”
At the mention of my mother and her education, I froze, hearing her words echoing in my head, causing me to lose focus on what was reality or past events.
Then a hand descended on the back of my neck, and thick fingers gripped the base of my skull, pulling on my hair and forcing me to look up into Cole’s gaze.
“Your mother is not here. She cannot hurt you anymore,” Cole assured.
Licking my lips, I gave him a small nod to let him know I was back and the panic attack had subsided. Cole let go of my hair but kept his hand on my shoulder, letting the weight remind me I wasn’t alone like I’d once been.
“It was actually my father who gave me the skills I need to perform this role well. The hours we spent pouring over maps and battle strategies were invaluable,” I replied, facing the queen once again.
Her beautiful face was stricken as she realized her words triggered my response. Thankfully, the roar of a dragon outside let me know my backup had arrived and gave me an excuse to leave the tent. When I stepped outside, Jade and Zan were holding guards at knifepoint with Ezzu hovering in the air.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
Jade looked over the shoulder of the man he had in his grasp. “They weren’t saying very nice things about you, Your Majesty.”
“Bad enough that it warranted threatening our alliance that was just forged?” I snapped. “Let them go this instant and put your weapons away. I don’t want them drawn on another Norden soldier unless one of our lives is in danger. Am I clear?”
Zan released his man, shoving him away as Ezzu gave a hiss and sent a small tongue of flame after him before settling on Zan’s shoulder. Jade, on the other hand, held my gaze, his eyes full of the argument he wanted to have with me over my order.
“Did you not hear our queen?” Cole bit out from behind me.
Jade’s lip curled in a snarl as he kicked out the guard’s legs and sent the man tumbling to the ground.
“I don’t care what my orders are. If I ever hear you talk like that about my queen, I will gut you like the worm you are.
” Finishing off his threat, he spit on the ground near the guard’s face and stormed off toward the newly arrived dragon riders.
“Seems that someone is finally showing his true colors,” Cole muttered.
I glared at him over my shoulder. “Look, I know you two don’t like each other, but I’m gonna need you to save it for when we aren’t trying to make new friends. Whatever you feel about Jade, keep it to yourself, or I’m going to send you back home.”
Cole narrowed his eyes at me, but whatever my expression showed him made him back down from the fight he was itching for. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
I knew he was pissed at me, but I didn’t have the luxury of showing any preferential treatment at the moment.
I was their queen, and this was far too important to let it get fucked up by testosterone-filled males.
The dragon riders and the rest of my guardians approached and dropped to a knee, heads bowed before me.
“How may we serve you, Your Majesty?” Izel asked.
“I will be going back to Royal City tonight, and I will return home the following day. I need to send one of you back to inform the clan leaders of this update,” I informed them. “Svan, you rode here alone, so I’ll send you back with a letter for the clan leaders.”
Was I getting back at a man who was a bit of an ass when we first met… maybe?
“Yes, My Queen, am I to depart right away?” he asked, showing no hesitation at my orders.
“In a moment. I will need to write the letter,” I answered. “As for the rest of you dragon riders, you will accompany me back to the city along with my guardians.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” they all answered, giving me a salute.
Turning on my heel, I reentered the tent, wrote my letter, and sent Svan on his way while Queen Mary’s men took down the canopy and stored everything away.
“Gavin, Lezat is more than able to take an additional person,” Queen Mary said as she ran a hand along her golden dragon’s neck. “There is no need to ride with Queen Cassarah back home.”
From where Gavin stood by my side next to Vasin, he shifted his gaze between his mother and me.
He looked as if he was going to say something to me but instead, his shoulders slumped, and he headed off to his mother’s side.
I tried not to let on how much the fact that he walked away from me stung.
From everything he’d been telling me, he wanted to stay with me, or had I been wrong?
Did he say all that about staying until I kicked him out to placate me?
“Cass, I’m sure there is an explanation.
He’s been gone from home for over a week.
It could simply be that he knows his mother wants him to ride with her.
Give him a chance to tell his parents he doesn’t want to be king.
That is not a topic you spring on someone.
It will take time for them to see what his heart truly desires. ”
“You’re absolutely right. There is no reason I need to concern myself with this matter. It helps us if he becomes king. At least I know I can work well with him if we are to be allies.”
“Don’t be like that, Cass.”
“Says the dragon who keeps telling me to get closer to people and get attached.”
Vasin just sighed and dropped the matter.
“Who would you have ride with you, Queen Cassarah?” Abbott asked, stepping up beside me.
I glanced over my shoulder at him then back over at Gavin. “I’ll be riding alone. With eight of you around me, I think it will be safe enough.”
“Little phoenix—”
“Abbott, please don’t try to fix this. Just leave it alone. He will tell them if he wants to leave or he won’t.”
Settling his hands on my hips, he hoisted me onto Vasin’s back and made sure I was well strapped in. “Don’t do anything foolish, please.”
“Do you really think Vasin would let that happen? He is far too overprotective to allow me to get into trouble,” I answered with a halfhearted smile I knew didn’t fool him.
Patting my leg, Abbott headed off to join Bast, and we took off toward Royal City.
“I believe this is the fullest I’ve seen the roost in my lifetime.
Seventeen dragons, including King Edward’s, is a sight to see.
” Queen Mary smiled as all the dragons were being settled in for the night.
“Come, I will show you to your room and make sure your riders and guardians have rooms as well.”
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I will be keeping my personal guards with me,” I stated, knowing that if they weren’t, they would throw a fit, decorum be damned.
Queen Mary glanced over my shoulder then back at me. “Let me guess… if I don’t allow this, they will find a way to make it happen, regardless.”
“They are overprotective in nature,” I answered. “Two of them are my female guards who will be the only ones attending me, so there is no need to inconvenience your staff in such a way.”
“You play the game very well, Queen Cassarah, very well indeed.” Queen Mary smirked as she led the way into the castle.
“Would you agree to a meal before we start planning? I don’t know about you, but a long flight always makes me peckish, and it gives us a chance to share the news with my husband and see if he has any light to shed on matters. ”
“A meal would be lovely, although I do not have any other attire, seeing as I wasn’t prepared to stay away from home,” I pointed out.
Queen Mary waved off my concerns. “No matter… I will send something up for you.”
As we entered the castle, we were met by her steward.
He took the others and me to where we would be staying for the night.
The room was actually three different ones that interconnected—a sitting room that flowed into the bedroom with a dressing room.
Everything was large and ostentatious and reminded me how I’d come to find comfort in the simple way the mercenaries lived.
“Holy shit.” May whistled as she took in the space.
“Just wait until you see the small room attached for us to sleep in,” Becka shared, opening a hidden door panel for May to peek in. “Can’t have the staff too far but also don’t want people to know we exist.”
“Well, there won’t be a problem with all of us finding space to sleep in here,” Payson added from where he was sprawled out on one of the many lush couches.
The others continued to poke around the room, looking behind the thick drapes of the windows and peeking into the bathroom.
“Is this what Gavin is used to?” Dayson asked, staring up at the ceiling with intricate murals painted on them. “There’s no way he’ll give up all this to live in the forest with us.”
I poured myself a glass of chilled juice that had been sent up, along with a dress from the queen. I clutched the metal goblet, trying to shake off the fact that Dayson was voicing my fears.
“Do we get to go to dinner?” Payson interjected as he rolled on to his stomach, peering up at me.
Taking a large gulp of my drink, I sat in one of the stiff armchairs.
“You will be present at the dinner, but you will not be eating with us. In the eyes of the court, you are my guard dogs, and dogs do not eat at the table. If you were my consort or husband, then yes, you would be awarded that honor.”
“Ugh, I can see why you wanted to get out of this place… so many rules,” Payson grumbled, punching at one of the decorative pillows.
“Everything has its good and bad traits. Nowhere is perfect,” Izel interjected as he joined us in the sitting room. “Tell us, little warrior, what happened at the meeting? Obviously, things went well, but why are we here?”
At his question, the others came and found a place in the sitting room to hear my answer.
“Queen Mary felt it was best if we came up with a plan of action before I went back home. Since they are the main focus of the attack, I can understand her reasoning. My hope is that we can make a game plan, and then I can take that information back with me so we can move forward with what we need to do.”
“Is she going to give us the dragon riders we need?” Zan asked.
“The queen hasn’t said no, but that is also what dinner is about. King Edward doesn’t know anything the queen and I have discussed. She is going to tell him about the Lost King and see what his reaction will be to the news,” I responded.
“I don’t like it. She challenged you, then moments later demanded that you come back here. Who knows what she’s trying to pull,” Cole growled.
Looking over at him, I held his gaze. “In order for trust to be earned between us, I have to give her the chance to prove herself. Going into this assuming she will sell me out does no one any good.”
Cole didn’t have a response to that other than to turn his back on me and stare out the window at the fading light.
“Come on, m’lady, it’s time we got you dressed and ready for the court dinner you never got to attend,” Becka said, waving to me to follow her and defusing the tension in the room.