Chapter 11 #2
I pulled my hand back. I hadn’t even felt heat from it! The unblemished skin on my hand was testament to the fact that the ritual had worked.
Two goals completed so far today.
Two more to go.
Ideally, I’d have a bath before tackling the third goal. Dried blood itched against my skin under my clothes, but there was nothing for it; scribes could only use the bathhouse once a week.
Sneaking in at night could be fun, however.
Perhaps I’d have five goals today. How ambitious!
As I turned the corner, the heavy double doors to the throne room opened, and I pushed my shoulders back and held my chin up.
The first Monday of each month, the queen took open entreaties from anyone in the kingdom.
Well, I’m sure the ‘anyone’ was heavily vetted and only those who would kiss the queen’s ass and be grateful for the privilege would get in.
Not very generous, but this queen was a snake in the grass.
No wonder she rules with an iron fist if the king was truly a mud boy, as I suspected.
My stomach flipped as I drew closer to the open doors. The Fireguards guarding the door noticed me first, their eyes sliding to track my form as their heads and bodies stayed staring straight ahead at perfect attention.
Eyes bulged and widened behind their helmets as they recognized me. I slowed my pace as I paused directly in front of the open doors, turning my head casually as if I were simply interested in seeing what business lay beyond in the receiving hall.
The queen was standing at the end of her dais, one hand held out as she gave her ‘blessing’ on the poor man, who looked like he was of one of the trade quarters. Judging by his bright blond hair and the white apron around his white, I’d guess bread quarter.
And then it happened.
I passed by the open door, my movement catching the queen’s eye. I watched her reaction from my peripheral vision, keeping my gaze straight ahead down the corridor.
As if in slow motion, she glanced up from the kowtowing supplicant before her, her hand fluttering over his blond hair. Silver eyes glanced up at me, her entire body going rigid as she recognized me.
It wasn’t part of my plan, but I couldn’t help it. I turned my head and met the queen’s gaze head on.
Her dismay and horror was a delicious ambrosia coating my tongue and sliding down into my belly to heat me from the inside out. Those pink, pouting lips parted in shock, her outstretched hand curling into a fist and turning her already pale knuckles pure white.
I broke contact first, turning my head back down the hallway and continuing past the doors. The moment I turned around the first corner, I bolted.
A hysterical laugh escaped from my throat.
She was rattled. The queen was rattled, and I’d done it.
Two of three tasks were done.
Only one task left, and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet! My stomach rumbled, reminding me I’d done a lot of work so far. I had time, so perhaps I’d stop by the kitchens and see if Clover still fancied me .
I’d never visited her during the day, but after all my successes so far today, I felt invincible. No, perhaps later.
Time for the third and final goal of the day.
The castle had many stone parapets, but only a few of them peeked out beyond the dome and would give me access to the dragon. Understandably, those few spots were heavily guarded, and most people were smart enough to give them a wide berth.
I was smart, but certainly not most people.
The south parapet was a crumbling mess. According to Vession, the king and queen allowed it to fall into disrepair simply because of how often the dragon was there.
The stone walkway jutted out just past the dome, but the opening was too small for the dragon to get through.
As a result, the dragon simply beat at it or flamed it in frustration until giving up and flying away.
It was the perfect place for me.
Zariah had insisted on me visiting him. I could think of no better way to cement my influence on the queen than by having it reported back to her I had an alliance with her precious dragon.
With proof that my ritual to fend against heat had worked, I was feeling invincible. What couldn’t I do?
I climbed the spiral staircases quickly, not even caring as I got out of breath.
I emerged onto the stone parapet, the edge of the dome just above me.
Crossing under the edge of the dome, I stood on the boundary between where the dome ended and the open sky began.
For a moment, I stared at the vast blueness above me.
It was beautiful.
RRRRAAAAWWWWRRRR!
I jumped as the dragon roared and swooped down, casting a massive shadow over my head and lunging straight for me. Getting a bad feeling, I dove back under the dome as a wave of fire passed over my head, singeing a few stray hairs.
I may be resistant to heat, but even I wasn’t stupid enough to take a direct blast of dragon fire to the face.
“Zariah! It’s me. I’m visiting like you asked.”
I poked my head up again, inching just out from the dome, but close enough to dive back if needed.
The dragon shrieked in challenge and lunged at me, fangs and teeth aimed straight for my head.
“Shit!”
I ducked down beneath the safety of the dome; the dragon crashed into the lip and screamed in pain.
Rolling from my back to my stomach, I scuttled even further backwards.
“Zariah! It is me! It’s Zephyr! Do you not remember?”
Maybe he didn’t remember things in his dragon form that experienced in his human one?
“Zariah! I?—”
A burst of fire shot right at the lip, forcing me to throw myself to the side as the wave of heat rolled past me.
Ok. He definitely did not know who I was, or the ‘friends’ thing was off the table. Either way, I was done.
Objective three was a failure. Two out of three goals completed was nothing to sneer at, but I felt unsettled as I left the raging dragon behind me and descended the spiral stones steps.