Meet the Clan
“Miranda, come down out of that tree! The clan emissaries are here,” my mother called from below.
“I’m not coming down. You can’t make me.”
“Young lady, if you think I can’t knock you out of that tree, you are more foolish than I thought.”
I glanced down to see my mother aiming her slingshot, making her threat known. I could come down on my own or become target practice. Huffing, I clambered down the tree and landed at my mother’s side.
“Look at you… you’re filthy. What will your guards and possible consorts think of the wild creature they are to one day marry?”
“I’m not getting married, Mother. I’m going to be a great warrior queen and rule over our people with Cheery by my side. I don’t need anyone but her.”
My mother rolled her eyes at me, having fought this battle many times before. “Miranda, the connection between you and your dragon is important, but the bond between a woman and the man or men she loves is something just as magical.”
“What if I don’t like any of them? You keep telling me I’m free to choose who I want. What if I only like three out of the five of them?”
“We will cross that bridge when we get there. Eventually, you will find someone you can’t live without, even if it’s not these five particular boys.
That is why you will all train together so you can get to know each of them.
You can’t marry until you’re eighteen, so we have a few years left before it’s time to decide. ”
“They won’t want to marry me if I beat their asses in training.”
“I don’t know… your father found that very endearing about me.”
“Ew, Mother, I don’t want to hear about that.”
My mother laughed as we headed off to meet the leaders from the other clans.
As the dream ended and my body woke, it ached from head to toe.
Opening my eyes, I found myself in a large bed in a neatly furnished room.
A cheerful fire blazed in a large fireplace, heating the space and giving off a soft glow.
Looking out one of the few windows, I saw it was still night out.
Had I only been asleep for a short while?
For some reason, it felt like it’d been much longer.
A soft knock sounded on the door before it was slowly opened, and Helena walked in, holding a tray.
Helena sighed with relief when she saw me. “Oh, thank the heavens you’re finally awake.”
“How long have I been asleep?” I rasped, my throat dry.
“You’ve been asleep almost two days with barely a stir. We had the doctor check on you, and he kept telling us there was nothing wrong, that you just needed time. I guess that old coot was right for once,” Helena said as she took the cover off a bowl of soup and a large piece of bread.
Upon seeing the food, my stomach growled loudly, causing me to blush.
It’s not like I hadn’t gone two days without food before.
I heaved myself up to lean against the wooden headboard as Helena gently placed the tray of food on my lap.
The soup was piping hot and exactly what I needed to feel like myself again.
The warmth soothed my tight muscles, and I let out a sigh of contentment.
“That’s better,” Helena said as she sat on the edge of my bed. “What on earth happened to you, child?”
“I went far too deep into Vasin’s memories when we harmonized.
Then I couldn’t pull myself out of them,” I explained, but when I saw the question on her face, I tried to describe it better.
“Each dragon can access all the memories of their ancestors. The knowledge they possess is overwhelming for any human to withstand. Unfortunately, I touched what I shouldn’t have. ”
“Ah.” Helena nodded. “Well, it looks like we’re going to need to start your education as soon as possible. Our ancestors who were chosen by the black dragon wrote down all the information they learned to share with those to come. Much like dragons do for each other, only less dangerous.”
“Wait, so others have been able to talk to their dragon? I’m not the only one?”
“Oh, heavens no, child. All our kings and queens have been able to do that. It’s what makes them such wonderful leaders. They have all that vast knowledge of their dragon at their fingertips to help advise them.”
My mouth gaped open. Not only was I going to have access to knowledge that would help me figure all this out, but I wasn’t crazy for talking to my dragon!
My reaction must have been a sight, for it sent Helena into a laughing fit. “Child, you look like I just handed you a new silk dress! Trust me, when you start your royal training, you won’t be so happy about it.”
After she calmed herself from her laughter, she stood up and gestured over to a trunk in the corner.
“That’s filled with all the things you’ll need starting tomorrow.
Everyone in the clans is given the exact same items when they start training because no one here is more important than another when on a job. ”
I nodded as a wave of tiredness washed over me. “I guess I should take advantage of my last time to sleep as much as I want,” I said wistfully to myself as Helena shut the door quietly behind her.
“Vasin, are you there?” I asked, wondering if he was mad at me.
“Yes, Cass, I am here. Are you feeling all right?”
“I think so. I had the craziest dream, though. It was like I was watching a memory of something in the past. Could some of the memories I tapped into still be rolling around in my head?”
“It could be. No one has survived that much knowledge at once before. I thought I was going to lose you.” I could feel his worry through our bond.
“I won’t be doing that again any time soon, promise. And I’m sorry I didn’t listen,” I apologized, trying to reassure him as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
“M’lady, it’s time for you to get up,” a strange woman said. “Ballard is going to introduce you to the clan this morning.”
I moved slowly as two other women brought in a tub and began filling it with large steaming buckets of water.
Again, I was amazed at the strength these women had to easily lift each bucket like it was filled with feathers.
I had a distinct feeling that everyone pulled their weight around here, and I too would be just as strong.
Gingerly, I slipped into the water and hummed as my body relaxed and muscles loosened.
“Would you like us to wash you up? They are expecting you rather quick-like,” one of the ladies asked, rolling up her sleeves.
The thought of having a stranger washing me sent shivers down my spine. Becka had been the only one I’d allowed to do that for me. After all of the beatings, I didn’t feel comfortable with being that vulnerable if I could help it.
“Thank you, but I’ll be faster doing it myself.” Then I swiftly washed my hair, rinsing it with the pitcher of water they’d left for me. Once clean, I hopped out and dried myself off, my skin reacting to the chill in the fall air.
Opening the chest, I found an assortment of clothing and basic supplies, including a wooden comb.
Raking it through my damp hair, I braided it tightly to my head, letting the tail fall down my back.
As I rifled through the chest again, trying to decide what to wear, I noticed something strange.
There were no skirts, only soft leather pants in different shades of brown and black.
I pulled out a pair and looked at them, intrigued.
Was I allowed to wear these? Helena had said everything I needed would be in here, so I guessed I’d give it a try.
After dressing, I looked at myself in the mirror hanging on the wall by the wash bowl.
The leather pants were soft and more comfortable than I thought possible, and the simple white tunic was covered by a fitted leather top that tightened on the sides.
Knowing I didn’t have to wear a corset anymore was so freeing.
“M’lady, are you ready?” Ballard called from outside the door.
In answer, I opened the door and smiled at him. He took a moment to look me over, a little surprised at my new attire.
“How do I look?” I asked, feeling unsure.
“You look like you were born to be one of us, m’lady.” Ballard smiled as he dipped his head in a small bow.
“Please, don’t call me that,” I pleaded. “I’m no longer a noble lady of the court.”
“Very well, Cassarah, but once you officially take over ruling the clans, no one will be this informal,” Ballard warned.
Silently, we walked down the stairs and along a short hallway with one door at the end. It opened into the kitchen, which surprised me because I didn’t remember a door there before. Sure enough, now that I was looking for it, the door was hidden in the wood paneling.
“That doorway is the only one that leads to your bedroom. There is another staircase off the meeting room that leads to the rest of the rooms where my family lives, but yours is in a different section. If we ever got attacked, they would never be able to find it,” Ballard explained.
These mercenaries really loved hiding things in plain sight and were good at it.
Ballard started walking to the meeting hall and stopped before the door.
“I’ll walk up with you to the front and introduce you to the people.
They will have many questions, but please let me answer them.
I just need you to be strong and stand fearlessly by my side.
It’s been a long time since our people have had a king or queen, and some are not taking to it well. ”
I blinked at him, surprised by this information, but I stood up a little straighter and stuck my chin out like my mother taught me. “I can do that.”
Ballard squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before he opened the door and walked through it with me close behind.
The murmuring hum of conversation stopped when they saw us.
Some smiled and waved at me, while others sat there blank-faced and stony-eyed.
When we got to the front of the hall, we stood side by side in front of the ornate wooden chair I assumed was the throne.
“Thank you all for coming this morning. I know the meeting was called on short notice. As many of you know, the black dragon has chosen a new leader. What you don’t know is that Lady Cassarah is born of this clan, though she has no knowledge of us.
Many of you remember the tale of betrayal we suffered when Alister traded us for a title and land.
Well, this is his great-great-granddaughter, Cassarah, who is pair-bonded to the black dragon, Vasin. ”
The room burst into chaos upon hearing this.
Some were shouting their disapproval while others sat stunned.
I was in the latter group. I’d never heard much about my family’s past, and the story Ballard told hadn’t been what I expected.
Father had said something about the clan disowning the family, but I’d assumed that was because one of my grandfathers had simply left and chosen Norden and the title over the mercenaries—not that he’d actively betrayed them.
“How can we have a traitor’s offspring be our queen?” one woman shouted.
“We need a leader we can trust! Our people are being picked off by the King’s Guard. Hardly any of us are left at this point. We need someone who will save us, not someone we have to worry about running away,” another man called out.
“I know you’re all unsure of this. I was myself, as well, until I met her and spent some time with her. Cassarah has decided to go through training just like all of you and your children have done for generations.”
This seemed to get people’s attention.
Wait? When had we decided I was going to mercenary school? The only thing Helena had mentioned was ‘royal’ training. Now I felt like I was being played.
“Cassarah will be trained in all our ways on top of her learning the queen’s duties. If she hasn’t shown herself a worthy asset in one year, then she will not become our queen. Instead, she will remain here with us under our watchful eye with her dragon keeping us safe,” Ballard explained.
This silenced everyone immediately, and they all looked at me for the first time. What the hell! Did he mean I would be an outcast if I couldn’t do this? Why wouldn’t they just let me be free to live my life?
I gulped, trying not to show my fear and anger at the trap I’d walked into. How was I going to pull this off? Could I really learn to be one of them in a year, learning to do all the things they’d been training for since they were children?
“Does anyone object to this proposal?” Ballard asked calmly.
No one responded, signaling their agreement with silence.
“Very well, then. You may all go about your day unless you have other matters to discuss with the clan.”
Slowly, everyone filed out of the room until it was just Ballard and me.
“What the hell did you just promise them?” I demanded, turning on Ballard. I was shaking with anger, fists clenched, trying to keep from punching him in the face. I felt betrayed and used. He was no different than my mother at this point.
“It’s the only way to get them to respect you, Cassarah,” Ballard said, turning to me.
“You have no right to do this to me!” I snarled.
“You lied to me! You let me believe that I was wanted, even needed! Your people don’t even want a queen, do they?
They want a general who will lead them into war, and that’s not me.
Oh, and what’s this crap about that if I can’t do this, I’ll be a pariah in your world?
Who are you to barter with my life or my dragon’s? ”
Ballard looked down at me, his eyes gentle but firm. “I’m the regent of this clan, and I will do what is best for my people. You are one of them now, Cassarah, whether you see it or not.”
“How can I be one of your people if you’re willing to set me up for failure?”
“Are you so ready to believe you’ll fail before you even try?”
I didn’t answer right away, still replaying his betrayal. The stubborn part of me didn’t want to back down from the challenge, but the part that had been beaten for standing up for myself shrank at the idea.
“I guess I don’t have a choice now, do I?”
“You always have a choice, but I wish you’d try. This is going to be a long, hard road, but worth it in the end, I promise you.”
“No one should promise things they can’t guarantee, Ballard,” I said, walking out of the meeting room to stand on the porch. Maybe the sunlight would chase away my fears.