Things to Do and Plans to Make
“Does this mean we still have to go through the entire coronation process?” I asked, praying they would tell me I didn’t have to do it at all.
Mathew looked at the others, and once again, they did that silent communication thing, and Lawrence cleared his throat.
“While much of it will be for formalities’ sake, I do believe it’s what’s best for our people to have the coronation ceremony.
We can forgo such things as the cleansing, memorization of the vows, and the observance of your consummations with your consorts.
Although we do ask that you spend the night with at least one of them for appearance’s sake.
We hold strongly to our traditions no matter how antiquated they might feel. ”
“I can accept that,” I offered. “Even though we have the blessings of the dragons, I would still like to journey out to meet them since our oath with them has changed. Vasin has shared that they will be eager to talk with him about what happened, and I agree it would be best. As for the guards, Alsten, when would be the best time to meet them and allow them to give their fealty to their new queen?”
“Allow me to organize things with them and recall the soldiers I have in other lands keeping track of the Lost King’s movements.
While we wait, it might be best to devise a plan for those guarding the castle and you.
I know many would prefer not to have to leave the safety of our valley as well as some who have been hoping to see some of the outside world.
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s only been a short while that we’ve been expanding our reach,” Alsten explained.
“Works well for me. I plan to travel out to the Dragon Lands with my men so that they also might be known to them,” I reasoned.
“My wish is that we can build a new friendship with the dragons that is not based on our need to bond with them. I do hope that keeps happening since I know the joy it can bring to have a companion like Vasin in my life, and I know others do as well. We just need to ensure that what I’ve freed them from won’t be able to happen again.
The loss of both human and dragon life is too great a cost.”
“It’s absolutely incredible you were able to break the old oath and replace it with a new one,” Eleazar shared, shaking his head. “You’ve been here a mere two days, not even, and you’ve changed our world more than we ever dreamed.”
Sal grunted his agreement and slammed his wine chalice down.
“I always knew great things would come from our wee Cassy. She just needed to learn how to stick up for herself. The knowledge she has trapped in her pretty head was getting stifled with the scared little waif she was when I first met her.”
My brows shot up at this newfound information. “So all the impossible tasks you gave me and the hours spent pouring over old scrolls you couldn’t read was to build me a stronger backbone?”
“Of course. Did you really think I wouldn’t prepare you for the world you were about to take over?
I’ve seen the dismal state these so-called mercenaries had turned themselves into, scrimping and scraping for whatever work they could find.
Once, we had been a people to be feared and respected, but without a true leader, they let fear rule.
Now that you are here and have the power to lead us, I know things will change quite quickly, I would think,” Sal stated.
Cole let out a chuckle. “Would you look at that… old Sal does have a heart.”
“Watch it, boy. You might be a consort to the queen, but it doesn’t mean I still can’t make your life hell,” Sal barked back. “You could have been just like your father, but you chose to be the opposite which I will never understand. The mind you have isn’t something we see often.”
This surprised me. I knew Cole was smarter than he ever showed or people gave him credit for, but for Sal to call him out like that meant I’ve only seen a glimpse of the true story.
“Those days have passed, and I’m happy with the life I chose. It landed me here, didn’t it? If you’ll recall, I was sent on the mission to sneak her out of her home because I was the best,” Cole countered, giving me a wink. “I’d say that worked out well for me.”
Mathew cleared his throat, drawing attention in his direction. “I would very much like to take a look at the library you have in the castle. Would it be safe enough for me to do so tomorrow?”
“I don’t see why not. But do keep in mind that even though it has some comforts, it doesn’t hold any warmth, food, or supplies,” I warned.
“You know the one place we didn’t see was the kitchen. Do you think they are in a separate building?” Abbott questioned. “We didn’t spend much time with the outbuildings except for the stables.”
“Ah,” Eleazar cried as he stood and hurried out of the room.
“Don’t mind him. Sometimes spicy food doesn’t sit well,” Mathew shared conspiratorially.
“I heard that,” Eleazar yelled from wherever he’d run off to.
The older men snickered while we waited to see what got Eleazar so excited. Shortly, he returned with a large roll of paper. “Ann, come help me clear this table. We have important things to look over.”
Ann appeared out of the door attached to the kitchen with a scowl on her face. “You could ask nicely. The things I do for the three of you would astound the people of this village,” she muttered while picking up plates.
Eleazar wasn’t patient enough for her to clear the rest, so he shoved them aside and took a napkin, wiping off the table to make sure it was clean and dry.
Finally, he spread out whatever he’d been holding and stepped back with a pleased smile.
Curious, I got up, walked around the table to stand next to him, and found he had a drawn sketch of the castle and the grounds.
“How is this possible? I didn’t think anyone could get in,” I gasped, flipping through the large sheets to see every story about the castle was documented.
“That is true, but when some of the castle staff were left behind to look after things, they helped create these drawings. We viceroys, of course, kept them a secret, not wanting just anyone to know what the castle might hold. I think we’ve only brought these out once since we took our positions, and that was only when the previous men showed us we had them,” he informed me.
I shifted the pages until it was the one that showed the layout of the outbuildings.
We already knew about the stables and smithy next to it, but we hadn’t seen the soldiers’ barracks were also in that area.
“Abbott, the kitchen isn’t detached, but it’s under the throne room, and it looks like there are hidden stairs that lead to the upper dining room as well as to the second floor where the ballroom is.
The work that went into this castle is brilliant, but I shouldn’t expect anything less from our people.
They seem to have a knack for staying hidden. ”
The others got up and crowded around me as they looked over everything, pointing out what we’d seen and discovering more we hadn’t found in our venture today.
This castle was complex and had many secret passages, but what I found interesting was the fourth level.
It had a honeycomb setup with one room in the middle, and the others branched off it, connecting them all like one large space full of rooms and sitting rooms alike.
There was even another dining room if whoever wanted to stay in the space didn’t want to venture down to the other.
“What do you suppose this floor was created for? It’s an odd setup for a living space, almost as if the people wanted to make sure they all shared the same space but still have the illusion of personal space,” I mused out loud as I scrutinized it even more.
“That, Your Majesty, was created in mind for the Dragon Queen and her consorts so they might all live together in harmony. King Cardon spent many years redoing that whole level of the castle. Right after his coronation, he moved his room down to the third level where it used to be for guests alone and started restructuring the entire fourth level into this. No one understood why he would do such a thing when he chose one wife for himself and kept his family close. It never would have worked for him to live in an environment such as this, so he finally started to talk about the Dragon Queen prophecy,” Eleazar explained.
My brain took a moment to understand what he was telling me. “King Cardon made those rooms for me?”
“Well, us technically, if I understand the man right,” Paxton corrected.
“We know he had a vision. Who knew… maybe he saw all of us too. I mean there are just the right number of rooms. Look, there are even two on the outer edge that are more separate for the girls that exit out into the main hallway. They are still there for you as guardians but are set apart from where we’ll be intermingling. ”
“I need to sit down.”
Someone wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tight against their chest, holding me up instead. “I think we should call it a night. Who knows what dealing with that much power did to drain her,” Jade instructed the others. “If we are going to see the dragons tomorrow, we’ll need our rest.”
Before anyone else could comment, I was swept up into his arms and carried out of the room and toward the door. “Jade, I can walk,” I argued.
“I have no doubt about that, but I still want to carry you all the same,” he answered, cradling me tighter. “Never thought I would wish for you to hurt your leg again so I can hold you like this more often.”
“Don’t even joke about that. It took long enough for me to be able to walk on it, and it still aches after a long day. The last thing I need right now is not to be able to walk.” I huffed but allowed myself to tuck my head against his neck.
There was something about Jade that always made me feel safe.
I knew he’d killed people as a job and that I shouldn’t feel this way about him, but I couldn’t help what I felt.
He was my dark knight who always had my back, appearing when I needed him most. Just as the spirit dragon had said back at the castle, these men completed me in a way no other could.
We reached Marta’s house all too soon, and he set me back down on my own two feet, but I wasn’t ready to let go of him just yet, so I intertwined our fingers as we entered the house.
“Oh, you’re back. I wasn’t sure if you would be,” Marta said as she rose from her chair by the fire. “Can I get you anything, Your Majesty?”
“No, we just came from dinner with the viceroys,” I assured her. “Please, there is no need to wait on us. You’ve done so much for us already, giving us a place to stay and wonderful food to eat.”
“It’s a pleasure. This house has been so quiet since my son married, and they built their own house.
I told them they could live with me, but they wanted something of their own to build their new lives in.
” She sighed, returning to her seat. “Oh, don’t let me keep you as I blather on about the good old days.
It’s just been so lively having you lot around. ”
Looking at her, I had an idea but no clue if this was the right call to make.
“Marta… how would you feel about coming to live at the castle and being our head cook? We would obviously find more people to help you, but I’ve never had better food in my whole life than what you’ve given us the past two days.
It won’t be right away, so if you need time or you’re not interested, just say the word. ”
She blinked at me a few times in surprise, which I wasn’t all that shocked about since I just blurted it all out. “That is a wondrous offer, Your Majesty. Can I take a day or two to think it over? I’m just not sure I would be cut out for that kind of thing.”
“Of course, take the time you need. Helena is helping me with staffing the castle, so if you have any questions or have people in mind you want to work with if you decide to take the job, you can talk to her,” I said, bumbling over my words.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will reach out to her if I think I need to, and again I’m so extremely flattered you would ask,” Marta answered with a soft smile.
I bobbed my head, offered a quick goodnight, and headed back to the room I’d slept in the night before. Flopping on the bed, I covered my face and groaned in embarrassment.
“Finally, our queen has a weakness,” Cole announced as he followed me. “She can take down clan leaders, save crown princes, tell off a murderous Lord, but don’t ask her to hire a cook.”
“My mother would be horrified if she saw that,” I muttered.
The mattress beside me sank, and my hands were pulled away to reveal Cole looking down at me.
“Ah, little mouse, if this is the only thing you struggle with in life, then I think you’re doing just fine.
Marta is a fine choice for a cook, and I think you made the right call.
Just give her time to think it over. Serving the queen is high praise. I think you just caught her off guard.”
“After this, I’m going to let Helena do the job offers, and if I like someone, I’ll just tell her to do the deed,” I stated.
Cole leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. “You know you’re awfully cute when you’re flustered like this. Your cheeks get all pink, and you wrinkle your nose just like the little mouse you are.”
“Don’t you think it’s time to change the nickname? I mean, I am the Dragon Queen, after all. Your little mouse has gone and changed into a lion.”
A look passed over Cole’s face I couldn’t quite read, but he just dipped his head lower and sealed his lips to mine.
My whole body went lax at the attention, and I wrapped a hand around the back of his neck to hold him there.
All too soon, he pulled away and smiled.
“You will always be my little mouse I stole in the dead of night. Pleasant dreams, My Queen. We have another busy day tomorrow.” With that, he slipped out of the room.