Chapter 54
Chapter fifty-four
Whatever meddling Nedine did in the romance of her brother it was wholly ineffective. He came to call on Alyce most every day, and invited her to Netherfield the other days, and it was clear a marriage proposal was imminent.
Mrs. Longbourn was delighted; her oldest daughter was going to marry a dragon master who was part of a wealthy and powerful clan.
Of course, it was the enthusiasm of Mamma that nearly ruined the whole romance.
She would flutter around Nethenabbi when he was sipping tea, asking if he needed anything more.
He would gracefully assure her that he was fine.
She would draw his attention to Alyce’s brilliant eyes, or her flattering waist, or her graceful mouth.
Nethenabbi would calmly respond that he agreed Alyce was quite beautiful.
It was an impressive display of restraint on his part not to leave, or demand Alyce came to Netherfield to visit instead.
Perhaps Nedine was an even worse chaperone than Mamma.
But when Alyce smiled on him, he would light up with happiness, and so his admiration of her remained stable despite the motherly interference.
When the day came that Nethenabbi asked for an audience alone with Alyce, nobody was surprised. He took her on a flight on the back of his beloved dragon.
“It was the most romantic thing,” Alyce confided in Valeraine.
“He told me I was the most beautiful and kind woman he had ever known, and then he proposed to me. I said yes, of course, for he is the most handsome and kind man in the world. Then… we shared a kiss, there in the sky. Val, it was perfect.”
The rest of the Longbourn family was in agreement. It was perfect.
Alyce and Mr. Nethenabbi would be married that spring.
Papa certainly thought it was the perfect alliance for Longbourn, leading to selling the farmland and tenant contracts to Netherfield.
Papa called Valeraine into his office to give her the news. “We haven’t yet signed the contracts, but they’re all done up. It’s time to usher in the end of our house with dignity.”
“But, Papa, the Royal derby —”
“Is in a week, and you’ve promised to bring a dragon egg home. Now, we both know that isn’t going to happen, but out of respect to your attempt, as I’ve said, we haven’t signed the contracts yet.”
“So, after the derby…”
“Yes. Then, I will sign over all that Longbourn has to be sold to Netherfield, with a gradual transfer over the next ten years. It’s the perfect opportunity for both of us: they get to easily build up their estate with competent, happy farmers, and we get to ensure a future for our tenants.”
Valeraine wanted to argue, but she knew he was right. If she didn’t manage to bring home an egg, that would be what was best for Longbourn. A quiet, orderly death. It was the best they could hope for, without a new dragon to refresh the house.
The Royal derby was Longbourn’s last chance.
The Royal derby was held in early March, on the border of winter and spring.
The cold was finally breaking, and new flowers were budding.
It marked the end of the winter derby season, the beginning of the Kinellan social season as the dragons of the kingdom became occupied with tilling and casting seed.
The last few weeks of training Valeraine squeezed in with Lelantos felt like they weren’t doing any good.
The dragon was in the best shape Valeraine had ever seen him, eager to sprint and building his endurance.
However, he was still old, and still couldn’t sprint for nearly as long as the dragons he would be up against. The only true advantage was his large wingspan, enabling him to climb and dive farther than the young competition.
It had been enough to get them a lead in several derbies.
It hadn’t yet been enough to win. Would the Royal derby be any different?
Or would this be a last hurrah, followed by the gradual decline of everything Valeraine had worked for?
The Royal derby came all too quickly. Kesley and Valeraine flew on Lelantos to go to the derbygrounds outside of Kinellan City. Kesley had packed their saddlebags with treats for Lelantos and the masked rider costume, and Valeraine had packed food for them. They were as ready as they could be.
The rest of the Longbourn family bundled into coaches. It was a generous half-day’s journey by coach so they left with the sunrise.
In the air, it wasn’t easy to talk. But if Kesley leaned forward and put his mouth next to Valeraine’s ear, she could hear him over the wind.
“Are you sure you want to race?” he asked her.
“Of course I have to race.” This was her last chance to stop Longbourn from dying. Just because it might be a painless death to the farmers didn’t mean the house wasn’t worth fighting for. She would show everyone that age in a dragon did not mean they were done being useful, or powerful.
“Because I’ve been thinking,” Kesley continued, “that it would be better for me to race, instead.”
“You?” Valeraine gasped it, unable to really provide the sound and force that the question needed.
“This derby is bigger than any you’ve raced in before. There’s more chances for you to be recognized as a woman. Doubly so if you do well. I’ve heard the race officials keep a sharp eye out for cheating. I’m not sure if they’ll even let you ride in a mask.”
“Lelantos flies for me.”
“He’s become a competent racer, thanks to you, but I’ve been training with him too. He knows me; he’ll fly for me.”
There was some logic to what Kesley said. If she won, could she even claim her prize while masked? And it wasn’t as if she was the one with wings. Would it make any difference to Lelantos who was on his back? It all seemed so tenuous from that perspective.
But this was her race. She wanted to feel the thrill of the Royal derby, of her bond with Lelantos true and strong.
Kesley didn’t have that. He had the opposite of a bond with Lelantos.
Kesley might pretend the dragon would fly just as well for him — and he was right that Lelantos had never been more friendly toward him than after their winter of training — but they both knew he would fly better for Valeraine.
“I knew you would see reason. This way, Sidton house can share in the glory, too,” Kesley said.
“No. I’ll race.”
“If you’re discovered, you’ll ruin Alyce’s engagement. There’s no way Netherfield would ally themselves with Longbourn.”
“If I win this derby, Longbourn’s reputation will be strengthened, and grow for decades as we tame our new dragon,” she said.
“Val, be sensible, you —”
“If I don’t race, I’ll never forgive myself.
” Valeraine knew she was not being entirely reasonable, but it was the truth.
If she gave up here, at the precipice of her final goal, the moment before her hardest hurdle, who was she?
What had she been working for, if not for this?
If she didn’t race today, all that was left of her were the parts that never truly cared about anything, and those parts hardly seemed to matter.
Valeraine would fly. She would win. She would come home with money, a dragon egg, having proven Longbourn house was reputable and she was a capable dragoneer.
Kesley gave her a kiss on her cheek, and then on her lips as she turned her head to him. “For luck,” he gave as benediction.