Chapter 16
GRAESON
"I still can't believe we let it come with us," Emmett mumbled as they trotted down the stone path, his brown face a sickly hue.
The dragon-wolf's tail whipped in the air as her feet stomped on the ground of the Tetrian swamps. Emmett yelped as the tail almost knocked him off his horse.
"I already told you her name is Nyrri," Medenia called back with a roll of her eyes.
As if in response, Nyrri gently curled her tail around Medenia's shoulders.
Medenia smiled fondly at Nyrri as the animal puffed up her chest. "Plus, I told you already, Emmett, she needed time to heal," she said.
Nyrri tipped her head up and continued strutting forward, causing a small smile to twitch at the corner of Graeson's mouth. Nyrri's wing had healed quickly, but she was still not fit to fly long distances, as her balance was still off-kilter.
Emmett shivered atop his horse. "Pontanius, please watch over us," he called out to the sky, praying to the god.
After several days of traveling alongside the dragon-wolf, most of the party had grown accustomed to Nyrri's presence; even the horses had become less skittish as they traveled. Still, while Nyrri might have been tame, Graeson did not blame Emmett for his continued fear.
Despite Medenia's assurance that Nyrri was not a danger, at the end of the day, the creature was still a wild beast foreign to all.
As they traveled through the woods of Borgania and then the swamps of Tetria, Medenia always walked closely to Nyrri. Every time there was an unexpected noise or movement nearby that made Nyrri either bear her teeth or thrash her head, Medenia would pet the animal and whisper unintelligible words into her ear, calming the beast.
Still, the creature was certainly deadly. They had all seen her rip the soldiers to ribbons. Even when the beast hunted and tore apart a deer, its wild nature was as clear as day.
"Medenia's right," Graeson said, the reins loose in his hands. "If we had abandoned Nyrri, who knows who would have found her next? We did not free her once already, only for her to be captured again."
Medenia nodded. "It is not merely enough to free her. If those tunnels showed us anything, there are bound to be more like her somewhere. The Frenzians will pay for what they have done," she said.
Graeson looked to his right, where Kalisandre lay unconscious atop Terin's horse. Thankfully, when Terin had awoken, Kalisandre's command of him had dissipated.
They were still unsure how she had been able to manipulate Terin, for neither Graeson nor Terin recalled her saying anything to him. Therefore, the group did not want to take any further risks.
For the rest of the journey, Kalisandre remained unconscious, only being woken up to eat and drink. Thankfully, Terin would soon get his reprieve.
Once they arrived in Tetria, Terin would finally release Kalisandre. Then, they would finally discover the actual damage the king had done.
"Frenzia and Ardentol will pay for everything," Graeson said as they continued on.
With apprehension, Tetrian warriors clad in leather and sharpened swords guided Graeson and the others down the trodden path toward the stone castle.
As they rode past storefronts and market stalls, Graeson was all too aware of the sideways glances from warriors and civilians alike. Initially, the people of Tetria greeted their princess with warm smiles and excited waves, but as their attention turned to the rest of the group and the beast by their side, their eyes widened in sheer horror.
Medenia stuck close to Nyrri, sensing the unease spreading through the city. Parents grabbed their kin, pulling them closer, as their children's expressions filled with a mix of wonder and excitement.
When they reached the castle, the iron gates creaked open. Ivy and moss stretched across the stone walls as if the earth was trying to pull the building underground and swallow it whole. From outside, the stained glass that decorated the castle's walls only marginally paled in comparison to how they sparkled across the floors inside. Inside the gates and away from the overcrowded streets, the guards led them to the royal stables, where they all dismounted and handed their horses' reins to the stable hands.
Graeson placed his horse Darling's reins in the waiting palm of a freckled-faced boy who scratched the horse behind the ear with his other hand, whispering into Darling's ear. Joy sparked the boy's eyes, and Graeson smiled.
"She's a good steed," Graeson remarked, scratching behind Darling's other ear.
The boy grinned widely. "Don't tell the others, but she is my favorite."
Darling preened, her tail sweeping the air at the compliment.
Graeson leaned over to the boy and whispered, "Your secret is safe with me."
The boy looked away, his shaggy hair falling into his face.
As the stable hand led Darling away, Graeson headed over to Terin, who was struggling to lift Kalisandre from his horse. When a guard took note, Graeson hurried toward Terin, cutting the Tetrian off.
"Here," Graeson said, reaching up. He lifted Kalisandre from the horse by the waist, folding her over his shoulder.
"Sir, I can--" one of the warriors began.
Graeson shook his head. "Please, go help Dani," he urged, nodding toward Dani, who was struggling to direct her horse into one of the stables.
The guard groaned, shaking her head. "Winter hates that cell. She's never going to get her to go inside," the Tetrian said, already walking away and shouting orders at one of the nearby boys.
"Thanks," Terin remarked with a yawn. "I was afraid I'd drop her."
"It's nothing," Graeson said, securing Kalisandre in his arms and feeling a sense of calm with her near. "We should ask to see a healer."
"My sister's mind still seems to be intact if that is your concern," Terin said wryly, running a hand across his tired face and pushing back his tousled brown waves.
Graeson arched a brow. "While I think Kalisandre should see a healer as well, I was referring to you ."
"I'm fine, Gray." Terin took a step away from the horse and stumbled.
Graeson arched a brow. "Sure."
Despite having rested throughout their journey, the bags beneath Terin's blood-streaked eyes were more prominent than ever. Sleep had never come easy to him, but after the extraneous use of his ability, the man needed to rest now more than ever.
He was a walking paper bag, disheveled and weak. His beard had grown more haggard, and his hair was past his chin.
"All right. I've seen better days," Terin admitted, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"The healers could at least give you a sleeping tonic to help."
Terin huffed. "If they do that, I'm afraid I'll be asleep for days."
"You need the rest, Ter."
Terin looked towards Kalisandre, and his brows drew together. Thoughts Graeson couldn't quite decipher deepened the wrinkles forming in the middle of his friend's forehead. "I'll think about it," he said after a moment.
"That is all I ask," Graeson said as they walked toward the group gathered outside the stables. "I need to bring you both back in one piece, remember? Or else Esmeray will have my head." The mere thought made him shudder.
Terin snorted. "I think it's a little late for that."
Graeson shrugged, even though he knew Terin was right.
If the queen wasn't already storming through the halls in a mad fury, she would be soon enough. Even the sea separating Pontia from the rest of Vaneria couldn't keep the whispers from reaching the kingdom. Gossip always found its way over.
As Graeson and Terin left the stables, they watched a boy who must have been no more than sixteen take a hesitant step toward Nyrri. The boy lifted his chin as he held his hands steady at his sides. But while his posture was sturdy, a hint of fear coated his deep brown eyes.
"Bengi," Medenia called with an amused smile.
The boy hesitantly turned toward the princess. Trepidation sparkled in his eyes as if he feared giving his back to the creature would only increase his chances of being eaten whole. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"No need to take Nyrri into the stables. The queen will want to see her first."
"Oh," Bengi mumbled, blinking. He cleared his throat and bowed again, his brown hair falling in front of his face and hiding the flush quickly spreading across his warm, brown cheeks. "Of course, Your Highness."
Medenia ruffled Bengi's hair. "Where's Ophelia?"
"She was out hunting, but word has already been sent about your return."
Medenia frowned but quickly wiped it away before squeezing his shoulder and nodding to the guards. "Let us see the queen."
As the group walked away from the stables, Graeson heard Bengi mutter under his breath, "Bless the goddess and the stars."
Beside Graeson, Ellie chuckled and leaned toward him. "I thought Bengi was going to shit his trousers there for a second," she whispered.
"Brave of him to step forward," Graeson said.
Ellie shrugged. "Oh, I'm sure he only offered because Medenia was there. He's had a little crush on her since he could barely walk."
"Truly? Doesn't he know she is with Ophelia?" Terin said, leaning forward slightly.
Ellie chuckled. "Of course. He's Ophelia's little brother, after all."
At the base of the steps, a line of Tetrian warriors stood with their sheathed swords mere inches from their fingertips. All eyes were on Nyrri as the small group approached.
In the middle of the line of warriors and a few steps up, Queen Cetia stood with her chin tipped up. She balanced her hands on a crystal sphere sitting atop a wooden cane. Her long nails, dipped in black, clicked against the orb.
With two guards flanking her, the queen stepped down, and her sage-green dress whipped in the billowing wind.
"I hear that you have not only brought one dangerous creature into my queendom, but two," she drawled. "Rumors scurried through my streets the moment you stepped foot on Tetrian land about a foreign beast and a captured bride. The warriors seem to fear the beast, but I have heard other rumblings that make me question who we truly should fear here."
Graeson, unable to stop himself, said with an even but firm tone, "Kalisandre is not a danger to anyone, Your Majesty."
They hadn't come all this way and sacrificed so many lives for the queen to turn them away now because of some supposed threat.
The queen raised a brow. "You claim she is not a danger, yet you knew exactly who I was referring to," Cetia smirked. "I could have been referring to you."
"But you weren't," Graeson retorted. As the corner of his vision reddened, the anger rising within him, he exhaled, long and heavy.
"Peculiar, though, is it not?" Cetia asked, tilting her head. Although Graeson knew the blind queen could not see him, her gaze bore into him, as if she could perceive more than even he could.
The question and the queen's tone only increased Graeson's anger. However, before he could say anything more, Ellie stepped forward.
"Your Majesty," Ellie said, curtsying low with respect. "The princess is unconscious and has been so for most of our journey. Whether or not she is a threat yet is to be determined. Either way, we request a healer for both the princess and prince."
"Is the prince harmed?" Cetia asked, forehead creased in concern.
Terin cleared his throat. "No, Your Majesty, I am well."
Cetia tapped her staff against the ground. "Do not lie. I can hear the exhaustion dripping from your tongue."
Terin shifted on his feet uncomfortably.
Cetia snapped her fingers. "Laura and Galia, take them to the infirmary, then place the princess in a holding cell."
Graeson clutched Kalisandre closer to his chest as two warriors stepped out of the line. "You will not touch her."
"Do not forget, child, that this is my queendom. I do not care who, or what , you are," Cetia commanded, her words quiet but authoritative.
Ellie placed a hand on Graeson's shoulder, with a look urging him to stay quiet.
Reluctantly, he did. But this conversation was far from over. Still, when the warriors reached for Kalisandre, he was slow to give them her. His unease was only marginally settled when Terin nodded at Graeson, silently promising to watch over Kalisandre. Graeson watched Kalisandre's limp body all the way to the castle's main doors, longing to go with her.
Ellie squeezed his shoulder, beckoning him to stay, before letting it drop.
The queen descended the rest of the steps, her heels rapping against the stone, two guards following. As Cetia reached the bottom, the guards faltered as Nyrri's claws scratched the cobbles below.
"Your Majesty," one guard said, a hand near the queen's arm, "the creature--"
"The creature ," Cetia snapped, turning her head to the side, "has a name. Does it not, Medenia?"
"Her name is Nyrri," Medenia said, joining the queen. She wrapped an arm around her mother's arm and guided the queen forward.
Nyrri shifted as the women approached, and metal screeched as a warrior drew her sword, the sound ripping through the courtyard.
A low rumble vibrated in Nyrri's throat, and Graeson snapped his head in her direction. The dragon-wolf's eyes darkened, the red nearly snuffing out as her pupils enlarged.
Her top lip curled, revealing sharp, yellow canines.
"Put your sword away, Fallon," Medenia scolded.
"But, Your Highness..." the warrior who had pulled out her sword began to say before the queen interrupted.
"Fallon," Cetia warned, pausing her approach. "That was an order."
Fumbling an apology, Fallon returned her sword to its sheath and stepped back into line. Her fingers, however, still flexed over the hilt. As did a few of the other warriors, Graeson noticed.
"Mother, it is safe," Medenia assured. "Nyrri has not hurt any of us."
Ellie cleared her throat, her hands folded behind her back. "Do not paint a lie with misguided truths simply because you are fond of the creature, Medenia. While Nyrri has not hurt one of us , we would be remiss if we did not relay the entire truth. She is dangerous, Your Majesty, deadly even. She mauled several soldiers we encountered on the outskirts of Frenzia."
"Is this true?" Cetia asked.
Medenia sighed. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Yet you all have remained unharmed?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," she repeated.
"Now, that is peculiar. Do you have any theories, Medenia?"
Medenia straightened, pride coloring her face. "Many animals can smell fear and anger. The same goes for Nyrri but at a more heightened level. Nyrri is well-attuned to humans' intentions."
Cetia hummed in acknowledgment before slipping her arm out of Medenia's and taking a step forward. Then, slowly and carefully, the queen reached out a hand.
Nyrri's wings flared out, and a gust of wind blew back the queen's raven-black hair. Movement flickered down the line of warriors, a couple of women stepping forward. Cetia, however, held up a hand, halting the guards' approach.
Graeson watched with curiosity as Nyrri leaned forward, her long snout nearing the queen's hand. The creature sniffed, nostrils flaring. And for a moment, time stilled.
Then, Cetia lifted her hand and felt for the creature's nose. "What did you say Nyrri is exactly?"
Nyrri tilted her head, leaning in as the queen stroked her snout. A breath of relief echoed down the line of warriors.
"We're not sure exactly," Ellie admitted. "She has some of the features of a wolf, such as her snout and paws. But she also has wings that span past the length of her body and the ruby red eyes of the dragons of old."
"Interesting," Cetia murmured, deep in thought.
"When we were in the tunnels beneath the Frenzian temple," Graeson explained, "we came across several animal and human carcasses inside cells."
"Human?" Cetia repeated, voice pitched in disbelief.
"Yes," Graeson began, but he paused as he scanned the crowd. He shifted on his feet. "We have been traveling a long time, Your Majesty. Perhaps we could discuss this inside?"
Ceita patted Nyrri's nose. "Of course. Where are our manners? Rooms have been prepared for you all, and dinner shall be served in a couple of hours," the queen said, waving Graeson and the others forward.
One of the nearby guards cleared her throat, causing the queen to halt.
"Your Majesty, what shall we do with..." the guard hesitated, her gaze flitting between the princess and the creature. " Nyrri? "
Cetia flicked a dismissive hand in the air. "Lizbeth and Phoenix, take Nyrri to the stables."
"The stables? But what about the horses?" the guard asked incredulously.
"Mother, the stables might not be the best place," Medenia interjected. "She would feel confined. She was held in captivity for who knows how long."
Cetia nodded, pursing her lips. "Very well. Take her to the courtyard then, Lizbeth, and keep watch."
"Keep watch ?" the guard asked, trepidation shadowing her features. But Cetia was already walking up the steps, Medenia at her side.
Graeson stood near the windows overseeing the eastern courtyard where Nyrri lounged in the grass. Occasionally, the dragon-wolf would open an eye and let out a menacing growl, frightening the nearby guards. As soon as their faces blanched, Nyrri would close her eyes, and Graeson could have sworn he saw a flicker of amusement twitch at her lips.
When Graeson had attempted to slip away to the healer, Ellie had pulled him back, claiming he would only get in the way. Despite every bone in his body telling him not to, Graeson begrudgingly listened, knowing Ellie was right.
Besides, it would take the healers some time to check on Kallie before they were able to transfer her to a holding cell anyway.
Sylvia and Emmett had opted to retreat to the guest rooms to wash up and rest. Sylvia tried to persuade Dani to see the healer, but she refused, saying she would go later. Still, Dani bounced her knee as she sat, her nervous energy filling the room.
"You wished for privacy, and I have given it to you," Cetia mused, after giving them time to fill their stomachs. "Now, tell me, where exactly did the animal that is now scaring half of my guards come from? The animal feels...other. Explain."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Graeson faced the queen and recounted the creatures they had seen in the temple when they had pursued Domitius. When he described the thin child with horrid wings, his stomach churned in horror.
"Whatever the Frenzians have been doing secretly beneath their kingdom is neither natural nor humane," Graeson said.
On one of the plush couches, Medenia gripped her tea cup firmly. "They are clearly preparing for a war, Mother. Why else would they be partaking in such horrendous experiments?"
The queen's black nails tapped along the timber of the chair's arm. She nodded thoughtfully. "The motives of the other kingdoms will always remain a mystery. However, the Frenzian kingdom has always proved to be a wealth of knowledge; knowledge that they have decided to keep to themselves for centuries. But I do know this, the Dronias line has ruled over Frenzia since before Vaneria split into the seven kingdoms. The family is rumored to have once been dragon tamers."
"Dragon tamers?" Dani repeated over a sip of tea, peering over the rim of her cup.
"Yes," Cetia affirmed. "While dragons became extinct centuries ago, the Frenzians--the ruling line, specifically--believe that dragons came from the skies, ripping through the very stars and carrying the gods upon their backs."
"How does their origin have to do with the experiments?" Medenia asked.
"You call Nyrri a dragon-wolf, do you not?" her mother replied.
"With no other known creature existing, it is the closest comparison."
Cetia folded her delicate hands in her lap. "If I had to guess then, it would seem that the Frenzians are trying to recreate the dragons."
Graeson looked outside, where Nyrri was curled up. Several yards away, a bird circled above her, and she sat eerily still, watching. When the bird swooped down, Nyrri snapped her head out, snatching the small critter with her sharp teeth.
"How can they recreate them? Can they even do that?" Dani asked with a shudder.
"I do not know if we will ever know how ," Cetia said, her brows twisting together. "But if what you say is true, they are already doing it. So it seems that yes, they can."
"Do you think Domitius knew?" Medenia asked. "Is that why he sought a marriage alliance with them? Was the choosing ceremony just a ploy?"
Graeson tensed, his rage rising as he realized that the marriage alliance was an even bigger ploy than they had thought. The king wasn't just after Frenzia's army, but their knowledge as well. And he planned to use Kalisandre to get it. Was there no end to his deceit?
"I think it is safe to assume that he was aware of the ongoing events or knew something about them. I think it would be foolish of us to believe otherwise," Cetia remarked.
"How could he have known? Neither of our kingdoms did," Ellie asked.
"How has Domitius known anything?" Cetia inquired. "How did he know how to get into your kingdom seventeen years ago? Why did he take the princess to begin with? Why has he kept her alive this entire time? There are many things we do not know about that man and the knowledge he possesses." The queen shrugged, taking a swig of tea.
"There is one way," Dani said, exchanging a knowing glance with Graeson. "Domitius has been conversing with a seer."
"We do not know that, Dani," Graeson argued. "Seers are rare. Therefore, the possibility of Domitius knowing one and having one in his possession is highly unlikely."
"But not impossible ," Dani said, peering at him.
"Whether he has a seer or not matters little at this point," Cetia said. "A war is coming, and Queen Esmeray will need to make a choice."
Graeson turned toward the window and gripped the ledge as he looked at Nyrri, his knuckles blanching. "There is no choice to make. There is only one answer."