Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III

brothers, Valea had long ago come to grips with the fact that she and her mother would forever seem more like two nearly identical sisters. It was, admittedly, a tiny bit annoying to think that a male, especially Kyl, might find the elder Lady Bedlam more attractive, but fortunately that did not seem to be the case with the drake. He had already proven which of the Bedlam women he preferred. Besides, everyone knew that her parents were inseparable.

“How have things been?” her mother asked.

“Well enough.” There really was not more to say, but parents never seemed satisfied with such short responses. “I spent most of the time at my lessons or with Ursa.” There was enough truth in that answer to make her feel as if she had not been lying. Telling her parents that she had spent the last few days thinking only of Kyl would have quickly reopened the chasm.

“Welcome back, my lady.”

Valea had not realized that Ursa had followed her this far. She momentarily feared that her friend would betray her by expanding on the truth, but then Ursa simply repeated her greeting to Valea’s sire. The Lord and Lady Bedlam returned the drake’s welcome, which then seemed the end of the matter. The novice witch breathed a little easier.

Cabe Bedlam turned to talk to Aurim, no doubt wondering how her brother had fared in his role as lord of the manor. Valea desperately sought some reason to leave her mother. She wanted the chance to welcome Kyl back before he vanished to his rooms.

It was too late. Glancing in the drake’s direction, she saw that he, Grath, and Lord Green were already starting to walk away, the heir’s shadows, Faras and Ssgayn, close behind. Perhaps it would have been better after all to risk her folks’ ire by greeting Kyl first. Now her one opportunity was lost.

Then, the heir to the dragon throne looked her way.

The smile was there again, the smile that was just for her. Kyl did not pause, but the smile and the look in his eyes told Valea that he would see her before long.

Scholar Traske spoke true! she thought, barely able to keep her pleasure hidden. Her mother, though, was talking to one of the servants about some household matter and therefore missed the brief struggle. Even had the Lady Bedlam noted the flush of pleasure spreading across her daughter’s countenance, it was probable that she would have assumed that it had to do with her own return.

None of that truly mattered now. The novice sorceress had confirmation. Kyl truly did care for her.

“If you do not have need of me at thisss time, I would like to return to my kingdom immediately, my lord. There are duties I, too, must attend to.”

Grath nudged Kyl, whose attention had been on Cabe Bedlam’s fiery daughter. Pausing, the dragon heir gave the drake lord an understanding nod. “By all meansss, Lord Green! You of all here do not need to ssseek my permission!”

“It would be improper otherwise. Although the formalities must still be observed, you are my emperor. If there wasss any doubt, it was dispelled by your excellent behavior in Talak.”

Kyl basked in the compliment. “Thank you for sssaying ssso. When shall we be graced with your company again, Lord Green?”

“I shall return before it isss time to depart for Penacles, be assured of that. Asss to the exact day, that I cannot say.”

“There isss no need. Let me sssay before you go, that I am ever appreciative of your loyalty and guidance.”

The Dragon King bowed. “I do what I must, Your Majesty.”

Kyl and Grath watched as the Green Dragon departed, then continued on their way to their chambers, the two drake guards ever maintaining a respectful distance behind them. The heir turned to his brother. “Without Green’sss sssupport, none of thisss would have been possible, would you not sssay so, Grath?”

“It would have certainly been more difficult, but you would have overcome it, brother.”

“With your aid, perhapsss. I mussst again commend you for the wordsss and gift you sssuggested for the ceremony. They were perfect! Hisss Majesty King Melicard wasss overcome! I will have hisss sssupport now!”

“I merely made recommendations, Kyl. It was your execution of them that made it work.” Nevertheless, there was a smile on Grath’s visage.

“What would I do without you at my ssside, my brother?” The dragon heir put a companionable arm around his brother’s shoulders and smiled. “Talak wasss a sssuccess! Penaclesss will alssso be a triumph! With ssstrength from both drake and human elementsss, no one will quessstion my right to sssit upon my father’sss throne!”

“They would be foolish to do so now,” commented Grath. His face hardened. “But sssome will. There are always a few.”

“Asss long asss they are not ssstrong enough to caussse me any worry, Grath. You will sssee to that, will you not? I could trussst no one elssse ssso.”

The younger drake nodded thoughtfully. “As you wish, Kyl. Asss you wish.”

A formidable figure abruptly loomed before the drakes, but his presence brought slight smiles, not scowls, from Ssgayn and Faras. Grath immediately bowed in respect, and even Kyl could not resist a slight nod of his head. Benjin Traske had that effect on others, especially those who had been his pupils.

“I’m glad to see you back, lads,” rumbled the scholar. “I would have greeted you and the Lord and Lady Bedlam sooner, but I was ensconced in my chambers and did not know that you were back until a servant informed me.”

“There wasss no need, Ssscholar Trassske,” Kyl returned. “But it isss indeed kind of you to come to usss now. I am sssorry that you could not be with usss in Talak. Your fine inssstruction made all the difference, I mussst sssay.”

Traske chuckled. “You sound very much like the diplomatic monarch, Kyl, and I thank you. It pleases me to think that I might have had some small part in your success. A tutor always likes to see his pupils excel. When you have the opportunity, I would love to hear of your experiences.”

The thought of impressing his former tutor was enticing, but Kyl was a bit weary from the long trip. Besides, there were other things he needed to prepare for, not the least of them being a chance encounter with Valea. Of course, Kyl never left chance encounters to chance; he and Grath made them happen. The handsome drake had a suspicion of where the Bedlams’ daughter would be for the next hour or two, and he intended on stumbling on her at some point during that period.

As ever, it was Grath who stepped in to solve his dilemma. It was always Grath. Who else could it be? “I would be happy to relate our tale to you, Scholar Traske! It would give me the chance to ask you a few questions that I have about the mountain kingdom. I wasss amazed by it!” He waved his hands as he exclaimed the last. “Would that be satisfactory to you, Master Traske?”

“I would be delighted. You have time now?”

“I will make time. I’ve questions that cannot wait.”

“You should first perhaps make certain that your brother has no need of you,” Traske reminded Grath. “This is a crucial time for him. Your trip to Talak might be a thing of the past, but there is still Penacles to consider and the Dragon Kings afterward.”

Grath had always been the scholar’s most avid student. Kyl knew that the heavyset scholar enjoyed conversing with his former pupil. Grath also enjoyed the conversations, especially since Traske was a fount of information. Whenever there was a question that the younger drake could not answer-and those seemed to be becoming increasingly fewer-he would turn to the human who had taught them.

Had it been within his power, Kyl would have offered Benjin Traske a place in his empire, if only because between the human and his brother, he would have had the best counselors that any ruler could hope for.

Why not ask him at some point? The human had no plans once his role at the Manor was finished. His only pupils were Aurim and Valea, but Aurim was nearly finished with his lessons and Valea . . . well, perhaps that would be the final factor. Valea would need friends. There would be Ursa, but the witch would need more than one companion.

When Grath returned from this conversation with the human, Kyl would present the suggestion. His brother