Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III

Lady Bedlam was doing her best to maintain control. She said, “Why don’t we go to the drawing room? I think it would be wise to be as comfortable as possible while we talk. This situation is hardly over. We are going to have to be wary for some time.”

They all understood what she was saying. Valea knew that where there had been one assassination attempt, there might be others.

The enchantress began to lead them away, then paused when she realized that there was still another member of the party. The drake Ssarekai had remained behind after the others had left. Valea liked him; he hardly seemed like a dragon at all. How left out he must feel right now!

“Ssarekai? You are welcome to join us, you know. Don’t think that you aren’t family after all these years. You’ve gone farther than many toward making cooperation between our races work.”

The stable master had been staring down the hallway Benjin Traske, Kyl, and the drakes had used. With effort, he shifted his gaze to the sorceress. “I thank you deeply for thossse wordsss, my lady, but I have let too much time pass. There are dutiesss that I realize I must see to before it isss too late.”

“Very well. We have not given up on the spells that bind you and Aurim. I want you to know that they are still priorities with us.”

The drake shrugged. “I have had it this long; I think that if Master Aurim can wait, then so can I.”

Valea’s mother swore an oath, so upset was she. “There’s always too much happening at the same time! These spells should be removed as quickly as possible!”

“They don’t seem to be harming us, Mother. I can wait, too.” Aurim’s face was pale. “Besides . . . I need to hear what happened. I need to hear about Toos. How did Toma sneak assassins into Penacles? How does he find his way into everywhere?”

For some reason, this made their mother pause. At last the fire-tressed sorceress admitted, “Your father thinks it might have been someone else who plotted the assassination. He hopes to find out more. . . .” She hugged herself, obviously worried. “I pray that he doesn’t find out more than he planned.”

The others nodded, Valea making her own private wish concerning her father’s safety . . . and the rescue of Darkhorse. At least, she thought, the assassins had failed in their goal; Kyl was alive and well.

She would have to see him at first opportunity. He would certainly not turn her away. As selfish as she knew it was for her to think so, Valea could not help wondering if perhaps this tragic event would be what finally brought them together. She would be good for him, especially now. Kyl would not have to fear for her; Valea had the power not only to protect herself but to further augment the heir’s own magic. Between them, no assassin, however well armed, would stand the slightest chance of success.

Not even Toma, she decided.

Grath had a great desire to slap his brother’s face again and again until the idiot calmed down and thought properly once more, but he knew that such action would only see him dismissed from Kyl’s side. That would ruin everything that had been planned.

The death of General Toos had been a tragic loss, both politically and emotionally, but Grath had long ago learned to put the worst aside, leaving his mind clear for thought. He would miss the regent, miss him much more than his mentor would, of course, but overall the human’s death had been worth the price. After all, if not for Toos, Kyl would be dead and Grath would be forced to take his place. It was much too soon for that. Perhaps later, once it was clear that the power of the Dragon Emperor was secure.

Of course, first he had to free his brother from the shock and paranoia Kyl now suffered.

“They tried to kill me, Grath! Thossse missserable humans! I should overrun them all when I am emperor! They cannot be trusssted, the furry ssscavengers . . . but . . .” Kyl’s face twisted into an expression of extreme uncertainty. “The regent gave hisss own life to sssave mine! I would have been murdered but for him!”

Faras and Ssgayn exchanged glances that Grath noted out of the edge of his eye. They were beginning to question both their emperor-to-be’s sanity and his bravery.

He put a brotherly hand on Kyl’s shoulder. “Now isss not the time to think about all of this, Kyl. The best thing to do right now is rest. You need rest. In only a few days, the Blue Dragon, representing the other Dragon Kings as well, will arrive in the Dagora Forest. He will want to question you. This will be your moment.”

To his astonishment, Kyl pushed him away. “I don’t care about the drake lord! If they cannot accept me asss emperor already, then I will make them come to me on bent knee!” A frightening glint came into the drake’s eyes. “Could it be that Blue or one of the other hesssitant onesss sssent thossse killers? They do all have their human agentsss, do they not, Grath?”

The last thing he wanted to encourage was a fear that the recalcitrant Dragon Kings might be trying to kill Kyl. True, it was a possibility that he had considered-only minutes before, in fact-but that was something that could be dealt with once Kyl and he gained the power of the Dragon Throne. The drake lords would be less inclined to attempt the assassination once his brother was officially their master.

Grath exhaled, trying to gather his thoughts together enough to give Kyl some sort of reassuring answer. The chaos in the arena had not been nearly so draining as trying to keep his brother in line. And he is to be the emperor?

He was still trying to decide what to do when there came a heavy knock upon the door. Faras stalked toward the door, weapon at the ready. Kyl, Grath was ashamed to see, actually drew back into his chair.

The guards tensed. Faras opened the door.

Relief washed over Grath as he saw who it was who had dared to join them.

Kyl looked up at the newcomer, still wary. “Ssscholar Trassske. You desssire something of me? I am rather busssy at the moment.”

“So I see,” remarked the tutor with obvious sarcasm. Grath knew that his brother had never heard the figure before him speak with such impudence. “Busy falling prey to your fears when you should be using them to strengthen you. A ruler must learn to control his weaknesses and make them work for him.”

“I don’t have time for your sss-”

Grath allowed himself a brief smile as Kyl broke off at the look on the massive figure’s face. At last there was someone who could make his brother see sense . . . and who else was better suited?

Benjin Traske ceased glaring at the heir to the dragon throne just long enough to deal with Kyl’s bodyguards. “Leave us.”

To Kyl’s astonishment-but not to Grath’s-Faras and Ssgayn bowed and hastily retreated from the chamber.

The dragon heir rose, intending to command the two to return, but Traske stepped directly in front of him. Kyl, trying to back away, fell into the chair.

“Things are moving much too swiftly now, but we can compensate. The death of the regent, while unexpected, does nothing to change the fact that you will be emperor in only a very short time. You survived the assassination, and now it will be almost impossible for whoever was responsible to attempt something else. I will see to assuring that.”

“You will see to that?”

“In whatever way is open to me, of course,” Traske corrected. “What is more important is to consider the next step you must take on the road to the throne. If I may suggest-”

This made Kyl laugh harshly. “Teacher, you are a human I admire, I freely admit that. Your advice I would generally find good, but you could not possssibly underssstand what I am going through. You do not underssstand the challenges, the myriad pitfalls, that I face in asssuming the throne of my kind.”

“Perhaps I understand more than you imagine. . . .”

“You would have to live through it yourssself. There isss no other way to underssstand it ssso well.”

Benjin Traske started to speak, then paused in consideration. At last, he simply said, “I can see that for now I am wasting my time here.”

He was leaving. Grath could not believe that. Here was the one being able to drag Kyl back to his feet and he was leaving without having even tried. “Teacher-”

Benjin Traske shook his head. “No, Grath. I will waste no time here. I can see that Kyl needs time to let his