some magic, it was Rima and Abella who showed the greatest talent. Their brother, Biton, however, seemed to have the strongest magic of the seven. They were excited to reacquaint themselves with their Hetarian grandparents, great-grandmother and other relations. It was not long before Parvanah and Marzina were laughing and exchanging information with them.
“You must teach them what Cinnia and I cannot,” Dillon said to his parents. “Especially Biton, who will one day inherit this throne.”
“The purple sands in your life glass are still almost filled to the top,” Lara noted.
“Oh, I shall reign for many decades to come, Mother,” Dillon said. “I know that. It will give Biton time to learn all he can for one day the darkness may reach out to Belmair. Remember Kolgrim will soon have a son. He will not be satisfied to wait for my half brother to die so he may rule. He will want his own conquest.”
“Before we leave you I shall cloak Belmair so you are protected from invaders,” Kaliq said. “Such a near-perfect world should not be disturbed.”
“And when will you go, Father?” Dillon asked. It was rare he addressed Kaliq in such a manner, usually calling him my lord.
“I am not certain yet,” the great Shadow Prince said. “Your mother and I will know when it is time.” He reached out to take Lara’s hand in his.
“You know you are welcome to remain as long as you desire,” Dillon responded. He was to his great dismay realizing that when Kaliq and Lara left it was unlikely he would ever see them again. Suddenly within what seemed a very short span of time everything was changing. Hetar as they had known it was no more. In a Cosmos that had always been friendly, his world would now have to be cloaked to keep it safe.
THE EVENING ENDED WITH LARA and Kaliq deciding to shelter with her brother, Cirillo, and Nidhug for a few days before staying with Dillon and Cinnia.
“Now that we are free of Mother you can tell me,” Cirillo said to Kaliq and Lara as they walked across the large garden separating the two castles. The faerie prince was as handsome as he had ever been with his wavy golden hair, and faerie green eyes.
“Tell you what?” Lara asked her brother. “I think we said everything tonight.”
“Where are you going?” Cirillo wanted to know.
“I don’t know,” Lara answered him honestly.
“Then how can you know you aren’t meant to remain here?” he demanded.
Lara laughed and shook her head. “Belmair is not my destiny, little brother. I know now that my destiny is somewhere out in the Cosmos. And when I have found it, and fulfilled it, Kaliq and I will go to the new home that his brothers will find for us. We will not interact with the mortal races again, Cirillo. I know now that they must find their own path without our help.”
“Is magic to end then?” he wondered.
“Nay, and here in Belmair it will live for thousands of years to come, but you will be protected from outside influences that might harm your world. In the time that our son has ruled, Belmairans have learned to live side by side again with magic. That is to the good, and your kingdom within a kingdom will be safe, Cirillo.”
“I agree,” Nidhug said. “Belmair is a good place to be, my love. And having given your mother our daughter, Parvanah, the Forest Faeries have an heiress after Queen Ilona. And our entire family will inhabit the same world. I am content.”
“You don’t mean to be mother’s heir then?” Lara said to her brother.
“Nay,” Cirillo responded. “I am more like my father in disposition, sister.”
“And Thanos is gentle,” Lara noted with a smile.
Cirillo smiled. “Aye, but gentle is not a particularly good trait in a faerie king,” he chuckled. “Parvanah may have been created to look like a faerie, but she has dragon’s blood in her veins. She will make an excellent queen one day.”
“Can she shape-shift?” Kaliq asked curious.
“Of course!” Nidhug answered, “but do not tell Ilona. She would be horrified to learn her dainty faerie granddaughter can turn herself into an absolutely beautiful female dragon. Her scales are lavender and silver, and her wings gold and silver. She is exquisite, but she rarely indulges herself with that shape, more’s the pity.” Nidhug sniffed.
“My brother found a treasure in you, Nidhug,” Lara said. “And while she will never admit to it, my mother did, too.”
They had reached Nidhug’s castle. Tavey, the dragon’s personal servant, hurried forth to greet them all. “There is cake in the hall, mistress, and grape frine,” he said.
“Well, perhaps just a small nibble before we retire, considering that Sarabeth went to the trouble,” Nidhug agreed. Sarabeth was Nidhug’s cook. She was famous throughout all of Belmair.
They all laughed knowing the dragon’s predilection for sponge cakes soaked in sweet wine and covered with whipped cream. Sure enough they entered the hall to find two such cakes. One Tavey served to his mistress. The other he sliced for her husband and their two guests, setting aside what was left for he knew the dragon would eat it before retiring.
“They are never as good the second day.” Nidhug excused herself as she finished the second cake, her forked tongue licking her chops as she did. Then she said, “I shall not see you again until your departure, my dear Lara and Kaliq. You know I must rest myself for the times when the king needs my help.” Then fluttering her long heavy eyelashes at her husband, she said, “Do not be long, darling. Good night, all.” And she departed the hall.
“She insisted I awaken her when you came,” Cirillo said, “and she had already been sleeping for several weeks.”
Lara shook her head. “I am yet astonished at how happy you are, brother.”
Cirillo chuckled. “She is the perfect wife for me,” he said. “I adore her.”
“And what do you do with your time when your dragon wife slumbers?” Lara wanted to know of him.
“I have spent much of my time teaching your grandchildren the faerie magic they need to learn. I have spent time exploring Belmair, which is why I was able to advise my nephew, the king, the best sites to offer the refugees from Hetar. The descendants of the Yafir are delighted to have been able to provide King Annan and his Water Faeries a new home on Belbuoy. They told me that they truly feel a part of Belmair now,” Cirillo said. “But Kaliq, your grandson and two of your granddaughters could use your knowledge, and that of my sister’s. I can teach them no more. The other four girls are content with what little I managed to pound into their frivolous little heads,” he chuckled.
“There is a little time for us here,” Kaliq agreed. “I shall be happy to teach Biton and his sisters what I can. Lara?”
She nodded. “I will help them,” she agreed. “Marzina is talented, Cirillo. Why did you not ask her for aid?”
“Marzina is a light touched by the darkness,” Cirillo said. “I didn’t want her unleashing any of that darkness here in Belmair.”
“She would not do that!” Lara defended her daughter.
“Not deliberately,” Cirillo quickly agreed.
“You do not understand her,” Lara said.
“And you love her too much,” Cirillo replied.
“My lord, my lady,” Tavey interrupted them cleverly. “Let me show you to your apartment. My mistress has arranged for you to have one with windows looking out over the gardens, and the countryside beyond. The entire southwest tower will be yours.”
“Excellent!” Kaliq said, taking Lara’s hand in his. “We will bid you good-night then, Cirillo, and thank you and Nidhug for your hospitality.”
“I wasn’t going to fight with him,” Lara said as they followed Tavey.
“Aye, you were,” Kaliq chuckled, “but I should rather you fight with me, and then we will take pleasures to make up for our bad tempers.”
“You are incorrigible,” Lara replied, smiling. “But I don’t understand why Cirillo would say that Marzina has darkness within her.”
“She does,” Kaliq replied. “While she is not evil, Lara, her father’s blood runs through her veins every bit as much as yours does. Do not fear for her, however, my love. There will come a time when it is an advantage to her to have Kol’s blood.”
