A Tale Of Two Dragons

They made it to the courtyard and that’s where they met Ghleanna. She had on chain mail and the surcoat of an army she and Addolgar had long ago destroyed. A large bag hung off her shoulder and nearly to the ground. It would be much smaller when she was in her dragon form, but once she untied the knot at the top, it would fit around her dragon shoulders just as well, allowing her to carry clothes and human weapons, along with food and other supplies for her dragon form.

“Where is she?” Ghleanna demanded.

“She’s coming.”

“Keep an eye on her,” Bercelak warned Ghleanna. “I still don’t trust her. And make sure Arranz is completely apprised of this entire situation so he and our cousins know what to do.”

“Of course you don’t trust Braith. You don’t trust anybody,” Ghleanna reminded their brother. “You don’t trust the air.”

“Because it tends to become unseasonably chilly when I’d prefer it to be warm. It’s as if it does it on purpose.”

Ghleanna closed her eyes, shook her head.

Braith stepped out of the Main Hall and onto the courtyard steps. She wore nothing but one of Addolgar’s shirts, showing off those lovely human legs of hers. But she had a bag similar to Ghleanna’s over her shoulder.

Once she stood next to them, Addolgar asked her, “You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll—”

Braith’s words were cut off as Shalin rushed out of the Main Hall. “Addolgar!”

At his mother’s barked words, Addolgar, Ghleanna, and Bercelak dropped their travel bags and pulled their weapons. They instantly surrounded a confused Braith.

From the sky they dropped, the Queen’s Royal Guard, surrounding the small group.

Ailean came out of the front door, pushing Shalin and Maelona back inside. Once the doors were closed, he pulled out his sword, resting the tip on the top stone step while his hand loosely clasped the pommel.

“Can we help you?” he asked . . . kindly.

“We’ve come for her,” the leader said, his claw pointing at Braith. “Give her to us and we leave you and yours in peace, Ailean the Wicked.”

Ailean laughed. “Peace? Cadwaladrs know little of peace, I’m afraid.”

On his words, shadows moved and then the Queen’s Guards, who were surrounding Addolgar, Ghleanna, and Bercelak, who were surrounding Braith, were now surrounded themselves . . . by Addolgar’s kin. Most of them were just waking up from a hard night of even harder drinking, but it was one of the first things that every Cadwaladr learned . . . to be ready for battle at anytime, anywhere, with the understanding that once they were done killing, more drinking could begin!

Now uneasy, as the Cadwaladr reputation was always in the forefront of any Southland dragon’s mind, the guards slowly pulled their weapons, their bodies tensing in preparation for a fight.

“No, no!”

Braith easily muscled her way past Bercelak and Ghleanna, shocking them both since few had ever managed that before. “This isn’t going to happen because of me.”

“Braith—”

“No, Addolgar!” She let out a sigh, faced him. “I appreciate everything you’ve done, but no. This is where it stops.”

Braith faced the Guard leader. “I’ll come with you. Just leave the Cadwaladrs out of it.”

Pretending not to be as relieved as he was, the leader nodded and stepped back, gesturing for her to move ahead.

Braith looked over her shoulder at Addolgar. “Thank you for everything, Addolgar. To you and your kin. I truly appreciate all you’ve done and tried to do.” She smiled at him and Addolgar felt his gut tighten at the sight of it.

“Braith, please—”

“It’s all right. I’ll be fine.”

But Addolgar knew she wouldn’t be fine. It was her damn honor that was leading her down this road. Her damn honor that was making her take on what he would consider a suicide mission. It was her damn honor that would ensure she’d never listen to reason.

He watched her walk away until she had enough room to remove his shirt and shift to her natural form. She shook out her long, blue hair and blue wings before taking to the skies with the Queen’s Guard at her back.

Once they were gone, it was deadly silent all around him as if everyone was giving Addolgar a moment to mourn—

“Owwwwww!” Addolgar roared after Ghleanna’s hard hand slapped him in the back of the head . “What was that for?”

“Are you just letting her go?”

“She told me to. Owwwww!” Addolgar now glared at Bercelak , who had also slapped him in the back of his already sore head. “What the hells?”

“She told you to?” Bercelak barked. “What are you? A well-trained dog?”

“Last night you were ready to cut her down in Da’s hall.”

“That was last night. Today is different! And we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you, you idiot!”

“Big-headed Bercelak is right!” one of their cousins called out, earning a glower from Bercelak. “We should follow those Queen’s Guards and slaughter them all!”

Addolgar’s kin cheered in agreement, but a calmly spoken, “No,” stopped them from doing just that.

Ailean still stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at them all. “We will not slaughter anyone.”

“So we just let them take her?” Ghleanna asked.

Ailean grinned. “I didn’t say that either.”

Chapter 9

Braith would admit, she’d expected rougher treatment from the Queen’s Guard as they entered Devenallt Mountain. But the Guards were actually quite . . . kind. Perhaps they appreciated her preventing a battle between them and the Cadwaladr Clan. Because they all knew—it would have been a battle the Guards would have lost even though their brothers-in-arms would have eventually avenged them.

In the end, though, Braith had simply not seen the point of all those dragons fighting and dying. Her father was a traitor. And getting the Guards killed would have only turned the Cadwaladrs into traitors as well. It was something Braith was not willing to put into motion.

So, she did what her mother would have done—faced the Queen.

The Guards led her to the Queen’s throne room, the royals watching Braith from the shadows. There were no curses tossed at her. No threats of retribution for her father’s betrayal. They just watched her and said nothing. She didn’t know how to take that, so she didn’t bother to think on it.

When she stood before the Queen’s throne, she sat back on her haunches and briefly bowed her head. “My Queen.”

Addiena’s cold blue eyes slowly turned toward Braith. “Well, well,” the Queen said softly. “The traitor’s daughter.”

Addolgar leaned around the corner and saw the guards standing outside the Queen’s throne room. He pulled back and faced his siblings. “We’ll never get past those guards without killing them,” he whispered.

Ghleanna shrugged and began to pull out her sword, but Bercelak slapped her claw with his own. “We’re not killing the Queen’s Guards. We’re part of her army.”

“Then what do you suggest?”