Page 56 of Kingdom of Dance

“Maybe my father did imbibe some of it,” he muttered resentfully. “Enough to pass it to me, anyway.”

There was a moment of silence, the princess once again first to break it.

“What did he do to get himself thrown from the Enchanters’ Guild?”

Obsidian’s face set grimly. She’d already managed to tease more out of him than he would have believed possible a half hour before. Did she really expect him to spill all his sordid history?

“A personal indiscretion,” he said, his words clipped.

“Oh my,” she said, with a hint of humor. “Had I best keep out of his way, in case my breathtaking beauty is too much for him to resist?”

Obsidian gave an involuntary snort of laughter. He swung his head around to look at her, his gaze warming in spite of himself. She certainly had a way of startling him out of even his worst humors.

“Not that kind of indiscretion,” he assured her. “Even such unparalleled loveliness as yours should be safe with my aging grandfather.”

She grinned, taking his words in the teasing manner in which they were meant.

“That’s a great load off my mind,” she informed him solemnly. Her eyes searched his face. “You know, Obsidian…” She paused. “Do you mind if I call you by your name? Now I know you don’t like your title, I’m not sure what else to call you.”

“I don’t mind,” said Obsidian quietly.

“Good.” She nodded once. “As I was saying, your magic isn’t his, Obsidian. It’s yours. To do with whatever you want.”

He gave no answer.

With a sigh, the princess struggled to her feet. “Is my face acceptable now?” she asked him, without any sign of self-consciousness.

He appraised it dispassionately. “I don’t think anyone will notice anything amiss.”

“Then I’d better go,” she informed him. “I’m supposed to be helping oversee Jasmine, Magnolia, and Cassia’s studies this morning. They’ll be wondering where I am.”

Obsidian stood as well, following her toward the winding staircase. “What are they studying?” he asked.

“History at the moment,” she said. She went silent, and when she spoke again, Obsidian sensed a strange energy in her voice. “We’re about to cover dragon lore. Do you know much about it?”

“Probably less than you,” he said, watching her back curiously as they ascended the stairs. “If you studied it formally, that is. But I imagine I know more than the average person. My parents bowed to the Enchanters’ Guild requirement that all enchanters undergo at least a basic level of training. It involved a brief overview.”

She nodded, still not looking back at him. “Did you cover the history of how dragons came to Solstice, and the agreement and all that?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.

“What do you know about it?”

They’d reached the top of the staircase, and Obsidian looked at her in surprise. Why was she putting him through a lesson on dragon lore? Just making friendly conversation?

“Just the basics,” he said. “No one remembers exactly when, but we think dragons came here a couple centuries ago. Humans were definitely here first, although there was no magic. The dragons mingled freely with the humans, shedding their magic over the land. We think they were as surprised as we were that some humans turned out to have the aptitude to absorb it and pass it on in their bloodline. And learn to wield it, of course.”

“That’s what I learned too,” said the princess lightly. “What next?”

Obsidian gave her a sideways look as they moved down the corridor together. “Supposedly the dragons wearied of people coming to them asking for magical help. It became a point of tension, which benefited no one. So the agreement was reached. That dragons wouldn’t use magic on humans, either to help or hinder, and humans wouldn’t use magic on dragons.”

“What else?” Zinnia pressed, coming to a stop and facing him.

Obsidian frowned, casting his mind back over what he’d said so far. Was there more? “That’s pretty much all I remember,” he said apologetically. “It’s been years since my training, and I wasn’t the most attentive student.”

Zinnia nodded, looking strangely disappointed. Irritated with himself for wanting her approval on such a foolish matter, but unable to help himself, Obsidian focused his memory, searching for more details.

“I know that the agreement is unwritten, so the parameters of it are a little hazy. But our understanding of it has evolved over the years so that it would be considered a great offense to even ask a dragon for assistance of a magical nature.”

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