Page 87 of Crown of Ashes and Awe

“Perhaps. But the details may have changed with every retelling. For all we know, the dragon that will signal our death might be red. And maybe it wasn't our doom but our salvation it was supposed to deliver. Words are so easily misspoken."

"Very wise," the old man said. "I dare say I am as ancient as the prophecy, and I cannot trust my own memory. Though I do not remember a red dragon mentioned." Then he laughed with more strength than I thought him capable of.

My hands still remembered the feel of his nearly bare bones. Though his shoulders were wide, there was little meat on him. A starving dragon wouldn't bother.

“Can I find you some food?”

“Not just now. I find I am only hungry for this conversation. Will you return here, after you’ve spoken to the prophetess, and share what she says?”

“Perhaps we can ask her together.” I gave him a wink. He was watching me closely. He knew what I wanted.

And again, he laughed. "Alas, you hope too much. At the present, I am out of Moire’s favor.”

“Oh.” I smiled anyway. “Are these servant’s quarters?”

“Yes. Once the place was teaming with them. Now, the palace is only home to theArd Draoiand the loyal servants who intend to keep the king alive for as long as time permits."

“Yes, I heard he is ill.”

"The king is as ancient as I am. Perhaps he sees the coming of the blue dragon as his chance to find peace."

“If that were true, he could just command someone to take his head and be done with it.”

"Not very noble, though, is it?"

“Then maybe he should entergevri.There is no shame in hibernation, is there?”

"Not for most. But if he has all of Hestia to care for, it would be a dereliction of his duty."

“Then perhaps he should abdicate that duty to his heir.”

"Ah. There is his predicament. No male heirs. Seven fine granddaughters, but six have chosen gevri, and the other is unwilling to take his burden. And no man can sit on the throne without royal blood in his veins. Any who dares to do so will die."

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

"Yes, well, a long time ago, the king thought that was a clever way to dissuade usurpers. And with all the time in the world, who could have guessed he would be left with no heir?"

I instantly thought of Griffon, who was the king’s grandson, but maybe the seraph didn’t want it widely known. Maybe none of these servants were aware that the tall gray-haired man was the king’s son.

I shrugged. “Maybe Moire should have known this was coming."

"Oh, now, don’t judge her too harshly. Her visions are but stops and starts, bits and bobs. An image in a dream that she must interpret. Thankfully, she keeps most of it to herself. Otherwise, she would have worn us ragged by now."

“You make it sound like it is a curse to be able to see the future.”

"Is it not? Look at what her knowing has brought us. On her advice…" He paused. When he spoke again, his voice was tired. "On Moire’s advice, the king sent his sons away. Had he not, one of those sons might already sit the throne. Or failing that, he might now have a dozen grandsons to choose from."

There was bitterness there that he couldn’t hide. I bit my lip and wished I hadn’t upset him so.

He carried on. "And had we not had the doom of the blue dragon hanging over our heads all these years, would we not have found a better way to evolve? Instead of a fine society, we have a society that reinvents itself every few centuries. The last time was the abolition of technology. We have chosen an almost primitive society out of fear.

“What will come next? Will the fear of dragons drive us to eliminate them all? Will the fear of magic mean the final destruction of all Everfolk? After all these years, heads are still being taken out of greed. Power is being concentrated, setting up another inevitable war.”

He inhaled deeply and seemed to deflate as the air seeped out his mouth. After a moment, I wondered if he’d forgotten I was there.

I’d studied The War of the Magi. When magic started to wane two thousand years ago, what had happened to Huxor ran rampant. And this man worried it would happen again.

I had suspected, but now I was certain… I stood and scooped up his cane, then offered it back to him. “Can I help you get back to your rooms, Your Majesty?”

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