Page 51 of Song of the Dragon Rider
“You’re making a grave mistake,” Klaus called out lightly to Julian, his voice carrying a playful yet ominous undertone. “Do you know who I am, or shall we dance around with your ignorance as the leading partner?”
Julian, red-faced and seething, turned to the guards. “What are you waiting for? I ordered you tokill him!”
The guards shifted uneasily, their eyes flickering between their prince and the unassuming yet powerful figure of Klaus. One of them, braver or perhaps more compelled by duty, stepped forward. “Your Highness, he’s—”
“Klaus, the grandson of King Lorien, the last Fae King before the downfall,” a deep voice interrupted from the entrance of the ballroom. All heads turned as Emperor Valenor stepped into the room, his presence commanding immediate attention. His dark gaze swept over the crowd before settling on Klaus with chilling sharpness.
“The emperor!” someone whispered nearby. A hush fell over the crowd.
Emperor Valenor slowly approached, each step measured and laden with authority. “Julian, stand down,” he commanded without looking at his son, his unblinking eyes fixed on Klaus. “You are in the presence of royalty, even if his crown lies buried with the ruins of his realm.”
Klaus bowed mockingly, a grin spreading across his face. “Your Majesty, what an honor,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I was just discussing the hospitality of your kingdom with my new friends here. It seems the stories of Dragon Valley’s warmth are somewhat exaggerated.”
The emperor’s eyes narrowed, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. “Klaus, why are you here? This is not your domain.”
“For the very same reason anyone would attend a lovely party: for the company, of course,” Klaus replied airily. “And perhaps to see an old friend,” he added, his gaze sliding covertly to me. The unspoken message was clear: he was here because of our deal, because I was in danger.
“You risk much by leaving the bounds set for your people,” the emperor said, his tone low and dangerous.
“And yet, here I am,” Klaus responded, spreading his arms wide. “Unharmed and quite entertained. Your guards seem unsure if they should arrest me or ask for autographs!”
The emperor’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he found Klaus’s audacity more amusing than offensive. He then turned to the guards. “Escort ourguestto a more private setting. We have much to discuss.” To Julian, he added sternly, “And you, my son, will join me later, where we will discuss your conduct in depth.” His frosty eyes glittered like shards of glass.
As Klaus was escorted away, his eyes briefly met mine, an unspoken promise lingering in his gaze. He wasn’t out of the game yet, and neither was I. I helped Jacob to his feet, my mind racing with the night’s revelations and thelooming conversations that would undoubtedly reshape our understanding of the emperor’s court.
14
ARYA
Imarched through the labyrinthine maze of metal scaffolding, enormous metal boxes calledcameras, and strange contraptions that loomed over me like ominous, foreign beasts. The towering artificial lights burned my eyes, flinging harsh shadows that flickered and danced as if mocking me. Every few steps, someone bustled past me, shouting strange words into tiny devices pressed against their ears or wheeling around massive pieces of equipment. No one so much as glanced my way, which was infuriating.
“This entire land is a wretched pit of noise and stupidity,” I muttered under my breath, crossing my arms over my chest as I stalked forward. “They build these absurd contraptions to do the work of men, yet no one has the common sense to post proper signage. Where are the bloody servants when you need them?”
A man carrying an impossibly long pole nearly clipped my shoulder as he passed. I twisted out of the way at the last minute, seething. “Oh, yes,by all means,don’t mind me. I’m only the daughter of theMinister of Rites!” I hissed after him, though he either didn’t hear or didn’t care.
I spun on my heel and took another turn, only to be met with a giant painted backdrop of an enormous cityscape. I scowled at it. “Why would someonepainta city when they could simplygoto one?” I reached out and poked it, my brows shooting up when my finger nearly went through the flimsy material. “It’s fake?! What kind of deranged nonsense is this?”
My frustration mounted with every passing moment. I had been wandering for what felt like hours, though the cursed devices these people carried could have told me otherwise. I had no idea where Angie had gone, but that didn’t matter—I would find my way out of this ridiculous place on my own. I didnotneed help.
Except… I was lost.
“Fine,” I huffed, turning sharply down another path. “I will find my own way, and when I do, I shall never set foot in this ghastly place again. If Angie wishes to keep me here, she’ll have to drag me back by force, and I shall bite her if she tries. Yes. I will bite her.” I paused mid-step and considered my choice of words. “I do not think I have ever bitten anyone before. Perhaps today will be a first.” I resumed walking, muttering all the while. “And if shedaresto make me enter that monstrous moving carriage again, I will fling myself into the nearest ravine. Oh, do they evenhaveravines here? What a dreadful world this is! A world without proper ravines into which one can dramatically hurl themselves!”
Before I could contemplate the tragic deficiency of dramatic ravine-related options, a familiar voice cut through the noise.
“Arya!”
My scowl deepened as Angie jogged toward me, looking somewhat frantic.
“There you are! Do you haveanyidea how long I’ve been looking for you?” Angie huffed, stopping just short of me andbending over with her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.
“Oh,I’msorry; did you get lost, too?” I snapped, glaring at her. “Welcome to my world!Oh, wait,no, I’ve beenforcibly removedfrom my world and placed inthisinsufferable one!”
Angie straightened and slowly exhaled. “Yeah… okay, Ikindadeserved that.”
“Oh,did you?” I mocked, crossing my arms. “Perhaps it has something to do with theoutrageous lieyou told me? The lie that you would return me to my land, perchance?”
Angie sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Alright, look. I screwed up. I shouldn’t have lied to you about getting you back to… Elaria.” She hesitated slightly before saying the name, as if testing how it felt in her mouth. “I panicked, okay? You were about to burn your entire reputation to the ground, and I was trying to stop you from making things worse.”
