Page 69 of Song of the Dragon Rider
Emperor Valenor peered over his shoulder, keeping his back to us. “Do I need a reason to come see you? Am I not allowed in your home, Zacharia?”
Lord Zacharia choked on his own spit. “Of course you are, Your Majesty! That’s not what I meant,” he quickly said. “It’s just, you rarely leave Dragon Valley, and…” he trailed off.
The emperor chuckled. “That is true. The two-hour ride into the districts is long and tiring. I don’t often make the trip, but I decided to come see for myself how Lady Arya is doing after the horrific ordeal I heard she endured the other day.” He smirked and snapped the stem of a flower in half. “I see she’s still not well.”
“It’ll take her a while to heal, Your Majesty,” Jacob spoke as he partially supported my weight. “But she has learned her lesson and knows what she can and cannot do, we can assure you.”
“Hmm.” The emperor turned to his seer. “What do you think, Malachar? Has Lady Arya learned her lesson?”
The seer offered a small bow. “I believe she has, Your Majesty.”
The emperor snorted. “You’re no fun, Malachar.”
The seer tilted his head in my direction as if assessing my frailty before nodding slowly in agreement with his own statement. Meanwhile, the emperor turned back to face us fully, his gaze piercing when it settled on me. His smile was thin, almost predatory as he stepped closer.
“I should hope so,” Emperor Valenor continued, his voice low and carrying a sharp edge. “The Ryder family holds a delicate position within the court. It would be most...unfortunateif that balance were disturbed by the reckless behavior of youth.”
Jacob's grip tightened around my waist, lending support without words. Lord Zacharia, however, seemed to wither under the emperor's gaze. A bead of sweat trailed down his temple despite the coolness of the shade under which we stood.
“Indeed, Your Majesty,” Lord Zacharia managed to say. “We are deeply grateful for your concern and your visit. It reaffirms your benevolence towards our family.”
“Benevolence,” the emperor echoed almost mockingly as he glanced around the courtyard. “Yes, let us call it that. But remember, Lord Zacharia, my goodwill should not be tested. Nor should my patience.” He paused, his eyes briefly closing as if savoring the tension his words had woven through the air. When he opened them again, they were fixed on me, his stare unsettlingly intense. “And you, Lady Arya,” he said, his tone deceptively soft, “I trust you will begin to show the decorum and restraint befitting a lady of your standing?”
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I nodded and whispered, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Excellent,” he replied with a nod. “Because next time, this won't be a friendly visit. It might require... harsher measures.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” Lord Zacharia bowed deeply. “We understand.”
“Now tell me, Lady Gianna, you’re not still seeing my son, are you?” the emperor asked with a knowing look.
Gianna’s eyes widened in shock and she quickly shook her head. “No, of course not, Your Majesty.”
“Odd.” The emperor frowned and stepped toward us. “A little birdie told me he was still fooling around with the daughter of Lord Zacharia and, well…” Emperor Valenor inhaled deeply. “I smell him in your residence.”
Fuck.
I tensed and wondered how the hell the emperor knew his scent since he never visited Damien.
Lord Zacharia’s face visibly paled as his gaze flitted between Gianna and the emperor, searching for the right words. “Your Majesty, I assure you, there's been no recent contact with Prince Damien. Our family respects your decree.”
The emperor studied him for a long, tense moment, his lips curled into a faint, unsettling smile. “See that it remains so, Lord Zacharia. My decrees are not suggestions.” His gaze sweptacross us once more, lingering pointedly on me before he turned away. As the emperor slowly paced back toward his carriage, he paused and speared the Ryder family gathered in the courtyard with one last penetrating look. “It’s peculiar, really,” Emperor Valenor mused aloud, the silken tone of his voice belying the steel underneath. “The air here... it smells faintly of treason. As if someone not only disregards my decrees, but mocks them.”
Lord Zacharia stiffened, his voice barely concealing his panic. “Your Majesty, we remain ever loyal to your command.”
“Do you, Zacharia?” The emperor’s gaze swept over us, stopping to linger on me. “Because if I find that certain ties are more than familial... if they are, shall we say,rebelliouslyentwinedwith my exiled son, then the consequences would be...educationalfor all involved.”
His words hung like a guillotine over us, and with a final, scrutinizing glance, he turned and made his way to his carriage, gliding up the short stairs and settling inside the cushioned exterior. The footman closed the carriage door. His seer, Malachar, started to follow his master, then paused and turned back to the Ryders with a thoughtful look.
“Lady Arya,” Malachar called out, his tone commanding yet strangely gentle. “Might I have a word with you in private?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to me, a collective breath held. Lord Zacharia gave a slight nod, offering his tacit permission, though his eyes were filled with cautious curiosity.
As the emperor’s carriage rolled away, I approached the seer, feeling the ominous bulk of his hidden gaze as if it was trying to peel back the layers of my soul. The family and all their servants left to give us privacy. “What is it you wish to speak about?” I asked, my voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in my stomach.
Malachar smiled, a small, enigmatic curve of his lips. “It’s about the emperor’s concerns... and perhaps how you, my lady,might assure him of the Ryder family’s loyalty. But also, how you might protect yourself from forthcoming dangers. It seems you are at a crossroads, and the path you choose may well determine much more than your own fate.”
His cryptic words sent a chill down my spine. Whatever game was afoot, it was one that danced dangerously close to the flames, and I was seemingly right in the middle of it.
