Page 25 of Lady Dragon
The dragon girl’s dubiousness gave way to stark surprise. “But why? I could fly there on my own far faster than I could travel with her.”
“I want this to be a diplomatic venture, conducted in concert between our two peoples—especially since a dragon is involved—and you cannot wing ahead and leave Samansa trailing behind you, at risk.” The queen paused, considering. “Or could you carry her?”
Kirek hissed, making not only Jamsens put his hand on his sword, but Merard and the unfamiliar, fierce-looking woman as well. Tordall, for his part, remained still. Perhaps as commanderof the queen’s armies, he had seen much worse and knew how to keep a cool head, even under the pressure of a potentially significant threat.
And the dragon girl was certainlysomethingsignificant, if not a threat: powerful, terrifying, evenbeautiful—though Samansa shied away from the thought—particularly when her silver eyes flashed like that and those already knifelike features sharpened in offense.
She was, indeed, like a blade. A glorious, shining one.
“I don’tcarryhumans,” Kirek snapped. “That is beneath me. I’m not ahorse. And that still doesn’t satisfy the question of why the princess would be coming at all?”
Samansa might have been impressed at the bold tone Kirek was taking with her mother, if not for her own annoyance. While the princess wasn’t the most stalwart of warriors, she wasn’t exactly a wilting blossom. Hadn’t she proved that to Kirek yet?
“She needs to go,” the queen enunciated with a tighter jaw than she usually countenanced, “because you two need to continue spending time together—to understand each other.” There was that concern in her mother’s eyes again—that Samansa’s and Kirek’s relationship was souring, despite the dragon girl’s protection. Samansa obviously hadn’t had time to tell the queen that they’d made amends, since it had happened right before this meeting. “And there’s another reason.”
Kirek arched the cool, dark slice of her brow. “Which is?”
Samansa cringed inwardly. Bold or not, talking like that to her mother had landed her in the kitchens, scrubbing pots with the scullery maids, once upon a time.
“It is a twofold plan,” the queen continued, undaunted. “Notonly for diplomatic purposes, but to get Samansa away for a while, as the castle seems to be a dangerous place for her of late. We suspect other attacks are in place, whileno onewould suspect she would leave with only a few companions. You’ll go in secret and only take a half dozen guards for reinforcements, so as not to arouse suspicion.” The queen turned to Tordall. “You can ensure that my daughter will be protected with so few, yes?”
He bowed his head. “I swear it. She will have my best men.”
The queen turned back to Samansa and Kirek. “Not to underestimate the lady dragon, who has indeed proved to be the best protection there is.”
Kirek appeared too pleased with herself to object at the title she purportedly disdained, while both Tordall and Jamsens looked like they wanted to argue until the queen rode over them.
“Whichany would-be assassin is now well aware of, so Kirek must appear to wing away on urgent business without the princess. Samansa will follow shortly with the utmost discretion. No one but those in this room will know she’s left, giving the assassin the window—perhaps all too literally if the last incident was any indication—that they think they need to attack her while the lady dragon is absent. Jamsens needs to stay here, of course, to keep up appearances—”
“But—” Jamsens started to object.
“—while the princess has seemingly locked herself inside her quarters to grieve.” The queen finished, and then shot Samansa a brief, sympathetic look, here and then gone. She tipped her head toward the fearsome woman. “In truth,shewill be inside in the princess’s stead. Waiting.”
Samansa couldn’t contain her skeptical tone. “Um, Mother,if appearances are meant to fool anybody, we don’t look much alike.”
Where Samansa was pale, redheaded, and somewhat plump around the edges, the woman had dark brown skin, a powerful build, and grizzled, braided black hair. Not to mention she looked at least ten years older than even Samansa’s brother, perhaps in her midforties, and as hardened as him, if not more so with the long scar that cut down one cheek.
The woman laughed, flashing a silver tooth on the same side of her mouth as the scar. Perhaps whatever blow she’d received had taken her tooth, too. “No, indeed, I’m not much of a princess, I’m afraid, nor a lady’s maid to dote on one. The name is Cenara, and I’ll be hidden inside for somewhat else.”
She paused when Samansa’s face fell at the mention oflady’s maid.
Dara, the princess thought with a sharp pang. Dara should be going with her on this venture.
“I’m sorry, girl, about your friend,” Cenara said more softly. “I’ll be far more prepared to meet your attackers than she was—and I’ll give them her regards, if I have the chance.” She grinned in a way that wasn’t entirely unlike the way Kirek did. In fact, she caught Kirek’s watchful gaze and touched her scar. “You should see the other guy, Lady Dragon.”
“If you’re no lady, thenI’mcertainly not,” Kirek said, then asked baldly, “How did you earn such a wound?”
“Savingherlife.” Cenara nodded at the queen.
“You were her guard?” Samansa couldn’t help asking. “But I’ve never seen you before.” She’d only known Merard to be her mother’s near-constant and nigh-silent shadow. Even among the soldiers that Tordall and Branon had led into battles againstraiders and bandits and the like, she’d never spotted anyone like Cenara.
Not, of course, that the princess knew all of those troops on sight. But they were mostly men.
Cenara smiled faintly. “I was her personal guard, for a time, before you were born. But then my services were no longer required.”
Her mother’s face shuttered as forbiddingly as a dropped portcullis. Samansa was certain there was something she was missing, but this wasn’t the time or place to dig deeper into it.
Cenara, oddly,smirkedat the queen. Merard and Tordall remained impassive, but Jamsens was looking at them strangely—and then at Samansa. The princess looked quickly away from him, and found Kirek staring at her with that piercing gaze.
