Page 60 of Golden Queen
I resolved to tell him how ridiculous that was, but as I passed through the halls to the main artery of the castle, I noticed there were more guards than usual everywhere.
Io was not at breakfast, a fact I ascertained within seconds of scanning the assembled crowd. I tried to manage my disappointment as I strode toward my customary seat at the head of the long central table.
When I realized that my uncle was missing from his chair as well, I became curious about what was actually happening in the castle. Markus was never absent from breakfast unless he was away from the city. He would have canceled the formal meal, rather than allow a large group to assemble out of his vicinity.
I approached his Chief Minister, Donovan Till. "Where is the regent, Donovan?"
"He had urgent business in Gold Harbor, Your Highness," the mousy, brown-haired minister told me, pushing his gold-rimmed glasses up onto his nose.
"What business?" I asked. I knew it must be something urgent to make Markus leave Albiyn during the visit from Nightfall. He was already paranoid that the fae had their sights set on conquering the kingdom. It was not in his nature to turn his back on them when they were in our midst.
"Ships have been sighted off the northern shores, I'm afraid," Donovan said. "The regent fears they may be a scouting party from Penjan, sent to assess our port defenses."
I thought my mouth might be hanging open from the shock of him answering truthfully. I had expected the customary reply:I am afraid you must ask your uncle if you wish to know the details.
"Is my uncle shoring up our defenses in Gold Harbor, then?" I asked, hoping to capitalize on his unusual level of disclosure.
"He is organizing a fleet to intercept the ships, though he will not go himself. He wants to ensure that the enemy cannot report anything back to Penjan."
I nodded, already formulating another question, but Donovan bowed before I could ask it. "If you'll excuse me, Your Highness, I have an inordinate amount of work that needs to be done." I nodded again and he left, striding across the gold room quickly.
I greeted the party from Radune as the servants placed my food on the table. Master Juriae, I already knew of course. He had been heading the Radune party for years as they came to negotiate trade agreements. I had always liked the master. He was friendly and respectful, and he never let his gaze stray to my chest as we spoke.
He introduced me to several others in his party. A trio of human women—a few of his councilors from the Radune city board, and his wife, Cazmiri, a ravishing, sloe-eyed middle-aged woman who was on her first trip to Windemere.
Cazmiri, I learned, was a mage from Maldur, a territory in the northernmost reaches of Nightfall where bitter cold tundra met rocky mountains leading into the frozen seas.
She was friendly and warm, and seemed to take a particular interest in the possibility of a strong alliance between Nightfall and Windemere.
Breakfast with the Radune party ended up being reasonably enjoyable, but I was anxious to see my dragon. She and Io had pride of place in my waking mind since I'd opened my eyes that morning. And since Taiger was also absent from the meal, I resolved to go and look for them after lunch.
When lunchtime came, and Io and Taiger were both still absent, I got the nerve to ask Master Juriae if the Darkwatch mages had left the castle.
"I think they had some business in the city, but young Taiger is in his quarters waiting for you to call upon him. He did not want to bother you, but he says the dragon has been particularly temperamental wanting to see her mistress."
I hurried from lunch to Taiger's chambers. When I arrived, the door opened before I even landed a third knock.
The room was in disarray, looking exactly like a young dragon had been angrily thrashing around the room. Broken vases, upended tables, and a deck of playing cards that looked just a little singed around the edges, lay on the floor.
The dragon came to me straight away while Taiger fell over his feet to apologize about the damage she'd done.
"Please don't even trouble yourself, Taiger. They are only things, and she is mine. I cannot blameyouif she is a naughty little creature."
While the dragon danced around my feet, I helped the young mage set the room to rights.
When we were done, we left the castle and strode down the wall-walk of the inner fortress wall.
The dragon took one look at the open sky and vaulted up off my shoulder, snapping her wings out and beating them against the air.
Panic hit me as I watched her rise. Her reflective scales picked up the color of the cloudless sky, and in a single moment, she had disappeared into the blue.
At my stricken look, Taiger laughed. "Don't worry, Your Highness, she won't cause any trouble."
"But will she come back?" I asked. I hadn't actually considered the problems a naughty little dragon might cause in the city. All my worry was for her safety. "And she won't...eat anyone?" I added, reluctantly.
Taiger tried not to laugh again, but I could tell he was finding amusement in my ignorance. I hardly blamed him.
"Bonded dragons are ultimately good. They'll not harm a person unless in self-defense, defense of their rider or their mate...or defense of the realm. Dragons have defended Nightfall, especially Darkwatch, for thousands and thousands of years." The young boy suddenly seemed much wiser than his years.
