dragon archives 04 - dance with a dragon (38 page)

“But I do,” he said softly. “I will not take you like a common wench when we are not even bound together. I love you, and I wish to honor you in every possible way.” She glanced away, suddenly embarrassed, but he dragged her face back to his with his fingers. “And I love the fact that you want me too. I told you once before that you were made to love wildly and passionately, and Anna, just the anticipation of that will fill my dreams every night.”

She smiled. “I love you,” she whispered. “Hurry back to me.”

Chapter 48

Max left that afternoon. He and Anna had spent the morning walking through the woods, her hand clasped in his; although, if truth be told, they stopped more than they walked. She felt the loss of his presence as soon as he left Storbrook, and watched from her chambers as he circled through the air above the castle before disappearing further from view. There was a gap in the mountains which he headed towards, but in the moments before he reached it, he turned to look at her, and she heard his roar echo between the rocky cliffs and resound within her heart. His fiery breath lit the sky, and then he was gone. She stared out the window for a long time after, hoping to see one more glimpse of him, before turning away. The rest of summer stretched out before her, but after all she had already been through, she could wait a few more months.

“Do Father and Mother know where I have been?” Anna asked Keira the following morning.

Keira shook her head. “News about the war is scant in the village, and since it never came up, we never told them that you had gone with the queen to the battle lines. It just seemed best not to worry them.”

“And did they know about Garrick?”

“No.” Keira looked at Anna keenly. “Should I have told them?”

Anna looked away and stared out the window for a long moment. “No,” she finally said.

As Keira nodded, Aaron walked into the room. “I heard you discussing your parents. I will take you into the village if you wish to visit them.”

Anna looked at him in surprise. “I thought you only flew Keira.”

“True. But I will make an exception this time. I’m sure you are anxious to see them, and Thomas is busy with other duties today and cannot accompany you into the village.”

Anna smiled. “Excellent. I will be ready in half an hour.”

An hour later Aaron landed in a field beyond the village and Anna slid off his back. “Are you coming as well?” she asked.

“Not today,” he said. “I have other matters I need to attend to, but will return for you in a few hours. Is that enough time?”

“Yes,” she said. “Thank you.”

Richard and Jenny lived on the outskirts of the village, and it was not long before Anna reached their small house. Richard was inspecting the vegetables in the garden as she drew near, and he looked up with a wide smile.

“Anna! Daughter! You’re back!” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her close, before quickly stepping away again and looking her up and down. His gaze touched the scar on her forehead, now faded to dark pink, and his eyebrows drew together in concern. “You’ve been injured.”

“I fell down a ravine.”

Richard’s expression turned puzzled. “What were you doing near a ravine? Weren’t you in the city?”

“I was.” She paused. “I have much to tell you. Why don’t we go inside and sit down. How is Mother?” she asked as they walked into the house.

“Asleep,” he replied. “Dame Lamb has been giving her sleeping draughts to help alleviate the pain in her belly.”

They entered the house, and Anna took a seat in the small parlor opposite her father, and started relating the events of the past year.

“The prince imprisoned you for treason?” Richard said incredulously as Anna finished her tale. She had sketched the bare bones of the story, from her time with the queen and the march to Terranton, omitting any mention of Garrick, and only touching on the fact that she had been helped – twice – by a dragon.

“Yes.”

“And Aaron knew that you were traveling with the queen?”

“He did.” Anna paused a moment. “It was he who sent the dragon to ensure my safety.”

“Ah!”

The sound of a bed creaking came from one of the adjacent chambers, and Anna glanced in its direction.

“Should I go and check on Mother?”

“She will be very happy to see you,” Richard replied with a sad smile.

When Anna walked into Jenny’s room, she wrinkled her nose at the stale air. Jenny turned to look at her, and for a moment, her eyes shone with excitement. “Anna,” she whispered, “My daughter. You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Anna sat down beside her mother and took her hand. “Hello, Mother.”

“Are you well, Anna? The house is so empty without you here. Are you coming home soon?”

Anna sighed. It had been more than six years since she had lived at home. “Not yet, Mother,” she said. Jenny’s hand was soft and frail, and Anna thought of the old woman she had seen in the hospital.

“You’ve been gone so long,” Jenny said. “It’s time to come home.”

“I’ve been visiting the queen, Mother,” Anna said.

“The queen?”

“That’s right. She lives in a beautiful palace. Should I tell you about it?”

Jenny nodded. “Have you really been to the royal palace?” she said.

“I have.” The next hour passed quickly as Anna described life at the royal court. Jenny listened eagerly, asking questions about Matilda’s clothes, the king and the little prince. By the end of the hour, however, Anna could see that her mother had grown weary, and she leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Sleep now,” she said softly. “I will be back to visit again very soon.”

Anna wandered into the village after leaving the house. It was market day, and the village market was teeming with people who had come from around the country to buy and sell their wares. She passed the stall that held Richard’s wooden tableware. It was manned by a young girl she didn’t recognize, but she paused to stroke her fingers over the smooth surfaces. She thought of the many times she and Keira had sat in this same spot, selling the items for their father. Jenny had been there too, her mind active and her body strong. Anna heard a voice calling her name, and she turned around, her heart sinking when she saw Sarah Draper walking towards her.

“Anna,” she said, “I haven’t seen you in months. Where have you been?”

Anna glanced away. What to say? The city for a coronation? Drake Manor to watch a girl change into a dragon? The court to serve the queen? The next kingdom to watch a war?

“I’ve been away,” Anna replied.

“Oh.” Sarah glanced around, then dropped her voice to a whisper. “Did Garrick Flynn come into the village with you?”

Anna dropped her gaze. “No,” she said. She started to move away, but Sarah grabbed her by the arm.

“Wait,” she said, “where is he? When will he be in again?” Anna stopped, then turned to face Sarah.

“Garrick is not coming back,” she said. “He’s dead. He died fighting for the king.” Sarah dropped her arm.

“Dead?” She stepped back. “That is …” But Anna did not hear what Sarah thought. She turned around and walked away without a backward glance.

A few days later, Corbin invited Anna to accompany him and the children on an excursion through the woods. “We will be studying the fauna and flora of the area surrounding Storbrook,” Corbin explained to Anna when he invited her to join them. “There is life within every nook and cranny.”

“Are you enjoying being at Storbrook?” Anna asked as she fell in step with him.

“Oh yes,” he answered, pausing to inspect a small clump of flowers at the base of a tree. He called the children over. “Can either of you tell me the name of these?” he asked, crouching down and pointing. Zach and Lydia stared at the flowers for a long moment. “Lydia?” Corbin prompted.

“Blue, er, fox flowers?” she answered. Corbin smiled.

“Almost. Bluebells.” He picked a flower between his fingers and pointed out the shape to the children as they listened solemnly. “Now go find five other specimens of forest flora and bring them back to me,” he said. He rose to his feet as the children scampered away. “What were we talking about?” he said.

“How much you are enjoying Storbrook.”

“Ah, yes! I enjoy being here very much. I’m not one for city life. I can come and go as I please here, and I find Zach and Lydia easy to teach. Of course, although I’ve never lived at Storbrook before, like most of our kind I have been here many times before, so when Aaron asked me if I was interested in tutoring his whelps, I accepted with alacrity.”

“Are you related to Aaron?”

Corbin nodded solemnly. “All dragons are related somehow. Aaron’s great-grandfather and my grandfather were bothers. And Max’s father, James, is my cousin.” A spider’s web stretched between the trees, distracting Corbin once more, and then the children were back, carefully cradling a variety of flowers and leaves in their hands. Their enthusiasm reminded Anna of Garrick, and she smiled sadly. She had loved Garrick, in her way. And although the guilt she felt over his death had lessened, it had not completely lost its grip. But for the first time, perhaps in her life, she also felt a sense of peace and belonging. She belonged to Max, and he belonged to her, too. She glanced down at the ring she wore on her finger as a reminder of Garrick. Friendship had been all she could accept from him, but his friendship had helped her when she needed it most.

“Antana!” Lydia’s voice broke through Anna’s thoughts, and she looked up to see the girl running towards her. “Look,” she shouted. “A ladybird!” Her hands were clasped together as she ran, and Anna dropped down to her knees with a laugh, bringing her head close to Lydia’s to examine the precious find.

Chapter 49

‘Dear Kathleen,’ Anna wrote one afternoon, ‘I’ve been wanting to write to you to explain the events leading up to my disappearance from Lord Cameleus’s home, and to deny the spurious allegations against my name that have been set abroad by Lady Blanche. I did not leave the queen’s side in the company of a lover, but was imprisoned in a room within the west wing by Prince Rupert on suspicion of treason, another spurious allegation. For the truth of this matter, please apply to Tobias who can confirm the events of the night. I was rescued by Master Brant and he returned me to Storbrook. Please write back to me and relieve me of the fear that you have believed the falsehoods spoken against me. I remain forever your friend, …’

There was a noise at the door, and Anna turned to see Lydia standing at the entrance to her chambers. “Antana,” she said, “what you doing?”

“I’m writing a letter,” Anna explained. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be with Master Corbin?”

“Master Corbin took Zach to see a eagle nest, but I didn’t want to go. Can I go for a walk with you?”

Anna smiled and nodded. “Yes, but first you need to let me finish my letter and deliver it to Thomas. Can you do that?”

Lydia nodded eagerly. “Yes!” Anna signed her name to the bottom of her letter, then folding the sheet, sealed it with a wax wafer.

“Come,” she said, holding a hand out to Lydia, “let’s go give this to Master Thomas.”

As it turned out, Thomas had gone into the village for Aaron that morning, and had not yet returned, but she left the letter on his desk, knowing he would see it there. She and Lydia walked out into the hot summer sunshine, and headed across the courtyard into the gardens. Lydia let go of Anna’s hand and started twirling on her toes around her.

“Look at me, Antana,” Lydia sang out. “I’m dancing,” Anna caught her by the hands and danced around in a circle with her. They reached the shade of the spreading oak, and Anna dropped to the green lawn with a gasp, dragging Lydia down with her. Lydia lay giggling for a few moments, then was back on her feet, scrambling into the tree. “Look at me, Antana,” she shouted. She was standing on a long thick branch that spread out a few feet above the ground. She held out her arms to her sides. “I can fly!” she yelled. She launched herself from the branch, and landed easily on her feet as Anna let out a sigh.

“You cannot fly yet, baby girl,” Anna said. “You have to grow some wings first.”

Lydia nodded. “Like Papa.” She cocked her head as she looked at Anna. “When will you grow wings, Antana?”

“I will never grow wings,” Anna said. “I’m not a dragon.”

“You’re not? What are you?”

“I’m human.”

“But I’m human, too.”

“No, you’re not human. You just look like a human, but you are all dragon.”

“Like Papa,” Lydia said. Anna nodded. “And Master Corbin? And Uncle Max?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh.” Lydia stared down at the ground for a long time.

“What is it, Lydia?” Anna asked, seeing the girl’s forehead furrow.

Lydia lifted her gaze to look at Anna. “Will I be a boy when I grow up?” she said.

Anna stared at her in confusion for a moment. “A boy? No, why would you …?” Her voice trailed away as Lydia looked back at the ground. “Girls are dragons, too,” Anna said softly.

“But you’re not a dragon. And Mama isn’t either.”

“Your Mama and I were born human, but you were born a dragon. Should I tell you about another girl who was born a dragon? You have even met her. Do you remember Bronwyn?”

Lydia wrinkled her nose. “Bronny?”

“Yes. I saw her when she grew her wings.”

“You did?”

“Mmm-hmm. She turned into a dragon right in front of me.”

Lydia looked at her in surprise. “Were you scared?”

“We were both a little scared. She wasn’t sure, at first, what was happening, and I didn’t know what to do. But her father was close by, and he came to help her.”

“What did she look like?”

“She was beautiful. A beautiful girl and a beautiful dragon.” She wrapped her arm around Lydia’s shoulders. “Just like you.” Lydia smiled and jumped back to her feet, tugging on Anna’s hand. She pulled her along the path, and Anna recognized the spot where Garrick had rescued the injured bird.

“Antana?”

“Yes.”

“Why is Nursey scared of Papa?”

“A lot of people are scared of dragons. Sometimes dragons hurt people and then people think all dragons are like that. And humans don’t have long tails or huge wings to help them. And they can’t breathe fire.”