Guardian Dragons (21 page)

‘Amos how could you?’ Raphael was
bitterly disappointment in his brother’s lack of fighting spirit.
‘You know I hate a cheat but even more I hate people who cannot not
stand up to a challenge. Are you afraid I may still win you, even
if you were to try your very hardest?’

‘Shall I dunk my little brother in
the water Well or maybe he would prefer the latrine, so that it may
clear his swelling head?’

‘You could probably do that. I
have no strength to stop you.’ Raphael pushed his luck even
further. ‘Yet you know that I am the strategist in this family and
you must admit real defeat or I’ll .... I’ll ...’

‘Yes, all right I agree. My little
victor Raphael!’ Amos fell down as if an arrow had shot him in the
heart. ‘I truly do admit that you are an excellent strategist. What
is more, you can be the King’s War Councillor and I will seek your
advice if ever we go into battle. That is to say when I become
King, of course. Meanwhile, it’s time to take you indoors; the heat
of this sun is swelling the size of your brain.’

‘No! I don’t want to go indoors
just yet. Really and truly Amos, I don’t.’ Raphael begged his big
brother. ‘The warmth of the sun is very constructive to my health,
don’t you know. Can I stay outdoors longer? My chambers are so dark
that they make me feel ill,’ Raphael appealed against his brother’s
better nature.

‘This is a sudden change of heart.
Not so long ago I struggled to get you out of doors and now I
struggle to get you in.’ Amos stretched his body upwards into a
standing position. ‘I do have to leave though Raphael,’ he said
looking down at the happy face of his brother. ‘I do have a Kingdom
to learn how to run and there are important decisions to be made
this very moonwake. You can stay a little while longer but you must
call nurse Abby before the Dayloon is half way down the skies.
Promise?’

‘This doesn’t give me long does
it?’ Raphael resigned himself to the rules his brother laid down.
‘I was going to ask Abby to bring my mid-meal out doors. Can I not
at least do this?’ Raphael longed to remain in the pretty
gardens.

‘I want you to be happy little one
but not at the expense of making you ill on the next moonwake
because you pushed yourself too hard. If Leon were around to keep
you company I would agree but out here all alone, I favour indoors.
Let’s try and agree somewhere in the middle that will make us both
happy, what do you suggest?’

‘I suggest that I’m old enough to
decide for myself and I will have my meal out in the sun. The dark
indoors are for stuffy people. I am an ingenious strategist who
needs treating with respect and I need to air my brain,’ Raphael
implored hoping he sounded strong enough for his big brother to
think him well and healthy today.

‘You are growing up indeed, little
Prince, and I’ll show you my admiration in proving my weaknesses to
your strengths. You have again won a battle between us and I agree
to you staying outdoors until you see fit to call your nurse to sit
with you. How does that agree with you young master?’

‘That does me splendidly, thank
you Amos. I do wish to stay outdoors this moonwake and I shall
enjoy it all the more knowing you consent. Now off you go and make
your Kingly decisions and leave me to my painting.’

Amos bowed regally to his brother.
He had indeed been conquered in this sibling dispute. Admiration
and pride stirred in his heart at the strengths he perceived in
this child. Perhaps he would prove the healers all wrong and grow
beyond his ill-fated childhood, with all his determination. Amos
slowly marched away searching around for any signs of servants or
guards, feeling unease at the quietness of the gardens. He promised
himself he would arrange for a permanent servant to be with Raphael
whilst he was outdoors. Meanwhile he would search for his nurse and
instruct her to join his little brother.

Raphael sat alone in peaceful bliss; he wanted no more than
to feel alive amongst the flickering and fluttering of the little
creatures
within the garden.
Smelling the sweet fragrance of a bunch of little purple petals
that he could not name, he regretted that gardening would never be
among his talents. He knew he would forever adore the bouquets of
mingling scents in any garden.

In the distance, he could hear a
regular sound of clicking, a gardener was busily cutting overgrown
hedges with sharpened shears. The gardener was too far away for
Raphael to draw his attention and, he surmised, the gardener was
far too busy to be disturbed. Satisfied he did not feel any hunger
pangs, which therefore meant he did not desire food, he surmised
that he did not need his nurse. Instead, he would just simply enjoy
the sun, the breeze and the gardens until Abby forced him to return
to his dingy chambers. Nor did he desire to do any painting of his
landscaped board game. Instead, he closed his eyes to the
brightness of the sun and listened to the birds chirping merrily
across the tree branches to one another. They had such melodies to
sing, a comfort to his ears. Slowly he relaxed and drifted in to a
dreamy world of imaginary mayhem.

The King turned away from his
observation point at the narrow window. Smiling to himself, he
remembered that his wife the beautiful Queen would arrive shortly;
she could advise him better than most. Yes, she would know what to
do. He sat himself down into a tall backed chair and stared at the
floor, oblivious to reality, once again sinking into a time gone
by.

What seemed like only a moment
later, Raphael awoke to muffled footsteps approaching on
soft-turfed grass. Peering through half closed lids, he could make
out hazy silhouettes of people walking towards his private little
plot. Recognising the chattering voice of Grandmother Dahlia, he
rubbed his eyes to awaken so she would not know that he had slept
alone in the gardens. Often she spent long hours with him because
she loathed for him to be alone. Her company was bright and
cheerful but she would talk so often and so long. Ah well, he
pondered, it was probably time to eat anyway.

‘Ah, there you hide yourself, ’
his grandmother announced cheerfully.

‘And here I shall stay grandmother
so it’s no use you trying to tempt me indoors,’ Raphael asserted,
wondering who the other people were that accompanied his
grandmother.

As if in reply to the question in
his head, Dahlia introduced the two people escorting
her.

‘Now then Raphael, stop being so
defensive and listen to me. I’ve sought you out to give you some
good news. I want you to meet my new herbal nurse Rikka and her son
Fedros, who is the new guard for your brother Leon.’ As if proud of
the fact that she had pioneered some whole new concept of changes
to his life, she continued playing host with her new acquaintances.
‘You and I are to spend some time with Rikka because she has worked
wonders for my back since her son introduced her to me. She has
secret potions and oil remedies that are just absolutely miraculous
my boy,’ Dahlia explained in a very excitable manner.

Raphael understood more than anyone
how his grandmother suffered with her aches and pains of old age.
His own bones and muscles wasted away as if he was also an ancient
one.

‘Grandmother, I would welcome
anyone if they have the ability to make me better so I can spend my
moonwakes out in the sun.’ Raphael felt a tremor of excitement at
the prospect of someone with the ability to ease his suffering and
increase his freedom. He studied the old woman and the guard and
shuddered with a cold chill. Why he should feel so troubled with
such company perplexed him. What harm can there be in trying a new
source of remedies? The Royal Healers were not proving any use.
Ignoring his feelings of apprehension, he put it down to eager
anticipation at the thought of recovery.

‘Any friend of my grandmother is
also a friend of mine. Welcome to our home Rikka and
Fedros.’

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine lives in the UK on the
borders of West & North Yorkshire. Reading and Writing are part
of her daily ritual. Her favourite role is as a mother and
grandmother. Whilst not  reading much as a child, imagining
stories in her head was a natural part of daily child play.
Studying Language & Literature as an adult, introduced Charles
Dickens and a few other English Classics. Leading onto Lord of the
Rings and the Hobbit. Now there is a book on the go daily and she
wouldn’t be without something to read.

Author’s Blog

http://onewomansquestuk.blogspot.co.uk
/

Guardian Dragons -
Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=P1KPxGdOCPU

Look out for Book 2, Flight of the
Changeling in the upcoming Aarabassa World series.