Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III (79 page)

If not for his desire for Valea, Grath would have been tempted to see what a flirtation with the cat-woman would have revealed. Likely his dismemberment, if what they said about her love for her mate was true. Still, he doubted that knowing that would stop his brother from trying. Kyl
had
to flirt. It was one trait of his that, while frequently useful, Grath was as yet unable to completely control.

“I would have thought that the Lady Troia would have remained home with her son sssince her mate hasss been called away,” muttered the Green Dragon. “She should not be here.”

“Why?”

“She isss also with child,” responded the Dragon King, as if that answered everything. Grath tried to puzzle it out, failed, then decided that it was not worth his time.

“Perhaps she has a message from the Gryphon. Perhaps the Bedlams and he are preparing to return to Penacles.”

Lord Green looked at him, but said nothing. Grath decided there and then that he would mention to Kyl that perhaps it would be an excellent notion to allow the Dragon King to return to his own domain. The drake had worked hard to bring them to this point, but it was clear that he needed some rest.

Without warning, the Dragon King started toward the Gryphon’s mate. After a moment, Grath followed, in great part because he wanted to see Lady Troia up close.

The cat-woman noticed them coming and, unlike most of those attending, gave them an open smile. This did not surprise Grath, who was aware that one of the Gryphon’s closest comrades during the war against the Aramite Empire had been the very scion of the Blue Dragon, a great drake warrior called Morgis. Through Morgis, Troia had perhaps become more used to the drake race than anyone else at the reception.

“It’s . . . Lord Green . . . is that the way to say it? I always forget.”

The Dragon King executed a slight bow. “That is one of the accepted forms of address.”

“Would you prefer ‘Your Majesty’?”

“With my emperor present, it does not strike me as proper. ‘Lord Green’ isss perfectly fine.”

She looked him over. “If you were of a more bluish tint, I’d
swear
that you were Morgis.”

“We do tend to look much alike to your kind.”

Another very feline smile spread across her fascinating face. Grath realized he had not yet bowed and quickly did so. Seeing her hand near enough, he followed his impulse and took it in his own. To the Lady Troia’s flattered amusement, he kissed it.

“Not
all
of you look the same. You’ve become a daring one, Grath. Do you stalk the same prey as your brother?”

It took him a moment to decipher her comment. When he had done so, the young drake smiled. “Kyl does well enough for both of us, my lady.”

“I’m sure he does.”

“What brings you to the reception?” the Dragon King asked without warning. “Are your mate and the Bedlams returning?”

Her smile changed to a frown. “I only wish. No, they’re still hoping to solve the riddle. The Gryphon contacted me long enough to let me know that they would not be returning this evening. Cabe and Gwendolyn don’t plan to cease their efforts until their son and the drake with him are free of this Duke Toma’s spell.” Her light, short fur began to bristle. “He sounds as foul a creature as the Senior Keeper D’Rak!”

Grath had no idea who this D’Rak had been save that by his name he had been an Aramite, a wolf raider. Lord Green, however, nodded his agreement. Grath made a mental note to ask the Dragon King about D’Rak and wolf raiders in general. Their empire might be in ruins, but a number of their ships still prowled the seas as pirates. Desperate men like that might be willing to bargain their services to a great power.

“I decided that with everyone else gone, it would be a good idea for me to be here. If there’s trouble, I’ll be around to lend a claw.” She unsheathed a handful of deadly talons impressive even by drake standards.

“But you have children of your own to be concerned about,” insisted Lord Green. “Both your son and the one within you.”

The young drake could not detect any swelling. Of course the gown prevented a better examination.

Troia laughed, an enchanting, throaty sound. “Your concern is appreciated, Lord Green, but I come from a sturdy people. I fought in battle only days before our first child, Demion, was born. It was not by choice, but it gives you an idea of how resilient my folk are. The way I am
now
will by no means slow me, I can promise you that! There is almost a full month to go. As for our other son, I have good people watching him.” She glanced past him at where the regent and Kyl were standing. “Would you excuse me, Lord Green? I want to ask a favor of Toos before I forget.”

“Certainly, my lady.”

They both bowed as the cat-woman moved on. Grath watched her walk with renewed appreciation for females, then recalled himself. It would not do to be so coarse among present company. What he did reflected as much on his brother as what Kyl himself did. Still, he was amazed that she could be so far along. What he could see did not in the least remind him of any of the pregnant human females he had seen.

His gaze drifted to Lord Green, who appeared rather preoccupied. The elder drake stared as the Lady Troia joined Kyl and Toos. For some reason, Grath doubted the Dragon King’s interest centered around the cat-woman.

“Grath, have you ssseen your tutor lately?”

The question caught the young drake by surprise, but he quickly recovered. “Scholar Trassske is not one for receptions, my lord. He felt it would be best if he retired to his chambers. I believe he isss studying the progress of the school of sorcery. The Gryphon planned to take him to visit it the day after tomorrow.”

“He may have changed his mind, but feels uncertain about arriving so late. Go and see whether that isss the case.”

“But—”

“Do it, Grath.” The Green Dragon walked toward Kyl and his companions, preventing any further protest the younger drake would have made.

Grath hissed quietly, incensed by the Green Dragon’s tone and attitude. He was
not
a servitor to be talked to so. He was the brother of the new Dragon Emperor, not to mention that emperor’s counselor. The Dragon King should be treating him with
deference
, not indifference.

Still, as much as it rankled him, Grath chose to obey. Lord Green had been good to him for the most part and was still a necessary ally. He would forgive the Dragon King his mistake this time, but if it happened again, Grath would remember for the future.
Patience and memory are important driving forces
, his mentor had said,
allowing one to survive for years until the time is ripe for vengeance.

As usual, it all made perfect sense to him.

Lord Green wished him to find Benjin Traske. Very well, then, he would find Benjin Traske. It would give him the opportunity to ask a few questions that had arisen this evening.

The walk was a long one, and at other times he would have contemplated sending a messenger, but Grath knew that this once it would be better if he obeyed the command to the letter. He walked through the halls, unaccompanied but not alone. Toos had indicated that this night no escort would be necessary for the drakes, but that did not mean that security had been relaxed. Tonight, sentries lined the major corridors, the regent’s precautions against assassins and possibly wayward drakes. Grath admired their order and steadfastness as he walked. Too many drakes still underestimated their human counterparts, but he did not. Underestimating your opponents was the best way to open yourself to utter defeat.

There were guards even in the corridor outside of the chambers that had been set aside for Grath and the other visitors. Again, it was supposed to be for their own safety, but he was certain that the regent had also ordered the soldiers stationed here in the hopes that it would discourage his draconian guests from wandering off to where they were not desired. The rooms he sought were farthest down the hallway. He walked past the remaining sentries, faced the door, and softly rapped on it.

The door swung open without preamble. The face of the tutor appeared. “What is it, Grath?”

Disconcerted, he still managed to reply, “I was sent here by Lord Green. He thought that you might yet make an appearance. He insisted that I personally go to you and ask if that might be so.”

“The Dragon King insisted that you come for me?”

Grath nodded.

The massive figure stepped out into the hall. He was clad in the robes of a scholar, making it appear as if he were just about to begin class. The nearest guards glanced the tutor’s direction, but when they saw who it was, they immediately resumed their statuelike stances.

“Did he say why he wanted to know?”

“No, Master Traske,” replied the young drake after a quick look at the sentries. “He simply insisted I go, then walked over to where Kyl and the regent were standing.”

“Did he now? I’d not planned to be there, but if Lord Green is so interested, it would behoove me to come.”

That was somewhat of a relief to Grath, who was not certain how the Dragon King would have reacted if he had returned alone. Eyeing the guards once more, Grath asked, “Would you prefer that I wait out here while you prepare yourself?”

A brief smile spread across the bearded face. “Yes, that would be good of you.”

Benjin Traske slipped back inside. Grath took up a place just to the side of the door and watched the guards. They did not even so much as twitch. These were veterans, men who had fought in battle. The young drake hoped that no reason would arise that would force him to fight one of them.

The door opened but a minute later. The scholar, slightly neater but overall looking much the same as he had a moment before, stepped out into the hall again. After making certain that the door was secure, he turned and began marching down the corridor.

Throughout most of the journey back, the large figure beside Grath said nothing. The drake attempted questions once or twice, but they were met with short, unenlightening responses. Grath gave up and concentrated his efforts on keeping up with the other. His companion was setting a swifter pace than he had expected, almost as if there was some urgent need to appear at the reception as soon as possible. He would have liked to have asked if there was some reason for the speed, but if one of the sentries overheard, it might make for some misdirected conclusions.

As they neared the ballroom, Grath noticed that the reception had grown much quieter during his absence. He wondered if perhaps something had occurred that had made Toos call an early end to the event. If so, it could not have been anything terrible, for the few voices that he did hear seemed as unconcerned as he would have expected.

“Is something the matter, boy?”

“No . . . nothing.”

A soldier opened one of the doors for them. Grath nodded in the manner of a superior to a servant, but his cool demeanor was shattered by what he saw in the ballroom.

It would have perhaps been more appropriate to say what he did
not
see. More than half of the guests had vanished. Small groups clustered here and there, but the bulk of those who had come to meet the new Dragon Emperor were gone. As were, Grath realized in a quick, anxious survey of the ballroom, Toos, Lady Troia, the Green Dragon, and Kyl.

A heavy hand clutched his shoulder. “Where did they go, Grath?”

“I don’t know! They were here when I left.”

Traske looked around. His eyes alighted on a trio of elderly men wearing robes like his own. “Wait here a moment.”

Grath was tired of being commanded by everyone, but he did as he was told. The scholar marched over to his counterparts and immediately questioned them, ignoring their annoyance over his rude interruption of their conversation. One of them made a reply that Grath could not hear, a reply which was then apparently supported by a nod of the head from another in the trio. Benjin Traske gave them a curt response, then returned to the waiting drake. His expression puzzled Grath; it looked as if his companion was suffering a number of conflicting emotions, none of them good.

“They are outside. The arena. Some tournament. I was not told
anything
about this.”

“Tournament? You mean the chess game?”

“Yesss . . .” The huge man came to a decision. “Come, Grath. We do not want to be late.”

“What are—”

Grath’s question died abruptly as his companion glared at him. Clamping his mouth shut, he followed the other through the ballroom.

TOOS WATCHED THE
game unfold with uneasiness in his heart. There was no reason for him to be anxious, not with the safeguards that he and the Gryphon had implemented for this visit, but simply having the drake heir out in the open like this, with not even a roof to protect his head, made the regent uncomfortable. The night sky was dark, there being no moon out. He kept imagining Seekers or some other airborne danger circling above, biding quietly until the proper time. A part of him knew that it was paranoia, but another part argued that there was a basis for his fears.

His entire
life
was a basis for those fears.

Kyl, with the subtle aid of Toos himself, was playing opposite Baron Andrean. Toos had confidence enough in Andrean to know that the aristocrat would do his best to see to it that his royal adversary looked good. As to whether the baron would actually allow the young drake to win, the regent could only guess. Baron Andrean was an intelligent man. He was capable of judging what results would best serve Penacles.

The dragon heir was actually doing fairly well against the much more experienced Andrean. Either that, or Andrean was much more skilled at manipulating the game than Toos had ever imagined. Both players were fairly even at this point. Andrean had a slight advantage, but it was one based more on the strength of his champions than numbers. Through sheer circumstance, the baron had drawn some of the best of the guardsmen who played as pieces. Fortunately, Kyl had a few masters of his own.

In point of fact, the young drake’s knight was about to defeat Andrean’s pawn. This particular combat had gone on for more than the normal two or three minutes. Since they were confined to a single square, duels by champions often ended when one player was forced beyond the boundaries. In this case, both men had succeeded in remaining in place. However, the knight had finally beaten down the defenses of the baron’s pawn and had the man only inches from the back edge of the square.