“This time of day, when the weather is fine, my liege likes to sit in his private garden,” Lilly told them both. They had an escort of castle guardsmen accompanying them.
They were walking along twisting paths, but all were level and clear, so as not to trip up the Blind King, if he chose to walk them. Before too long, they came upon a sheltered grotto. A giant structure had been formed of thin tree limbs, twisted and arranged by artisans to form a half-shell that towered into the air. Over it grew a curtain of ivy that was dense enough to shade the area beneath but still allow plenty of air flow.
At the base of the shell were benches on three sides, built into the structure. On the center bench was a lone figure. A man with silvery blond hair and a faraway cast to his eyes, which shone the milky white of blindness. The King.
Lilly walked close and knelt before Alric, close enough to touch. “I am returned, My Liege,” she said in a quiet voice. “And I bring with me both Scout Captain Lucassian and a newcomer, the Lady Zallra, who bears official messages from Draconia.”
Once again, it was clear to Luc that Lilly respected—even loved—Alric, very much. Luc felt a small stab of jealousy that only increased as the King turned to her and reached out his hand to touch her face.
“Lilly.” He spoke quietly in the rich baritone voice Luc had heard earlier that still made a fresh impact of strength and courage to his ears. Alric ran his fingers over Lilly’s cheek, exploring, and only then did Luc realize that since the man could not see, he used his fingers to learn the nuances of expression. Alric traced his fingers over Lilly’s forehead then lowered his hand. “Welcome again, Scout Captain,” Alric said in Luc’s direction. “And welcome, Lady Zallra.”
Lilly rose and stepped back as Alric’s guards formed up on either side of the King. Zallra stepped forward to stand in front of the King.
“Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Zallra of the Black Dragon Clan of the Jinn, emissary of both the Draconian King and the Queen of the Jinn to your court. I come bearing a scroll from King Roland and a verbal message on behalf of the Jinn.” Zallra offered the scroll to the nearest guard, who stepped forward to take it.
“Welcome, Lady Zallra. I would hear the spoken message first, if you are ready to proceed.”
“Indeed, I am, sire. To do so, I must go back in history and tell you of the ancient pacts that bind all dragons to the protection of the Citadel. It is their sacred duty to prevent any from breaching that icy prison and one no dragon will ever forget. It is King Roland’s belief, and the belief of the Jinn, that your enemies seek to breach the Citadel, and therefore, we seek alliances with you to prevent it. Queen Arikia of the Jinn Brotherhood, to be more specific, seeks to ally with you to prevent the breach of the Citadel. Although I am not privy to what King Roland wrote in his message to you, I suspect his message is much the same.”
Alric sat back in his seat a little then spoke after a brief pause. “Your words surprise me, milady, but they are very welcome. My vision has come clearer in the time since I sent Lilly on her quest, and I fear this enemy seeks alliances with the wizards of old who are trapped in the Citadel. The first step, of course, would be freeing them, which would spell disaster for all the lands, not just ours.”
“And that brings us to why I came on this journey.” Zallra moved a step closer to Alric, pitching her voice so that only the King, Lilly and Luc could hear her. “King Alric, I am not just a member of the Black Dragon Clan of the Jinn. I am, in fact, a black dragon, one of the rarest of all dragons because I can also take human form. It has been a great secret for many centuries that the descendants of Dranneth the Wise took on this magic so that we could bridge the gap between humanity and Dranneth’s greatest creation, dragonkind. My line descends from Dranneth’s youngest child, and it was he who formed the Jinn eons ago, against just such a situation as this.”
The guards stationed around Alric’s position couldn’t hear what Zallra said, but Luc could see they were alert and probably very curious, though they hid it rather well.
Zallra went on. “Your Majesty, there are threats against the Citadel, not just from the enemy who seeks to overrun these lands, but also among the enemies of Draconia. King Roland has been engaged in war with King Lucan of Skithdron and the barbarian leaders to the north of his land. They have already fought many battles to prevent Lucan and his other allies from gaining knowledge and magic he would need to bring down the walls of the Citadel.”
Alric frowned, leaning forward a bit. “This is grave news.” Luc liked the way this King thought over what he’d been told before offering any reaction. It spoke well of his temperament. Those under the Veil would not wish to ally with a hothead.
“Further, one of the great wizards on our side of the ancient conflict took steps to preserve his home island in time and has just recently rejoined us in real time. The Wizard Gryffid, creator of the gryphons, is back among us and willing to help those who would prevent the storming of the Citadel,” Zallra revealed.
This was news to Luc, even though he had been taught that an enclave of fair folk had disappeared eons ago with Gryffid, who was their ally. His people at home would be intrigued to learn if those ancient fey had survived along with the wizard.
“Gryffid’s island is home to a large community of gryphons and fair folk, who are also pledged to our cause. King Roland and the Queen of the Jinn have given me their leave to talk of alliance with you, King Alric. Though Draconia lies far away, dragons can make the journey in a week, as we have just proved. And Jinn are everywhere, with established networks of communication that you could access if you talk alliance with them. Also, Draconia is already allied with not only the wizard Gryffid, but also the fair folk and gryphons of Gryphon Isle. Another colony of gryphons is also part of the alliance in the far western nation of Helios. One of King Roland’s many brothers recently traveled there and married the Doge of Helios, forming a family alliance, as well as a political one.”
“I had heard something about that marriage,” Alric said, “though my report was lacking in detail. I am glad you have come to my court, milady, and welcome the chance to speak with you about these matters in depth.” Alric gestured toward his Guard, and one of them bent to listen to his King’s orders. “My steward will see to your comfort, and Lilly can show you around. For now, I will retire to inspect the document from King Roland and think on all you have told me.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As instructed, Lilly consulted the steward to find accommodation for Zallra. Both Luc and the dragon-woman retired to their rooms to refresh themselves while Lilly went off to speak with Captain Jimnel, General Brighton, and the other leaders of the kingdom’s defenses. She gave her report and answered many questions before they finally let her go, just in time to meet back with Luc and Zallra in the great hall, where they were being seated for the evening meal.
The court was not as large as some Lilly had heard about—the Emperor of Elderland, it was said, had a court of thousands attending him—but there were enough curious faces in the small crowd to ensure that gossip was the main pastime of those assembled. They were watching Luc, of course, but Zallra seemed to soak up all the attention and fend it off with her bright smile and ready laugh. She was vibrant and full of life, and before too long, she had everyone else at the large table under her thrall.