As tactics went, it was a good one. Befriend the courtiers and let them look their fill. Soon, she would be just another among them.
Much to her surprise, Alric actually joined them at the high table about halfway through the final sweet course. He accepted a cup of wine from a servant but did not eat while the others finished up their meal. The King sat next to Zallra, and the two began a lively conversation about the far-off lands she had traveled.
She entertained the King with her stories, speaking finally of her childhood travels in this land with her family and her impressions of the changes to the land since. Alric seemed especially attentive of the Jinn woman, and Lilly wondered if something might develop there. She’d be glad to see Alric finally form a more permanent attachment with a woman. He was so alone, her heart ached for him at times. Nobody should be that isolated.
Being the monarch had attendant issues of its own, but then, his blindness added a whole other layer to his problems.
They lingered over their wine as the courtiers marveled at this unexpected turn of events. Lilly knew they were probably speculating on the suitability of Zallra to consort with their King. Lilly almost smiled. Zallra was nobility of a sort, descended of wizards with immense magic coursing through her veins. If anyone was a match for Alric, it was probably the Jinn dragoness.
Lilly hoped privately that something would come of it, for Alric’s sake. He needed a special woman to make him feel not quite so alone.
Luc watched with interest as the Jinn seer seemed to captivate the King’s attention. When Alric finally rose from the table, he was holding Zallra’s hand. Alric was a tall man, long and lean, and he was a good-sized match for the tall Jinn woman. Where her hair was night-dark, Alric’s fair hair shone nearly white, but it would be a mistake to think him old. He was a younger man than he first appeared. In fact, he couldn’t be much older than Lilly, and Luc wondered just how close she was to her liege lord.
Unaccustomed jealousy hit him again, and he had to temper his reaction. He was being foolish to begrudge Lilly any life she had lived before they’d met. She certainly hadn’t asked about his previous experiences, for which he was glad.
Zallra and the King walked away from the table, and Luc followed behind at Lilly’s urging. She had a bemused look on her face as they watched the couple walk ahead of them.
“Is that a problem?” Luc asked quietly, nodding toward the couple in front of them.
“Not at all,” Lilly replied, turning to smile at him. “In fact, if something develops, I think everyone would be thrilled for him. He’s led a very lonely life. His visions have kept him apart from most people.”
“But not from you?” Luc spoke the words before he could censor himself. Did he sound like the jealous fool he felt?
Lilly apparently didn’t hear it, thank goodness. She answered, still smiling. “We played together as children. He was always so serious, but he’s been a good friend. I would be glad to see him find happiness.”
Luc realized he was being a fool and stopped himself from speaking further on the topic.
The King and Zallra entered what must be a private council chamber, and Luc and Lilly came in behind, shutting the door. Alric sat with no guidance. Luc had heard that some blind folk memorized the positions of the furniture in their home and the number of steps it took to get anywhere. He supposed that’s what Alric had done, and it was very impressive.
Alric invited Zallra to sit next to him, treating her as an equal. Luc had never met a King before, but he’d expected more pomp and pageantry, along with a demand for subservience. Alric, apparently, wasn’t that kind of King. Luc was glad. He knew the Council of Elders under the Veil wouldn’t deal well with a more finicky monarch.
Alric invited them all to sit around a wide table. He kept Zallra at his side, and Lilly motioned Luc to a seat next to her on the opposite side from the King. There were open places at the table, which was large enough to seat perhaps a dozen more.
“I’ve asked my military advisors to join us,” Alric began without ceremony, “but first, I wanted a chance to discuss what I may tell them and what must remain secret for now. Lilly can tell you more about each of my advisors, but those I have invited here tonight are those I trust with my life and the continued safety of my people. To me, they are above suspicion, but I know my people are strangers to you both, Lady Zallra and Scout Captain Lucassian. For instance, the matter of your ability to shapeshift, milady,” Alric turned to Zallra. “Is that something we can discuss with them?”
Zallra seemed to think for a moment, a little frown appearing between her brows. “It is hard to break the habit of a lifetime,” she said at last. “The secret of the black dragons has been kept for generations. It is shared by more people now, outside the Jinn Brotherhood, but is still not widely known. I think, perhaps, it is a wildcard best kept out of play for the moment. If my vision comes to pass and there is fighting in your city, I can be the unexpected weapon that appears from nowhere, that nobody knows about.”
Alric nodded. “A good strategy, and I respect your wish to keep your abilities to yourself, milady. It is also a relief to know that you will come to my people’s aid, should the worst happen.”
“My Liege, if I may,” Lilly interjected gently. At Alric’s nod, she went on. “Has your vision changed from that which sent me on my quest?”
“Not entirely,” he told her, his expression darkening. “In fact, there has been a bit of an issue with my visions of late. I believe something is interfering with my abilities to some degree, and I can only assume it is more enemy action, like that which they sent against your people, Sir Luc.”
Luc started a bit at the unfamiliar title, but one did not correct a King. Alric was proving to be a thoughtful and deliberate man. Luc was impressed all over again. This was a King the Council of Elders could work with, and Luc would report back exactly that when he returned home.
“If I may,” Zallra put in, waiting politely for acknowledgment. Receiving it from Alric, she went on. “On our journey here, Luc described to me what had taken place under the Veil and how the seers were magically blocked. I believe there might still be a few Jinn in the city with magical gifts. I can consult with them to see if they’ve noticed anything. My own gift is sporadic and comes to me infrequently. I would not be able to say if my small gift of foresight was being dulled unless I was here longer.”
“My own visions are more frequent than what you describe, milady,” Alric confessed. “Of late, they do not come at all, and that is definitely a change from normal.”
Zallra looked grave. “I will go tonight, into the city, and seek my contacts.”
Lily felt so incredibly relieved to have completed her quest to bring Luc—and Zallra—to meet with Alric. Of course, it was a bittersweet thing because it was also the end of their journey and most probably the end of their time together. Luc would stay a few days, perhaps, to talk more with the King, then he and Shilayla would fly away, and she would probably never see them again. The very idea brought a pang to her heart.
She realized she would miss Luc. Not just Luc. She’d miss Shilayla’s giant presence, as well. Lilly had come to think of Shilayla as a friend over the past days. Lilly liked the dragon’s sometimes wry sense of humor and her devotion to her heartmate. Lilly was glad Luc had the dragoness in his life. A friendship such as theirs was a rare thing, to be treasured.