The only trespasser was Jori, who’d drifted into their territory on his little plane. They’d kept an eye on him regularly, documenting visible activities and she had gone to assess him herself.
The queen had been on the throne, in its position on the dais behind the gathered Council. Her personal guard surrounded her.
Kymri’s mother was at the queen’s side.
The questions began. Why did you push his plane to safety rather than eliminate him immediately? Why didn’t you leave him to his fate on the ocean, he may have drifted out again on his own?
“Council, it’s been many, many years since we’ve had a drifter. And despite the sensitivity around the queen’s safety since the last attack we defended against, I thought it prudent not to unnecessarily destroy a citizen of our neighboring nation. For the sake of peace, we would expect that had one of our citizens drifted into their territory they would not be destroyed.”
“No, they’d lock her up indefinitely.” One of the councillors muttered.
“That may be, in current conditions, Madam Councillor, but not all of their regimes have been so barbaric. And in light of the hard work that Queen and Council have done to form political bonds, I thought it best to maintain a stance of neighborly compassion until the situation had been thoroughly assessed.”
“And now that you’ve had personal contact, what have you assessed the threat level to be, Kymri Steelscale?”
“As my reports state, the drifter is a lone male of prime age from the continent. His navigation and communication equipment failed when he passed through the barrier and became stranded. He carries recording and documentation equipment for his travels.”
“What is the subject of his documentation?”
“Us.”
Murmurs rippled through the gathered dragons.
“He and his equipment need to be destroyed.”
There were several other outbursts before Madam Councillor gained control of the gathering. “Continue your report, guardian commander.” Her voice had gone hard, signaling Kymri’s fragile standing.
“The equipment is non-functional and the batteries that power them have been destroyed.”
“She should have destroyed all of it,” another councillor said.
“I did not see the point in destroying the man’s livelihood altogether, the intention was to send him on his way back to the continent.”
“Guardian, why did you not take care of this threat at any point over the last days of the drifter’s presence?”
Kymri opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off before she could answer.
“Because she’s gone into heat and her judgment should be questioned.”
Kymri’s heart sank as her head turned toward the familiar voice.
Zayli.
The murmurs rose among the gathered again.
Kymri’s gaze found her mother, who’d blanched.
She didn’t think this was part of her mother’s schemes. Her cousin had just betrayed her. She then looked to her queen, who returned her attention with mild curiosity.
The councillors were a different matter.
Some looked on her with pity, some with disgust, some smiled as they looked down on her.
“Madam Councillor, in light of this information, any assessment Guardian Commander Kymri Steelscale provides is untrustworthy, especially since the drifter is male. She should be relieved of duty and he should be destroyed.”
Panic ripped through Kymri and she fought hard to suppress the growl that threatened to erupt in the council chamber. She trembled from the self-control required to stay her involuntary defensive shift into her dragon form at the thought of Jori’s death.
“He can’t be destroyed,” she said, her voice strained with the effort of controlling herself. “The mating bond is threading.” The words flew out of her mouth and she wasn’t sure they were truth until the turmoil inside her calmed once they were said.
She had just sealed both their fates, and her position as guardian commander might still be lost to her.
The Council had a brief recess before Madam Councillor conferred with the queen.
The decision was passed to retrieve Jori and his equipment from the island; they would do their own investigation.
Her chest was tight as she reached her private quarters. She paced the room, stripping off her formal council robes.
She was as agitated over the realization that the bond was indeed in process as she was about the threat to Jori. And then there was the betrayal of Zayli. She changed her clothes and prepared for the retrieval, then descended to meet with the expedition team.
Madam Councillor and Kymri’s superior had already briefed them without her presence and they were being dismissed. On seeing her arrival, their gazes turned to her, mirroring the judgments of the council members.
Madam Councillor approached her, “You’ll remain here, Kymri; you’re being relieved of duty and your next in command will take over.”
“Madam Councillor, I’m fully capable of fulfilling my duties.”
“You may think so. In light of your judgments and behavior over this matter, we are not confident that you are.”
“Despite the bonding subject, my decision not to allow a stranded human to be destroyed without assessment was sound. I know concerns for safety are rigid, but we also need to protect the thin diplomatic relationships that we have been trying to build.”
“I agree, as an individual, Kymri. In light of the news that you are experiencing a heat, it invariably puts your judgment in question, and it has to be addressed. Once the council completes their own investigation, they may decide as you did. Until then we have to relieve you of duty.”
Kymri turned toward the harbor. Several of her guard boarded a small skiff preparing to make sail. Overhead, three dragons launched from the towers.
Madam Councillor’s voice was heavy with compassion when she spoke, “I am sorry you are experiencing this heat, Kymri. It will be difficult.”
Kymri watched the skiff depart, the knot in her stomach tightening.
Jori could see a small boat on the horizon as he jogged along the hot beach sand. He was headed out to the small spring he’d found, with his water bottle in hand, and exercising to keep his muscles strong despite the inertia of being stranded on an island. Next time someone asked him the ridiculous question of what to bring if you were stranded on a desert island? A water bottle, and a solid supply of protein and sunscreen.
His feet slowed as he watched the boat, trying to discern how big it was. Was it Kymri? Or a possibly rescue ship? Maybe someone noticed his uploads had stopped and the Coast Guard was alerted to search for him. It was difficult to control the rising excitement. If it was a rescue vessel, could they see the island? He forced himself to wait before running back to retrieve the flares from the boat. In case it was Kymri come to visit. He had no idea what her boat looked like; he’d never seen it.
The excitement of rescue warred with his desire to spend more time with her.
He watched, willing it to come faster. A sail became visible and he relaxed as the shape of the vessel became more defined. Not a rescue ship, just a sailboat. It likely would still take some time, so he continued on his errand to procure the fresh drinking water and returned to his camp.