Gail’s face paled, and she nodded. “He’s terrifying.”
“I have actually crossed him and survived . . . twice.” I held up two fingers.
“I wouldn’t count on being lucky a third time.”
Gail taught me a lesson in humility by assigning me grunt work.
I spent the rest of the day on my knees scrubbing floors, watching the coming and goings of the soldiers, trying to learn their routines. My back ached and my palms were sore from holding the wirehaired brush and scrubbing the tiles.
Molneer was right. No one paid attention to a maid scrubbing the floor. Higher-ranking officials would speak openly, and I listened in as they deemed me beneath their notice.
“The king must work harder to appease the mountain,” an advisor named Jarvis murmured to his confidant. His jacket bore a gold star. “Or there may not be a kingdom left.”
His friend slowed and tugged on his sleeves. “The king is doing everything he can.”
“Is he? I feel like he isn’t trying hard enough. The earthquakes are becoming more frequent. They’re almost daily. The towns are terrified, the mountain could explode any minute, and the dwarves have all but disappeared to the outer guilds. You know what that means?”
“No, we know nothing. The dwarves that settled here are not from the same guild that was destroyed a century ago. We can’t blame them.” Able shook his head. He was dressed in similar clothes to Jarvis, but his gold pin was a diamond shape.
I had to assume the symbols had meaning or ranks.
“Or they have left us because they know they can’t save the kingdom. It will not be enough. I can feel it in my bones. This will be the end of Kiln and King Goddrick’s reign,” Jarvis said disparagingly.
Able frowned. “Stop it. Don’t let any of the blades hear you talk like that, or you’ll end up with a knife through your gut. It is not safe to cross the king during these trying times.”
A trumpet pealed, and the men looked toward the nearest window and hurried off. I sat up and watched them leave. I wanted to follow and find out what was going on.
“What are you doing here?” Freya said, interrupting my thoughts. “Didn’t you hear the trumpet? The king has called all of us to the courtyard for an announcement.”
Freya took my bucket and frowned at my red knees before ushering me out with the rest of the palace staff to the courtyard.
As soon as we stepped outside, the sunlight blinded me, and I had to cover my eyes to keep them from hurting. When my vision slowly adjusted, I saw that we were assembled according to our stations. All the palace staff in red were at the back of the courtyard and to the side. The troops were lined up in formation, facing the palace and the balcony. In the middle of the courtyard were an assemblage of fifty men and women.
The sun was directly overhead, and I could turn to look over the ramparts down the snow-covered mountain.
To the south side of the courtyard was the main gate and coming through it was row after row of soldiers. The soldiers in the middle of the courtyard parted ways and opened their ranks to their brethren.
At the head of the army, a knight in black armor drew my attention. It was the dragon blade. So he had survived the avalanche. He motioned with his hand and an enclosed carriage drove up. A servant boy ran and opened the transport door. A young familiar woman stepped out, her lavender hair a mess, her eyes filled with rage.
“Velora,” I breathed out. The blade had captured Velora.
My jaw hurt from grinding my teeth together, and I knew I hated the dragon with every fiber of my being. During the whole exchange, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the man in black and I’d missed King Goddrick’s entrance.
“Ah, my sharpest blade. You’ve returned with another bounty,” the king called down to his man.
Under the rays of the sun, the armor shimmered, and that’s when I noticed the plates upon the armor. The hammer marks and the way it was forged made it look like dragon scales. In the light of day, the horns of the helmet and the cut of the eyes in the helm made it very identifiable as an exotic dragon.
The third blade slipped off his horse and kneeled before the king.
The king wrung his hands together greedily before addressing those gathered before him. “Here ye, all citizens of Kiln. You have been summoned here by my order, for your kingdom needs you. You’re here because there’s a rumor that you have a certain magical talent or bloodline. Many of you came because of my summons and the chance to be handsomely rewarded. While many refused my commands, a greater physical action was needed to convince you of your duty and for that I regret.”
A growing sense of unease swept up from the gathered guests, as a few called out in discontent. “I’m merely a healer, nothing more. Why am I here?”
“I was about to be married,” a woman cried out. “I missed my wedding night.”
“Silence,” the king roared in anger. “More should have been demanded for disobeying a direct order from your king, but I am magnanimous in my rule. You all shall be compensated for as long as you use your talent and magic for the good of the kingdom. If you do so, you will be handsomely rewarded.”
“What kind of reward?” A man with an eye patch and furred hat yelled up. I could tell he came for the money.
“We’ve all felt the mountain’s temper over the last few years. We have done extensive studies of the prophecies and believe we have the solution to bring our kingdom prosperity and peace. A century ago, a dwarf stole all our kingdom’s treasures and buried it beneath the mountain. I want that treasure back.”
“I’ve been searching the tunnels for years,” a man covered in coal dust called out. “And I’ve barely found any gold, much less a hoard.”
“Which is why I’ve brought you together. I believe that to appease the mountain, we need gold. Lots and lots of gold. And I don’t intend to scavenge the mountain anymore. I believe we can create gold. When our coffers are rightfully full again, the mountain will be appeased.”
The women huddled together, looking confused.
The king was rubbing a ring on his finger as he spoke. “There has been an account of a woman who turned a tin cup into gold in the town of Verdan. I’m hoping that one or more of you can do the same.”
A woman with dark black hair stepped forward. She curtseyed and then called up, “Your Majesty, it seems someone is spinning tales. For I know of no such woman in all of Verdan with that kind of power. Now a healer, or a hedge witch we have plenty.”
“Silence!” The king’s glare was cold, and the woman shuffled quickly back to her place in the crowd. “My blade has confirmed this talent, and do any of you doubt the sharpness of my blade?”
The air was filled with suspense as the blade stood next to the king’s side.
The king smiled. “Fear not, I suspect that there may be more than one among you with this so-called power. So I’ve put together all of my resources at your disposal to fill my coffers with gold. If you so choose, you can leave right now and return to your poor desolate homes and village. The gate is open. No one is stopping you.” The king pointed to the open entrance. “Or you take your chances and try your hand and walk away with more riches and more power than you’ve ever imagined. Choose now!”