King's Crown: Chronicles of the Dragon-Bound: Book 3, page 13
When Dax repeated what Kahshect had said, the queen stepped to Larad’s side. “Your sword for a moment, Tre?” The guardsman relinquished his sword to his queen. She stepped forward to the dragon. The dragon’s body was nearly as tall as she was, but the queen’s regal posture made her seem imposingly large herself. “Dragon Kahshect. I hereby name you a guard of West Landly. May you serve the kingdom and the royal family well.” She reached out and tapped Kahshect lightly on his left shoulder. The dragon made a respectful bow.
“Ah, that went well. I seem to be doing rather better than you so far, wouldn’t you say?”
“Your Majesty,” Dax said, “Kahshect appreciates the honor you do him, but I must warn you. If you continue to dole out honors this way, he will be insufferable to live with.”
The queen laughed aloud at that. With that, a lot of the tension went out of the watchers. The coach had arrived, and she turned and gestured toward it. “Ah, Dax, our carriage is here. Shall we get started?” She handed the sword back to the tre and turned to the dragon again. “Kahshect, it has been wonderful to meet you. We must spend more time together soon.”
“Yes, we must,” Kahshect said.
The queen blinked in surprise. “I . . . What?” She sounded most uncertain.
“And Dax, we really must talk,” the dragon added.
#
There was no time to talk, because everyone was bustling about getting ready for the trip to the castle. The kitchen and serving people were cleaning up the tent where the reception had been. The grooms brought out the East Landly horses, which had all been fed, watered, and curried. Pollia Karr, obviously in her element, issued a continuous stream of orders. Dax watched with amusement as Scarlet received several of her imperious commands.
Dax and Queen Dara, seated in the open royal coach, were in the middle of the parade. A detachment of guardsmen had arrived in their sharp and shiny dress uniforms. Their numbers matched the East Landly Lancers. The King’s Watch fell in ahead of and behind the coach. The other East Landly members of Dax’s party rode to the front of the procession, and the East Landly coaches went to the rear.
A herald set off first, calling all available to come watch the royal procession of Queen Dara and King Daxdendraig of East Landly—the queen’s husband-to-be. The main route into the city was only visible for a short distance before it bent to the north, but Dax saw people already gathering. As the line of coaches and horses started, he heard the echoes of cheers bouncing off the low buildings at the outskirts of Tazzelton. He settled into the seat and looked at the queen. Frieanna. His bride-to-be. His intended. His . . . The queen turned her head and saw him looking at her.
She smiled. “Is this your first time in Tazzelton?”
Dax smiled in return, but his simple, “No,” concealed a long story that the queen must hear before they finalized the agreement for marriage. Dax had instructed Carmodi to reveal nothing about Dax, the lost “boy king” of West Landly. Before they married, he himself would tell the queen, Frieanna, his bride-to-be, his . . .
Desperate to talk about something other than his past, Dax nodded toward the large structure on the left with a large black hat above the main door. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the city. Is that an inn? I don’t remember that.”
“Yes, and you’re quite right. Tarrow Leedmon built the Coachman’s Hat just three years ago. He said if his is the first inn a traveler to the city comes upon, he will do more business. He was right, but others have noticed. Soon there will be two more inns close by.”
Dax listened with half an ear to the queen’s narrative. His mind filled with a swirl of conflict between what his eyes saw overlaid with what he remembered. Frieanna leaned against him to get his attention and pointed across to another structure on Dax’s side. “There’s something else that’s new,” she said. “Miniver’s Stables burned down two years ago, but now he’s rebuilt.”
The contact between them brought Dax back from his private thoughts. He was happy sitting beside the queen, and he reached out and took her hand. On impulse he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. “Thank you for making me feel welcome,” he said softly.
She blushed a little and looked into his eyes. Dax saw strength and challenge there. “I’m probably talking too much, but I’m a little nervous.”
She was interrupted by a shouted greeting from a group of people on her side of the carriage. Dax turned with her to look and saw an excited group of young women gathered in front of the inn. They waved, fairly dancing with excitement. Dax and the queen both waved back at the group. Dax raised the queen’s hand and kissed it again where they could all see. He was rewarded with shrieks of delight from the ladies.
Dax leaned a little closer to her ear so she could hear. “You are not the only one who is nervous, Your Majesty.” He paused. “Frieanna. I’m sorry, but I will learn to unbend. This is new for me.”
More people lined the sides of the thoroughfare. Dax sensed the happiness and delight of the crowd as they shouted and waved at the carriage. He leaned over to the queen. “Your people love you.”
“Four years on the throne is not long enough to upset too many people,” she said easily. She looked at him. “Besides, they are excited to see the hero of Frohliem City.”
“Now you are going to make me blush,” Dax replied, and she laughed. He liked to make her laugh.
The procession approached the city’s main wall. Dax recognized more and more of the structures. It was a strange feeling to see familiar buildings and establishments mixed in with others he did not remember. He was not surprised most of the buildings seemed smaller and less grand than he remembered. His mind was hard at work integrating all the hard certainties of his childhood memories with the gestalt of today’s reality.
The queen was easy to talk with, and they chatted about a number of topics while they waved and greeted the citizens. Dax noticed a piece of fruit on the sill of a house window, something that he had seen several times along the route. “Frieanna,” he said, satisfied that at last he could use her given name without having to stop and think, “I’ve noticed several houses have had a plate of food or a piece fruit in the window. What is that about?”
“Oh, it’s a gift for the boy king.” She smiled. “There’s a tradition among the people of the city to leave a little food out for our lost king. No one knows exactly how the story got started, but city folk say if the boy king takes it, he’ll leave a reward. The people of the streets are the ones who benefit, but they seldom leave a donation.”
A prickle of moisture in his eyes made Dax’s vision blur. His throat was suddenly thick.
The queen noticed. “Dax?” She touched his arm. “Is there something wrong?”
He cleared his throat and mumbled, “Sorry.” He took a breath and went on more firmly. “That struck me as something very wonderful for people to do.” She did not reply. After he became embarrassed by the silence, he added hoarsely, “There’s more to say, and when we have time, I’ll explain.”
She looked at him curiously. “All right,” she finally said. She smiled. “I will hold you to that promise.”
#
As they neared the city’s wall, he glimpsed the towers of the castle above the top of the wall. The sight gave him a pang of sentiment. He had spent his boyhood there. He had watched his father die there. He had been king there. It had been his home, but it was not his home now. He forced himself to pay attention to the woman beside him. She took his hand frequently and held it in both of hers as she told him about her kingdom and her city. Carmodi had been right about the woman’s vivacious nature. He willingly let her carry him along with her good-natured chatter. This was not a day to relive dark memories.
Once they passed through the gate in the city’s main wall, he saw the massive rocky bulk of Adok with the castle rising from its shoulders. Although not terribly high, Adok raised the bottom of the castle well above the great spire of the Temple of the Goddess, the tallest structure in the city.
The Serpentine Road led directly down the east side, the city side, of the immense outcropping, but it could only be traveled by foot or horseback along its switchbacks, winding a narrow path back and forth across the rock’s eastern face. Their route took them up one of the great carved ramps rising up from the city on both the north and south sides of Adok, meeting at the main gate on the west side of the castle, facing the sea. Not only were the ramps necessary to get visitors and supplies up to the castle, but they would make it difficult for an enemy to bring a massed force against the castle’s main entrance. Outside the castle’s west-facing main gate, the ramps came level to a space large enough to turn a wagon, but they sloped down from there along the north and south sides of the rock. Directly to the west, beyond a low wall meant to keep wagons and other wanderers away from the edge, there was only the ocean.
As much as he tried to control his emotions, when the carriage turned onto the south ramp to begin the long climb up Adok, a lump rose in Dax’s throat. He had been away a long time. Now he was back. He took the queen’s hand again and brought it to his lips. It was the only answer he had to her cheerful “Here we go!” as they started the ascent.
“Ah. They must have had dragons in mind when they built this.” Dax looked up and saw Kahshect’s head peering down at them from above. He nudged the queen and pointed with their joined hands. She waved a greeting, cheerful. Kahshect gave a short, hissing roar in response.
“The large, flat area outside the wall on this side catches the sun perfectly,” the dragon thought with great satisfaction.
“So you’ve already made yourself at home?”
“Namkafnir invited me.”
“He’s here with Bindle? Wonderful.” Dax was glad Treyhorn would be here to talk to these first few days.
“They arrived while you were parading through the city. Bindle sent the drakon on to get Renshau.”
Dax turned to the queen. “You have company. Bindle Treyhorn has arrived.” He went on to explain why Treyhorn had left their party.
“She should have news of the ship then. You still think the Tharans are stealing dragon’s eggs?”
“Oh, what a happy subject of conversation, but yes,” Dax said. Another thought intruded, and he sighed. “I also can’t help but wonder if this royal marriage will cause the Tharans to push harder.”
“Seems they have already pushed East Landly quite hard.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “But you are right. We should be talking about happy things, and I am remiss in my hospitality.”
“Not at all,” Dax replied. “We do need to talk with Bindle and the others. The Tharans are not going away, and sooner or later we will have to deal with them.”
#
At that evening’s supper, they had the official welcome for the East Landly king and his party. It was not a large affair, only two hundred people or so, but the well-appointed tables filled the Peacock Hall to capacity. Dax and Queen Dara sat together on the dais in the elaborately decorated room. Dax could not remember the space being used for entertaining when he lived in the castle, and between the first and second appetizers, he asked the queen about the room.
“Originally the room was a private conference chamber for the royal advisors.” She hesitated briefly. Dax remembered now, but he gave no sign. “We have had to be cautious with our spending,” she continued carefully, “and many offices have been consolidated. Our council now meets here as well. This is where we will meet with them tomorrow afternoon.”
The queen went on, but at that moment Dax realized he was responsible for West Landly’s financial difficulties. When he had fled Mathilde’s machinations, he had carried the castle’s secrets with him, including the kingdom’s treasure room. Mathilde’s plot had gradually excluded or eliminated his father’s other advisors who had carried the secret as well. At the time, he had only thought to cripple Mathilde’s attempt to take over the realm. Dax, still living in secrecy, had not thought to undo the damage once the new king, Queen Dara’s father, had been raised to the throne. His heedless neglect all these years had weakened West Landly, and yet West Landly had come to the aid of East Landly with what they could muster when the Tharans attacked.
“Dax?” The queen’s question brought Dax abruptly back to the present.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. My mind had wandered to another item we need to discuss.” He looked around the room where West Landlians were trying to make their visitors from the East feel welcome. He forced himself to smile pleasantly. “I hope Venjet warned you about my distracted brooding.”
“And I hope he warned you that I can be a little flitter bug of distracted babbling. Maybe we will cancel each other out.”
Dax laughed. “Frieanna”—it pleased him to say her name aloud—“you make me feel better every time I talk with you. I should listen more carefully because what you say is important.” He took her hand in a friendly, reassuring gesture, but he felt a warm rush of attraction as he touched her.
Dax was surprised, but the queen evidently felt the connection too. She looked at him, eyes wide, and softly said, “Oh.”
#
The next morning Dax and Scarlet were up and out early on the guard’s training ground for morning exercises. Last evening at the welcome dinner, the queen had invited them, as well as the other members of the King’s Watch, to the practice. Dax looked around at the familiar grounds and thought of all the hours he had spent training here under the watchful eyes of Orin Herne. His memories were interrupted by the appearance of the queen accompanied by a group of women. They were all dressed in trousers and jerkins with pads and helmets for stick training just as Dax and his party were. The queen walked up to Dax and grounded her staff.
Dax gave a polite bow. “You challenged last night, and we accepted. What is your pleasure?”
“As I told you,” she said, “we have taken inspiration from Queen Layna’s Legion, which she raised in defense of Frohliem City. Here are the first of my own Queen’s Legion. I would have your King’s Watch instruct us in the techniques of stick fighting.”
Dax smiled and nodded. Being with this spirited woman made him happy. “How shall we do this then? Who trains whom?”
“I call Commander Scarlet,” cried Telly, one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting.
The others quickly matched up, but the queen stepped up to Dax and tapped his chest with the end of her staff. “Will you do me the honor of sparring with me, Your Majesty?”
“With pleasure, Your Highness.” He instantly snapped into the low guard position to parry her blow coming from the right. She struck again from the left, followed by a swift left-right combination.
“Do you only defend?” the queen called in challenge after Dax had blocked a rapid-fire three-blow combination followed by her attempted overhead smash.
He said nothing but snapped a rapid one-two combination at her head, which she neatly blocked. The queen was no novice. This sparring match would be fun. He tried another combination aimed at her leading leg, which she not only blocked but turned her block into a counter that glanced off his shoulder pad.
“Nicely struck,” Dax called. She said nothing, but once again he had to go to a guard position because the queen’s attack was relentless.
After a few more minutes, the queen stepped back and jerked off her padded helmet. Fire blazed in her eyes. “Stop patronizing me!” she cried angrily. When Dax started to protest, she pointed the end of her staff at him. “Strike like you mean it. It does me no good if you pull your strokes. Hit me hard!”
Dax had only thought to give the queen some practice rounds, but it seemed she wanted a full-on bout. He thought about what an unblocked blow might do to the queen’s appearance for their upcoming wedding, but he decided to do what she had asked. If he gave her a black eye, would she call off the wedding? When the queen had replaced her helmet, Dax set out to do exactly as she had asked. He attacked with an overhead combination with his full strength behind the major strokes. As he struck, a wisp of dragon anger stirred, but he carefully modulated that feeling.
To his surprise, nothing changed. Her staff resounded loudly from his heavier blows, but he could not strike her. He tried another combination, which started with an overhead feint that led into a quartet of side blows to the midsection and ended with a thrust. He could not touch her. He tried again, and although her arms shivered with the force of his blows, she always slipped them aside without ever taking the full effect.
They were both breathing heavily when the queen stepped back again and took off her helmet again. She was smiling this time. “Better,” she stated. “Are you wearing a padded cup?” As she asked, she twitched the end of her staff upward toward his crotch. Dax involuntarily flinched. “I thought not, and I will have use for that later.” She jerked her head toward the barracks. “Go to the guard training room and find one. You are leaving yourself open when you go from low guard to level guard.”
Her direct question had mortified him, and his cheeks went hot at her comment. No, he had not bothered to protect himself, and the oversight embarrassed him. He went off to the training room and found a guardsman who located the required gear for him. He smiled at Dax. “Sparring with the queen, are you? Isn’t she a pip?” He smiled and pulled up his jerkin to display a large discolored patch on his ribs. “She gave me this beauty last week. If you can keep up with her, you’re a better man than me.” He let his jerkin fall back. “One warning. She’s got a right temper on her, she does.”
“She’s a challenge, all right.” Dax smiled at the guardsman as he buckled on the cup.
“Watch out when she goes low on the left side,” the man offered. “She’s double quick from that position, and she’ll go low or high.”
Dax thanked the man for his advice and returned to the field of combat. The queen was talking with Telly while Scarlet leaned on his staff beside them. He noticed Scarlet was smiling, but he was sweating and rubbing his left forearm.
