“Is this a dire circumstance?”
“Yes. We put all of the drackya and my wife at risk if we stay here. I must hide her presence. It’s become clear to me that I didn’t take every scenario into consideration before bringing her here.”
“I told you that you need to mate her,”he murmured, with a tone of arrogance I didn’t appreciate.
Annoyance bled through in my response as I retorted,“And I already told you that isn’t an option, Alstrid. Now answer my question. Is there an alcove we can occupy?”
A heavy sigh echoed.“I will make it so, Your Highness, though it comes with risks that we cannot fully eradicate. Are you sure it is safer here than within your castle walls?”
Was it? I was beginning to admit to myself that, for the first time in my rule, I wasn’t entirely sure of my decisions.
“I’m not sure, but I almost killed Lucius twice today already,”I admitted begrudgingly.“You know of the delicate control I have over the unmated drackya, already. If they find out she’s my weakness while she remains my wife, yet unclaimed as a mate and open for others to stake a claim…”
He grumbled.“A precarious position, indeed. I had only been focused on the risk to her safety from the full-blooded dragons, but it seems we may indeed be the lesser evil of the two right now. Give me until tomorrow morning and I will shift a few of the alcove assignments around.”
While I may have been regarded as the king of all of the undine, full-blooded dragons and drackya alike, I found our relationship less strained when I appointed Alstrid to be a point of contact. The full-blooded undine took better to commandsfrom one of their own, even if they were being handed down by me, through him.
The mental connection severed and I turned to face Lucius fully. “We will go stay within the mountains for now. Perhaps while we are there, I will think of a better plan, but you’re correct in saying I can’t keep a handle on my duties and keep her safe at the same time. The castle must continue to operate as is while we focus on breaking the curse. It’s likely the search will take us out of our territory, as is, so enacting you as Counsellor is for the best.”
His dark hair fell forward as he dropped his head and lowered his eyes in deference. “I will do my best in your stead.”
I hummed my agreeance as my feet began to pace back and forth. Dropping all formality, I asked, “Am I doing the right thing, Lucius?”
A huff of surprise came from the only being I would consider a true ally. Halting my pacing, I glanced at him, waiting for his answer.
His shoulders lifted in a shrug as his head swayed back and forth. “I think we’re in uncertain times, Theo. But you haven’t been able to find the answers on how to break the curse in the span of your short rule thus far. It could be your best bet to look outside of the castle for the answers.”
I mulled over his words, finding myself agreeing with them before he tacked on, “However, I am not of the royal bloodline. They may see this as an opportunity to finally take over the throne while you are gone. You know that only your dragon is revered as the authority due to the fear you strike into their hearts. I will do my best, as I said, but we must be honest about what you may come home to at the end of this.”
Indecision plagued me, and the urge to soar through the sky overcame me. I needed to just exist within the clouds and feel the snow on my scales. It’d done the trick earlier as I’d tamperedmy overwhelming desire for Siyana while in my chambers, but I couldn’t leave her again. I’d naively thought her safe within her chambers then, but this conversation, and seeing her rebel against my word to stay put, had truly highlighted just how wrong I’d been.
“I have to take the risk,” I muttered as my mind conjured the image of an overrun castle and the drackya who found himself foolish enough to sit upon my throne. “Either we find a way to lift the curse and establish peace and prosperity to ensure my rule continues, or we find mutiny at our doorstep anyways.”
Lucius took a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s hope it doesn’t end in my death while you’re gone. I will prepare horses and supplies for your journey into the mountains.”
“There’s no need for the horses,” I grumbled, thinking of how long and arduous the journey would be for the creatures. They’d barely managed the journey yesterday as hard as we’d pushed them. I’ll have to swallow my pride and take her myself.
He raised a brow, clearly thinking I was unable to do exactly that. “You’re going to let her ride your dragon?”
I waved him off. “Just gather food and supplies that she can carry. Try to prepare enough for a few weeks, but I can always hunt for more food as needed. The animals will be scarce heading into the winter months now, though.”
Lucius chuckled and turned to do as I asked, but I stopped him. “Do you think he can fit me tonight?”
His dimples flashed through his trimmed beard as he grinned. “I hope I remember this moment forever. The fearsome undine dragon king, asking if the saddler can fit him in for an appointment to allow his human wife to ride him.”
“Don’t make me strangle you again,” I deadpanned, earning a laugh in response from him.
Just this once,I vowed to myself.Just this once will she ride me.
Chapter Eleven
SIYANA
“What doyou mean the tour is cancelled?”
My voice was filled with shock, considering he’d just told me that was the plan as of an hour ago. What really threw me off, though, was the way I watched his eyes scan up and down every hall before we walked down it, and the way he scanned the sky outside of every window for the briefest moment as we passed.
Despite his earlier diatribe about how my being around other unmated drackya could prove disastrous, this felt different. Somehow bigger than I could possibly understand. And it was deeply discomforting.
