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'Because?' Sensis pressed.
'To make our lands whole,' said Fyia, 'and to prove I'm the one from the legends,' she added, with a cocky smile.
'Then no,' said Sensis, 'I do not think we are selfish. And your people won't either, when the frozen north melts, and the growing season lengthens, and dragons bring ash to fertilize the fields … when you reunite all five of the great kingdoms in a peaceful, prosperous alliance.'
'When you put it like that,' said Edu, 'how could anyone disagree? Going north is the only sane choice.'
'Then hope the legends are true,' said Fyia, 'and that we are the ones to find the dragons.'
'You doubt it?' said Sensis.
'No,' said Fyia, as the purple light of the setting sun streaked across the sky. The echo of a dragon dream scratched a talon across her skin. 'I do not.'
'Spider, it is good to see you,' said Fyia. She took a seat in the building's magnificent orangery. It was heated by the hot spring, and filled with exotic plants from the south and west that wouldn’t have a hope of survival in the climate outside.
Fyia leaned back in her woven seat as Essa and Starfall joined them, Sensis and Edu already helping themselves to tea and sweet treats.
The Spider bowed her head. 'Likewise, Your Majesty. I come bearing news.'
'Please,' said Fyia, waving her hand to indicate the Spider should go on.
'Opie got word to the Emperor's flying fleet. He took the airship—packed with an entire company of your guards below deck—found the fleet, and told them you had fled north.'
'Did it work?' said Fyia.
'It is unknown. Opie's instruction was to return the airship as a matter of priority, so he slipped away shortly after he imparted the news.'
Fyia nodded. 'I plan to leave for the north in the morning. When I do, Essa will go to the airship, and draw up plans for ships of our own. Spider, find carpenters—the best we have—and send them to her. Adigos will accompany Essa, as her guard.'
The Spider bowed her head, as did Essa, but not fast enough to hide her look of surprise. Adigos would be her guard in more than one sense of the word, keeping Essa safe, but also watching for another betrayal, or even worse, a defection.
'Now,' said Fyia, moving them on, 'it has become clear that uniting the five kingdoms I have already conquered is not enough to bring back the dragons.'
The Spider's sharp eyes widened a fraction, but Fyia continued, keeping it matter of fact. 'It never was enough, as they will only return when the Five Great Kingdoms reunite, not my Five Eastern Kingdoms. Thus, we still have work to do.'
Fyia paused a beat.
'You've decided then?' said Starfall, rolling a leaf in her fingers. 'You'll abandon your kingdoms when they need you most?'
'She's not abandoning anyone,' said Sensis. 'We all knew what this was about from the start. You expect Fyia to be content sitting on a throne?'
'So her people are to suffer?' said Starfall, ripping the leaf from the plant's stalk.
'They won't suffer when we return with dragons,' said Edu. 'Quite the opposite, in fact.'
'And I already have the southern lands on side. Scorpia is keen to reunite, if it means the return of the dragons.'
'Why?' said Starfall. 'How does that benefit her? More likely, she's happy for you to go off on a wild chase, so she can ramp up the taxes she charges us on exports.'
'She has her reasons,' said Fyia, although she didn't know what they were … 'and I trust her.'
Starfall ripped the leaf to pieces, then scattered the shreds to the floor, but Fyia knew her aunt would come around … she always did.
'The Fae'ch are not hostile,' said Fyia, 'nor are the Black Hoods, so I have hopes of uniting on friendly terms. Which leaves only those on the Great Glacier … unfortunately, an unknown entity.'
'None of them will give up their sovereignty,' said the Spider.
Fyia nodded in agreement. 'I'm not asking them to. I'm merely asking that they unite with me in my quest to find the dragons, as part of a peaceful alliance.'
