AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Right.
I swallow the sudden spike of fear. Orcus is otherwise occupied, but he already agreed to the plan. All I have to do is deliver the message. It’s not like I’m doing anything bad, but I swear I see a few murderous glares in the crowd of trulls. To say they hate the crown is an understatement. That’s all about to change.
At least, I hope.
Prometheus nudges my hand. I glance up at the dragon. Soon enough, it may not fit in the castle. Golden eyes gaze down at me, saying so much without a single word. Regardless of what the trulls decide, Prometheus will protect me.
I smooth my hand down the back of its neck and clear my throat again. “Thank you all for coming.” An uneasy shift ripples through the crowd, but I charge on. “I’ve gone through the books and found some issues as it relates to the trulls and their tax payments.”
“We’re not paying more!” someone shouts.
Lagertha flings a knife into the crowd and trulls dive away from it. I avert my gaze, not wanting to see if the dagger made its mark.
“Let the queen talk or I’ll flay ya myself,” Lagertha growls.
I swallow again. “As I said, there was a discrepancy.” Turning, I gesture for the minotaurs. They bring two chests forward and set them at my feet. A few coins slip out of one and roll across the floor. Harald squints at it, the chests, then looks at me.
“What are ya saying?”
“I’m saying,” I begin with a soft smile, “That you’ve been unfairly taxed and this is our way of apologizing.” I bend and open one chest and a few trulls gasp. “I can’t make up for all the wrongs, but I hope this assures you that Orcus and I plan to rule fairly.”
“My Queen,” Lagertha says, voice choked. She falls to one knee and dips her head. Harald follows suit. Line after line, the trulls bow.
Mama.Prometheus chuffs, exhaling a roll of smoke that mists through the air. I smile at the dragon and thinksweet babybefore focusing on the task at hand.
“Please, rise. If you need help getting the chests home—” I cut off with a startled gasp at the sudden rush of trulls. I scramble away as dozens of trulls lift the heavy chests from the floor, hoisting them like ants carrying home a prize.
“We won’t forget this,” Lagertha says before whistling and directing the trulls out of the castle. Almost as quickly as they’d flooded it, the trulls leave. Only Harald lingers.
“Daisy.” He sniffs and swipes at his cheeks. “I can’t thank ya enough.”
“Don’t thank me. It was the right thing to do.”
He nods and wrings his hands, glancing longingly after the trulls.
“You know, I’m not really in danger anymore. You should go.”
“But what if you need me?”
“Then I know where to find you,” I say with a wink. “I’m honored to call you a friend, Harald.”
He blinks back a fresh wave of tears, face growing red. “I’ll be back to visit, don’t ya think I won’t.”
“I look forward to it.” I jerk my thumb toward where the trulls disappeared. “Now hurry up before they spend it all without you.”
Chuckling, he bows again and rushes after his friends. My chest is heavy as he leaves. I’ll miss him. I’ll even miss Lagertha. Prometheus makes a soft, pitiful sound, and I pat its head.
“I know.” And the worst part is, I have one more promise to fulfill and this one might destroy me.
* * *
Prometheus’flying has vastly improved. The dragon can even carry me and Orcus without faltering now. It also helps that it never seems to stop growing. Wind rushes around us and Orcus’ hands are casually wrapped around my waist. Moisture slips down my cheeks, and I pretend like the harsh rush of air is making my eyes water, when really it’s the possibility of never seeing the dragon again.
Zyla and Harald had said Prometheus considers me its mother, but I know once the dragon sees its own kind, it’ll want to stay.
The dragons live in the far reaches of the lands. It takes two days and three free roaming goats to travel into their territory. I expected some type of giant bird’s nest, but what we find is more like a grouping of rocks and giant caves, much larger than the one I found Orcus in. The mountains out here are treacherously steep.
One moment we’re flying solo, the next we’re surrounded by a cluster of seven dragons twice the size of Prometheus. Their scales are all different colors; some bright and brilliant, others muted and subtle, but regardless of how beautiful their scales are, it’s their eyes that really catch me off guard. The largest and closest has brilliant emerald green irises filled with knowledge and suspicion. Its scales are mostly muted green but there are hints of luminescent gold shimmering at the edges of each one.
