Page 8 of The White Dragon's Dilemma

“This 30-years of peace has been the anomaly, Caden.Not the war coming.That is what is normal,” Illarion said and patted his shoulder almost kindly. “You should align yourself with the strongest Dragon so that your life, at least, can be safe and secure.”

Caden straightened and said stoutly, “Valeriusisthe strongest.”

He expected Illarion to scoff at this, but the Green Dragon King said, “Hecouldbe.But he cares too much.Today, that speech was beautiful.I felt it in my own bones.He should have taken advantage of it and led the people to tear down the temples of the Faith, make some of the Faithful hate Shifters instead of wanting to blow up people to make more.”

“You mean incite a mob?Valerius would never do that!”Caden shook his head violently.

With a sad smile, Illarion nodded.“I know.And that is why he is not the strongest.” Illarion pushed off of the railing and headed towards the throne room.He threw over his shoulder, “Think on it, Caden.We may not share a bed.But I could give you the peace you want. You would love my territory with its mountains, lakes and rivers.Iolaire would have plenty of snow-kissed land to enjoy.Your family would be treated as royalty.And, in the end, what is better than that?”

Caden frowned after Illarion’s retreating back. He wanted to answer: justice, prosperity and peace for all.But that sounded naive even in his own ears.

But just because it might not be possible does it mean we should just give up?Shouldn’t we just keep trying to make a more perfect world?

“He does not understand you would never choose safety over Valerius,” Tez said from the darkness of the steps where Illarion had emerged from. “You both are so romantic!”

Caden’s frown became a smile.“Tez, you were eavesdropping.”

The Gold Dragon King grinned and hopped up the stairs two at a time to join Caden.“Maybe a little.It was such a fascinating conversation and I cannot believe I am sayingfascinatingin the same sentence as Illarion.”

Tez’s mouth flattened after saying the Green Dragon King’s name as if it tasted bad. That caused Caden to smile more.

“He was a little… different this time around,” Caden admitted.“Not as, uhm, well…”

“Stupid as he normally is?Yes, I agree,” Tez answered with a nod.“He so often plays the strong man who seems only to see the surface layer of things that one forgets there is some depth to him.”

Caden shifted his position so that his right hip was resting against the cool stone.“Do you think he’s right?”

Tez gave a cough-laugh.“No, well, not exactly.”He flashed very white teeth at Caden.“I think dissent from one’s people is agoodthing.Too often those in power forget what it is like to be at the bottom.They take for granted that what they experience is what everyone experiences.They forget the least of us.So the people must rise up!”

Tez’s arms lifted as if conducting an orchestra of the discontented.Caden could almost see villagers grabbing their torches and pitchforks.

“Even violently?”Caden thought of what would have happened if evenoneof the planned bombs had gone off as it should have.

“Yes, even violently.”Tez nodded and the feathers in his hair bobbed along with him.Caden must have looked horrified as he added, “Sometimes the only way people will listen is if you have a gun to their heads, Caden.”

“What about the innocent victims?The people in the Below have nothing!And now they have to be afraid of being blown up, too?”Caden gripped the railing.

Tez’s expression was thoughtful.Like Illarion, he did not react in anger to Caden’s arguments.Caden realized that this had to be because of age.The dragons had lived so long and seen so much.They thought about things rather than reacted. At least, they were this way with him.Patient and trying to teach.But he didn’t know if he wanted to learn their lessons.

“One way the Faith could have looked at this is as that those in the Below would bebestserved by the bombs,” Tez said finally.

Caden goggled at him.“You can’t be serious!”

Tez put a hand on Caden’s right forearm.“But don’t you see, Caden?The best and most immediate way out of poverty and the underclass is to become a Shifter.The Faith wanted to give the people in the Below that chance.”

“And those who weren’t so lucky would get death?”Caden’s voice was bitter.

Tez nodded sadly.“That is the price.”

“I’m surprised you would be okay with this, Tez!”Caden cried.

“I would like a solution that benefits all, but there is always a cost, and oftentimes the poorest of us pay it,” Tez explained. “So it is not that I am okay with it as you say.I just acknowledge the truth of it.”

“Are you going to say I’m naive, too, like Illarion for wanting a different solution? A different paradigm?”Caden asked.

Tez smiled broadly at him.His sunny face became even more appealing.“Not in the least!I think that Iolaire and you are here to bringhope.So keep believing in that other solution.Keep seeking it.Maybe you will find it while others have not.”

With a final squeeze of his forearm, Tez too walked off towards the throne room.But Caden was not left alone for long.

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