Page 250 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
“An lestu taqin fahamu–”
“No,”Alezya stopped him. “Tievin speak the dragon words. Tell us words.Dragonis dryagaan.Moreis inkir.Meatis taam.”
After a bit, Tievin turned to Kiera and Kassein, exchanging some words, but Kiera shrugged, while Kassein remained with his arms crossed and an implacable expression. Then, Tievin let out a heavy sigh, combed his long hair back, and, to Alezya’s surprise, quietly arranged his layers of fur coats, which turned out to be three of them, to be able to sit down on the floor. The young dragons immediately darted to try and bite his pen, his notepad, and whatever else they could, but a word from Alezya had them lying down and pouting around Tievin.
“Thank you,Dyiati Alezya,” Tievin said. “This. This is mountain, yes?”
Alezya gestured for all the clan chiefs to sit down with her, and suddenly, the cave transformed into an impromptu classroom for a crash course in the language of the Dragon Clan.
Though reluctant at first, Tievin proved to be a surprisingly effective teacher. He filled every inch of his notepad with sketches, accompanied by exaggerated gestures and deliberate repetition of each word until the group grasped its meaning.
Even when his antics bordered on the ridiculous, he pressed on, his determination eclipsing any embarrassment. The leaders sat around him, echoing each word and phrase, ensuring they could navigate basic conversations, issue simple directions, and piece together rudimentary sentences in the foreign tongue. After a while, Alezya felt a warm presence behind her and leaned back against Kassein’s solid torso.
Where Lorey was patient and understanding, Tievin was an uncompromising instructor. As he made the Samial Clan Chief repeat the same word over and over, Alezya began to wonder if they’d have to intervene to save the man from being strangled out of sheer frustration.
Still, despite his relentless methods, Tievin’s efforts paid off. By the end of the session, they had all mastered enough of the language for the battle ahead. Alezya herself had learned how to give clear directions, indicate locations, and use critical commands like “retreat,” “forward,” “turn around,” and “attack.”
She had to admit, choosing Tievin had been a far better decision than she anticipated. Not only did he teach them the essentials, but he also provided invaluable insights into the structure of the Dragon Clan.
He introduced them to Kassein’s three senior fighters, explained their roles, and detailed how they could be mosteffective with their unique weaponry. Then, to everyone’s surprise, it was his turn to ask questions.
Alezya hadn’t expected it, but right when they’d thought they were done with his lesson, Tievin suddenly seized the opportunity and kept talking with his own barrage of questions. One by one, he interrogated the clan chiefs about their fighters—their strategies, weaponry, and techniques—and even asked to see their weapons.
Though Tievin declined to handle the weapons himself, Kiera jumped in eagerly, her excitement growing with each new tool she inspected. Before long, her enthusiasm escalated into challenging several men to duels outside, clearly reveling in the chance to test the strength and skills of other fighters.
Unlike his sister, Kassein appeared relatively indifferent to the proceedings, quietly observing everything as it unfolded.
Occasionally, one of his men would approach, exchange a few words, and leave with nothing more than a nod or, at most, a blunt three-word reply from him. For a clan chief, Kassein seemed unusually relaxed, though Alezya could sense his sharp vigilance. His gaze roamed constantly, silently tracking everyone and everything in the area.
When Tievin finally finished his interrogation of the others, he turned to Kassein, initiating a lengthy discussion.
The two spoke in low voices, with Tievin jotting notes in his ever-present notepad, their conversation marked by an intensity that suggested deeper strategies were being laid out. She hoped their warriors were ready for the battle ahead because from what they had heard, the fighters that the Munsa had rallied would be in severe danger otherwise.
She understood Ekata’s plan of spreading out their fighters to avoid being cornered regardless of the determined battlefield, but Alezya couldn’t help but think many of the clanspeople were going to die in this war. It felt like everything had been blown outof proportion in a matter of days, and now, from every corner of the mountains, the clans were taking sides or hiding in fear of the outcome. The entire future of the clans was going to depend on whoever won this battle.
When she gave herself time to think, Alezya was overwhelmed by doubt. What if her father had rallied even more clans or found a horrible plan to trap them and the Dragon Clan lost? What if Kassein was injured or killed? Or Kiera? What if they lost so many people that the clans held her responsible?
“Alezya.”
Kassein’s gentle voice took her out of her spiraling thoughts as if he’d sensed her inner turmoil. Gently, he brushed her hair back, pressed a swift kiss to her temple, and then got up, offering a hand to help her up.
She hadn’t realized they’d been sitting for so long that her legs had gotten a bit sore, and she stretched, looking around. Tievin was now chatting with two of the three men who were Kassein’s senior fighters, and they could still hear Kiera fiercely dueling outside. At another end of the cave, the clan chiefs were having an animated discussion about how to combine their forces best. It made Alezya realize she was the only one without a clan there, despite being a central piece to the upcoming battle.
Strangely, she felt far closer to the Dragon Clan than any of the others, and she kind of liked that. Kassein’s men also interacted with her with extreme politeness, as if she was just as important as Kiera or Tievin. It was a bit overwhelming.
Just then, the voices outside changed tones, and some men came rushing into the cave. Kassein reacted first, pulling Alezya behind him, but after a second, it was clear there was no danger: the pair of exhausted men who had just walked in wore the attire of allied clans.
“Finally!” Ekut exclaimed, walking up to them.
“How did it go?” Ekata asked with a concerned frown. “Did everyone make it back?”
“Yeah,” their man nodded. “The others are behind us. That Deklaan Clan bastard made a big show of sending us back unharmed out of ‘fairness,’ he said. He is confident he will win this war, Munsa Clan Chief. That man’s arrogance was oozing from all his pores.”
“He’s rallied over a dozen clans,” the other man shook his head. “Some of them looked like they didn’t want to be there; I think he threatened them, to be honest.”
“Damn it!” the Samial Clan Chief hissed.
“What else was said?” Alezya asked.
