Page 104 of Knightfall
I clasped hands with each of my fathers before they each took a running jump over the sixty-foot cliff edge. They started after a burning boat, on a futile quest, in a desperate attempt to mesh their souls with my mother’s.
Tears streaked my face. I watched them as the crowd behind me lessened, as the sun jaunted through the sky.
I couldn’t turn away. I watched them turn into pinpricks in the water. One of their heads bobbed under the waves.
I choked. I felt like puking. My body revolted against the stupid tradition that was killing them. But I couldn’t stop it. They’d chosen it. So, I sent a pulse of peace magic after each of them, hoping that I could give them a moment's respite before the end, hoping that as the water filled their lungs that their bodies will forget to fight and just quickly and gently fade into eternity.
After the green pulse faded from my hands, Ryan took me in his arms. He patched the ragged wounds on my arms with his soft healing magic. And I leaned into his strength. Until he handed me roughly to Declan.
"Sorry, Bloss. I need to go punch something," Ryan strode off.
I turned with Declan, emotionally exhausted and ready to head up to the castle to hide in my chambers.
But we ran into Willard and Lady Agatha, who’d stayed the entire morning. I wasn’t exactly surprised by Lady Agatha, as she considered herself one of mother's closest companions and would want to publicly reinforce that impression. But I would have thought Willard would be overseeing the migration of their herds to more southern territories. Or helping his tenants find temporary housing.
Instead, Willard came up to me, fury making his jowls shake. "You didn't hunt dragons during your travels. Not at all. And now, suddenly you're back. And a dragon's entered our lands? What are the chances of that? Hmm? You're a liar."
My stomach dropped.
Sard. How does he know about the dragon? I wondered.
"I didn't lie to you, Willard. I took a mage's oath. How could I lie?"
"I don’t know, but you got around the magic somehow."
I refrained from rolling my eyes because his fury was real. His fear was real. And it was well-founded.
"I am just as concerned about the issues on your lands as you are." I refrained from saying the word dragon, as we were still in a public place. "Your herds and people are important to me. Which is why I am shocked you are not moving them to safety when they are being poisoned in their current location."
Willard squinted at me. "It's nearly winter. And your solution was to tell me to basically clear out my entire province! That's not a solution at all."
"Ryan's sending men to deal with the issue."
"Issue," Lady Agatha interjected, pulling her embroidered handkerchief down from her large nose. "You can't even say it, can you? Dragon?"
"Is your goal to cause mass panic? To cause a riot? Or is your goal to save as many of your people and as many of your cattle—hence, your profits—as you possibly can?" I sneered. I had always hated Lady Agatha. Only now I was finally in a position to show it.
"You care for your province. Or it won't be yours much longer," my eyes flashed.
Willard's face flushed. Lady Agatha's mouth dropped open.
But I was done with them. I had played mother's court games all my life. But I was done with court games. I preferred the straight, loud-mouthed barmaid form of communication.
I prefer it when you shout too, Dove,Quinn interjected.I’d love to hear you shout my name. Think you can do that later?
As always, my knight made me smile, even as I strode away from two of the most frustratingly stupid members of my court.
I want Willard followed,I told Quinn.I don't trust him. My gut tells me this show of anger isn't new. And see if you can find out how he knew about the sarding dragon!
It's done,Quinn agreed, before opening up the carriage door for me.
Declan helped me cram my long black funeral dress into the carriage and then my knights climbed in behind me.
We rode back to the castle in silence, me trying to watch the sky and avoid thinking about my mother or fathers, Declan staring at a ledger he'd found in my mother's chamber, and Quinn silently communicating with his network of spies.
When we reached the castle, Connor came down to help us out of the carriage.
I'd refused to let him go to the funeral as it would be awash with emotion and he'd end up drained. Instead, I'd had him take an Invisibilty potion and go with one of Quinn's people down to the guest wing. He'd been snooping around Abbas' servants all morning, attempting to unearth the prince's true motives.
