Page 21 of Hidden Dragons

They were halfway through a delicious breakfast of eggs and fresh fruit when Robert walked in. Seeing him, she rose to her feet almost unconsciously and he started toward her. She found herself moving too and they met in the aisle, coming together in a huge hug of welcome.

“I’m so relieved to see you,” she blurted out. His leathers were still cold from the outdoors. He had to have come directly here, looking for her, after he landed. She stepped back, realizing everybody was looking at them. “Is Sir Growloranth well?”

Robert let her go, a slight grin on his face. “Growly’s fine. How are you settling in, sweetheart? Do you like it here?”

He seemed truly concerned for her comfort, which touched her deeply. “It’s amazing here,” she answered candidly. “Lady Silla has been all that is kind.” She motioned back to the table where she had been sitting with the other woman. Silla was smiling at them and waved at Robert in greeting.

He escorted Isabelle back to the table. “Thank you, Lady Silla, for helping Isabelle learn where things are,” he said formally. Silla waived away his thanks with a smile.

“It is my pleasure. Your lady was very helpful to me, helping prepare the medicines we may need for the coming difficulties.”

Robert’s expression turned into a pensive frown. “My apologies, ladies, I need to make my report, but I think Isabelle should come with me. She needs to hear what I’ve learned and she also needs to help explain her village to our leaders. Can you do that, Isabelle?” He reached for her hand, looking deep into her eyes.

When he looked at her like that, she could deny him nothing. And truly, she wanted to help these knights. She wanted to help, in whatever small way she could, to defend Draconia, her adopted homeland. Even though she was nervous about meeting important people, she would gather her courage and do what she could. She nodded at Robert.

“Whatever I can do to help, I will.” Robert’s smile broadened and he squeezed her hands.

“Great. Let’s go before they send the dragons after me. So far, Growloranth’s been holding them off, but they’re going to be huffy that I made them wait.” He dipped his head and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I just had to see my lady first. The rest of the world can wait a few minutes, can’t they?”

A dragon trumpeted near the door, drawing his attention.

“Hmm,” he muttered. “Apparently not. Let’s go.”

He led her by the hand out of the great hall, amused glances following their every move. They left the great hall and ran straight into Growloranth and another dragon who was tapping his foreleg in a clear show of impatience. Isabelle had to fight not to grin. For such magnificent creatures, it was kind of funny to see them imitating such an altogether human action.

“It is good to see you again, Sir Growloranth,” Isabelle said, remembering her manners and bowing to the male dragon she knew.

Growloranth nodded his massive head and made the introductions.“This impatient youngster is Kelvan, partner to Sir Gareth, mate to Princess Belora,”he said into their minds.

Princess? That word gave her pause. This dragon was kin to powerful folk. Isabelle bowed, giving him all due respect. “It is an honor to meet you, Sir Kelvan.”

The blue-green dragon cocked his head, as if he was surprised to be addressed by name. Had she made a mistake? She fidgeted as she straightened, nervous.

“Then you do hear us when we speak.”Sir Kelvan asked, moving close to peer into her eyes.

“Yes, sir. I do,”she answered in kind, since his objection seemed to be over the extent of her abilities to hear and speak mind-to-mind. His great head jerked back and a tendril of startled smoke rose from his snout.

The younger dragon seemed to backtrack.“You are most welcome in the Lair, Lady Isabelle. Sir Growloranth has spoken well of you. I hope you will not mind speaking with our council. There is much to discuss and little time to delay.”

The younger dragon was back to being impatient again and Isabelle merely followed behind when he turned to walk quickly in a direction she had not gone before. They were moving up the mountain, if the slope of the corridor they were in was anything to go by. Up they went, Robert and Growloranth at her side while the impatient Kelvan led the way, until finally they arrived at a massive chamber near the top of the mountain that already held three other dragons and several sets of knights. And surprisingly, at least two other women.

Robert walked with her to a central table around which the humans stood. They began to take their seats when Robert and Isabelle arrived and the dragons arranged themselves around the sides of the big chamber.

“Isabelle, this is General Jared, his fighting partner, Lord Darian, their mate, Princess Adora and their dragon partners, Lady Kelzy and Sir Sandor.” Isabelle scrambled to keep the names and faces straight. Kelzy was the same blue-green as the impatient male dragon who had escorted him, while her mate was a dark bronze-brown. The two men were older, as was their lady—the princess. Lord Darian was handsome in a rakish sort of way, and the General had a long scar down one cheek. They would be easy to remember.

She nodded politely, curtseying as her mother had taught her, to all the humans, and bowing to the dragons. Robert then turned her attention to the younger grouping.

“You’ve already met Sir Kelvan. He partners Sir Gareth and is Lady Kelzy and Sir Sandor’s son, as you probably can see from the resemblance. He is mated to the lovely Lady Rohtina, who partners Sir Lars, and his mate is the Princess Belora, who is Princess Adora’s youngest daughter.”

It was confusing to follow, but Isabelle sorted out the knights by matching them to their dragons and the princess was a younger version of her mother. Both women were very beautiful and had kind expressions on their faces. Isabelle greeted them all with due respect.

“The other knights are Sir Broderick and Sir Geoff, mated to your new friend, Lady Silla. Their dragons are acting as go-betweens for the Dragon Council which is being held above, on the summit of the mountain, which is why they are not here with us. Everyone in this chamber and in the Dragon Council will hear what transpires here this morning.”

Isabelle nodded to the two knights and tried to picture them with Silla. It seemed Silla had found two very handsome men to be her life partners.

The idea that all the dragons above—however many were part of their council—and everyone here would possibly be asking her questions and listening to her words was daunting. Isabelle had never had much interaction with large groups of people, and certainly not people or dragons of this kind of pedigree. She was nervous.

“I’m right here,”Robert sent directly to her mind, privately, as he squeezed her hand.“You have nothing to fear.”

---