“That does not mean you aren’t here to gloat over your brother’s decision,” I pointed out with a vicious smile across my lips as he sighed.
“And what? Take out the entire city? You realize that for the same reason you can’t fly over and start a fight with Lazarus, I can’t come over here picking a fight with you, right?” I felt myself relax as he continued. “At the end of the day, we are all royal dragons, with the obligations and duties that come with that. My brother’s judgement does not change that.” His voice was like a crisp wind, sharp, but not unpleasant. He paused momentarily at the end of every sentence, drawing attention to his every word.
My inner flames died down. He was right. It was why, despite my own feelings on the matter, I accepted the judgement. We lived in a post-conflict world, and to justify bringing conflict into it required supreme justification. There had never been a procedure for a third dragon on the throne before, nor for one not of full royal blood.
Lazarus even took me aside and said that he knew it was unfair, but he was doing what he thought was best for the people. Fine. I was going to hear out what his brother had to say. He could offer me the answers or at the very least I would get more council from him than King Lazarus.
“All right. Come on inside, then.”
He waved me over instead. “I actually prefer the midnight air to the stuffy indoors. You’ll have to excuse my particularities,” he said with a knowing smile, the kind that spoke about who had the power in this exchange and who didn’t. I sighed, looking behind me and wondering whether I should bring Charlotte along.
Oh gods damn it. She was still staring dreamily into his eyes. Did she have a thing for gemstone eyes? I wouldn’t entirely blame her if she did, but now I felt a panging need to keep her away from all royal dragons. Maybe Pact Mages too.
“O-Oh! Do you want me to come along?” Charlotte blurted out before I suggest it, even as Roland shook his head in disapproval.
“I would prefer if you didn’t bring anyone with you, unless you require their assistance on matters of the royal consideration.” He was ignoring Charlotte all together.
“First, you can say hi to her? Her name is Charlotte. Second,” I paused for a few moments. I loved Charlotte and having her by my side would be great for moral support. However, she was not the best with state matters. I thought about it, and perhaps it would be better if I left her here. If I needed to, I could always discuss them afterwards. I’d do that.
“Charlotte, would it be all right if you stayed behind? I’ll fill you in when I’m back, okay? Don’t want you complaining about how boring it is halfway through.” I hope that was good enough to convince her as I watched her eyes grow wide with surprise, followed by an understanding smile. She did skip my church sermon and wander into danger, but I thought she’d be fine right here.
“All right, but I’m going to be staying awake until you’re back! Remember, if you need someone to come with you, then you fly back here and get me whenever you need!” She was the bright ray of sunshine to my gloomy inner downpour. I grabbed a loose-fitting cloak and left with Roland.
The two of us proceeded into the dark town under the cover of moonlight. Only a single dim moon lit our path, obscuring color wherever light could not reach. We walked in silence first, keeping some distance between us until we reached the outskirts of Mithil, where a trail lay.
There was a light drizzle of snow, covering the walkways around the city in a thin layer of white. Seeing that it was so close to midnight hour, we were the only souls about. Our softly indented footsteps were going to be the first thing that a newly-awoken city would see come morning.
“I find nights like this quite agreeable. Walking helps me think, though Lazarus always insisted that I was quite the strange child for it.” He was calm and confident, the picture-perfect image of what a royal dragon ought to be.
I still didn’t like him.
“Have you dragged me outside to talk about the weather, or are we going to move to business?” I watched as he was taken aback by my bluntness. It took a few moments before that calm smile returned.
“Well, excuse me for trying to catch up with my dear sister. Don’t tell me I’ve got to deal with another all-business and all-boredom dragon like Lazarus.” He rolled his eyes. “One is fine, but two would be a chore.” This time it was my turn to soften up a bit, nodding in agreement. Lazarus would be an absolutely boring human.
“I didn’t mean it that way.” I bit my lip, reflecting on how unprepared I was to speak with another dragon. I was still getting used to the technique of auto-resolving conflicts by being a Pact Mage or dragon, which tended to abruptly end any conflict.
Or perhaps relying on that had made me lazy. In my defence, it worked on everyone in the world except for two dragons.
“The reason I wanted to talk to you is that you deserve a fair shake. In all honesty, I do not agree with my brother’s decision, and in the nature of dragons, I’ve taken matters into my own hands, err, claws.” He tried to cheer up the mood, but I gave him a doubtful frown. His joke was awful.
“There’s a bunch of documents stored in the Alabaster Church we call the Archives of Cestra. It contains information that each and every dragon ought to see. Mother’s. They are the weight of the crown, or the beginnings of rebellion, so to speak.” He clasped his hands behind himself as he walked, silent as I processed his words. Why would he tell me this? Or rather, that last sentence. Why would he be encouraging a rebellion?
“You’re implying something here. Do you find your brother’s rule disagreeable?” I asked. He was a difficult one to read. No shifts in expression, just continuous pacing forward followed by his longing stare at the snow-filled sky.
“No. If I did, I would’ve made my own case for the throne. However, I believe in fairness, and I believe my brother’s decision of denying your birthright will lead to resentment. Should you decide for yourself to take more dramatic measures, you will still need to convince me of your cause.” It sounded rehearsed, as if he had to say the exact same thing time and time again. Perhaps he knew that he would have to say it with the utmost confidence in front of another dragon. Maybe he was nervous.
“I understand, but you suggested that I rebel,” I said with a faint smile as I placed my left hand on my chest.
“Lazarus isn’t a bad king. What he does could guarantee another decade, another century of stability, security, and peace. All I have is a feeling that this is all wrong. However, one cannot bet our people’s lives on a feeling and a dream.” He stopped in his tracks, eyes glancing back at me.
“I couldn’t explain it to him, to Lazarus, at the time, but I feel like things need to change.”
I sighed, watching my breath drift into the cold, open air. We were standing by each other’s side now, admiring the blinking stars that dotted the sky. While I left my sky-gazing days behind me, Roland looked like he watched the sky all the time and with a longing I couldn’t quite remember anyone else having.
“It’s not a bad dream, sister, though I have to admit it would be a little selfish. However, I imagine you would benefit the most from such a change.” I was taken aback for a moment, but he reassured me he was joking with a chuckle.
“It’s easy to ascribe most actions as self-serving, dragon or no dragon. A good ruler will see to it that said action can be ascribed as not only a personal good, but a collective good. A more mediocre ruler might not be so capable, nor so willing.” He might’ve talked a big game, but I knew he wasn’t that much older than me. Yet he looked older, much older. He turned his eyes away from the night sky before turning around, backtracking to where we started.
“But if I displace your brother on the throne, you’d be next in line. So, the question comes back to you. Are you the kind of dragon I can trust, or are you just using me for a coup?” His eyes went wide. I had caught him in a moment of genuine surprise.
“And here I thought you were new to these considerations.” He was deflecting to give himself time to muster his response.
“I’m not sure if you know, but I come from the southern territories, where there isn’t a dragon to keep the bickering nobles down.” I gave him a knowing smile, watching him compile an answer. “I might not have been born to the royal house, but I was still born to a noble house. There is a chance that I am more experienced than you are, brother.” I giggled as I watched a proud smile spread across his face. It felt good to keep him on his toes.
“You’ll…You have my word that should that discussion come; I view you as an equal. Nothing more, and nothing less. If you fear malicious intent, waiting for a third dragon to pop up abruptly is not the most reliable way to take the crown.”
I shook my head knowingly, a faint smile on my lips as he blurted out his answer. He sounded so much down to earth when his responses weren’t prepared.
“Look! You know as well as I do that there are no definitive guarantees…” He began again but I raised a finger to calm him.
“Trust, but a cautious one. That’s all you’re getting.” The two of us continued to walk as he shook his head, almost as if he regretted finishing on such a weak note.
“It’s refreshing to talk to you rather than my brother. You’re much more animated, much less stuffy and formal about everything.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “Now, I’m not going to throw you into the wolves’ den without a little help. Since I can’t assist you directly, go to the Acadamae, and ask for Sebastian. He’s an arch mage, and I’ve tasked him with escorting you to Cestra’s Archives.”
My eyes perked up at the name.
“Isn’t that the school that Chronos set up? From the stories?”
