“She’d tell me that I was fine just the way that I am.” I sighed as I leaned back into the backrest. “I’ve never been so severely upstaged, Kennith. I don’t know what to do,” I moaned, only for him to butt in. Why now. Let me mope, dammit.
“Does it matter to her?” I knew my brother wasn’t trying to poke holes, but I was getting more and more angry at the situation. I pointed at myself with a newfound rage, as my voice echoed throughout the house.
“It matters to me!”
There was a resounding silence as my brother walked away to wash his empty cup.
“Maybe it shouldn’t,” he began, but I tuned him out. I knew I shouldn’t panic, but knowing and feeling were two very different beasts, especially when my heart was involved!
“I’m not asking you to be happy,” my brother continued, “and I’m not asking you to stop being my gun-ho little sister, but this once it wouldn’t hurt if you were more okay with it. She is a royal dragon after all.” By the time he had finished, he was done putting on his boots and ready to head out. He waved a quick goodbye as he locked the door, leaving me to my thoughts.
There was still warm tea brewing, and a half-eaten hunk of split roasted lamb roasting away in the fireplace. Stewing on negative thoughts didn’t exactly leave me with a massive appetite. I got myself a cup of tea, then headed up the stairs to bug Mur-Mur. Anything but studying formal text again.
“Mur-Mur!” I knew her door was unlocked, so I gleefully kicked it down, much to her annoyance. “It’s been a week, and I’m bored! Entertain me!”
She looked like a wrecking ball smashed her roof into pieces.
“Look, I’ve been through this before, but I am not a good source of entertainment. All I can offer is what I’ve done, what my characters do, and what I think you should do. You have a completely unique case, as far as anyone is concerned.”
I took a seat on her bed as she turned around, still in her nightgown. “Okay, but what if I was a character in your book!” I grinned, hoping to hear her reply. She put down her pen by her deck and thought.
“Well, I admit your case is much closer to fiction than anything I have direct, or even indirect references to. I would set you in my usual time of the Trinities, with you recklessly running into combat against the ruling tyrant. On the verge of defeat, your dragon swoops in and saves you, teaching you a lesson about working together…But nothing is that simple is it?” She shrugged.
“Right, but what about this time?”
She tapped her chin again. “This timeline. Well, Charlotte, one of you are going to have to get a lot less experienced, or a lot more reckless. Aria appears to be making all the decisions of a capable ruler, despite her innocent demeanor. I may even consider what I presume was her decision to decimate the church leadership. Given what they threw at you two to stop you in your tracks, or at least demoralize Aria, it feels justified. In essence, while she’s not perfect, she makes enough capable decisions that I would say she carries the title of royal dragon well. She might be better than her brother in time, but she has lots of room to grow.”
I nodded along. It was nice to hear her complimenting my girlfriend in such a genuine way, even if it was a few dozen words too long.
“You, on the other hand. You may not agree, but you’re clever. Capable, independent, and a crack shot. I don’t say this lightly, but I think you would’ve been fine in one of my books without Aria’s help. Maybe you would’ve only done well, as opposed to your current exceptional status, but being able to hold your own in a world filled with dragons is high praise. Also, despite how you act, you know not to rush into battle and to take things meticulously when needed. I’ve heard how you fight from Kennith, so don’t worry. I’m not overestimating you.”
I gave a knowing shake of my head, along with a smile. I wasn’t that good, my brother’s was a mediocre fighter.
“You’re still here because you know that Aria has a good reason to keep you hidden, and that without an equally good reason to break her cautionary measure, you’d be better off hiding for both of your sake. Aria’s capable enough to put her plan into action, especially now it seems like she’s secured the mages of the Acadamae. In essence, the story is set up for an easy win, assuming you two are the heroes and not the villains usurping a rightful ruler from their throne.” She smiled, watching me piece together her words. I guess it was possible to see us as assholes coming in and disrupting a perfectly functional system.
“So, as you see, I’d have to write you as a lot younger, or I’d have to throw in some unknown circumstance that throws a wrench in our current plans,” she concluded. I still didn’t feel any better about it though.
“Sorry, if that’s not what you wanted to hear.”
I shook my head.
“No, that’s fine Mur-Mur. I get the feeling that you don’t think Aria’s young at all?”
She burst out laughing. “I believe that she is a mature teenager, but that shouldn’t discredit her competency. You told me that she never told you her age. Perhaps there is some wisdom in that. There is obviously the alternative that dragons develop at a slower pace than you or me, at which point she might be older than you. I suspect that might also be jarring information she’d rather keep to herself.” I nodded along. I never would have suspected that I was the younger one in the relationship.
“Back to this hypothetical novel. I would drop Aria’s age to around thirteen to fifteen and a lot less mature, in order to sell the story. That way you would have quite a bit to teach her while she grew into her dragon form and had her own arc of self-discovery. On the flip side, I could also have you follow her around when you were around thirteen to fifteen, to sell the idea that you were learning from this royal dragon and rising up to be the next dragon knight.” I frowned at that second idea as Myrtle suggested it. It felt wrong, especially since we were girlfriends.
I brought up my hands with some concern. “Okay, but two problems with that. I was a complete idiot when I was thirteen and I have no idea how I’m going to be a romantic partner at that age.”
“Oh, you’re absolutely right. I’m not stupid enough to attempt to recreate all aspects of your relationship. These are hypotheticals. However, they help display what I mean when I say you two are primed to win, even if in a slightly bittersweet manner. If I was the storyteller, I’d try and force you two to unite at the end and take out the evil king together. However, this is the real world. The king isn’t evil, and you don’t get to be the hero just because you would’ve deserved it in fiction.” I got the point. Reality doesn’t get to be as dramatic as fiction.
“Cold comfort.”
Myrtle sighed with me. That was rare, but was she disappointed?
“I know you want me to tell you that you should run out there. Follow your heart. Have an endearing one to one with Aria and give her lots of kisses, but I can’t do that in good conscience. Hopefully my words have helped a little bit, but I suspect they’ve done little other than confirm your fears.”
I got up from the bed with a stretch and a yawn. “Don’t sweat it. I know you may not always say it, but you want the best for us. Also, good mind food.”
My sister-in-law glared to the side. I wanted to say that she looked irritated, but it was always so hard to tell with her. “Of course I do. I may not be as capable physically, or a Pact Mage, but I intend to protect my family, however I can.” I watched Myrtle’s eyes perk up, before relaxing again.
“Perhaps we are not so different, she and I.” Her whisper was so faint that I think it was only intended for herself.
I waved goodbye as she went back to work. Time to get to reading again, or maybe I’ll try whipping something up in the kitchen.
* * * *
I didn’t like nightgowns much. Maybe it was because I camped outside a lot and changing into them would be a massive inconvenience. Maybe because I didn’t like how all the dresses in Myrtle’s house had frills.
As I opened the door to my room, ready to fall asleep from another day of boredom, I paused. Something trying to squeeze through the window. I grabbed my pistol from the holster and shuffled to my nightlight, as the figure continued to wiggle.
With a flick, the entire room was flooded with light. Sebastian’s assistant was doing a pretty good job at the whole break-in attempt. Minus me pointing a loaded gun at his face.
“Oh! Hey Charlotte! Did you know one of your windows are stuck?” He sheepishly grinned as I kept my gun on him, not saying a word. I watched his purple eyes flicker from a soft and mischievous to fear as I approached, gun in hand.
“No no, don’t shoot me!” He waved his hands apologetically as his voice broke into a squeak. I stopped, though my eyes were still focused on him.
“Well, I’m still waiting for an explanation.” I threatened with the gun as he stopped trying to wiggle through the window.
