the status of one who obeyed.
But I did not understand
why she had allied herself with him. For desire? Perhaps. It was conceivable in
his case, but I did not think so. And if she had at her disposal the power of a
Dragon—either Real or Mage-made— what need had she of him?
Kodar and his knife were
several paces from me. I might be able to say a few words before I was
silenced. Meeting her gaze alone as though I were capable of ignoring her
companion, I said, “My lady of Lodan, this Kodar has advised me that I should
not scream. But now that he has told me how he has betrayed his cause to serve
you, and how he means to give you the rule of the Three Kingdoms by slaying all
those who stand against you, I find I no longer comprehend why I should not.
His plan will be foiled by any forewarning, however slight. With one cry, I
will deprive you of all that he offers. Why then should I not—?”
Gripping his knife,
Kodar started toward me. I snatched a breath, filled my lungs to call out with
all my strength.
My threat meant nothing
to him. Yet Queen Damia said, “Withhold a moment, Kodar.” Her command was
certain. “For the sake of blameless lives which would otherwise be lost, I will
answer her.”
This game was hers, and
I was outplayed. But in the face of death I could do-nothing but strive for
life. My eyes held her as if Kodar had no significance between us, and I prayed
that he had wit enough to understand her— and me.
“My lady,” she said with
demeaning courtesy, “you have not failed to reason that Mage Scour is not in
truth able to create Magic. If he possessed that power, he would not suffer any
other to rule him. Assuredly he would not suffer me.” Her tone said
plainly that Scour was a man and would gladly have suffered anything for her
sake. “Therefore his Dragon was but an image. And therefore it follows that there
is a Creature in the realm that has remained hidden from all eyes.”
She smiled gloriously. “All
eyes but mine.”
Kodar grinned at her. I
wanted to curse him for the arrogance which blinded him to the queen’s cunning;
but I kept my gaze upon her and waited for her to continue.
Lacking Ascension, his
power has been latent,” she went on, “but fortunately Mage Scour and I
discovered it.”
Doubtless that had
indeed been fortunate for her.
“My lady, he is the
reason you will not scream. Kodar and I pursue this plan against you because it
will cost little bloodshed—and will enable us to assume rule swiftly. But if we
are foiled in that, we will simply call upon the rebels concealed in the manor.
They will assist the Dragon to the Seat, and he will take what we desire by
greater violence. So you see,” she said as though contradiction were
impossible, “we cannot be defeated. You will accept your death quietly in order
to spare a great many lives in the Three Kingdoms.”
Perhaps I was too
slow-witted for her. Perhaps I should have worked out much earlier what she
wished me to understand. But at last I knew. I might have cried out in my
anguish, had I not been too desperate for such weakness; she pushed me to the
limit of what my sore heart could endure. That such beauty had come to such
evil! I had no recourse but to prove myself equal to it or die.
“My lady,” I said
slowly, “you speak as if even a Dragon will be glad to serve you when you claim
the rule. That is clever—to put a smiling face upon the fact that you will be
merely a figurehead through which the Creature commands. If indeed he will not
cast you off when he has gained his ends. You seek to distract me from the
truth.
“But Kodar lacks so much
wit. He has already vaunted himself outrageously before, me. Your Dragon will
teach him the worth of his arrogance.
“Unless the Creature is
Kodar himself.”
He was facing me now. He
seemed deaf to insult. His face was alight, not with umbrage, but with a savage
glee. He felt in himself the power of the coming transformation and was
exalted.
But
But I did not understand
why she had allied herself with him. For desire? Perhaps. It was conceivable in
his case, but I did not think so. And if she had at her disposal the power of a
Dragon—either Real or Mage-made— what need had she of him?
Kodar and his knife were
several paces from me. I might be able to say a few words before I was
silenced. Meeting her gaze alone as though I were capable of ignoring her
companion, I said, “My lady of Lodan, this Kodar has advised me that I should
not scream. But now that he has told me how he has betrayed his cause to serve
you, and how he means to give you the rule of the Three Kingdoms by slaying all
those who stand against you, I find I no longer comprehend why I should not.
His plan will be foiled by any forewarning, however slight. With one cry, I
will deprive you of all that he offers. Why then should I not—?”
Gripping his knife,
Kodar started toward me. I snatched a breath, filled my lungs to call out with
all my strength.
My threat meant nothing
to him. Yet Queen Damia said, “Withhold a moment, Kodar.” Her command was
certain. “For the sake of blameless lives which would otherwise be lost, I will
answer her.”
This game was hers, and
I was outplayed. But in the face of death I could do-nothing but strive for
life. My eyes held her as if Kodar had no significance between us, and I prayed
that he had wit enough to understand her— and me.
“My lady,” she said with
demeaning courtesy, “you have not failed to reason that Mage Scour is not in
truth able to create Magic. If he possessed that power, he would not suffer any
other to rule him. Assuredly he would not suffer me.” Her tone said
plainly that Scour was a man and would gladly have suffered anything for her
sake. “Therefore his Dragon was but an image. And therefore it follows that there
is a Creature in the realm that has remained hidden from all eyes.”
She smiled gloriously. “All
eyes but mine.”
Kodar grinned at her. I
wanted to curse him for the arrogance which blinded him to the queen’s cunning;
but I kept my gaze upon her and waited for her to continue.
Lacking Ascension, his
power has been latent,” she went on, “but fortunately Mage Scour and I
discovered it.”
Doubtless that had
indeed been fortunate for her.
“My lady, he is the
reason you will not scream. Kodar and I pursue this plan against you because it
will cost little bloodshed—and will enable us to assume rule swiftly. But if we
are foiled in that, we will simply call upon the rebels concealed in the manor.
They will assist the Dragon to the Seat, and he will take what we desire by
greater violence. So you see,” she said as though contradiction were
impossible, “we cannot be defeated. You will accept your death quietly in order
to spare a great many lives in the Three Kingdoms.”
Perhaps I was too
slow-witted for her. Perhaps I should have worked out much earlier what she
wished me to understand. But at last I knew. I might have cried out in my
anguish, had I not been too desperate for such weakness; she pushed me to the
limit of what my sore heart could endure. That such beauty had come to such
evil! I had no recourse but to prove myself equal to it or die.
“My lady,” I said
slowly, “you speak as if even a Dragon will be glad to serve you when you claim
the rule. That is clever—to put a smiling face upon the fact that you will be
merely a figurehead through which the Creature commands. If indeed he will not
cast you off when he has gained his ends. You seek to distract me from the
truth.
“But Kodar lacks so much
wit. He has already vaunted himself outrageously before, me. Your Dragon will
teach him the worth of his arrogance.
“Unless the Creature is
Kodar himself.”
He was facing me now. He
seemed deaf to insult. His face was alight, not with umbrage, but with a savage
glee. He felt in himself the power of the coming transformation and was
exalted.
But
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