The Dream Keeper's Dragon

3.7 Never Again

A pang ran through Aurelie's chest.

Valice did try to come to my aid.

Her foot tapped against the floor and an orange flare set on the room.

You could have called me. She huffed. He probably didn't know himself until this morning.

Being silent in this situation was challenging. Aurelie gave the King a chance to deal with the matter, but she would certainly not let this man near Valice ever again.

"And you've known this since?"

Aurelie turned to Mir, eyes blazing. He recoiled, growing pale. There was no right answer to the question. If he knew before the King called him up, he was a moron not to come to her immediately and if he only found out this morning he was incompetent. It didn't seem like he understood the severity of the situation until he saw her.

General since before I was born, huh? She glanced in Kaiden's direction.

Mir swallowed hard. "I heard of this last night," he said. "It was too late to wake you and the Princess."

The King turned to Aurelie, and gave a short nod, gesturing her to speak. "So, if she was hurt in the early afternoon, how is it that the man in charge of her protection only hears of it when the King has retired to his chamber?" she asked sternly. "It is an hour's travel by foot, is it not? By horseback, news would have gotten here much sooner."

"Yes, but—

"Mir," the King said as he stood. "Let us say here, simply, that the dragon no longer concerns you."

Kaiden stood. "Emile—

"Walk with me, brother, and I shall hear your concerns." The King wiped his black armor clean of any crumbs. "Aurelie, go to the dragon and see what must be done."

"If the boulders are too painful to lift, I'm going to need a witch," she said and stood too, "and a healer. Though, I don't suppose we'll find one that knows how to deal with dragon flesh."

Mir was still at the table, pale and sulky. She wished that he not be around her for too long. Or she might do something that would upset mostly everyone in the castle and outside of it.

"A witch you won't find here," he said.

Aurelie bit her bottom lip. She could find a witch, and quickly. Orken. Observing her father, the King, the killer, the deceiver, and despite all that, the man she grew to trust—cautiously but sincerely. She sighed, and rested both her hands on the table, deciding that she had to take a leap of faith and bring Orken to her aid.

"I know a witch who would die to be here for this," she said and dragged her tongue along her cheek. "He is important to me, father, and—

"You don't trust that he will be safe here?"

She nodded. "I need you to say that he will be. He's a difficult man and like you said, you do not have a good track record with witches." You also killed Sasha and he will most probably try to kill you, several times and ways. "You will not harm him whatever happens."

"You have my word. No one will touch your wizard."

Aurelie took a second to think and looked him over once more. She hoped that this was not the lion's den.

Aurelie placed a hand on her tummy. Soon, there would be two beings that depended on her. The instinct came to her so quickly. Just as the seed of knowledge was planted, Aurelie felt a presence within herself that was magical in the way that it embraced and filled her.