"Ralf!" Mirum's voice echoed loudly in his head, successfully awakening the tired dragon bond.
Groggily, Ralf replied, "What is it?" He had no idea where his dragon was and the fact that she was reaching out to him so early in the morning was unusual.
"I'm with Sia, she wanted me to summon you."
Ralf wiped his eyes and sat up in bed. "Summon me for what?"
"Some sort of archery contest. Her guardian is here."
"Okay, anything else?"
There was a pause in response and Ralf could feel his dragon's hesitance.
"Elysia thought it would be a good idea if you would ask the snobby foreign princess if she would like to come and watch as well. I think it's a terrible idea."
Ralf laughed, still surprised by how much his dragon despised the princess.
"I'll see if she's up. Let Sia know I'll be over there soon."
"I'll see you then."
Ralf's mind was now silent as he hobbled over to his wardrobe and changed as quickly as he could.
He adjusted his grip on his cane as he exited his room and walked down the hallway to the doors of Princess Karolina's room.
He hesitated outside her bedroom, unsure of whether he should disturb her or not. Although it was not extremely early in the morning, Ralf knew that Karolina enjoyed sleeping in.
Finally he tapped softly on the door. After a minute of no response, he tried again, louder this time. Again when there was no answer he decided to give up and check downstairs.
Just as he passed Henry's door, it opened, hitting him hard and causing him to fall over.
A sharp gasp escaped the foreign Princess' mouth. She swore in her own language. "Ralf! I'm...I'm so sorry..."
Ralf couldn't tell what he was more unnerved about. The fact that he had been taken out by the Princess, or the fact that she was coming out of Henry's room, wearing the same dress she had worn the night before.
"The fault is my own," Ralf finally managed to speak, though he still looked up at her from the ground.
Princess Karolina finally seemed to realize whose room she was stepping out of. Her eyes widened in panic. "It's not what you think!" She exclaimed. "I would never...Henry and I were just...nothing-"
"It's fine," Ralf said, grinding his teeth with the effort it took to stand up. Once he was on his feet and eye level with the Princess, he continued, "You two are engaged. Your business is your business."
Karolina was not sure how to respond. She desperately wanted Ralf to know that she had not done anything with Henry last night. Nothing happened, nothing at all. Then she finally wondered why she was so frazzled about this. After all, she was engaged to Henry, and why should she care what Ralf thought of her?
Ralf himself was struggling to calm his own mind. It wasn't a big deal Karolina had spent the night in Henry's room, right? After all, he had seen plenty of other girls traipsing out of Henry's room before. So why did it bother him now?
Suddenly he remembered his initial intentions of asking the Princess to join him and Sia outside; but now for some reason he couldn't bring himself to ask.
Instead he clumsily sidestepped the Princess and wished her a good day.
He tried to walk down the stairs as quickly as he could, but it was hard to do with his deformed leg. All he wanted was to get far away from what had just happened. He wanted to clear his head.
He found Elysia, her guardian, and Mirum at the archery lines. Elysia was arguing with her guardian about something, clearly furious with something he was saying.
As Ralf slowly approached, he finally noticed that Sirey was there as well. Once Sirey caught sight of Ralf a huge grin spread across her face and she waved her hand in greeting.
"What're they arguing about?" Ralf asked once he reached Sirey's side.
"I think the better question would be what aren't they arguing about. I suppose it began with Shade claiming Elysia couldn't take care of herself. Then it all went downhill from there. You know how she is, so defensive."
Ralf chuckled and then frowned. "Shade? Is that her guardian's name?"
Sirey shrugged, "Who knows, he's so mysterious. That's just what Sia calls him."
Curious, Ralf turned his attention to the scene in front of him, listening in on what his sister and her guardian were arguing about.
"We're here so I can prove to you that I can take care of myself," Elysia said, her tone frustrated and loud.
Her guardian's demeanor and tone were quite the opposite. He seemed relaxed and unnerved. "And shooting some arrows at a stationary target will prove this how?" he asked calmly.
Elysia groaned in frustration. "I just want you to see that I'm handy with a bow. I can hit any target, which means I can shoot any enemy I might come against. I don't need you constantly standing over me, suffocating me with your presence!"
"King Alan seems to think otherwise. And until he commands me to stop, I will continue to fill out his orders and protect you. Shooting a few arrows isn't going to change that. I don't know why you insist on doing this."
Ralf leaned in towards Sirey and whispered, "It's weird, I've never heard him speak before."
Shade's head turned sharply to look at Ralf, as if he had heard the Prince's words.
"Why did you call your brother down?" Shade asked, his voice on the verge of frustration.
"I thought it would be fun to have a little competition between the three of us," Elysia replied innocently.
"Then why is she here?" Shade asked, nodding in Sirey's direction.
Elysia shrugged. "I needed a witness. And she wanted to see Ralf."
Sirey's mouth dropped and a blush immediately spread on her cheeks. Defensively she retorted, "I was on break. There was nothing else to do."
Ralf didn't even notice. His mind was still caught up in the image of Karolina stepping out of Henry's bedchambers. For some reason he couldn't shake the nagging feeling in his stomach about the situation.
"Are you all right?" Mirum's voice echoed in Ralf's head, disrupting his own thoughts.
He finally looked over at his dragon. Her hazel eyes were concerned as she met his gaze.
"It's nothing," he assured her, though she clearly didn't buy it.
"I won't pry, but if you want to talk about it, I'm always here."
He smiled at his dragon and his heart lifted a little, knowing he had such a strong and wonderful bond with Mirum. No matter what, he could always count on her.
The archery contest began several minutes later after Elysia and Shade finally gave up their argument and decided to settle things with a competition.
Targets were already set up down the line. Elysia handed Ralf a quiver of arrows and a bow and he took his place on the right side of his sister. Elysia took the middle and her guardian took the row on her left.
"Shall I start?" Elysia asked, looking back and forth between her brother and her guardian.
"Be my guest," Shade said, taking a curt bow.
Elysia wasted no time, Ralf noticed. It was as if she had been waiting an entire week to show her guardian she could take care of herself.
After a concentrated moment, Elysia released her grip and sent the arrow flying, hitting her target perfectly. Next, Shade went. His arrow was sent twice as fast as Elysia's and it too hit the mark.
Ralf was not feeling confident. Archery was Elysia's strong point, not Ralf's. Though he spent years training to become better, his leg always held him back. His balance was always slightly off, causing his shots to be askew. Though the arrows never missed the hay bale, they never hit the center of the red dot.
Suddenly Ralf could feel four pair of eyes watching him, including his dragons'. Glancing to his left he could see Elysia watching almost impatiently, as if wanting her own turn again. Shade was motionless. Sirey, to his right, was watching anxiously, as if hoping Ralf would not miss.
"You can do this," Mirum said confidently in Ralf's head.
He tried to believe his dragon. He took a deep breath in, shifted his stance just a little bit, and then sent the arrow flying. As he expected, the arrow hit the outermost part of the middle red target.
Ralf released a sigh. Sirey clapped from the side, cheering her friend on and encouraging him all she could.
Next, the three of them all moved backward a few paces, distancing themselves even more from the target.
Again, Elysia went first, then Shade, then Ralf. The results were almost exactly the same.
From there, things continued on in a similar fashion. Each would shoot and then they would all move back further. After a while, Ralf began to struggle. His arms were as strong as they could be, but that still wasn't much. Though his arms would not be appropriately termed "scrawny," they were however smaller when compared to other men's, with hardly much meat on the bones.
Despite Ralf's struggle, Elysia and Shade continued on flawlessly. After another few rounds the tension between Elysia and Shade increased dramatically and Ralf began to feel as if his presence was no longer necessary.
After Elysia shot her next arrow, Shade sent his own immediately. Elysia had cast him a glare and immediately sent another arrow as well. This continued and Ralf released a sigh, deciding he was no longer needed. Both Elysia and Shade had seemed to forget about him completely as they continued to shoot and move back, amping the difficulty.
Ralf joined Sirey on the sideline and shared a look with her. "I have a feeling they'll continue on forever. Neither have missed their target yet, and their practically out of range at this point."
Sirey shared a silent agreement with him for a while. Then she finally broke the silence. "Want to go back to the castle? I've got a cake in the oven that should be ready by now. It's chocolate."
Ralf grinned and looked at Sirey gratefully. Her eyes sparkled back at him, looking past his deformed leg and seeing only his pure soul.
"I would love to," he replied. Then he glanced at his dragon. "It's a long walk back. Want a ride?" he offered.
Sirey blushed sharply. Ralf had never offered her a ride on his dragon before. Secretly she had always hoped one day he would. "Would she mind?" she asked sheepishly, though the excitement edged through her voice.
"Would you mind?" Ralf asked his dragon, knowing she had heard their conversation.
"Of course not, I like Sirey. She's spunky."
"She doesn't mind," Ralf finally replied.
Mirum was already saddled and ready to be ridden, as if she had anticipated Ralf riding her today. Ralf and Sirey approached the large, magnificent dragon. Sirey's eyes were wide with excitement as she stood just beside Mirum.
The dragon slowly lowered her body down to the ground, allowing easier access to her back.
"You just get on it like a normal saddle," Ralf instructed. "Then brace yourself for when she stands. You might jostle a little in the saddle, but just remain calm and relaxed. Don't tense up."
Sirey nodded, listening attentively. She got on Mirum first, climbing on the saddle with ease. It always took Ralf longer because of his leg. Because Sirey was in the saddle, Ralf sat just in front of it, allowing the front of the saddle to support his back weight.
Ralf continued guiding Sirey through what would be happening as Mirum stood up and prepared to take flight. Ralf could practically feel Sirey's giddiness from behind him. She kept laughing and giggling every time Mirum moved or adjusted her stance. She was waiting anxiously for the take off, not quite sure what to expect.
Ralf found himself laughing along with the apprentice-chef. Sirey was typically so serious and straight-faced. It was refreshing for Ralf to see her smile and hear her laugh. When she laughed, her cheeks wrinkled at the corners of her face and her eyes lit up.
"Ready to fly?" Ralf asked, turning to look at his friend.
She laughed nervously. "Sure!"
"I'll take that as a yes!" Mirum shouted as she sprung up into the air. Her wings beat loudly and swiftly.
Sirey reached forward reflexively and wrapped her arms around Ralf's torso. The action startled Ralf but he settled and relaxed. It made him feel stronger, braver, having Sirey hold on to him for dear life.
When they reached the castle, Mirum slowed her pace and landed smoothly on the ground. Sirey released her grip on Ralf and then dismounted so Ralf could. Once Ralf was standing on firm ground, he looked at Sirey for her reaction.
Her hair was quite comical. It was standing in every direction, wind blown from the speed of flying. Her cheeks were red from smiling so much.
"That was amazing!" She yelled happily, looking up into the sky, as if she would never look at it the same way. "Thank you so much for allowing me to fly with you, Ralf. And thank you, Mirum, for honoring me with a ride."
"It was my pleasure," Mirum said. Ralf translated it back to Sirey.
The girl was still in shock. "I can't believe I just flew! We were so high! And we went so fast! I feel like my heart is going to burst, I'm so unbelievably excited and happy. I can't believe you get to do that every day. It's incredible."
Ralf couldn't help but grin at his friend's response. He loved that he could make her so happy so easily. "So I take it you aren't afraid of heights then?"
Sirey let out a loud giggle in response. "I guess not."
After a few more minutes of talking about the flight, the two finally decided it was time to get some cake.
"Go on ahead," Ralf said, "I'll be there in a few minutes." He knew his pace would be much slower than Sirey's and he didn't want to slow her down. At the same time, he also knew that Sirey was kind enough to walk patiently by his side. But he couldn't take the embarrassment.
"You sure?" she asked.
Ralf nodded, and the apprentice-chef moved onward.
"I like her," Mirum commented.
Ralf nodded in agreement.
"And she likes you." The dragon said, her voice tinged with a hint.
"I like her too. She's a good friend."
Mirum practically rolled her eyes. "You can be so oblivious sometimes, Ralf."
Ralf frowned in response, but decided not to argue. He wasn't sure what his dragon meant. But he did know that there was cake waiting for him inside.
"I'll see you soon," Ralf said in farewell. He gave his dragon a pat and then hobbled into the castle for cake.
Sirey and Ralf spent the next half hour sitting at a table outside the kitchens eating cake and enjoying a conversation. Sirey was still glowing from her previous excitement over flying, but her pulse had finally slowed back down. She was enjoying the company of Ralf and hearing stories of his latest training sessions with Mirum. He told her of how he had almost died trying to evade Fuego by pushing Mirum to her flying limits.
Sirey had gasped at the news. "You must be more careful Ralf!"
Ralf shrugged the warning off. "If I hadn't pushed Mirum, we never would have known we could fly that high before. It was amazing, Sirey. If only you could have seen it, felt the icy chill as we climbed higher into the atmosphere."
"I can't even imagine the rush you must have felt," Sirey replied. "But I do worry about you sometimes. I know how hard you push yourself. I don't know what I would do if-"
Sirey's words were cut short by the bellowing of Henry's voice from the other side of the room. "Ralf!" He shouted.
Ralf turned curiously to face Henry. "Yes, Brother?"
"I need a word with you."
Ralf glanced at Sirey and then at the uneaten slice of cake in front of him. "Can it wait?" Just looking at Henry made Ralf feel a stab of anger, even jealousy perhaps. His mind flashed to the incident he had this morning with Princess Karolina. How she had come out of Henry's room, wearing the same dress she had worn the night before.
"Why?" Henry asked scornfully. "So you can finish your cake?"
"Yes," Ralf answered honestly. "And my conversation with Sirey."
"Your conversation and cake can wait." Henry finally looked at Sirey. His gaze was expectant, telling her to leave the room. "Would you mind?"
Sirey glared at Henry. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I would mind."
Henry huffed and then looked back at his younger brother. "Ralf this really is important. Please, it will take only a few minutes."
Taken aback by his brother's change in tone, Ralf became curious as to what his older brother wanted to speak with him about. Ralf looked at Sirey with apologetic eyes. "Sirey," he began and immediately he heard his friend sigh. She knew what he was going to say.
She stood up from the table. "I guess that's my cue then."
Ralf stood up as well, in an effort to be a gentleman. "I am sorry. Perhaps we could finish our conversation another time? I would like to hear what you have to say."
"Another time then," Sirey agreed half-heartedly, knowing all too well she would not have the courage to finish the conversation again.
The apprentice-chef walked out of the dining area and back to the kitchen, where there was much work to be done. Ralf and Henry were the only other two in the room now. Henry took a seat where Sirey had just been.
"What's so important?" Ralf asked.
Before Henry answered, he eyed the uneaten cake hungrily. Restraining himself, he began, "I had a little chat with the Commander of the Lyran army yesterday."
"Herbert?" Ralf clarified.
Annoyance rolled through Henry. "Am I the only one who can't remember his name?" He muttered questioningly to himself.
"Sorry?" Ralf asked, unable to hear what Henry had said.
"Never you mind," Henry dismissed. "Anyway, I wanted to inform you of the army's situation."
"You mean the fact that our numbers are lower than Niebla's?"
Henry stared at his younger brother. "Yes. How did you already know this?"
Ralf shrugged. "Herbert told me. We talk every week, he fills me in on how things are going. Dad also mentioned it during training the other day. What do you want to talk about concerning our army's numbers?"
The fact that Ralf already knew this information long before Henry himself had known made Henry angry. Henry was in line for the throne, he was supposed to know everything before Ralf ever heard of such things.
"Father had originally asked for my opinion on the subject, but he didn't like my suggestion," Henry admitted.
"What did you suggest?" Ralf asked. He could tell Henry wanted to talk about it, but he knew his brother well enough to know that Henry never liked to talk about defeat.
"It doesn't concern you. Father decided to go a different way. He thinks that in order to get our numbers up, we need to encourage people to join. Anyone over the age of eighteen will be allowed to join the military. Their pay will be lower than our currently employed members, but they will be paid nonetheless. We don't have room for them to board at the castle but there is some housing on the castle grounds that could be used by those who would have to travel far."
"Sounds like a solid plan," Ralf commented. He didn't want to tell Henry that their father had also asked Ralf for his opinion on the matter. And Ralf certainly didn't want to inform Henry that it appeared King Alan had decided to use Ralf's ideas instead. Everything Henry had just explained about the plan, Ralf had conspired a week ago.
"Sure," the older Prince scoffed. "If we can get people to sign up. They have to want to. That's where you come in."
Finally, Ralf was beginning to realize what Henry had in store for him. Regardless, he waited patiently for his brother to say it.
"Go on."
"I am very busy still with the installment of the wall and organizing watchmen. But I was thinking you would be perfect for the job anyway. You seem to have a way with words." Ralf could tell he was referring bitterly to the time he had spoken with the Nieblan spy. Ralf had been the only one the spy would talk to, though he had said little. Nevertheless, Henry was still upset that the spy had bitten his own tongue out, rather than give information.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Ralf said smoothly.
Henry laughed sharply. "Take it however you want. The point is, I need you to go into all the different villages and spread the word. Get people to want to be in the army. Build their spirits up. Whatever it takes to get people to join."
Ralf had figured what Henry was wanting but now that it was said, Ralf was beginning to realize just how much Henry was asking of him. "You want me to go to every single village in Lyra? Are you crazy, do you know how long that will take?"
"It will be a process," Henry admittedly agreed. "However, it needs to be done and I don't have the time for it."
The younger prince was fed up. "I have to train David. I have spells to learn, training to do with Mother and Father. I'm busy too, Henry. I would be willing to go to a couple of villages and do what I can, but I can't promise I'll have the time to go to all of them. That would take months. You're not the only one with responsibilities, Henry."
Henry pulled the plate of cake closer to him and grabbed the fork. He dug into the cake and shoved the forkful into his mouth, chewing obnoxiously. "You will do as I ask of you. Do you want to know why?"
Ralf's eyes narrowed at his brother. "Why?" He suddenly welcomed the threat. He thought back to Karolina. Henry was just using her, he didn't care about her. He had left her in the room by herself, to walk out alone in the morning.
"Because one day I will be King of Lyra and you will have to obey me then. As king, I will be able to do whatever I want and command whatever I want from whomever I want. Just think about that for a moment."
"You would do well not to threaten me, Brother. I am the most powerful dragon bond in any kingdom and without me, Lyra would be defenseless against the other dragon bonds. So I'll let you think about that for a moment."
Henry dropped his fork angrily and shoved the plate off the table, smashing it into tiny pieces. He leaned forward and stared his younger brother down. "What you said was either very brave or very stupid. Either way, you have a point. I do need you. How about a deal then?"
Ralf finally released the breath he had been holding. His entire body was tense. He had thought a fight would for sure ensue over this. "What?"
"You spread the word, encourage people to join the war efforts. However, you will only have to do the nearest villages, I won't ask you to go any further than you don't want to. I can't pretend like we don't need all the help we can get though. I'll send someone else to reach the more distant villages. Do this for me, and I'll owe you a favor."
Ralf raised his eyebrows. "A favor huh? Anything I want?"
"Just name it," Henry agreed, nodding his head.
Ralf thought about it for a moment. Then he held out his hand. "It's a deal then."
Henry grinned and shook his brother's outstretched hand. "Deal."
When they released the others' hand, Henry started walking to the exit. Before he left, he turned back. "Oh and one more thing. Take Princess Karolina with you when you go. She could use something to do."
Ralf swallowed his regret and felt his heart sink as his brother left him with the final part of the agreement. He had planned on avoiding Karolina for as long as he could. Now he would be forced to spend a vast amount of time with her. He sat down and ran his fingers through his hair anxiously.
After a moment of calming himself, the prince finally stood up. He decided to find Elysia and see if she would come along as well. After all, she had been dying to get out of the castle and go back into the villages. He knew she must miss Phillip and his family. That way, if Elysia agreed to come, it wouldn't be just Ralf and Karolina.