The Dragonscale Throne Read online

  My gaze had been roving over my chamber walls, taking in the beauty of the stained glass and entwined limbs. The shroud was eating up the life of the castle walls. Why had it been allowed to get so bad? Because I hadn't done anything about it. And yet, in reality, Jordeek had been the one that wasn't taking care of Althea.

  Liliya sighed when I didn't reply, swinging around to sit in a chair beside a carved stone table. "Jordeek Glyneria wants to save Althea. His father was malevolent, and for a while, he followed in his footsteps. But, when you came of age and took the throne, he changed. He claims that you don't care about your kingdom, when really, you're just trying to save it from this evil."

  Waving her hand, Liliya yawned. I watched her, my hands clenched into fists by my side. How dare he think that I didn't care about the kingdom? A battle ensued in my stomach, the Layanna of my dream having quite a different reaction to me. Rage sat in the pit of her belly, but not because of his false accusations, but because he dared to question her.

  "You've never cared about Jordeek. Why are you interested now?"

  I opened my mouth to answer, but the smash of the double doors opening caused me to backtrack towards the canopied bed.

  Liliya was on her feet, her arms extended, ready to cast a spell.

  "Queen Layanna," an Althean guard announced my name loudly. "We've come to seek vengeance for the death of the seer."

  The seer? Who was that? And, why was there currently six guards marching towards me? Fleeing to the back of the room, I squeaked when I found no way out. Why didn't my parents put in an escape? That way they could've escaped when Pryon attacked.

  "Layanna," a male voice called.

  Spinning, I faced the guards, my arms raised. If they wanted to take me, they would take me fighting. Jordeek entered the room, his stride long and his black leather boots thumping against the stone floor. His navy tunic was pristine as he took out his sword.

  "You will all leave this instant!" My order went ignored as they advanced towards me.

  Liliya stayed silent, watching with her hands still in the air. Why wasn't the witch defending me? I only wanted to help the kingdom by ridding it of people who took advantage. Everyone had a due to pay, why was that so wrong?

  Holding the handle of his sword, which was still in his scabbard, Jordeek walked through the men who stood around me. They parted for him, their glances towards him an indication that he was their leader now.

  "What do you want? You can't do anything to me, I'm the Queen of Althea."

  Shaking his head, Jordeek stared at me. "Your heart has hardened. You used to be full of courage and kindness. Where has that gone?"

  Frowning, I clasped my hand against my chest. My breath was heavy as he advanced, his gaze serious but soft at the same time. I didn't answer his silly question. What was he talking about? I was still me. I still ruled with a fair hand, my subjects loved me. Didn't they?

  Slanting his head to the side, he narrowed his gaze, focusing on where my hand rested over my heart. "You've been surrounded by those who are greedy and self-serving. They have made you believe that you need to be feared by the Seelie Court. They have whispered falsehoods into your mind, poisoning it."

  "No," I gasped, almost stumbling forward. "I know what I'm doing. I... I'm the Queen of-"

  "You are their pet! They tell you how to rule the court and your kingdom. You have no heart left, Queen Layanna."

  Pain lanced my heart, causing me to cry out a sob. Why were his words effecting me so much? He was my enemy, wasn't he? Wait, I was getting far too wrapped up in the emotions of a queen who wasn't real. This was a dream. I was not going to let Jordeek Glyneria play the gallant one and portray me as immoral.

  Clenching my hands into fists, I charged forward. My arms flung out, my aim on target as my fist ploughed into Jordeek's head. The guards came forward, but he ordered them back. The fighting skills I had been transferred by Geryline had stuck, even in my dream.

  "Stop this," Jordeek whispered as he spat blood on the floor.

  The weak sound of his voice made me step away from him, my arms going limp by my side. Why wasn't he fighting me? For so long we had hated one another, and yet, he had kissed me in the baths.

  "What is your game?" I spat, spinning away from him. Liliya caught my attention as she tried to retreat. "You will stay here!"

  Freezing, the witch looked at me, her eyes lowered. She had no right to abandon me in my time of need. Where was her loyalty? My heart thumped in my chest. She had no loyalty to me, because I was ruling with fear. It was the only way I believed that people would follow me.

  Was Jordeek the same?

  "No one wants to know you anymore, Layanna." Jordeek rubbed his jaw, stretching it out. "Deep down, you know that this isn't right, but you're lost. Can't you see?"

  Jolting back into my body, I sat up quickly. The dream... if that's what it could be called, had shown me something about Jordeek that I had never noticed. He was lost in the shadow of his father.

  "Are you well?" Sarsia whispered to me.

  The bed had been comfortable, but my dream made me squirm as I laid back down against the mattress. The sound of shuffling came from the men in the other room.

  Yawning, Sarsia stretched on the bed, her arms above her head. Her hair was loose around her after we had all taken advantage of Geryline's tub. My own hair smelt of lavender, the soft strands tickling my neck.

  "I had a dream that..." Should I trust Sarsia with what I had seen in the dream?

  "What happened?" Turning onto her side, she looked at me, the bags under her eyes a little less than the day before.

  The journey was taking its toll on all of us. Having a restful night’s sleep had helped revive us from our tiredness. I couldn't even remember how long it had been since we had set off from Remedia. It felt like a lifetime ago.

  "Sarsia?" Larnika called through the curtain that separated the two rooms. "We had better be on our way."

  Closing her eyes briefly, Sarsia reached across the bed and gripped my hand. "Today is the day."

  Jumping out of bed before I could react, she threw on her dress and cloak, ready to be on her way. I watched her, my heart doing a little hop in my chest. Did she mean that she was going to confess her love for Larnika?

  "I'll meet you outside."

  After she left me, I took a deep breath and wrapped my arms around myself. What had my dream been trying to convey? Was there a part of me that was greedy, wanting to take the throne back? No, the emotions that had warred in the dream Layanna were confused. She had no idea why others hated her, because in her mind, she was doing right by the people. However, she had been misguided, influenced by those around her. Was it a sign to show me that Jordeek might be going through the same thing? Surely not.

  Getting out of bed, I dressed, flinging my cloak around my shoulders. We were heading towards the Northern Sea today, the weather would be bitter. Sarsia had spelled me some gloves to cover my hands, the thick wool a luxury against my skin.

  "Are you ready?" Daniel called as I came through the curtain.

  The fire had died out in the night, the embers still aglow. Trenton, Larnika and Sarsia were outside, I could see them through the open door. Geryline spoke to Sarsia, a warm smile on her face. Daniel stood by the hearth, absorbing the last bit of heat before we left the village.

  "There's some bacon and bread on the table. You must eat before we go."

  Nodding, I went over and sat down to devour the food. The smell crept up my nose, making me sigh in delight. I hadn't appreciated the luxury of eating hot food at a table before. Now, I was taking advantage of every moment of not being on horseback.

  "Layanna," Daniel said, coming to sit next to me. "I want to thank you for allowing me to join you on your journey."

  Inclining my head, I washed down my mouthful with a gulp from the goblet on the table. "You're welcome."

  "I know I'm only human, but I would like to offer my allegiance to you."

  "I'm grateful, thank you." Wiping my mouth in the least ladylike fashion, I got up from the table.

  "Is that all?" he muttered.

  He raised his eyebrows as he stood, tugging on the belt around his tunic. His scabbard held a sword, but the human had never taken it out. Did he know how to use it?

  Looking up into his eyes, I tried to shake the strange feeling that had come from my dream. The kiss with Jordeek, it had been beyond anything I had ever experienced in life. Not that I had been kissed yet. It was sad that I had reached the age of twenty and never been kissed by a man.

  "That is all," I whispered as I glanced at his lips.

  He frowned, his own eyes dropping to my lips when he saw me looking. I could not help the warm blush that came to my cheeks. What would it be like to be kissed by a man? Any man?

  "We should go." His words were muttered as he cleared his throat.

  A smile tugged at my lips as I went to turn away from him. What silly fancy had taken me? To kiss Daniel, a human man, would be a grave mistake. I had to keep my mind on our journey.

  "Princess," Daniel called as I went to walk through the open doorway.

  Turning to look at him, I bit my lip when he took a deep breath. "When all this is over, I may just take you up on that offer."

  "Offer?" I almost squealed as he rubbed his lips.

  "The unspoken request for a kiss will not be forgotten."

  My heart thumped in my chest as I left, a small nod the only indication that I had acknowledged what he said. The dream had stirred up desires I never knew resided within me. Sarsia would think I was foolish, so I wouldn't tell her. Sometimes, a lost queen had to keep her thoughts to herself.

  Chapter Five

  "Halt!" the man shouted as he jumped out from behind the tree.

  Sarsia threw up her arm, freezing the man in his effort to raise his bow and arrow. The human's eyes widened as Larnika jumped off his horse and ran up to him. Grabbing the weapon from the human, he broke it in two with a snap.

  Trenton slowly rode up to him, his horse's head just shy of the man's shoulder.

  We had been riding for five hours through the dense woods. The Northern Sea was only an hour's ride away. The intrusion would not be welcomed when we were so close to our goal.

  "What do you want?" the fairy asked.

  The man tried to look up at him, but he couldn't move his head. Sarsia released her spell when Trenton glanced over his shoulder at her.

  "I want all of your food and gold." The man looked at his destroyed weapon on the ground. "I gather I won't be getting that."

  Snorting, Trenton leapt off his horse. "No, you won't be getting anything from us. How about you go back to where you came from?"

  The man laughed when Trenton stood in front of him, his height only reaching the human's chest. The fairy whipped out his dagger and held it to the man's stomach. The laughter stopped immediately.

  "It's hardly a fair fight if my weapon is broken on the ground." Spitting, the man glanced at me, his eyes widening when he scrutinised my face. "My woman told me about you."

  "She did?" Trenton asked, the dagger pressed against the human's flat belly. "I'm surprised you're able to acquire a woman."

  "You'll be surprised how good I am with these hands." He held one up, waving at me.

  Shuddering, I glanced at Daniel who sat forward on his horse, a small grin on his face. Since my dream, my thoughts had been a little unladylike. The human had just shown me that I had to rid my mind of any kisses, or risk being as crass as he was.

  "Tell us the way to the Northern Sea, and we'll let you live." Larnika flanked the man's other side, looking uninterested.

  An arrow flew through the air, making me gasp in a breath. It lodged into a tree, nowhere near any of us. The man laughed as Trenton moved his dagger, trying to reach his throat. He was too small. Instead, Larnika grabbed the man's arm and spun him, his sword out of its hiding place and held against the man's throat.

  "Leave him!" I ordered when he went to swipe the blade through his skin.

  Forcing himself to stay still, Larnika looked at me, a scowl on his face. I looked around us, searching for the culprit who had fired into the woods. A head peeped up over a clump of bracken, blonde hair visible on a small head.

  "You there," I called. "Come out!"

  The person instantly got to their feet. Her. It was a she. Her blonde hair flowed down her back as she descended the small slope.

  The human made a sound in his throat as Sarsia jumped down off her horse and approached the woman. She wore a long shimmering blue dress, the material almost liquid looking. I had never seen anything so beautiful.

  "How are you so far out from the Northern Sea?" Sarsia asked the woman.

  The Northern Sea? Did Sarsia know the woman? Quickly shaking her head, the woman picked up her skirts and spun away, running as fast as she could.

  Sarsia tried to stop her, but her magic was blocked. How was that possible?

  Taking hold of my reins, I kicked my horse into a trot towards where the woman had shot behind a denser clump of trees. Trenton called out to me, begging me to stop.

  I couldn't stop. I was the only one on horseback, and the woman had shot at us. I couldn't let her get away. Not only that, something about her had mesmerised me. Her nose had risen up at the end, her ice blue eyes wide and watery. Her beauty was unlike anything I had ever seen.

  The leaves under my horse’s hooves crunched loudly as I guided him around the trees. A whisper of her blue dress caught my eye as she ran, almost disappearing from sight completely.

  "Halt!" I cried.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she winked at me before she vanished. My horse slowed as I pulled on his harness, my head shaking as I gritted my teeth. We had been so careful in making sure no one followed us towards the Northern Sea, and now there was a woman out there who knew where we were.

  "You lost her," Sarsia said from behind me.

  Turning the horse, I joined my friend who had got back on her horse. We traipsed through the woods to find the others.

  Larnika had released the human, and they stood around talking, their voices low.

  "That was a mermaid," Sarsia whispered to me as we drew up next to the others.

  My gaze shot to her. A mermaid? I had heard about them in legends, but surely there wasn't a creature who could live underwater?

  "Yes," Sarsia said, a smile on her face. "They are real, too."

  "Layanna." Larnika stepped away from the men. "This human is harmless. I read his mind, he's simply looking for food because he's starving."

  "Very well," I declared. "Give him our fare and let's be on our way."

  We were too near the Northern Sea to stop now. The human man was harmless, not worth worrying about so close to our final destination of the day. A cool wind was starting to pick up, rustling the leaves on the trees. We had planned to make camp beside the sea, ready to cross first thing in the morning.

  "As you wish," Larnika said, almost bowing as he raised his eyebrow in amusement.

  Taking on the role of leader hadn't come naturally to me, but I was starting to get the hang of it. My dream had reminded me to be a humble ruler, not a selfish one. My beginnings had encouraged the same thing, so I had to make sure that I would never be influenced by power.

  "Thank you," the man shouted as I pushed my horse forward, leaving Larnika and Daniel to carry out my request.

  Trenton bounded up on his horse and brought it close to me. "I have to confess, I'm inspired by your kindness. However, you just gave away my meal. What will we eat now?"

  Glancing at him, I smiled. "We'll either hunt a deer or ask Sarsia to provide us with food using her magic."

  "We’d better keep an eye out for that deer, then," Trenton muttered.

  "Trenton doesn't like the food I provide with magic, especially outside of Althea." Sarsia wrapped her cloak tightly around her.

  The wind suddenly gusted against us, the force of it making the horses whinny. My face was bitten with frost, the ice instantly forming on my eyelashes.

  "What is that?" I asked the others as Larnika and Daniel joined us.

  The human was gone, probably heading back to his home to get warm. If the temperature dropped further, it was going to be an extremely uncomfortable night for all of us.

  "This isn't natural." Sarsia held up her hand. "It's magic. We must push on... quickly."

  Kicking her horse into a trot, she led the way through the woods. I gripped my reins with one hand and my cloak with the other, trying not to shiver as the ice sunk beneath my dress and onto my skin. The intensity of the cold had arisen so suddenly, I could hardly stop my teeth from chattering.

  This has got to be Jordeek, Larnika thought in my mind.

  Everyone else looked at him, other than Daniel, so he must have vocalised telepathically to all of us. He had been stripped of most of his powers, but for some reason, he could still use telepathy.

  Sarsia and Trenton couldn't reply with speech, so they stayed quiet, a small nod acknowledging what he had said. I huddled closer to the horse, unable to keep my eyes facing the wind. They streamed with water, the liquid almost freezing as soon as it hit my cheeks. Pain ate at my skin, almost unbearable as we sped up.

  Humming to myself, I could only concentrate on getting to our destination. The silence of the woods echoed around us as we kept our course, the horses able to keep going, despite the freezing temperatures.

  I was about to ask how much further when I raised my eyes and gasped. The trees widened, revealing a beach. The sand was grey, covered with frost. A sea churned ahead, waves almost higher than some of the trees.

  Pulling up beside the others as we came to a stop, I managed to unfold my hands and rub them. They were numb from the cold, despite the gloves. On the other side of the water, there was a mountain topped by snow, raising high in the air.

  "You'll never get across," a feminine voice said from behind.

  We spun together, our fingers fumbling with our weapons. The woman from earlier, with the bright hair, stood with her hands on her hips.

  "Unless I help you, of course."