Dragon Flight (2 page)

Isabelle frowned after him before helping Meggie pull a purple dress over her head. “Has he been acting strangely?” Isabelle asked as she continued to look into the sitting room where Caden’s softly booted feet were just visible through the door.

Meggie blushed prettily as she looked away. “Tell me, he is my brother and you would not be betraying him in the least,” Isabelle said, holding the girl’s chin and turning her so that Isabelle could look into her eyes.

The girl nodded slowly. “I have noticed it,” she said quickly as her gaze flicked between Isabelle’s gaze and Caden’s boots in the other room.

Isabelle stepped back and straightened her skirts. “Thank you for your assistance this morning. You may go now.” Meggie gave her a curtsey and quickly exited the room as Isabelle walked into the sitting room to be with Caden.

She sank into the chair and without a word, pulled him against her and into her lap. She sighed into his soft hair and hugged him close. “I missed you,” she whispered to him.

“Me, too,” he said, clinging tightly to her.

Isabelle groaned as there was a knock on the door and a servant in brightly colored silks entered her lavish sitting room. “Do the interruptions never end?” she growled under the breath as she met the man’s gaze. “Yes?”

“Queen Amalthea wishes to speak with you,” he said quickly as he clasped his hands at his sides and bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet.

Isabelle narrowed her eyes at him and tightened her grip on Caden. “I am visiting with my brother at the moment. I will see her when I am done.”

He seemed to bluster a little for which Isabelle was glad. She was tired of being ordered around by everyone else and just wanted a minute for herself. But apparently that wasn’t to happen.

“I have to go to my studies anyway, Izzy,” Caden said quickly, hopping off his sister’s lap and landing lightly on his feet before turning toward her. “History is just after breakfast, followed by languages and then horseback riding,” he counted off quickly at his fingers as he met her questioning gaze.

She nodded quickly. “Do you enjoy it here?”

He smiled brightly. “Yes.”

“Are you happy here?” she pressed. “Truly happy?”

His smile widened. “Yes. Of course I am.”

“Good.” She ruffled his hair and got quickly to her feet. She pulled him behind her and met the man at the door. With a curt nod, he turned his back to her and began walking. She hugged Caden quickly before following quietly in his wake.

The man led her to a large marble room similar to many of the other great rooms in the Feeorin palace. Although Isabelle had never been invited to the palace as a child and should have found the statues and elegant touches throughout the room amazing, almost breathtaking, she couldn’t muster the emotions necessary. Her heart was days away in a dimly let bedroom where Faolan slept. She shook her head fiercely as another image came to mind of an elegant woman wrapped around him amidst the dark sheets of the bed they had shared. There would be none of that now. They had both made their choices. And his was probably wrapped around him in bed right now. She growled in frustration.

Isabelle sank into a chaise across from Amalthea who, as usual, looked immaculate in a shining silk dress of the palest cream that complimented her porcelain skin and the soft golden glow of her wings that were tucked daintily behind her. In contrast, Isabelle had on a plain dress and her hair was a mess. She didn’t even have any lip color on and she hadn’t bothered to put on better shoes than her own chamber slippers. But if Amalthea minded she didn’t show it. No, she was too much of a lady for that. She only offered tea and a small cake as she smiled prettily at the much younger woman over the rim of her teacup.

Isabelle fiddled with the hem of her dress as they sat in silence. After a few moments the sound of heavy boots echoed through the large room and Zorin fell ungraciously next to her on the large seat.

“Isabelle,” he greeted her briefly.

She nodded to him. “Zorin”

His smile was snide as he turned his attention to his mother. “And my mother. Hello. Have any new tasks for me?”

Amalthea rolled her eyes at him and ignored his crass nature as she had likely done so many countless times before. “You’re to be queen once I have stepped down, right Isabelle?”

Isabelle blinked. “Yes…” she said slowly.

“According to ancient Feeorin law there are certain criteria that a queen must possess in order to ascend the throne and take control of this great city,” Amalthea told them both with a tilt of her teacup and a soft gleam in her eye. “And do you know what those are?”

Isabelle was become distinctly uncomfortable and the way Zorin kept glancing at her made her think that he was feeling the same way.

“She must be a daughter of Cortisa,” Isabelle told her automatically as she wondered where this could be going.

“And?” Amalthea continued.

“The marriage of any possible queen’s parents had to be sanctioned before the parents of the possible queen said their vows,” Isabelle said. “And the current queen has to preside over the daughter’s naming ceremony to take place within two weeks of the girl’s birth.”

Amalthea smiled. “And one more thing.”

Zorin froze beside her. “Marriage. Queens have always been married to a King Consort.”

“Yes. Very good Zorin,” Amalthea said to him. “And you’d make a fine consort.”

Zorin growled low in his throat as his eyes narrowed on his mother. “You can’t. There’s no way. You wouldn’t.”

“Zorin—” Isabelle began.

He held up his hand to silence her. “No, you’ve been through enough. I won’t have this done to you as well.”

Amalthea frowned at him. “Done to her? I’m offering the girl a kingdom. That’s hardly the death sentence you make it out to be.”

Zorin angrily jumped to his feet. “You selfish, arrogant old hag!”

“Enough!” Isabelle shrieked. “I just want it all to end.” She glared at Zorin until he settled himself back into the chaise beside her. He sulked as he watched her, but at least he was quiet. Amalthea looked startled, but slowly smiled across the small mahogany table at her.

“If…” Isabelle swallowed. “If I am to agree to this, I have some demands.”

“And what about me?” Zorin grumbled. “Am I just to be pulled along as well?”

Isabelle met his dark gaze. “You can do whatever you want, Zorin. I trust you, for the most part at least. Better than some man that I don’t know at all and could be horribly cruel to Caden and I. You care for us. So if you’re interested in joining me for another little parade, you’re welcome. But if you’re not, that’s fine, too. I’ll forgive you of course.”

He nodded dumbly, unable to do much else.

“I want my own cottage,” Isabelle said as she turned to look at the queen. “Somewhere quiet, out of the way, but not too far. I don’t want any servants. Only peace. It’s been far too long for me since I was last left alone to just live life as I saw fit. Give me peace until it is time for me to take the throne and I will be any kind of queen you want.”

“Agreed,” Zorin chimed in. “Give her peace and leave me be and I’ll do my duty as King Consort and Lord Batal.”

“A marriage must be consummated,” Amalthea reminded them.

Zorin hissed in disbelief.

“After a small private ceremony, it will be,” Isabelle said for them both. “No pageantry. No massive party.”

Amalthea nodded. “Agreed. And I do commend you for being so agreeable to this.”

“I assume that my marriage to Faolan is over and there will be no complications with that?” Isabelle asked.

“According to Thadius, your marriage was officially over the moment you left the mountains. Any regrets?” Amalthea asked.

Isabelle shook her head. “I did what I had to in order to make Caden well.”

“Why would you agree to this?” Zorin asked her. He still looked stunned.

Seeing him so unbalanced was almost endearing, Isabelle thought. It was nice to see that he wasn’t invincible. Though she didn’t want to chink his armor too much. She smiled briefly at him. “I don’t expect you to fully understand.”

He nodded. “Good. Because I don’t.”

“There is nothing else left for me, Zorin. Don’t you see that? I’m in love with a man that loves another, my family has disgraced me and I have nothing to offer a future husband. I’m barely more than a child and yet my life has come to a blinding halt around me,” Isabelle told him. Her voice was soft, matter of fact and completely rational.

He laughed bitterly. “So you chose me to complete the mess?”

She laughed along with him, though hers was genuine. “No, I chose you, if you’ll have me, because you know where my heart is. You know what my weaknesses and faults are and I trust you with them.”

He considered her with a tilt of his bristled chin. “Are you so sure that I won’t betray you and hurt those you love?”

She returned his stare evenly. “Yes.”

“Hopefully I won’t disappoint you,” he whispered sadly.

Isabelle frowned. She wanted to ask. She really did. But she wouldn’t make him face whatever secrets he was hiding today. “You won’t,” she told him as she brought her hand to his shoulder and stroked the taut muscles she found there.

He rolled his eyes playfully and moved into her touch as her fingers ran along the back of his shoulder. “So what now?”

Isabelle turned her attention back to the forgotten Amalthea. “You’ll set everything up for the wedding I imagine?”

She smiled at them both. “Of course. When would you like to have it?”

Isabelle was about to suggest a day when Zorin quickly spoke up.

“In a fortnight,” he said, briefly catching her eye to see if she agreed with him. Isabelle merely shrugged, if the date mattered to him, she wouldn’t argue. “Midnight, in the forest clearing right outside of these palace walls. Just Isabelle and I, Caden and of course yourself, mother.”

Amalthea nodded, though she seemed to have gone even more pale than usual. “And is this agreeable with you, Isabelle?”

She nodded. “Zorin seems sure of what he wants. I won’t argue with him on the particulars.”

“And you’ll stay here until the wedding and then we’ll move you into the small manor home the next morning?” Amalthea asked.

Isabelle nodded. “Have you a place in mind?”

“Our summer home,” Zorin said. Amalthea nodded to him and gave him a warm, although brief smile. “It’s small with only a few bedrooms, but you’ll be fine there. We’ll send servants out there once a week to help you keep it clean and mend anything or whatever else you may need. But it’s a good place to retreat from everything for as long as you need. And it’s safe. I can be there in less than an hour if you need me for any reason and it’s only a short two hour ride from the palace for when you come to visit.”

Isabelle nodded, satisfied

“But I have one request,” Zorin told her after a moment.

“Oh?” Isabelle asked him.

“I want you to have a party, here in the palace gardens. My mother will invite every eligible man with any royal blood to attend it. If, after spending time with each of them, you still wish to marry only me, I will do as you wish. But only after you have seen all of your options first,” Zorin told her.

Isabelle gave him a small smile. “I agree. Only if you are there though.”

“Why should I be there as well?” Zorin asked as if it would be too much trouble to attend a party that was his own idea. “You already know me.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes. “First of all, you’re centuries old and I know a tiny amount of your history so no, I don’t actually know you. And secondly I want your protection while I am surrounded by strangers since I know that you are powerful and your reputation will keep those high bred men under control. And furthermore if I choose you I want to be able to announce my choice at the end of the party to dissuade suitors from thinking they still have a chance with me afterward.”

“And you know each of these men personally so you’d be able to tell whether their intentions are toward her or the vacant throne beside her,” Amalthea put in.

Isabelle nodded. “Exactly.”

Amalthea leaned back thoughtfully. “They’re all good points, Zorin.”

He nodded grudgingly. “Yes, I suppose they are.”

“Then you’ll be there?” Isabelle asked him hopefully.

Zorin gave her a brief but warm smile. “Yes, I’ll be there.”

She blushed prettily under her gaze and returned his smile. “Thank you.”

Isabelle took a moment to look out of the large windows at the soft sunlight that was streaming in. “I have to go,” she said, quickly rising to her feet and smoothing down the front of her dress.

“He’s down the hall, fourth door on your left,” Zorin said as he also got to his feet with all the natural grace she had come to expect from him in such a short time.

Startled, Isabelle blinked at him. “Who?” she asked.

Zorin smiled indulgently at her. “Your brother.”

Isabelle blushed and fiddled with one of her curls. She knew Zorin wouldn’t chastise her for spending so much time with him as Andrew had but she still felt silly getting caught rushing off to be beside him. Perhaps, in time, she would be able to find some friends in Feeorin as well as a husband. It had been years since she’d had that kind of constant companionship.

“How’d you know?” she asked him.

“Where else would you go in such a hurry?” he took her arm and began to lead her from the room.

“I’ll see to the details!” Amalthea called after them, seemingly forgotten in her lavish chair. Zorin waved to her without looking over his shoulder.

“It appears that you know me better than I thought,” Isabelle told him as he led her down the hall.

“Or I just remember what it was like to care about someone beyond myself.” He pulled her to a stop in front of a large ornate door.

Isabelle heard nothing from the room beyond, but rose her hand to knock anyway.

“Queens, even future ones, do not knock,” Zorin said as he pushed open the door revealing the small sitting room beyond.

In a brightly colored floral chair, Caden sat hunched over a large tome in his lap.