Man Who Should be King (9 page)

“Stop it! Both of you just look away!”

Hurriedly, she rushed from the water and grabbed her
sarong-style wrap. Quickly she covered her body and tied it securely. “Did you
come for dinner, Darmand?”

Darmand grinned and nodded his head.

“Very well,” Syranna told him brusquely. “But I don’t want
to hear a single complaint. Paadyum doesn’t need to be further upset. She’s
been cooking at the castle for more years than she remembers anymore, and life
is hell when her nose is out of joint.”

“How a nose can be in or out is beyond me, but I promise
that I shall be on my best behavior, as always.”

Always, my ass
, Syranna thought as she started up the
bank, ignoring Marcus’ outstretched hand to help her. She did look at him for a
moment. “What took you so long to get here?”

“W-what? You were waiting for me? I couldn’t find anybody to
tell me how to get here,” Marcus said.

“Hmpffh!” Syranna said in disgust as she walked past him,
grabbing the harnesses off the ground as she went. Abruptly she stopped,
knowing that she needed to put them back on before they went much farther. Looking
back, she saw that her little brood was following dutifully, and with little
delay she got each one reattached.

“All right. Let’s go back.” She turned without waiting to
see if she was being followed, and began the half-mile trek back to the castle.

William was sitting at the table with a complaining Uther
when they returned. Marcus had dropped back and followed the other man. Syranna
guessed it was because he didn’t trust him, even though he didn’t know him.
Upon entering the main room, Syranna held up her hands.

“No one follows me, and I mean no one!”

She turned and walked out and for a moment, silence
continued in the room. Uther spoke first.

“Welcome, Sir Darmand. Have you come to join us for dinner?”

Darmand crossed the room and took the chair to the left of
the old man. He draped his expensive-looking cloak over the chair back and then
sat down. “Yes, against my better judgment and my indigestion. Do you have the
same cook?”

Uther nodded, ringing a bell beside him. Moerana rushed into
the room, looking quite surprised at all the men there. She curtsied to Uther.
“Yes, sir?”

“We’ll be five for supper tonight. Please let the cook know
she’ll have to do her best for Sir Darmand.”

Moerana flushed a bright red and ran out of the room.

William took two large flagons from a tray and poured wine
into each. Leaning across the table he offered one to the stranger and set the
other one down for Marcus. Marcus came closer and took his, drinking deeply.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but prolonged contact with Syranna could lead
him to a drinking problem if he wasn’t careful!

Marcus glared at the casual way Darmand was making himself
at home. William refilled his cup and spoke softly. “I am Sir William, in
service to Lord Marcus. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

Darmand rose slightly and bowed his head briefly in
response. “I am Sir Darmand. I have the castle just down the road, you might
say. I guess that makes Syranna and me neighbors. She is always popping down to
borrow something.”

Marcus bristled at the man’s words. Maybe this Darmand
character had known Syranna longer, but he sure as hell didn’t know her better
than he did! That much was sure, and if need be, he would point that out.
Frustrated, he pulled a chair out and then sat down. It only took a moment
before he felt the movement. Looking down, both dragonets were crawling up his
legs. Not completely sure why, he sat perfectly still until one was seated on
his lap, and the other had hopped up to rest on his forearm.

Uther chuckled at the other end of the table. “Looks like
the bloody little demons have taken to you, Lord Marcus. Better you than me, I
say.” He paused and refilled his glass. Marcus wondered if the old guy did
anything around here but complain all the time and drink. Oh, and eat.
Obviously food was very important to him if the previously shared meal was any
indication.

“She sleeps with the little grubbers, you know!” Uther added
a moment later, in between swallows.

“You know, Uther, since you seem to dislike it here so much,
I am surprised that you choose to stay,” Marcus said quietly, watching as the
old man sputtered for a few moments.

“I…uhm…I like it here just fine. And Mistress Syranna needs
my help.”

Darmand set his cup on the table. “If Syranna would move in
with me, we could demolish this old eyesore. She’d be much happier in my newer
and more modern castle. Not everyone in Mystonia turns their noses up at living
with modern conveniences.”

William laughed. “I certainly see no reason to forego my
creature comforts.”

“If all of you hate it here so bad, then please, don’t let
me delay your departure from here one second longer!”

Syranna had reentered the room without anyone hearing her.
As she crossed to the table, Marcus turned to watch her. She was dressed as she
had when he had first arrived, in clothing more suitable to a serving girl than
a princess. There was an empty chair beside Darmand and another at the far end
of the table. But there was a good six feet between the empty chair on the side
and the foot of the table. For a moment Marcus could easily imagine that
Syranna might want distance between herself and old Uther. Constant exposure to
him would grate.

“Uther? Did you speak to Paadyum?”

“I had Moerana tell her.”

Syranna got to her feet immediately. “Uther, you know she
likes to learn these things from one of us. Excuse me, gentlemen, while I go
and try to rescue our meal.”

Silence followed her departure and Marcus, William and
Darmand all turned to glare at Uther. In a place like this, food was about the
only thing they really had to look forward to! Hearing it might not be
forthcoming was not good news.

Uther, though, seemed unconcerned. Instead he refilled his
glass and looked at Darmand. “Did you come to see how the competition is
doing?”

Darmand’s eyes narrowed as he studied the gray-haired man.
“I was unaware of any competition anywhere.”

“I’ve been telling Syranna she should challenge you for the
Grand Vizier.”

Darmand shook his head. “Now why would she want to do that?
Surely she has plans for her personal future. A female Vizier never weds,
remember.”

“And a male Vizier does? Isn’t that rather archaic?” Marcus
interrupted.

“The theory has never been tested, but the ancient documents
state that once a woman passes through childbirth, her powers are lost. So, naturally,
any woman who did manage to become Vizier would not tempt fate.”

“What is the Grand Vizier anyway? Do not all on Kalledane
follow their liege lord or the king once he is crowned?” William asked, leaning
forward in his chair.

Darmand waved his hand casually. “Of course, the law is
maintained. The Grand Vizier is not an inherited title, but earned. A new,
young wizard can come forward and force an old Vizier out.”

“What is so all-fired important about being Grand Vizier?”
William asked.

“I guess it is all a matter of opinion. On Vikalla, Kallas
and even Kalledane, just beyond our borders, it means nothing and yet here…”
Darmand shrugged.

“In Mystonia it means everything, doesn’t it, Darmand?”
Syranna asked softly, surprising them all by her presence once again. She
walked down to the far end of the table and sat down. A few seconds later,
Moerana came out carrying a tray. She set it by Syranna and then scuttled back
to the kitchen.

“Your supper should be ready shortly, gentlemen,” Syranna
told her guests with a placating smile. Then she made the gentle trilling noise
and the two dragons occupying Marcus’ body as their perch hopped or flew the
short distance to Syranna.

Marcus couldn’t turn away as he watched her again remove
their mouth harnesses one at a time, making sure each one was drinking before
she turned to the next. Soon all three were drinking calmly, pausing to eat,
and then drinking a little more. For some strange reason, Marcus was starting
to think they looked kind of cute, especially the little one who was always
bumping into Syranna, looking for a rub on her head. Whenever she got rubbed
between her ears, she closed her eyes and made the most relaxing purring noise.

As he watched the way Syranna idly patted one dragonet and
then another, he realized that she was carefully paying equal attention to each
one. That was when he recalled that the last time he’d touched one of the
little critters the skin had not felt the same. It had seemed softer, less
scaly. Shaking his head and smiling, he pondered over the fact that he was
watching two dragonets tumble one over the other as they played on the table,
their tummies full. Perhaps even more shocking was that he enjoyed the little
show they put on!

“Time for one last drink, babies. Then it’s time for bed.”
Syranna set AnnaBelle in front of the water dish, gently pushing her head down
to the water.

Marcus stood and separated the wrestling brothers and
carried them to the water, duplicating Syranna’s move. Instead of going back to
his chair, he paused and rubbed each of the males the same way he had seen
Syranna rub AnnaBelle. Both of them immediately lifted their heads and began
making the same purr as their sister did. From a short distance away, while he
continued to rub them some more, he heard Darmand snort and then speak.

“Uh oh.”

Marcus looked up and saw that Syranna was watching him with
near-horror on her face. “What? What’s wrong? All I did was rub them like you
did.”

Syranna sat down in her chair and buried her face in her
hands. Marcus took a step toward her as he saw her shoulders moving and he was
afraid she was crying. Suddenly she looked up and he could see that she was
laughing…and then he realized she was laughing
at
him!

“Damn it all! What is going on?” he demanded, anger and
frustration evident in his voice.

Darmand chuckled from his side of the table. “I’m afraid
you’ve just made the number one error on why most normal people don’t keep
dragons as pets. When you rub one like that and they purr…well, you just became
their mama.”

Marcus could hear William laughing as well as Uther. He
turned to glare at Syranna. As he glared at her, she shrugged quickly.

“I’m sorry, your lordship. But you gave no indication that
you might be developing any kind of fondness or attachment—” She stopped as her
voice nearly broke with the choked back laughter. “Tender feelings for the
babies. I’m not completely sure how they will adjust to life on Vikalla. I
might not in all good conscience allow you to take them with you unless you can
prove your ability to protect them.”

Marcus turned from her smiling face to where William was
laughing so hard he was holding his stomach. William looked up at him and
managed to say, in between bouts of hilarity, “Good thing you aren’t required
to nurse them.”

Even old Uther couldn’t resist that one; his wheezy laugh
joined William’s. “Any man who survived a war should surely be able to survive
two baby dragons.”

“Enough!” Marcus roared at the top of his lungs. He got
everyone’s attention, including the dragonets. Too late he remembered about
little AnnaBelle’s tendency to being startled. His yelling certainly scared the
little green dragon, and she let loose with a tiny roar and a three-foot length
of flame.

“Mmmrrraaaawwwrrrrhhhhh!”

“Mmmrrreeeeooouuuuwwww!”

Whether it was Fitzwalter or Marcus who got singed a little,
he had no idea, because both had hopped toward him and were frantically
crawling up his shirt. A few seconds later, one was on his shoulder and the
other was on his head, scrambling back and forth from one foot to the other.

“Ow! Damn it! Ow, that hurts!”

Syranna was busily attaching AnnaBelle’s harness and petting
her at the same time. “I’m sorry, my pet. I know you didn’t mean to scare your
brothers. They’ll forgive you.”

Marcus bit his tongue about who should forgive whom, as
Syranna reached for the dragon on his shoulder to step down. Watching as
Syranna began reattaching his harness, he shook his head. This unbalanced the
one that sat up there, and he dug his claws. Marcus growled in frustration,
which only increased as Syranna spoke to the little dragon.

“Come down, Marcus. You poor baby! Are you scared too?”

Marcus turned and stomped back to his chair and sat down. He
drained his cup of wine and banged it on the table. His glare told William
silently to refill it, but as he went to drink, he realized that Fitz had flown
back to him and was settling once again upon his arm. Groaning, he tilted his
head back to rest against the chair.

Across the table, Darmand spoke softly. “Congratulations on
your upcoming nuptials, your lordship. If you survive to your first
anniversary, I’ll come and visit you.”

Marcus opened his mouth to reply, but Syranna stopped him.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Darmand. You never go anywhere, so you know that’s a safe
bet. Besides, I’m not marrying his lordship. And I’m not letting him have my
dragonets, either. They wouldn’t be happy away from here.” Syranna stood and
picked up the tray of empty plates, but left the water bowl. “I’ll go and check
on your supper.”

She stopped by the door and trilled. All three dragons flew
across the room and followed her.

Moerana, the cook and another servant came out about ten
minutes later and served them a very delicious dinner. Marcus enjoyed the food,
but was more interested in how both Uther and Darmand kept on praising the
dishes, and how unusual they were.

“I don’t see why the old bat can’t cook like this all the
time,” Uther muttered in between shoveling huge bites into his mouth.

Marcus stopped Moerana. “Where is your mistress?”

“She took the babies to see their home.” She curtsied and
hurried away, blushing at being directly addressed by his lordship.

William shrugged, murmuring in between bites. “I thought
they lived here, as pets.”

“Syranna is taking care of them while their mother is recovering,”
Uther answered as he filled his fork with more food.

“I beg your pardon,” Marcus said slowly, setting his
utensils back onto the table. “I assumed they were orphans, or weaned, or
whatever it is that dragons do with their young.”

“I think we should eat them,” Uther added before he called
out to Moerana for more wine.

“So Syranna went by herself to find this dragon?” Marcus
started to push his chair back.

“She’ll return soon, your lordship. Unfortunately, Zudu is
not very motherly. Sometimes she is quite unwelcoming of her visitors.”

“Come on, William. We’re going after Syranna!” Marcus shoved
his chair back. “What direction is this cave? Perhaps you should come with us,
Uther.”

“I’ve not finished eating!” Uther protested until Marcus
settled his hand upon his weapon. “Very well, but I’ll only slow you down. I
don’t move as quickly as I used to.”

“I’ll carry you if I have to, you old fool! Let’s go!”
Marcus turned angrily, but stopped abruptly as he saw Syranna standing just
inside the entryway.

“Not leaving without saying your goodbyes are you, Lord
Marcus?” Syranna walked over to the table, smiling. “Moerana, please bring a
plate of something warm. Tell cook I’m sorry for being gone so long.”

Syranna took her seat and smiled at Marcus. “You haven’t finished
eating.”

Marcus pulled his chair back to the table, glaring at her as
he sat down. “I was coming to rescue you.”

“From what? I just took the babies home for a bit.” Syranna
smiled. “Oh, thank you, Darmand,” she added when he passed her a glass of wine.

Marcus glared at Syranna for acting as if this was all
normal and commonplace. Clearing his throat, he reminded himself to stay calm.
“I assumed the ‘babies’, as you call them, were orphans. I had no idea that you
had a fully grown dragon here.”

“You can sleep easily tonight, sir. The dragon is not inside
the castle grounds. The babies will be back soon, though.”

William leaned back in his chair, a huge grin on his face.
Even before he spoke, Marcus decided his old friend was enjoying this fiasco
entirely too much! “Perhaps Marcus would enjoy walking with you when you go
back to fetch them.”

Uther laughed out loud at the suggestion. Marcus noted that
Darmand had the discretion to hide his own amusement behind his napkin. Turning
to look at Syranna, he paused as she accepted a plate of food from Moerana.
“I’ll go with you, of course,” he told her decisively.

“No need, your lordship.” Syranna shook her head. “Zudu will
bring them home.”

Uther got so flustered he juggled his fork before it fell to
his plate with a long clang. “I’m not going up there!”

“Up where?” William asked.

Darmand volunteered quickly. “I’ll go with you, Syranna.
That would give us some time to talk.”

Syranna was shaking her head when Marcus turned to look at
her before he began objecting about the other man’s suggestion.

“I don’t need anyone to go with me. And don’t fret, Uther.
After the last time you went, I’ll never have you do that little task again. I
promise.”

Uther glared at Syranna from the far end of the table. “I
don’t consider standing on top of the castle tower, leaning out of the window
to reach the part where you can haul your…never mind. I’ll be happy to never go
again.”

“Yes, Uther. You never, ever will have to do that again.”
Syranna tried to reassure him, but Marcus could see the old man had it set in
his head.

“If you go away again—”

“I’m not going anywhere, Uther. Now, please, wouldn’t you
like to have some dessert?”

Marcus looked from Syranna to Uther. He wouldn’t have
believed it if he had not seen it. The old man slowly relaxed and smiled.

“Yes, indeed, princess. I’ll go ask cook to send it in.”

As Marcus turned to look accusingly at Syranna, he saw the
speculative look appear in Darmand’s face as he glanced from Syranna to the old
man and then back to her seemingly placid face. It was almost as if he could
see the wheels turning in the other man’s head as he considered what he had
just witnessed. Marcus assumed Darmand was familiar with both Syranna and
Uther, and could see just as easily as he had just how out of character the old
curmudgeon’s sudden acquiescence and good nature were completely beyond his
norm. Syranna’s voice distracted him a moment later.

“I assume you will be leaving shortly, Darmand. I didn’t
invite you to spend the night this time.” Sipping her wine, she stated it as if
there were no question or other option open to the man.

Marcus coughed slightly as he suppressed a laugh. For a
princess, and a lady, Syranna had a decided tendency to speak her mind, no
matter what. Living quietly in Mystonia, isolated on this moon world, it was
most likely that such behavior mattered little. But as queen and wife she would
need to hold her tongue. Marcus paused as he considered the likeliness that
Syranna would even care about such things. Most likely, she could not care less
about pleasing the demands of proper etiquette or upholding the protocols of
his position. What surprised him the most was that he all of a sudden didn’t
really care either!

* * * * *

Syranna stood between the two men, disgruntled that she’d not
been able to shake either one of them. Marcus insisted on accompanying her, and
Darmand had decided that he’d enjoy the walk to the top of the castle’s tower.
Finally she saw the dark object coming toward the castle slowly. It was the
mother dragon bringing her babies to Syranna.

“You two must stay here. I’ll go to the top alone. She
doesn’t like strangers.”

Quickly, Syranna darted up the narrow stone steps that led
up and around the tower to the roof, twenty feet higher. Grateful for the time
alone, she leaned against the stones, which comprised a small wall
approximately three feet high. Wishing she had wings so she could just fly
away, Syranna chided herself for wanting an easy way out of this situation.

The more time she spent with Marcus, it was becoming as
plain as the nose on her face that what she wanted was even more of the same!
Unfortunately, she was experiencing some communication problems. So she kept
reminding her body that her brain was saying “no” and to stop listening to the
drum beat signaling the resoundingly loud “yes.” Not that it seemed to matter,
because her body kept reacting to him more easily, deeper and with greater
intensity with each smile and gesture. Each time he touched her, even in a
casual, offhand manner, her body reacted in a way that betrayed her conscious
mind.

Taking a deep breath, Syranna admitted that if Marcus didn’t
leave soon, she might not be able to let him leave. There was little doubt in
her mind that she could keep him with her. She could probably get him to renounce
the liege lord position and the coronation he justly deserved, if she wanted
to. But eventually the spell would begin to diminish and he would remember
everything that had gone before. Of course, he’d be angry with her. What man
would willingly submit to being controlled by a woman?

Syranna admitted that it was more than just submission to
her wants above his. This was mind control and manipulation, which attacked and
removed his most basic human right, that of free choice over his body.
Submission was choosing to give your control to another. If she used her power
to manipulate his thoughts, and therefore his will, his submission would be
wrong, no matter whether he enjoyed the end result or not.

“What the hell!”

“I admit that is the biggest one I’ve ever seen as well.
Syranna!”

The two men yelling below her drew her attention back to the
present time and situation. The dragon was coming close enough for Marcus and
Darmand to finally assess its true size. That was one of the main reasons she’d
told them to stay below. Zudu was probably the largest dragon she’d ever seen
too, but once Syranna got to know her, her size had not mattered in their
relationship.

“Zudu!” Syranna called out, waving her arms to attract the
mother’s attention. There was not really enough room for her to land and avoid
crushing Syranna, but it was as if she understood that. She hovered just above
the tower, and reaching her head back with a twist of her neck Zudu caught each
dragonet with her mouth and then lowered it to Syranna.

Finally Syranna had all three babies with her and she lifted
both her arms until the mother lowered her head toward Syranna. Smiling into
the dragon’s perceptive and all-knowing eyes, she rubbed the sensitive place
beneath her mouth until Zudu made the unmistakable noise of her pleasure.

“Mmmmmmrrrrrrruufffffffffff, mmmrrruuffff, mmmrrruff!”

It changed a little each time the dragon made the noise, but
Syranna knew that she truly liked being rubbed in that one spot. Then Zudu
seemed to wink at her and slowly flapped her wings to rise higher in the sky.
She circled the tower three times; each time she made a slightly different
roaring noise, to which each baby dragonet responded with its own distinct
answering sounds. Finally she flew away, back in the same direction she had
come from minutes earlier.

“Come along, babies! If you want to ride down with me, climb
aboard.”

Syranna didn’t need to offer more than once and immediately
all three dragons hopped or flew to find a spot to perch and dig their claws in
slightly to gain a sturdy foothold. Climbing down was always a bit more of a
challenge, but it was nice to feel them all back under her protective wing,
metaphorically speaking. As she turned toward the two men a few seconds later,
she found them both staring at her angrily. Shrugging, she walked right past
them. It was getting late and she was running out of patience quickly.

As she moved through the castle, she spoke to Darmand. “I
imagine you are going to want accommodations for the night now?”

“You are most kind to offer me a comfortable bed to rest my
weary head upon, milady. And the fact that you do so most charitably and
graciously honors your family.” Darmand bowed to her.

Syranna stopped walking and all three of the dragons took
the opportunity to jump ship. Resting her knotted fists on her waist, she
grinned at him. “I ordered the spare bedroom across from mine made up earlier.
Somehow I knew you’d manage to still be here at nightfall. Come along.”

“I imagine Sir William and Uther have already retired. There
is your room, Darmand, and that one is yours, Lord Marcus.”

Quickly, before she let Marcus catch her guilty eyes, she
turned away. “Good night, gentlemen. I shall see you in the light of morning.”
Walking back toward the stairs that led to the main hall, Marcus’ hand shot out
and grabbed hers, stopping her abruptly.

It was Darmand who spoke first. “Then we will talk tomorrow,
Syranna. The future needs to be decided.”

Marcus nodded his head. “And I need to talk with you
tonight, Syranna.”

Somehow she had known Marcus would not be dismissed so
easily. “Very well. I am taking the babies down for a snack before bed.”

“I have a better idea. I’ll go down and get a plate of food
and bring it back up to you.”

Syranna wanted to refuse, but his logic was undeniable.
Finally she nodded and started toward her bedroom. Closing the door behind her,
she moved across the room and filled a bowl of water. It only took a few
seconds to release their harnesses and soon all three dragonets were drinking
eagerly from the bowl she placed on the long wooden chest at the foot of her
bed. While they slurped loudly, she walked across the room and undressed
quickly, pulling her silky robe on and knotting it firmly at her waist.

As she started back across the room, she caught sight of
herself in the long mirror. Her cheeks flushed as she saw how the silken
material draped and clung to her breasts and to the fuller curves of her hips
and thighs. If her intention was to seduce, then this was the right choice.

Abruptly Syranna spun away from the mirror. She had no
business thinking about seductions, or broad shoulders and muscular arms,
either. Her life was here, not on her father’s home world. She belonged here,
on her mother’s home planet, where the mist was thick and heavy, clouding
nearly everything in mystery and shadow. Her grandfather had convinced her that
she had much more of her mother’s blood running through her veins than her
father’s, and therefore Mystonia was the only place she would ever truly feel
at home and be at peace.

A noise drew her attention and she turned to find the three
green dragons playing on her bed. Walking across the room, she climbed onto the
bed and stretched out on her back. AnnaBelle was the first to leave the others
and scramble up to sit on her stomach.

“Ouch!” Syranna said softly as the littlest dragon kneaded
herself a place to curl up into a ball and rest her head. Closing her eyes, she
listened to AnnaBelle’s soft purring sounds along with her brothers’ scuffling
and squabbling chuffing sounds. It would be so easy to just fall asleep…