(Path of the Dragon Mage (Nomad). 25. Goodbye Discretion (Patreon)

The next morning found Corvus sitting in Kale's tent, sipping some of the Horseman’s bracing herbal tea. His exhaustion resistance meant he didn't need the herbal pick-me-up, but he was not rude enough to decline a drink when it was offered.

Kale looked like he had not slept a wink all night. There were bags under his eyes, and his normally handsome face looked drawn. They sat across one another with the cook fire burning low in between. It was so early that Roan was still in bed. Corvus could hear Roan's snoring through the fabric walls.

"The scouts accompanied the clan out past Meadow City’s pastures. Then they spread out and circled back." Kale eyed Corvus over his mug. "There is no sign of any demon vermin. Much less a swarm."

"Charm went out for a flight last night, and she saw nothing," Corvus admitted. "It put her in a bad mood. They are coming, Kale, I wish that they weren't."

"Now that my people are out of the way, I hope that they do." Kale flashed Corvus a quick grin, showing that he was only joking. "Otherwise, we will have raised quite the fuss for nothing."

And although the Horseman did not say so, he would have spent quite a bit of his political capital with the governor of the second-largest city in the kingdom for nothing.

"They're coming," Corvus repeated. "I just hope the governor heeds our warning."

Kale grunted. "CometChaser says you brought home a guest last night, as well as my daughter." Another severe look over his cup.

Corvus winced. "Gwen didn't want to be evacuated with the others."

"So of course she went to you, not to me," Kale said neutrally.

"She can fight," Corvus said. "You’ve seen her shoot with her bow, and how fast she is on NightShade —"

Kale held up his hand. "Gwen can do a lot better in her life than become another horse warrior."

Yes, she can be the queen of your people, Corvus thought but didn't say.

Kale eyed him. "Has she discussed with you why she's so angry with me?”

"She's… What?" This was the first he had heard of an argument between them. Corvus tried not to squirm uncomfortably. He had been raised in such a rigid social structure that the idea of quarreling with one's parent was… Well, Cipherus had tried to get him killed just for not living up to his standards.

"Normally, I wouldn't talk about it. It's an argument between myself and Gwen, but I have the feeling you will be involved soon." Kale said. "And it is no secret. She has received an offer of marriage from the son of the Horseman of silver and green clan."

"She… What?” Corvus repeated. "But… You can’t! She's only fifteen!"

Kale watched Corvus, carefully. "At best, she wouldn’t be married for a few years, at the least. And it's only an offer. They will meet at the clan’s winter gathering and see what they think about one another. But it's a good prospect. The boy will be the next Horseman of his clan, like Roan is to this one."

Corvus set down his tea, no longer pretending to be drinking it. "You're making a mistake," he said. "She should be a horseman of her own clan."

"She says the same," Kale said with a rumbly chuckle. "And I’ll tell her the same thing that I've told you: She is welcome to try if anybody will follow her. Just like anybody else in the clan."

Corvus started to argue, but Kale pushed on, "I thought you should be made aware, considering you brought in another girl into your tent last night."

Suddenly, Corvus understood why Kale had been watching his reactions so closely. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, other than indignant. "She's my cousin, Starella."

Kale almost choked on his tea. “Your royal cousin?”

Corvus gave him a brief summary of last night’s events. He was certain that Kale would not pick up, or likely care about the undercurrents of palace politics. As usual, the Horseman got right to the point.

"Will the girl be a danger to the clan? Or an asset?"

"I'm not sure," Corvus admitted.

"Can she use runes, like you?”

"No, she has elemental talents. Hers are air and earth… And she's very good," he admitted.

Kale nodded. "Then what are your plans for her?"

“She’ll return to the governor’s palace. Whatever else happens, she should be placed well out of danger when the ratkin arrive."

Kale nodded and stood, signaling an end to the interview. A leader within the palace would have wanted to ensure the Princess was well-kept and well-guarded. Kale just wanted to know that Corvus would keep her out of trouble. “Very well.”

“We should arrive separately to the governor's palace,” Corvus continued, “I don't intend to allow the governor to link me with your clan, in case the meeting goes badly."

"And your cousin?"

Corvus smiled. "I very much doubt she understands who or what the horse folk are. She'll just be happy to be back within four walls again."

***

Unfortunately, Charm had to stay behind for this trip within the city. She was exhausted by not only the long night of scouting, but of linking her moon and sun breaths together. Apparently, it had made quite the combination, but she refused to tell Corvus about it.

He could have seen it in her sheet, but he sensed his dragon wanted to show him the new spell as a surprise. He let her have her fun.

In addition, her moonlight illusions were less powerful during the day. Charm might have been able to get away with looking like a horse when she was smaller. Now, with much more sheer mass to hide, it would have been all but impossible to make a realistic illusion.

Corvus intended to requisition one of the clan's horses and ride in. He could do worse than be seen on top of a Mountain heavy.

Unfortunately, Starella had no idea how to ride a horse.

He forgot that — he hadn't so much as saddled a horse until he met Solt.

As Kale and Roan rode on ahead for their meeting with the governor, Corvus went to the city gates to hire out a carriage for himself and his cousin. At least he had coins to spare, thanks to his ratkin loot haul.

Starella sat quietly in the carriage, still looking tired from the last night's stresses. But she had regained some of her poise. Corvus was silent for the first minutes of the ride, too. He was interested in gazing out the window to see how the city was preparing for the battle.

There were certainly more guards up on the walls, and a few people here and there were boarding up windows. For the most part, it seemed to be business as usual.

Shaking his head, disgusted, he turned from the window to look at his cousin.

"I didn’t ask last night: What happened after I left the palace?"

Starella was much too disciplined to shrug or roll her eyes, but she dearly looked like she wanted to.

"Your name was struck from the records, of course. Your father remarried, and people attempted to go on as if you never existed. It was… quite eerie."

Corvus frowned, he had expected as much, but he did not like the little jab of hurt in his heart. "Tell me about my new… stepmother, I suppose."

"She’s not legally your stepmother," Starella said, then gazed at him for a moment, shaking her head. "I suppose it doesn’t matter. You look like Cipherus. And the king, too."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked.

"Well, you're less spidery looking than Cipherus. The king is a handsome man, so there's still hope."

Corvus barked out a laugh, but Starella wasn't smiling. "He remarried Gemma Blackstone. She was my friend, I suppose.” She glanced out the window, deep in thought. “I didn't expect her to miss her, but I think she would've liked to see this city."

Corvus wasn't sure what to say to that. "I heard she was young."

"Eighteen, now. Your father married her when she was sixteen."

"He isn't a good man," Corvus said. "I knew that back then, and now that I've seen good men… I know for sure.”

She looked shocked at his words, but then she snorted delicately. "The king says he's unfit to rule. I heard it from his own lips."

Corvus's lie detection skill didn't go off. "Have I any new siblings?" he asked.

No," she said, "and I'm worried what will happen to Gemma if she doesn't conceive soon."

His conscience flinched at that. He knew the reason the girl hadn’t conceived. It wasn't her fault, but Cipherus’s. Vesper told Corvus she had charmed his father not to bear any more children. For a moment, he considered telling Starella that, if only to bring her comfort. But before he could decide, Starella spoke.

"Why do you bother riding horses when you could ride a dragon?"

"I've only recently been able to ride her, and I'm trying to be discreet," he said, grumpily. "Or, I was. Father and mother have been looking for me over the last two years. I'll let you imagine why."

Apparently, Starella very well could because she grimaced.

They didn't speak again until the driver knocked on the roof and announced that they had reached the grand palace.

Starella had only arrived at the city few days prior, but the staff was well aware of who she was. Once they presented themselves, they were admitted directly and brought to the middle of the grand palace, which had a boxed-in sort of platform. Three sides glass and one metal. Upon stepping within it, it began to rise.

"Amazing." Corvus stepped to the edge to look out. His rune sight caught several stabilizing charms throughout the palace, but nothing which powered the rising platform itself. His eyes traced up to several sturdy cables connecting the top and bottom, and furiously working servants who were winding it up down below.

"I believe this is a pulley system." He glanced at Starella only to see that she had shrunken back against the side of the platform. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights."

"I'm not," she said faintly. "Only of falling from them."

He couldn't help it, he laughed.

She shot him a dirty look.

Corvus held out his hand. “Come on, Starella. How do you expect to be able to ride your dragon if you can’t stand being up high?”

“I thought you were going to keep that secret to yourself,” she grumbled, but took his hand. With him acting as a stabilizer, she inched to the edge to look down.

Abruptly, the platform stopped, and the opaque doors opened with a ding that sounded similar to the Path System notifications in his mind.

A man stood before them, dressed in dark elegant robes. He was as bald as an egg, with a shocking amount of glittering jewels hanging from his ears. More jewels were set into thick heavy rings. The largest of all hung and around his neck as a gaudy amulet.

"Prince Corvus, Princess Starella.” The man said, giving a courtly bow. "My name is Perry, personal advisor to the governor. Come, let me welcome you back to the grand palace."

Perry? Where had he heard that name before…

Then, to Corvus's shock, he stepped forward, took Starella’s hand, and briefly kissed the back of her fingers with a flourish that made her blush. Then, turning to Corvus, he held out his home in a shake, as if they both were as common as mud.

Bemused, Corvus shook the man's hand.

Perry stopped and looked at him. "Prince Corvus," he said, a glint of recognition in his eye. “I wondered why I had a quest to show you to the governor's library, but now it’s clear.”

It clicked. “You’re Perry,” he said. “Larissa’s friend.”

“I am,” Perry said, smiling so wide his cheeks dimpled. “How surprising it is to find another Path Walker.”