Dragon Fire (Dragons of Perralt Book 1) (17 page)

She stepped back to stand next to Drake. Placing her hand up on his shoulder she stared into his eyes. “This is no common man,” she said, “This is my man, now and always.”

Drake smiled back down at her, she could see the fire building in his eyes, could see the need to release his beast beating against him, demanding to be set free.

She smiled back up at him and whispered, “My dragon.”

Drake nodded his head to the side, a spot where she would be safe. Elsbeth stepped away from him, then looked up at her uncle, she wanted to see his eyes when it happened.

A pillar of green flame erupted into the sky. A mighty rush of air pulsed through the courtyard, and a glorious dragon stood there.

The shock and fear that sprang into her uncle's eyes was priceless. It was almost worth the weeks of struggle and hardship.

The soldiers each sprang back, scrambling as they yelled and fought to get away. The corporal and his fellow escort were knocked twenty feet back into the tunnel by a single sweep of Drake’s tail.

Elsbeth looked at her dragon, the giant monster pulsated with power and strength. Every muscle rippled beneath unbeatable armor. His large, leathery wings, swiped at a soldier foolish enough to attack, throwing him into his compatriots. Knocking three of them to the ground.

The giant beast lifted his head to the sky and roared. A sound to fill the ages. It reverberated of the stone castle walls and pounded into each person there. Reminding them of the primeval fear of monsters.

Drake twisted and looked at her, his large black eyes held her in his gaze for a moment. Letting her know that he loved her, he was doing this for her.

She smiled and nodded her head.

Elsbeth watched as Drake turned back to face her uncle. The man was frozen in place, his hands gripping the railing of the walkway.

Drake roared once more, then let loose a shower of fire over her uncle’s head. Just enough to show what he could do.

The King’s Guard were not cowards though, they didn’t run. The archers on the wall began to rain arrows down on the beast. Drake shrugged them off, then threw a giant wing out to shelter her.

Elsbeth scrunched in next to his side. The safest place to be was next to Drake. She could feel his might heart beating in his chest. Could feel the heat building up inside of him as he prepared to release yet another stream of fire.

This time, it was Julian who was scared out of his wits. He screamed in a high pitched voice and dove out of the way. Scrambling on his hands and knees to get away, as the fire pounded into the wall above him.

Drake twisted to the side to fend off charging soldiers, then used his long spiked tail to knock a dozen more to the ground.

Elsbeth watched as one of his spikes pierced a young soldier’s breast plate, then break off. Her heart lurched, Drake was being hurt, the King’s Guard was dying, her castle was in danger of being burnt to the ground.

She must stop this. Now! Leaning forward, she whispered into the dragon’s ear.

“Bring me, my Uncle.”

The Dragon, her Drake, didn’t hesitate, moving faster than any normal beast, he scurried across the courtyard and plucked her uncle from his perch like a housewife grabbing a peach from a market stall.

Gently carrying him, like a wolf with her cubs, the dragon turned back, ignoring the arrows and spear thrusts.

Her uncle dangled from between the Dragon’s jaws. A simple word from her, and the man would be torn into two separate pieces.

The dragon stared at her for a moment, lifting an eyebrow, wanting to know what he should do with his prize.

Elsbeth was tempted, but no, there was the long term to think about. She pointed to the ground before her.

The dragon shifted and dropped her uncle at her feet.

The man bounced twice on the dusty ground.

Elsbeth looked down on him without a shred of concern or tenderness. This man could rot in a small cell for all she cared. In fact, this man was going to rot in a small cell.

She tilted her head. “Are you ready to swear your oath, uncle?” she asked.

The man shook his head as if trying to clear it, trying to understand what had happened to him. He looked back over his shoulder at the dragon. The fear in his eyes filled her with joy.

Before she could say any more, the dragon stepped forward and pushed him back into the ground. His might claws bracketing him, holding him in place. She watched as the giant talons twitched, letting her uncle know that a slight command from her and he would be crushed like a grape.

“I yield,” her uncle yelled. “Please,” he begged.

Elsbeth looked out over the men surrounding her. They had stopped attacking and halted in place. They each looked at their brother soldier next to themselves, as if trying to understand what had happened.

Finally, a young soldier, possibly the one who had shifted earlier, knelt and bowed his head. His companions quickly followed suit until each man in the courtyard and each man on the wall had dropped to one knee, giving her their loyalty.

She tilted her head and said. “I can’t have you in command of these men, my realm will never be safe. You must choose. Either you die, or they must die. Which is it?”

“Them,” her uncle yelled. “Please Elsbeth,” he begged, his eyes pleading with her. “I choose them.”

A gasp went up from the men around her. They were seeing the true man.

Elsbeth shook her head. The joy at his embarrassment and pain seeped away to be replaced by a firm determination.

“I have a better idea,” she said. “We shall let the men you have in the dungeon determine your fate. How about that Uncle? Does that seem fair?”

His eyes widened in shock as he struggled to get away. The dragon roared and clamped down harder, stopping any chance of escape.

“Lieutenant Caldwell,” Elsbeth cried out.

“Yes, Your Highness,” the young officer said from his knee.

“As I instructed before. Please arrest my uncle for treason and take him to the dungeons. Insure that he his placed with the men who he himself put there.”

“NO,” her uncle screamed.

The young Lieutenant rose and indicated that two of his men should take her uncle.

The two men approached wearily, both of them unable to look away from the giant dragon commanding the center of the courtyard.

She reached up and placed her hand on the dragon’s shoulder.

“Let them take him, Drake,” she said. “It is better this way.”

The dragon looked at her, his eyes staring into her for a moment, trying to make sure she wanted it to end this way. At last, he gave his prisoner one more squeeze to remind him how close he had come to death, then stepped back and allowed the two soldiers to take the man.

Elsbeth watched them drag him away. She could trust them. She could see it in their eyes. Her uncle would be lucky to make it to the dungeon alive. It didn’t really matter, though. He wouldn’t live long once they placed him with the other prisoners.

Her heart continued to race as she fought to bring it under control once more. They had won, she repeated over and over to herself. Her Drake had won her Crown for her.

She turned and gave the dragon a hug around the neck. She swore she heard a distant moan deep inside the belly of the beast.

“Lieutenant Caldwell,” she said without letting go of her Drake. “I believe I instructed you to escort Prince Julian from my lands. Why is he still here?”

“At once, Your Highness,” the officer said as he scrambled to his feet.

Elsbeth watched as Julian tried to stand up. It took two of his men to hold him steady on his wobbly legs.

“And, Lieutenant,” Elsbeth said, “instruct him that he shouldn’t return. My dragon is the jealous type. I don’t believe he likes the Prince.”

Prince Julian suddenly found the strength to scurry across the courtyard and through the tunnel. All the while, keeping his back to a wall and his face towards the Dragon.

Elsbeth ignored the Prince. She had at her castle, her home.

“We did it, Drake,” she said. “I am the Queen.”

The dragon nodded his head, then reared up on his two hind legs and roared into the sky. Shooting fire and smoke into the air in celebration and warning.

This was his woman, the beast was telling the world. Let no one ever forget that.

Elsbeth stepped into the church. The train of her long ermine cloak pulled at her with each step.

She halted at the doorway and took a deep breath.

Alone, she began the long walk down the red carpet. As she passed, each man fell to a knee, each woman dropped to the deepest of curtsys.

At the alter, the Archbishop waited. He, too, had dropped to a knee when she entered. Dressed in white, the man looked pensive, unsure of himself.

Well, what did he expect? A woman wasn’t crowned Queen every day.

She glanced to the corner. Drake stood there. He didn’t kneel, didn’t even bow. Instead, he smiled at her.

He need never bow to her, she thought. They were in this together. He would give his life to protect her. But, he would never bow.

Elsbeth was perfectly all right with this. It was his strength and courage she needed and loved. Such a man could not be expected to submit to any woman.

His eyes traveled out over the crowd, searching for any danger. Anything that could mar this moment.

Reaching the alter, she knelt and said the words of her ancestors. Promising to protect and defend the people of her land.

Laughing inside, she thought, there could be no doubt as to her commitment to them.

Looking up, she held her head steady as the Archbishop placed the crown upon her head.

“Arise, Queen Elsbeth of Lushcany,” he said.

“Long live the Queen,” someone yelled from the pews behind her.

“Long live the Queen,” the rest of the congregation said in unison.

Her heart filled with happiness. She had her lands, she had the man she loved. They would be married within a month. Queen and consort.

But tonight, once the sun had sunk and her duties completed, it would be just the two of them. Alone with her Drake. Her dragon, her friend. Alone with the man she would love until the end of time.

The End

I would like to thank my family and friends for all of their support. Especially my mother, who passed along my love of stories. I would also like to thank Sheryl Turner for her assistance in editing.

As with any story. It is you the reader that makes it come alive. Thank you so much for reading Dragon Fire.

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The next story in the series, Dragon Heat, should be release shortly. Please keep an eye out for and the story of Flint and the continued search for the gold medallions.