Flamecaster (Shattered Realms #1)(104)

But Lila wasn’t done. She took a quick breath, knowing she had to tread lightly. “I am concerned about the health of the dragon we saw today,” she said. “It seemed . . . listless.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ash sit up straighter.

“Dragons eat large meals, and then sleep for long periods in between,” Strangward said. “The dragon you saw made a fresh kill immediately before we sailed. He will get progressively more . . . lively.”

“What do dragons typically prey on?” Lila asked.

“They are meat eaters, so they’ll eat pretty much anything large enough to catch their interest.”

“Including people?” she persisted.

“They have been known to eat people, yes,” Strangward said.

“Would you be able to supply more dragons, if we needed them?” Botetort asked.

“I know where to find large numbers of dragons,” Strangward said. “More than you’ll ever need.”

There were nods all around. This is too easy, Lila thought.

Strangward must have sensed that, too, because now he moved to close the deal. “So. Here is what I propose. We will leave the dragon with you, and take the girl back to the Northern Islands with us. If the empress determines that she is the girl she is looking for, our armies will arrive in time for the marching season in the north. If you find the dragon to be useful, we can make arrangements to supply more.”

Montaigne shook his head. “I’m sorry. That is not acceptable to us.”

Strangward went perfectly still. “It’s not acceptable? In what way, Your Majesty?”

“We were promised an army for the girl,” Montaigne said, “and we do not intend to give her up until we get one. We’ve given you the opportunity to examine the girl and determine if she is the one you are looking for. If you believe she is, inform the empress and return with the army, and we will make the trade. If you are interested in establishing trade in dragons, I suggest that you leave the dragon here so that we can evaluate its potential usefulness to us.”

Strangward gazed at the king for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice had an edge to it. “So. The dragon and the diamonds stay with you and we leave empty-handed? That hardly seems fair.”

“You’ve learned a lesson, then—one you should have mastered long before now,” Montaigne said. “Life isn’t fair.”

“I’ll make a note of that, Your Majesty,” Strangward said, his jaw tight. “I am certain this lesson will be of great use to me going forward. In truth, I have little interest in establishing a trade in dragons. I’ll report your requirements to Celestine and we will see what she decides.” He inclined his head slightly. “Gentlemen. And lady. Thank you for your time.”

With that, the delegation from the Empress in the East walked out, leaving behind their last vestige of protocol.

“Arrogant savage,” Montaigne said.

Lila glanced at Ash. His eyes were closed, his face slack with relief. Lila frowned. Was he relieved that Arden would not have a dragon at its disposal? Wasn’t a dragon preferable to an army? Or was he just happy with the delay?

“Your Majesty,” Botetort protested, “a girl for a dragon? It seems to me that there is little risk to us in such an agreement. The empire is swarming with women, but with a dragon we could fly all the way to Fellsmarch and burn the wolf bitch to a crisp.” Clearly, Botetort envisioned himself as just the hero to do that.

“I have examined the girl,” Destin said, “and I have not been able to identify any qualities that would match the value of a—”

“Enough!” Montaigne stood, trembling with rage. “I have made my decision. We may not see the girl as valuable, but the empress clearly does, and that is all that matters. I will not allow a shipload of unwashed pirates to conduct a bait and switch. When the empress sends me an army, we will do business, and not before.”





36


STRANGE BEDFELLOWS


When Ash left the royal apartments, he headed straight for the stables. Though he was officially working full-time in the healing halls, he found that sometimes hard physical labor was the only treatment for the anger and frustration that accumulated at court. And right now he needed that sort of relief.

Grabbing up a pitchfork, he proceeded to pitch dirty hay out of the nearest stall and into the aisle, not particularly careful about where it landed. He mucked out a half dozen stalls, until the muscles in his shoulders and arms burned, and he was soaked in sweat.

All the while, his mind boiled like a mud spring. What could the empress of a faraway island realm possibly want with Jenna? All of the possibilities seemed bad. Besides, any Ardenine alliance with a realm known for powerful magic spelled bad news for the Fells.

“I thought you were out of the stables,” someone said behind him.

Ash knew without turning around that it was Lila.

“Every now and then, I get in the mood to shovel horseshit. You’re welcome to help.”

“We need to talk.”

“No. You want to talk. There’s a difference.”

“This thing—this agreement—can’t go forward.”

“Maybe it won’t,” Ash said, digging into the dirty hay. “You heard the king. Maybe he and the empress will never come to terms. Which is fine by me.”