The Dragonskin Chronicles Bk. 02

"We will be quick with our Council business I assure you," Queen Pleasmona smiled sympathetically. "Now, where is your Dragon?"

"Above us, Mona," Korwyn answered, "he has been flying the Princess on several flights and even Prince Fantym, he tells me, has flown with his nurse on one occasion. He is just coming into land... now."

Red landed on cue next to the Queen, folding his wings as he landed and strutted up to the Queen once the excited Princess on his back had been returned to her governess and bundled towards a side door. A rough harness and strapping, adroitly adapted by the Palace tack man, that had held the Princess safe during her several flights, was hurriedly undone by the tack man starting with the several buckles while they walked beside the Queen and Captain.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr Dragon," the Queen bowed to the Dragon and the Dragon squawked in reply.

"I have passed your pleasure onto him, Mona, and he returns the greeting in his own way," Korwyn tells the Queen, "he adds a question for you, your Majesty, 'Can I see Princess Glendora again?'"

'Can he understand what I say to him, Korry?"

"No, I repeat your words in my head and somehow it translates instantly to dragon-tongue and his uniquely-sounding replies are in man-tongue that I can 'hear' in my head."

"Well, tell him she will be washed, changed and in the chamber eager to meet with him again very soon, along with both my Prince and the hero dwarf prince Bydon. I will send an equerry to fetch an advance emissary from your Dwarf Army, Korry, that arrived while you were bathing."

***

The atmosphere in the office suddenly grew colder, the unexpected revelation had frozen everyone in the room.

"What's that about investigating my bankrupt publishers?" Clive demanded sharply of the group of company lawyers.

It was during a briefing from the company lawyers, about the various contract issues that Clive should be aware of, that one of the younger lawyer team member let slip that, for example, the lawyer team would never have allowed the contract that Clive had signed with his now-defunct publisher to get past their usual scrutiny.

The senior lawyer on the team, Marc Gearing, chastised his younger team member with a silent glare, before addressing Clive with an abject apology for the slip.

"So what are you doing, looking into regarding my broken contract?" Clive asked, "Whether it was or wasn't worth the paper it was written on, the company has gone bust and therefore beyond any claims I might entertain."

"I'm sorry, Clive," Marc said, "I can't say too much because we are reporting directly to Brock and, in this single instance, any case in connection with your publishing contract could cause a conflict of interest."

"In what way?"

"All I can say is that Brock and I have discussed how to proceed with the issue," Marc said. "I've suggested to Brock that I ask one of our senior partners to represent you, someone way above my rank and enormously experienced and respected, but Brock wanted to hold off until we had finished pressing our case informally with the former President of your book publisher. Now that you are aware that some investigating on behalf of the company has revealed issues affecting you, I think that you should be made aware of all the facts in the case, but I need Brock to confirm that before you are fully briefed. No more on the subject can I say."

"I'll speak to Brock later."

Marc nodded, "Of course and you should. In the meantime, I will notify Brock that you are aware of something going on and inform the seniors partners of my firm of our findings so you can have full personal representation in what we hope will be a fair settlement all round."

"Thanks for being so open that there is something going on, even if you cannot disclose anything."

"No problem, Clive, I can't say too much more on the subject but I will say that I think both your new representative if you accept him, and those of my team representing the company want the best possible outcome for you from this issue. That is our first priority."

***

The appearance in front of the Royal Court in the vast Chamber was not at all the ordeal that Korwyn had anticipated. As the heroes walked into the Chamber they were greeted with thunderous applause then, as they were introduced individually in turn, the cheers got louder and louder.

By the end of the official presentation the experience simply washed over him and he thought he could sit down quietly and analyse his emotions afterwards. At first, the royal aides were unable to quiet the throng down, it took the Queen alone to walk out to the edge of the dais from the throne, holding up her hands in an appeal to quiet down enough for all to hear her speak.

"Although this is an official Royal Audience which usually has rigid protocols which contributes much to Court formality, we find ourselves in a position where it is impossible to see a precedent in our history for today's events, so I feel we can relax a little more than usual to take account of your enthusiastic responses. So, we will allow applause to be as loud as you like, but also please as short as possible so we can get through the introductions and then we can retire to proceed with Court business."

The Queen gestured to some equerries standing by the side with a "come on" signal. Then she turned to address the Court, "It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the Crown Prince Bydon-Kriank-Krear and hope I have the pronunciation of his name correct. From now on I will just call him Prince Bydon. He is only 6 years old but being half-Dwarf and half-Sorcerer, he has developed fast..."

Korwyn could see the Prince march out boldly, his short dwarf sword, the one tgat severed the Black Dragon's toe and sent him into the past, strapped to his side. Immediately behind him marched Captain Difaniel of the Dwarf Skirmishers and a small band of his dwarves marching upright and proudly behind their prince.

The Queen continued, "His name means 'king-killer, king-maker' and it was he who struck the blow that brought King Goadrik to his knees and enabled his arrest on charges of murder and high treason. Thus was brought a peaceful end to the conflict that Goadrik had encouraged to avoid answering the charges levelled against him in a Court of Law. This trial will be conducted tomorrow morning and may last for several days. In the meantime, the Prince and his guard, plus the Army of Dwarfs and Goblins who will camp outside the city tonight, will be welcomed among us as friends upon the morrow. For many years now we have had unfriendly relationships with our nearest neighbours, a situation that King Eldryndre the Wise always avoided and he was one of the prime movers behind the Treaty that would have been signed at Hawkshart Plain. I will ensure that we take this opportunity to formalise treaties of friendship and cooperation with all the different peoples we know."

Another wave and the equerry that the wave was directed to opened the great door at the side of the Chamber and The Red Dragon walked in on his four legs, his huge wings neatly folded by his side and his head proudly held high. He approached the Queen and bowed before her. The chamber fell quiet.

From behind the Queen the tiny figure of Princess Glendora ran as fast as her little legs would take her towards the monster. The crowd sucked in a breath, unable to do anything to protect the Princess.

Red simply got down on his front knees and haunches, lowering his head and the Princess embraced his head. Then, in clearly recognised steps, climbed up using Red's legs to pull herself up and sit on his back, even without a saddle, and sat there with a huge grin on her cute face. Red got up carefully and walked a circuit of the open court of the Chamber while Princess Glendora waved to everyone. The room erupted in more cheers, only slowing when Red reached the dais once again.

"The Red Dragon," the Queen started with a warm smile directed at the formidable beast, "led the flying army of dragons that stopped the confrontation this afternoon from any further bloodshed. The Red Dragon here was the very first of the brood, a cache of dragon eggs left in the care of mankind, to hatch out and he summoned his siblings to feast on the castle training grounds. Before this Court Meeting, I met with the King's Advisors to discuss the dragons' future care and I can declare that the range of mountains and hills in the Golandyn region, including our highest mountain, Mount Sogolan, will be renamed Mount Korwyn in honour of my nephew, Lord Korwyn--"

A huge cheer from the chamber occupants ensued and Queen Pleasmona had to wave her arms up and down to quiet them down again.

"Now, there are farms and fields, forests and fisheries in the area which my advisors have identified as the perfect home for our friends and the present owners will be compensated for losing their land, either by gold or exchanged for royal lands allocated to them nearby. There will be plenty of work for those living on the edge of the new dragon park, as many will be engaged to fence in the area, manage the woods and fields and the waterways, so no-one will lose financially by this provision of a sanctuary where dragons can live in a suitable and safe environment for eternity.

"I called on our Library Keeper of the Scrolls and he has enlightened me on what had long been forgotten. Legends tell us that when the dragons first came to our world they were few in number; nature in their own world had rebelled against them, poisoned their air, water and woodlands. When they came here every family of dragons donated an egg and laid them where they were found today. These dragons are Land Dragons and legend has it that there is another nest of Sea Dragons hidden away somewhere, possibly even within our kingdom."

Zyndyr leaned across to whisper in Korwyn's ear, "The Sea Dragons are virtually flightless and will live near the sea, we could find them easily if you wish a search, my love."

"You know where both nests of dragon eggs are?" Korwyn whispered back.

"No, there were rumours of the dragons' plans but the execution and locations were secrets known to few but the Sorcerers. But your people knew the nest was here, Llandorn Castle or Mountain is probably a corruption of 'Lair of Land Dragons'."

"There were legends of dragons in these lands," Korwyn whispered back, "and there's one little heard that my grandfather once told me, of a mountain of gold protected by a fierce dragon, but man wanted the fertile land around the mountain to farm. In most of the legends for this story, a brave knight fights the dragon and slays it, or others say he chases the guardian dragon off. But one legend says that the King told the dragon that they only wanted the land and the river for food, they had no need of the dragon's treasure. The dragon was old and lonely after his long vigil and once the King swore to hide and protect the dragon's treasure awaiting his return, the dragon left. I suppose giving the dragons a safe and protected home is realising that old promise."

"That is a good thing, Korwyn, a very good thing."

Queen Pleasmona turned to face Zyndyr, sitting in a chair next to the throne with Korwyn standing beside her, and beckoned her forward.

"I'd like to present you with the beautiful Elf-Warrior Zyndyr, General of the Dwarf-Goblin Army, Knight of the Grand Order of Pergammon and wife of Lord Korwyn. and therefore my niece by marriage. We rarely see an Elf in our kingdom and having one at an official presentation at Court could not be recalled to living memory by anyone on the Council," the Queen smiled, with one hand on Zyndyr's shoulder. "So I had my Librarian search the Scrolls for the last time we had an Elf at Court and it was over 200 years ago, a minor dispute between the Goblins and ourselves over an ancient wood. A delegation of Elves came to Llandorn to mediate with the then Kings of Man and the Goblins. Among their number was a Princess Zyndyr, daughter of the late Elf-King Evenmoz and sister to present Elf-Queen Dhymonia."

"I no longer call myself by the honorific 'Princess', your Majesty, I don't consider myself a member of the Elf Royal Family since I was banished from my own realm."

"But you are a member of MY Royal Family, dear Lady Zyndyr," the Queen smiled, "and you will always have a home in our realm and within our grateful hearts. We will talk of other honours later. If it will please the Court, could I have a round of applause for Lady Zyndyr?"

The Court responded with a loud round of applause which lasted until Lady Zyndyr, waving all the way, returned to her seat by her husband's side and the Queen held up her hands to call for silence.

"Now I would like to introduce to you my dear friend from our childhood years from the time when we started school together here in the Castle," Queen Pleasmona addressed the Court, "as we were starting school, Prince Goadrik was about twelve years older than us and was in his last two years at school before serving in the military as expected of him. Goadrik was a bully then as he is now and he used to pull my hair and annoy me. Korwyn was as brave a hero as Prince Bydon at the same age, and stood up to Goadrik even though the bigger boy beat him up quite easily. We never said anything to the king, but we were both glad when Goadrik left school. Since being terribly injured at Hawkshart, nobody expected Korwyn to survive either his wound or broken bones from his fall into a ravine, but he spent four years tracking down and slaying the Black Dragon of Hawkshart and then he rescued the Princess Myr, now High Queen Myr of the Seven Dwarf Kingdoms, receiving the Dwarves' highest award Knight of the Grand Order of Pergammon. He also escaped our dungeons here and stood up all alone against the might of King Goadrik and his Imperial Regiment. He will always be regarded as our hero, I present to you, Lord of the Isthmus and Headland of Baldyah, Lord Korwyn."

Korwyn stepped forward a little sheepishly to hear the thunderous applause of the Court, which continued even after waving and returning to his place next to his wife, and after the Queen had waved her hands pleading for silence for a further couple of minutes.

"I have great pleasure in introducing our final presentation tonight. I want this to be quick though and short applause only, because all our guests here have been involved in strength-sapping battles, life-threatening situations without sleep for at least two nights, and now that dangers have past, they desperately need their sleep and be fresh for tomorrow when the combined Army of Dwarves and Goblins will be welcomed in Llandorn. Now, the Commander of the Orcs at Blearn Mountain, the Lair of the Mad Sorcerer who turned himself into the Black Dragon, was taken prisoner at Hawkshart and turned by sorcery into a slave unable to resist even the most unsavoury orders. That man was a Captain in the Imperial Guard.

"We have checked the military records, there were three Imperial Guard Captains at Hawkshart. One, a Captain Chednyk, a distinguished soldier who was close to retirement after thirty years' loyal service, who would be near 60 now had he survived. Second was a retired Captain, Imperial Guards teacher of physical exercise and Kings Councillor, Pudexyd, who even then was over 70 years old but still as spright as a squirrel. Lastly, there was a dashing young Captain with twenty years of military experience, my constant guardian and beloved fiancé of my dear mother. He was Fydryk, Crown Prince Frydryk, thought lost at Hawkshart but restored to us thanks to the healing powers of Lady Zyndyr. Come on out Prince Fydryk, the Court want to see you and welcome you home so long overdue from that awful battle."

Prince Fydryk, in his smart new Captain's No 1 dress uniform, uncomfortable hat and new boots, stepped out from behind the throne and waved, to be greeted as a returning hero by the Court.

***

In the ante-Chamber of the main hall, Queen Pleasmona spoke to her guests and her small group of assembled advisors from the King's, now Queen's, Council, "I know that during the Audience I was going to announce that we were going to raise Korwyn and Zyndyr to Royal Prince and Princess of the Kingdom and then crown Korwyn as joint King and Zyndyr as joint Queen to serve with me, immediately after the trial of Goadrik on the morrow, but recognising Prince Fydryk just before the presentation has put me in a royal prerogative quandary, which I hope my advisers can resolve. Does the survival of Crown Prince Fydryk mean that Goadrik should never have been king? If so, I think that that would mean I should not be Queen and therefore Fydryk should be crowned King immediately?"

The eldest of the advisers, Lord Staffyk of Gharland, stood, nodded and spoke slowly and carefully as if considering every word, "I think we first need to consider this: when King Eldryndre died, his heir the Crown Prince was thought to have died with him along with the second in line by birth being Lord Hadryn. Now, Lord Hadryn had, nearly 20 years earlier, given up all legitimate claim to the throne, thus promoting the third in line by birth, being Prince Goadrik, to second place. However, the King always told us advisors that, if it came to a succession issue, to ignore that agreement and treat it as a casual understanding between father and son and not binding in succession law. There is also a legal argument that Lord Korwyn had a claim to the throne as to the legality of his father taking his minor son out of the succession without consultation and Lord Korwyn could appeal to the King's Council to reinstate his rights as the King's only grandson."

"But I don't--" interrupted Korwyn.

"--Please let me finish my argument and advice, Lord Korwyn," Lord Staffyk said, "you will have your right to reply." He paused while Korwyn acquiesced and nodded for him to continue. "The body of King Eldryndre was identified by his ring and the small riding crown he wore on such official journeys. The bodies of Fydryk and Hadryn were not immediately identified from the many charred bodies; only after Lord Korwyn was found with an arrow wound were the bodies re-examined and one of the Baldyah Militia bodies was killed by an arrow, and in the immediate vicinity of the King's body, a body was found with an arrow in his back, not a fatal wound, it was the dragon fire that killed the man and burned him to an unidentifiable cinder. The body was unadorned by any jewellery and it was known that the unmarried prince wore no rings. So it was judged that the attack by the Elvish arrows killed Lord Hadryn first and then King Eldryndre as near as we could tell, and that Prince Fydryk was wounded in the back of his shoulder; the Black Dragon attack occurred almost as soon as we reacted to the Elf attack, and it was the Militia that was attacked first, then the Dragon lit up the Elves and then the Imperial Guard. Finally, the Dragon landed, gathered up two-handfuls of unmounted troopers that had charged the Elves and therefore missed the initial fire from the Black Dragon, and then they disappeared along with the dragon. Leaving behind the two groups of mankind both utterly destroyed, and the young hothead dragons joining in the fight against the surviving Elves. That's what I saw myself from the Treaty Table.

"People think that we just advise the King and have no power, but when the King and the immediate heir die together, it is the King's Council that decides who is entitled to wear the crown. If Fydryk had died before Hadryn, then the surviving Korwyn would certainly have been considered for king ahead of Goadrik, but Hadryn died before his elder brother and so the crown would legally be offered to the third son, which it subsequently was."