Agent of the Dragon

Even at this distance, Rhysa saw amusement in Hallyk’s eyes. She sighed and nudged her friend. Elise blinked and seemed to relax slightly.

Hallyk stood a few steps above them. Lady Kasteryn and Elise curtsied gracefully. Rhysa started to, then she remembered what Lady Kasteryn had said, and stood straight to meet his eyes. The effect was sort of an abbreviated curtsey--the kind given to near equals. Rhysa’s throat went dry with her temerity, but she trusted Lady Kasteryn. Hallyk grinned at her.

As the other two rose from their curtsies, Rhysa remembered hearing him say to Lady Kasteryn, “I like a bold person.” He’d said that in the auction room when Rhysa had been bought. Clutching that memory as a talisman, she spoke before anyone had drawn breath to speak. “We hardly expected to be greeted at the carriage by a Royal, Hallyk.” Rhysa nodded, briefly lowering her eyes before bringing them back up to lock gazes once more. “Thank you,” she added--not as obeisance, but matching courtesy for courtesy.

Hallyk’s eyes gleamed and his grin grew broader. “Better and better.” Laughter rippled through his voice, barely contained. Better than what, Rhysa couldn’t say and dared not guess. As it was, she was afraid she shook hard enough to overcome years of muscle control training. Hallyk turned his head slightly to speak over his shoulder to his bodyguard. “I think she’ll do. Don’t you, Jagun?”

Rhysa felt as if a bolt had skewered her from crown to feet. She’d been so focused on Hallyk, she’d paid almost no attention to his bodyguard. She met the icily disciplined stare she’d feared and yet regarded as a haven. Rhysa shifted her feet to remind herself she didn’t have to collapse if she didn’t want to.

Jagun nodded slightly, his eyes never breaking contact with hers, and said in the remembered growl, “She’ll do, Highness.”

Hallyk nodded, and his grin faded into a warm smile; he addressed the three women as a group. “My parents are waiting in the Hall of Light. I’ve been tasked with escorting and introducing you.”

They followed Hallyk and Jagun up the stairs, and Rhysa’s fear of her own audacity began to wane. As it faded, she began to feel the aura she’d felt the first time she’d seen him at the auction house. From their movements, Lady Kasteryn and Elise felt it, too. Their faces reflected awe, wonder, and a little fear--even Lady Kasteryn’s. When they moved, they moved with a contradictory mixture of stiltedness and languor. Rhysa had seen the same reactions from people who experienced an event they could only describe as “touching the soul.” Rhysa was surprised that, though she felt the force of his presence, she didn’t feel the overwhelming sense of a soul being touched. To her, it was more like a gentle pressure on the skin.

Hallyk led them through the front doors into a huge corridor. The doors were large enough to arch over most cottages. The corridor, however, made the doors seem normal. The ceiling arched three stories above them. The walls of the corridor were several yards apart. As with the exterior, these walls were carved with bas-reliefs. Instead of fantastical creatures, though, these carvings were of vistas. Rhysa saw forests, mountains, oceans, clouds. She gaped at the effort and resources it must have cost to create this corridor.

A light gleamed part way up the wall. When the light went out, she saw it had come from a narrow window the size of an arrow slit. Now that she saw how it was incorporated into the carvings, she saw there were two rows of windows: the first was about halfway up the wall, and the second was half again as high.

Hallyk stopped in front of a gigantic carved tree. “Wait here. I’ll tell them you’ve arrived.” He reached out and Rhysa saw part of the carved trunk was actually a door. He entered, and when the door closed behind him, the aura of his presence disappeared. Lady Kasteryn shook herself.

“I’d forgotten about the strength of his presence,” she said. “The king and queen have it, too--only much more strongly. They’re good people, just overwhelming to be around. Prepare yourselves.”

Lady Kasteryn finished just as the tree opened again and Hallyk beckoned them onward. As they entered, Rhysa realized the Hall of Light was well named. There were fewer candles and lanterns than she expected. Light was magnified and reflected off slightly curved mirrors and bounced back at the walls. The result was a diffuse, indirect lighting that made it seem like the walls and ceiling were glowing. It was certainly bright enough to read by, but despite its pervasiveness, the light was soft enough not to hurt the eyes.

The Hall itself was not overly large--for a palace. Rhysa estimated it could hold sixty people comfortably. Spaced along the walls were small display tables holding crystal sculptures. The sculptures seemed to collect light and focus it causing the sculptures to glow from inside. The floor was bare stone, though the dais at the opposite end of the Hall hinted that sometimes a runner was laid down.

The dais caught Rhysa’s eye: it wasn’t particularly ornate, but two people sat there. Even with the pervasive light, these two seemed haloed. The man on Rhysa’s left sat tall and straight. Despite his iron-grey hair, he gave an impression of youth. From this far away, Rhysa couldn’t be sure of the color of his eyes, but she thought they might be the same grey color of his hair. The clothes he wore were nice, but not ostentatious. His doublet was of crimson velvet, and the sleeves were slashed to allow his white cambric shirt to show through. His breeches were also of crimson velvet, and his boots were crimson suede.

The woman sitting on Rhysa’s right also sat upright, though with a more relaxed manner. Her gown was crimson brocade over black velvet. The gown made Rhysa think of dancing flames. The woman’s smile was welcoming, and her eyes showed where Hallyk got his mischievous sense of humor. Unlike the man, the woman’s hair showed no grey at all; it was a rich nut-brown color. Rhysa guessed the woman’s eyes were a light color.

Jagun stood behind, and to the right of, the man.

Hallyk led the three women towards the dais and stopped about twenty feet away. Lady Kasteryn halted as soon as Hallyk did, and Rhysa and Elise took one more step to stand next to Lady Kasteryn. All three dropped into a low curtsey, and held it with head bowed.

The sheer presence of the two seated figures caused Rhysa’s legs to shake. If Hallyk’s presence touched the soul, the presence of these two pinned the soul to the ground for examination. Rhysa didn’t know if she would be able to stand, much less meet their eyes as Lady Kasteryn had instructed. Elise trembled visibly, and even Lady Kasteryn looked a little shaky.

“Your Majesties.” Hallyk’s tone was more formal than Rhysa had believed he could produce. “May I present: Lady Amelia Kasteryn, Peer of the Second Circle.” He paused and Lady Kasteryn straightened to stand upright. “May I also present: Elise ot Kasteryn, bodyguard, and Rhysa ot Kasteryn, apprentice.”

At the sound of her name, Rhysa stood. She was glad her head had been bowed when Hallyk added the “ot Kasteryn” to her name, she wasn’t sure she’d kept her expression under control. This was the first time she’d been given the affiliating “ot” designation. Rhysa felt a warm surge of gratification at the acknowledgement. Buoyed by the emotion, Rhysa was able to meet the eyes of the two on the dais.

Hallyk continued, “House Kasteryn, may I introduce you to their Majesties, King Dazhdeb Korolevsko and Queen Vasilia Korolevsko.”

The King and Queen nodded, stood, and stepped down from the dais. King Dazhdeb and Queen Vasilia smiled, and the overwhelming sense of presence lessened. King Dazhdeb pulled Lady Kasteryn into a hug. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Amelia. I’m glad you were able to come.”

Lady Kasteryn returned his hug. “Yes, it has. Thank you for inviting us.”

“It’s been too long,” Queen Vasilia added. “And you and yours have been getting into some interesting things. We wanted to see how everything turned out.” Rhysa decided she liked Queen Vasilia’s voice. It was the kind of voice that wrapped you in blankets on a cold day, or sheltered you from a storm. A person could hear that voice and feel safe.

Lady Kasteryn shifted her hug to the Queen. “So far, better than expected.” She turned and caught Elise’s arm and gently pulled her closer. “Elise, here, is one of the best blades I’ve trained in a long time.” Elise shifted to a stance Rhysa recognized as her working stance: alert, deceptively relaxed, and coiled.

As Elise and the king and queen traded introductory nothings, Rhysa closed her eyes to center herself. Practice had made this process nearly instantaneous, but it did require concentration. Rhysa mentally encased herself with an egg-shaped field of energy. She then shrank the egg until it merged with her body. The process took only a couple of seconds, and Lady Kasteryn hadn’t begun her introduction, yet. When she did, Rhysa stepped forward lightly and with purpose.

“Rhysa has been a surprise. You’re aware of the circumstances surrounding her purchase. It turns out she has a knack with combat, blade and magic, as well as possessing the largest magical channels I’ve ever seen in a human.”

The queen stepped forward and took Rhysa’s hands in hers and looked into her eyes. Rhysa had the odd sense the queen was not looking into her eyes, but examining and following every streamer of energy that flowed through and around Rhysa. “Yes. Hallyk has told us. And I can see he did not say everything.” She let go of Rhysa’s hands and turned to the rest of the group. “But this is no time to speak of such things. You are our guests.” At that moment, Rhysa heard a chime, a crystal gong struck by a silver hammer. “And there,” continued the queen without a pause, “is dinner.”

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