“Your friends came on to me,” I said. “I was just innocently living my life until the royals stormed in, causing drama.”
That much was true. I could get that one passed the potion’s truth test. I had been innocently living my life until the royals. I wondered if they’d somehow recognized me as a dragon, even if their minds hadn’t yet caught up, and that was why our lives had become so tangled.
“Someday you’ll have to tell me why you hate me quite as much as you do,” I said.
“I’ve told you before. I don’t hate you. I think you’re dangerous. Even if you were just what you seem to be—which you aren’t—you might be cute, but you’re not cute enough to be worth war with the Olds. I don’t want Jaik to choose you over a kingdom.”
“You all talk as if war is coming between you and the elders anyway,” I said.
He shushed me. “We’re in my father’s house, Honor, maybe you should watch what you say.”
“There’s no one here but us and the physician Jaik brought along for my healing, and he’s been asleep for hours,” I said. “You kicked the other servants out.”
“You never know,” he said.
“I don’t understand this complicated dance you all seem to be doing with your father’s will. No offense, it seems pretty obvious to me that they are not good people. So I understand why you wouldn’t want open conflict with them. But isn’t it inevitable?”
He scoffed. “Inevitable. If war with the Olds is inevitable, so is the death of thousands. I don’t want to be responsible for that, Honor. None of us do. I want to find a better way.”
“I didn’t think you were the type to really care about peace.”
“I care about my kingdom. And maybe it’s better for the Olds to rule, and for us to wait, than for there to be widespread death and destruction across the kingdom. Sooner or later they will surrender the kingdom to us. They’re bound by magic laws. There has to be a peaceful transfer of power… unless we betray them. That could ruin everything.”
“I see.” I didn’t really see. “Is that part of why Pend hasn’t had Caldren killed or do you think he really loves his son on some level still?”
“It’s complicated. Royals don’t exactly love quite like other people do.”
“Are you talking about the Olds or about yourselves?”
“All of the above, and you would be wise to admit it.” With that incredibly depressing thought, he hoisted the empty glass. “All right, I’m done talking to you for free. I want answers.”
“Finally. I’m absolutely thrilled by the idea of you coming to your senses although I’m not sure even magic is that magical.”
“Cute. I think what the guys really love about you is your ability to be ceaselessly snarky in the face of constant threat of death.”
“There’s a lot of things they love about me. I am extremely lovable.”
“There are a lot of people who hate you.”
“That doesn’t mean that I’m not lovable. This might come as a surprise to you, but there are a lot of unwise people walking this planet.”
“It’s not a surprise. I’ve got the queen of unwise sitting right next to me.”
“Ah, Branok. You recognized me as your queen. That’s so sweet.”
“You are delusional.” He passed me my glass, which had ceased to bubble. The two of us clinked our cups together.
“Let’s find out.”
The suspicious bastard watched me over the top of his cup as he drank. Luckily I didn’t feel any different after I finished drinking it. This one didn’t taste like beets. In fact, I couldn’t quite pin the taste at all. It tasted sweet and sour by turns, finished with a bitter aftertaste. It made me wince, then brightened into something fresh in my mouth.
“That was different.” I said.
“I would imagine the taste of truth was unfamiliar to you.”
“Oh, give it a rest. How long does it take for this to kick in?”
“It should be working already,” he said.
“Fine, then I’ll tell you this for free instead of trading truth for truth like we’re supposed to. I am not trying to hurt you or any of the other royals. That’s the last thing I want.”
His lips quirked. “I’d like to know why you said that’s the last thing you would want. Given that we haven’t always exactly been nice to you. But I’m not wasting a question on that. Are you hiding who you really are?”
The weight in my head bore down suddenly, like a knife through my brain. Even as my lips formed the words of a lie, Branok’s eyes sharpened. “So you are lying about who you really are. What’s your name?”
“Honor,” I said, my voice coming out breathy, as if I’d been running.
“Were you trained in the art of seduction so that you could draw my friends into your trap? Taught their weaknesses?”
I stared at him in shock. “Do you really look at me and think trained in the art of seduction? I am the worst at flirting.”
He scoffed. “People seem to find you pretty charming. But you didn’t answer my question.”
“No, I’ve never been trained in the art of seduction. And no one has ever told me how to find and exploit your weaknesses.”
“Not my weaknesses,” he corrected, sounding irritated.
“It was a royal you. I was talking about all of you royals. But when you have to constantly tell me how much you don’t find me attractive, it makes me wonder where that impetus is coming from.”
“You so obviously think everyone finds you cute.”
“I wish.” I was keenly aware of how many people found me annoying.
His lips parted. I slapped my hand over his mouth. His brows arched. His voice came out muffled when he said, “You’re lucky I really want to find out what else you have to say. Or I might murder you right now.”
“It’s my turn. You don’t seem very good at basic rules and fairness like taking turns.”
“Royals don’t share.”
“Well, they’d better.”
“What’s your question?” he asked.
“What are the Elders’ weaknesses?” I asked.
His eyes widened. Maybe he’d been expecting some silly, flirtatious question, or something more personal. I didn’t know how long I could keep him on the hook though, and I desperately needed to plot my way out of the situation with the Olds and Teris’s enchantment. Maybe I had power as a female dragon that they didn’t want the royals to know.
“I’d like to know that you’re not evil before I answer that question,” he said.
“And I’d like to know that you’re not a moron before I ask my questions, but here we are. So answer the question. Truth for a truth. You made me a deal. Don’t be a liar.”