To Alistair’s surprise, no one protested, not even the remaining women. Dareena and Rofana took them off to the corner to have them searched, while Alistair and Drystan took care of the men. To their relief, there were no other spies.
“This is an outrage,” one of the lords said when they were finally all seated again. “If that man was an imposter, then what happened to the real Lord Pharlis?”
“He was probably killed,” Drystan said gravely. “We shall have to inform his family that he is missing and do a search. With any luck, we may recover him alive.” The others looked stricken. “In the meantime, I would advise you not to meet with anyone you do not know alone, especially if it is someone you do not normally see. Take someone with you that you trust, and check everyone you meet to see if they are wearing any jewelry.”
The rest of the meeting was short and to the point. After the nasty shock they’d received, the council agreed to everything Drystan, Alistair, and Dareena said, including paying the reparations to the elves. Alistair shook his head as they adjourned, thoroughly exasperated at the council. If only it didn’t take the threat of death to get them to cooperate, they would be able to get so much more done…
23
After the council meeting, Dareena met privately with Rofana in her chambers. She managed to convince Drystan and Alistair to let her leave her ladies behind, taking two guards in lieu of them and posting them outside the doors. She deserved a moment of privacy with the oracle, she insisted, and they agreed. Besides, it wasn’t as if she were in any danger from the woman.
“I must say that I am very impressed with how you managed to keep a level head in the council meeting,” Rofana said as they sat on the couch, enjoying a cup of tea. “I imagine it must rankle you, the way they look down on you for your birth.”
Dareena laughed. “It does sometimes, but having my mates with me bolsters my confidence. I have to remind myself that their opinion is the only one that truly matters. The council is a valuable asset, but they are still secondary to the dragons.”
“I never expected to be standing amongst nobles in Dragon’s Keep,” Rofana said with wonder and sipped her tea. “Never mind ordering one of them to strip naked,” she added with a chuckle. “I didn’t even know I could use my voice to command a man to do something like that.”
Dareena winked. “Try not to take advantage. Although I think with your looks, you could get a man to do a great many number of things without having to force him.”
Rofana smiled. “I have had a few lovers since my husband’s death, but now that I am sworn in the service of the dragon god, I must be celibate.”
“That sounds quite different from what I am doing,” Dareena said with a wince. “You are no longer to marry, while I must marry not one but three dragons!”
They laughed together. “The dragon god may have vastly different plans for us, but I am content with my new path. Yes, I might miss the warmth of a man in my bed from time to time, but I far prefer the contentment of fulfilling my true purpose in life.”
“I imagine so,” Dareena said, though she had trouble wrapping her head around the idea of celibacy. It hadn’t been that long since she’d lost her virginity, but now that she’d enjoyed carnal pleasure beneath the skilled hands of her mates, she couldn’t imagine forgoing it. The very idea made her ache to go and hold them in her arms again.
“Drystan told me the two of you spent a lot of time straightening up the temple last night,” Dareena said. “I was saddened to hear it has fallen into such disarray—it is a beautiful place, even if it was being run by such a horrible man.”
Rofana nodded. “There is still much work to do, but it is coming along, and though the acolytes were a bit shocked when I was first introduced to them as their new oracle, I believe they are relieved to finally have steady leadership again. I will have to go back today—the temple should not be without its oracle for very long. Besides, I have asked Prince Drystan to send out a proclamation inviting the people of Dragonfell to make a pilgrimage to Targon Temple and renew their faith in the dragon god. I will not be able to see to all of them personally, but I intend to take a limited number of consultations. That is what the oracle is for, after all.”
“That is an excellent idea,” Dareena said. “By the time the wedding and coronation comes along, the people will know you, and word will spread throughout the kingdom that you are the true oracle.”
“It will take longer than that to convince everyone, but it will be a good start,” Rofana said. “Word has already spread about the imposter oracle—I imagine the people’s faith has been shaken significantly by that.” She shook her head. “That man has managed to do quite a bit of damage these past six years.”
Dareena bit her lip at that. “You know,” she said, “when I was in the library the other day, I ran across a purification spell that can supposedly purge a place of hostile magic, like the spell that killed my predecessor. Considering that the warlocks are doing everything in their power to infiltrate us, perhaps we should find a way to use it.”
Rofana’s eyes lit with interest. “I would like to see this spell,” she said. “Perhaps with the dragon god’s assistance, I can use it.”
“Of course. We’ll go right now.”
Dareena took the oracle to the library and had the librarian fetch the title she’d spoken of. “Yes,” Rofana murmured as she read the entry. “I believe this is within my power. I will need to consult the dragon god, and also collect the necessary herbs, but we can certainly perform the ritual.”
Dareena and the oracle discussed the spell a bit further and agreed to give it a try. The oracle promised to return in a week’s time, when they would also sit down and discuss the wedding and coronation ceremonies. They would have to create new ones for their situation, after all, and Dareena greatly looked forward to it.
24
The next morning, Lucyan and the other three recruits were called to Lord Byrule’s office to be briefed on the upcoming mission. They had just finished a grueling bout of training and had to hastily shower and change their clothing before meeting with the spymaster. Leager came out of the showers sporting a glare and a nasty bruise on his eye from Lucyan, who merely grinned at him. The two of them had been paired up as sparring partners, and though he’d still held back, he couldn’t help showing off a little when Leager got too smug.
“Don’t know why you had to give me a black eye,” the other recruit grumbled as he stalked past. “We’re supposed to be working together, aren’t we?”