“Correct. Suric and Leager will be going to Dragonfell,” Byrule said, “and I will be sending Tran and Delara north to Elvenhame, on a similar mission. You may be in Dragonfell for quite some time—we thought it would be a simple matter to turn the princes against each other, especially since they are all in love with the same woman. But their brotherly bond is not so easily broken. Thankfully, we think we may be able to use the thing that binds them together to break them apart.” Byrule’s lips curled into a smile that was pure evil. “I cannot wait to watch those scaly bastards fall.”
Lucyan pulled in a slow breath through his nostrils, trying to control his heart rate. He asked a few more questions as the spymaster continued to brief them, hoping to learn more about this plan to bring down his family, but he could get nothing useful. Lord Byrule tasked them with spreading rumors amongst the common folk that the Dragon’s Gift’s child was not by the dragons, but begot by some human lover before she even met them.
“She is a professional courtesan,” Lord Byrule said, “willing to spread her legs for anyone for a price.”
“Maybe we should invite some of them to go to the Keep and try their luck,” Leager snickered.
Lord Byrule chuckled. “That’s not bad. You’ll also spread about some scurrilous tales about the princes, such as how their disloyalty was what drove the old king mad. Perhaps even throw in some threats about the princes planning to use the humans as livestock—one of the princes has been seen torching bandits in the countryside, so it wouldn’t be that hard to spin the story into one where the princes have a taste for human flesh. Keep in mind,” Byrule warned, “that if you tell these tales directly too many times, people may become suspicious of your motives. It is far better that you are ‘overheard’ talking to each other.”
Lord Byrule then briefed Delara and Tran on their mission before sending Lucyan and Leager off with a junior agent, who made them practice slandering the dragons. At first, Lucyan had a hard time with it—after all, he was insulting himself, his mate, and his brothers—but after the first few tries he convinced himself it was just an act, and managed to pull it off.
“That will do, for now,” Lord Byrule said, who’d come in to watch. “But you two must practice on the road—and especially you, Suric,” he said to Lucyan.
Lucyan bowed his head. “I will do my best,” he vowed, looking sideways at Leager. He couldn’t wait to get on the road so he could finally give this slimy weasel his comeuppance.
But first, there was still one more thing left to do.
25
After Dareena and Drystan saw the oracle off—Alistair was personally escorting her back to Targon Temple, as it was far too dangerous to send her off by herself—Dareena returned to the library to check out the accounts of previous wedding and coronation celebrations. Rantissa was off today, and Soldian was useless for scholarly tasks, so she took Lyria and two of the guards with her.
“Look!” Lyria came out of the stacks carrying a bundle of books. “I found a set of diaries and ledgers devoted entirely to event planning.”
“Excellent.” Dareena took one of the books from the pile in Lyria’s hands, then motioned her to sit at the desk next to her. “We’ll go through these together.”
As they pored through the records, Dareena marveled at the contented silence, which held none of the animosity she usually expected from Lyria. The dragon born was completely absorbed in the account she was reading.
“We are definitely not doing a small wedding,” she declared a few minutes later. “There is more than one place where the writer stresses the importance of involving everyone and making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for commoners and nobles alike.”
“My mates have already convinced me,” Dareena said. “We’ll need to come up with ways to get the commoners involved—we will invite some of them, of course, but they can’t all fit into the Keep.”
They spent the next thirty minutes in hushed discussion, going over various details, sketching out a rough schedule of events, and making a list of additional items the steward would need to order. These events were such lavish affairs, Dareena thought with some dismay, and they normally took over a year of planning. They would have their hands full trying to get everything done in just a few short months.
“I must confess,” Lyria finally said, “that one of the reasons I wanted to become the Dragon’s Gift so badly was because I wanted to be the center of court. I do get to arrange a few parties and events in Hallowdale, but they are such small affairs in comparison to what I could accomplish here at Dragon’s Keep.” She sighed, looking a little wistful.
Dareena held back a scoff, choosing to try a little tact for once. “There is more to being the Dragon’s Gift than arranging parties. And in this case, you would have had to marry all three princes.”
Lyria shuddered at that. “No, thank you. It is bad enough knowing I will have to submit to one man. I would sooner slit my own throat than have to be at the beck and call of three, no matter how beautiful they are.”
Dareena frowned. “The princes are not as bad as all that. They have never forced me to do anything against my will, nor made me feel like a slave.”
“That is because they genuinely love you,” Lyria said flatly. “I doubt I would have had quite the same relationship with them had the dragon god chosen me. Our personalities are…incompatible.”
“I’m sure you will find someone who complements your personality.” Dareena imagined it would either have to be a very strong man, capable of putting up with Lyria’s high-handed ways and temper, or someone very meek, who did whatever she told him.
Lyria smiled. “As a matter of fact, there is a dragon born guard who fancies me. The third son of a noble from Tarith. I’m not quite convinced he’s marriage material, but he is quite handsome. We’ve taken a few strolls in the gardens together.”
“I wish I was allowed outside for more than a few seconds,” Dareena said wistfully. “I had to fight tooth and nail just to get the guards to agree to let me meet Alistair when he landed.”
Lyria nodded, looking surprisingly sympathetic. “After spending time with you, I realize I do not envy your position. You may be the most elevated woman in the land, but I could never conduct myself with such grace, nor be nearly as patient.” She shook her head. “If I were you, I would have rung Rantissa’s neck already. That insufferable twit has got to get that giggling under control!”
Dareena couldn’t help it—she laughed. “Thank the gods it was me who was chosen then, and not you.”
Lyria smirked. “I have no doubt the gods did that by design.”
The two of them adjourned to Dareena’s suite with a few of the books—she was tiring again, and wanted the comfort of her sitting area rather than those hard, wooden chairs. Curled up on the couch, she sent Lyria to arrange for some tea to be brought to them, and continued making notes on the ceremony records she was reading. Many of the customs seemed old-fashioned, but there were a few tidbits Dareena thought charming, which she wanted to incorporate into her own wedding.
The door opened, and Dareena looked up to see Soldian walk in.