“That sounds like a good enough place to me,” Dareena said. “Those heavy stones…can they be moved by human hands?”
Drystan shook his head. “Only by dragon strength or magic. And only you and I, and my brothers, know the location. Still, I am worried the warlocks may try to get their hands on it. They could have spied on us while we were hiding the treasure, and they might send operatives to sneak in and take it.”
“Even if the warlocks found and unearthed the gold, they would still have to carry it back past the guards, over the moat, and through the gates. Considering the amount of gold recovered from Dragomir’s lair, that is no mean feat. It is highly unlikely even the strongest warlock could pull that off.”
“Warlocks are a clever race,” Drystan said darkly. “Full of tricks and spells, and one never quite knows what they are capable of. But yes, you are right,” he conceded. “It would be nigh impossible, and they will likely be focusing their efforts elsewhere.”
“Do we need the gold for anything?” Dareena asked. “You said that a good portion of it is in the treasury.”
“Yes, and it is more than enough to cover our needs for the foreseeable future.” Drystan smiled. “The three of you saved my hide the day you decided to follow those warlocks.”
“We saved all our hides,” Dareena reminded him, running a hand down his arm. “We are in this together, remember? These burdens are not yours alone to bear.”
Drystan gave her a wry look. “I am the worrywart of our family,” he said. “Alistair only looks at what is in front of him, and Lucyan sees too many steps ahead. Who else will think about these things but me?”
“True enough,” Dareena said, “but I am here to think of them with you. So long as we are not in need of that gold, I say that none of us should venture near the south tower. If the warlocks are truly spying on us specifically, rather than on certain sections of the castle, they will not discover its whereabouts so long as we do not go there.”
Drystan nodded. “And we will not speak of the hoard to anyone,” he said. None of the soldiers who had helped transport the treasure knew its location; Drystan and his brothers had taken care of it alone, during the night, and had made damn sure no one was watching.
They were just finishing their meal when the steward knocked on the door. “Your Highness, my lady,” he said, bowing. “I am sorry to interrupt, but I must speak to Lady Dareena about an important matter.”
“That’s all right,” Dareena said before Drystan could answer. “Is everything all right?”
“Oh yes,” the steward said. “I am not here to report any trouble. Rather, I’d like to introduce you to three new members of our staff. Your ladies-in-waiting.”
Dareena frowned. “I didn’t ask for any ladies-in-waiting,” she said. She glanced at Drystan. “Did you order this?”
“No,” Drystan said, “but Tarius is right to bring this up. It is unusual for a woman of your status not to have attendants. Now that you’ve returned, it is time to properly establish your household.”
“Too right,” Tarius agreed. “Your predecessor had seven ladies-in-waiting, but they have all long retired, so I have been searching for new ones. Three have volunteered, and they just arrived at the Keep today.”
Dareena bit her lip. She really wasn’t keen on having a gaggle of ladies follow her around all the time, but on the other hand, Drystan was right. If she was to be the new Queen of Dragonfell, she needed to look and act the part, and that included having ladies-in-waiting. It would have been nice if she’d been given the opportunity to select them herself, but she couldn’t blame Tarius for showing initiative. It wasn’t as if she’d had any time to devote to such a task anyway.
“All right,” she said, pushing her plate away. “I’ll receive them here. Please send them in.”
“Very good, my lady.” The steward bowed, then opened the door. Three young women filed in, all slim and beautiful, and Dareena gasped as she got a good look at the redhead leading the way.
“Lyria Hallowdale?” She recoiled as she met the dragon born noble’s insolent stare. No, surely her eyes were playing tricks on her!
“At your service,” she said sardonically, dipping into a curtsy. Resentment practically oozed from the woman’s pores, and Dareena couldn’t exactly blame her. Lyria was the daughter of Lord Hallowdale, the baron of Dareena’s hometown. She was a spoiled brat, but beautiful and wealthy, with long red hair and a willowy figure. Everyone had been certain she would be Chosen at the Dragon Hunt, but Tariana had not liked the dragon born female’s attitude and had passed over her in favor of Dareena. Dareena imagined that, for Lyria, learning that Dareena had become the Dragon’s Gift only added insult to injury. She’d likely been looking forward to tormenting Dareena when she’d returned home, only to find out she would never get the chance.
Except here she was. Standing in Dareena’s private chambers, ready to “serve” her.
“Do the two of you know each other?” Drystan asked, glancing curiously between them.
“We are from the same town,” Dareena said, holding Lyria’s gaze. She half-expected the dragon born to make some sort of snarky comment, but she held her tongue. Dareena wondered what she’d done to deserve such a punishment—surely she would have never come here of her own free will!
“I see you two are already acquainted,” the steward said, ignoring the tension crackling in the room. He gestured to a petite female with shoulder-length, curly blonde hair, dressed in a black mourning gown. “This is Rantissa Bellisam, recently widowed by a wealthy merchant from Asalan,” he said. “And this is Soldian Tassar, daughter of Lord Tassar of Canthas.” The two women bowed.
Dareena scrutinized the other two ladies. Rantissa seemed pleasant but reserved, her blue eyes remote as she held Dareena’s gaze. Soldian was younger, around sixteen, with a head of thick, shining brown hair. She was much plainer-looking than Rantissa, who was a classic beauty, or Lyria, whose beauty was like the blaze of a distant star, but she had silvery eyes that seemed to sparkle with an inner light, and a fey look about her that suggested she was not averse to mischief and was the kind of girl one could easily make fast friends with.
And yet…
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Dareena said. “Steward, could you have them wait in the hall? There is a private matter I must discuss with you.”
“Certainly.”