“It does. I would suggest you go out of your way not to irk any nobles in the coming years, but they are an easily irkable bunch.”
Trip sensed he was referring to the rigmarole he was dealing with in the wake of announcing his engagement.
“I’ll try, Sire, but it may be hard if Lieutenant Ravenwood invites me to another family dinner. Her kin haven’t yet accepted how handy it can be to have a sorcerer around.”
“Oh? It was my understanding that Lady Tadelay finds your assets appealing.”
If the king hadn’t been holding his pocket flap, Trip might have fallen over. Was he referencing the night of… nakedness? How could he have heard about that? Surely, he didn’t have tea regularly with Tadelay. Did he?
Trip’s cheeks grew so warm, they felt like someone was painting the insides with a blowtorch.
“Yes, my assets,” Trip managed to respond, since Angulus was looking at him, eyebrows raised. “I try to make them useful.”
“I’m sure Lieutenant Ravenwood is pleased.”
“I…” Seven gods, what did he say to that?
“On an unrelated note, you might be curious to know that an elder gold dragon has appeared in the Tlongan Steppes and is apparently waiting for lobsters to be delivered to him.”
“Drysaleskar?”
Angulus nodded. “It seems he reconsidered your offer.”
“Oh, uhm.” Though Trip was relieved to be discussing something other than his assets now, he didn’t know how the king would take this. Now that they had a working weapons platform capable of driving off dragon attacks, would he be willing to pay tribute to an old grump simply for taking up residence in their country?” “Will you be sending the lobsters?”
“Yes. It won’t hurt to have him down there, so long as he behaves himself, especially since it’ll take a while to make more of those platforms to station around the country.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Trip was glad the king planned to go through with the offer they’d made to the dragon. It would be better to have too many allies than too few, and who knew what the future would bring? He remembered Shulina Arya’s parents’ presentation about population difficulties and assumed there would continue to be clashes between humans and dragons.
Angulus finished with the medal and rested a hand on Trip’s shoulder. “I don’t know if your commanders and fellow pilots tell you this—knowing Zirkander’s people, I doubt it—but We are deeply appreciative that you have joined the Iskandian army and are using your powers to help protect Our people.”
“Thank you, Sire,” Trip said.
“While I must appear fair and impartial to the populace, know that you can come to the castle any time if you want to see me about dragons or your siblings or anything else. The guards have instructions to let you in, though I suspect you could get in on your own.”
“Er, yes, Sire, but an invitation is nice.” Trip was stunned by the offer. He wouldn’t have expected the king to want a lowly captain to pester him any day, much less any time of the day.
You’re a powerful sorcerer, Telryn, Azarwrath put in. Your military rank is immaterial.
“Just avoid times when I’m making my assets useful,” Angulus said. “Unless it’s an emergency.”
“Yes, Sire.” Damn, there went that blowtorch again.
Angulus patted him on the shoulder and nodded for him to return to the queue. As Trip strode back, the first of the elite troops sword wielders, Colonel Grady, headed up. Rysha, Captain Brex, and Captain Onkali were also receiving medals—Trip had seen those two officers during the battle, flying behind Pimples and Ahn, and he’d healed Onkali for burns afterward.
Major Kaika, Colonel Therrik, and General Zirkander stood off to the side, watching the proceedings. It seemed they weren’t being awarded medals this time, though the awards and ribbons on their dress uniforms indicated they had received many in the past. Maybe the king and the army had decided to highlight the newer generation of soldiers. Or maybe Angulus would have simply felt odd pinning an award on his fiancée’s chest.
“What was he talking to you about up there?” Leftie whispered.
Angulus had said a few words when each of the other pilots had gone up, but as Grady soon returned, Trip realized the king had spoken to him longer.
“My assets,” Trip said, not wanting to fuel any envy, not that Leftie would necessarily want an invitation to the castle. An invitation to a brothel, more likely.
“Seems like that would have been a short conversation, not a long one.”
Trip elbowed him, which prompted General Zirkander to look over and raise a finger to his lips.
After the male officers received their awards, Angulus crooked a finger for Rysha to come up. Trip sensed Shulina Arya on the move. Earlier, she’d landed on a rooftop down the hill from the castle. Now, she flew swiftly toward the gardens.
Trip debated whether he should warn the king, but Angulus hadn’t included an invitation to make telepathic contact in his offer.
Your dragon is coming, he said silently to Rysha as she walked toward the dais.
I know. She’s very excited for the ceremony.
Because you’re being honored with a medal?
Because we’re being honored.
A shadow fell across the gardens, and the spectators looked up, many gasping in surprise and alarm. Some of them looked to the king for a cue, saw that he didn’t bat an eye, and settled quickly. Others looked uneasily toward the exits. Trip sensed Sardelle spreading a feeling of unconcern and contentment, trying to influence the spectators. It seemed to work. They settled further, turning their attention back to the king.
Shulina Arya glided into the gardens and found just enough room to land and sit on her haunches between the dais and the first row of medal recipients. The soldiers scooted back to give her more room.
As Trip checked the king for a reaction, he realized Angulus had expected this. Had he invited the dragon to come?
Like he could have stopped her. Jaxi snickered into Trip’s mind. You’ve seen his guards ineffectively chase her in human form.
She is difficult to catch when she’s wheeled.
Angulus started talking to Rysha—and to Shulina Arya, as well, Trip realized when he glanced up at the dragon’s head. Trip hadn’t paid attention to what he was saying to the other medal recipients, since he’d been speaking in a low, private voice, but curiosity drove him to magically augment his hearing so he could listen in.
“As I recall,” Angulus was saying, “I had some reservations about permanently assigning a magical sword to such a young officer and also allowing her to become the first dragon rider Iskandia has seen in over a thousand years.”
“I do remember that, Sire.”
Angulus started to speak again, but Shulina Arya bent her long neck so that her large head was level with his and Rysha’s. Her violet eyes regarded them from only a few feet away. Murmurs went through the crowd, and the king’s bodyguards fingered their weapons.
Trip caught Colonel Therrik’s mutter of, “It’s not worth being king if you have to let dragons breathe on you.”