“He must have had a Man to perform the transcription,” said Adale, though the image that this conjured up was only slightly less ridiculous.
Esofi rested the side of her face in one hand and stared at nothing.
“Have you ever seen a dragon use magic before?” asked Adale.
Esofi shook her head. “A dragon with Talcia’s magic would be a terrible thing to see,” she said. “But they are one of her finest creations, and I can believe it was once so. It just seems odd that she would stop granting them magic.”
“Unless she’s angry at them,” pointed out Adale. “They’re going out and acting like dumb beasts and getting themselves killed. Maybe she decided they don’t deserve magic anymore. Like she did here in Ieflaria when her worship started dying out.”
Adale and Esofi returned to the palace for the evening meal. Adale was satisfied with all that she had accomplished so far, but she wondered if Esofi felt the same way. Did she blame Adale for taking her attention away from the newly blessed mages, or had she enjoyed poring over the old book?
But Adale was back the very next morning, ready to find more information that might be valuable. While Esofi continued to instruct the new-blessed Ieflarians, Adale continued to work her way through the ancient text. It was not as much fun without Esofi there to discuss her ideas with, but she was determined not to bother the princess until she found something important.
And so it was not until well past noon that Adale happened upon something that prompted her to run downstairs and drag Esofi away from her training. So great was her excitement that she practically pushed the princess up the stairs, though this was made difficult by the size and density of Esofi’s skirts. Fortunately, Esofi was not offended and laughed as Adale tried and failed to hurry her along.
Once upstairs, Adale rushed over to the table and grabbed the book before Esofi even had a chance to seat herself.
“Here, listen!” Adale said. She looked up to make sure Esofi was paying attention and then began to read. “The Flight is led by the Most Blessed. The Most Blessed is…selected by Mother…as the most powerful and…devoted…and is given…” Adale frowned. “The scent? The scent which compels obedience and unity among the Flight in times of danger.”
“Compels?” repeated Esofi.
“I think the emperor’s control over the other dragons is more powerful than him just outranking them,” Adale explained. “It seems like he might actually be able to force them to follow his orders. I don’t know if it’s magic or something simpler. But it almost reminds me of bees in a swarm, obeying their queen.”
Esofi looked thoughtful. “Did you see any mention of a way to break his influence?”
“No. But I think the emperor isn’t supposed to go around controlling everyone all the time. From what the book says, I think it’s because dragons aren’t good at working as a community. They’re too independent. But if a bigger threat comes along, they need to work together. That’s where the emperor comes in.”
“So the emperor has decided that mankind is a threat they must band together against,” mused Esofi. “I only wish I knew why.”
“Perhaps we can take one hostage and ask,” said Adale, prompting Esofi to laugh again. But Adale secretly wondered if she could do it, if she had her friends and some soldiers and some battlemages along to aid in the capture.
Esofi must have sensed her thoughts, because she said, “I do not believe your parents would appreciate you taking such a risk. Nor would I.”
“Don’t say that, there’s still the twins.” Adale smiled. “One way or another, you will have your wedding.”
“It’s not about the wedding,” said Esofi. “I do not wish to see you killed, for your own sake.”
Adale waved her hand to cover her discomfort. “Never mind that.”
“But I do mind,” Esofi said. “Very much. Or do you intend to blame yourself forever?”
“Everyone else does,” retorted Adale. “Why shouldn’t I?”
“They do not,” Esofi insisted, leaning forward. “And even if they did, they are wrong. It was an accident. It is not as though you murdered him for the crown.”
Adale could not help but laugh, and it seemed to free some of the darkness in her heart. “Yes, fortunately there was no question of that.”
“You are trying, Adale,” said Esofi. “Perhaps you will never be what Albion was, but you are not Albion. Nor are you the careless young woman I met two weeks ago. I hope you know how much that means to me—and to Ieflaria.”
Adale hoped her cheeks weren’t too red. Desperate to turn the subject away from herself, she said, “You’re different too, you know.”
“Am I?” Esofi laughed in surprise. “How so?”
“When you first arrived in Ieflaria, you would never have slipped away from a ball to dance in a tavern with foreign peasants,” Adale reminded her.
“I didn’t dance,” said Esofi quietly.
“You might have if the dragon hadn’t attacked so soon. My point stands.” Adale crossed her arms. “Come on. Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go find something to eat.”
Accompanied by a few guards, Adale and Esofi returned to the palace. The air was mild, and the sun was not too strong, and so they decided to take tea on the green, in the place where they first met.
“The priestesses have had a trying week,” observed Esofi. “But I like to think they are grateful for the excitement. The Temple of Talcia seemed to be a rather quiet place before I arrived.”
“You make the priestesses anxious,” Adale admitted. “Or I suppose I should say, your mother does.”
Esofi’s eyes were bright with curiosity. “What do they say?” She set down her teacup.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know much,” said Adale, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. “They’re just afraid that you…or the Silence of the Moon…will undermine them. Like the Order of the Sun and the Temple of Iolar.”
Esofi sighed. “I do not wish to undermine the temple, but I understand their apprehension.”
“What is the Silence of the Moon?” asked Adale. “That is…if you’re allowed to tell me.”
Esofi rested her arms on the table. “It is not a secret, exactly, but there was something very mysterious and elite about it in Rhodia. My mother liked to claim it was the way Talcia preferred to be worshipped, away from temples and civilization. I do not know if she was correct, but I do know that it was pleasant to spend time away from the palace.”
“What did you do, once you were out in the wilderness?” asked Adale.
Esofi was quiet for a moment, thinking of her answer.
“To an observer, it might not seem that we were worshipping at all. But when Talcia’s children worship her, they do not cease their daily lives. They have no rituals or songs, and they build no temples or statues. They simply…live. To exist in her wilderness, with our thoughts focused on her love, is no different from how a gryphon or a roc worships.” She smiled up at Adale. “You would probably find it terribly boring.”
“Maybe,” said Adale. “But I find temples boring as well. I am only having difficulty picturing you barefoot in a forest somewhere.”
Esofi laughed. “It is too cold in Rhodia to go barefoot. Besides, it was not as rustic as you are thinking—the court would not tolerate that. We had great camps prepared so that we could return to luxury when the desire struck us.”
“That sounds like cheating to my ears,” teased Adale.
“Perhaps! But we are still Men, for all that my mother wishes she were a dragon. I think Talcia cannot fault us for the traits her husband gave us.” Esofi looked thoughtful, pensive. “I would like to see the Ieflarian wilderness. Particularly your northern lands. I am sure they are beautiful.”
“Perhaps you should arrange for a tour of the kingdom to follow your wedding,” suggested Adale. “I’m sure nobody could object to it—dragons are no match against you, and the people would love to see more of you.”