The King's Treasure by Carol M. Vaughn

Author:Carol M. Vaughn [Vaughn, Carol M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-04-17T04:00:00+00:00

19-Meetings

Charon and Parvati landed in the same courtyard they had left earlier that morning. Rael dismounted and then caught Arianwyn as she slid down after him. Tess, a tall man Arianwyn assumed was Tad and Alyssa immediately converged on them. “Your Majesty where have you...” “Your dress!” “…been waiting for hours, now…”

“Enough,” Rael said quietly. Silence immediately descended on the group. Arianwyn sagged against Rael. If not for his arms, she would have slid into a puddle on the ground. Parvati nosed Arianwyn, checking her for additional injury, before she and Charon lifted back into the air and flew to the Dragon’s Cave. “Tad, my war counselors are waiting?” The tall, thin man nodded, lips slightly pinched. “Let’s not keep them waiting any longer, then.” Rael turned and lifted Arianwyn’s hand to his lips, giving her a warning squeeze before he let go. She forced her knees to stiffen. “Lady Arianwyn, it was a pleasure I hope to repeat again.”

Arianwyn curtsied and wobbled, inclining her head and blushing. “Hopefully without the attack,” she replied, smiling as she straightened and relocked her knees. Rael chuckled and nodded, his smile vanishing as he left the courtyard followed by Tad. Alyssa snagged her arm as Rael walked away.

“What happened, Lady Arianwyn? Your clothes are dirty! Did I hear you say that you were attacked?”

“And your clothes are torn, which makes me wonder who was attacked and who attacked,” Tess sniffed, eyeing Arianwyn with a faintly disapproving look.

Arianwyn blushed again and headed toward her rooms, leaning heavily on Alyssa. The girl did not comment, but supported Arianwyn as if nothing were abnormal. “We were attacked. His Majesty saved me, but I fell when he turned to face our attacker.”

Alyssa gasped. “Who attacked you?”

Arianwyn shook her head. “Not who…what. I’m not sure what the creature was,” she said. She described it to them, telling the entire story of their attack and ending with the flying leap Charon took to take them to safety.

Tess was nodding. “A kalapa.” When Alyssa and Arianwyn stared at her blankly, she continued. “They’re creatures that live in most of the mountain lakes. They usually start out small, swimming upstream to populate a new lake when a giant has taken over its former home.”

Arianwyn shuddered. “I’ve no interest in seeing one again. What do they usually eat?”

“The same things the dragons eat. They wait until something wanders by the water for a drink and then pull it in. It would have avoided the dragons, but you and the king would have made a perfect meal for it.”

They entered Arianwyn’s quarters. Tess followed her into the room and assisted her in changing. “You have several correspondences, Lady Arianwyn.”

Arianwyn sighed as she was tied into her dress. “Is Master Aldous available in the library?”

“He is. I’ll have your correspondences taken there.”

“Thank you, Tess. Will you also have a light snack brought to me?” Tess nodded, curtsied and left. Arianwyn walked out of her room into the reception room. Alyssa stood to the side, fidgeting.

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