“I’ll have Ghleanna with me. She and her thick neck will keep me safe until we get Braith to Arranz’s.”
“Her neck is thick, isn’t it?”
“It runs in the family. Only Maelona has been spared the Cadwaladr thick neck because she takes after Mum.”
They went down another set of steps.
“What are you going to do?” Addolgar asked his brother. “Head back to your troops?”
“No. I’m going to see the Queen. See if I can head this off at the pass.”
“You haven’t told her anything?”
“Of course not. As soon as I heard what happened, I came to make sure you were okay.”
Addolgar stopped and focused on his brother. “You do care about me!”
“Oh, shut up!”
They made it to the courtyard and that’s where they met Ghleanna. She had on chain mail and the surcoat of an army she and Addolgar had long ago destroyed. A large bag hung off her shoulder and nearly to the ground. It would be much smaller when she was in her dragon form, but once she untied the knot at the top, it would fit around her dragon shoulders just as well, allowing her to carry clothes and human weapons, along with food and other supplies for her dragon form.
“Where is she?” Ghleanna demanded.
“She’s coming.”
“Keep an eye on her,” Bercelak warned Ghleanna. “I still don’t trust her. And make sure Arranz is completely apprised of this entire situation so he and our cousins know what to do.”
“Of course you don’t trust Braith. You don’t trust anybody,” Ghleanna reminded their brother. “You don’t trust the air.”
“Because it tends to become unseasonably chilly when I’d prefer it to be warm. It’s as if it does it on purpose.”
Ghleanna closed her eyes, shook her head.
Braith stepped out of the Main Hall and onto the courtyard steps. She wore nothing but one of Addolgar’s shirts, showing off those lovely human legs of hers. But she had a bag similar to Ghleanna’s over her shoulder.
Once she stood next to them, Addolgar asked her, “You ready?”
“As ready as I’ll—”
Braith’s words were cut off as Shalin rushed out of the Main Hall. “Addolgar!”
At his mother’s barked words, Addolgar, Ghleanna, and Bercelak dropped their travel bags and pulled their weapons. They instantly surrounded a confused Braith.
From the sky they dropped, the Queen’s Royal Guard, surrounding the small group.
Ailean came out of the front door, pushing Shalin and Maelona back inside. Once the doors were closed, he pulled out his sword, resting the tip on the top stone step while his hand loosely clasped the pommel.
“Can we help you?” he asked . . . kindly.
“We’ve come for her,” the leader said, his claw pointing at Braith. “Give her to us and we leave you and yours in peace, Ailean the Wicked.”
Ailean laughed. “Peace? Cadwaladrs know little of peace, I’m afraid.”
On his words, shadows moved and then the Queen’s Guards, who were surrounding Addolgar, Ghleanna, and Bercelak, who were surrounding Braith, were now surrounded themselves . . . by Addolgar’s kin. Most of them were just waking up from a hard night of even harder drinking, but it was one of the first things that every Cadwaladr learned . . . to be ready for battle at anytime, anywhere, with the understanding that once they were done killing, more drinking could begin!
Now uneasy, as the Cadwaladr reputation was always in the forefront of any Southland dragon’s mind, the guards slowly pulled their weapons, their bodies tensing in preparation for a fight.
“No, no!”
Braith easily muscled her way past Bercelak and Ghleanna, shocking them both since few had ever managed that before. “This isn’t going to happen because of me.”
“Braith—”
“No, Addolgar!” She let out a sigh, faced him. “I appreciate everything you’ve done, but no. This is where it stops.”
Braith faced the Guard leader. “I’ll come with you. Just leave the Cadwaladrs out of it.”
Pretending not to be as relieved as he was, the leader nodded and stepped back, gesturing for her to move ahead.
Braith looked over her shoulder at Addolgar. “Thank you for everything, Addolgar. To you and your kin. I truly appreciate all you’ve done and tried to do.” She smiled at him and Addolgar felt his gut tighten at the sight of it.
“Braith, please—”
“It’s all right. I’ll be fine.”
But Addolgar knew she wouldn’t be fine. It was her damn honor that was leading her down this road. Her damn honor that was making her take on what he would consider a suicide mission. It was her damn honor that would ensure she’d never listen to reason.
He watched her walk away until she had enough room to remove his shirt and shift to her natural form. She shook out her long, blue hair and blue wings before taking to the skies with the Queen’s Guard at her back.
Once they were gone, it was deadly silent all around him as if everyone was giving Addolgar a moment to mourn—
“Owwwwww!” Addolgar roared after Ghleanna’s hard hand slapped him in the back of the head . “What was that for?”
“Are you just letting her go?”
“She told me to. Owwwww!” Addolgar now glared at Bercelak , who had also slapped him in the back of his already sore head. “What the hells?”