Godmother of The Seven

The Fourth

Needless to say Alice's leaving changed everything, it was go big or give up time, and I'd never been one for giving up anything. Gerald was next on my to do list, mainly because he was starting to make himself a very noticeable ball of angst. One Tybalt assured me was working through some anger issues. Gerald would not go quietly, willingly, or be spirited away as his siblings had. That meant one thing, and one thing only, a dragon.

Now despite how well connected I am with the fae, I only know one dragon, and he wasn't exactly easy on the eyes, ears, or general well being. But, he was my best chance of finding someone willing to take Gerald. Most dragons didn't want princes, much less second princes with bad attitudes, and a proclivity for sword play. I was in a tough market. But as Fendal's letter assured me, someone could always be found who'd take an interest in the novelty of such a person. So long as they didn't decide to eat him afterwards I was fine with it.

Of course I then had to convince him to stay, or make sure he couldn't leave, neither of which sounded great. Fendal had a solution to that as well, in his final, and only proposed candidate. Delimourius Agregaven Sashua, was the suggestion, and they were a young dragon according to Fendel, and you could probably get away with calling then Sashua if you were suitably polite on other fronts. They didn't really have a problem with toasting things when they lost their temper, and had been complaining of boredom for some time.

So a meeting was set, or rather Fendal took me to see Sashua at his home, a collection of caves high in the mountains of the north east. Sashua was slung across a boulder by the entrance and groaned when Fendal landed, "Sashua," he said, "Get up you have company." More groaning,

"Good day Sashua," I said, "I am Winifred, and I have come to assess you." A sizable head turned to face me, and a puff of smoke blew from his nostrils blanketing me in fine ash.

"Why," he asked.

"To see if you would be a fitting guardian for my nephew, Gerald."

"What type of name is that?"

"A very respectable one, he's the second prince of our kingdom, and"

"Boring," Sashua said looking back up at the sky.

"He's a swordsman," meh, "Anger issues," meh, "youngest sibling taken by fairies, eldest sister gone to study magic with the same with the fae who supposedly cursed their youngest sibling, twin gone to Falston to study magic at the academy," he turned to face me again,

"The St. Regis Academy of Magic?"

"Yeah," I said.

"My sister goes there, I'll take him." He turned his gaze back up to the sky.

"What,"

"I'll accept responsibility, when do you want me to pick him up?"

"It's a fake kidnapping,"

"Sure,"

"You may have to explain the situation to him, including about his sisters,"

"Whatever, no biggie, I'm a dragon, what's he gonna do, hit me with a sword."

"Maybe," I said.

"NO fear, bring it." he said.

"Ok, I'll get you the details," I said and turned back to Fendal shrugging. Climbing back between his wings I settled in for the flight home.

I arrived home to a problem. Almost. Gerald was gone, having left the day before shortly after my own departure from Sashua's cave by my reckoning. Stephen the second was reading a book in the garden when I found him to ask about Gerald. "Oh, he's gone to tell Sigal of your treachery," he answered. "As sending a letter is out of the question."

"When did he leave?"

"As soon as we figured out you wouldn't be back in time to stop us," he answered standing, "anything to say, aunty?" Admittedly, it wasn't ideal, a fast carriage would be hard to catch, but if we hurried, it could be done. I turned running from the garden, leaving a blinking Stephen in my wake. I had to find out where they were, in what carriage, and, and I had to catch them.

Nissa was my best bet for getting in touch with Sashua or Fendal who could do the same. So I rode, and a hasty entrance to the canyon road made a few crows scatter and fly home to their mistress. She met me at the stairs to her abode, a creased brow waiting for my explanation, "I need a communication crystal, a dragon, named Sashua," I dismounted and followed her up the stairs at a run. Alice was seated by the fire tending a small pot,

"Keep at your studies," Nissa instructed as we ducked down the other staircase. The small crystal ball she procured from her study was slow in it's quest for Sashua, moving through a slow swirl of color till it began to settle into a clear picture.

"What," was the drawn out answer from the upside down face of the dragon.

"Gerald's on his way, right now," I said, the wait had given me back any air I'd lost in the hasty ride or run, but I was in no less of a hurry, much less calmer.

"So quickly," his face righted as I assume he rolled off his lounging rock.

"They left while I was gone, he's going to see Sigal. They're in the red royal carriage, do you know what it looks like?"

"Not really, but probably at least a little interesting,"

"I can describe it," I offered.

"I'll ask if I have any trouble finding it," he said and the image wavered,

"Please be careful," I said as the image vanished. Nissa passed me the crystal,

"He'll be alright, your nephew that is," she took my arm leading me back up the stairs, "Wanna stay for dinner?"

"Yeah, sure," I said.

Gerald was alright, and so was Sashua, he called me to show Gerald, dangling by a leg as he squirmed unable to free himself. "Found him," Sashua said with a little wiggle. "It was really easy, he's stabby." He held aloft his other claw showing a bandaged talon, "Anyway, is this the right one, he says he is." Gerald's face came closer as Sashua dangled him over the crystal.

"Yes," I said, "Thank you, Sashua, take good care of him."

"Aunty," Gerald shouted, "Is that you, I should have known," The crystal moved away from his face flashing a few different images before Sashua came back into view,

"if you can't be nice you don't get to play with it," he chastised the background, turning to me he concluded, "We're going home now, be sure to visit."

"I will," I answered and the image vanished.

"You really did it," Alice said. She'd been silent as Nissa during the call with Sashua, "I didn't know if you could."

"I didn't expect to have such a drastic kidnapping," I admitted, "But he'll be ok," I surmised and snagged one of the left over dinner rolls for a snack.

"Good," Nissa said, "Now you only have three to go."

"Yeah." The others watched me, "And they won't go easily, will they," I eyed Alice.

"No," she admitted, "Stephen especially is against it. I think, I think the others are too little to understand it."

"Yeah," I admitted, "We'll figure it out," and that was the end of that, as Nissa pulled out some treats and games to distract us for the evening.