The Siege Of Drakkon: Book Three Of The Drakkon Series

Chapter Thirty-Four

Titus Tyrni

Seneschal of the Draka Alcazar

"This can't be happening, this can't be true!" I could say that as much as I wanted, it wouldn't make the reports in front of me any less true. We had only just begun doing the new procedures to scan for infected, so far over forty percent of people showed possible signs of infection, too many to handle effectively like we had hoped.

"It is true, Titus, and we have to figure out a way to deal with it. The Queen has entrusted us with this task, we cannot disappoint her." Never would I had thought Taarique would be the one assisting me with this task, the one the Queen left with this task. They had started off hating each other, Taarique only hating Alessandra because she viewed her as stealing her rightful position. I think now, after seeing everything that Alessandra had to go through as Queen, Taarique might not want the position as much anymore, might have finally realized that she wasn't quite cut out to rule an empire, to make the necessary sacrifices for others.

"But some of them are people I've known for decades, I just can't believe this." She nods, looking solemn, as we stare at the seemingly never-ending list of possible infected.

"And all you can think about is when were they infected? How could I not have noticed? From what the Queen has told us they can still access the person's memories so there is no reason anything about them should have changed. You are not to be blamed for any of this, we didn't even know about any of this a few days ago, let alone when they were probably first infected, there was nothing you could have done, nothing any of us could have done. The people we need to blame are not ourselves but the people who are really responsible for all of this suffering, those invaders!" Her face twists up into a vicious snarl, reminding me of when she used to be so cruel, so self absorbed.

She had changed now, Aldrich had always let her have her way before, but Alessandra never did, she always forced Taarique to listen to her speech on why something was wrong, how the people seemed to love Alessandra all the more when they heard these speeches seemed to I had assumed Alessandra would be attacked in a matter of days, but it seemed after watching how her daughter blossomed without her smothering she finally understood that what she wanted wasn't always the best, that some people might know better than her. I never though I would be able to have a conversation with Taarique where she didn't hold her rank over me and try to force me into doing something her way.

A knock on the door startles us, we both turn to look at the doorway as Daxton Auerlie of all people enters the room. "I know I wasn't technically supposed to hear your conversation, but I was on my way here to speak to Lord Titus and happened to hear a bit. You're trying to contain people who are infected with something right? Presumably because they are sick, they won't be willing to cooperate?" We both stared at him in shock, this information should have never left this room, but he also apparently knew of something that could help us when we were clueless as to what to do next.

I glance at Taarique, and she looks to me, both of us debating with our eyes if we should hear him out, but when Taarique shrugs her shoulders, I know that she is just as clueless as I am right now. "What are you wanting to suggest?" He steps into the room more, closing the door behind him as he straightens his spine and seems to build up his courage before he tells us his plan.

"So, many don't know this. I would probably be killed if the Queen found out I told you this, but Auerlie's don't just use light to make beams of energy but we can actually use it to create a sort of hypnotizing effect, it's part of the reason the Queen has stayed in power for so long, because when she is in front of you, you can't help but be dazzled and awed by her, even if you turn away and remember what a monster she is." To think of all he had been, to call his own mother simply the Queen. To call her a monster, what she must have done to deserve that title. "Normally, I wouldn't dream of sharing a secret like this, but Queen Alessandra spared my life, not only that but she saved me from the Queen's wrath. I can never repay her for those debts, but I would like to help her all the same." This was one of the reasons Alessandra made such a good Queen, she inspired loyalty from others by making choices that were instinctual and yet not just about herself.