Song of Dangerous Power

Chapter 3

Leiyra

"Our plan was going so well! We were so very close." Mother's shouts echo through the office. She slams her flat hand on the desk where there is obviously a signed copy of the alliance. "He wants to bloody wait until you're twenty! Twenty! Two years are nothing to that half-breed bastard but to us, these will be two long years and who knows, maybe in two years, he'll put it off again. All that fancy talk about—" Mother rants making me feel inclined to abandon my thoughts. I stare at her without actually seeing or hearing her. My mind is still on the moment on the dais when the King had touched me like that. It was barely notable but it had caused every nerve in my body to tighten to that spot on my thigh. I swear I can still feel the skin tingling at the spot. Without realizing it, my hand goes to where the slit of my dress is, and with a fingertip, I caress the skin. When I realize what I am doing I let my hand hang limply by my side.

Suddenly mother is standing in front of my field of vision, an angry expression on her beautiful face. "Do you actually listen to what I say?" Before I can even open my mouth and think of an excuse, the door opens behind me. In my mind, I say a quick thankful prayer for this intervention.

I look over to see Ashton, my younger sister, standing meekly in the doorway. Her big eyes look at Mother intensely. She opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of the water as if struggling to utter what she wants to say.

" Speak up than child." Bursts mother out. And she strode past me to stand in front of Ashton who continues to fiddle with a ribbon on the fabric of her gown. Ashton seems to gather her courage and then confidently raises her head. A proud feeling bubbles up in my chest. Proud that my 16-year-old sister finds the courage to address our raging mother.

"There has been a fairly major problem with the departure of our guests." Ashton's voice is as soft as a bird's. Her vocal tones sound lilting and light while mine are more coarsely spoken without hesitation. "Guard Clover has just sold a punch to King Daemon's right-hand man, Lord Osek, after which the latter angrily and on the verge of transformation delivered a punch back to him. Guard Clover is now in the infirmary but the King wants an explanation for the behavior of one of your guards. He found it highly inappropriate for one of our guards to wreak havoc on a day like this when an alliance is being made."

With a colorful curse, Mother rounds Ashton, on her way out the door. "Leiyra, stay here. I'll be right back." She throws over her shoulder quickly before the door slams shut.

Ashton shifts her weight from one foot to the other and with a sigh, I grab her arm and sit down on the chaise lounge propped up against the wall, pulling her with me. With a frown, Ashton looks down at her hands, clearly lost in thought. I bump my shoulder against hers and her eyes finally focus on my bare face. I've long since rid myself of the veil since the incident in the throne room.

"Do you know how the incident between one of our guards and the king's right-hand man could have occurred?" At my question, she cringes and pulls a sour face. Yes, she definitly knows.

"Mother didn't want me at the meeting so I was forced to stay in my room but since I heard from one of the maids what had happened I wanted to take a look anyway. But I arrived just as the King and his party were leaving the room. The King's right hand was glancing over his shoulder just as I entered. He had probably heard my footsteps approaching but when he saw me he stopped abruptly. We stared at each other for some time but then Clover came running. He shouted something to Lord Osek about taking Aspian women now that we had a treaty and then he hit him." My sister blushed furiously and avoids my gaze. I had experienced first hand how it is to be caught in someone's gaze and certainly such powerful persons as they are.

"So then Lord Osek struck back at Clover?" She nods fiercely, biting her lower lip.

"Hard too." She added. "But it was terrifying to see how he was almost on the edge of shifting. Leigh, can you imagine? A dragon in the middle of our throne room! One swing of his tail would have sent all our pillars into shambles."