The King's Gauntlet

The Path

"We'll have to end our training early today," the Lynx announced the next day, as I completed the final lap, with a bag full of stones strapped to my back. "After all, your royal parents will be having their ceremony at the House of the Fallen, and there will be no expense spared to give them the proper funeral they deserve." Mud squelched underneath my feet as I came to a final, shuddering halt. "So there's no time for your courses. A band of Gauntlets is scheduled to arrive tonight, and I'd like to take them along to fully secure the House of the Fallen."

Tired as I was, it took me a moment to understand. "Oh... for my parents' funeral."

A week had passed since they had been brought as corpses to our shores. The Edict of Sanabriel Aquilus had meant they'd needed to rest in peace for a week, as supposed plague victims, and I was curious to see what Prime Minister Witsel might have unearthed. Yet it came with another crushing reminder that my presence would be required.

I'd managed to procure a few trousers in my approximate size, and already the thought of going back to courtly dresses was a grim one. Yet I could manage a funeral. It was the duty of a princess, after all. "What were these Gauntlets up to?"

"Ah..." The Lynx eyed me warily. She'd thawed a little, during our week of training, but still seemed to see me as little more than an irritation. "They were in Rosvene territory," she said after a moment. "That's all I can say."

I brushed back a few sweaty strands of hair from my eyes. "It almost sounds like we're at war."

"In many ways we are," the Lynx replied, "though an unannounced one which both sides would disavow." She sighed. "The Rosvene Empire has desired our lands ever since Aland became a major center of trade. They were content to try and win us over, for a time, but the intensity of their efforts ramped up ever since you discovered those dragons four years ago."

"Me?" I blinked. The idea that I may have accidentally disturbed the balance of power was a peculiar one.

"No one is quite sure what it means, for a small nation to have three dragons," the Lynx elaborated. "The legends say a single full-grown dragon is a match for a whole army... though I retain my own doubts."

I chuckled. "Well, it'll be some time until they're fully grown. Vivian and Trixus are still little, and Rags is... well, why don't I show you? I haven't been giving him as much attention as I used to. Oh, unless you're busy now?"

The Lynx hesitated. "Actually, I'd love to see the dragons," she admitted. "And I could spare some time."

After setting our gear aside, we trudged through the courtyard leading to the stables. A Gauntlet at the gate nodded in recognition to the Lynx, stepping aside and allowing us to join the stable boys and other workers who busied themselves cleaning up the area. And there they were—Rags stretching his growing wings while Vivian and Trixus crept along the matted straw flooring as if on the hunt for mice. Rags let out a squeak and padded over toward us, his forked tongue drooping from the side of his snout in his signature goofy manner.

"Hey Rags!" I said, rubbing his scaly snout. He made a snuffling, sulfurous grunt in reply.

"It's interesting to see what has Rasterei so rattled," the Lynx mused, taking a step closer. "He believes Aland plans to create a new flight of dragon riders and take on the Empire itself." Her eyes flitted over toward me. "Do you intend to become a dragon rider?"

"Yes," I said softly.

She nodded. Her matter-of-fact approach was much more pleasant to receive than Kaley's laughter, and so I gestured at Rags.

"Do you want to pet him?"

"Why not?" she murmured, cautiously rubbing a hand along Rags' snout. "Fascinating. I hear you've been training him like one of the Houndmaster's dogs of war."