Dragon Blood (Completed)

Over Exerted

Chapter 19

Lilly Redblood was sitting in Paige and Dean's sitting room when Zane entered the royal quarters. Dean was nowhere in sight.

"Good morning, Lilly. I've come to talk to Dean," he greeted.

"How is everything going?" Lilly looked like she had been up for a while.

"You heard?"

"It's the talk of the castle."

Zane nodded. Of course word of the queen's actions would spread like wildfire, and so would the knowledge that he had hit the queen. There were no secrets for a royal. "I think it's going well, but since I can't understand a word they are saying to each other, I can't say for sure."

"Well hopefully, she's learning something useful."

"I hope so. You're up early."

"Dean had a nightmare, and without Paige here, he was almost inconsolable." She shook her head, then pressed her fingers to her temple, as if she was trying to erase a bad memory. As if it were that simple. Zane could only imagine what Dean would have been like without Paige around. He thought he had a vague idea of what she had experienced, so he could sympathize with Lilly's stress.

"Maybe he will feel better when I tell him what's going on with Paige."

"Yeah, maybe." She sat back down, sighing tiredly. "I'm just so glad they are here now. I hate the idea that a boy as sweet as Dean had to suffer so much."

"I know what you mean." His knowing tone told Lilly he knew just what she was talking about. She stared at him, blinked a few times, then informed him that Dean was in the next room. Maybe she was afraid Zane would elaborate on his knowledge, but he had no intention of doing that.

He went into Dean's room and woke him. The boy's hair was standing on end and his eyes looked puffy. He asked Zane what he was doing there.

"I came to tell you about Paige," Zane said, sitting on the edge of Dean's bed.

"Is she okay?" he asked, immediately concerned.

"She's fine, but she's questioning the man who tried to hurt you yesterday."

"Is she interrogating him in a little room, like on TV?"

"Uh..." Zane was confused by what Dean had asked, and Dean caught on, explaining it better.

"That sounds close. She's pretending to be a prisoner too, because she thinks the man will talk to her if she tricks him into thinking they are on the same side."

"She's an undercover spy?" Dean asked, sounding impressed. "Are you undercover too? Is that why you're dressed like the guard?"

"Yes." Zane smiled with relief that it was so easy to explain where Paige was to the boy.

"How long will she be undercover?" Dean asked.

"Not much longer. We need to pull her out to see Maze and take her medicine."

"What if she's not done?"

"She doesn't have a choice because she has to take her medicine. I know she'll be upset if I ruin her game, but she needs to take care of herself."

"Don't blow her cover," Dean said seriously, but Zane had the feeling he was imitating someone.

"Any Ideas?" Zane questioned, indulging Dean's obvious desire to be in on what he thought was a game.