The Dragonwalk Highway: The Fellowship of Thirteen

3 - An Execution

Zelda found her brother in the courtyard of the castle shouting orders at a dozen servants who were organizing baggage and dumping pieces of furniture from his room onto the perfectly manicured lawn. She jumped out of the way before she was run down by a servant carrying a chest of drawers that Draco had received on his fifteenth birthday. Made by the Wood Elves. Very expensive.

"Wow. You're not wasting any time," she said to him.

He stopped shouting orders only long enough to shoot her a confused glance and utter a quick, "Heh?"

"I'm just not sure how practical some of your luggage is. Certainly the larger pieces of furniture will slow us down. Remember, time is of the essence. We have less than a fortnight to make it to the opposite side of the kingdom. Make some cuts. Keep it light. Give me an hour and I'll be ready to go."

"Go? Go where?"

She was already starting to leave when his words sunk in. She tip-toed back but sent her lady-in-waiting, Sheena, ahead to start on her luggage.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean?"

"The—the luggage. This is for our quest, isn't it?"

"Our quest?" Draco laughed his high-pitched chipmunk titter. "Oh, sister. Please. You saw the old man. He'll be gone before we reach the Mother' Womb. There's far too much to do to prepare for my ascension to the throne to waste time trudging across the kingdom for some silly nostalgia adventure. Far, far too busy."

Zelda was flabbergasted. She had shared a womb with this man. They had shared a crib for their first year. They had (embarrassingly) bathed together until they were seven. Twins were supposed to share some sort of unexplained telepathic connection, but she was never on the same page as her brother. Sure, he was a selfish, materialistic, egocentric megalomaniac, but she never thought he was a big enough prick to deny their father his final request. Now she knew she would have to expand her list of adjectives for her brother.

"But—but you can't NOT go," she said. "This quest is father's dying wish. He is your father and your king!"

"Yes, and when he's gone I'll be the new king and have plenty to do. Problems will need solving and fires will need to be put out. My responsibility is to my people, Zee."

"Well if you're not coming on father's quest then what's all this luggage for?"

"Vacation!" he said. "I'm going to spend some time at the summer cottage until Daddy finally kicks the bucket. Running a kingdom is hard work. I want to get in as much relaxation before my coronation as possible."

He eyed the parchment case and tried to snatch it out of his sister's hand, but she was too quick for him. "C'mon, sis. Aren't you curious what it says?"

"Of course I am. And I'll find out when I stand in front of the Tree of Wisdom in less than a fortnight."

Both their eyes wandered down to the case this time. This time their thoughts were the same. It was Draco who spoke them.

"Do you think it's about mother?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. It would make sense."

Draco and Zelda had never met their mother and knew almost nothing about her. She was a taboo subject at the castle and never to be spoken of—by anyone—ever. The twins never mentioned even the idea of her to anyone but each other.

Draco took Zelda's hand in his own. "Listen. Forget father's silly quest. You know how dramatic he is. You'll get yourself killed out there. Come away with me and wait him out. I'm going to need you when he's gone."