Arad looked forward, hearing the wooden carriage crackle beneath him as they rode across the streets. Aella looked around, “The human capital is busy even at this time. Shouldn’t people be out working?” She counted the people just walking the street and browsing the market.
“You aren’t the same?” Arad looked at her.
“At this time? Each blacksmith would be in their workshop and each shopkeeper in their shop. We elves barely move out without a valid reason.” She looked at the market and saw a man sitting at the side of the road, begging for money.
“He can go to the forest and gather herbs or wood to sell. There is no need for him to stay there,” She sighed.
“Humans don’t know much about the forest like elves,” Arad looked at the man, “He might be sick, who knows?”
“Even if he was sick, he should be out seeking a cure, not begging for money like this.” She sighed, “If the human church is anything like ours, they could help him.”
“Aella is right,” Lydia peeked her head from the back of the carriage, “They offer free healing for people in need and even shelter and food. Since he isn’t with them that means he’s healthy and begging for another reason. Probably a debt,”
“If it’s debt,” Aella looked at the man.
“It’s on him,” Eris sighed in the back, “Forget about him and look there,” She pointed at a shop on the main street, “Those clothes look nice,” She smiled.
Arad looked. From where he sat, the clothes looked smooth and nicely tailored. They might have something for Eris to cover her whole body in the day and still be able to move. “We’ll visit it later,” He smiled.
After three hours of driving through the busy streets, slowed by the turtle-like traffic of carriages and walking people, they finally approached the royal castle gate.
The carriage stopped, and Arad jumped down. He looked at the lifted drawbridge and lifted his head, “How do we get this to open?” He shouted.
A guard peeked from the top of the walls, pointing his bow at Arad’s head, “State your business or family name,” He yelled.
“Arad!” Isdis whispered from the carriage, they were still in the streets, and it would be bad if people knew she was out. It’s better to get inside without stating her name. The princess returned with strangers after her guards were wiped out in a goblin attack. Such rumors would be bad for the royal family.
Arad approached the carriage and looked inside, “Tell him that you’re bringing the ice maker,”
Arad blinked twice, confused for a moment, but he went back to the draw bridge.
“I’m bringing the ice maker. Drop the drawbridge,” He yelled.
The guard pulled his bow back, staring at Arad for a second as if assessing him, “We can’t have warm wine, can we,” He stared with a passive face and signaled to the guards in the back, “Drop it,”
Arad smiled, seeing the massive wooden crackle down. He walked back to his seat and urged the horses to move.
Once inside the castle, several guards, almost forty strong surrounded the carriage with their spears pointing at Arad and Aella, “Who the fuck told you that? Drop the act and surrender. The torturer is going to have his fun making you two spit everything out.”
Isdis kicked the carriage door open and jumped out, “Stop, it’s really me!” The guards jumped back the moment they saw her, sweating, “Princess? Where are your guards?”
“Dead, killed by a purple dragon,” She replied, looking away.
The guard froze, “A purple dragon? How is that? You were heading to a peaceful negotiation with the elves.”
“He was ordering the goblins around,” Isdis sighed, looking back in the carriage and helping Mira down.
“How did you survive?” One of the guards asked. It didn’t make sense with how much dragons like to eat humans, especially young and tender women. Red dragons are nefarious for wanting those sacrifices, and Isdis would make a prime target for a purple dragon.
“He drove it away,” Isdis pointed at Arad, “Barehanded,”
“What?” The guards stared at Arad in disbelief. His massive frame only made it seem like the truth.
“Put your spears away if you don’t want the castle flipped on its head,” she growled at them, and they dropped their spears.
Isdis sighed, “Good. For a moment I thought you were going to pick a fight anyway,”
“We won’t!” One of the guards cried, “We won’t disgrace you by such actions,” They all stared at Arad, “What is his name,”
“Arad Orion,” Arad replied immediately with a passive face.
The guards stared at him for a second, blinking before jumping back, “The dragon slaying and vampire punching werewolf brawler of Alina? The king thought that was a joke for Alina’s lord!”
Isdis stared at them with a smile, “Sorry, but that is the truth,” She looked at Arad, “I spent enough time with him to know one thing, the rumors are true, and he’s even stronger than what they say.”
Thud! Jack and Lydia jumped from the back of the carriage. And Jack approached the guards.
He waved his arms, “I saw Arad swing a dragon from its tail, and his mere glares scare devils shitless. You better show some respect,”
The guards looked at each other and then at Arad’s eyes. His eyes held an eldritch purple glimmer burning with a keen intellect, which they found disturbing.
“We aren’t blocking you in any way,” One of the guards said, walking forward, “Please follow me. I will lead you to the guest room.” He looked at Arad.
Another one reached out to Isids, “Your Highness, please follow me to your quarter,”
Isdis stared at him and then at Arad, “I’m staying with him,” She approached Arad, standing by his side.
The guards stared at her, confused. They clearly wanted to scream and drag her to her quarter, but they couldn’t she’s the princess, and more importantly, that’s a monster standing by her side.
“Fine, as you say,” The guards sighed, guiding everyone to the guest room where sat.
Arad looked at the door. A maid stood at each side, their eyes closed and ears clogged. They are here to serve, not listen or see what the nobles and royals are doing.
Isdis stared at Arad, “They can only hear high-pitched noise. Use this bell,” She gave him a golden bell.
Arad lifted the bell and rang it. The maids jerked to life, opening their eyes and removing the earplugs. Both of them approached Arad and bowed, “Need anything, master.”
Arad stared at them, standing and glaring at their faces. The maids started sweating, taking a step back. “Master, is something wrong?” 𝑜𝑣𝘭.𝘯𝑡
Arad lifted his arm, clenching a fist. SWOSH! He then swung at one of them, his fist barely stopping before her cheek. The maid didn’t move, “Master, is this some kind of joke?” She said, shaking.
Arad sighed, sitting back on the couch, “You two got some courage, you have my respect,”
Everyone stared at him, “What are you about?”
“I won’t say unless they do,” He looked at the maids, “Nice to meet you,”
The two maids stared at each other, smiling, “Fine, guess it can’t be helped.” As they smiled, horns emerged from their heads and large tails from below their skirts.
The first maid approached Arad, bowing. Her golden horn and tail glittering, “My name is Kin, an adult gold dragon acting as an emissary of dragons.”
The other one walked forward, bowing, “My name is Gin,” Her silver horns and tails remained still, “Like her, I’m an emissary of the dragons as well.”
Arad looked at everyone, “They can hear and see us even with their eyes closed and ears plugged. They spy on the king’s guests and report back to him.”
“It’s as you said,” One of them smiled.
Isdis stared at them, shocked, “Wait? I’ve been here for years. How come I was never informed?”
“Only your father knows about us. Not even the queens know about us.” Gin smiled.
“Trying to read our minds,” Gin stared at Arad, “We are busted if we blocked you, and we’re busted if we didn’t.” She sighed.
“I will inform the king that you’re a magic dragon and one that shouldn’t be made an enemy at any cost.” She bowed to aRad, “Your kind are rare, and we like to preserve them.”
“An endangered animal, but you’re a dragon,” Gin stared at him with a passive face.
Arad looked at them, “How many of you are here?”
Gin shook her head, “We only know about ourselves,” She looked at Gin, “The king might have other spies around the castle, but only he knows about them.”
The two maids shifted back to look completely human and bowed, “So, Master Arad,” They said in synergy, “Want tea? How much sugar?”
Arad smiled, “Anything would do,”