Dragon of Storms

Chapter 12

Great, just great. Reyna thought sarcastically as the guard escorted her and Lord James toward the throne room. It's not like I had other things to do. Like taking care of a certain dragon who is probably really annoyed with me.

The guard, who Reyna did not know the name of, led them through sunny halls to golden pearly doors, then left them. The princess didn't even hesitate to push through the heavy doors. She looked back quickly at the lord to see if he knew what this was about. By the smugness that covered Jame's face, she guessed that it was about last night's incident. But, Reyna wasn't too worried, she had gotten the last word in their previous discussion, and she planned to have the last in this one as well.

Honestly, at this point I rather face my father's anger than Helios. Reyna thought when she stepped into the grand room. The whole right wall was windows looking over the inner courtyard, while the left wall had intricate arches leading off into various alcoves. The floor was polished marble with only a single long red carpet leading to the throne. Above Reyna hung intricate crystal chandeliers that from below looked a million raindrops reflecting candlelight. Throughout the room, hung the flag of Craylith and its many cities. Sunlight streamed in, bathing Reyna in a warm morning yellow.

Reyna's aging father sat on his mahogany cushioned throne, encased in all his finery. The flaming mane he called hair was pulled back into a low tail, and he had more stubble on his face than usual. He wore a red cape with fur trimmings over a white tunic and a vest similar to Reyna's except that it was leather. His golden crown sat on his head, as it always did. Now that she thought about it, Reyna had never seen him take the damn thing off. Suddenly, the urge to smack it off of his reddish hair overcame her, just to see what happened, but she pushed it down.

"Father," She curtsied while James bowed deeply. Reyna held in an eye roll. "What is that you wanted?" He looked a bit angry, not that it was a new look.

"I wanted," He seethed. "To discuss yesterday's incident."

"Is that all?" Reyna asked, careful to keep her voice empty of sarcasm that she wanted to express. "You're not wondering where I've been the last several days?"

He waved away her question. "It doesn't much matter now that you're back." Reyna hid the hurt she felt expertly. She was used to it by now. "Now, James tells me that you shot him."

"Yes," She replied plainly. There really was no point in lying, and she didn't need to explain herself. "What of it?" Reyna could see her father visibly hold back whatever he wanted to say. He took a deep breath and for a few minutes nobody spoke.

"Sybil," Gods, Reyna hated that name. "ladies do not start fights," The king gritted out. She was surprised that his teeth didn't crack by the way he was clenching them.

"No, but they can certainly finish them," Reyna couldn't keep the retort in, even if she wanted to. "this incident being proof of that." Giving a pointed look to the Lord who was currently quiet, she waited for her father to continue. When he didn't, she took the chance to ask the question that had been on her mind for days. "What is the point of marrying him anyway, it does nothing for you or me," She was genuinely curious why he'd arrange the two of them. "In the end, this marriage will only profit him."

"It's tradition." He stated simply.

"Tradition? Really?" Reyna couldn't believe that he was hiding behind that excuse. "First of all, tradition is just peer pressure from dead people." She countered. "Second, the tradition is to marry somebody not of noble blood, to please the people, give them more of a voice." That's the way it had been since Cray had first united the kingdoms. "Like you and mom. She wasn't of noble blood. And you two married because at some point in time you were in love, it wasn't arranged." Reyna argued, trying to keep her composure. "So don't hide behind the excuse of tradition when we both know that it's a bunch of bullshit."

Surprisingly, the King didn't berate her for her use of language, probably because she didn't usually curse. Her mother had taught her that cursing had a time and place, but using it consistently was a sign of bad vocabulary. Reyna remembered the first time she'd been scolded for it was in the kitchens when she'd burned her hand. Her mother had looked appalled, while Carm had only laughed. Reyna shook the memory from her head and focussed on whatever excuse her father would use next.

"Very well, I know that you will not choose somebody strong enough." Reyna had to laugh at that. It was a decent reason, but definitely just another excuse. "You will let your emotions choose a weak king." Emotions. He was really going to bring that into this. Why did men always seem to think that women let their emotions control every decision they make in their life? But Reyna didn't ask, she knew that that particular argument would end with a knife in somebody's eye.

"Weak?" She laughed bitterly. "You want to talk about weak?" Gods above, did he not see the lord in front of him. "Let's talk about Lord James. He will stray as soon as he gets what he wants, like the dog he is. All he wants is power and money with none of the work that goes with it." He would truly be one of the worst Kings to ever grace Craylith.

"Sybil," There's that damned name again. If she heard it one more time she swore she was going to snap. "He is a decorated officer of my army, he has fought for this kingdom more than you ever will." Fought? From what she knew, James had served his time on the coast, where ships patrolled for pirates and 'magical beings wanting to cross', where he did nothing but ineffectively order others. Another bitter laugh left the princess.

"All he has done is worn shiny medals, and sent others to die."

"That is not true." The lord finally said something, but at this point he wasn't really part of the conversation.

"Oh, shut up. Nobody asked you." She turned to address him. "Have you ever even used that sword at your side? Ever done anything besides sit behind a table and send others to die for you?" His silence was answer enough for Reyna, and she continued. "You are a dishonorable man, who only wants a shiny crown."

"Watch your tongue Sybil." Her father spat.

"I will not." She finally snapped, her calm mask cracking to show the anger burning in her gray eyes and her teeth clenching as much as the King's. "I will share my opinion whether you want to hear it or not because I am entitled to it, just as you and the rest of this damned court are." She stopped to take a breath, and everything seemed to snap into perspective, everything made sense. She smiled and tilted her head to stare at the ceiling. "Gods, it's so simple. I should've seen it."

"Speak up, child." Reyna finally noticed how angry her father's tone was. She looked up to the golden crown on his head, then back down to him.

"Let's talk about the real reason you set this marriage up?" She made a hmm sound, as if asking for his permission, then continued anyways. "You did this so when I take the throne, he will be the King." Reyna gestured toward the man still behind her. "Gods know you've set enough laws into place to keep me from having any power." It had seemed his sole purpose for the past years. Every law made was one barring the crown from her.

"And so, once we marry he'll have all the power, but he'll be in debt to you, he'll owe you." Reyna had always assumed the laws were because of his misogynistic views, but no, it had been about power. "All you want is control, and with him you'll have it. He'll be your puppet; I'll be pushed to the sidelines." Reyna smirked at the revelation. Her father said nothing, but the shock in his eyes was enough to confirm her theory. A sense of peace overcame her, and she turned to leave. There was nothing else she needed to say to him.

"And you," Reyna said harshly to the Lord when she came to his side. "Whatever he's promised you, he won't follow through."

"You're wrong, he gave me his word." James remarked calmly.

"His word! And what is that worth? Huh?" She asked. "Not as much as you think it is." The Lord's eyes narrowed. "He gave his word to the queen, his wife, my mother, on her deathbed that he wouldn't marry me off." Reyna let the accusation sit for a second. Then began walking away. "Think about that for a moment. He promised to fulfill the queen's dying wish, and look at that! He broke his promise, his word. So again, I ask you, how much is it really worth?"

"You are not dismissed!" The king yelled after Reyna when he finally snapped out of his stupefaction.

"No, I think I am."