“She told you to?” Bercelak barked. “What are you? A well-trained dog?”
“Last night you were ready to cut her down in Da’s hall.”
“That was last night. Today is different! And we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you, you idiot!”
“Big-headed Bercelak is right!” one of their cousins called out, earning a glower from Bercelak. “We should follow those Queen’s Guards and slaughter them all!”
Addolgar’s kin cheered in agreement, but a calmly spoken, “No,” stopped them from doing just that.
Ailean still stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at them all. “We will not slaughter anyone.”
“So we just let them take her?” Ghleanna asked.
Ailean grinned. “I didn’t say that either.”
Chapter 9
Braith would admit, she’d expected rougher treatment from the Queen’s Guard as they entered Devenallt Mountain. But the Guards were actually quite . . . kind. Perhaps they appreciated her preventing a battle between them and the Cadwaladr Clan. Because they all knew—it would have been a battle the Guards would have lost even though their brothers-in-arms would have eventually avenged them.
In the end, though, Braith had simply not seen the point of all those dragons fighting and dying. Her father was a traitor. And getting the Guards killed would have only turned the Cadwaladrs into traitors as well. It was something Braith was not willing to put into motion.
So, she did what her mother would have done—faced the Queen.
The Guards led her to the Queen’s throne room, the royals watching Braith from the shadows. There were no curses tossed at her. No threats of retribution for her father’s betrayal. They just watched her and said nothing. She didn’t know how to take that, so she didn’t bother to think on it.
When she stood before the Queen’s throne, she sat back on her haunches and briefly bowed her head. “My Queen.”
Addiena’s cold blue eyes slowly turned toward Braith. “Well, well,” the Queen said softly. “The traitor’s daughter.”
Addolgar leaned around the corner and saw the guards standing outside the Queen’s throne room. He pulled back and faced his siblings. “We’ll never get past those guards without killing them,” he whispered.
Ghleanna shrugged and began to pull out her sword, but Bercelak slapped her claw with his own. “We’re not killing the Queen’s Guards. We’re part of her army.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“Father said we need to buy him time.”
“For what?” Addolgar asked. He still didn’t know what his father was up to. And based on the way both his siblings shrugged . . . they didn’t know either.
“Let’s just do what he asks and hope for the best,” Ghleanna suggested.
“But how?”
“We could start a brawl. We’re always good at that.”
“Or . . . ,” Bercelak began, but then his voice trailed off and Addolgar realized his brother had caught sight of one of the Queen’s daughters. Princess Rhiannon. Everyone in the family knew of Bercelak’s never-ending—and fruitless—obsession with the meanest royal in all of the Southlands.
She was walking by when Bercelak quickly stepped in front of her—completely forgetting about poor Braith!
“Princess Rhiannon,” he said.
The white She-dragon looked up at him, her lip curling back over bright, white fangs. “Low Born.”
“It’s good to see you too.”
Ghleanna’s eyes crossed in exasperation—Rhiannon was their brother’s one and only true weakness—while Addolgar stamped his claw and snarled at his brother, “What are you doing? We’re running out of time!”
Rhiannon suddenly focused on Addolgar and he had to admit—he didn’t really like it.
“Running out of time for what?” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you planning to kidnap me?”
“Can we?” Bercelak asked.
Ghleanna slapped the back of Bercelak’s head and Addolgar admitted the truth: “We’re trying to stop an execution.”
“An execution? Oh. You mean poor Braith of the Darkness,” she said casually. “Oh, yes. My mother will definitely have her dead in the next five minutes.”
“Well, I don’t want that,” Addolgar said, horrified.
“Why do you care?”
“I just do!”
“She saved his life,” Ghleanna explained.
“And like the loyal fight dogs that you are, you feel the need to rush in and rescue her from the scary demon dragoness?”
“You mean your mother?” Ghleanna asked.
“There’s no proof of that.”
“You have her eyes.”
“It’s like you want me to have you killed,” the princess snapped back at Ghleanna.
“This isn’t helping Braith!” Addolgar exploded. “We just need to buy some time.”
Rhiannon sighed dramatically, eyes rolling. She glanced around, reached into a small group of young males, and pulled one out.
“Bram, my dearest friend. These low borns need your help. Introduce yourselves, all, because I’ll not remember you, much less this conversation in the next five minutes.”
“Bercelak. Addolgar.” The young dragon greeted them, his gaze lingering a little long on Addolgar’s sister. “Ghleanna.”