AFTER OUR GAME, we went to the lake that was in Lucian’s backyard; if you could call it a backyard. Ducks and swans paddled across the lake, nibbling on pieces of bread Lucian and I threw at them. Big trees with its branches hanging in the water made the idyllic scene even more tranquil. It reminded me of my sanctuary, but there wasn’t a bench or waterfall.
As I watched the ducks, I thought about what King Helmut had said about Paul. He had no reason to trust him, but Paul wasn’t Wyland and he had saved so many lives that night.
“What did your father mean about how to kill a Wyvern?” I asked Lucian as we sat on the grass in front of the lake.
“You can only slay them with an iron blade. They don’t die if you use any other kind of metal.”
A cold shiver ran up my spine and needed to change the subject
. “So do you want to tell me about this trip you’re going to take?”
Lucian lay on his back chewing on the tip of a long piece of grass. He sat back up and rested his head on his arms. He just stared at me for a couple of minutes, took a deep breath and smiled. “I got a foretelling from Irene.”
“What? When?”
“It happened right after the mission. You were still in the Infirmary.”
“What did she say?”
“It’s gibberish, sounded like something that came out of a Shakespeare play, but I got one thing.”
“What?”
“A date.”
“What sort of date?”
“It’s connected to Blake. I’ve been speaking to him about it. We both think that it’s the day he will change.”
“When is the date?”
“23rd of August.”
“So he has less than a year.”
“I know.”
“And you’re sure it’s when he will change?”
“I don’t know, Elena. It’s the only thing that makes sense. For some reason she struggles seeing his future the way she used to. We don’t know what else it could mean.”
“What do you mean she struggles?”
“She hardly sees him anymore. Since that night with the feather, Irene hasn’t been the same.”
“I can just imagine.”
“I know what I must do; I just don’t know where to start.”
“What do you mean, you know?”
“Irene’s foretelling isn’t that hard to decipher. You just need to know what it is she is saying over all. Blake can get claimed. I know that for sure, the question is with what.”
“Like an object?”
He nodded.
“The only one that can help me is Sir Robert. He was the only one who knew them all, but he’s not much help. He knows nothing.”
“Don’t forget about Tanya Le Frey.”
He looked at me and squinted. “Who?”
“Tanya Le Frey, the Queen’s dragon.”
“The Queen didn’t have a dragon, Elena.”
“Yes, she did. Cheng told me about her in one of our history sessions.”
He looked at the ripples the wind made on the water and his face was deadly serious.
“You don’t know who Tanya is, do you?”
“No, I’ve never heard of her, but I know someone who does.” He jumped up, grabbed my hand and head back to the castle.
I followed him, running to keep up with his huge strides. At that speed we made the castle in no time.
“Dad,” Lucian yelled and his voice echoed through the castle. He yelled his father’s name a couple of times sounding frantic.
“Lucian, calm down.” I pulled him back.
“You don’t understand, Elena. Dad!!”
The King and Queen both came running down the main stairs just as we were about to climb them. “What is it? Are both of you okay?” The Queen had huge round eyes.
“Who the hell is Tanya Le Frey?” He stared at both of them and they turned to look at each other with guilt filling their eyes. I knew immediately Cheng hadn’t been wrong.
“I need something to eat,” King Helmut said.
“Helmut, you don’t! Dinner will be ready in an hour and a half.”
“Let me be woman!” He darted past us and into another hallway on the far right.
“Come,” the Queen said and we followed her.
Lucian glared at his father’s retreating figure, his nostrils flaring slightly and his jaw muscles pumping.
“Calm down, please,” I whispered and put both my hands around one of his as we followed his parents.
We heard a noise of dishes cluttering and cupboards closing. “Leave me Chef. I can make my own sandwich.”
“Helmut, calm down.” Queen Margerite’s voice came after.
I followed Lucian into a kitchen the size of Lucille’s entire house. It was massive with a beautiful oak island in the middle. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling and a fire’s clutter was in the back. Rows of stoves were stacked against one wall and rows of huge fridges on another. The wash up area was so big five maids could use it at the same time.
“Sit, both of you,” The Queen ordered. “Sorry, Chef, please give us a moment. We won’t be long.” The Queen spoke to an open fridge and a huge guy with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a chef’s uniform closed the fridge and left.
King Helmut already had a sandwich in his hand and was starting to gulp it down.
“It’s not going to work this time, Dad,” Lucian said.
“Lucian, your father wanted to tell you so many times. It was me that told him to keep his mouth shut.”
“Why, Mom? I’ve asked so many times. Dammit, Blake even asked. How could you just stand there and lie.”
“I’m not proud of it, but we couldn’t, Lucian.”
He mumbled something and turned his gaze to his father. “Who is Tanya, Dad? Was she Queen Catherine’s dragon?”
His Dad nodded, cheeks stuffed with food.
“Elena, I’m so sorry you had to witness this. He has an eating disorder whenever he stresses.” The Queen sighed and looked at her husband. She started to laugh, putting her hand in front of her mouth.
“It’s not funny, Margerite,” King Helmut said and swallowed. “I told you this would happen and what did you say?” He waited for her. “Oh, if it does I’ll make you your sandwiches,” he mimicked and I had to suppressed my laughter.
Lucian didn’t think it was funny one bit.
“Fine, let me make you another. Speak to our son.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell us about her?”
“Lucian, relax. I’ll explain as soon as my sandwich is finished.”
Lucian took his father’s sandwich and chucked it onto the floor.
“Lucian,” Queen Margerite said, and yelled at Cat as he went for the pieces of bread, lettuce and baloney with pickles and relish strewn over the floor.
“Leave him.” Lucian was starting to sound like a spoil brat.
The King swallowed the food in his mouth and took a sip of his coke. “May I ask who told you about Tanya Le Frey?”
“I did,” I said suddenly terrified. Me and my big mouth.
King Helmut gave me a surprised look.
“I didn’t know. There’s a boy at school that helped me get up to date with Paegeia’s history. He said his Mom used to be one of Queen Catherine’s maids. He told me about her dragon.”
“Is this true, she had a dragon?”
“Yes, but we don’t know where she is.”
“Why didn’t anyone mention her?”
“Because the Ancients forced us to never mention her name ever again. There was a tie vote about what to do with her if we ever found her. The Ancients ruled with the other party, saying that she left because she knew what Goran was planning.”
“She would never do that, they shared a dent,” I spoke out of turn. “Sorry.”
“They were dents! What was the Queen’s ability, Dad?” It looked as if Lucian was going to breathe fire any minute.
“She was immune to chlorine, and I agree with Elena. I don’t think it’s why she left.”
“Why did she leave then? Where did she go?”
King Helmut quickly told him the story of Tanya Le Frey. It was the same one Cheng’s had told me. A sad memory lingered on King Helmut’s face after he was done.
“If I find her, do you think she can help with my foretelling?”
“Lucian, if she is alive and does know something, you better be a good guesser.” He took a bite out of the sandwich Queen Margerite put in front of him. He chewed fast and swallowed. “If she’s still bound to Queen Catherine’s vows, she can’t tell you anything. Not even death can break her of them. That is how powerful a dent’s bond is. So you better guess right. It’s the only way the vow can be released and she can tell you what she knows.”
“Still, it’s worth a shot Dad.”
“We don’t know where she is,” Queen Margerite said. Her tone went a bit higher and her hand flew in the air. “She might still be on the other side, and so help me I’m not going to let you go to the Acker Woods to search for her either. People don’t come out of there.”
“Mom, I can take care of myself. I don’t need your permission anymore.”
“Lucian.”
“No, you should’ve told me. Did Cheng mentioned where she was?” He looked at me.
Wow, thanks for that Lucian. Now everyone knew it was Cheng who had told me. I shook my head.
“She might still be on the other side, son. She had a family.”
“She had a family?” I asked this time. Cheng didn’t mention anything about a family.
“Jako, the Copper-Horn I told you about earlier was her husband. When she left with his daughter, he followed them.”
“She had a daughter?” Lucian asked.
“Yes, she was about six when Tanya left with her. Jako went to search for them. I remember it so well. King Albert refused to sign for a free pass. He said something about not able to rule Paegeia properly without him. He begged him to stay, but Jako’s love for Tanya was stronger than his loyalty to the King, so he found another way without King Albert’s pass. Nobody has seen Jako since.”
Lucian gave a chuckle of disbelief. “Dad, didn’t anyone think that she was important to society? Here all of us thought that the Queen got a piece of Sir Robert’s essence, meanwhile she had a dragon. And not just any dragon, they were a dent, Dad. Which means that Queen Catherine might have been the first person to dent with a dragon, apart from the Ancients. It’s history that just vanished.”
“The Ancients, Lucian.”
“Screw the Ancients, Mom. They are a bunch of old farts who think they know everything.” He glared back at his Dad. “You are my father. You know how long I’ve been struggling with this foretelling. You should’ve told me about this.”
“Lucian.”
“Don’t Elena, Lucian is right. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about Tanya, son. I just don’t think your answer lies with her,” King Helmut spoke quietly.
“She is the only one that can tell me, at least, if there is something out there to help me claim Blake, Dad.”
“And what if you can’t find her, Lucian?” the Queen sounded hysterical.
He jumped up from his chair. “I will find her.”
“Margerite,” King Helmut put his hand on her shoulder as she wanted to argue more. He blew out a gush of air and moved his plate with the sandwich on it away from him. “You can’t tell anyone that you know about her. They won’t believe that Elena told you. They will think that it was me.”
Lucian shook his head. “Don’t worry Dad, your secret is safe. I won’t mention her name.”
