Paths among Dreams

King Mikel

.Chapter two

King Mikel

The weather was beginning to cool and leaves began to fall though the king barely noticed anymore. When he was a child, his brothers and sisters knew the changes in the weather marked the time when the fall harvest would take place and there would be a week full of festivities. Bon fires would light the night sky and spiced cider would warm their bellies. Dragon Blood would showcase their gifts and talents. His father would turn ponds to ice so the children could skate and sled, his mother created dancers made of fire. Once a year at the end of the harvest a dragon could be seen flying across the darkened sky. Memories were the only company the lonely king could keep. It was while he was lost in these very memories that he heard the palace door crash open.

“What in the name of the great dragon is going on out here?” The king yelled as he made his way to the entrance. “Who dares enter the palace walls without invitation” he called out before he was stopped short. To his surprise, there on horseback was a woman with snow white hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. She was covered in furs and appeared to have something strapped to her horse in front of her. It too was covered in heavy fur.

“Highness, it's Kira. She fell from her horse and she won’t wake. I’ve tried everything, please help her.” Rina cried while climbing off her steed. The king was slow to react as he couldn’t stop staring at this small beautiful creature before him. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes on.

“My King, please?” She pleaded with the king.

“My lady, who are you?’ he asked a bit slowly and as if to emphasize her urgency, Rina pulled the furs from Kira’s motionless body. Instantly the king recognized his older sister and called for the palace healer before pulling Kira off the horse. As he carried her to the nearest salon he still couldn’t tear his eyes off this beautiful woman before him. After not having much to do for several years the palace healer arrived in short order hoping to be useful again. “My lady, who are you and how have you come to have the Safire Lady?” The King repeated.

Rina could not form any words and only looked over the healer's shoulder trying to see if her companion, her friend, was ok. “Lady, I will not ask again!” yelled the king, frustration growing with each passing moment.

Rina, pulled from her panic, snapped her head to the king, pinning him with an angry stare, yet still she didn’t answer.Shocked by the lady’s audacity to ignore his demand, the king opened and closed his mouth several time without actually saying a word. As the king was about to inform this woman of her mistake, he was interrupted by the loud and raspy intake of breath from his injured sister only steps away.

“My king Kira is alive but very weak. I’m afraid her journey has cost her much of her remaining energy. Allow her some rest. That is all I can say for now.” The healer seemed at a loss.

“Bullshit!” Rina said, gritting her teeth, sure that the healer wasn’t trying hard enough. “She was fine, talking, eating and carrying on not hours ago. We stopped to rest and after a while I began to guide her horse, sure she wouldn’t want to waste time.” Rina paused, not quite sure how to continue.

“My lady, none of that explains her current state.” The healer said only stating the obvious.

Surprising everyone, the king told everyone to “shut up”. Slowly King Mikel walked over and sat beside his sister on the oversized couch. Tilting her head back and opening his mouth he breathed a golden essence right into his sister. Shortly after Kira began to cough and stir, gradually coming back to herself. When she opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings, she began to cry. Quickly he pulled Kira into his arms and held her allowing her to cry and gather herself in the safety of his embrace.

“Oh my king, I've missed you.” Kire said drying her eyes and looking at her brother.

“King or not I’m just Mikel to you sister.” He smiled looking down at her. “But if you would do me a small favor and explain to me why you are here and who this is that you brought with you.’

“Oh Rina, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Kira pushed away from her brother reaching for her friend who stood silently crying watching the scene before her unfold. Kira thought Rina was afraid for her, but only now looking in Rina’s eyes did she notice Rina was angry on top of her fear. “I’m so sorry Rina.” Kira said quietly, casting her eyes down with regret.

“Who is this woman?” The king asked for what felt like the millionth time.

“Her name is Rina, brother. She is an herbalist from the western forest village. She comes and spends her time with me in the garden. She is my companion and hopefully still my friend.” Kira explained somewhat apologetically.

“I see.” The king said with a small frown on his face. As Rina was titled by her skill, it meant she was not Dragon Blood born. He wasn’t quite certain why that disappointed him, but it did none the less.

“She truly is wonderful. Rina is the one who has helped me advance my medicines. She’s caring and thoughtful and my family loves her. She was kind enough to make this journey with me and I’m grateful, but I fear she is angry with me.” Kira looked to Rina who was bouncing her toes with her arms across her chest while staring daggers at the Safire Lady.

“Now who are you to be angry with the Lady of the House of Safire. What right…” The king began to admonish the stranger before him, but he was cut off by her brash explanation.

“I am her companion and her friend. I spend all of my days helping her care for the health of her people and listen to her tales of legend. I listen to the story behind the story for years of my life. Through the good, the bad and the ill and she never told me she was a dragon. We have shared everything and she never told me.” Her anger turned to sadness as Rina began to cry.

“How could you, my Lady?” Rina covered her face with her hands and began walking the way she came. When she reached the entrance to the palace, her hands bunched into fists and her pale luminescent skin turned red. She arrived to find her horse and supplies were no longer there and she would have to face Kira and the king to retrieve them. She stomped her foot and turned around only to be met with a small emerald green dragon sitting in front of her swishing his long tail above him. It was at this moment she screamed.

As she cursed herself and pulled at her long braids, the king and Kira were entering the entrance hall, scrambling to see what was happening.

“Why are you screaming Rina, are you alright child?”

“Why would I be alright? You lied to me and there is a dragon standing right here! Have I lost my mind, is this a trick, what…” Rina was interrupted by loud rolling laughter. She turned from Kira and looked at King Mikel who was the source of this outburst and wondered why the dragon also appeared to find this moment funny.

“My Lady,.My Lady. I don’t mean to make light of your, uhh circumstance. It's just, well, where did you think you were delivering my sister to? This is the Dragon Blood Palace, whom did you think dwelled here? What would give you the impression that the Safire Lady was anything other than a Safire dragon?” The king asked, wondering if the lady before him was ill educated or ill in her mind.

“Rina, I share every important part of me with you, everything I thought mattered. It was never my intention to hide myself from you.” Kira explained while attempting to stop the small dragon that was pulling on her fur coat. Rina looked at everything around her and every story she had been told, every celebration, every myth she read as a child flashed through her mind and she couldn't believe how much of it was true.

“My Lady, please come and sit. You will stay a few days and we will get to the bottom of this confusion. Hmm? You can fill me in on my big sister's tales and I can understand better what silly things my kingdom believes in now?” King Mikel bowed his head and began making his way further down the hall and further into the palace no one had entered in over one hundred and fifty years.