The Well in the Mires

Dragon Reborn

There was a lot of bustling as the evening crept in. Elen and Hati entered Fenna's room together, dressed well for the event. She looked over from the window that was illuminated from the torches in the courtyard below, casting their orange glow upon her.

"Lady Fenna, the banquet is ready. Prince Udich is eager for your attendance." Elen said coaxingly.

"Come now, Lady," Hati reinforced softly with a gesture toward the door.

With a quick nod, Fenna allowed herself to be ushered out by the two women. The three walked confidently through the castle, Elen and Hati, leading the way, side by side.

Udich's smile fell from his face when they entered the room. He had just seen her earlier today. She was still wearing the same clothes and hadn't changed. But her confident walk was new. He liked her head up high. He felt like a fire was ripping through his chest and filling his body. His eyes felt as if they would melt through his lids. He gripped his chest and leaned on the table for support. He clamped his eyes shut, then decided not to hide it. He let the feeling overcome him, the warmth becoming something pleasant. He opened his eyes slowly, letting them burn plainly. It would all come out soon anyway.

"I guess this brings new meaning to heartburn?" Esher whispered from beside him. He shot him an incredulous look with a raised brow, causing Esher to bite his lip in order to stifle his laughter.

He raised his gaze to her, relaxing a bit. "Lady Fenna. Please, come sit beside me," he gestured to the chair beside him.

Landon pulled out her chair and helped her sit, while the other two women found their seats. She felt shy, sitting at the end of the table as if she, herself, were of the same status of any of them, let alone the prince. Did she even have a status? Or was it Udich who decided that for her upon arrival?

There was a very large gap between them and the rest of the attendees at the table. They all looked eager to start. She assumed them to be officials and those of high status as they did not appear to be servants. On either side of the table were two other unoccupied tables of the same length. Her eyes scanned her surroundings to get a better understanding of the layout of the interior.

Udich cleared his throat, and her eyes landed back on him. She sucked in. His eyes almost seemed drunk, fixed on her. The burn she thought she saw the day before was very evident. There was no denying it. Despite the phenomenon, she felt safe in those eyes.

"Shall we begin?" He asked, transfixed. She breathed out slowly, nodding as butterflies started to dance around inside her. She couldn't tear herself from those golden orbs. His eyes closed slowly, and he began.

"As you all know, there is a prophecy. That prophecy may have started much earlier than any of us realized." He started, and some of the men at the end shifted, listening closely. "As a mere babe, I fell ill with a mysterious illness. This illness was the start of the prophecy for me, for it was no ordinary illness." His voice was strong and convincing. He only flicked his eyes to the other end briefly to ensure he had their attention, but his gaze returned to rest on Fenna each time, lingering on her softly.

"This illness was more of a curse, an ancient darkness that had been yearning to return to this world. It was the start of a war outside of the tension and conflicts we have with neighboring countries. That war has brought many of us together. Because that war afflicts us all." He stood, and as he did so, the flames in the room grew in size and brightness.

"Physician after physician, healer after healer, mage after mage, prayer after prayer, nothing was working. I suffered, a black taint filling my veins. My skin turned blue and I struggled to breathe. After months of fevers and seizing, my body grew cold and my breathing slowed to almost nothing. I was next to dead." He tore his eyes from her as she sat in awe. His golden eyes turned to a molten red as they scanned the men at the end. They all gasped. Some leaned on the edges of their seats. Even Esher was taken a bit aback. Landon swallowed hard as Elen and Hati were dumbfounded.

"Some of you were there when my father sought out the old witch despite the protests of my mother. She believed that old woman only meant ill herself. The woman was the keeper of the last ancient dragon relics. Her skills are well beyond that of anyone known alive today. She made a deal with my father in secret that my father swears to take to his grave. In exchange, she performed a ritual containing the blood of an ancient dragon. That blood has changed me. I am a man with the blood of the dragon. I can resist the taint. I am stronger and faster than an ordinary man of my physique. As of late, the dragon within me has been waking. I do not know if it is related to the prophecy, but I believe it is here to stay." His eyes ran down her hair and face as if to caress them for a moment. She fought the urge to swoon.

"There is a war right at our door that threatens humanity itself. I will use this blood of mine however I can to fight back!" The men at the other end roared with cheers. "Now for another matter. Lady Fenna here," he held a hand, gesturing for her to stand. She did quickly with the aid of Landon pulling out her chair. "Has recently become a victim of this prophecy. As many know, once we got wors of the prophecy, we headed to the seer for more information. What many of you do not know is that our council was cut short. Lady Fenna is from a far away kingdom. She was brought here by some force and is integral to our success in this prophecy. However, we do not know to what means." He looked at her with pained eyes as he answered her questions. "We are currently unable to return her and are unsure of when or how we will be able to do so as of the moment."

Her eyes stung with the tears she held back as she blinked in understanding. "Please treat her with the utmost respect, as you would me. She needs to be protected at all costs." He croaked out painfully, seeing her face.He composed himself with a pained scowl. "Unfortunately, the seer seems to have vanished and the information on the rest of the prophecy with her. Her trail is cold."

He gently lifted her hand and leaned in. "I hope this answers some of your questions, at least to some degree. Even I am a bit lost right now. I hope you can forgive me and remain ever patient. Please let us know if there is ever anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable here. If it is within reason, we will do what we can." His voice was sweet as he searched her eyes with sincerity. She blinked back the wetness in her eyes, and he whispered, "Why don't you have a seat?"

He raised his head confidently and cleared his throat, gently placing her hand back on the table. A few of the others looked between them, coming to their own conclusions.

"Landon," he said firmly. "You said you had news from the North?"

Landon quickly helped Fenna into her seat before starting. "Indeed! King Adrian of the Northern Kingdom of Khavatt has agreed to allow trades of weapons and temporarily cease conflicts over the ore at the borders."

"That sounds great!" A large, burly man with tan skin and curly brown hair boomed.

Brushing it off, Udich asked, "What of the pact?"

"The King will be traveling south to make arrangements with you. He has a deal he wishes to discuss. I am unaware of the details. A treaty no boubt. He seemed very reluctant." Landon spoke plainly.

Udich nodded in contemplation, "King Adrian is not a very underhanded man despite his difficulty. We will welcome him."

"Of course," Landon obediently nodded.

"When will he be coming?"

"I am uncertain."

The man from earlier grumbled toward two other men in much more decorated clothing, "I don't see why we should. He's coming to our territory. We could just end it all and take what we wanted."

Fenna was instantly enraged by this man's audacity. She slammed her hands on the table and shot up from her seat, almost knocking it over. Many at the table flinched as the whole thing rattled despite its sturdy size. If her eyes could burn too, they would as she scowled down at them. They felt shivers in their spines, reminding them of their insolence. Landon, Esher, and Udich looked over in surprise. Her face burned with embarrassment. She stepped way out of line.

Esher stood in solidarity with Fenna's actions. Udich again picked up her hand, but this time, he kissed the tips of her fingers. He felt pride in her standing up for his country and its honor. His head turned slowly to the men at the other end, the sources of fire burning hotter as he did so.

"Sir Brennan, may I remind you, Sir Ivan and Sir Jerick, that we are not here to start more wars. We need as many allies as we can get. Please do not threaten that peace. As you can see, Lady Fenna feels very strongly about the diplomacy of this country. It would be a shame and potentially detrimental if three of my most important men were to be guilty of high treason."

The large man, who was easily larger than Udich, seemed to shake. He looked around nervously and lowered his head. The other two mumbled nervously, seemingly to acknowledge Brennan's mistake.

"Sorry, my lord. It won't happen again. Lady Fenna, please forgive my insolence. I will use better judgment in the future."

Udich silently helped Fenna return to her seat. Before returning to his own, he leaned over and whispered, "Be careful. Diplomacy can be dangerous."

The rest of the banquet, she was quiet as she ate. She just wanted to go to bed and process alone. Brennan kept stealing cold glances at her whenever he thought no one was looking. Esher stood like a tower and leaned his weight toward the man as a signal that he was aware of his actions.

"My lord, I think it would be best if the "The Princess"," he annunciated carefully watching the reaction of the man, who's face fell as he continued, "retired for the night. She seems very tired. I will accompany her to her room."

Udich clenched his jaw in understanding. "Hati, Elen, why don't you accompany them as well." He swirled his goblet in irritation, refusing to lift his eyes. It clicked instantly, and Landon sat back in his seat with a cold expression. "Landon and I have some unfinished business." He looked up at Landon, who nodded in understanding.

"Come now, lady," Hati said nervously. "It's late."

Fenna looked confused but didn't question Esher's hand when held out to her. She took it and allowed him to lead her with the two maids in toe.

Upon arriving to her room, Esher grabbed Hati's arm, allowing only Fenna and Elen to enter. "I need you to help me secure the floor. Tell your maids to keep an eye out and report anything suspicious. Elen should stay with her for the night."

She looked shocked. "Alright. I'll let Elen know." He quickly left with loud scrapes of his heavy armor. Without wasting a moment she skittered into the room, hurrying over to the fireplace. "Elen! If you could help me for a moment." Elen quickly came to assist her. "You are to stay here with the young lady. Esher and the prince suspect something. Perhaps you can take her mind off of her stress."

"Of course. I'll do what I can."

Hati quickly stood, "I'll have the maids bring you some necessities. See you in the morning." She went on her way in a rush to spread the news.

Landon waited quietly at the edge of the courtyard, as the prince had asked. His silvery armor reflected the moonlight in this unlit area. A raven flew from above, dropping a rolled letter in the grass. Picking it up, he sighed and readied his sword.

Sir Brennan came around the corner with a look that could kill. He stopped when he realized the man he was supposed to meet was tied up and blindfolded. Without warning, Landon landed a blow in his temple with the pommel of his sword.

The man went straight down but pushed himself back up instantly, ready to fight. He pulled his dagger from behind and went straight for the gaps on the abdomen of Landon's armor. Landon maneuvered away with a spin and smacked the dagger from his hand, with his own blade, leaving a small cut across his knuckle. The pain caused the man to stumble when he recoiled, leaving him open. Landon wasted no time, greeting the back of his head with a gauntlet. Sir Brennan crumpled to the ground in a heap.

While tying him up, he said, "Sir Brennan, you are found to be guilty of treason on many counts. While we continue to investigate your crimes against the country and crown, you will be held in the prison beneath the keep until we are able to give you a trial."

He opened the note to nose at its contents. "As we thought. Sir Brennan, you certainly have been a deviously busy man, haven't you?" Some of his men arrived and stood attentively, awaiting orders. "Make sure these men are made "comfortable" in their new cells. We can't have them trying to escape. Lord Udich will want to have a word with them later."

"Sir!" The men said before lifting the two like sacks of potatoes and carrying them off.

Outside Fenna's room, Udich paced in front of the door, rubbing the back of his neck. Landon approached him triumphantly.

"What's all this? She's fine. You have nothing to worry about." He stopped and looked him up and down. "This really isn't like you. Here!" He flicked out the parchment playfully. "Maybe this can take your mind of things." With an inquisitive look, he took it, opening it. "Sir Brennan has been taken into custody. He and one of his cohorts are "resting" in the prison as we speak." Ladon studied Udich's face as he studied the note.

"I will have a word with them later. Perhaps Esher would like to "tickle their toes" for some answers prior to my visit." He said flatly as he focused on the writing.

Landon twisted puckered lips playfully before responding. "It is as we suspected. Sir Brennan has been operating a crime ring for quite some time. They have been smuggling weapons and operating as highway men, often killing the traders and merchants from Khavatt."

"Mm, it's no wonder our conflict has grown so much in the last five years. Do we have more information? It may be wise to hand him over to Khavatt if that's the case. But evidence is key." He pressed his thumb against his lips, studying the words on the parchment.

"Brennan has also been plotting against you and your father for some time. It seems that he and some officials of other countries have been working on creating a coup to take down a handful of countries."

"Well, that's awfully ambitious and foolish." He said with a sigh.

"Apparently, he's been skimming off the top and doing his own thing."

He looked up from the note irritated. "Is he so dumb to test his luck to such a degree? What else have you found?"

"I have sent some of my men to his home and lodge to see if he's left anything note worthy behind. Sir Ivan and Sir Jerick have confessed to doing trades with him. Jerick, in particular, seems to simply be a bystander. Ivan, on the other hand, may have more going on than he's letting on. They have agreed to let all goods traded to them by Sir Brennan be confiscated."

"Good, keep an eye on Ivan. Can't have things slipping through all the cracks." He sighed and looked over at the door. He smiled slightly when he heard Fenna giggle inside.

"She's really done a number on you, huh?" Landon said with a soft smile.

"I hardly know her. But my heart feels as if it's known her since the beginning of time." He stared longingly at the door.

"Come now. Lady Fenna is in there smiling. Elen is keeping her company. She'll be just fine." He wrapped his arm around his shoulder in an attempt to usher his friend over to his room. "You're just next door. I'll stand guard, just in case anything happens."

Udich stood in his doorway, defeated. "Can you tell her I said goodnight?"

"Pft!" He pressed his metal clad hand over his mouth, earning him a seething glare from Udich. "Yes, I can definitely do that. Goodnight Udich." He shut the door in his face and scampered over to Fenna's door, knocking softly. Elen and Fenna answered the door together.

"Yes? What is it?" Fenna asked.

"Lord Udich would like you to know. He wishes you goodnight."

"Oh!" Her face flushed as she smiled. "Um, I wish him a goodnight as well."

He nodded and trotted back to the other door. The girls watched curiously at his strange behavior through a c***k. He knocked on the door, only to have Udich swing the door open instantly. He leaned in playfully.

"Lady Fenna would like you to know. She also wishes you a good night." He smirked at him, and the girls burst out laughing, shutting the door.

The prince stood there in dumbfounded rage, clenching his jaw as he stared down the knight. "Goodnight to you as well, SIR Landon." He slammed the door in Landon's face and buried his reddened face in his hands, letting out a long breath. How was he supposed to sleep with his childhood friend being so embarrassing?