Rhianon-8. War and Magic

Rhianon-8. War and Magic
Natalie Yacobson

Until now, the will of heaven has forced Madael to fight only on the side of justice, but out of jealousy he breaks the law of heaven and takes the side of King Manfred. The king, who had dreamed of enlisting the support of the winged warrior, quickly regrets the fact that he got him. After all, it turns out that he has summoned a true demon lord to his armies. Madael wants to give Rhianon an ultimatum. She must give him the child she is about to give birth to.

Rhianon-8. War and Magic

Natalie Yacobson

Translator Natalia Lilienthal

© Natalie Yacobson, 2022

© Natalia Lilienthal, translation, 2022

ISBN 978-5-0059-0923-7 (т. 8)

ISBN 978-5-0056-8618-3

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

General interests

She was awakened by a terrifying noise. The walls of the castle seemed to be shaking, as if some force was destroying the sky and the earth beneath them. Rhianon opened her eyes and noticed how the crystal on the dressing tables trembled and the pendants of the chandelier shook. Everything from the bases of the earth, the piles and foundations to the uppermost spires on the towers was in motion. It felt as if some giant was destroying a grandiose structure with his mighty fist like a toy. What was it? Was it an earthquake, a hurricane of unbelievable strength? Was it a storm or a doomsday?

At the last guess, she jumped up and began dressing herself in a hurry, not waiting for the fairy maids. What if it was Madael who had come with all his hellish army? What if right now he was standing under the gates of the castle, demanding her surrender, and the noble Ferdinand, of course, would not agree to part with his imaginary spouse? If it were his will, he would not give her up to any demon. But Madael, even alone without his infernal army, is capable of crushing not only the entire royal castle, but Vinor as well. He could turn an entire country to rubble without a second thought. Once he walks through the streets of the city with his flaming sword without his helmet on, those who don’t have time to take his head off will go blind or mad at the sight of him. And if he were to summon a pack of his dragons, they’d have no trouble turning half the world to ash.

With horror, Rhianon could hardly think straight. She grabbed the most sumptuous of her dresses. The ceremonial garment had been the first to arrive. The ceremonial garment fastened at the front with dainty gold buttons, like a royal emblem. She kept the dragon comb in her hair until she went to bed. Surprisingly, it did not prevent her from resting her head comfortably on the pillow. But she had strange dreams, as if she were lying dead under a mountain of treasure in a dragon’s cave, not living in a castle. Maybe it wasn’t her, but some other girl. The dream seemed so real.

«Mistress!»

It was Domian already knocking on the door of the secret passage that he appeared to have known about long ago. Last night they had agreed that he would snitch on her about everything that was going on in the castle and help as much as he could. He respected the fallen angel’s friend in her so much that he was willing to forget all self-interest. He didn’t really have any hobbies. He was tired of power and the impossibility of delaying the impending infirmity and old age. All his dreams had long been to gather as much information about Lucifer’s army as possible and, if possible, to get closer to it. Rhianon had helped him get so close to his cherished dream that the poor man felt dizzy. He had realized from the first that had it not been for her arrival in Vinor he would never have found the angel’s wing feather. If Rhianon had not come, the winged knight that Domian had been able to see at the tournament would never have arrived. Rhianon had advised him not to look too closely in the future, lest he lose his sight. Only she did not know whether Domian would have the fortitude to heed her advice when temptation was near again.

All along it seemed to her that Madael would come here and his appearance would prove devastating not only to her, but to everything around her now. She just didn’t think it would happen so soon.

If Domian was knocking on her door this early, something incredible had happened. Yesterday, when he’d helped her carry and hide the sword, he’d acted surprisingly manly, today his voice was trembling. Then something terrible was about to happen. Rhianon did not immediately think of him bringing her news of another attack. What if war had already begun? Had Manfred found powerful new allies and attacked Vinor himself? It was unlikely to happen, and yet fear struck her.

For a minute she came to her senses, not even rushing to let the waiting Domian in. He must have thought something must have happened to her already, because he looked extremely frightened. The first thing he did was to look at the window, which was wide open.

«Close it!» He pleaded.

«But why is it?» Rhianon took her time. Her windows were too high above ground level. Even if a storm were to break out below the cliffs on which the fortress towered in the Royal Harbor, it was unlikely that the spray from the waves would reach that high up. «Is there a storm coming? Or are we being taken under siege? Should I be wary of enemy arrows?»

He shook his head in the negative.

«Very well,» Rhianon knew of only one kind of creature other than a bird that could fly in here. An unsettling suspicion stirred in her heart again. Could it be Madael?

«It is better for you not to be alone now. It will be safer in the throne room. The men are gathered there. The archers in the towers are ready to fire, too, if necessary. They’re good shots. But their arrowheads aren’t designed to penetrate such armor.»

«You intrigue me,» Rhianon took her hand mirror and gazed at her reflection. She hadn’t slept much tonight, but she looked beautiful. Behind her was the reflection of a misty dawn and an open window. Something seemed to gleam in the gray sky. Rhianon noticed that the curve of a wing was reflected in the mirror.

«Be careful!» Dominic warned her.

She stepped back from the window and peered beyond, where she could make out the shape of a dragon. She focused her sharpened vision. The dragon must be able to see her from this distance, but he didn’t need her. She really needed him, though. He was a bright copper-yellow hue, with incredible green eyes like emeralds and a golden crest across his back.

«Just don’t get Vivian here. He needs his dragon scales armor alone,» she grinned, took one last look in the mirror to fix her disheveled locks, and was off before Domian could stop her.

«Where are you going?» He clasped his hands in despair as he struggled to keep up with her. «The throne room, I told you, is where everyone is…»

But she was hurtling up the countless flights of steps and spiral staircases. The more swiftly the others flocked down into the warmth and safety of the throne room, the more she was drawn upward, to the very spires of the towers, to the parapet, to the gray overcast skies. She had been afraid of heights before, but now she longed to go up. Soon she was on the roof. It was cold up here. The archers, who had already prepared to shoot, didn’t even notice her. Some were drawing the bowstring, others were checking the sharpness of their arrows, and some were firing cannons and heavy cannonballs. The dragon was just approaching the castle. In another minute it would either fly swiftly over the spires or attack. If the second happened, there would be a battle that these people might not win. Rhianon imagined how pathetic they looked in the dragon’s eyes. They were small and frail, with their bows and toy sabers or swords. They would do him even less harm than needles would do a thick turtle shell.

Rhianon held her breath. Here was her chance to negotiate with the dragon. It is with another one. This one was much bigger than the one she had played with in the cave. It was prettier, stronger, and surely more powerful. Rhianon knew he could see her even from a great distance. She stood on the parapet. The excitement was so great that even the fear of falling down in front of him meant nothing.

«Notice me! Notice me!» She begged him mentally. «I need to negotiate with you.»

Her puffy azure dress fluttered in the wind, must have looked like a banner. In any case, the frail maiden figure must attract a dragon. He is drawn by beauty and innocence, something Dennitsa had before he fell. Dragons are magnetically attracted to anything that even remotely resembles him. And who is more like him than she? So she must be more precious to them than all the other innocent maidens, or gold, or jewels. They must all strive for her, and even fight over her if they must. It would be better if they fought at her side. Rhianon trembled with anticipation. Just a moment more and she could look into his eyes, reach out and touch the sharp teeth of the comb on his head, mentally start a conversation.

It was very cold on high ground. Even the archers, dressed warmly under their cuirasses, were freezing, their fingers straining the bowstring and laying arrows trembling, either from strain or from cold. She herself was warmed by the flames that beat beneath her skin instead of her blood. Her magical power was growing. Even if a dragon came at her with fire, she could summon her power into an invisible shield and fend off the blow. She didn’t want to burn the dragon herself. For him it was a bad time anyway. It was going to rain. Rhianon felt the first raindrops hit her face.

«I must speak to you, please!» She was whispering instead of speaking mentally. «Just look at me!»

Look at me! This is how the forest fairies beg the wayfarers to turn around at the seductive voice and be captured by them forever. In fact, she wanted the same thing. Rhianon expected that by recognizing in her the likeness of his first warlord, all the infernal creatures would serve her. With her own tame dragons, she could become the strongest ruler in the world. How to make them at least look at her and discern in her all the things they had long loved and lost.

If the dragon has already spotted the lonely figure standing on the parapet with her golden head and the stolen comb in her hair, what is he waiting for? It is, after all, his comb. Rhianon had already guessed. The dragon flew here to return what he had stolen. Naturally he would have returned it, along with his new victim. Surely, in his mind, any girl who wore his jewelry herself would also become his property. He could sense from afar that a living creature owned his thing. He planned to grab it along with the comb and carry it away with him. So what is he waiting for? Why doesn’t he pick it up and rain fire down on the castle while he still has the strength. And will he be able to spew jets of flame when the storm comes? Rhianon didn’t even know that.

She noticed how the dragon slowed its flight. It regarded her long and intently. Sharply glowing eyes glittered in his forehead. It looked as if it reflected a rainbow. The curved horns bent just above it. Its nostrils flared menacingly, but it kept its fire out, though that had been its intention just a moment ago – to explode the castle in flames. Rhianon suddenly realized that she could read his thoughts. She’d never been able to do that before. Could it be because of the comb?

In any case, a ridge would not have the power to make a dragon hover in the air above the tower and gaze at the young queen. The archers amicably lowered their arrows, but they bounced off the dragon’s armor in an instant. One of the arrows that ricocheted back struck the archer in the shoulder. Now his comrades were supporting him, and he was bleeding. Someone shouted that it was time to fire the cannons. Rhianon hoped the dragon would fly over the tower before the gunner lit the fuse. Or would a cannonball also do it no harm?

«Could we make a deal?» She turned to him mentally.

Maybe she thought the crowned head bowed slightly, as if to pay her respects. That’s how you bow to your mistress.

The clawed paw did not reach forward to take the comb out of her hair. The dragon stared at her carefully, almost appraisingly. And then suddenly it turned and flew away.

«No!» Rhianon was furious. She even clenched her fists. She would have loved to fire at him now, to scorch his impenetrable tail and wings and spine. But she was being watched. The tower was full of archers, squires bringing arrows and gunners. All these people must not know that their queen could breathe fire as well as a dragon.

Rhianon was furious. How many witnesses watched as the dragon turned and flew away from her? Now they all knew of her humiliation. Instead of serving her, or at least grabbing her and carrying her away to negotiate elsewhere, the dragon simply abandoned her and flew away.

Had she had strength enough, she would have torn it to pieces herself to make armor from its scales and wear it as a battle trophy. She knew such warlords who made cups for themselves out of the skull of a defeated enemy. Now she even understood them. She wanted the same thing. But a dragon that had flown away was beyond her reach.

And on top of that, there were so many onlookers watching her fail. They were the only ones who looked at her with admiration. Of course, they didn’t know that it wasn’t her victory, but her defeat.

Rhianon slid surprisingly easily off the parapet, careful not to look down. The height frightened her. The roof of the castle became wet with rain drops. Carefully avoiding the puddles, she wandered away into the warmth and comfort of the castle chambers. And just as she was leaving, a thunderstorm began.

«He wants to see you,» the spirit whispered in her ear, not even paying attention to the fact that she didn’t want to hear it. The quiet whisper merged with the crackling of the fire in the fireplace, and it was impossible to distinguish one from the other.

Rhianon rested her head on the back of the carved chair and watched the play of the flames in the fireplace’s yawning fireplace. Today it did not irritate, on the contrary, it sent a kind of pleasant current through her veins. After soaking in the rain, she didn’t feel hot from the flames inside her. This had happened to her for the first time. Had one mishap made the fire in her go out?

Rhianon was not even sure what the invisible interlocutor was talking about. And when she did, he was already breaking news.