Chapter 150

CHARLES

Joseph and I were gathered in the war room deep within the castle, reviewing protections and protocol for a siege, my parents and a few other royal advisors also present. I was repeating the intel that Isabella had managed to capture in Abernathy when a messenger burst into the room, his face flushed.

“There is a dragon approaching the castle!” He cried out, panic flashing in his eyes.

Joseph and I were out of our chairs and sprinting to the courtyard before he could say another word.

As soon as we reached the outside area, I immediately recognized the familiar shape descending from the clouds.

Hades.

He had fled from the scene in Barlow, clearly terrified from Felix’s power blast and the defeat of our army. But my dragon had returned now, perhaps sensing that I was once again above ground and free.

“Did anyone see him flying in?” Joseph asked one of the guards.

The guard shook his head. “He arrived from the north, so it does not seem like he was spotted at all. However, we’re not quite sure what to do with him.”

Joseph shot me a warning glance. His message was clear: we will discuss this privately.

The guards hurried back to their posts, avoiding the beast’s large wingspan as he settled into the courtyard. When the dragon saw me, he gave a happy, gentle roar.

I rushed over to the dragon, thrilled to see that he was in decent shape. He was a bit malnourished and skinnier than usual, but overall, he looked significantly better than any of the other dragons who were currently suffering in the castle aviary.

Joseph walked over to us, his face full of questioning. “Where has he been?”

“No idea,” I said, running my hand down one of his leathery wings. “I think he may have been hiding out in the mountains.”

“That would certainly explain why he’s in better shape than the rest of the dragons,” Joseph mused. “The magic drain seems to be coming from the ground up.”

“It doesn't seem like he’s eaten,” I said, only half-paying attention to what Joseph was saying. “I wonder if there was any food for him up in the mountains.”

Joseph hesitated for a moment. “Look, Charles, let me be honest with you. We need a dragon. More specifically, we need someone on dragonback to go assess the riot situation from the air and figure out what it is exactly we’re dealing with. The King is who knows where and we’re all lame ducks here in the castle.”

I looked at him, slightly shocked that my brother’s goody-two-shoes assistant would dare to suggest I leave the castle. If Felix were here, he would never let me leave.

“Are you implying I should be the one to investigate?” I attempted to clarify.

Joseph sighed and looked down at the ground. “I don’t really trust you, Charles. I nearly died during the Battle of Barlow and I lost several good friends along the way. But we need everyone now, and that includes you. Those shackles on your wrist will prevent you from turning against us.”

“I did not realize that the coup would lead to all this,” I admitted.

Joseph raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this what you wanted, though? For people to doubt Felix as a ruler, and see you as their best viable option?”

“I–” I scrambled to put my racing thoughts into words. “In some ways, yes. But I did not want to topple the crown, or put so many lives in danger.”

Except I had wanted that. In my rage and anger, I had been willing to burn everything down around me in a grasp for power. Now that I was faced with the truth behind those feelings, though, I felt much smaller and far less mighty than I had leading the army.

“I love Fresonia more than anything,” I finally said. “Everything I’ve done, however misguided, was for the country.”

Joseph nodded once. “And I suppose the same goes for Lady Isabella.”

“She is a grown woman and can make her own choices,” I said, “but I would be lying if I said that I did not manipulate her into doing what I wanted.”

“At least you’re admitting it,” Joseph said. “Look, I don’t love the idea of setting you loose in the kingdom with a dragon. But right now it’s our only hope. Hades is the only healthy dragon we have and you’re his only rider.”

“I will return,” I promised, before hopping into Hades’ slightly war-torn saddle.

“You better,” Joseph warned. But there was no threat in his eye as I took off.

It was a relief to be on dragonback again. Hades and I made sure to stay close to the cloud cover in order to stay out of sight from the ground. From up here, it was obvious that the crowds converging on the castle were not just angry–they were massive.

It was clear that they were angry, still recovering from the war I started and harboring doubts and fears against the royal family. I knew that at the heart of these riots was the fear that the crown would one day use dragons against the people–a fear I had inadvertently created by doing that exact thing in Barlow.

There was always going to be a reckoning with the magic. My brother had long wanted to tell his people the truth. I had just kick-started that in the most violent way and left him to clean up my mess.

I did not know I could feel any more shame, but somehow, I did.

I dared to fly a little lower to the ground to seek out Felix. There were no signs of him, except for the literal poster boards with his face on them that a few of the protestors were carrying.

Fresonia was not a particularly large kingdom, but Felix could be anywhere. It did not seem like he had reunited with Mila yet, as I could still feel a clear drain on the magic. Hades seemed to sense it, too–his movements were slower and more labored than the last time I’d been with him.

I turned my attention south, towards Abernathy, and thought of Isabella.

I knew that neither of us would ever fully be clean of our sins against the kingdom and the crown, but what we were doing now could maybe prove our changing hearts.

Even now, Isabella was in the palace of Abernathy. I did not want to know what she had done to get the information on magic-hoarding from the King of Abernathy, even though I had my suspicions. Most men could not resist Isabella’s charms–my brother was perhaps the only exception.

There was no reason for me to be jealous. She was a beautiful girl and although I had hinted at my feelings for her, I had never made it clear that I cared and wanted to be with her. She was not mine, and I had no claim to her. Still, I wished things were different, that I had handled everything better when it came to her.

There was no point in getting worked up about it, even though I could feel my heart race as I remembered how it felt to lay next to her, to be inside her. I did not want to share that sensation with any other man, even if it was for spying purposes. Was the King a better lover than me? Was Isabella enjoying herself?

I dragged my thoughts back to the crowds gathering far below me, too focused on their march to the capital to notice the dark, dragon-shaped outline silhouetted against the clouds.

Those in the castle did not have much time. We needed Felix, as soon as possible.

But where was he?