The Dragon King nodded. Within the false helm, the thin, lipless mouth stretched into a toothy smile. "Understand that my fellows truly have no choice; the idea of a new emperor is repellent to some after two decades of complete independence, but they also recognize the need. My race isss faltering; you know that. If we are to survive in the world of men, a world the Dragonrealm ha.s.ss already become, then we must unite dessspite our differences!"

Cabe smoothed his robe, trying to think of a delicate way to say what needed to be said. He could find no way but the simple truth. "There are many who think that a reunited drake race is the last thing we need. There are some who say that now that humans have the strength, it's time to deal with your kind once and for all."

"I am certain that Melicard of Talak isss one of them."

"One but hardly the worst. The Dragon Kings, again your company excepted, my lord, have rarely endeared themselves to mankind. A new emperor is to some simply a resurrecting of old evils."

For a time there was only silence, as both drake lord and sorcerer considered what they were attempting. Then, the Green Dragon said, "I never expected it to be simple, but I know it must be done. So do you, Cabe Bedlam."

"I-" The warlock's agreement was cut short by the sight of a figure lurking just within the room beyond the balcony. Cabe abandoned his position and stalked over to the entrance. The Dragon King watched but did not question.

"What is it, Grath?"

Out onto the balcony emerged a drake, but one different in so many ways from the forest lord. Whereas the Green Dragon wore the form of a h.e.l.lish knight of emerald hue, this one more resembled a human. Shorter than Cabe by two or three inches, Grath had sharp, almost elfin features on a human face. His hair was short and dark green, his skin gold with touches of emerald. The young drake smiled nervously, revealing teeth slightly more pointed than that of a human. Like his elder brother, Kyl, Grath caught the eye of many women, both drake and human, but unlike the heir to the drake throne, the younger offspring of the unlamented Dragon Emperor seemed not to notice. Grath spent most of his time in the libraries. If . . . when Kyl became emperor, it was intended that Grath serve as advisor and minister.

Cabe had always considered it a blessing that Grath had turned out the way he had. With him to counsel his elder brother, the possibility of Kyl doing something rash was greatly lessened. Not eliminated, but at least lessened.

The drake looked nervously at his guardian, then glanced at the Dragon King. "I . . . heard . . . that my lord Green was here! I just wanted to . . ."

Cabe rescued the faltering Grath. "You want to ask him some more questions, of course." The young drake nodded in silent grat.i.tude. For the most part, Grath shadowed his brother, but given an opportunity to talk with the Green Dragon about drake history, he suddenly became a personality. Cabe could never have believed that a drake could be shy, but that appeared to be the case. "Something strikes me, though. Shouldn't you be taking lessons with Master Traske?"

Grath almost looked guilty. "Master Traske cancelled cla.s.ses but a few minutes ago, Lord Bedlam. I swear that by the Dragon of the Depths!"

"I hope he's not ill." This was not the first time of late that Benjin Traske had abruptly cancelled a session. Granted the human tutor's duties were now limited since most of his charges were nearly of adult age, but the cancellations were coming with much regularity these days. Traske was a huge man in both girth and height, and almost twice as old as Cabe appeared. The scholar had a touch of magic around him, but evidently not enough to slow the aging process. If he was not well . . .

Grath quickly smothered his guardian's concerns for Benjin Traske's health by replying, "No, sssir. He seemed healthy . . ."

Cabe dismissed the matter, deciding that he would speak with the man when he had the opportunity to do so. "If His Majesty has time when we are finished-"

"I would be plea.s.ssed to ssspeak with you, my lord Grath," interrupted the Dragon King. He treated the other drake with deference, almost as if it were Grath, not Kyl, who was about to ascend the throne. Cabe and Gwen, while they, too, respected the younger drake's royal lineage, tried to treat Grath as a young man, not a symbol. Both mages felt it was important to give the dragon heirs some notion of normal behavior. It had been too often the case in the past that kings had been raised with no concept of themselves as real individuals. They were trained to be a power, a living incarnation. While that was necessary to a point, it also meant that they tended to lack the ability to understand the lives of those they ruled.

Whether humans had ever raised drakes before the Green Dragon's suggestion roughly two decades earlier, the warlock could not say. Cabe had no idea whether he and his wife had been correct in their decision to accept the Dragon King's challenge; they could only hope that some good would come of the years the drake children had spent growing up here.

Grath brightened at the drake lord's response.

"But first I must speak with your brother."

That brought a brief darkness to Grath's visage, but he almost immediately recovered. Bowing, he asked, "Shall I go seek him out for you, Uncle?"

The term was strictly one of respect, as was the Dragon King habit of calling one another "brother." Since the various clans rarely mixed, the Green Dragon was no more Grath's uncle than he was Cabe's. However, in the eyes of the dragon prince, it was obvious that he thought of the visiting monarch as approaching as close to the blood tie as was possible. The lord of the Dagora Forest represented everything that Grath had grown up believing in, yet, because of his secondary position, would never be unless something happened to Kyl.

All knew that the younger drake would sacrifice his own life before he would allow anything to happen to his older sibling.

"That would not be proper," returned the Dragon King. "As he will be my lord, it is fitting that I go to him."

Which would only serve to further inflate Kyl's ego, the mage thought. Unfortunately, Kyl had begun to develop his personality long before he had been placed in the care of the Bedlams. While Cabe and Gwen had triumphed in reshaping some edges of that personality, as a whole the heir to the dragon throne was little changed from the day he had first come to them. Still, even the few changes wrought would make Kyl a more trustworthy emperor than his sire had been toward the end.

"Do you know where Kyl is, Grath?"

"Yes, Master Bedlam."

When he saw that the drake would not elaborate, the dark-haired mage grew suspicious. "Where is he, Grath?"

"With Aurim."

"Aurim?" It was not the answer Cabe Bedlam had expected. He wondered why Kyl's brother seemed worried. Aurim and Kyl did on occasion spend time together, mostly because there were few others living at the Manor who were of a similar age. Aurim was also likely the only one the emperor-designate considered near his own station. Fortunately, despite the time he spent with Kyl, Cabe's eldest had not fallen into imitating the drake's royal manner. "Very well, show us the way, if you please."

They could probably have transported themselves there by sorcery, but several reasons prevented them from doing so. One was that the Green Dragon considered it a matter of disrespect to materialize suddenly before his future emperor. Another was that Cabe felt such use of the power was frivolous and wasteful; the Manor grounds were not that huge, and it was certainly no emergency.

Last, but by no means least, was the simple fear that Aurim might be attempting to use his own magic. While born with the potential to be even greater than either of his parents, he still had trouble keeping his abilities under control. Spells went wild for no reason that anyone could discover. It was sometimes a wonder that the Manor had survived his childhood. Once in a while, the young warlock would make some progress in maintaining his control, but not often enough that the residents of the area could breathe easy.

As they followed Grath through the halls of the Manor, the Dragon King said, "I apologize again for the sssuddenness of this visssit. I felt that it was important that I relay the request a.s.ss soon as wa.s.ss possible."

"You need never apologize, Your Majesty! I'm only sorry that my wife will have missed you." The Lady Bedlam had been a protegee of sorts of the Green Dragon, and that bond had remained strong despite the years. Cabe, on the other hand, while he considered the drake a friend, was always aware of the reptilian monarch's inhuman side. Whether that was the result of his own prejudices, he could not say.

Marble corridor gave way on one side to living tree. The Dragon King paused momentarily to admire the skill with which the unknown craftsmen had melded rock and plant together. As they resumed their walk, the drake lord commented, "The Manor will ever be a sssource of amazement to me no matter how much I visssit it!"

"You should try living here."

"I would rather not, thank you. Still, it is a shame we know so little of itsss hissstory. For many centuries, it lay hidden even from many of my predecessssors. To think that such a marvelousss artifact could exissst so clossse!"

Cabe hid his surprise. He had not been aware that some of the previous Dragon Kings of this region might not have known about the Manor. The warlock did not press for an explanation, but it gave him something to consider when he had the opportunity. One of his pet projects was trying to understand the ancient structure he called home, but so far his results could have all been written on the palm of his hand. The Manor had proved miserly when it came to giving up its secrets.

Eventually they left the confines of the tall structure and entered the immense garden regions behind it. The gardens were the center of life for those living in and around the Manor. Both the human and draconian servants often found reason to spend their free time here. Some even now looked up from their work to respectfully acknowledge the trio. More than a few of the Bedlams' people had made the sculptured lands their personal project, many times contributing to its upkeep even after finishing with their personal ch.o.r.es. There was something soothing about the gardens. The more one gave to the gardens, the more the gardens seemed to give to the person.

It had not always been so. When Cabe had first arrived at the Manor, fleeing the Dragon Kings, three drake females had tried to make a meal out of him. Then, in the garden, he had discovered Gwen, frozen in amber for more than a century thanks to Azran. Freeing her had almost killed him, he recalled with a smile.

The landscape was an artistic delight. Topiary animals, both fanciful and real, dotted the gardens. The sculpted animals seemed to need very little pruning. They had, in fact, looked nearly new when the warlock had first arrived. Beyond them, and the most likely place to find Aurim and Kyl, was a huge maze. The shrubbery walls of the maze rose to almost twice the height of a man. The initial part of the maze was simple, and many folk came there simply to rest. As one delved deeper, however, the puzzle became more complex, with turns growing wild and confusing. Having grown up with the maze, most of the children found it entertaining fun. Most of the adults, Cabe included, found it perplexing and confounding. If not for his sorcery, the master warlock would have become hopelessly lost on several occasions.

With Grath to guide them, they maneuvered through the dense bushes. Both Cabe and the Dragon King were silent as they followed. Each time he was forced to enter the deeper labyrinth, Cabe sought to memorize the path, there always being the slight fear that something would cause him to have to find his way out without magic. From the look of concentration he noticed when he happened to glance at his companion, the Dragon King was doing much the same.

Then, without warning, they came upon the children.

Children was an outdated term. Both the draconian heirs and the mage's own offspring were nearly all of adult age. The growth process slowed in drakes as they reached their teens, which made someone of Grath or Kyl's age resemble someone of Aurim's, who was a few years younger. Valea, a bit younger than her brother, was the only one who could even remotely still be thought of as a child, but only when she was angry. Young as she was, she was capable of turning heads and garnering admiring glances.

Which was why the tableau before him almost made the sorcerer want to reach for his daughter and drag her back to the security of the Manor.

Aurim, clad in a robe of deep, rich red, stood in the center of the small open area, hands raised. His name implied gold and, as a child, he had chosen to take that literally, forever causing his hair to shimmer like the valuable metal, save the silver streak marking him as a spellcaster. Even later attempts to change it back had failed. Cabe's son wore an expression of intense concentration on his handsome face, and the reason for that concentration was obviously the colorful display floating before him. Miniature comets of red, yellow, blue, green, and purple swirled about in a mad yet coordinated dance. At the same time, a constantly shifting array of tendrils worked to keep the comets in check. The spell was a test. Aurim controlled each and every facet of it. If he lost control of any one segment, the entire display would collapse. Outwardly, such a task might look minor to some, but only powerful and skilled mages were able to do it for very long. This one was the latest and most difficult in a series that the young spellcaster had begun two or three years back.

Had it been under other circ.u.mstances, Cabe would have taken time to admire his son's work. Unfortunately, his eyes could not help but be drawn to Aurim's audience. An audience of two, who were much too close together for his tastes.

He now saw what had bothered Grath. Kyl was with Aurim, true, but his attention was on the red-haired young woman sitting beside him on one of the maze's stone benches. Valea, a near copy of her mother, watched her brother practice. She wore a forest green gown that accented both her face and form. That was not a good sign; Valea generally preferred hunting clothes, more practical for a young woman often on the move, and only wore dresses when forced to do so . . . or when she thought she would be spending time near the drake.

If Grath and Aurim were considered handsome, Kyl was almost beautiful. He moved with a grace his brother lacked and wore richly styled clothing. In every respect he looked like an exotic, elfin lord. His shading was slightly different from Grath's, with a bit more gold in it. As the day approached for his crowning, Kyl seemed more and more to a.s.sume the royal colors of the dragon emperor. Next to him, even Aurim's blinding locks paled.

A shared joke here. A brief touch there. Everything he did was for Valea, and Cabe could see that she noticed all of it.

He was trying to control his fatherly temper when Grath suddenly called out, "Kyl! Lord Green has come to see you!"

The announcement shattered Aurim's concentration. A tiny maelstrom arose as the different segments of his spell collided with one another or went fluttering off. At the same time, Valea and Kyl straightened, both trying to pretend nothing had occurred.

As the last of Aurim's spell dissipated, Kyl rose. He was now an inch or two taller than Cabe but so lean that the difference seemed greater. There was a touch of arrogance in his smile. His eyes were burning orbs that snared a person if one was not careful. The elegant courtier outfit the heir wore was real, not a magical shaping like the scale armor of the Dragon Kings. His teeth were slightly edged. In dim light, it was possible some would not have recognized him for what he was. That illusion, however, failed each time Kyl spoke.

"Your majessssty! How good of you to come! Forgive me for not greeting you sssssooner!"

Whereas both Grath and Ursa, the female of the trio of royal hatchlings, fell prey to sibilance only when excited, Kyl constantly suffered from it. It was a point of great annoyance to the emperor-to-be, who prided himself on perfection.

The Dragon King bowed. "It isss I who must apologize to you, my lord. Had this visit not been sssudden, I would have brought more than my own presence. I hope that you will forgive me."

"You have been my mossst ardent sssupporter, Lord Green! That will ever be gift enough in itsssself!"

"I hope, then, that I am not disturbing you?"

Kyl casually waved off the drake lord's question. "By no meansss! We were sssimply enjoying the day, were we not?"

It was questionable as to which of his companions the young drake was speaking to, but Valea was the one who quickly answered. "That's what we were doing, yes."

Cabe wondered if it was his own imagination that made him think that Kyl's mouth curled slightly higher when Valea responded.

"I . . . I solved the latest one, Father," Aurim added. "I told Kyl and Valea-"

"And I insssisssted that we be allowed to sssee." Kyl's tone was all innocence.

"A most impressive display it wa.s.ss, too," remarked the Green Dragon. "Now, though, if Your Majesty ha.s.ss time, there are details concerning your future which we mussst discuss."

"You mean the excursion to Talak?" Kyl's mood changed, becoming tinged with distaste.

"That and more, my emperor."

"If you think the mattersss worthy of our time, then I will trussst you, my Lord Green." Turning from Cabe and the Dragon King, Kyl nodded politely to Aurim. "You will have to show me that trick again when we have more time, Aurim." Focusing his attention on Valea, Kyl reached out and dared to take her hand. As Cabe tensed and his daughter's cheeks reddened, the dragon heir leaned forward and gently kissed the hand. "My lady . . ."

Kyl released her hand after what Cabe considered much too long a hesitation. Turning back to the newcomers, the young drake eyed his human guardian and asked, "Will you be joining usss, Ma.s.sster Bedlam? Your advice isss alwaysss welcome."

Refusing to be the first to break, Cabe Bedlam continued to match gazes with Kyl. "I would be happy to give what advice I can, Kyl."

"Then shall we talk here or adjourn to the Manor?"

It was Aurim who decided for them. "There's no need for you to leave! Valea and I can return to the Manor. This place is as private as anywhere else, probably more." He looked at his sister. "Mistress Belima said she'd be baking today. Perhaps it might be in order to visit her now?"

Fully recovered now from Kyl's daring kiss, Valea eagerly took up Aurim's suggestion. She turned a dazzling smile on the Dragon King. "If you will forgive us, my lord?"

"By all meansss. I have tasted the human female's meat pies. Had I known her talentsss before I offered your parents her services, she would be baking for me."

Laughing lightly, Cabe's daughter curtsied. Aurim followed suit with a nervous bow. Having grown up around royalty, the Bedlams' offspring were used to excusing themselves when the time came for important discussions. It was not as if Cabe and his wife did not believe in the abilities of the two; Valea and Aurim were usually informed as to the results of such discussions. However, where the coming coronation was concerned, it was easier for all if only those truly necessary were involved. There were times when even the master warlock and his bride did not join in, leaving the conversation strictly between the Green Dragon, Kyl, and Grath, who Kyl always insisted be present.

The two younger Bedlams departed, Valea in more haste than was necessary. The moment they were out of sight, Kyl returned to the bench and seated himself. He looked up at the drake lord in expectation.

After a slight hesitation, the Dragon King said, "There isss a new matter we must discuss."

"You may proceed."

Cabe was amazed at the calm with which his companion accepted the royal tones of the heir. Nodding, the drake launched into the tale he had told the warlock, describing in detail the gathering of the other reptilian monarchs and their request. Oddly, despite the almost arrogant demand of the drake lords, the manner in which the Green Dragon presented it almost made it sound like lowly subjects requesting a most grand gesture on the part of their sovereign. The warlock surrept.i.tiously glanced at the armored figure beside him. Never had he seen the Dragon King adopt so . . . so servile . . . a tone.

The emperor-to-be accepted it without question, although Grath, who had taken up a position behind and a little to one side of his brother, barely hid a frown. Kyl listened in silence to everything, then spent a moment or two thinking the matter over. At last, he glanced up at Grath. Something unspoken pa.s.sed between them.

Nodding to himself, the dragon heir looked up at the mage and forest lord and said, "A meeting with the othersss isss not only acceptable but necesssary, a.s.ss you yourssself pointed out, my lord." Once again, his unsettling eyes focused on Cabe. "However, Ma.s.sster Bedlam makesss a wonderful sssuggestion! I like the idea of meeting with only one, the Lord Blue, a.s.ss you proposssed. It will show them that I am willing to hear them, yet will not bow to their demandssss!"

"I am certain that they did not mean it ssso, my liege. You mussst understand that they are only concerned for you."

Kyl's gaze leapt to the Dragon King. "I understand their concernssss very well." He nodded to himself again.

The Green Dragon did not pursue the matter. Kyl's nod was a signal both Cabe and the drake lord had come to recognize. It would be futile to continue, for the young emperor-to-be would pay no more attention from here on. He had come to his own conclusions, whatever they might be, and that, in his mind, was all that mattered.

"Have you chosssen a time for thisss audience with Lord Blue?"

"After the visits to Talak and Penacles," Cabe informed his royal charge. "Too many preparations have already been made; it would not look good if we were to cancel either one this late."

A dangerous gleam appeared in Kyl's eyes, but the drake merely nodded. "You are correct, Ma.s.sster Bedlam . . . a.s.ss usual. Speaking of Talak, what thought ha.s.ss been given to our entrance?"

This had been a touchy matter where both Melicard and Kyl had been concerned. The king of Talak had expected Kyl to arrive at the southern gate of the city, accompanied by an entourage, in the fashion of most human monarchs. However, the dragon heir, fully aware that he had sorcery at his command, wanted to materialize in regal but dramatic manner in the very center of Melicard's throne room. That had not gone over well with the lord of the mountain kingdom. Talak had lived under the shadow of the Dragon Emperor for centuries, and now that it was free and a power in its own right, the present monarch had no intention of appearing subservient to any drake, especially one planning to ascend to the role of emperor. Part of the task the Lady Bedlam performed even now was to find some middle ground. Cabe did not envy his wife.

"That is still being discussed," the warlock commented in very neutral tones.

"If I may make a suggestion?" The lord of Dagora waited for acknowledgment from Kyl before continuing. "It might be good to be magnanimousss for your first two visits. I shall prepare a caravan consisting of both humans and drakesss to accompany you, a large enough caravan to indicate your great status but small enough to keep the folk of Talak from running in fear." The Green Dragon paused long enough to share a smile with Kyl. "This way, you will enter as he desires, but you will enter in glory! Thisss is not a sssimple matter; I wish I had a better suggestion, my lord, but I do not. Remember this, though. Talak will be opening itsss gates to you no matter how you arrive. It will be the first time they have done ssso willingly, and that in itself is a coup for you!"

Perhaps it was the way the Dragon King said it, as opposed to his actual words, for Cabe was both pleased and surprised to see Kyl accept the suggestion.

"Very well. a.s.sss long a.s.sss it isss underssstood who it is who will be emperor."

Lord Green bowed. "You may rest a.s.sured on that matter."

Kyl shook his head and smiled, revealing his sharp teeth. "What would I do without the two of you? My Lord Green. Ma.s.sster Bedlam. You two have been the father I lossst!"

Cabe forced back a grimace, recalling his part in the downfall of the former emperor.

Evidently he did not completely succeed, for Kyl glanced at him. "You did what you had to do and I have come to underssstand that, Ma.s.sster Bedlam! The battle wa.s.ss forced upon you, after all! I bear you no animosssity. I am not my father; I am Kyl."

Not trusting himself to find the correct words, Cabe nodded what he hoped would appear a thankful acknowledgment. He had heard such remarks from Kyl over the years and yet still could not bring himself to believe them. There was always that hint of something in the dragon heir's tone . . .

. . . or maybe it was just his own distrust.

Grath, who had remained a silent shadow for most of the time, leaned over and whispered something to his brother. Kyl's piercing eyes widened, then narrowed. His lips curled slightly, never a good sign as far as Cabe was concerned. That smile usually preceded some sort of mischief.

"Thank you, Grath, for reminding me." The emperor-to-be returned his attention to his two visitors. "A notion occurred to me but a short time ago, a notion I meant to dissscussss with you when next the sssubject of thessse royal visssitsss arossse."

"What might that be, Your Majesty?" the Green Dragon asked, a slight edge to his voice. No one but the warlock seemed to notice it, though.

"We would like the eternal, the demon ssssteed, to join usss for thisss journey."