The Dragon's Love

Chapter 9

-Laelia-

“There,” I whispered, pointing to the back of the palace.

Rathilion moved closer, and I quickly put a hand on his arm.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. “They’ll see you!”

I glanced toward the guard patrolling up on the palace balcony. Every minute, he would come back out, look around for a few seconds, and then disappear. In the sky, two dragons were constantly circling. If the guard didn’t spot us, the dragons surely would.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured me. “I was just moving a little closer. I won’t leave the safety of the woods.”

I watched with concern as he moved a few steps closer, hiding behind a tree at the edge of the forest. I followed, but I stayed a bit further back.

“So, your plan?” he asked.

“Yes. Uh, the plan,” I stammered.

Rathilion gave me a slightly annoyed look. “You said you had a plan!”

“I did…”

“Did?”

“Well,” I admitted, “I didn’t think the place would be that heavily guarded…”

Rathilion sighed and turned his attention back to the wall. “You mentioned a hidden entrance?”

“Yes, there,” I said, pointing again.

“We could wait until it gets dark, but those dragons in the sky won’t be resting anytime soon. They’ll see us.”

“So, we do what?”

“Turn back,” he said calmly.

“I can’t leave now!” I exclaimed, grabbing his arm again.

“Then what do you suggest we do? They were expecting your brothers. They’re waiting for you too.”

I looked at the man on the balcony. The only ones who had access to that palace were the guards, the slaves, and the princes. How on the hell would we get in there unnoticed?

“I could dress as a slave,” I suggested.

“You really think that will work? You’re unique,” he replied, gently touching a white strand of my hair. “They’ll spot you from a distance.”

I sighed, racking my brain for another idea, and then it came to me. “The children,” I whispered.

“What?”

“The orphans! They run around this city, sneaking about. They’ll know a way inside!”

“But they’re behind the wall, right?” he inquired.

I nodded. “We just need to find a way inside so we can find the orphans,” I explained.

“And how do we do that?” he asked. “The gate is most likely well-guarded. No one gets in without being checked.”

I glanced up at the guard again. He was still up there, and it wasn’t far from us to the balcony. I looked up at the sky once more—the dragons were turning away. My gaze dropped to the bow in my hands, then back to Rathilion, who seemed puzzled by what I was thinking. I swallowed hard as I focused on the guard again.

“Forgive me,” I whispered, closing my eyes.

After a few seconds, I stood up, placed an arrow against the string of the bow, and pulled back. I aimed, but just as I was about to release the arrow, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t watch. I could only feel the tears silently streaming down my cheeks.

The arrow flew quickly through the air, striking the man in the chest. He let out a choked sound and looked down at the arrow in confusion. He stumbled a few steps forward, then toppled over the railing, falling all the way to the ground with a heavy thud. He lay there, completely still.

“Hurry!” I urged.

We both ran toward the body as the dragons circled overhead. We dragged the man toward the cover of the forest just as the dragons returned.

“What exactly is your plan?” Rathilion asked.

“Ever played guard before?” I replied.

He glanced down at the dead man lying between us, with the arrow I had shot still lodged in his chest. “No,” he said.

“Well, now’s your chance.”

***

Despite his distinctive hair, ears, and unusual eyes, Rathilion surprisingly pulled off the disguise well. The guard’s clothes included a blue hood attached to the shirt, and we made sure he was covered from head to toe in both clothing and armor. Then, we found some rope in our bags and tied my hands.

“You know how badly this could go, right?” he inquired.

I nodded.

“The moment they realize you’re inside—”

“They’ll come looking, but while they search, we’ll be in the palace rescuing everyone.”

“I have a feeling this will end badly,” he whispered, looking at the rope binding my hands.

“Maybe… or maybe we’ll succeed. You can turn back if you want. I won’t hold it against you,” I reassured him. “But if you do come, know I will forever be in your debt.”

Rathilion sighed before donning that familiar mask of bravery—one I knew well from wearing it myself. We exchanged nods of reassurance before moving through the forest until the landscape leveled out, revealing a clear path leading to the entrance of The Golden City.

Rathilion began to walk among the people coming and going, keeping his head down and playing his role convincingly, giving my ties an occasional tug. I played the part of a frightened princess, knowing she might never see home again. Fake tears mixed with a bit of real fear streamed down my cheeks as I stared at the ground.

I was still dressed in the clothes the elves had provided: a long, thin white dress over white leather pants and tight black boots. I wore a corset again, but it was far looser than the ones the northerners used. My hair hung down my back and partially over my face. I had smeared some mud on it, making it look as though I had been on the run.

People around us stared but remained silent. I couldn’t tell if they were relieved or saddened to see me tied up.

“You there!” Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the guards at the gate who had finally noticed us.

“Who do you bring?” one of them asked.

“A very important prisoner for the kings,” Rathilion answered, his voice mimicking that of the guards perfectly.

The two guards approached and recognized who I was. They both stared at Rathilion in disbelief.

“How did you catch her?” one of them inquired.

“She was sneaking around in the area, probably thinking she could just walk right in and save her husband.”

The others started to smile wickedly.

“Such a stupid human,” one of them sneered.

I rolled my eyes and hid behind my hair, making sure they couldn’t see.

“Go ahead. We’ll have someone escort you,” one of the guards said.

“Not necessary. She’s just one little human girl. What can she do?” Rathilion replied.

The guards nodded and let us pass. My heart was pounding as we finally entered the palace and moved through the crowd. But even though we were inside, the danger was far from over.

“Which way?” Rathilion whispered, slowing down and grabbing my arm, making it look like he was escorting me through the crowd, ensuring I couldn’t run anywhere.

“That way,” I whispered, keeping my eyes on the ground.

I only glanced around briefly, but I had gotten familiar with the city. I knew which way to go. Rathilion led us down the dark, narrow paths between the large houses, and soon we found the run-down building with a door barely hanging on. Some of the kids were outside.

A young girl saw me first and recognized me. “Princess!” she yelled happily.

All the kids turned toward me. Fortunately, we were far from the busy streets, and the guards rarely bothered to come to this part of the city, where no one else wanted to venture. I crouched down, smiling and crying for real this time as I saw them.

“Princess,” the girl asked, “why are you tied up?”

I looked at the ropes, and Rathilion quickly untied me. The kids glanced uneasily at him.

“Don’t worry, he’s a friend. He’s helping me, but I need your help too.”

An older boy stepped forward.

“What can we do?” he inquired.