The Dragon Kings' Forbidden Witch

The carriage carrying Elder Aldrich rolled through the gates as full darkness had settled over the land. The sky above was clear, stars emerging as the last traces of twilight faded. A chill wind moved through the city, carrying the promise of colder nights to come.

Cedric was waiting in his study, and when Aldrich was ushered inside by a servant, the lord of the council rose from behind his desk to greet the elder properly.

”Aldrich,” Cedric said, and there was relief in his voice. ”Thank you for coming so quickly.”

”You gave me little choice,” Aldrich replied, moving slowly to the chair that had been positioned before Cedric’s desk. ”And your tone suggested I should not delay.”

”You were right to hurry,” Cedric said, gesturing for Aldrich to sit. ”I have received information that changes several things. And I needed counsel before I moved further.”

A servant brought wine...a good vintage, not the thin stuff served to common visitors, and set it on the small table beside Aldrich’s chair. Cedric waited until the servant had left and the door had closed before continuing.

The study was warm, lit by a fire that crackled in the hearth. Outside, the night pressed against the windows like something alive and watchful.

”First,” Cedric said, ”you have heard the rumors about the training grounds incident?”

Aldrich accepted the wine and took a sip before responding. ”I have heard whispers. Warriors saw something. The training field was damaged. Details are scarce and contradictory, but the core of it seems to be that something happened involving the kings that was significant enough to damage the palace.”

”More than damage,” Cedric said. ”One of the kings transformed. Lost control of his dragon form in the middle of training with the warriors. Destroyed half the field, burned everything, nearly killed several soldiers before his brothers intervened.”

Aldrich absorbed this information without visible reaction, though his fingers tightened slightly on his wine cup. ”Which king?”

”Kaelen.”

”And his brothers contained him?”

”Yes. Both Draeven and Thorne shifted to dragon form and physically restrained him until he could regain control and shift back.”

This was graver than Aldrich had feared. Not just a loss of temper or a moment of poor judgment. An involuntary transformation. A complete loss of control of dragon form in the middle of the palace, in front of witnesses.

”The rumors are being controlled,” Aldrich said. It was not a question.

”As much as possible. But there were too many witnesses. Too much damage. It can only be contained so far.”

”Which means the council will hear of it.” Aldrich set down his wine cup. ”Which means we will need to address it. Which means....”

”Which means,” Cedric interrupted, ”I need to understand exactly how much the council knows, and who is telling them.”

He rose from his desk and moved to a heavy wooden box. From it, he withdrew Greaves’s letter and placed it before Aldrich.

”This arrived this evening. From my investigator in Ashford. It pertains to the girl.”

Aldrich picked up the letter carefully, as if it might bite, and began to read.

As he read, his aged features seemed to grow more lined, more thoughtful. When he had finished, he set the letter down slowly and turned to look at Cedric.

”She is not human,” Aldrich said.

”No.”

”Her birth name carries significance. Destiny. Danger.”

”Yes.”

”And she is currently in the palace.”

”Yes.”

Aldrich rose from his chair and moved to the fire, staring into the flames. ”So we have two crises converging. The kings are losing control, we have proof of it now, visible and undeniable. And we have a girl of mysterious and possibly dangerous origin, whom the kings seem to be drawn to, and about whom we know almost nothing.”

”Exactly,” Cedric said.

”And the council does not yet know about the girl?”

”They do know about her, they know she is somehow affecting the kings but they do not know about this letter and what it contains.”

”Then we have limited time before they do.” Aldrich turned from the fire to look at Cedric. ”And that is when things will become truly complicated.”

He was quiet for a moment, his ancient mind working through the implications.

Then he spoke, and his voice carried a weight of concern that seemed to thicken the very air of the study.

”Cedric, there is something I must tell you. Something I have been investigating quietly, and something that complicates this situation further.”

Cedric’s expression became even more grave. ”Go on.”

”I have intelligence...sources I trust, but intelligence that is not yet confirmed, suggesting that there is a mole within the council.”

The candlelight flickered, and for a moment, the shadows in the study seemed to deepen.

”A mole,” Cedric repeated, his voice flat. ”You are certain?”

”As certain as I can be without complete proof,” Aldrich replied, returning to his seat. ”Information discussed in council meetings is finding its way to certain noble houses. Information that should be completely confidential. Information about our concerns, our strategies, our investigations.”

”How long have you suspected this?”

”For perhaps three weeks. I began to notice patterns. Nobles positioning themselves based on information they shouldn’t have known. Strategies I suggested in council being circumvented by houses who had no way of knowing about them unless someone told them.”

Cedric moved to his own chair and sat, his expression darkening. ”Who do you suspect?”

”That is the difficulty,” Aldrich said. ”I do not yet know. There are perhaps seven council members who could plausibly be the source. Each has connections to various houses. Each has reasons they might benefit from leaking information. But I have no proof yet. And I do not dare make accusations without proof.”

”Why not?” Cedric asked sharply.

”Because if I accuse the wrong person, I tip off the guilty party. If I accuse someone and I am wrong, I fracture the council beyond repair. And because,” Aldrich said slowly, ”I suspect whoever is behind this conspiracy is powerful. Powerful enough to compromise a council member. Powerful enough to make it worth that member’s while to risk treason.”

Cedric stood and began to pace. ”This is intolerable. The council must be united if we are to manage the situation with the kings, if we are to understand the girl and her significance, if we are to navigate the crisis that is coming.”