Chapter Fourteen: Of Magic and Mayhem

The Castle Seasons were in full swing.  All of the Royal audiences had been seen to, and the festivities were just beginning.  The endless events, traveling bands and actors, parties, hunts and balls had begun.  At any given day there were thirty to fifty dragons living at the Castle, along with their baggage.  Each guest was allowed one personal servant, and they had to share living space, sometimes even sleeping pelts, it got so crowded. 

            On days where there was a hunt or a ball, the Castle occupancy rose even higher.  Dragons were sleeping in ornate traveling tents, set up outside like circus tents.  Some tents provided better living space then the Castle did, with their fur lined walls, piles of pelts and plush carpets, and best of all more privacy.

            Daily activities ranged from book club meetings and snow bowling to ice fishing at the lake, and wine tasting.  On the darker side, and there always was a darker side, dragons reveled in various vices.  Alcohol flowed freely, day and night, gambling was taken seriously, with fortunes won and lost and sexual appetites were over indulged. 

            Year round Castle servants were accustomed to the pleasure seeking, spoiled and bored aristocrats, and knew how to go about their duties unseen and unheard.  Seasonal servants were warned about the goings on but there were always one or two casualties of the Season.  Either a maid was left at the end of the Seasons with a broken heart or a randy buck was caught with someone’s mate, always some scandal or another. 

            Gossip and rumors were rampant and at least one dragon or more was sent home in shame.  This was also mating season, and all of the eligible females were on display.  There were many clan alliances made by taking a life mate during this time.

             Ryoch was a perfect diplomat, he had a routine down pat.  Early morning was for family, mid morning was meetings, with Castle stewards staff with daily updates on everything and everyone, in the Castle.  Ryoch wanted no surprises or tragedies during the Royal Families first Season.  He knew who was sleeping with whom better then the gossip mills.  High noon, when most guest were just waking, he spent playing and eating with his girls.  By mid afternoon he was shaking hands with clan chiefs, complementing the females, and generally circling through one activity after another.  Come evening he always had to tuck the girls in, with a story or two, and eat with Glenna.  The guests often took early evening naps to recharge for late night antics, and this left prime time to catch up with his love on her day and any plans for the next day. 

            By mid evening card tables were set up or music was performed, sometimes a play was acted out by a traveling troop of actors.  By midnight there were servants circling endlessly with platters of food.  All types of meat, poultry and fish accompanied by several different cheeses, and bread topped off by berries and other seasonal fruit.  By the wee hours of the morning Ryoch climbed into his pelts and snuggled Glenna.  She was always warm.

           

            Just as smooth as Ryoch was with the guests, Glenna was with the servants and staff, from the head housekeeper to the lowest chambermaid, and every one in between.  Glenna was quickly earning their respect, she was no nonsense, straight arrow, with a wry sense of humor.  She was not as confident as Ryoch, but she was willing to learn, and that self-reliance and dedication showed.  Every day she would randomly pick a servant to talk to.  She did not call them to her, but rather stopped by the laundry and helped fold the linens, as she studied their job, how they performed it, if they liked it and how to make it better, easier or more efficient.  One day the laundry, the next day the kitchens followed by the groundskeepers, chambermaids and on and on, she went like a sponge, soaking it all in.  She kept a list of ideas and her plans to improve where needed, come spring after the Seasons.

            Every morning she plays with the girls, as they share morning meal.  At naptime she sneaks away to do her “staff interviews”, as she calls them.  Then by lunchtime she is back in the nursery for playtime and eating. 

            Afternoon naps allow her to socialize with the guest, and she discovers she is very good at cards.  She keeps her winnings in a jar, and ponders what to do with them.  Dragons love treasure and she quickly had her jar full, and started on the next one.  Glenna finds she enjoys the book club, wine testing and snow-bowling, where you roll snow into a large ball and crash it into poles to see how many you knock down, scores are kept and the winner gets a prize.  Some small bauble given by the loosing dragon.  Again Glenna competitiveness shows, and she has collected a nice box of baubles. 

            Late afternoon she meets with the head housekeeper, and gets updated on the staff, food stores, wine and ale casks, next day’s menus and kitchen gardens, with vegetable, fruit and herb supplies.  They also discuss flower arraignments, linen supplied by the weavers, and the occasional theft... usually done by a guest.  Everyone wants something to remember the Seasons by, so occasionally a piece of silver flatware or a monogrammed square of linen goes missing, and Glenna makes a record of everything.

            By sunset she is back in the family’s private rooms, with the doors locked, no servants enter and she doesn’t leave.  She often uses this time to update her logbook, tuck the girls in with Ryoch, and then spend a few short hours with her life mate, before he goes off again.  The Seasons were such a busy time, she looked forward more than ever for spring.

 

            As the seasons change the leaves begin to bloom and the guest begins to depart.  It’s been a whirlwind few months, and finally Ryoch and Glenna can sit back and breathe a sigh of relief.  They take stock of what’s happened, just the highs and lows. 

            Two life mates dissolved, but would probably reunite, as no one else would have them, after this Season, Ryoch and Glenna laughed.

            There was almost a duel over cards one night, but Ryoch calmed the dragons down.

They lost three servants, two seasonal ones to Clan Chief’s households and one permanent due to retirement. 

            There was a small fire in one of the large tents.  It was put out before much damage was done, but the guests left early anyways due to the cold. 

            There was an incident with a female guest, and a chimney sweep.  She had stuck her head in her fireplace to hide her treasure, and a chimney sweep happened to be working there.  The guest was covered in soot from head to tip of tail, and could not get clean for days.  One guest was gored by a wild boar during a hunt, but would recover.  Three life mating, with lovely female dragons and eager male dragons in two of them.  The third was a surprise affair between two elderly guests, which was Glenna’s favorite.

             One Page had a broken leg from a tumble down the grand staircase in the entryway.

            Thirty towels, two guest robes and one full set of flatware were missing.  That last must have been a determined dragon.  Five tons of meat, two hundred casks of ale and four hundred casks of wine, not to mention the bread, cheese and fresh produce over the Season, had been consumed.

            Glenna’s treasure filled a small trunk, the size of a large watermelon. She and Ryoch took it all in and decided with her winnings, the crown had been paid back double its investments over the Season.  Glenna giggled running her hands through gold coins, rare diamonds, rubies, sapphires and pearls.  They both plopped down on their pelts, and within moments were fast asleep, they had earned it.

           

            

“No, no, no try again, and this time concentrate on the flower, not the butterflies!”  Alred instructed.  Link was turning flowers into butterflies or trying to anyways.  He had done it for Leona, but seemed to have a case of stage fright in front of Alfred.

            Alred was the Castle Wizard, and he had earned his title 2000 years ago.  He was the strongest wizard in the Realm, with millenniums worth of experience, and raw power.  From flowers and butterflies to creating weather phenomenon's affecting the entire Realm, Alfred could do amazing magic.

            He was a small dragon, not quite miniature, but almost at only four feet tall. He had a soft gray coloring with deep midnight blue wings and tail.  The gray had probably been dark pewter as a young dragon, but now in his ancient unknown number of years it had faded beautifully.  All this was completed by a long snow-white beard that hung from a wrinkled, weathered, knowing face.  He walked with the aid of his staff, whether he needed it or not, and was quick to poke at Link or thump it on the ground to get his attention.  Of course Link, to give him credit, was only eight months old and easily distracted.  He still had not said his first works, although he understood everything that was said.  He just preferred to communicate through expressions and magic.

            Link was already showing his promise of being an enormous dragon.  At six months he towered over Alfred and his sister Leona.  He weighed six hundred pounds and his muscles were beginning to show.  He put on a hundred pounds and grew a foot every month, at least.  He had his father’s appetite and would eat six times a day.  By his first year mark, Link would be the same size as Saber, with another year to grow.  Watching Alfred poke at Link was almost funny.

            Leona was developing her mind as fast as Link was his body.  She affected the entire lair moods almost daily.  She seemed to exhaust herself after a few days and would sleep around the clock, recharging her body.  She had begun to have terrible headaches from all of the thoughts she heard at all times.  Link had magically made a fairy ring of flowers for Leona to sleep in, and it blocked the thoughts perfectly.  She could still project, but nothing could enter.  This is where she slept as she regained her normal abilities. 

            Her range could even reach the Castle if she concentrated hard enough.  She had affected moods, with the ability to change them about every three months, and had spoken with her thoughts being placed in the mind of who ever she was talking to, from birth.  Alred encouraged her to do mind stretching exercises every day by reaching out to whoever she saw, and carrying simple conversations, two or three sentences at a time.  She “spoke” all day long with Link, her parents and Darna. 

            The sweetest thing she had done so far and the most powerful was too easy. Ragnor’s nightmares, and helped him to feel comforted as he slipped into a coma last fall.  This is a 24-hour “blanket” of comfort she has wrapped around him, and she still has her other abilities at the same time without weakening either as she performs them.

             Alred has a deep respect for her power, and believes one day she will affect the entire Realm.  Link, on the other hand, believes his magic, with the exception of the Fairy Ring, was for play.  To have fun with his sister and family, rather than getting serious with it.  He loves to tease Alred, by doing something that stretched his abilities, a small rain cloud just over Alred’s head if Link was pouty.  A cascade of flowers or bubbles over his head when happy.  Darkening the room at naptime with his sister, effectively blocking the light.  Conjuring everything from food to toys to even a live bunny once in the nursery, for his sister.  Alred believes Link will one day rival himself, if he could just get him to really get serious with it. For Link serious could wait a while, he was too busy having fun first.

            Today there was a planned outing to get some experience outside.  The snow was melting and trees were leaving, birds were singing and the first flowers were budding.  Thus the exercise with a flower, it wasn’t going well.  Link was too distracted, and it was just too pretty of a day to work so hard, as far as he was concerned.  He hopped over to his sister and Darna to see what they were doing.

             Darna never left the hatchlings ever since Torch and the babies disappearance.  She slept in the nursery with them, ate with them and played with them twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.  They even followed her to take care of Ragnor’s needs daily.

            Cherna joined the group and Link ran to his mother, she hefted him up like a sack of potatoes, throwing Link up in the air and catching him.  This was Links favorite game with his mother, as she was the only one strong enough to do it.  It made Link want to fly, but those lessons were still five months away. 

`           If he could just hover over her head.....Link floated up out of Cherna’s reach.  It wasn’t wing power, his wings were still tucked around his belly, but magic.  Link floated to the treetops looking around and laughing with glee.  He tried a sideways movement, and suddenly he swooped to the left, then the right.  He was getting a little scared being off the ground so long.  Could he get back down, he thought, and softly landed at Alred’s feet.

 

            “Well now, that was something.”  Alred said.  “Flying without wings a nice trick indeed.”

            “O.K. kids it’s time to go in.” Darna said.

            She would have no hatchlings floating off on her, it made her nervous.  As Link got up to follow Darna, he looked at Alred and he conjured a large bright red blossom, and turned it into hundreds of tiny red butterflies that swarmed Alred.  Link knew what he could do, he just chose to do it at his convenience, not anyone else's.  Alred huffed and flicked a finger, and the butterflies disappeared, but when he turned to follow the family, he smiled.

            Halfway up the mountain Leona stopped and looked towards the forest, beyond the rock wall.  She turned to her mother, and spoke to her mind.  “Grandmother is home!”  The voice was excited in Cherna’s head.  Leona was always the first to know when visitors or family come within her range.  She was better than the fire signal on the top of the mountain, as she always knew who it was as well as how soon they would arrive.

            “It seems Darna, that Leona has picked up Dana’s arrival.  She should be here within the hour.”  Cherna said.

            “Oh my!  That’s wonderful news!  Oh, hurry darling let’s get ready.  We will have refreshments ordered up, and there is unpacking to do, stories to share.  This is wonderful news!”  Darna went on excitedly, her old bones made it up the mountain in record time.  “Come along hurry, there is so much to do!”  Everyone was hustled inside.  Cherna smiled to see Darna so excited.  It had been too harsh of a winter on her, worried about Torch and his family.  Maybe now she would get some of her cheery self back again.

            For the next hour the lair got ready for Dana’s arrival.  Food and drinks were prepared.  One of the back lair suites was made ready, and the hatchlings were napping, just a short one, to be fresh with Grandmas arrival.  All of Dana’s large trunks were in the new lair, so they had to be brought over to her new suite.  Darna had a sitting area and sleeping area, and a private entrance at the back.  It was Torch’s old rooms, and it made Darna misty for a moment, but she put it aside before Leona had a chance too.  Dana was home!  She was so happy.

            Almost an hour to the dot, Dana’s carriage rumbled out of the forest, and thru the rock wall entrance to the valley below.  It comes to a stop at the base of the large mountain.  Dana climbed down out of the carriage, and gave orders to her servants, and proceeded to climb to the lair.  When she entered the lair it was exactly one hour since Leona had told her mother.  Cherna shook her head with awe, would she ever get used to her children's amazing gift?  She hoped not, she liked being awed by them.

            “Halloo everyone!”  Dana called out “I’m home!”

            Dana was almost tackled by Link and Leona, as everyone piled into the entryway to say welcome home.  Dana gasped at seeing a six hundred pounds of purple and blue blur running at her, and then fell into laughter as the hatchlings clamored around for their hugs.  She looked up at her sister’s smile, and gave her a long hug as well.  Cherna waited her turn and when Dana hugged her, Cherna picked her up and swung her in a circle, much to the hatchlings delight.  Everyone filed into the Great Hall, where Saber waited patiently for his mother.  They looked at one another and ran into each other’s arms.  The love and forgiveness was clear, and they were going to move ahead now.               

            Food was placed on the long buffet, and plates were handed out.  The family ate and caught up, told stories and shared laughs.  After the hatchlings were bedded down, Saber took a moment to talk with his mother before the fireplace.  He needed to understand how Torch could go to the war zone with two innocent hatchlings.  His mother knew, and just like always Saber would figure it out.

            “Mother, what did you and Torch talk about that day?”  Saber asked

            “He needed to get to the war zone to find Lea.  He wanted to request a short one-week or so, fostering of the hatchlings to the Royal Nursery.  He did not want to over burden his family and especially his mother.  You should remember, this was before the decision to step down he came to me.  Your nursery was full to over flowing with the five hatchlings.  Darna was over doing it between Ragnor and the babies. “

            “ He said he would get his affairs in order, and then he left after I gave my approval.  Then we had our “talk” and time seemed to fly by.  I had done my final duty at the Coronation, and I was anxious to leave.  When I received your message, I was finally relaxed and in no way eager to return.  Besides there was nothing I could do if Torch decided to take them instead of leaving them in the nursery, set up for them.  I’m sure Tana was disappointed, she had really looked forward to meeting them.  I am so sorry Saber, I know Darna is depressed over it, but I am here now, and maybe I can help relieve some of her depression.”  Dana finally finished.

            Saber pondered on it, and knew there was something missing or that he was over looking.  He would think on it and figure it out.  It had been a good day; the hatchlings were growing so fast.  He had missed Links flight today as he would be hunting during late afternoon.  There was someone or a few someone's camped out in the woods near the Castle on the other side of the mountain.  He had found an old campsite this morning, it was Royal lands, private property.  It was old, but you never knew.  He made a mental note to tell Ryoch to increase patrols of that area.  Leona could not quite reach that far with her mind yet.  As he snuggled Cherna, he dreamt about Torch and the hatchlings.

            At dawn Saber was increasing the poison in the moat, yawning, scratching and generally waking up when it came to him.  A soft voice in his mind “I found them, Daddy.”  He knew immediately that Leona meant the hatchlings.  He rushed to the nursery making a huge racket, and waking the household.  As he lifted his wonderful, beautiful, amazing daughter into his arms, she put one hand on each side of his face, and looked him in the eyes.

             A picture of a nursery with toys and cribs came into his brain; young female dragon tended two red dragons, one pure and one half-breed, the hatchlings had grown a lot.  Paolo was tubby and had a sour look on his face.  Marta was stunning.  She would be one of the Realms beauties before long.  “Where is Torch?”  Saber asked her, Leona shook her head, not knowing.  “Where is this place, baby?  He asked, and again a soft voice said in his mind, ”why the Castle of course, just as Grandma said last night.”  That’s when it hit him, his mother had set up a separate nursery with its own staff for the hatchlings.  He had to find it.  The whole family piled into the nursery anxious about the commotion.  “We have found the hatchlings.”  Saber said, lifting his daughter high in the air.