I struggle in Raucharger’s claws, but they hold fast. My heart is thudding my chest as the new dragon and rider near us.
“What’s this?” Vladykar Jarogniew, still clinging to Astralux’s back as Raucharger keeps a hold of her, squints east, peering at the newcomers. “More Wards?”
Surprised, as I thought for sure that it would be more Vladykars, I feel my stomach flip-flop as I suddenly recognize the pale reddish-golden scales of the dragon, and the wolf-head of the rider:
It’s Prince Philander and his dragon.
Oh Ariandna, this is the last thing we need right now—a political nightmare and the possibility of yet another enemy, depending on Prince Philander’s mood.
Vladykar Jarogniew glances toward Vladykar Vaimiti and Salannagro, who are tearing apart Thorn and Vitegadium between the dragon’s salt breath and Vladykar Vaimiti’s crossbow attacks. “We have company.”
Astralux whips out with her tail, and while it doesn’t cut through Vladykar Jarogniew’s armor, it does shove him off of her at last. She twists around and bites Raucharger’s leg just above where he holds me, and the dragon throws me at Astralux with a roar. I reach out, grabbing a hold of Astralux’s neck, and she dives down and banks away, separating us from Raucharger and Vladykar Jarogniew, who has returned to his seat on Raucharger.
“Hail,” Vladykar Jarogniew says to Prince Philander and his dragon. “You don’t wear the uniform of a Ward. Who are you?”
As they speak, I climb back to the saddle and hold a bandage to one of the gashes on Astralux’s neck, hoping it helps to slow her blood. It stings a little but seems to do the job. Of course, as soon as we start fighting again that bandage will be lost, but I figure every little bit helps right now.
“I am the Wolf,” Prince Philander says. “And this is Oneiro. That is all you need to know about us. Pleasantries now aside, get out of Amenyl immediately.”
Vladykar Jarogniew laughs, showing off pointed teeth that remind me of Vladykar Eder. He lifts a hand and dark gray smoke swirls in his palm. “I haven’t heard of any other dragon-bonded that didn’t answer to the Vladykars or the Wards. But it doesn’t matter. You will submit to Vladykar Malyncor and Noxmalum, or you will die.”
Vladykar Vaimiti and Salannagro fly near, having separated from Thorn and Vitegadium as well. “The Vladykars have many things to offer,” she says. “You will be granted magic! Power and riches—”
“—Magic is of Anieros,” Prince Philander says.
I flinch, and Astralux glances back at me.
“But of course.” Vladykar Jarogniew and Vladykar Vaimiti share a sly look. Then Vladykar Jarogniew throws the sphere of smoke in his hand straight at Oneiro’s face, completely smothering his eyes, blinding him. Salannagro flies toward Prince Philander and Oneiro, inhaling.
“Dive!” I shout at Prince Philander and Oneiro.
“Oneiro, dive!” Prince Philander lifts a glittering crossbow and fires a bolt at Vladykar Vaimiti, missing by a hand’s width. “I do not wish to fight a lady.”
Vladykar Vaimiti chuckles again, Salannagro chasing after Oneiro. “Then come here and I’ll show you—” She interrupts herself with a yelp as Prince Philander lands a second bolt in her shoulder.
“I said I did not wish to fight a lady,” Prince Philander says coolly. Oneiro chuckles.
A shadow falls over Astralux and I, and we both look up to see that Raucharger is trying to catch us again.
“Hold tight!” Astralux barrel-rolls away, Raucharger’s claws hissing through the air above me. But Vladykar Jarogniew’s black-vaned bolt doesn’t miss, and I jerk as it lands in Astralux’s left side.
Vitegadium, bleeding profusely, gives a roar and breathes vines at Raucharger. The dragon’s lower left paw is caught, and he growls as he continues after Astralux and I. Thorn fires a bolt at Salannagro, striking the dragon, but it bounces off his massive scales.
Vladykar Vaimiti, on the other hand, gets a solid shot into Oneiro’s neck, and both the dragon and Prince Philander yelp in pain. “Aw, did that hurt, boys?”
Raucharger breathes smoke everywhere around us, an uncomfortably hot, ashy gray smoke that makes me cough and stings my eyes. I hold my shirt over my mouth, trying not to inhale it more than I must. Heavy beats of air announce Raucharger is close by.
“I can’t see,” Astralux mutters.
“Me either.” I look back and forth, and then look up, expecting Raucharger to attack from above again. Hearing the whistle of a bolt, I hold up my shield toward the sound. To my surprise, I deflect the black-vaned bolt to the side, my shield ringing on my arm from the impact.
“Nice!” Astralux says.
“Thanks.”
A dragon gives a pain-filled cry from nearby that makes my heart jump in worry.
“I think that was Oneiro,” Astralux says.
I spot the glint of scales in front of us. “Astralux!” I shout, too frightened to give a command.
Raucharger lunges forward, his claws outstretched, and once again grabs a hold of Astralux.
“Got you,” Raucharger hisses.
Growling, Astralux doesn’t pull back, like I would have—she dives forward, slamming the slightly curved spines that line her head into the underside of Raucharger’s neck, where his scales are softer. Spotting Vladykar Jarogniew lifting his crossbow at us, I raise my own crossbow and fire at him. It misses, but it forces him to duck low, and gives Astralux time to wrestle free of Raucharger. With a nasty swipe of her claws across his throat, Astralux turns and swipes her tail across his face yet again, bloodying the dragon even more, before she dives out of the smoke at last.
Coughing, I rub my tearing eyes to clear my vision. I spot Oneiro on the ground, his wings outstretched and his scales “ruffled”, growling up at Salannagro as she flies around him, breathing blasts of salt down, which Oneiro deflects with his already-wounded shoulders. But Vitegadium and Thorn are giving her and Vladykar Vaimiti trouble, forcing them to retreat from Oneiro.
Then Vladykar Vaimiti spots us. “Where’s Jarogniew?” she asks, a bit of concern in her tone.
“Here,” Vladykar Jarogniew says from nearby. He glares at us as Raucharger flies to Salannagro’s side, blood dripping down his front rather steadily. “We’re leaving.”
Vladykar Vaimiti eyes Raucharger and then sneers at us. “Fine. But we’ll be back. And don’t worry, love.” She winks at Thorn and blows him a kiss. “We’ll get closer next time.” Raucharger and Salannagro, growling, turn away and fly northwest.
I glance at Thorn, relieved, but he points at the ground. “Prince Philander’s hurt!”
“Astralux, land,” I say. Astralux dives down and then swoops up, her wings beating heavily as she slows herself and then lands, panting. “Good job,” I whisper to her.
“You too,” Astralux says.
Patting her neck, I unhook my medic’s kit and jump down, hurrying to where Oneiro is half-growling, half-whimpering, circling a spot on the ground. I slow when he spins and glares at me. “I’m here to help,” I say. “I’m a healer.”
Oneiro’s growl falters to a whimper. He steps back and I cringe as I see Prince Philander, crumpled on the ground, moaning, blood covering his left shoulder. I rush to his side. His wolf’s cloak is torn apart and I see salt everywhere around his wound. That wound must hurt something awful.
Pulling out my water canteen, I put a hand on Prince Philander’s uninjured shoulder and shake him gently. “Your Majesty?”
Prince Philander opens his watering eyes. He gives me a weak smile. “Ah, the fair Ward Estelle!” He shudders as I pour water over his wound, and Oneiro growls at me.
“Estelle’s just helping.” Astralux steps closer to me, eyeing Oneiro with a glint in her dark blue eyes. Her tail curls around a little toward me.
“She’s hurting Philander,” Oneiro says through gritted teeth.
“At ease, Oneiro,” Prince Philander gasps. He grunts as I begin to wrap the bandage around his left arm. “I feel honored to be cared for under your hand, Ward Estelle.”
Thorn and Vitegadium near, Vitegadium limping on one leg, glittering blood all over the green dragon and Thorn. But they seem alright, Thorn and Vitegadium checking on Astralux before Thorn comes to stand beside me.
Thorn crosses his arms. “Your Majesty, you shouldn’t be out here without your bodyguards.”
“Thorn,” I say quietly.
Thorn purses his lips. Then he sighs. “Yet I’m glad for your aid. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Prince Philander gives a laugh. “Ah, but I should thank you! Indeed, I did wrong you both, and then proceeded to make a—” He cuts himself off with a hiss as I tie the bandage a little tighter. “Make a show of you both in front of my father,” he finishes. “I do apologize.”
“Why did you attack us?” Thorn asks.
“I did in fact think you were Vladykars,” Prince Philander says. “Oneiro and I had already decided to investigate. It was only toward the end of our discussion, and upon finding the letter to my father, that I realized you were not enemies.” A sheepish smile works its way onto Prince Philander’s fair-skinned face. “And it would be disastrous for me to let on to my father that I bonded to a dragon whom I keep secret from him.”
“Your father doesn’t know about Oneiro?” I ask.
“Until you arrived, dragons had quickly become known as pariahs in the court.” Prince Philander’s shoulders slowly relax as I finish tying the bandage. Notably, so do Oneiro’s shoulders. “I feared that my father would seek to slay Oneiro before hearing me out.”
I don’t get the impression that this is the only reason, or the whole truth, but I also don’t really want to interrogate the Prince of Amenyl. “My mom always said that the papercut of a truth was better than the wounds caused by a lie. This could be disastrous if you don’t tell your father. I won’t tell you when, but you should speak to him. Besides, after our accusations, I’m sure it’s already running through his mind.”
“True. And now that you two have rescued Riverton,” Prince Philander says, “perhaps it will go over better with my father.”
“With the aid of our mysterious attacker-turned-ally,” I add.
Prince Philander smirks. He slowly stands with Thorn’s and my aid, and we walk him over to Oneiro’s saddle. “Of course, I shall have to come up with a good excuse for my arm,” he says. “Perhaps a riding accident. I do have a lot of those,” he says wryly.
I smile. “Why not tell the truth this time?”
“Oh but it is so much more fun to keep the court guessing!” Prince Philander reaches into a bag attached to the saddle and pulls out a bag that jingles. “Your money.” He hands this to Thorn. “And again, I do apologize for being so quick to assume you were enemies.”
Thorn takes the bag, his countenance softening. “I of all people understand that.”
Prince Philander turns to me and takes my hand. “Ward Estelle, thank you for your kind medical care.” He kisses my hand. “The demands for a marriage are dropped, do not worry. I only wish to marry a woman who desires me.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I say.
Dropping my hand, Prince Philander gives me a wry smirk. “But I suspect you do desire me, and simply are not aware yet. I look forward to meeting again.” Giving us a small bow of his head, and chuckling at the look of disbelief I give him, Prince Philander pulls himself up slowly, using his right arm as much as possible, and situates himself onto the saddle. “Ward Estelle, Ward Thorn, and your dragons—farewell.” His face gets a little more solemn. “Thank you for your aid for Amenyl.”
“You are welcome,” I say.
Oneiro, still eyeing Astralux and Vitegadium a bit hesitantly, turns away from Riverton, where Verlassen soldiers are slowly making their way toward us. Just as Oneiro starts to bound off, Prince Philander turns around, raising a hand to us. “Think about my offer, Ward Estelle!”
I can’t help buy smile a little and wave as Oneiro runs off, flapping his wings, and takes to the air.
Astralux grumbles. “I don’t like him.”
“You and me both,” Thorn mutters.
“But he did help us out and give us back our monies,” I say. “I think he’s just putting on an act.”
“Well he needs to stop before I bite him,” Astralux says. “I’m not impressed with his ‘act.’”
Chuckling out of a mix of amusement and relief, I turn to Thorn to bandage his wounds.
Tamara Rivers 
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