“Your Talent is complicated. A dragon companion, but also bonded with two lands and two Nests. And carrying an egg with the blood of fae royalty. Yes, most complex.”
Darcy’s bond to Georgiana’s fae blood was present even in their child? “What does that mean?”
“I cannot tell you, for in my country we would not permit our companions to have even a single land bond, and certainly no connection to the fae.” There was clear disapproval in her voice. “Your Talent, with its many roots, is likely to be unpredictable. But perhaps it makes you suited for the unprecedented role you must play.”
Carefully, Elizabeth said, “I do not have the honor of understanding your meaning.”
“You stand at the crossroads in a time of great change, Elizabeth Darcy. The meeting between two colonies of dragons, lost to each other for many ages, would by itself be a great event, but coming at a time of threat to your Nests and an end to their Great Concealment, it is even more. And you are at the center of all these changes, with the power to influence the course of dragon history.”
Was Rana Akshaya trying to flatter her, to win her over? “Then I am singularly unprepared for it. Until a few months ago I believed dragons were long extinct, and even now I know little of them.”
Rana Akshaya studied her. “Sometimes the outsider is the one who sees most clearly.” And with those mysterious words, she turned and walked out.
Rana Akshaya was a dragon – and staying at Pemberley. Elizabeth had thought dealing with the influx of lesser fae at Pemberley was the strangest problem she would ever run across, but this outdid them. What was she supposed to do with the Indian dragon?
Why had Cerridwen not warned her? She must have recognized Rana Akshaya’s true nature when they met at Netherfield, but Cerridwen had told her nothing, not even when she knew Rana Akshaya was coming to Pemberley.
Her dragon, and indeed the Nest, had been playing their cards close to their chest. And Elizabeth had thought they trusted her.
Now she was expected to play hostess to her, with no idea of what was expected. Irritated, she tried sending to Cerridwen, but apparently her dragon was too busy to respond. Elizabeth grimaced.
But her dragon had not been the only one keeping secrets. Chandrika must know, too. Sudden burning anger rose in Elizabeth’s throat, fury and betrayal. The maid had helped her dress, arranged her hair, and prepared her baths – all while hiding her true purpose, and no doubt telling her mistress all Elizabeth’s secrets. True, Elizabeth had known all along Chandrika was likely spying on her, but somehow this felt worse.
It was time to put an end to that. She had liked Chandrika, but it was time to have a maid who served no one but her.
First she had to find her. Would Chandrika be in Elizabeth’s rooms, as was proper for her maid, or would she already be with Rana Akshaya’s retinue? Perhaps she had already decided to leave Elizabeth’s service. Elizabeth headed upstairs to check.
Chandrika was right where she should be, laying out Elizabeth’s evening gown, one of the new ones from Frederica’s milliner, a lovely confection in rose and gold. She looked up. “I am glad to see you looking better, Mrs. Darcy,” she said in a muted voice.
Elizabeth had no patience for polite chit-chat. “Chandrika, now that Rana Akshaya is here, do you not wish to return to her service?”
The Indian woman raised her eyes, her expression oddly blank. “Has my work been less than satisfactory, Mrs. Darcy?”
“No, or I would have sent you back to London long ago. I will be hard put to find a maid whom Cerridwen likes better. But I thought you would wish to be with your countrymen and old friends.” Somehow she managed to bite her tongue on the accusations that wanted to spill out.
“I have been happy to serve you, and would prefer to remain as I am.”
Her simmering anger would not be repressed. “At Rana Akshaya’s behest, no doubt, so that you can continue to report to her on my doings.”
Chandrika lowered her head. “I have told her very little about you. A companion is of little interest to the great Rana. She wished to know about the Wise One.”
Elizabeth let out a sharp breath. Oh, the irony! Chandrika had not been spying on her, but on Cerridwen. “Nevertheless, I cannot have that. I need a maid who does not serve another mistress.”
The Indian woman looked crestfallen. “I understand,” she said softly. “I cannot blame you, when you have reason not to trust me. But if you would ever be willing to give me another chance, I would do everything in my power to prove my loyalty to you.”
“Why?” Elizabeth studied her, puzzled. “Are you afraid of Rana Akshaya’s displeasure if you leave my service?”
“I do not intend to return to her. If you do not want me, I will seek another position, or see if your Nest will take me on to serve their dragons.”
What was she missing here? “Is there a reason you do not wish to return to Rana Akshaya? Has she been unkind to you?”
“No, not at all. But she is a very great dragon, so far above me. I did not realize before I came here, working for you and your Wise One, that there was another way. I could never talk to her like this. Cerridwen has spoken to me more than Rana Akshaya has in my entire life. I want to choose that for myself.” She took a breath. “Until now, my entire life was preparation to serve Rana Akshaya on this journey. I did it because it was my duty and it had to be done. Now that she no longer needs me, I want to have a life of my own.”
Her words struck Elizabeth hard. Her own childhood had been carefree, but once her land Talent had emerged, her father had told her that her task was to make Longbourn profitable again. She had dedicated herself to it, until her duty had changed to helping Darcy survive his mission. Now the Nest expected her to host Rana Akshaya indefinitely, with no instructionson how to do so. Someday she would like to make some choices, too. “But surely you must wish to return to your own country, to your family.”
“I have no country.” Chandrika’s voice was low. “I was sent as a child to be raised in a household of your countrymen, so that English would be as natural to me as my own language and English customs familiar to me. Even before I came to England, I did not fit in with my family, and there was never an expectation that I would return.”
Elizabeth started at that. Had it truly been a one-way trip for Chandrika? “You will not go back with Rana Akshaya?”
