“I don't want to be stared at, Rian.”
“Well, then you shouldn't be so damn beautiful. It's your fault.”
“You know what I mean. They'll stare at me because I'm an Argaiv.”
“And they'll stare at me because I'm their king.” He shrugged. “So what? Let them stare.”
“What if they do more than stare?”
“You mean, what if they flirt with you?” With deadly seriousness, he said, “I shall knock them onto their un-ridiculous asses.”
I snorted a laugh. “Rian, I don't want to cause trouble.”
“Where's the fun in that?” Rian tucked my hand around his arm and escorted me out of the room, Vashana following with a wagging tail. The poor thing had been cooped up with me. “Relax, my jewel. This will be a fantastic day. Riscavik is not like Vagasof. It's not a bustling city. Most of the homes are spread out around the town. There isn't a lot of traffic, not foot or carriage. We won't be navigating crowds of gawking Dragons.”
“If you insist,” I muttered.
“I do.”
We reached the entry hall, and Rian fetched our cloaks. I'd left my wing scarf up in Rian's room since the manor was so warm, but with the fur cloak, I should be all right. And the fur felt amazing against my wings. To think I'd been missing that sensation the whole time I'd owned the garment. I pulled my hood up and followed Rian outside.
Everything was so beautiful under the snowfall. Pristine. As if every new fall wiped away the day before. I still hadn't gotten over that beauty. I suppose it would take a few years for me to grow accustomed to it. Until then, I intended to enjoy it as much as possible. And as warm as possible. I pulled my gloves out of my jacket pocket and pulled them on.
A sleigh was waiting for us along with two of Rian's knights. I lifted a brow at him.
“Yes, this was my plan,” Rian said and helped me up into the sleigh. “You thought I was going to escort you out here to wait while my knights fetched the sleigh?”
“No.” I shrugged. “Maybe. You can be impulsive.”
Rian snorted. “Following your impulses is part of being a Dragon.” He waited for Vashana to jump in, then climbed up and settled on the bench beside me. “Let's go, Aksel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the knight at the reins said.
As we glided forward, Vashana snuggled into the folds of our cloaks, tucking her nose into the fur, and then went to sleep.
“For a guard, Vashana sure sleeps a lot,” Rian teased.
“If you think she doesn't know everything going on around her, even with her eyes closed, you know nothing about vanrussas,” I said.
Rian chuckled. “You're right. I don't know much about them.”
We fell into silence during the journey to town. As the manor dwindled, the forest closed in around us, but many of the trees were bare. At least the beetles hadn't spread to this area. I didn't need the reminder. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Sebastian scooping beetles out of a black tree.
At last, we left the forest for a clearing, then structures appeared on either side of us. Lights glowed from the windows, but the day was dark, the sky thick with snow-laden clouds. Smart people were inside and thus, the street was empty. But there we were, a bunch of dummies, jingling merrily down the road.
“That's the Training Academy.” Rian waved to the right where a massive building rose, several feet back from the street. A courtyard and an iron gate separated it from us.
“What sort of training?” I asked.
“Combat.” He pointed at a hall coming off the side of the building. “They'll be training inside all winter.”
“Did you train there?”
“Yes, all male Dragons of noble birth are required to.”
“Not the others?”
“No, but many apply. The training could prepare them for entering the Crown Tourney, and all male Dragons are allowed to enter that. If they're especially good, they may even be selected to become a teacher.”
