Page 39 of Mad Dragon of Chaos

The only good thing was that there were none of the usual ministers, chancellors, or even generals meeting with her. Just her advisor, who had been the one to open the door.

“Your Highness,” Merriwether Dalton greeted crisply, her pencil-thin eyebrows leaping up to her steely gray hairline.

Shey straightened and smiled, but it was simply a baring of his teeth. “Ms. Dalton.” He tightened his grip on Tyche’s hand and pulled the God of Luck into the office. He’d planned to release Tyche’s hand prior to entering, but in for a penny…

Glancing over, he noticed that Tyche’s face wasn’t mischievous any longer, and he’d paled. At least it was obvious he hadn’t wanted to be introduced quite this way either.

“That will be all, Ms. Dalton. I would like to speak to my son…and his companion…alone.”

Ms. Dalton wiped her face of any expression and bobbed a curtsy to the queen before exiting the room. By the time the doors shut behind her, the queen was out of her chair and crossing to her son. Shey released Tyche’s hand so he could wrap his arms around his mother, squeezing her tight in reassurance.

“I’m okay. I swear, I’m okay.” His words were soft and muffled against her shoulder. She was wearing a black blouse and a long black skirt. It was the only color he’d seen her wear since the death of his father. He had vague memories of her in soft pastels when he was younger. He was certain his mother hadn’t owned a single item of clothing that was black prior to the king’s death.

“Shey, you scared me to death.” There was a slight tremor in her hands as she gripped him. During his brief stop in Sirelis to change boats, he’d spent a couple of hours with his mother but hadn’t glimpsed his sister. He’d explained what he could, but he knew deep down that it wasn’t enough to answer all his mother’s questions and chase her fears away.

She also hadn’t gotten the chance to meet Tyche.

“I’m okay,” he repeated, willing to say it a hundred times if it eased her worries. “I’m sorry for this mess with New Rosanthe, but the dragons were amazing. You’ve got to make the trip to the Isle of Stone.”

She scoffed and relaxed her grip. She took a small step back and lifted her head to look him in the eye. “If they’re all like Haru, I don’t think I’m prepared to meet the dragons.”

A choked laugh sounded behind Shey, followed by a rough throat-clearing. His mother raised a questioning eyebrow. That was all she needed to do. One little glance and it was like being hit with a thousand questions at once.

“No, not all dragons are like Haru. He’s very much one of a kind. I think you would find Clan leader Omari Nori to be someone you could talk to and get along with.” Shey pivoted on his right foot, shifting from his mother to extend a hand toward Tyche, who stepped away as if he intended to make a break for the door. “Mother, this is Tyche, a very good friend.” His mother’s other brow lifted to join the first questioning one, but Shey pressed on. “We met while we were imprisoned in Damardor. He helped me to escape and return home.”

Tyche bowed low, appearing very proper. “It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. His Highness makes too much of my tiny assistance. I’m sure he could have escaped without me.”

“Any help provided to my son is appreciated, Mr. Tyche.”

The God of Luck shook his head. “No, it’s simply Tyche, Your Majesty. I’m a nobody who can’t even put on airs of being a mister.”

Shey sighed and rolled his eyes. He had to put a stop to this formality and nonsense. “He’s the God of Luck.”

His mother froze, her face turning white, while Tyche slouched his entire body and whined. “Ahhh…you promised!”

Shey closed the distance between them and slung his arm across Tyche’s slumped shoulders. “I promised not to lead with it. I didn’t. Besides, I had to put a stop to your nonsense.”

Tyche grinned up at him, his green eyes glittering with mirth and mischief. “I was aiming for humble.”

“You overshot.”

“You’re really a god?” The queen’s trembling words brought their attention back to her.

“Yes, but only a little, minor one. I’m not a major god like Kaes.” He held up one hand, his thumb and forefinger spaced less than an inch apart as if to show his size within the heavenly pantheon.

Despite Tyche’s attempts to soothe away the queen’s worries, she didn’t look reassured. She glared at Shey and then lifted her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Shey Lorcan Caspian Alistair Thrudesh-Vo…”

Tyche’s head popped up as Shey’s mother started on his middle names. Shey slapped his free hand across the god’s mouth to stop whatever teasing was about to come out, but he could still feel Tyche’s smile.

“I will want a full accounting of everything that you have been up to,” the queen continued, putting just enough emphasis on her words so he understood he would be explaining his adventures in Damardor and his complicated relationship with a god. “However, we don’t have time for all of that now. Is there anything pressing that I should know right now?”

Shey dropped his hand from Tyche’s mouth and straightened. The time for joking was over. “Adrian and Haru are in the city. The dragons have commanded that Haru should help us with the current dilemma with the Federation of Order. King Caelan Talos has placed Adrian Westergren at my disposal as well.”

Queen Noemi sighed. “I fear we’re going to be in Erya’s debt for many years to come.”

“I doubt King Caelan sees Caspagir as owing them anything.”

His mother frowned. “Possibly, but it is always good to hesitate prior to asking for assistance. You never know when that kindness could be used against you later.” Shey opened his mouth to counsel her away from such dark thoughts, but she waved her hand to brush aside the moment. “You’ve left the Order’s naval forces in disarray. I’ll leave it to you to work with the admirals to organize a more permanent break of the blockade. I want to see them all retreating to at least Zastrad’s waters. Right now, your sister is overseeing the defense of the city to the west. Ground forces made landfall near the outer cities of Garen Valley and Shadowfen. They have since moved closer to the city walls. She kept the Order’s forces focused on our military and away from civilian targets so far.”