Page 50 of The Last Dragon King
She shook her head, trying to hand me back the bag. “No, I can’t. It’s too generous. You have your own sister’s wedding to pay for one day.”
I chuckled. “Weddings in Cinder Village cost ten jade coins, and everyone brings a dish of food to share. Trust me, I can afford this.”
She chewed at her lip, shaking her head in amazement. “I… I don’t know what to say. What job did you get? Here in Jade City?”
“I’ve been asked to join the king’s Royal Guard. I start my first practice in an hour, after I pledge loyalty to the king.”
Narine’s brown eyebrows hit her hairline. “The king asked you to join his Royal Guard after all that?”
“I know. Crazy, right?”
She nodded. “I’ll say. Did you hear the news that he’s marrying Joslyn?”
I inclined my head, trying to keep the emotion out of my face.
“I heard he’s desperate for an heir but no one knows why. He grieved over Queen Amelia so hard, no one thought he would remarry so soon, but…” her voice trailed off.
I knew why. But it was my secret with King Valdren.Drae, now that we were on a first-name basis. I respected him enough to keep it private. If people knew that their magic and very livelihood was tied up in him having an heir, it would create a panic across the realm.
“He must have been really taken with Joslyn,” I said.
Narine nodded, and wished me a good day before leaving with her coins.
I left my quarters and made my way outside to the training grounds with pep in my step. I was wearing my mother’s leather armor and I was ready to be a Royal Guard badass like Regina.
I made my way quickly to the great hall, where Regina had asked me to meet her and the king for my loyalty swearing. When I got there, she was waiting outside the door with her hands clasped behind her back.
“Ready?” she asked.
I nodded. I had no idea what this little adventure would involve, but I was prepared to pledge my allegiance to the king and be knighted or whatever into his army.
She opened the large double doors and I glanced up, my breath catching in my throat. Nearly theentirearmy was here. And it looked like some highborn families too. The Royal Guard stood in perfect rows, facing the aisle that I was now walking up with Regina beside me. I wanted to shrink into myself and die. I hadn’t expected this kind of a crowd. It seemed like a way bigger deal than I had expected. When we reached the front, I gave polite smiles to the highborn families, confused as to why everyone was here for a simple oath of loyalty.
When I reached the raised dais, I looked up at the king, who sat in his high-backed throne. The throne was made of black metal to mimic dragon scales; the design resembled flames that grew up the back and fanned out behind him. He watched me with yellow eyes as I approached him.
Regina bowed her head as we stood before him, so I did the same, my heart hammering in my throat.
What if he lied? What if he was never going to let me be in his guard and he was about to cut my head off?
There was a scraping of metal as he stood up from the throne and approached me. “Much of our history has been hidden by our forefathers, but many of you know that there were oncetwodragon clans,” the king’s voice bellowed, echoing throughout the hall. “When testing Lady Arwen for magic, we discovered she is a lost member of the Eclipse Dragon clan.”
Gasps and murmurs rang out behind me and I froze, unprepared for his revelation. I hadn’t thought he was going to tell people about me… I suddenly felt naked with my secret displayed for all to hear, but also realized he hadn’t called me a lostqueen, he was keeping that to himself.
“She will be a great asset to my army, and I am honored to have her public pledge of loyalty,” he declared.
This felt like abigdeal, like a way bigger deal than I had prepared myself for. I was totally going to faint.
“Kneel,” Regina told me in a soft whisper.
I dropped to both knees, head still bowed, and the king descended four steps to the bottom level and approached me.
“Face your king,” Regina said, and I looked up into King Valdren’s endless green eyes. I couldn’t decide which color I liked best, the green or yellow. He was changing them so often with his emotions, I wondered if he even noticed.
“Lady Arwen Novakson of Cinder Mountain.”Ladywas a highborn designation. By calling me that, he was telling everyone I had highborn status with a single word.
“Yes, my king?” I gazed into his eyes as he watched me closely. When he looked at me, it was as if he was reading me like a book.
“Do you swear loyalty to me as your king and ruler, for as long as you shall live? To protect me and my family over your very own life?”
