The clan’s castle grounds were wide and well-tended. His clan owned a piece of property near the sea, and the castle was built half a mile from the shoreline, close enough to appreciate its beauty but not so close as to pose significant danger during storms. Gilbert’s wings ached from the long flight; from British Columbia to here without stopping for a break left him exhausted. It was worth it, though, as they had seen no indication of anybody tailing them.
Now, as he sat down on the lawn and put Polly down, he was glad to have finally arrived. His hands were cramped up from carrying her, tight enough to make sure she didn’t slip, gentle enough to make sure he didn’t hurt her. She swayed a little as she stood beside him, whether from the flight or from being here, he wasn’t certain.
“Are you okay?” he asked under his breath.
She straightened her shoulders. “Yes.”
There was something far too stiff about the way she held herself. Her whole body trembled as she looked around, like she was trying so hard to keep herself from falling apart that she would shatter if she stopped. Gilbert slipped his hand into hers, needing to comfort her somehow.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
She glanced at him with an expression that he couldn’t decipher. “I want to meet my father now.”
He released her hand. Of course. Out there in the world, he was just a man and she was just a woman. But here? Here, she was a queen and he was a king’s guard. He was sworn to protect her, but he could not assume any familiarity with her. It was clear that she was still angry at him for neglecting to tell her the truth of her heritage for so long. He wished he could ask her if she had talked to her mother about it yet, but that was far too intimate a question.
The other guard came to greet them. At the sight of Polly, the guard froze. Anybody who looked at her would see that she was her father’s daughter. They had the same strong jaw, dark eyes, the same regal air about them. The guard bowed towards her and led them in.
Gilbert wished he could take her aside just once more to assure her that everything was going to work out, that she didn’t have to accept the role she was born into. She had choices here.
All too soon, however, they were in the king’s chambers. Polly stepped in hesitantly, glancing around; Gilbert followed. The décor had changed dramatically since the last time he had been here. Then, he had knelt at the king’s feet and told him about how he had found his daughter. Now, the king lay in his bed, unable to even sit up. His dark skin looked dry and chalky, eyes dull, face thin. He was withering away. His fires flickered low.
Gilbert averted his gaze, unable to look at his king. If he had been able to get more done with his research, then this reunion would be much more joyous.
“Patil. My daughter.” The king’s voice was a rasp, but the love and joy in it was unmistakable. Gilbert stopped where he was, just inside the door, as Polly hesitantly moved forward. “I have waited so long for this moment.”
Polly gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. The king put a hand on her knee and smiled at her.
“You are as beautiful as I imagined you would be. I assume that Gilbert told you everything?”
She glanced back at him and nodded. “Everything he knows, at least.”
The king shifted in his bed. A nurse materialized from the other side, stepping out of the shadows, and helped him sit. She plumped pillows up behind him, then retreated once more. He took Polly’s hand in his and gave her a small, sad smile.
“I have wanted to bring you back ever since I lost you. I remember the day you were born. So little, so fragile. I thought there was nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Polly swallowed hard. “So… I was born here. You knew about me?”
The king’s smile faltered. “Yes.”
She shivered. “Mom always said that I was conceived by accident. That I was the product of a one-night stand and that my father didn’t know I existed.”
“Don’t judge your mother too harshly. It is a terrible burden to see someone you love like this.” He gestured at himself and snorted in disgust. “I remember my grandmother, watching my grandfather die. My own mother… she could hardly stand to watch it happen to my father, and couldn’t watch it with me. I understand why your mother did what she did… she loved you. So much. When she told me she was pregnant with you, the look in her eyes… she would have killed an army to keep you safe.”
“Is that why you didn’t go looking for her?”
The king’s shoulders sagged. Gilbert lowered his gaze. He wanted to stay here for Polly’s sake, but at the same time, perhaps this was not something for him to concern himself with… it was difficult to know what to do.
“I didn’t look for her because I didn’t want you to grow up as I had, with this burden on you. Knowing that you had to die for the clan… I had hoped to find a cure for this curse. I am so sorry that I failed.”
Gilbert found himself moving forward. He opened his mouth to say that it was his fault, not the king’s, when Polly turned. The look on her face, mourning and determined, froze him. For a long moment, all she did was look at him. Then she glanced away and gestured for the door.
“Please leave, Gilbert. I want to speak with my father alone.”
Gilbert opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again. “Of course,” he murmured, and backed up until he was outside. Then he shut the door softly.
Moments later, the nurse exited. Grief lined her face. Gilbert swallowed hard as he caught her arm. The question was clear in his eyes; he couldn’t make his mouth work. The nurse laid a gentle hand on his cheek and shook her head.
“A week at best. He’s a strong man, but this disease… it’s too strong.”
Gilbert nodded, his mind a blank of emotion. There was so much in him, more than he could handle. Instead, his mind was full of Polly. Her face when she smiled, the glitter of her eyes when she was angry, the sound of her breath. The way her body shuddered when he had brought her to climax, the feel of her breasts on his chest. The taste of her on his lips.
Greif welled up in him. It was so strong that he was unable to hold it in. He fled from the king’s door, not knowing if Polly would even want to see him once she was finished talking with her father. Soon, he found himself in the gym, driving his fists into the punching bag over and over again. The repetitive thunk of his knuckles, the throbbing pain that rose up in his hands as he bruised them over and over, gave him little relief.
If he had been smarter with his research, this wouldn’t have happened. Why had he wasted so much time with fundraising? He should have just had an assistant or two handle all of that. He should have concentrated his own efforts on his work. He had let himself get distracted and if he hadn’t done that, then maybe his research would be further along than it was.
And now what could he do? Perhaps he could find a way to awaken Polly’s dragon. It was too late for the king; he had failed him, but perhaps he wouldn’t fail Polly. Maybe he could switch his research; instead of looking at how to repair damaged neurons in the brain, he could look at how to get her to shift. Once she did that, the natural healing abilities of the dragon would be able to reverse the effects of the disease that would otherwise claim her… right?
Or was this all a fool’s dream, and he was going to lose her?
Eventually, he stopped beating on the bag. His lungs heaved and he leaned against the wall, his eyes closed.
She wasn’t his. They had shared a special moment together, but that didn’t mean that they belonged to each other. They weren’t mates and they never would be. If she did choose to take on her birthright… well, he couldn’t stand by and watch her slowly slip away. He’d have to return to the States and continue his research. She would stay here, queen of the clan.
If she chose to abandon the clan? It would be the greatest relief he had ever felt. But she wouldn’t be welcome here. He’d be cut off if he mated her then, and how was he meant to continue his research and save their next king or queen?
“Gilbert.” Polly's voice made him look up. “I’m ready to go.”
Gilbert nodded. As he stepped towards her, he frowned. There was something… different about her. He studied her, trying to see what it was. She looked exactly the same. Same bright eyes, same lovely face, same tight curls. But there was something weighted about her. Something… Royal.
His heart dropped. His lungs locked as he stared at her. She didn’t meet his gaze. Before he knew it, he strode forward and had her in his arms. Tight, demanding. Unshed tears burned in his eyes as he gazed down at her.
“What did you do?”
Polly slowly rose her eyes to meet his gaze. “What I had to do. I had myself anointed. Now I am your Queen daughter officially. Not just the daughter of your king. When my father dies, I will take on the curse myself.”
He released her as though her words had been flaming barbs. His knees gave out and he fell to the floor. He bowed himself before his queen, as grief and sorrow tore through him. Polly didn’t speak. He could hear his own pained whimpers and wondered when he had grown so weak. His hands clenched, and he let out a shout of anger and fear. He tasted smoke on his tongue, but his fires had all but gone out.
“Why?” he gasped. “Why did you do that? You could have lived long and happy. You could have had a full life. Claimed your dragon. Why did you give it all away?”
“Because I had to.”
“You shouldn’t have.” He looked up at her at last. “We had a little time, you should have known for sure—”
“If I had thought about it anymore, I never would have had the strength to go forward. But this is my role, Gilbert. My burden. I have to protect the clan. What do I have in my life? Disappointment after disappointment. I knew I wasn’t going to fulfill my dreams anyway. Why should I let someone else give up their life, their dreams? Their family, just so I could have the chance to keep going with mine? No. I had to do this. And now,” she let out a dry, rasping laugh, “now I have the money the clan has. I can pay off these stupid debts I have and go back to school. So, you see? I had to do this in order to make my dreams come true.”
She knelt and put a hand on his shoulder. Gilbert stared into her eyes and saw nothing but determination in them. It burned away the guilt and sorrow that would have otherwise frozen him. His fires reignited, and he got to his feet again, pulling her with him.
“We can’t give up hope yet. We can break this curse.” He held her tightly. “Are you ready to be a dragon?”
Her eyes hardened with determination and she nodded. “Yes.”