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J
anus hummed to himself as he took Hara on a whirl around the ballroom. It looked very different, with gas lights and candles to light the tall ceilings of the large room.
He said with a bit of wistfulness in his voice, “I do like to dance.”
Hara had to smile at the tone of his voice. “I could take it or leave it, to be honest. I certainly hated dancing dressed as a boy and the dress doesn’t make it any easier now.”
Janus smiled. “You should ask Gideon to take you dancing some day when you don’t have to be in a ball gown.”
She studied the gold and yellow gown. It was beautiful but very restrictive and she had even left off a few of the petticoats. “I do appreciate the dress, though. I would hate to stand out at an event like this.”
Around them the ballroom was filled the nobility of the Empire. Hara recognised some of them from her time as a lackey for her conman of a father.
Janus smiled. “Gideon once lost a bet and he had to attend a ball as a woman once. He made a terrible woman as he kept forgetting he was in a gown. He tripped more than walked. He certainly didn’t have the grace you have.”
Hara smiled as she tried to imagine Gideon as a woman and ignored Janus’ flirting. Gideon would probably bat his eyelashes at people and flick his hands around gracefully as he flirted as a girl.
The music stopped and Janus said, “I think Gideon has the next dance.” He looked at her face and he must have seen something as he said, “I never thought Gideon would ever take someone into his collection. He was adamant that it was barbaric and unnecessary but I can see why he changed his mind. You are an exceptional person.”
Hara blushed at the compliment and muttered a soft thank you, though she wasn’t comfortable with his words. They arrived at where Gideon waited on the edges of the ballroom. Others had asked him to dance but he had declined, so now he stood alone with a dark look on his face.
Janus said, “Don’t look so glum, old chum. I have brought you your bride. Where is your marvellous clockwork creature? Maybe she can keep me company while the two of you dance?”
Hara answered, “We had to leave her in our rooms. We weren’t sure if she would be safe amongst all these nobles. We knew she would cause a scene and we want to avoid that. The Emperor insisted that we be discreet. Having a dragon flying around shooting needles at dancers isn’t very discreet.”
Janus said, “I might go see if she wants some company.”
He flicked a hand in a dismissal and wandered off humming to himself. Gideon asked, “Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes. Though you have to tell me, did you find it as difficult to dance in all these skirts as I do?” Hara flicked at the offending fabric.
Gideon let a smile crawl across his lips as it shone through his eyes. “I see Janus has been telling stories.”
“What I can’t understand is how you lost the bet in the first place.” She let his smile become infectious.
Gideon sighed. “Janus cheated is how. We had made a bet that I couldn’t make a contraption that could bridge over a river and then pack up and move on. He sabotaged it and instead it fell into the river. It took us several days to get it out of the water. The Emperor was not amused as it meant that his pleasure raft was stuck further upriver and he had planned on a cruise of some sort.”
“This Emperor?” Hara asked incredulously.
“No, I’ve never met this Emperor. Most Emperors will only rule for fifty years and then step down. We still don’t know how long the hybrids will live but it is well past normal human life expectancy,” Gideon said offhandedly.
“So the ladies are right. You can give them a longer life. Even to their children.”
Hara realised with stunning clarity why the women were so keen on Gideon and other dragons. The mortality rate for children was still high, along with other illnesses and accidents. Many children died young. A dragon’s get would be healthier and stronger in a world where humans had been knocked off the top of the food chain.
The music started up again and Gideon motioned for them to go onto the dance floor.
Gideon’s hands were placed demurely on her waist as he guided her around the dance floor. Hara had refused to wear the corset tightly laced so it wasn’t completely uncomfortable. The gown was a deep gold so also not a terrible colour but Hara could have done without having her torso being pinned up so tight she felt like her brain might squeeze out.
Her consolation prize was that Gideon had dressed up for the occasion as well. He was in a deep blue and gold coat with a crisp white shirt.
Hara ran her hand over the brocade. “It was nice of Janus to organise these clothes.”
Gideon snorted. “He charged me an arm and a leg. The shrewd bastard. He knew I would pay anything to see you in a dress.”
Hara looked down at herself. “It isn’t the dress per se, just that they are ridiculous to do anything practical in them.”
Gideon said, “You look good in leather pants as well. Especially when you–” She hit his arm so he would stop where his speculation was going. He just grinned at her and she had to return the smile.
Hara said, “Do you think Angel is alright in the room?”
“Yes. We left her with toys. She’ll be fine and she can certainly look after herself. And if not, Janus will keep her entertained for at least an hour.” Gideon assured her.
They had spent a good hour explaining to Angel why she couldn’t come to the ball. Hara wished she could teach the clockwork dragon to speak but there was nothing they could create that could make noises like a voice so Angel only had clicks and trills.
The music stopped and as they walked off the dance floor, a young courtier approached them. He bowed deeply. “Your presence is required.”
This was it.
The summons from the Emperor.
Gideon had explained that the Emperor would most likely do business during the ball as it was an indicator that any business done during a ball couldn’t be that important. Considering they were ex-pirates, the Emperor couldn’t have them presented at court.
Hara caught Gideon’s hand as they followed the courtier out of the ballroom and into the garden.
The crowd noise faded into the background as the courtier led them through the gardens. There was a wall of soldiers around the gazebo where the Emperor must be setting up his court.
Hara hesitated. She wasn’t the kind of person that spoke to Emperors. What had she been thinking coming to court? Except that she had been invited and it was the only way to make sure her crew was safe and that they could travel into the Empire whenever they wanted to without the stigma of piracy over their head.
When she hesitated just a mite too long, Gideon turned to her. The concern in his eyes was enough to get her moving the rest of the way to the wall of soldiers. The two large men at the stairs of the gazebo glared at them. Gideon smiled up at them and Hara cleared her throat.
It seemed that Gideon wanted her to take the lead as usual. “The Emperor summoned us.” She informed the two guards.
A voice from inside the gazebo said something and the two guards glared at them one more time before they stepped aside. Hara hesitated again. The courtier who had led them here had disappeared somewhere so there weren’t going to be any formal introductions. Forward was the only feasible path.
Hara stepped up and into the shadows of the gazebo. The Emperor lay on a couch. He motioned for them to take seats. Hara sat down awkwardly on one soft cushion, wondering if she was supposed to lounge back as the Emperor did. Gideon sat next to her and lounged behind her. She glanced at him. Gideon slid an arm around her waist and encouraged her to lie back. It was awkward as she kept wanting to jump to her feet and bow but it was clear this was all supposed to be informal.
The Emperor surprised her by saying, “This meeting isn’t happening.” For a moment she thought he had read her thoughts but he continued on. “It would be a political nightmare if it was known I had put in my own copper’s worth into this situation.”
Gideon stroked her hair and she relaxed a little. At least she wasn’t alone. Gideon said, “We are a little confused why you called us. The last I heard, I was persona non grata.”
The Emperor waved his hand to dismiss the comment. “That was never my choice. That was grandfather. You know he can hold a grudge and when you refused to be part of his collection, he didn’t want you to be near the rest of us. I’ve kept tabs on you. You do good work and that last grant was through one of my shell companies so thank you very much for figuring out how to build that silly bridge the merchants insisted needed to be built. But it means the two of you hold a very nice and disallowable position if things don’t go as planned.”
Hara found her voice and asked, “And what exactly is the plan?”
“My wife likes to play matchmaker. I don’t condone it. Too messy dealing with love lives and marriages. But my wife thought this match was ideal and pressured the parents into making it happen. I let it happen as the girl has land which is on our border in the mountains and the boy’s land is all close to the coast so it wouldn’t give them any significant power to combine their assets. That would have all been fine but the girl is also my wife’s niece. Family always complicates things.”
The Emperor motioned for a servant to pour him a drink and he was silent as he took a sip. He waved his hand to indicate them and continued talking, while the servant poured them wine as well. “The girl, though, wasn’t interested in marrying the poor boy so she ran away. That I couldn’t care less about but the problem is who she has run off to. Duke Lysander married a lovely lady who had owned land also on the border of the Empire in the mountains adjacent to the land of my wife’s family. The lovely lady died, suspiciously, but there isn’t much I can do about it. The silly girl has run off to him. She probably has no idea that she is about to become a sacrificial lamb and she is my wife’s niece, added to boot. So we need you to get the girl away from Duke Lysander.”
Hara didn’t blame the girl for running off. She wouldn’t want to be forced to marry some boy just because his land was far enough into the Empire. If the young woman had been brave enough to set out on her own against family pressure, then Hara wouldn’t make the girl go back. Hara said, “I’m not going to force her to marry the man she ran away from.”
The Emperor waved his hand lazily. “I told you I don’t care if she marries the boy or not. Just as long as she doesn’t marry Duke Lysander.”
Hara wanted to make sure they were all on the same page so asked, “And if we do this, you will pardon my entire crew?”
The Emperor nodded. “And I will acknowledge your collection.”
Hara frowned at this strange phrase and turned to Gideon to see if he would clarify. He had placed his hand on the small of her back. She hadn’t noticed until he moved his thumb. Making small half circles along her spine.
Gideon explained, “Many dragons came from our world to this one and to different places. When we settled, we decided we would leave each other’s collections alone. We had lost enough in our own world and from the humans that we decided that fighting each other really wasn’t worth the prize. But by then I had already disappeared to live amongst the humans so I wasn’t there to sign the agreement. It has meant I’ve been in limbo for a while. I didn’t really care. Most dragons abided by the agreement, even though technically I was not part of it. Part of the problem is that my brother has one of the largest collections and therefore a lot of power and he refuses to acknowledge me as family or as anything, really. He wants me to be part of his collection and not an individual. It’s a power thing. He craves it. I don’t crave power, so we clash. By the Emperor, who holds the second most power in the Empire, acknowledging me, I can now be officially part of the agreement.”
The Emperor winced at the mention of the ranking among dragons. “I was supposed to be the most powerful and even grandfather agreed, but habits die hard and he can’t seem to help himself. He has to be the boss. I can still wield a lot of power amongst humans and since you have bonded to your pirate here, it allows me to grant you this without having to step on too many toes.”
Gideon shrugged. Hara knew he probably had a different perception of his brother but diplomatically kept quiet.
Hara asked, “So other dragons won’t attack you?”
The Emperor said, “It is more complicated than that. There have been other agreements and treaties made between humans and dragons that all hinge on the first agreement made. Gideon could have attacked humans and eaten you and he would have been allowed as he wasn’t allowed to be part of that treaty as he wasn’t part of the coalition of dragons who signed the treaty. Dragons were worried that Gideon might get hungry one day and eat someone and create a political nightmare that would have sent dragons back into war with the humans. But once he bonded with you, he signalled he was like his brother. That he was willing to treat with the humans and can be part of the treaty. It is complicated but with you and my say he can finally be back with his family.”
Gideon snorted. “That isn’t a compliment. Who would want to be related to your grandfather? I have worked hard to stay out of his collection. Who would want to end up like Harlen?”
Hara had been side swiped a few times by Gideon’s connection but she hadn’t thought it all through. If the Emperor’s grandfather was Gideon’s brother and she was married to Gideon, then she was the Emperor’s great aunt.
The air left her lungs suddenly and she coughed to hide it. Gideon frowned at her and rubbed her back. She shook her head at the concerned look in his eyes. She would have to talk to him later. She needed to know all the connections, otherwise she would be hit like this every time something was revealed. She was almost tempted to trade on that familial connection but it would be better to be on the good side of the Emperor.
Hara said, “We will rescue the girl from the Duke but I want a favour as well.”
The Emperor raised a single eyebrow. “Even on top of all else I’m willing to offer?”
She nodded. “If we are really just family, then the acknowledging of Gideon as part of the agreement should have been done years ago and just petty on his brother’s part to keep him out like that. So you should do that regardless but I want a favour on top of it all.”
The Emperor studied her for a long moment, then said, “I don’t want an open-ended favour. Those can be deadly.”
“On the level of the favour we are doing for you. A little risk but nothing major.” The Emperor actually chuckled. She didn’t think he was the one to laugh very often, despite his casual air.
He flicked his hand. “Fine, a small favour. This was more expensive than I thought it would be.”
Hara grinned. “Next time it can always be gold.”
He shook his head. “Gold is finite. Favours I can give away. The cost is always down the line.” The Emperor turned to Gideon. “I see what you see in her. A good choice for your collection.”
With that, the Emperor dismissed them. Hara was already down the stairs of the gazebo before she shook off the surreal nature of the whole meeting. Had she really just haggled with the Emperor? Who was now her grandnephew!
Hara turned to Gideon, who was walking beside her. “I need to see a family tree. Just who am I related to now?”
Gideon grinned. “Just about everyone. Why do you think others left me alone even though I wasn’t part of the agreement? Harlen is probably the only one of the family who will treat with you much though.”
Hara frowned. “Why is that?”
Gideon grinned. “Because Harlen likes you.”
She shook her head slowly as her thoughts congealed around the small kernel of horror that she was part of this crazy world of Gideon’s and that she had chosen it. She was much better off with being connected to the Emperor and other dragons than to her father. It was for the sake of her Opa that she didn’t cut all ties to her family.
Harlen was waiting for them on the path towards the ballroom. He didn’t look happy that he had to speak with them. Angel who was sitting on his shoulder was another matter. Angel trilled at her excitement in seeing them and launched into the air. She landed a little awkwardly on Hara’s shoulder. Mainly because Hara’s shoulders were bare. Angel muttered in frustration as she tangled her claws in Hara’s hair to get a grip without scratching Hara beyond repair.
Hara lifted a hand up to the clock work creature until she settled.
Harlen said, “She found me.”
Hara smiled at the gruff tone in Harlen’s voice. “She is her own creature. I would have thought Janus would have found her before she got bored and wandered off, though. I’m not surprised she got bored with the things we left her. She wanted to come to the ball but we worried she might disrupt things.”
Harlen shrugged. Clearly, he didn’t care for whatever reason. Hara changed the topic. “The Emperor says he will acknowledge Gideon as part of the original compact you guys made.”
Harlen grunted. “Our brother should have done it years ago.”
Hara mock fainted at Harlen’s admission. Waving a hand to her face. “You actually like Gideon, don’t you or are you finally warming up to me.”
Harlen’s only answer was to say, “You are acceptable for a dragon’s collection.”
Hara glanced at Gideon, who said, “That is a compliment from him. He is very picky. Even when we had a lot of humans in our collections, he didn’t have any.”
Harlen said, “They are annoying. They insist on talking. You at least, aren’t nearly as annoying as the birds that twitter around court.” Harlen tilted his head as he took the two of them. “So you will take the Emperor’s offer.”
Hara answered, though he hadn’t asked it as a question. “Of course. We had intended to when we came here. The Emperor would have lost face if we had declined. But if we decided not to do the favour, we would have not answered the summons. The Emperor could pretend that he never summoned us in that case and save face.”
“What are your plans then, to retrieve the girl?” Harlen asked but his tone was bored.
“Well, we will go to the Duke’s castle and pretend we are smugglers who are going to help him shift goods. If he is as shifty as implied, then he will look for discreet people. While we are there, we will look around for the girl. She might not be at the castle.” Hara answered with a small shake of her head as she thought about the logical thing to do.
“True, he has a few holdings.” Harlen agreed.
“But most likely he has her close by at his castle. We won’t have long to look but there should be signs she is there. Once we know where she is, we will break her out. Hopefully without destroying too much.” Hara was still thinking the problem through.
Harlen looked at them with a creased forehead for a long moment. Eventually he said, “The Emperor would not be disappointed if the Duke was no longer an issue.”
Hara wasn’t pleased with that. “We are aware of that but we are not assassins. We might be in for some rescuing damsels in distress and causing mayhem but we really don’t want to kill anyone.”
“You might not have a choice.” Harlen’s voice was intense.
“We know and that is the risk we will take.” Hara knew that every time they took on something like this, that blood being spilt was a possibility. They would just not court violence like some did.
“Will you leave soon?” Harlen asked.
“In the morning.” It would be better to leave sooner rather than later. Besides, she was already bored with the life at court.
“Will you return to the dancing?”
Hara looked down at her gown when Harlen asked the question. She was long ready to remove it. “Dancing would be a more appetising activity if I didn’t have to wear this get up to achieve it.”
Gideon purred, “We can always have private dancing.”
Harlen interrupted anything else Gideon was about to say. “I don’t wish to know of what you two do in private.”
Harlen spun on his heels and left them without even a goodbye.
Hara said, “I think he is warming to me.”
“In your dreams, sweetheart. Harlen doesn’t warm to anyone. Even his own family.”
