Chapter 152

152 Lost Patience

Crisp, cold air filled Skye’s lungs after the stagecoach door had been opened by the driver. The palace lights reflected their yellow tinted glow off of the pure white canvas of the snow-covered ground. Tidas stepped out first to help his wife from the coach, like the gentleman he was.

The snow on the palace courtyard ground had been sanded and packed down with a special tool for convenience, instead of being shoveled. The tool rolled along like lawn cutters, but with someone dusting sand in front of it. In place of blades, the cylindrical piece had long metal plates attached all the way around. When pressed into the sand and snow, it condensed while imprinting a groved pattern on top to stop most slippage.

The princess watched two large male servants working as she walked up the stairs to the palace. A thought to rig up a bucket with some type of hose system attached that could pour out the sand instead of the job requiring two people to manage it. It was an odd train of thought to have, but Skye wasn’t trying to focus on the problem at hand at the moment. The outcome had literally been giving her nightmares.

Terrible dreams of Zazzy being taken had woken Skye up for the past two nights. It was different every time she fell back asleep. Some had Zazzy taken as she was now, some had her take at her full size. Countless straps holding her down to a giant metal palette while she was lowered in to a deep, dark cave.

Each time Skye woke, Tidas would talk or cuddle with her until she fell back asleep. It concerned them both, but Skye explained that it was nothing like her dream on their honeymoon. She thought it was simple fear triggering them, and resolved herself to do whatever she had to do to protect Zazzy.

Skye and Tidas were determined to convince the king to allow them to keep Zazzy. Magnus was on their side already, but everything hinged on their first meeting. If Zazzy damaged anything, he might take her away. If she hurt anyone, he would definitely take her away. All Skye wanted to do was hide her sweet baby, but a dragon wasn’t exactly something one could hide.

In about three years, Zazzy would be larger than any wyvern ever recorded. With her color and the way her wings and horns were shaped, it was obvious that she wasn’t a wyvern. The few times she’d stretched them, her wings seemed both wider and longer than a baby wyvern’s were. Plus the scales on them were much larger than a wyvern’s. They laid atop each other just like a hawk’s feathers would on it’s wings.

Another difference was that Zazzy had four limbs, and her wings. Wyverns had three-pronged claws on their wings, and no separate set of arms. Her horns were much thicker and had a twist pattern to them. A wyvern’s horns were straight back with vertical striation marks. Their colors were completely different too.

When they were strategizing on their way home, Tidas had broached the subject of lying about the dragon’s hatching. He tried to say that not telling his father right now would work in their favor, and that they should wait for a more opportunistic moment. Skye had scoffed at him for even thinking it before she countered him.

.....

“Tryin’ to lie about Zazzy in any way is idiotic at best. Ye know how yer father is about lying.. Honestly I thought he was gonna have me whipped in the square for not telling him about me powers. He still hasn’t had his talk with me yet... it’s highly unnerving,” Skye’s whole body shook slightly at the thought of the lecture she knew she’d be getting soon.

Tidas grinned at his wife; “That’s because he knows you hate to stew.”

Skye narrowed her eyes at her husband; “I also hate lying! Ima not lying to him; Zazzy’s too important to gamble with. She’ll meet Magnus after dinner. We’ll leave her in our room with Peggy, and bring him, Marie, Maevis, and Lawrence back to meet her! If he hasn’t gone back to his kingdom yet.. The more powerful people that love her, the better.”

Skye and Tidas had agreed on that part, winning Skye the argument. They would lead the small group to their quarters after dinner, and introduce them to Zazzy. They’d had her mostly staying in a large trunk that they kept in the stagecoach with them. They’d let her out to play and stretch as soon as they had reached their rooms every night. She hadn’t caused a ruckus, or made too many messes. The ones she did make had been small, albeit stinky.

The only problem they had was the amount of food she was eating. The journals had said she would eat a lot, but not how often. Zazzy was eating a mage-sized meal four to five times a day. When they were stuck at the inn, the innkeeper had to slaughter two of his goats to feed her. He had issues until Tidas paid him three times the amount the animals were worth.

Skye not only wanted Magnus’ support for security, but to hopefully get him to help keep her fed the next four to five years. If she was eating this much now while still getting magic from the princess.. Skye and Tidas both worried over whether or not they could support her financially. Not that it truly mattered to Skye. If she had to live in a forest with Zazzy, she would.

“I know exactly where I would go, too. It’s even out of yer father’s authority now,” Skye commented when Tidas tried to convince her not to say anything.

Knowing where his wife meant, Tidas retorted; “And drag the Fae into a quarrel with the king? The man whom Just granted them security? You would put them in such a position?”

Skye smirked at her husband; “So all I can do it convince the king Zazzy is an asset? That’s what yer sayin’, isn’t it? Then isn’t it best to start the convincing as soon as possible?!”

Tidas released the longest, most dejected sigh of his life as Skye closed the gates on her semantical trap. He wanted to wait until his father was in a good mood; a great mood, if he could. But once his feisty wife got an idea in her head, then that was it.

The warmth of the palace melted the chill that clung to their cloaks as they entered the foyer. A servant took their cloaks to be cleaned and placed near the stables. Skye had Thoth brought to the palace with her this time, and wondered if he was doing alright. He was her horse, and Tidas agreed that he should stay with her. Especially since no one could ride him but her.

Upon exiting the foyer, the newlyweds came face to face with Magnus. He, Maevis, and Marie were waiting for them with smiles and well wishes. After a few pleasantries, Magnus told the couple to meet them in Marie’s quarters for a family dinner once they settled. To make up for them being gone during Yuletide.

Skye was elated about how perfectly it all fell into place. She had been worried that other guests at the palace might distract them from coming to her quarters. If they were all already separated from the courtiers, the chances of them being too distracted were essentially gone.

The idea to simply bring Zazzy with her to dinner had crossed the princess’ mind, but she immediately dismissed it. Transporting a baby dragon through the castle with dozens of people walking around screamed bad idea to Skye. And with her luck, Zazzy would most likely jump from her box and take off. Fearing fate’s mood swings, Skye kept her mouth shut, and stuck to their original plan.

After informing Peggy of their plans, the old servant took off to prepare a quick shower for the princess. She smiled and nodded to the other servants as she passed them, but kept to her pace. Upon entering the royal couple’s quarters, she huffed after opening the trunk that had Zazzy in it.

The dragon barely opened her eyes to look at who had disturbed her before drifting back off to sleep. Peggy smirked at the occasionally cute critter, then went about setting up. The sooner she got Skye ready and out the door, the quicker she could begin her other tasks.

Skye and Tidas came in like a whirlwind. Sky showered quickly as Tidas handed out a few orders in the hall whilst awaiting his turn. It had been too cold for a bath the last few days of their trip, and Skye refused to do anything until she bathed. While she dressed, Tidas took his turn, then dressed in the restroom; for Peggy’s sanity. Once they finished; Skye kissed Peggy’s cheek and said they’d be back in about two hours with everyone.

Peggy was irritated as she glanced at the snoozing baby dragon. She had a list of things to do like unpacking and cleaning, but everything was supposed to wait until after her bairn returned. The trunk with Skye’s new dresses sat a little bit away from her. After about six minutes of staring at it, Peggy go up, opened it, and began to sort them.

Ones that needed the lacing replaced with a zipper were set to the side. A small pile laid out on the back of the couch that needed to be put away. After Peggy checked to see that the baby dragon was still sleeping, she opened the main door to the hallway, opened the door to their closet, then began to hang the dresses one by one.

It hadn’t taken longer than five minutes or so for Peggy to hang everything. She took a few extra minutes and arranged the dresses by color; bringing her time total to ten minutes. She closed up the closet, then turned to grab the zippers out of her room. As soon as she entered the couple’s room again, she’d begun removing the stitching around the lacing.

She’d gone through two dresses by the time it occurred to Peggy to check on Zazzy. When she looked over at the trunk that held the sleeping dragon, her heart dropped into her stomach. Zazzy wasn’t in it anymore, or anywhere obvious in the room.

Attempting to stay calm, Peggy took a deep breath before looking for the baby dragon. She checked the restroom, in and under the bed, but couldn’t find Zazzy anywhere. She’d even gone and checked the closet and her room, just in case.. But didn’t find a single scale.

Looking at the end of the hall that connected to the main one for the first floor of the palace, the feeling in Peggy’s gut worsened. If Zazzy wasn’t in either of the bedrooms, the bathroom, or the closet, then there was only one option left to the panicked servant: Zazzy was loose in the palace!