Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

B y the time Carys and Aisling reached the castle yard, the crowds had grown even bigger, with villagers rushing around and children running out to stare at the two massive beasts that had come to rest on Tower Ridge, waiting like great birds of prey on the horizon.

"I don't see Cadell."

Aisling was pushing through the crowd, Carys's hand gripped in hers as Carys tried not to panic.

"Aisling," she shouted, "do you see Cadell?"

"He won't have gone far." She kept Carys's hand gripped tightly. "Step back! Lady Carys and Lady Aisling to the castle!"

The crowd loosened, but it didn't disperse.

I'm here.

Cadell's voice came from behind her, and when Carys turned, she saw he was in human form again. This time he was walking next to a woman with black hair, light brown skin, and beautiful gold eyes like his. She was as tall as he was, her curly hair cropped short along the sides and longer on top. She was wearing the same leather armor, but hers was in pure black with gold details .

"My lady." Cadell stopped and spread his arm toward the other dragon. "This is Mared, Lady of Eryri and your uncle's dragon."

Mared gave Carys a short nod. "Lady Carys, we will escort you to the keep." With Mared taking the lead and Cadell safe at her back, the crowds parted, and she and Aisling were able to cross the yard with no further problems.

They walked through the inner courtyard where the Cymric soldiers were making camp, assisted by the Alban guard. The men and women shouted back and forth, mostly in English—which seemed to be the common language—teasing their compatriots with good-natured insults and more than one lurid proposition.

"The Dragon Guard and the Moray Guard are very often in the same places," Aisling said. "The soldiers in Lord Robb's castle here are the ones he travels with, so most of the men and women know each other."

"That makes sense."

The soldiers fell silent as the dragons passed. None of them engaged with either Mared or Cadell with more than a respectful nod.

"Lady Dragon Mared." The Alban guard at the double doors snapped to attention as they approached. "King Dafydd has requested an audience with Lady Carys in the portrait gallery."

"Understood." Mared turned to Aisling. "You must leave us now."

"Of course." Aisling turned to Carys and, after a moment of hesitation, gave her a quick embrace. "I'll meet with you later. Good luck."

Good luck. I hope you don't hate them.

Good luck. I hope they don't hate you.

Good luck. I hope you don't burst into tears when you see the face of your dead father.

All of that was running through Carys's mind as she followed Mared through the castle and into the same long hall where she'd spoken with Lachlan right after she'd arrived. The flickering blue lights were the same. The oppressive darkness of the walls was the same. But this time, instead of feeling alone and confused, she had Cadell at her side .

Carys wasn't alone anymore, but she was still confused.

Mared drew back a thick red drape and ushered Carys into the portrait gallery.

"Lady Carys." She nodded and stood at attention but did not walk farther into the room.

Dafydd, king of Cymru, was standing alone in front of Seren and Lachlan's wedding portrait when Carys walked into the gallery.

He turned, and Carys didn't burst into tears but it was close.

They stood frozen, both of them looking at each other for a long time.

Dafydd finally spoke in a low voice. "You look just like her."

"You sound just like him." She blinked back tears.

She wanted to run to him and hug him, but the man in front of her was not her father. His face was older and harder. He wore armor and a circlet of bright gold on his forehead. His hands were scarred from battle, not from carpentry.

Dafydd walked toward her slowly. "They tell me that my Brightkin died. Passed into the otherworld over six years ago."

She nodded. "His name was Gareth Morgan. My mother's name was Tegan. They died in a car accident. Do you know what that is?"

His eyes were pained. "I do, child."

"Did you feel it?"

"I think so." Dafydd frowned a little. "I had a bout of melancholy that I attributed to missing my daughter, but now I think that must have been his loss."

"He was a wonderful dad."

"I hope I was the same." Dafydd's eyes warmed. "Will you sit with me a moment, Carys Morgan? I would like to know my daughter's kin."

When Carys nodded, Dafydd held his arm out, ushering her to a pair of benches sitting in front of a lit fireplace that warmed a small circle near the hearth.

Mared and Cadell stood on either side of the doorway, guarding the gallery from interruptions. She thought of Cadell, reached out and tugged on the vine she felt wrapped around her heart. Cadell must have felt it. He turned and their eyes met.

Do you need me, Nêrys?

She shook her head.

"It is comforting, is it not?" Dafydd said. "To have that calm voice in your mind."

"It is. Right now?" She took a long breath and let it out slowly. "Very comforting."

Dafydd stretched out his legs and leaned forward. "I readied my coracle the moment Mared got the message from Cadell that you were here. I knew that Lachlan had a relationship with his Brightkin. It happens sometimes, particularly with children who grow up around the fae gates, but it never occurred to me that he would go in search of you when Seren died."

Carys took a deep breath. "I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about that."

Dafydd's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I imagine you are. In case no one has told you, you're allowed to feel however you feel. You're Seren's twin, but you have no obligation to Lachlan or to me. You have your own life, Carys Morgan."

"I appreciate you saying that."

"I can see Cadell's bond to you, and I can't explain it, but I'm glad for it." He cast his eyes toward the stoic woman standing across from Cadell. "Mared has been my truest companion and my closest confidante for over fifty years, not that you can tell by her grand expressions of devotion, mind you." He smiled and looked toward the archway. "I trust her more than anyone in my life—even my own wise queen—and she has never betrayed me."

"That's amazing." Carys wondered how old Cadell was. It hadn't occurred to her to ask.

"It's not in their nature, you see? Dragons will be brutally honest, but they will never hurt intentionally, and their loyalty goes far beyond anything that humans understand."

"I do trust Cadell." She frowned. "I trusted him immediately, and I can't really explain why. Maybe it's something about hearing his voice in my mind."

That's probably part of it.

She turned toward him and gave him a smile, but Cadell's face didn't even flinch from his soldier's stance. "He reminds me of a loyal knight."

"It's not a bad comparison, but they are knights who choose their commander. Dragons live for hundreds of years and can bond with multiple humans or none in that time. They choose us, not the other way round."

Carys frowned. "Why?"

"Why do they choose one human over another?" He shrugged. "No one knows."

"No, why do they choose us at all?" She glanced at Cadell, then back to Dafydd. "What do we give them ?"

She felt Cadell start and knew her dragon was listening.

"A wise question," Dafydd said. "And one I cannot answer fully. Purpose, perhaps? Humanity, though I can already hear Mared's opinion on that." He smiled, reminding Carys of her dad. "The bond between a nêr and their dragon is a gift of the old gods, so it is beyond our reckoning, but we do know it is a sacred trust that we must honor."

She stared at Cadell for a long moment as he stood at attention and pretended to ignore them both. "I'll never take it for granted. Not ever." She looked around the cold stone walls. "Even with Duncan and Lachlan here, this place feels very… foreign."

"Because of the magic?" He raised his eyebrows. "Myths in your world are real in this one, while automobiles and skyscrapers are only tall tales here."

"Everything is different." She shook her head. "Even though I was born in Wales, I didn't grow up there. And I'd never been to Scotland until a week ago. I have a degree in mythology, but it seems like most of what I know only touches the surface of the reality here."

Dafydd frowned. "It will be dangerous for you here. You must not be afraid to lean on Cadell. He will guide you. "

Carys leaned forward. "Did you ever wonder about my father? You're a king. Were you ever tempted to find him?"

"No." Dafydd shook his head. "I had no right to intrude on his life. But I did wonder about him. Sometimes when I went near the gates, I used to think I could feel him. Feel our connection."

"I like that idea," Carys said. "I like that maybe Seren knew about me, felt me a little bit. Even though we seem so different."

"I like to think your father was the steady, logical part of me." Dafydd crossed his arms over his chest. "I feel that he must have been sensible since I am so often not."

Carys grinned. "Yeah. He was sensible. Very pragmatic . Fun though."

"But tell me, Carys Morgan." Dafydd leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "Could he tell a good joke?"

Carys burst into laughter and nodded, tears pricking her eyes through the pain of memory. "Yeah. Dad could tell a great joke."

"Good." Dafydd reached out and took her hand. "So my wildness gave him something too."

"I'd say so." She took the back of her hand and wiped her eyes. "This place is something else."

"Remember, all of humanity has its light and dark. And darkness isn't bad." The corner of his mouth turned up. "Though some here take our shadow nature as permission to act on their worst impulses, we know that it is not." His eyes darkened. "That is never an excuse."

Carys could see the grief hidden behind the man's kind expression. At the end of the day, he might be a king, but he was still a father.

"I remember when my parents died that people avoided talking about them around me," Carys said. "When that was the last thing I wanted. I wanted to talk about them all the time."

"I'm sure they loved you very much," Dafydd said. "I think my greatest fear when Seren died was that people would forget her. I'm an old man." His voice grew rough. "When I die, who will remember that wonderful child?"

"I won't forget her. I'll never forget her." Carys sat back and looked at the portrait on the wall. The proud chin and the confident eyes. "She was strong, wasn't she?" Carys spoke under her breath. "Sometimes I don't feel very strong."

"She was strong." Dafydd looked at the portrait. "And ornery."

Carys cocked her head. "Headstrong, maybe. Not ornery."

"Are you trying to defend her?" Dafydd huffed a little. "Seren was an ornery child. Contrary." Dafydd's eyes lit up anytime he said his daughter's name. "And passionate. Affectionate. Loyal. Her birth was quite unusual. Usually the fae give children to the Shadowkin of their mother, but I had no wife."

Carys frowned. "Eamer?—"

"Queen Orla and my father were in negotiations for years about our marriage. I was a young warrior leading my father's army. I was still living in the barracks with my men! When Seren appeared at my door, everyone was shocked. I wasn't ready to be a father, but thank the gods my mother was still living." He smiled at the memory. "We managed somehow, that contrary little girl and me."

"That's so strange." Where was her mother's Shadowkin? Why hadn't Seren been given to her? Was she one of the blue lights lost in the fae forest? "What did your parents think of you suddenly having a baby?"

"Oh, in this place you don't question the arrival of any child. They are a great blessing because their arrival is the will of the gods."

"You don't see very many children here."

His expression darkened. "Only ever what the fae allow." He shook the shadows away. "Anyway, I wouldn't have cared what anyone thought. I took one look at Seren and fell in love." Dafydd held out his hands. "Those round cheeks and all that dark hair. She was a restless baby, always judging me with those brilliant blue eyes." He winked at her. "She made everyone laugh. Her grandmother was in raptures."

Dafydd's stories reminded Carys of her own father's anecdotes about her childhood. The same delight. The same pride. "I can see how much you loved her. "

His chin lifted. "I'm sure your parents felt exactly as I did, Carys Morgan."

"They told me they did." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I miss them every day, so it's really wonderful to see your face."

Dafydd stood. "I should take my leave. I am a king newly arrived in an ally's court, and there are many things I need to do." His eyes shone and his voice was rough. "But seeing my daughter's face again…" He swallowed hard. "Looking at your face is like seeing the sun shine."

Carys stood. "Can I hug you?"

He didn't even wait a moment but surrounded her with an embrace that loosened the flood of tears Carys had managed to hold back. She allowed herself to weep, her body shaking as Dafydd held her up.

Cadell ran toward her, but she didn't want to leave Dafydd's arms.

"I am not your father," he said quietly. "And you are not my daughter. But we loved them, and we lost them. Maybe we can help each other find peace."