Invasion and Dragons Read online

  Liliana threw her head back and laughed. “Swear by your mother’s milk for all I care, Nircanian. It will still end poorly for me.” She dropped her voice. “You think the emperor would refuse? He won’t! He will grant your wish and even ask if you would take my hand in marriage.”

  “Would you?” Morgan asked, a little too wistfully in Landon’s opinion.

  “Of course not!” she growled. “I will never marry. I will not resign myself to a life of servitude—cooking, cleaning, and giving a man pleasure and babies is not for me. I refuse to live a life in fear of being sent to the gallows just because I burned the venison!”

  “The gallows?” Landon said, confused. “That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

  “Women in Dagnor do not have as much freedom as yours, Dayn.” She looked away, her mouth clamped shut.

  For a moment, Landon thought she was going to leave it at that, but Liliana continued. “The only good woman is a subservient one. We are subject to our fathers and brothers until marriage, and then to our husbands. Any woman who thinks otherwise, who tries to challenge the status quo, is sent to the brothels or hanged.”

  Landon and Morgan glanced at each other, conveying their shock. Liliana saw their expressions. “Why are you so surprised? Criminals are executed in this manner all the time.”

  “For rape and murder, yes, but not for ruining dinner—let alone talking back to your husband,” Landon explained. “Other crimes earn you several months in jail or public service. Even then, all criminals are given a fair trial no matter where they come from.”

  “And we don’t punish women by turning them into whores,” Morgan added, blanching at the thought.

  Liliana’s eyes flicked between the two Nircanians. “Balaam’s wings, no wonder the samurai are wary of you,” she muttered. “Your sense of justice is odd. You could offend a ruler and get away with it.”

  “Only because everyone treats us like dirt, Liliana,” Landon said bluntly. “You think you have Nircana under your thumb? Just wait and see. You may have caught us by surprise, but it won’t last. Your dragons have gathered a hive of wasps, not a flock of sheep. You’re going to get stung.”

  Silence fell between them. Liliana stared at them, no doubt searching for a response. She looked unsettled by his pronouncement. A part of Landon wished he had kept his mouth shut. The last thing his people needed was Dagnor tightening their control, but he knew it was true. His people valued their freedom. Once the shock of the invasion wore off, once the realization of slavery settled in, they would fight. It would be just like the Finoran Revolution a century before. It would start off small and quiet, and then the Dagnorians would be wishing they had never invaded Nircana.

  “Does your emperor hate you because you have a dragon?” Morgan asked, disrupting the silence. “You said you were the first woman to have one.”

  Liliana shot him a suspicious glance. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you?” Morgan beamed, but she continued before he could say anything. “Dragon taming is an honor reserved only for men. A rite of manhood decreed by Balaam—he is the god of dragons—to teach men strength and wisdom so they can lead their families in righteousness. Women are to sustain them in their calling and obey, but dragon taming is not for them. Any who questioned this tradition were beaten into silence.

  “But I thought different. The dragons see male and female as equals among themselves, so why must humans degrade each other? A tamed dragoness is treated the same as a drake by us humans, so why shouldn’t I have a chance? I decided to try, and I succeeded. I tamed Ti’Luthin of the Opal Caves. I did it when I was sixteen, according to tradition, and I was condemned for it.”

  Landon and Morgan said nothing. They waited for her to continue, not daring to speak in case she remembered who she was talking to. Landon wondered if she would be punished for telling them all this, for giving away Dagnorian secrets to the enemy. A part of him hoped not. As much as he hated what Dagnor had done, he couldn’t blame Liliana.

  “So the emperor wasn’t pleased that you disobeyed tradition, and he punished you for it,” Morgan said slowly. His eyes glanced at her black badge. “Is being his personal messenger a punishment?”

  “She said it was an honor,” Landon reminded him, keeping his eyes on Liliana. She was starting to look uncomfortable, no doubt realizing she had said too much. “Liliana . . . did Dre’Goran sentence you to death?”

  Liliana stiffened at those words. Morgan looked from him to Liliana and back again, deeply disturbed.

  Liliana licked her lips. “He did.”

  They waited, but Landon could see her retreating into the silent woman that wandered the palace garden alone. She shifted her body, preparing to step back.

  “And?” Morgan prompted. “What happened? How did you escape?”

  “I did not escape,” Liliana said softly. “Emperor Dre’Goran ordered my death in that instant. The noose was around my neck when Ti’Luthin intervened. He saved my life. He told the emperor that if I was tortured, imprisoned in a brothel, or harmed in any way he would rally the wild dragons and destroy the Rasnir province as Hondel was destroyed. The emperor had no choice but to give me my life. The rank of cadet,” she tapped the black badge on her breast, “was created to appease Ti’Luthin, but I am little more than the Guard’s personal slave.”

  “Do any of the other women in your country know about this?” Morgan asked softly.

  Liliana stared at him for several seconds. She looked almost surprised that he would ask that question. “Only the emperor’s wife and my aunt. We have sworn to not tell a soul. If any other woman learns what I have done, then she will be hanged. No trial, no brothel, just the noose.”

  Landon and Morgan started at this, drawing a small smile from Liliana. “As I said, dragon taming is forbidden to women. Ever since Ti’Luthin saved me from the gallows, the Guard has been trying to send me back. I have been brought before the emperor and my uncle on charges of theft, disrespect, and fornication too many times to count, and it was the testimony of Ti’Luthin that saved me every time. He alone has kept me alive these past two years.

  “Their last resort was to bring me here.” Liliana threw disgusted glares at her surroundings. “The Guard talked Emperor Dre’Goran into it. They hoped I would be seduced by a lustful man and then they could be rid of me. And the dragons have to stay outside of the valley, so Ti’Luthin cannot vouch for me. All it takes is one noble boasting of us making love and I am done for. My uncle will have no choice but to send me to the gallows.”

  Liliana stopped, closing her mouth with a sharp click of her teeth. She glared at them, as though blaming them for everything that had happened in her life. Landon could only gaze at her in pity. He couldn’t imagine a life without friends, without someone to praise her for taming a dragon. Although his life had taken a dangerous turn, he still had friends and family by his side. Liliana had no one except her dragon, and he was stuck outside the wall. He wondered if the dragon was worried about her—if this Ti’Luthin sagged with relief every time Liliana showed up for a message.

  Somewhere in the pond, a fish slurped at the surface. Landon looked nervously around, hoping for Liliana’s sake that a Dagnorian wasn’t watching. He couldn’t live with himself if he and Morgan were used to condemn her of treason. He noticed Morgan looking around as well.

  “Liliana,” said Morgan gently. He took a step towards her, palms out in peace. “You have no reason to trust me—I understand that now—but hear me out. I will stand by you. Any noble who tries to slander you, any Dagnorian who tries to accuse you of treason or sleeping around, will have to get through me. I will vouch for you.” His eyes hardened with determination. “I know I’m technically your enemy, but I will never hurt you. Never. A real man treats a lady right, and does nothing to dishonor her.”

  Liliana took a faltering step back. She stared at Morgan with a mixture of horror and wonder. Landon couldn’t blame her. It was like Niklas coming to him and begging to be friends.

&
nbsp; “Listen,” Morgan began, “I—”

  The garden door banged open, and Darrin, Takeshi, Sairen, and three other samurai burst through it. Six pairs of eyes found Morgan, and the samurai sprinted for him.

  “Morgan! Quick!” Landon shouted. He ran forward, unsure how he would stop six fully armed samurai.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Landon saw Morgan plant a swift kiss on Liliana’s cheek. “I have to go,” he said, “but I want to continue our chat over dinner. I’ll pick you up at sunset.” With an excited yelp, Morgan vaulted into Landon’s room and went tearing through the suite. A shout from a guard at the door told Landon that Morgan had made it out.

  Landon pelted towards the samurai, hoping to at least buy Morgan time despite having no protection against the katanas. He ducked his shoulder and threw his weight into Takeshi. Takeshi cried out as he stumbled to the side. Landon glimpsed Sairen and one other samurai diving into his bedroom, while the other two doubled back to the garden door.

  Something moved in his peripheral vision. Landon turned, ignoring the sharp ache in his shoulder, and leapt towards Darrin. He reached for the katana at Darrin’s side, but the Samurai Master twisted his body. In the same motion, Darrin seized him by the neck of his shirt and threw him to the ground.

  The blow knocked the wind out of him, but Landon knew he had to move. He rolled over, his bare feet digging for purchase in the grass. He was on his hands and knees when a boot rammed into his ribcage, sending him onto his back. Landon tried to rise, but the same boot stomped firmly on his left shoulder. Landon cried out and looked up to find the point of Darrin’s sword at his throat.

  “I warned you,” Darrin whispered, his voice trembling from rage. “I warned you about the consequences.”

  “Yeah? I’d like to see you try and catch Morgan.” Landon smiled. “He’s good at slipping through slimey nobles’ claws.”

  “A fact I know all too well,” said Darrin. His eyes blazed with fury as he looked down at Landon. “Where is Myra?”

  “In her room as far as I know,” Landon answered truthfully. “It was just Morgan who came down. Can you get this sword out of my face? The grass is nice and all, but I have better things to do than lie around all day.”

  “Like what?” Takeshi snarled, approaching on Landon’s right. He drew his katana and laid the point on Landon’s belly. His hand convulsed on the hilt, and Landon knew he very much wanted to use it.

  “Like take a nap. Thanks to your king, I was up all night.”

  Darrin glared at him for a long time, his fingers twitching like an agitated spider. He turned to Liliana. “Was the Nircanian girl here?”

  Liliana was gazing into Landon’s room, lost in thought. She started at Darrin’s tone and returned his glare. She raised her chin bravely, although Landon saw her hands shake. “It was just the boy. I didn’t see the girl at all.”

  Darrin nodded and looked back to Landon. “I think a day in the dungeon would be beneficial to your friend,” he said. “I currently have an empty cell next to the torture racks that will be perfect for him.”

  “Don’t you dare!” Landon shouted. He tried to pry Darrin’s boot off his shoulder and kicked at the Samurai Masters’ shins, his bare feet scrabbling uselessly at the thick leather boots. Darrin dug the point of his katana into Landon’s neck, forcing him to lie still or bleed.

  “On second thought,” Darrin snarled, “maybe I’ll put you next to the racks. A night or two in the dungeon will remind you of Katsunaka’s hospitality. Gods know you deserve to be in a proper cell, Dayn.”

  Fear seized Landon’s body. He lay on the ground beneath the swords, searching for a brave response as echoes from Marleth’s Pits whispered in his mind. “You—you can’t . . .” he whispered. Darrin’s sword was sharp and cold against his skin, like Angen’s knife, which had nearly taken his life.

  Takeshi grinned, relishing Landon’s terror. “Who is to say that we cannot, boy? The king would be all for it.” He pressed his sword harder against Landon’s torso. “He feared something like this would happen as soon as your health improved.”

  Landon didn’t know what to say to that. He clenched his jaw, glaring all of his hatred at the samurai. From around Darrin’s bulk, he saw Morgan appear in the garden door. Fear shot through him, but he couldn’t utter a word without getting his throat slit.

  “Hey, dingbats,” Morgan yelled. “You reek of garbage and dung. I suggest you take a dip in the pond there and scrub your pits extra good!” His eyes looked past the samurai to where Liliana stood out of Landon’s sight. Morgan beamed. “Your hair is fantastic!”

  The swords left Landon’s body as both Samurai Masters dashed towards their quarry. Morgan laughed and vanished, his cackle ringing off the walls. A group of samurai raced by the door, jostling into each other and shouting for him to halt. Landon felt his throat and belly for cuts, but he was unharmed. He let out a shuddering breath of relief and picked himself up. He looked in time to see Darrin and Takeshi disappear through the door.

  Silence descended on the garden, and Landon turned to Liliana. She was touching the spot where Morgan had kissed her, still dazed and dumfounded.

  “Morgan meant every word he said,” Landon said gently. “I was being an ass, but he wasn’t. If he says he’ll stand up for you then he will. He’s going to take you to dinner and he’ll make sure no one finds out.”

  Liliana dropped her hand from her cheek. “No,” she said, more to herself than to Landon. “He wants my body just like all the other men in this place. Once he gets that, he’ll boast about it like the rest of them.” She looked at the door. “He deserves what he gets. You all do.”

  Landon let out a vexed hiss. “You realize we pitied you?” Liliana turned to look at him. “That’s right, we did. We felt sorry for you. Once we knew you were from Dagnor and were being harried by the palace brats, we wanted to help you. We knew you were an outcast just like us.”

  “I am nothing like you!” she snapped, the anger returning to her eyes. She spoke in a cold, trembling voice. “I don’t need your sympathy. You are my enemy, and your people are the prisoners of Dagnor. Save your sympathy for those you really care about.” She stormed away, slamming the garden door behind her.

  Landon stood in silence. A gentle breeze sent ripples across the pond. He stared at the water, concern for Morgan, Myra, and even Liliana roiled inside him. Enemy or not, she deserved better.

  Sighing, Landon turned his back on the peaceful garden and climbed through his window. He fell on his bed and allowed the soft covers to swallow him up.

  Chapter 6

  Landon was rudely awoken at noon by Sairen barging into his room and throwing open the wardrobe. The samurai shoved his clothes around before storming into the bathroom. Landon stared from an appalling yellow shirt dangling off its hanger, and to the bathroom. In the adjacent rooms, he heard Eli shouting obscenities.

  “How should we know?” he bellowed. “We were up all night thanks to Dagnor! Go away and give us some peace for angels’ sake!”

  Guessing what the commotion was all about, Landon rolled out of bed and went to the door. He leaned against the frame and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He couldn’t help but smile at the scene before him.

  The samurai who had stormed the garden earlier milled in the central room, peering into corners and under furniture as though expecting Morgan to appear there. Darrin and Takeshi stood in the middle, their faces dark. Darrin spotted Landon. He said nothing but his eyes conveyed his fury.

  Landon returned it with a wolfish grin. “Looking for something?”

  Landon had to admire Darrin. The samurai looked like he wanted to curse Landon into oblivion, but he held his tongue. Boots tramped behind him and Landon moved just in time to avoid Sairen barreling past him.

  “He is not in the boy’s room,” he reported.

  Darrin nodded, never taking his eyes off Landon. “I thought so, but he will come back to speak to Landon. I know it.”

  Lan
don expected Darrin to double the guard on his family’s rooms with that statement, but to his dismay Darrin placed Takeshi in charge. Two samurai remained outside the doors, but Takeshi stayed inside to guard the suite.

  Takeshi never allowed Landon out of his sight. Unused to the constant company, Landon didn’t know which he hated more: being cooped up in his room with no friends or being cooped up with an angry samurai. At first, his parents stayed in the main room, glaring at Takeshi, but exhaustion overpowered them and they drifted back to their rooms to rest. When Landon went into his room to sleep a bit more, Takeshi followed him and sat in the armchair by the window. Landon vehemently asked the samurai to leave, pointing out that he was as tired as his parents, but Takeshi refused.

  “I am not letting you out of my sight,” Takeshi declared. “Sleep if you want, but I am staying right here. Morgan stole you once before and I’m certain he will do it again.”

  Landon tried to sleep with Takeshi’s eyes watching him, but he couldn’t. Right when he would doze off, Takeshi would shift in his chair, sending Landon’s heart skittering with fear. What if Takeshi tied him up? Or carted him off to the dungeon while he slept?

  In the end, Landon didn’t feel safe in his room. He rolled out of bed and went into the main room. Takeshi trailed after him like a red uniformed specter. Landon flopped on the sofa and dozed, staring at the ceiling and doing his best to ignore the Samurai Master.

  An hour went by. Servants brought in lunch, laying plates of chicken, potatoes, cooked squash, and a pot of tea on the table. Landon’s stomach growled at the smell, reminding him that he’d skipped breakfast. He made himself take small bites, and he sipped the tea. He wasn’t going to give Takeshi the satisfaction of knowing how hungry he was.

  Takeshi lounged on the sofa, chewing on a drumstick. He tossed the bare chicken bone onto his plate and took a swig from his cup, smacking his lips. The sound rankled Landon’s nerves.