Page 49 of In the Embrace of Dragons

He seems to contemplate this for a few moments. “I see your point.”

When he doesn’t continue the conversation, I fall quiet, simply enjoying the wilderness around us. Occasionally other horses come from the other direction, dragons traveling from one place to another with wagons and donkeys and carts. When they realize it’s the king and queen on the road, they step off to the side and bow low, tails thumping the ground behind them, which seems to be a gesture of respect here.

After a time, the sun dips lower, and Ragnakor clears his throat. “We ought to turn back, Your Majesties.”

I’m about to rein my horse around when Vizarios holds up a hand.

“We’re almost to the lake,” he says. “Just a few more minutes. Then we can go back.”

I sit up straighter. “Lake?”

He just nods and waves for us to continue. Soon we branch off on a smaller path, which has lower-hanging branches. Sure enough, it’s only a few minutes more before the trees part in front of us, revealing shining water.

The afternoon sun has turned the surface a majestic orange, but I can tell the lake is crystal clear. A fish jumps, creating a splash. Bugs are swarming, getting ready to be eaten when the sun sets.

“This is beautiful,” I say, bringing my horse to a stop at the edge of the lake. Vizarios simply nods as he stares out over it.

“My mother died, too.” He tips his head up, the light catching on his green-blue scales. “Though you already knew that.”

“I did.”

He closes his eyes. “She was my closest friend. My father died when I was still just a hatchling, so I only ever had her. She taught me everything she could. That is, until she was taken from me.”

He falls silent, and we simply stand there, looking out over the lake.

After a while, I speak again. “I wish I knew what to say. But nothing will ever make it better. That hole in my heart will never close.”

Vizarios nods, and I can tell he understands.

“Still,” I continue, “that doesn’t stop me from digging more holes.”

His eyes snap over to mine.

“Letting in someone new doesn’t diminish what I had with her. It doesn’t diminish any of the other places people hold in my heart. It still hurts to know I loved someone and then lost her, but I’m glad that I got to love her at all.”

The king lets out a derisive snort. “Very poetic.”

I sense the moment his fortress returns, protecting him, keeping me at arm’s length.

“It’s just my truth.” I turn my horse around. “Thank you for showing me the lake. I’d like to come back here.”

He grunts to let me know he heard me, and we all headback to the castle. Ragnakor’s brows rise as I pass him, and I wonder if maybe I was able to make some headway today.

RAGNAKOR

I was pleasantly surprised by the king’s willingness to hold a conversation with Nissia. It’s encouraging to see, though I lament that he closed his doors and raised his walls just when he might be close to having a real and open conversation with her.

Still, it is leaps forward from where they were before.

Both are quieter on the return home, and after some time, the queen turns in her saddle and calls back to me.

“Do you still want to train tonight, Captain?”

Vizarios gives only a twitch to acknowledge that she spoke.

“If you are not tired from your ride today,” I answer.

Her laugh is surprisingly happy. “I have plenty of energy after letting my horse do all the work for hours and hours.”