The Heirs of Remgeldon: Book 5

By Florence Joanne Reid

The Heirs of Remgeldon

The southern half of northern Remgeldon, Thanos to Dakes, is to be searched for Lord Dariuss missing twins. At the same time, some of the provinces of southern Remgeldon, Pitzar, Drude, and Hogue are to be searched for the missing twins, and Dragon Lord Castles are founded and established by Darton, Waldon, and Adric these three years of 1559 through 1561. All old castles and all tall buildings that have deep basements are to be searched by the armies of General Mallan in the north and General Darvan and General Leland in the south. It naturally leads to some trouble, and it seems that Darton, Waldon, and Adric sure know how to find trouble.

But will Zandrax and Adrianna be found? Will the twins be found? Can they be saved from whatever Zandrax, an evil mage, has planned for them? What of the black-haired elves? Darton comes upon a bunch of them. He thought they were all supposedly killed during the war to take over Thanos?

Then there is Waldons old enemy, Casterson. What is he cooking up to make trouble for Waldon? And Waldon naturally has to call in his younger brother, Jovian, and his nephew, Bragan, to help but with what?

Nothing but trouble awaits those four southern kings and Bragan and the dragon riders in that southern kingdom. Dragon riders are, after all, trained fighters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524533670

Florence Joanne Reid

Florence Reid attended BBI, Bible Baptist Institute, night school, for three years while still in high school, then attended Cedarville University, but didnt finish college. Instead Florence went home and married William Reid, whom she met in church. They had 24 good years together before he went to meet his Heavenly Father. They have 9 children, 21 grandchildren, and as of this writing, 14 great-grandchildren. In the course of her life, Florence taught Sunday School preteens, taught Bible Clubs in three different school after hours, played the piano at church, besides raising 9 children, and outings with preteens, with her children along. Florence loves to read scifi, mysteries, love stories, history, and intrigue, besides the Bible. She started writing when in her late 30s, then spent time rewriting and making them better. For hobbies she sews, embroiders, creates doilies and snowflakes, and knits, and occasionally paints outdoor scenes.

Book preview

THE HEIRS OF

REMGELDON

BOOK 5

1559 – 1561

DRAGONLORE SERIES

A Fantasy Novel by

FLORENCE JOANNE REID

Copyright © 2016 by Florence Joanne Reid.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5245-3368-7

                  eBook            978-1-5245-3367-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/17/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

730489

Contents

Prologue

The Royal Throne Room

Thanos 1559.0101

ONE

Wylche 1559.0309

Thanos 1559.0309

Wylche 1559.0312

Dakes 1559.0314

Wylche 1559.0318

TWO

Silverdane 1559.0321

Marga 1559.0414

Pitzar 1559.0420

Obert 1559.0425

Hubb 1559.0501

Dvork 1559.0508

Seaburn Mountains 1559.0524

THREE

Baka 1559.0601

North Veron 1559.0611

North Veron 1559.0616

Silverdane Two 1559.0718

Freedom 1559.0814

Pitzar 1559.0818

FOUR

North Veron 1560.0101

Marga Three 1560.0103

Freedom 1560.0110

Pitzar 1560.0124

Drude 1560.0309

Silverdane 1560.0309

Marga 1560.0314

Kobiacyn 1560.0314

Hogue 1560.0317

Freedom 1560.0501

Hogue 1560.0626

FIVE

Callam 1560.0701

Marek 1560.0707

Darcy 1560.0712

Thanos 1560.0808

Drude 1560.0818

SIX

Baka 1560.0828

Hogue 1560.0906

Hogue 1560.0906

Dakes 1560.1005

Silverdane 1560.1010

Drude 1560.1015

SEVEN

NR Salator 1560.1022

SR Silver Meadow 1560.1030

Marga Two 1560.1105

SR Pitzar 1560.1109

SR Pitzar 1560.1115

EIGHT

Freedom 1561.0126

Thanos 1561.0126

Freedom 1561.0304

Pitzar 1561.0304

Hogue 1561.0304

Hogue 1561.0405

NINE

Hogue 1561.0412

Drude 1561.0412

Dakes 1561.0425

Darcy 1561.0428

TEN

South Veron 1561.0502

Wylche by the Sea 1561.0509

Thanos 1561.0514

Wylche Hatchery 1561.0603

Meron 1561.0605

Meron 1561.0607

ELEVEN

Drude 1561.0621

Pioneer 1561.0622

Needlam 1561.0624

Drude Castle 1561.0624

TWELVE

Wylche 1561.0705

South Veron 1561.0719

Wylche 1561.0804

South Veron 1561.0806

Gates 1561.0818

Silverdane 1561.0815

Kings Highway 1561.0828

THIRTEEN

Rankin 1561.0903

Pitzar Two 1561.0909

Resko 1561.0910

Marga One 1561.0912

Rankin 1561.0915

FOURTEEN

Wylche Three 1561.0914

Silver Two 1561.0926

Louden 1561.0928

Wylche 1561.1010

Thanos 1561.1010

Pucel 1561.1010

Rainbow Castle 1561.1010

EPILOGUE

Graystone Castle 15561.1015

MAJOR CHARACTERS

Kings and Dragonriders

Isle of the Dragons

North Remgeldon

South Remgeldon

OATHS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dedicated in memory of my son, Jim Reid, who not only

inspired the Remgeldon story, but worked with me on the outline.

awts1.jpg

PROLOGUE

THE ROYAL THRONE ROOM

THANOS 1559.0101

H igh King Halvard sat on the throne in the empty Throne Room because it was empty and silent, somewhere he could think, and where no one would bother him. He expected no visitors this early in the morning of the new year. His kingdom was socked in with deep snow, in some places up to three feet deep drifts.

No one was going anywhere in this weather.

To offset the chill of this room, he was dressed warm and had his winter cape around his shoulders. His nose was cold, although the castle was heated, thanks to the Seven Gods’ magic that heated the castle’s stone walls. That heat didn’t seem to touch this humongous inner room.

His northern lands of Remgeldon were nearly cleared of the invaders. Only eastward to Dakes remained to be cleaned up. Soon that would be under way. If spring ever got here. He supposed it would, all in good time as the days crept forward.

It wasn’t often that High King Halvard Pelingre sat on his throne, but this day he sat there thinking of the past five years, and more, back to when he first suspected something was wrong in his lands. Back to when he first received the news that Queen Adrianna had killed her husband, King Mikale Grabaski.

Adrianna had been fourteen when her father married her off to Mikale, a man of thirty-eight years. Five years later she had killed him, leaving no heir to the throne. That was back in 1533, but not until 1538, five years later, had Halvard heard of the King’s death. Murdered. The following year she’d had ordered all the Royals killed in the other four Provinces in the southland.

Halvard shook his graying head. He didn’t know what she intended at that time. Once she murdered her husband, as a murderer, she no longer had the right to be Queen. As High King of both north and southern continents, it was Halvard’s duty to replace her.

He’d had no one to replace her, then.

Now he did. His three sons. And he could replace all the royals who had been murdered.

Also, by that time, the Master Mage Zandrax was at her side.

Now it appeared that Zandrax was his brother-in-law. He was Savanal’s older brother Alexander

Again, Halvard shook his head.

Zandrax the Mage was Savanal’s full brother, and both of them were half-siblings to Rantriel, King of the elves. Alexander had had an unnatural affection for his sister, and might still. Savanal had told him that she had always feared Alexander. Had hated his touch.

Halvard thought of those past events. He now knew that Adrianna, using the three old Castle mages at Galleo had managed to pull Zandrax, at the time he exited the Isle of the Tower, from the mage tower of learning, when he teleported out, pulling him to Galleo. In doing so, killed the castle mages.

Halvard wasn’t sure if Zandrax killed all the Lords of the southland to prove something to Adrianna, or if he was angry with them for some unknown reason. But he did kill them all, then put in his own people. Adrianna did the same, replacing the Kings and Queens with her own people. That hadn’t been her right or responsibility. And neither man nor woman had the right to sit on the throne at Grabaski Castle.

But it had happened before Halvard heard about all the murders, and at the time there had been nothing he could do about it. He didn’t have replacement kings at those long ago times. That was twenty-five years ago.

At the time he’d been age forty, five years into his reign as High King. Now he was sixty-five. There was some gray in his mostly white hair. The white, so Raintrial said, showed his elven bloodlines.

Before he’d even petitioned the Seven Gods for an answer, they had provided the answer. He just didn’t know it at the time. Only finding out much, much later that the High King and High Queen only produced one son, the heir to the royal throne of Thanos, did Halvard realize he had the solution to the southland. He and Savanal had three extra sons. Darton, Waldon and Jovian.

Darton had been born 1537, the year after Ariella, their eldest daughter, had died, a couple years before he had even asked the Seven Gods for a solution to the situation brewing in the south. Elleena had been another surprise in 1539, and one for Savanal, who sorely missed Ariella and the son Ariella had given birth to just before she died. Waldon was born in ’41 and Jovian in ’43, had been two more surprises, followed by Kasamera in ’45, their youngest daughter.

They would all eventually be dragonriders and protected by their dragon’s magic. Darton, Elleena and Waldon were already dragonriders. Jovian was at the Isle of the Dragons and hopefully he’d get a dragon this year. Kasy was only fourteen, but she would turn fifteen later this year.

Now those children were old enough to marry, and Darton had a girlfriend who had a queen dragon, and Elleena was mated to dragonrider Harlan. The rest would follow suit when it was time. Of that Halvard had no doubt. The end, or the need, for a High King would soon be over. He was sixty-four. Later this year he’d turn sixty-five.

The Seven Gods gave him a full life to live, and on this earth that was seventy years. Everything he did for the next five, six or seven years would be to that end. And if he had extra years, he would do everything in his power to make things right for his son Charidan to take over the kingdom.

Charidan would be the last High King. His son, Bragan, born between Darton and Waldon back in 1540, would be the first Dragon Lord King over North Remgeldon. At this point Halvard didn’t know what these men would be called who would reign over four, five or six provinces of the future. Minor kings would be Dragon Lords instead. But the man over those four, five or six kings would need a title more than Dragon Lord.

Dragon Lord King? Dragon King?

Halvard was sure someone would come up with an answer by the time it was all put into effect. He didn’t think he would be around at that time. But maybe he would, the Gods willing.

These are perilous times, Halvard thought, heart heavy with grief over all the great loss of life in his kingdom with this war Zandrax and Adrianna started so very long ago. And the war wasn’t over yet.

The events of this past year went through his mind. Darlan and Darlaina, Darius and Dariella’s twins had been taken by Zandrax. For what reason, no one knew. That happened four months ago. In the first search for his son and daughter, Darius had systematically disintegrated the Royal castles in the southland looking for them, until the Seven Gods stopped him.

Three weeks before that time, Zandrax had destroyed the Royal Castle at Wylche with lightning bolts. And had killed King Philipi with a bolt to the heart, so the Seven had informed him when he was atop the castle in the Holy of Holies. Philipi had managed to fill Zandrax’s hide with three poison arrows. Darts, really, that Darak had made for him, along with a mini crossbow because Philipi was too weak in the last stages of his deteriorating illness to pull a standard bow.

Leander had been crowned King of Wylche upon his father’s death, but the land around the area of the old castle was unsettled. The Seven Gods had taken what Zandrax started and raised a mountain range and put Leander’s new castle atop it somewhere.

Also, Zandrax had used weather again, to help him pull down the castle, and although Darak had discovered the cause of all the rain, it would take four or five years before everything was back to normal. The whole kingdom had been plagued with too much rain and flooding. Crops ruined. Now it was snow.

The plan was to start a massive search come spring, in the lower southern kingdom for Darius’ twins. Someone remembered that Zandrax had visited those castles and cities as if looking for a deep place to hide those two children.

Halvard also recalled he had sent Sladan and Janatar down there to spy out the land last spring. The Seven Gods created a prophesy about Dragon Lords, saving them from…he didn’t know what. From Zandrax? At the time that black dragon had been killing and eating people.

The longer he sat there thinking about it, maybe that was two years ago. He was definitely getting old if he couldn’t remember what year he sent out those two spies.

His Generals were talking about this massive search that would get underway in three or four months. They were thinking that maybe Darton or Adric should open their kingdom. At the same time General Mallan would be leading the cleanup towards Dakes and all those southern seaports in Thanos Province.

Mallan could do it with thirty thousand troops, and they’d still have troops to send south to the lower kingdom, led by General Darvan or General Dannon. He wasn’t sure which man.

That was all the talk after the snows started and so much of it came down. It would lay down two or three feet, melt some, add some, melt some again, then add more. Some drifts were over Darak’s seven foot.

Halvard was the most surprised man when his wife silently took the chair beside him, wrapped in her heavy white winter cloak that covered her from head to toe.

How long are you planning on sitting in those icy room?

I’ve just been going over last year’s events.

I can see your nose is red.

I might go have a cup of something hot.

Come upstairs and sit before the roaring fire I had built. We can warm up there before retiring for the night. Although it’s halfway to morning.

He was so cold he creaked when he stood. A fire would feel good about now.

They had the whole of the southern kingdom to search. His son Darton would be the first of his three sons to become a Dragon Lord in that southern kingdom.

It would start this year.

ONE

WYLCHE 1559.0309

L eander Balkoas, King of Wylche, rider of brown Sarl, flew over his kingdom, hunting through the new mountains of Wylche for his new castle, for the old one had been destroyed months ago by the evil mage Zandrax. In that destruction, a whole new mountain range, thanks to the Seven Gods, came into existence as if all the land in the area of the old Royal Castle had heaved itself up in a rage.

Looking for his castle had only been possible after the heavy snows of winter had melted. In some places drifts had been upwards to eight feet, higher in the mountains. Only a week ago a great thaw had started taking place. It could still snow.

But everyone, Lord Kalan, Lord Darius, even High King Halvard, had told him the area was too unstable to be examined until spring. Well, spring was four weeks away. Far as he was concerned, this was close enough. And he had been told that when he was destined to find the castle, he would.

Besides, he was flying. It was the ground that was unstable.

No one knew where Zandrax was hole up these days, but wherever he was, he had kidnapped Lord Darius’ twins, Darlan and Darlaina, and was holding them hostage. Shamefacedly Darius had admitted to the High King that he had vaporized all the Royal Castles in the southland in a fit of angry temper in his initial search for his missing four-year-old twins, without successfully finding them. Since about thirty people heard his confession, it soon was the talk of the castle at Thanos, passed on to every dragonrider through their dragons, and passed on to all the future Kings of the southland living on the Isle of the Dragons.

Leander mused on that while flying as much as wondering where his castle was located. And he wondered if he’d ever find his father’s body. That his father had been in the Royal Castle at the time Zandrax destroyed it, he had absolutely no doubt. He knew his father had been dying, that whatever disease he had, it was incurable. There at the end, at the end of the war at Wylche, the hardest thing he’d ever done was let his father go, not go tearing off after him.

He didn’t mind spending hours flying in search of the castle. It gave him time to think.

Even with his father’s death on his mind, his friends had urged him to choose Krystine, the new Queen dragonrider as his mate. He couldn’t do it. He felt dead inside, unable to dredge up feelings for the sixteen-year-old girl. He had to admit that she was pretty. It didn’t help that his friends told Krystine she was for him. It didn’t help his peace of mind that she had long, curly dark hair, pretty blue eyes framed with dark lashes, and sweet red lips, which his friends had been pointing out the last four months, and that she had been giving him coy glances.

There was nothing wrong with his eyesight. It was his heart that was hurting.

That was another reason why he was out here flying around, looking for his castle, to get away from all his well-meaning friends and their good intentions. None of them seemed to understand that he wasn’t ready to fall in love yet.

Flying was relaxing.

Leander didn’t even care to guess how high they were. Naturally, Sarl magically provided him with cold-weather clothing as soon as they were in flight. It was an ability taught him in the egg by Rydl, who had sired him through Rachah, the first Queen dragon. By the time a dragon could fly, which was at about nine months, that dragon knew all the magic of his sire. When Sarl mated, he would pass on that magic lore.

With the war at Wylche over, him now the King of Wylche, even though he was only nineteen, he had been relieved of duty as Wing Leader. He didn’t know how much he prized that rank until he no longer had it. Another reason he was out here flying around rather than sitting on his backside on the Isle of the Dragons trying to pretend feelings for a girl he thought only pretty.

Even if he found his castle, which he doubted on his first try, there was so much land to cover, and he would still have to return to the Isle for the hatching next month. Well, in six weeks, he mentally amended. He figured it would take two weeks to find the castle in these new mountains.

There it is! Sarl cried in his mind, making Leander winch at his dragon’s yell.

What? Where? Leander asked aloud. But Sarl was already spiraling down to the mountains where he spotted the castle. It sat atop a low mountain that looked like it had been squashed down and flattened to accept the structure. When the Seven Gods put it there, they probably did smash down the mountain, or merely cut the top off. How hard a job would that be for the Gods? He thought irreverently.

Sarl carried him around the site so both of them had a good look. If the Gods did cut off the top of the mountain, there was no extra stone lying around. The courtyard was small compared to the old Royal Castle. Hardly a thousand feet around the castle base inside the first wall. No room for a garrison. Sarl took him lower still in flight around the mountain. It’s how they spotted the lower wall, and the other buildings a castle needed for the army, and homes for other dragonriders who would be coming with him.

His whole squadron of thirty had elected to come with him. Many of them were new to flying. Over the winter men had changed squadrons, traded places, and new riders had been added. He had three new Wing Leaders, Prince Todd, Ralton and Daron. The last two were out of the ’58 bunch of riders, while Todd came from an early ’57 clutch. Todd had been with him a couple of years, but not as a Wing Leader.

Months ago he’d put Prince Todd in command of the squadron. Todd was out of King Raymon’s line, and only seventeen, but from childhood he’d been brought up to command. Scott had been his original second in command, but he’d changed squadrons and was a new Wing Leader under Waldon. Slone would have been his next choice, but he’d accepted a Wing Leader position with Darton, while on the side he was courting Queen rider Christel.

He had been more surprised when Princess Elleena, rider of apricot Dornah, also King Halvard’s daughter, mate to Harlan, rider of green Corrl, had agreed to remain with the squadron and come to Wylche with him. Maybe it was a case that Harlan wanted to stay with him at his new castle, and Elleena decided she wanted to remain with Harlan. Didn’t matter. He had thirty dragonriders under his command.

Leander saw that there were dragon caves lower on the mountain. It wasn’t enough that his castle was there. He needed a hatching ground, a mountain with a hole down the center, with hot sands, where his Queen, in time, would lay her clutch of eggs. Rather than land at the castle, which he dearly wanted to do, they flew upward to examine the three mountains around the castle, and discovered all three of them were hatcheries.

Landing in each one, Leander let his dragon pick out the one he liked best, the one he would eventually lead his mate to after the first mating flight. There was that thought again. Mating. He had not been brought up to take a girl before marriage. All his friends had wanted him to take Krystine to his bed, to make her his that way long before the mating flight. In his eyes, the mating flight was the marriage ceremony for a dragonrider.

Sarl naturally chose the largest hatching ground, saying—in his head—Caltah, Queen rider Flame, Zirl’s mate, whose rider was Boyd, could have the next largest hatchery. Three weeks ago Caltah laid twenty-two eggs at the Marga Two Hatchery.

His Queen, Sarl gloated, would produce the largest clutches, and Leander smiled and patted Sarl on the neck. In five weeks those twenty-two eggs would be hatching. It was still being debated if it’d be wise to transport those dragonets to Wylche.

That was another reason he was out here looking for his castle. Lord Boyd and Lady Flame had agreed to come with him to Wylche. Although Boyd was from Salator, he wasn’t an elf. Flame was from Darcy, a southern seaport town in Thanos, daughter of Lord Jorge, who’d had the good sense to take his family and leave that city before the army of Zandrax had killed them all.

In Leander’s own family, he had four uncles on his father’s side, who had lived in southern seaport towns, who had to be evacuated and transported to the Isle of the Dragons. At least they lived. Not like his two older sisters who were dead. And their beautiful mother.

He didn’t like to think about that.

Karina was his only surviving sister. Verna and Faybel and their husbands were dead, and he’d had no brothers. However, Verna’s sons Corin and Brock, and Faybel’s son Charon were rescued by Karina, her own son and husband murdered right before her eyes, although she had been in hiding at the time.

He also had relatives on his mother’s side, but they had never been in the danger zone, living closer to Velka. This made him wonder if they knew that his mother, their sister Saraneda, was dead. He was sure his father was dead, too. He might have to look them up. They were all younger than his mother. They might have sons and daughters who would consider becoming dragonriders. Leander tucked that idea into the back of his mind for another day’s consideration.

Fly me back to the castle Sarl. While I’m inside, you can look this hole in the ground over. There should be a tunnel out of it big enough for even you to walk through, and it should lead to the small dragonet caves.

As they flew upward, Leander saw the dragonet caves, a small structure, man-height, for the newly hatched dragon to curl in comfortably after being fed. They grew fast. In four months they’d be out of the dragonet caves, into the junior caves for four months, then into the adult caves. For those first four months old dragonets had to be kept out of cold rain and snow, but as the adults said, snow was no colder than the air high above the earth, and that didn’t bother tough hide of an adult dragon.

Sarl flew his rider to the other mountain and let him off in the courtyard at the eastern door, then went back to investigate the hatcheries. The first thing Leander noticed was that the entrance was different than the doors at the old castle. He could see in, and see that there was something a few feet inside the inner doors sitting up on a low table. Both sets of doors opened easily to his touch. He went in to look.

It was his father. He was in a coffin, but like none he’d ever seen, for the lid appeared made of glass.

Leander looked down on his face for a long time, thinking he looked at peace, and almost as if he’d rise up out of his glass coffin. He knew that somewhere in the subbasement was the crypt. He had explored the old castle. The castle had three floors below ground, four above ground. This one should have the same layout. But no way was he exploring the lower cavity of this castle until there was candle light down there.

Instead, Leander wandered through the lower rooms. First the Throne Room off to his left. Now that it was his it seemed huge. A huge empty room, except for the two throne seats. He stood at the back, center, and looked it all over. Two chairs occupied the indented and raised throne area. To either side, he knew, were the King’s Rooms One and Two. Next to the King’s Room One was the Queen’s Room, where there was an escape route to the basement, and a secret outside exit. On the other side of the King’s Room Two was the guard station. And behind that the patrol hall, and behind the outer wall was the southeast tower.

Leander stood there looking for a long time, frowning, wondering what was different, then realized that the back wall of the throne room was made of glass. He went to look that over, and discovered that the wall into the tower was of glass, and that there was bright light coming from the tower. He went through three sets of doors to get inside the tower, but once there, discovered that the tower was built of what appeared to be glass bricks, letting in plenty of light. There were plenty of windows, too, which is what made it seem so bright.

He liked it.

He checked the other rooms, inner rooms, the Conference Room, Court Room, Assembly Hall, Advisory Hall, Council Chamber, and Committee Room, all rooms off the main hall, then the other three towers which were built in much the same manner as the first. All the rooms were furnished with tables and chairs, and the small lounge areas had overstuffed chairs, tables and lamps, but a lamp like he’d never seen before, yet it was beautiful. The glass on top of the metal base looked like a chimney, but of glass, with a roof—also of glass—which was held up by a metal ring, with that glass roof painted pretty colors depicting flowers.

In looking around more closely at the other rooms, especially in the dining rooms, he saw that the lamps on the walls did not hold candles, but was this other type of lamp. Someone would have to explain this new contraption to him. They smelled horrid.

He went up the main steps in the center of the building, a corner cut off the Throne Room, to check out the living quarters, and discovered that not much was changed there. His, the King’s rooms, consisted of three bedrooms, and two large sitting rooms, and off to one side, a bedroom for a nurse. That was standard. There were a dozen other apartments that he didn’t bother looking into. At the top of the main steps there was an open living room, available to all the guests of the castle on the second floor.

The third floor was mainly for guards and castle staff, but he peeked into many of the rooms, and found them all as lavishly furnished as the rooms below. He was content with this castle he would rule. He didn’t bother the top floor, which only had rooms for guests.

Returning below, he went once more to look upon his father’s figure in the glass coffin. Then he went out into the afternoon sunlight. He stood outside looking around the courtyard. It was awhile before he realized what he was seeing. The battlement walkway was not just a walkway, but the roof over rooms. This was something like what General Colbert had built at Thanos during the ’53 war. He walked around the castle, walking closer to the rooms as he went. He looked into a few. They too, were completely furnished, and large enough for small families. Not the tiny rooms Colbert had built to hold as many men as humanly possible, with stacked beds. He didn’t even try to guess how many rooms there were, but more than enough for the six hundred soldiers General Dannon would be bringing in.

On the north side were the inevitable stables. He had no idea how they’d get horses up the mountain. He had not seen a road when flying around the wall. There were, however, Leander noticed, four gates, north and south, east and west. Still, he wondered how they’d bring in supplies if there were no roads. Unless he was expected to fly in supplies. But then why the gates? It also made him wonder if there was food in the castle. His stomach reminded him that it had been eight hours since he’s eaten.

Sarl came sailing in over the wall, to land on the wall next to the northern gate, and to announce, there was plenty of dragon food in the valleys below. And there are covered walkways leading to everywhere, Sarl said in Leander’s head.

Leander went back inside to see if there was food in the castle, something he could munch on before leaving. He found a fully cooked ham hanging in the cold room and cut a couple of generous slices before wrapping it back up. There were plenty of supplies, but naturally, nothing baked. He hoped he could beg something from the kitchens at Thanos.

THANOS 1559.0309

Leander circled the castle, doing some thinking before landing at the south door of the Royal Castle, which was the main entrance. He’d given this much thought when he’d left Wylche and transferred to Thanos, but not too close to the castle. He wanted, needed, ten minutes to think about things before seeing the High King. He believed he was ready to move into his castle.

King Halvard, though, might have reservations.

He might be King of Wylche, but the High King was his King, and over all the Kings of Remgeldon, and not just here on the northern continent, but in the south as well. As a Dragon Lord, Kalan was over him, too. It was confusing at times to have two Kings in which to report activity.

Leander knew that Darius, in a few weeks, planned on leading an attack force to the south in search of his two children. He’d chosen Pitzar first. That’s where Darton, the High King’s second oldest son would reign as King. Darton would be going with Darius, and taking his squadron of dragonriders.

Did he have a right to claim his throne first?

Sarl set him down and went to perch on the castle wall.

The guard let Leander inside and led him to the High King. Halvard was still using the small dining room as a meeting room. He thought there was more gray in the King’s hair than he’d previously noticed. There was definitely gray in his mustache. He was dressed comfortably in royal blue pants and overshirt, trimmed in gold, belted with a gold-link chain. He wore a simple, narrow crown of gold that had an intricate design, and the only other jewelry was gold rings, one on each hand.

Leander! recognized the High King. Come have a seat. Halvard immediately called for sweet rolls and coffee, for which Leander was thankful. Halvard thought the young man a strikingly handsome youth, with wavy light brown hair to his shoulders, and pale blue eyes, and with the physique and graceful walk of a fighter.

I’ve been searching for my castle, grinned the youth. And I found it. I also found my father. The Gods put him in a glass coffin just inside the eastern door. I knew he’d gone to the Royal Castle. Knew it was to be destroyed, but he wanted desperately to see it before that time. I think he was probably in it when Zandrax showed up.

Halvard sipped the coffee the serving girl poured, and took a sweet roll, but before taking a bite, he said, Now that you’ve found that castle, it’s time you claimed it. Time to move in.

I had hoped so, sire. He helped himself to the plate of rolls, and thanked the girl for the coffee.

Having raised seven children, Halvard knew how hungry a young man could get, so he pushed the plate toward Leander and told him to help himself again.

Your mother’s coffin will have to be brought over from the Isle and placed in the crypt alongside your father. Have you thought of a staff for your castle yet?

Leander shook his head. Then grinned. Just Lords for all my city castles.

And those castles will have to be staffed. Have you thought about who you’ll have as Queen?

That’s what got me off the island, sire, he remarked dryly. Krystine is the newest Queen dragonrider. She’s a rancher’s daughter from my own northern ranch country. I fear her father’s ranch is in the mountains now. Where the old Royal Castle used to stand is a whole range of mountains. And around my mountain castle are three hatcheries with high bridged and covered walkways.

Cattle will have to be raised by those ranchers for the dragons. Have you any idea how soon Darton and Darius are headed south to claim Pitzar?

After the hatching of Caltah’s first clutch. Filomenah’s clutch will be two weeks later, but it’s her third. I think the only people attending that hatching will be the candidates and their parents. Maybe a few friends.

I presume one of these Queens will be going with you to claim your territory?

Caltah, sire. Boyd and Flame will wait until after the hatching to come to Wylche. There was talk of transporting the dragonets and new riders to Wylche hatchery, which was another reason why I was searching for my castle.

Call in your squadron, Leander. You can begin today transporting a few people from Thanos to Wylche. Prince Qarvon and his wife and family can be taken there to coordinate everything for you at the castle, while you and your men carry in the people you need and cargo. As your Chief Advisor he needs to know as much about that castle as you.

Leander grinned and did as commanded, giving a mental shout, through Sarl to Haddl, Todd’s brown dragon, to get the whole squadron on over to the Royal Castle at Thanos on the double, that he’d found his castle. He knew it would take time, maybe half an hour, maybe less, to gather everyone, explain, and then fly over. Well, flying would take no time. It depended on what everyone was