Serali yawned and stretched lazily. The morning sun was slanting in her window. She was pleasantly surprised at the lateness of the hour. Usually by now she would have been well into her daily routine, but apparently after last night Janus had allowed her to sleep in.
She dressed herself in a plain working outfit. Lady Valerie had insisted that she get better working clothes as well, though they were still drably colored and practical. Descending the tower stars, she emerged into the kitchen. Janus was sitting at the table sorting through a heap of little cards and envelopes. Serali peered curiously over his shoulder at the stack, wondering what they could be.
"What are those?" she asked
"Cards, letters, and invitations from various people that you impressed last night, not a few of which were delivered in person this morning."
"That many?"
"Oh yes, and I expect that a few more will trickle in before today is done with. You made quite the impression, especially on the young men present. That's where most of these come from."
She eyed the pile, not sure if she should feel pleased or dismayed. "Do I have to answer all of those?"
"No, that's why I've been sorting through them. I'm taking out the ones from people who are unsavory types, there are a few of those, and of those who want things that you can't give as yet, including, I'm afraid, a few offers from families looking to marry off an undesirable younger son or two. There are also a few that you do have to answer, people whose position makes it unwise to brush them off, and a few whose influence you may find particularly useful, I'll sort out those as well. But most of them require no particular action."
"I hope so! Tying to write back to all of those would be a real pain."
"Yes indeed! A few of these are also invitations, some of which are probably worth accepting. We'll be going to a fair number of parties in the next few months."
"After last night, that doesn't sound so bad."
"You enjoyed yourself then?"
"I did. It was a wonderful night."
"Well, I've finished tossing the undesirables and setting aside the ones that you'll have to answer. Why don't you go through the rest and find any that you want to respond to and then we can toss everything else out."
He handed the larger of the two stacks sitting on the table to Serali. She sat down and started flipping through them. Most of them bore names she didn't recognize. "Janus, who in the world is the 'Right Honorable Lord Jasper Alexo Random'?"
"One of the flunkies that's forever hovering around the royal family. Why do you ask?"
"That impossible name. 'Right Honorable Lord Jasper Alexo Random,'" she said in a pompous tone.
Janus chuckled. "He's overly fond of titles. Most of his set are. Fortunately none of his set are among those you are required to respond to."
Serali went back to her reading. Most of the cards and letters went into a growing heap of discards. A very few she set aside, those belonging to people she remembered favorably. But the majority of the notes seemed to come from people whom she hadn't even been introduced to.
"Why on earth would any of these people be interested in me?" she asked.
"I'm afraid that a lot of this is my fault." replied Janus. "While many of those are from the earnest young men who were captivated by you last night, quite a few more area almost certainly politically motivated. I've been absent from the social scene for a long time, and I've repeatedly refused to use my magic or my political influence on behalf of anyone. They see you as a way to get me involved in their causes."
She snorted. " They should know better."
"And how would they? They've never met you, how do they know that you're not some silly thing who'll fall to the wiles of the first man that happens along?"
Serali shook her head and went back to her sorting. One card almost escaped her notice. Small, plain white with a name on it in neat black print, it was just like a dozen other nearly identical cards. The name caught her eye before she could toss it away. "Galen Marten" she turned the card over. There was a message on the back, written in a neat even script. "A walk in the park would be enjoyable on such a fine day, and twice as enjoyable with such a fine lady. Would you meet me at D'Trevius Park at the third hour after noon?"
She stared at the note. Galen… He had remembered her, he wanted to see her again…then she shook her head. Silly girl, mooning over someone you've danced with once. He's probably one of the ones after Janus. Still, it couldn't hurt to go.
She had been staring into space so long that Janus remarked, "Are you going to sit there forever, or are you going to finish sorting those?"
"Huh?" Serali was startled out of her thoughts. "Oh." She blushed. "Janus, do you know who Galen Marten is?"
"No, I've never heard the name. Though Galen is a very common name for young men these days. One of the royal princes is named Galen, so of course half the people in the kingdom who had baby boys around that time named them Galen in the prince's honor. But Galen Marten isn't anyone I know."
"Too bad… I was hoping that you would be able to tell me if he was for real, or just after your influence."
"I'm afraid you'll have to find out for yourself. At least you have enough sense not to let infatuation blind you to the possibility that he might be up to no good."
"I'm aware of it yes, but well… I'd really rather that it wasn't the case. I could get to like this particular young man very easily."
"Is that an invitation from him there?"
"Yes. Do you have any lessons for me this afternoon?"
"Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow." Janus smiled. "I'm sure you'd much rather be with a handsome young man than an old relic like me."
Serali laughed. "You're not much of a relic. If it weren't for the fact that I know you have to be twice my age at least, I'd never guess."
Janus just shook his head and smiled. "You have no idea, Serali."
The next few hours flew by in a daze. All Serali could think of was that she would meet Galen again. She kept reminding herself that he might not be what he seemed, that he could be just another power seeker, but she just couldn't imagine him that way. Of course she'd only met him once, and they had talked for only a few minutes while they danced, but still he had struck her as being a good person, an honest person. But then, she thought, what do I know of people? I've only known the few at Land's End. The city is different, Breck always said it was. She shook her head. Enough of that, I'll just be careful and see what happens. Though I hope… she left the thought unfinished and went upstairs to get dressed.
Dressing had always been simple, she just picked whatever outfit happened to catch her eye. Even after acquiring a much larger wardrobe, she used the same method, but today nothing seemed right. She tried on half a dozen things before giving up and putting one at random, a fairly simple and comfortable dress of emerald green that went well with her eyes.
Realizing that it was almost time, she hurried down the stairs to the base of the tower. D'Trevius Park was only a few minutes' walk away, and she strode briskly down the street, eager to arrive. The park was just inside the city walls, so she didn't have far to go.
Out here near the edge of the city the traffic was light, merely a few carts and a scattering of pedestrians. Sreali hardly noticed them as she headed towards her destination. As she reached the trees that lined the edge of the park, she looked around. There were quite a few people there, couples strolling, children playing, solitary men and women out enjoying the fine afternoon, but Serali couldn't see Galen anywhere.
Then she spotted him. He was standing only a few yards from her, looking off towards where the top of Janus's tower was just barely visible over the tops of the nearby buildings. He hadn't noticed her approach because she had gone by a route that was actually shorter, but meant that she approached the park from a slightly different direction, rather than from the tower.
She walked over to him, suddenly hesitant and shy, something she had never been. He turned his head and saw her. For a moment they just looked at each other, and then Galen walked over and said hello, and Serali managed to answer without making a fool of herself. He took her hand in his, giving her a pleasant tingly feeling, and they walked into the park. Afterwards Serali couldn't recall the details. They had talked about their lives, the differences between being raised as a nobody in a small town and as a noble in the city, things like that. The subject didn't matter, talking with him was wonderful in and of itself.
He walked her home, leaving her at the front gate with a brief kiss. It wasn't a kiss to write poems about, but it was the first Serali had ever had and she went inside in a daze, wishing that every day could be like this one.
Janus didn't comment, other than to say that tomorrow they would have lessons as usual, but also as usual her evenings were her own.
And lessons did continue, though Serali found herself unable to devote herself to them quite as whole-heartedly as before. She had previously spent all of her free time studying or reading, but now the spare time was being spent in walks in the park, or rides in the country, or other similar entertainments. Still, if magic was no longer her first priority, she still loved it. The theory was fascinating, and the practice interesting as well. Her only gripe was the slowness with which she was allowed to progress.
"Janus, this is too easy! Must I be doing cantrips for the rest of my life?"
"Serali, you're very gifted and yes you've studied a great deal now, but book learning doesn't equal experience. Cantrips are an excellent way to get that experience without the risk of a major spell."
"But I've done cantrips by the bushel, by the ton! I'm sick of them. When do I get to do real magic?"
"You want real magic? You really think you're prepared for a mage spell?"
"Yes! I've read nearly that whole theory book, and I think I can apply it just fine."
"All right then, we'll see what you've learned."
He walked over to one of the big bookshelves that lined his workroom. Running a finger over the books, he stopped at one of a set bound in red leather. Pulling the volume off of the shelf, he walked back over to where Serali sat, eager to see what she would be doing.
"Here, this is a book of first level fire spells. Pick one, and study it tonight. You can cast it tomorrow at the start of our lesson."
Serali let out a whoop. "Great! I finally get to do something!"
Janus shook his head. "Just don't get too ambitious. Those are all low level, but that's no reason not to look for an easy one to start with. Casting a real spell is very different from doing a cantrip."
Serali nodded absently, already flipping through the pages. Janus chuckled. She would just have to learn the hard way, like every other apprentice did.
Serali had her usual walk with Galen that evening, but after saying goodnight, she rushed up to her room to study her chosen spell. She didn't want one that she would use for this test and then never use again, so she had found one that looked interesting and useful. She was still attending the social scene, though somehow Galen never seemed to be able to come to the parties that she attended. Still, she was a mage's apprentice and as such she was as much a part of the noble life as any highborn lady. The problem was that most of the nobles had no clue about magic, but were fascinated by it. She had often been asked to demonstrate her magic, and she usually used a small cantrip to put out or light a candle, the fire magic coming easily. The problem with that was there were others with magic insufficient to be mages, but more than enough to duplicate her tricks. The book of fire magic had offered a solution to this problem. There was a spell that could allow a mage to shape fire, either by simply willing it to move, or by holding it in her hand and physically molding it. A side effect of the spell kept the mage from being bunt. All in all, it would be a great deal more impressive to form illusions out of flame than to simply light a candle. And the activating chant was relatively simple, something she could whisper under her breath, once she mastered it, in a few seconds.
She set about studying. The spell wasn't the easiest in the book, and the words had to be exactly right, she knew that. Nothing she read was unfamiliar to her, but combining the words was very different than using them singly. Still Serali didn't doubt that she could master the spell. After all, hadn't Janus himself told her that she was an exceptionally talented fire mage?
She awoke the next morning with a crick in her neck. She had fallen asleep over the spell book. Good thing I was reading in bed and not at the desk, she thought to herself with an inner grin. Otherwise I'd really be sore. She opened the book, glad that she hadn't damaged it, and looked over the spell again. Through the whole rest of the day she continually sneaked glances at the book whenever she could. Even during her etiquette lessons with Lady Valerie, which she was still required to take. Lady Valerie wasn't too pleased with that, but Serali didn't really care by this point. She was eager for lunch to come and go so she could try out the spell, wolfing down her food so fast that Janus made a remark about giving herself the hiccups and ruining her spell, after which she slowed to a more normal pace.
At last lunch was over and Serali and Janus went up to his workroom on the fourth floor of the tower. Seralli was all set to begin at once, but Janus insisted on setting up what he called "working screens" protective spells designed to contain any misfire or mistake.
"This is fire magic, and while you may be quite immune to flames in dragon form, you wouldn't fit in here anyway, and I'm not at all immune myself. I insist on this as a precaution. It won't take too long."
It was almost all she could do to contain her excitement and impatience, but at last it was ready.
Stepping into the circle that was incised in the floor, she began to recite the incantation that began the spell, carefully gesturing in the appropriate places. Then she carefully visualized what she wanted, and spoke the final word and made the final gesture toward the fire that blazed in the fireplace. The flames flared higher and for just an instant she could see them moving into the shape she had imagined. Then the fire flared again, erasing the images, rushing higher and higher. It reached toward the ceiling, and then fell down, the flames winking out leaving only the swiftly cooling ashes behind.
"What happened?" Serali asked incredulously. "It should have been perfect, I didn't say a single word wrong!"
Janus shook his head. "The words aren't everything, the gestures, the intonation, and especially the state of mind that you're in, all can change the spell. The book never tells it all, there are some things you have to figure out yourself, because they're different for everyone."
"How can I do anything then, if it doesn't tell me how?" Serali groused. "This is impossible."
Janus laughed. "No it isn't, just very hard. Here, let me show you…"
They spent the rest of the lesson discussing possible reasons for the spell's failure, and what Serali might try differently next time. "The first few will quite likely be the hardest," he explained. "Once you've found out what changes you need to make, you'll start to find a pattern that works with your particular gift and after that learning new spells will be at least a little easier. But the first ones are always hard. Which," he added with a grin, "is why we spend so much time on cantrips first, trying to get you used to your gift as much as possible with small things that are less likely to go badly."
She rolled her eyes at him, and he laughed. "I'll light the fire and we can have another try tonight. Don't expect this one to work either! But I'm willing to bet that by the end of the week you have it mastered."
And sure enough, after a long week of study and a dozen various kinds of failure, Serali attempted the spell one last time and at last it worked perfectly, the fire dancing into shapes of dragons and castles as Serali directed it.
Life is good, thought Serali as she lay in bed that night. My magic is going well, I'll make journeyman mage in only a year or so at this rate, and getting to know Galen is great. I think I'm falling in love. I always thought that love was a serious thing. Who would have even guessed it would be so much fun? And indeed Serali and Galen were enjoying themselves quite a bit. They went for walks, they spent long hours just talking, they had long rides and picnics in the country. Galen had even bought Serali a horse. She had protested the expense at first, but Galen said "I'm a noble, remember? That means I'm filthy rich. If I don't spend it on you, what else would I do with it?"
The first time he'd attempted to teach her how to ride had been a dismal disaster. Not because of anything Serali did, but because of the horse. Galen had ridden up to the tower on a chestnut gelding, holding the reins of a matched gelding. Inside the courtyard he'd stood and held the horse's reins and directed Serali in how to mount. She had been around horses only a little bit, and had never tried to ride one, but she knew that horses were nervous around her. She guessed it was because they could smell that she was a dragon and carrying someone who normally would have eaten them wasn't something most horses could put up with. And indeed the gelding started dancing nervously and tossing his head as soon as she came near.
Galen gave the reins a little jerk and the horse stilled. "I don't know what's gotten into him," he said, "I picked him out because he's quite steady, a good beginning mount."
"Horses don't like me," said Serali, not wanting to try and explain.
"Well whether he likes you or not, he's going to have to put up with you on his back," Galen said firmly, and tightened his grip on the gelding's reins.
Serali was dubious, but she tried. She got close enough to touch the trembling horse and he suddenly reared, yanking the reins out of Galen's hand, and clattered across the courtyard. If the gate had been open he might have gotten away entirely, but as it was he had to settle for standing as far from Serali as the poor creature could get.
Galen gaped at the horse. His own horse, standing a few feet away, tossed his head and indicated that he wasn't particularly happy about this either.
"I said horses don't like me," said Serali. "Though I've never tried to ride one before, I didn't know it would upset it that much."
"That's... bizarre," said Galen.
Serali just shrugged.
Galen shook his head. "I guess we won't be going riding today."
"I don't think we'll be going riding ever," said Serali.
He looked over at her. "Maybe. We'll see."
Several days later he took her to a stable, saying that he'd found the perfect mount for her. She was a bit dubious as she entered, and even more dubious as every single horse in the building immediately started acting up. "I don't know about this," she said, eying the prancing, whinnying animals. The stablemaster was eying them too, with something like shock. Even his most placid old ponies, meant for children, were dancing in place and tossing their heads.
"I promise," said Galen, "this horse had been trained to be the calmest thing on four legs. I don't understand why you make horses so nervous, but I can assure you that this one won't be as high-strung as the others."
"If you say so."
They reached the end of the long building where a showy palomino stallion stood in the last stall. And unlike every other horse in the building he wasn't shifting and dancing, though the set of his ears indicated that he wasn't exactly happy. "He's a special one," said the stablemaster. "He wouldn't move a muscle if you stood in front of him and screamed in his face."
"What was he trained for?" Serali asked, curious.
"Some fool lord with more money than sense decided that he wanted to go dragon hunting. He had this horse trained so that he would have a suitably noble mount for his battles. He couldn't wait though, and went off without the horse, saying he'd be back and pay the rest of what he owed for the training with dragonscale, but he never came back. I don't know if it's because he never found a dragon, or if it's because he did and it didn't go well, but I've had the beast sitting here ever since, and I've finally given up on the fool ever coming back."
Amazing, the one horse in the whole kingdom that won't bolt at the sight of me, and Galen wants to buy him for me!
Serali held her hand out to him, to let him get her scent before she got too close. He tossed his head and shifted nervously for a moment, then stilled and relaxed. Serali stroked his neck. He was rock still, only his ears, still back, betraying his nervousness.
The stablemaster led him out, got him saddled, and took him outside. And when Serali stepped up to him he didn't so much as flinch. He did flinch, just a little, when she swung up on his back, but once she was up there his ears came forward again. Apparently "dragon sitting behind me in the saddle" wasn't quite as alarming as "dragon standing right in front of me."
Galen paid the stablemaster, and she thanked him for the undoubtedly very expensive present. It was one of a great number of things that he had gotten her. He seemed to love spending money on her. He often bought magical components for her spells, since that's what she said she could use. She didn't do that sort of magic as often as she did the sort that used only word and thought, but she did a bit, and having a wide variety of components opened up a great many options to her. One present she had to laugh at though. Unicorn's hair and gryphon feathers were all things that she needed, but in spells calling for dragon's blood, she found her own worked just fine, even when she was in human form. So, when she was presented with a vial of dragon's blood, no doubt obtained at great expense, it was all she could do to keep a straight face.
The horse though was a splendid gift, and she took easily to riding. Though Galen had to remember to keep his own horse from getting too close to her lest it spook and throw him, they still were able to enjoy many an afternoon gallop through parks or across fields outside the city.
Serali didn't think she could possibly be happier. Yes, life was good.
Time flies when things are going well and before Serali knew it, summer had ended and autumn was well underway. Nearly a year had passed since she had left home. One morning as she was having breakfast, she broke the subject of a possible visit home with Janus.
"Janus, it's been nearly a year since I saw my family. Do you think that I could visit them?"
Janus looked surprised. "Has it really been that long?"
"Yes, it has. I'm enjoying myself here, but I do miss my family sometimes."
"I was planning on having you come with me when I pass through Land's End next summer."
"That's almost another year from now, Janus. I don't want to wait that long. I miss my family."
A wistful expression crossed Janus' face. "I forget how much family can mean sometimes. My own family..." he trailed off, then shrugged. "Yes, you can go Serali. But you must be careful, a woman traveling alone is not safe."
Serali laughed. "I'll go in dragon form. Flying is faster in any case."
Janus shook his head. "I have managed to remember that you are a dragon now, but the repercussions of that continue to surprise me, though I should have thought of that one. I suppose it means that the trip will not take six weeks then."
"I should hope not. I think I can make it in just a couple of days, actually."
"Being a dragon is very handy, it seems." He smiled at her. Then his expression turned more serious. "Eventually you're going to have to tell that young man of yours, you know."
Serali sighed. "I know. But I'm afraid that once he knows he won't see me anymore. I really do love him, you know. I'd hate to lose him."
"But are you doing him any favors by not telling him? One way or another he'll find out eventually, and the longer you leave it, the worse it will be."
Serali stopped and really though about it for a minute. She knew that she might lose Galen when she told him, but to keep him in that dark just so that she could be with him that much longer... "You're right. I've just been trying to ignore it, but it's not going away. I'll tell him when I get back."
Preparations were made and goodbyes were said. Galen gave her quite possibly the nicest and longest kiss they'd had yet before she went, and with that happy memory to warm her along the way, she began her journey with a smile on her face.
With a light step at the thought of seeing her family again she set off for Land's End. The first part of the journey she would make on foot. There was plenty of traffic along the road out of Barona so she didn't have to worry about being assaulted, but the crowd of fellow travelers also meant that she wouldn't be able to change into dragon form until she reached the turn-off that led homeward. Serali didn't really mind though. She strolled along, taking her time and watching the people who shared the road with her. Nobles in covered carriages, going to or from country estates, farmers with loaded wagons heading to town to sell their loads of fruit or vegetables, a caravan of merchants heading for the elven lands to trade, a second caravan, similar in appearance but vastly different in purpose, of pilgrims headed for one of the western shrines. All of them moving together in a great crowd of humanity on the dusty road. And a bit of not-quite-humanity as well. She saw a few elves, and a group of very short people who were almost certainly dwarves, and there was herself, of course, she wasn't human any more than they were.
The weather was good, summer was drawing to a close here, though at Land's End the weather would still be hot. Barona was farther north and fall would not be long in coming. She was looking forward to her first winter in Barona. There would be snow! She'd seen snow a few times as a child, but never much. But she'd been told that in Barona it sometimes snowed as much as two feet at once! She had a hard time picturing what that much snow would look like, but she was sure it would be wonderful.
As the sun set, Serali reached a fork in the road. Traffic was already much thinner, and as she turned off down the smaller side track, the main road was emptying as travelers sought out places to stop for the night. The side road was completely deserted so Serali merely walked down it far that someone passing by on the main road wouldn't be able to see her. Looking around one more time to be sure she was alone, she changed into dragon form. By now she was so used to shifting she didn't even have to think about it. Spreading her wings, she took off into the air. She wanted to make some distance before stopping that night.
A few hours later, she was flying over a forested area, having covered in that short time almost twice the distance that she had made during daylight. With a yawn she decided that it was time to stop. Finding a small clearing, she landed, curled into a ball, and went to sleep.
She awoke the next morning with a stinging pain in her neck and the sensation that something was wrong. She opened her eyes to find a burly man standing over her with an axe. Without even thinking about it, she rolled over and leaped in a flash of motion, ending with the man pinned to the ground, his axe on its way down from a long arc across the clearing.
Serali was nearly as startled by her instinctive reaction as the man was, but she managed to recover herself before he did. Turning her head around so that she was looking him right in the eyes, she asked, "What were you doing?"
The man looked at her with surprise. For a long minute he was silent and then with an air of one who has given up he said, "Trying to protect my family from a monster"
Serali sighed. There was that word again. "I'm sorry. I don't mean you or them any harm. I didn't even notice anyone lived near here or I wouldn't have stopped for the night."
The man blinked up at her. "You didn't mean any harm? But you're a dragon. Dragons kill people."
"And humans kill more humans than all the other races combined," she snapped at him, losing patience entirely. She was getting very sick of this "monster" business. Just because she was a dragon, that didn't mean that she was some kind of vicious animal. She was every bit as much a person as any human was! Then she sighed again. Getting angry at the man wouldn't help things any. She sat back and let him up.
He looked more than a little surprised at that, and also still rather fearful, and she couldn't keep from rolling her eyes. "Oh don't look at me like that. I said I don't mean any harm. I'm not going to hurt you! You're the one who attacked me without any provocation at all. And you can go ahead and pick up your axe, if it makes you feel any better about things."
He backed away from her, then ran to where the axe had fallen and retrieved it. She watched him for a moment, but he didn't show any signs of attacking her again. Serali took a moment to examine the source of the stinging pain in her neck. Much to her surprise, she found that where the man had swung the axe at her several of the scales were actually cracked, and the tender skin underneath torn. With a great deal of twisting, she managed to lick at the spot. It was bleeding slightly, but didn't look serious.
"When you do something, you don't do it by halves, do you?"
He looked surprised all over again at her humorous tone. "No, I don't," he said. "Though this time I didn't get what I thought I would."
"I for one am glad. But I have miles to cover today, so I must be off."
That said, she spread her wings and, running down the length of the clearing, she leaped into the air and with a few beats of her wings was gone.
Two more days of travel brought her to the plateau where Land's End sat. Choosing a spot well outside of town, she set down and changed back to her human form. It felt a bit odd at first. She had been a dragon for nearly three days, the longest time she had spent in that form so far. After a moment of unsteadiness though, she adjusted to the familiar feelings. Setting a brisk pace, she headed towards home.
Her family hadn't been warned of her arrival, any letter she could have sent would have reached them long after she did. So when she walked into the house her mother nearly dropped the pan she was carrying. Putting it down quickly on the nearest flat surface, she rushed over and gave Serali a hug.
"Serali!"
"Oh Mama, I'm so glad to be home!" Serali exclaimed. All of the sudden her homesickness, which had crept up on her so slowly she had hardly realized it was there, was gone. The rest of the family came piling out of the house. Serali looked at them. Even little Carita was beginning to look grown-up. As for Turla, she was looking quite the young woman. And Ohlito had filled out over the last year, going form a gangly teen, all knees and elbows, to a solid young man. But someone was missing.
"Where's Dentol?"
"He's moved out." Marilla answered. "Young Rella caught his eye and they were married two months ago."
Serali's face fell. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."
"It's all right, Serali. We all know that you couldn't have made it in time. Barona is a long way away."
I could have, she thought. It only took three days to get here. If they'd just told me… but they couldn't have known that. She shook her head. "I guess you're right. But never mind that. I'll visit them later. Right now I want to know what's for dinner!"
Turla grinned. "That's our Serali, always thinking about food!"
Serali spent that night on a mattress on the floor in Carita's room, her old bed and room having been given to Turla. The next few days passed in a flurry of happy activity. Serali did all of the things that she had done before leaving. She helped out at the inn, did chores at home, cooked, ran through the gullies and hills outside of town, and just enjoyed herself. She visited Dentol, and found him a state of marital bliss that was almost sickening.
Finally, after an entire week spent enjoying herself, it was time to leave.
Standing in front of the house, she said her farewells, bent down and hugged her mother and father, slapped Ohlito on the back, ruffled Carita's hair, hugged Turla, and turned and walked away.
My family… and it will probably be another whole year before I see them again. Will Turla be married by that time? What else will I miss? She sighed. I guess that I just can't have them both, magic and family. Though maybe someday… maybe someday I'll get married and have a family of my own. Pleasant thought of possible futures occupied her as she walked away from town to a place where she could shift and finish her journey. Though when she changed, her thoughts changed too. She was a dragon. Galen was human. Even if he didn't reject her when she told him the truth, what kind of life together could they have? And what would happen as he grew old, and she didn't? Dragons live forever, if something doesn't kill them. She tried to put such thoughts out of her mind. She could live as a human, even if she wasn't one, and she and Galen were both young. There would be time enough for such worries later. For now she would enjoy what she had.
The trip back to Barona was uneventful and Serali arrived three days later as the sun was setting. Janus welcomed her back without any fuss. They chatted easily about her visit for an hour or so, and then Serali was ready to go up to bed. As she was leaving Janus said, "Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Your schedule tomorrow will be slightly different. Lady Valerie felt that she didn't have anything more to teach you that you won't learn from experience, so you'll be having a new teacher."
Serali went up to her room with her mind going over the possibilities. What kind of teacher would she have now? What else would Janus have her learn?
Janus was up before her again as she came down for breakfast.
"I swear, Janus, you never seem to sleep!"
He laughed and went on eating breakfast. Serali served herself out of the pot on the table. Breakfast was, as usual, porridge. Serali actually liked the stuff, so she ladled out a generous portion and sat down to eat.
"So, are you going to tell me more about this new teacher of yours?" Serali asked.
"Certainly. His name is Cervus. He's the arms master for Lord Mortigen."
"Arms master? Why would he be my new teacher?"
"Because, Serali, a mage is terribly vulnerable to physical attacks. Or at least most are. While casting spells it is easy to get hurt or even killed by an opponent who can just stab you with a sword instead of having to take five minutes to cast a war spell. Most mages spend all of their time studying magic and ignore everything else. I didn't, and it's saved my life on a number of occasions. I intend for you to learn something about fighting. That way you won't be killed by the first half-competent sword-swinger that comes along."
Serali grinned. "I can see how that would be rather inconvenient."
Janus lost his serious expression and grinned back. "Yes, it is very very inconvenient."
"Actually, it's not all that inconvenient for you, you're dead so you don't care, but imagine what your family and friends would have to go through. I mean funeral arrangements and all that can be so annoying."
Janus laughed. "And the trouble you put all those undertakers and priests and such through too!"
"Oh no, the undertakers don't mind at all. More profit for them, you see. And the priests don't either. Their gods will have you then, and that's their profit."
They both laughed at that, Serali having a hard time stopping her fit of giggles. Just then there was a knock form the front door. Janus caught his breath and managed to stop laughing Serali tried, but giggles kept escaping.
"That's probably your new teacher now," said Janus. Opening the door from the kitchen, he went down the short hall to the entrance room. Serali, her giggles finally subsiding, followed a dozen paces behind. Janus opened the door and narrowly avoided being hit by the man standing on the other side who had raised his hand to knock again.
"Sorry Janus!"
"It's all right. Come in."
Janus ushered the man into the reception room. "Serali, I'd like to introduce you to Cervus. Cervus, this is my apprentice Serali."
Cervus nodded at Serali, and she returned the gesture.
"Cervus will be giving you whatever arms training he thinks you need. I'm sure the two of you can work things out, so I'm going to go and get some work done." Janus turned and walked out of the room, leaving Serali and Cervus regarding each other. Serali felt a bit uncertain. She had no idea what to expect.
Cervus spoke first. "You look to be fairly fit. The best way to start is usually to start. I believe that there's room to do some work out in the courtyard, let's go." And with that he turned and went back out the door.
Serali followed with some trepidation, a feeling which the next hours more than justified. By the time they quit for lunch, she was dripping with sweat. Cervus had started her with stretches and then moved to calisthenics. After he had pronounced her "warmed up" he began to show her a series of simple motions. Eventually, he told her, these motions would form the basis for a deadly type of weaponless fighting. Serali could see how some of them would, but she had a hard time believing that this dancing around was the best way for her to learn how to defend herself.
"Why not start with weapons?" she asked.
"Because right now you have no control. Oh you could learn to use a weapon well enough to kill someone with, but not well enough to not kill, if you see what I mean. Also, you would most likely do yourself or me some harm in the learning. But if first you learn to fight with your body, then you will have the control to become truly great with any weapon."
"I'm going to be a mage, not a fighter. I don't need to be truly great."
"No. That takes a lifetime if dedication. But you can be very good, and by learning things in their proper order you will be just that much better."
Serali sighed. "If you say so."
"I do, so let's get back to work."
Serali was starving at lunch, and after a brief rest she was ready to work on her spells, but by the time she crawled into bed that night after an evening walk with Galen she was exhausted. It was actually a rather pleasant feeling. Finishing her nightly ritual of washing and reading, she fell asleep immediately.
Lessons with Janus had once been her favorite part of the day. That place had been usurped by Galen when Serali began seeing him on a regular basis. But now her times with Cervus were beginning to be the best. Magic lessons were fun, but she was still at a point in her learning where a great deal of tedious trial and error was necessary for the least little spell. Fighting lessons, on the other hand, were exciting and fun, after she got over the soreness of the first few. While she had been with Janus, she had gotten soft. As a child she had run wild over the hills and valleys near Land's End, but magic more often required one to sit in one place for long periods of time.
Exercising was enjoyable, and she took confidence in her quick mastery of the subject matter. Cervus himself, who was always sparing with praise had told her that she was "Not half bad, for a skinny mage girl."
Her time with Galen was another matter. She still enjoyed being with him, but there was always the nagging guilt about how she was keeping him in the dark. She had promised Janus that she would tell Galen her secret, but the knowledge that it might drive them apart kept her procrastinating. And when she wasn't busy thinking about her own problems, she sensed that something was troubling him as well. Admittedly, she couldn't be sure. She had never been close like this to anyone before, so she didn't know how accurate her perceptions were, but he was quieter than he had been, and he sometimes would start to say something and then break it off and refuse to continue.
A few days later Serali finally found out what had been bothering him. Galen had come later than usual, arriving long after Serali's magic lessons had ended. His expression was serious, almost sad, as he asked her if she would like to go riding. Serali agreed, and the two mounted up and headed off. Galen led the way, not out to the country as he usually did, but in towards the center of the city. Serali asked where they were going, but he didn't answer. He just shook his head and continued on. The ended up at a tiny square of park-land that sat on a gentle hill not far from the palace. The whole city was visible below them, the only thing higher was the palace itself. Serali looked out over the scene, with the sun setting in the west, near where she could dimly make out Janus' tower. To the east, the great river flowed on its way to the distant sea.
For a long time they stood, still mounted on their horses, looking off into the distance. Then Galen spoke. "Serali, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I didn't want to because I wasn't sure how you'd react, but I've been lying to you for a long time, and I can't keep it up anymore."
"Galen, I..."
"No, let me finish. If I don't say this now, I don't know when I'll be able to work up the courage again." He paused, as if uncertain of what to say next. Then he turned to where the palace towers loomed above the city. "There, can you see that northernmost tower, the short one with the balcony half way up?"
Serali nodded. "Yes, I see it." A short tower at the edge of the palace grounds, square rather than round like the tall central spires, and with a railed balcony on the third floor.
"The room with the balcony is where I live."
"You live in the palace? I thought that only the royal family and their retainers actually lived there."
"Yes. That's the truth."
"But you always said you were a noble, not a servant."
He sighed. "I am a noble. More than a noble, really. You see, my name isn't really Galen Marten. It is Galen, though. Galen D'Trevius."
Serali stood blinking for a moment. "You mean Prince Galen?"
Galen nodded.
"The second son of King Valor?"
"Yes."
"But what is there to be ashamed of in that? I was afraid that you were hiding something awful!"
"I'm not shamed to be a prince, but I was ashamed of lying to you. You've trusted me so much and I wasn't telling you the truth."
Serali shook her head. "Don't be so eager to put me on a pedestal, I'm not perfect either. In fact, I've been hiding something from you as well. Something a lot worse than your secret, I'm afraid."
"I can hardly believe that. You're practically perfect." He smiled.
Serali sighed. She wasn't perfect at all. "No I'm not. But why did you hide who you were in the first place?"
"I didn't really intend to hide anything, I assumed that everyone would know who I was, so I never bothered to introduce myself as 'Prince Galen.' And when I realized that you had no idea who I was, but you had danced with me anyway, and seemed to like me, I couldn't bear to tell you for fear that you would turn out to be just like all the silly girls that chase me for money and power. I decided that I would get to know you, find out if somebody could really love me for myself instead of for my title. And you have, you've been perfect and wonderful."
"No." Serali interrupted. "I haven't been perfect. Didn't you hear? I've been hiding something too."
"What horrid secret could you have?"
"I... It's not something that you'll believe if I just tell you, I need to show you. Follow me."
With that she turned her horse and headed to the city wall. Galen followed, keeping his curiosity contained. They rode under the city wall, past Janus' tower, past the outlying homes of the nobles, past even the shacks that huddled at the edges of the city, until they were well into the country. Serali stopped her horse at a field, the same place she and Janus had come last year when she showed Janus her true form. Now, in the little field, protected from the road by a small hill and from other prying eyes by a few scraps of woodland, she dismounted and walked to the center of the open space.
She turned back to where Galen was dismounting. "Stay there and hold onto the horses, they might bolt."
Galen nodded, mystified by Serali's strange behavior, but willing to go along with her.
"You weren't who you said you were, I know. I don't mind, prince or peasant, you're still the same person. But I've been lying to you about what I am."
Galen couldn't hold his silence any longer. "What you are? What do you mean by that? You're Serali, the innkeeper's daughter, Janus's apprentice. And even if you aren't those things, you're no more a different person for that than I am for being a prince."
"I am those things, but they aren't all I am. You see, I've left out one thing. I'm the innkeeper's adopted daughter."
"And that means anything?"
"I'm not finished. Yes, that means something. Because I'm not human."
"What?"
"I'm not human," she repeated.
"Serali, that isn't funny. And of course you're human. You're not an elf or a dwarf or a gnome, you're very obviously a human woman."
"I'm not joking. But I don't expect you to believe me just because I say so, I'll show you. Hold on tight to your horse, he'll most likely try to bolt."
Then she closed her eyes and began the change. She heard a startled whinny and thunder of hooves. When she opened her eyes, she saw Galen's horse disappearing between the trees, Galen having dropped the reins in surprise. Galen looked at her, fear and disbelief battling on his face. Serali lowered her head until it was level with his and looked him in the eye.
Galen stared at her. Her eyes were different, slit like a cat's and as large as his outspread hand, but they were the same leaf green shade, and held the same gentle expression as Serali's always had. "Serali?"
"Yes, it's me." The voice was different too, but the intonation was the same.
He moved forward tentatively. Slowly he reached out a hand and touched Serali's face. The scales were warm and smooth beneath his hand. "It is you."
"Yes."
Galen shook his head in wonder. She's huge, he thought. Actually Serali was still fairly small for a mountain dragon, not quite thirty feet long, counting tail. But to a six-foot man, thirty feet, even when a third of it is tail, is very big. She wasn't joking, she really isn't human. Then the consequences of that thought occurred to him Oh no!
He sank to the ground, an expression of sudden bereavement on his face.
"Galen? What's wrong?"
He struggled to hold back the tears the were suddenly gathering in the corners of his eyes. "I... My family..."
Serali settled to the ground next to him and curled herself partly around him. "It's all right, take your time."
Galen got a hold of himself. "I'm a prince. Because I'm not the crown prince, I can marry for love. I don't need to have a political match. Of course marrying a common-born mage would have been a bit of a scandal, but I could have done it. But now, now..." He trailed off again.
"You can't marry a dragon, is that it?"
He nodded mutely, his misery showing clearly.
Serali felt a pang of loss shoot through her. This particular prince charming wouldn't give her a storybook happily ever after, it seemed. With an inner sigh she tucked her loss away to be dealt with later. Crying would only make Galen feel worse, and she still loved him, still wanted him to be happy. That was more important than her own hurt.
Galen looked up at her again. "Please understand, it isn't that I don't love you, or that I don't want you because of what you are, I would never leave you just for that. But my whole life I've been raised with my royal duty, and I can't just throw it away. I can't. I love my family too, and I love this kingdom."
"I understand," Serali said softly. "No matter what the songs say, you shouldn't throw away everything else because of love."
"That's what I'm trying to tell myself, but I don't think I believe it."
"It is true. Listen Galen, there is no such thing as a 'one true love.' I do love you, never think otherwise, and if I could I'd be with you all my life. But I'm not the only person in the world who can love you, nor am I the only person in the world that you can come to love. Someday you'll find a fair maiden that you can give you heart to without giving up your duty. And someday I'll find some dashing young dragon who'll give me the children that I doubt you and I could ever have. And maybe that is for the best. I think we could have been blissfully happy together, but a dragon lives forever, Galen, and humans don't. You would have grown old and died while I stayed young. Perhaps I could have lived with that, but it would break my heart worse to lose you after having you for years than it will right now."
"Maybe you're right, but right now I don't feel like I could love anyone else." He was struggling not to cry.
Serali tucked her tail around him, and nuzzled him gently. "That's all right too. There's nothing wrong with feelings." A shudder went through Galen and the tears started streaming down his cheeks. He put his arms around her neck and cried. She put an arm around him and held him as he sobbed. She stayed still while the dusk deepened into night. She shed a few quiet tears of her own as the full extent of what she was giving up hit her. At last, when she was all cried out, she looked down at Galen. He had fallen asleep, his emotional release after a long day draining him out.
With the utmost care she stood up, cradling Galen's still form in her arms. She walked to the end of the field and got a running start. He was almost too heavy, but she just managed to get aloft. With strong steady beasts of her wings she gained altitude until she could see the city stretched below her. Circling high above it, unseen against the dark moonless sky she finally located her destination. With care to circle straight down so that she'd be less likely to be seen by the guards who stood sentry on the palace walls, she descended on the square tower. Pulling up expertly, she extended her feet at just the right second and landed with a soft thump on the balcony that Galen had pointed out to her. The wide doors that led into the room were just wide enough for her to squeeze through. She eased her way into the spacious room. There was a big four poster bed against one wall. She gently put Galen down on it. Then, reluctant to leave, she shifted back to human form.
She looked down at Galen, memorizing his already familiar features. His handsome face was peaceful in repose, a lock of his unruly hair straggling down over his forehead. Serali brushed it back. She thought of the old childhood story. Beauty and the Beast. Only this time there's no spell to break and make everything work out happily ever after. She sighed. There was no use delaying any longer.
She kissed him on the forehead and then turned back to the balcony. With a thought she shifted back to dragon form and turned to go. She halted suddenly, hearing a soft sound of surprise from the other end of the room
Standing in the doorway, dressed in a white nightgown, was a little girl. She was probably no more than seven or eight years old.
"Who are you?" the girl asked.
Serali stood speechless, unable to think of a thing to say.
"How did you turn into a dragon? Can I do it? Could you teach me?"
"I... no, I can't teach you. I am a dragon, not a human. I don't think humans can learn it."
"Oh. Why did you kiss my brother? Are you in love?"
Tears gathered again in Serali's eyes. "Yes..."
The little girl looked from Serali to the bed and back again. "I never heard of a dragon being in love with a human," she said. "Is that why you look so sad?"
"Yes... I.... We can't..." She didn't want to start crying again.
"I understand. My mother told me about marrying for state. I'm the only girl so I might have to. And my parents wouldn't let my brother marry a dragon."
"No," she whispered. Then she shook herself. "I have to go. Tell your brother goodbye for me. I don't think I will see him again." She turned to leave again but stopped. Running her claws over her scales she found one that was loose. She worked at it until it came free. Then she turned back to the little girl. "Here, give this to Galen when he wakes up. He'll know who it's from."
The girl solemnly took the scale from Serali's huge taloned hand. "I will."
Then she turned back to the door one last time and went out. Spreading her wings, she leaped off the balcony and flew away into the night. The girl stood on the balcony and waved goodbye until the dragon disappeared into the darkness.
By the time Galen awoke, Serali had collected her horse and gone back to the tower. Though she sometimes watched him from afar as he went about his duties as part of the royal family, he didn't see her again until more than three years had passed. Three years is long enough for heartbreak to fade quite a bit. So when Prince Galen, second son of Valor D'Trevius, married a wild princess from the clans of the western horse nomads, much to the dismay of his mother and to the delight of the scandal mongers, Serali attended the wedding.
She didn't attempt to dress stunningly, she wore a simple dress and no jewelery. She didn't try to be seen with the prince as so many of the other nobles were. She merely watched. And when, after the first dance, Galen and his new bride split up as was traditional and danced with others in order to bring good luck, Serali came forward. Other girls clamored for Galen's attention, but once he glimpsed Serali he ignored them.
They spun around to the music, looking into each other's eyes and thinking about might have beens. At last Galen spoke.
"Can you forgive me?"
"What is there to forgive? Getting married is hardly a sin."
"I married her even though half my family and most of the nobles in the kingdom were against it. I should have done as much for you."
"No, you shouldn't have. She may be a scandal, but she will eventually be a political asset. And she's still not nearly as much scandal as I would have been! Not to mention the fact that she and you can have children, where I doubt we would have been able to. And I think you love her."
"I... I do. Three years ago I would have said I could never love again, but I love her so very much..."
Serali smiled. "That's all I needed to hear. I hope you will be happy with her, and I hope she appreciates what she's getting."
"What about you? Have you found that dashing young dragon?"
"No. I've been spending most of my time in the tower. I'm a journeyman twice over now. But I'll be leaving tomorrow to go find my own people, so perhaps I will. I only stayed to say goodbye to you."
Then the music was over. Serali curtsied and said, "Goodbye prince charming. I wish you and your princess well." She vanished into the crowd and was gone.
Galen took a step after her as if to call her back, but his bride came up out of the crowd so instead he took her arm and led her out to the next dance. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, and his heart lifted. Suddenly he was happier than he'd ever been. He had held onto that little thread of guilt about leaving Serali all this time, but Serali had forgiven him, had said there was nothing to forgive, and he finally was able to lay the past to rest. And as he spun his bride around on the floor, all of his might-have-beens were being swept away by the music, leaving him with only the happy present.