Have you ever met forest or heavenly spirits? She wondered. What are they like?
They are delightful to look at, and quite insidious.
Are they more insidious than water spirits?
I told you, we all come from the same legion. We all have the same habits.
I thought only watermen were malicious enough to sneak up on human ships out of the water and sink them.
Dont feel bad! Moran decided that she was still sad about the loss of the Queen of Aquilania and took her hand. His webbed skin was cool and pleasant, like the touch of a forest spring.
On top of his sea crown, which grew straight from his skin, he wore the traditional wreath of the King of Aquilania, made of gold and rubies. He looked magnificent now. The ladies of the court sighed languidly at the sight of him, but he preferred to sit in solitude with Desdemona.
Perhaps he was the first king of the entire Aquilanians dynasty who, instead of searching for favorites, entertained his queen with games. Today hes forgotten even the cares of state. And he kept saying that as king he had many urgent matters to attend to. Apparently, burden was placed on the shoulders of Quo and other morgens, crawling on the walls and ceilings of the palace, as on the seabed.
It was not good to get into politics, but Desdemona remembered the wailing of the cook and reported:
The commoners complain that their husbands are drunk on your generous allowance.
What do you mean? His handsome eyebrows raised in bewilderment.
Wouldnt it have made more sense to keep them busy with some useful work instead of feeding a kingdom of slackers?
What useful work can ordinary people do for me?
Moran stood up and beckoned her to the window.
Look! The sea was swarming with Morgens, pulling barrels of wine and pearls from shipwrecks. Humans cant do that. Theyre weak!
But you shouldnt feed your subjects for nothing.
Its not free.
Are you scaring me? You want to make the population entirely marine? Will touching your gold make them all sick like my father?
It is enough! Youre not my first minister yet, he joked.
Im your wife, which means I have more rights over you than the first minister.
Moran grinned, showing that he was still happy to have such a beautiful burden. With his morgens claws, he could have easily tamed his wifes stroppy temper, but he didnt.
Desdemona is bolder.
Who is the lady who sits at night on the queens throne in my place?
Is that of interest to you?
Yes, it is.
Are you afraid shell take some of your jewelry? She loves shiny things, like a magpie. She hoards treasures, hoards stolen or repossessed gold.
Dont scare me! I will not give my jewels, that is, the crown jewels, to a rival.
Nor my husband, she wanted to add, but was too shy.
All beauties sin by greed, Moran joked again.
Its a matter of principle, not greed.
Thats what Sephora says. Thats why shes holed up in Tiora, the capital of Tioria. It has the most caches of riches, but the rulers there are cunning. I wonder whos going to get the better of whom? Did it ever occur to you that dragons have the same instincts as magpies when it comes to shiny things?
What does that have to do with dragons? Or is the lady really a dragon?
Moran faltered.
I dont remember telling you about Sephora and who she really is, he glanced suspiciously at the mirror. Did it show it?
Desdemona did not dissuade him. Outside the windows, the midday sun was shining brightly, but suddenly darkness fell, as if a giant had risen from the sea and covered the sky.
Is it a solar eclipse? She worried. Being in the dark, in the middle of the day was scary. They say there is a solar eclipse before the sea god takes the sacrifice.
But Moran wasnt alarmed. Wouldnt he be sorry to lose his wife? True, there was still a belief that before the country sank, there would also be an eclipse of the sun. Somewhere in the heights of the sky there was a roar. Desdemona covered her eyes with her palms.
It has nothing to do with Darunon, Moran pulled her hands away from her face. Look closer! The sun was covered by the shadow of wings.
Something was flying across the sky, making threatening noises. First it spread darkness, then a glow. All the sentries and archers on the towers had long since been replaced by morgens, so no one raised a panic. The silver dragon was approaching the castle. The shadow of its huge wings covered the towers.
My chief scout has arrived. Would you like to meet her?
Morans courteous offer came like a slap in the face.
It is no way! Desdemona exclaimed.
Who would want to get acquainted with a rival?
Moran only shrugged his shoulders and hurried to meet her. His purple robe slid like liquid fire down the stairs leading to the roof of the tower.
Desdemona was left alone with the mirror, which stubbornly refused to show her the rendezvous between the king and the dragoness.
Maybe she had jumped to conclusions. Moran seemed to call the guest a scout, not a friend. But why would he need a scout who flies over the sea, when he himself can get all the information about the enemies without leaving the castle? It is enough to give an order to the mirror-observer, and it will show everything.
What really connects the waterman and the dragon lady? From above came suspicious and wild sounds, then something like the singing of a siren. Desdemona never dared to go up and peep. She had already burned herself on the sea chess. She didnt want to be burned by the dragons breath.
The Wooden Queen
The wooden queen of Aquilania was lost in the stormy waves, it was the turn of the living queen!
Whoever said that reminded Desdemona of the ship with her dead brothers. That ship, after all, was called the Queen of Aquilania. Thats symbolic, considering that it was the current queen who was originally meant to be sacrificed to the sea. Presumably, by taking the ship, the sea would calm down.
Desdemona had the feeling that someone had threatened her from the darkness with a clawed finger. Could the mirror be speaking to her? It was now showing a half-empty ship and a blonde mermaid who was flirting brazenly with the captain.
This is Yasmin, the eldest of the sea kings daughters, explained Moran, who had returned. His date with the dragon lady had ended very quickly.
Is it your sister? I did not wish to see her.
I wished to see her. I thought shed come around a little since we broke up. But I see shes gone wild.
She will drag that captain down, Desdemona guessed.
Moran sighed.
What else do you expect from a mermaid?
It is love for a handsome mortal boy.
Yasmin often falls in love with mortals, but it ends badly for them. The sea princess already has a collection of skeletons of her suitors.
And I thought that if someone brave went down to the sea kingdom and asked the crowned father for her hand, everything would be solved like magic.
Thats not likely! The sea king is least desirous of his daughters marriage. The thing is, each of them has a special talent that will come in handy to
Is it to sweep away the entire earthly world? Desdemona said the first thing that came to her mind, for Morgens do not tolerate humans.
Moran was silent.
The flapping of powerful wings somewhere above heralded the dragons departure from the castle.
Sephora reports that we should expect an unusual ambassador.
From the depths of the sea, I believe. And how is he unusual?
He will be sent to test how well I can handle Aquilania on my own. If the ambassador is convinced Im not a good autocrat, theyll send us imposed help from the sea. This is a test. We cannot fail it.
And what can I do to help?
You can expose the naval ambassador. He wont look like a waterman.