"Then maybe you shouldn't just swoop in and take random objects that might have princes in them!"

  Oenyn cocked his head; it was the first time Richard had really yelled at Madfall without immediately flinching back, terrified he was about to be eaten or roasted alive. He obviously took the idea of Oenyn being a prince very seriously. No wonder, since he had been willing to risk his life for his king. It was all very strange, as far as Oenyn was concerned.

  "I told you, the girl with the basket was just a maid."

  Richard shut his eyes and huffed out a breath. "Who do you think cares for the prince? The queen herself?"

  "Well, I don't see why she shouldn't. She's his mother."

  The look on Madfall's face was deeply amusing, but Oenyn had spent more time reading books about humans than Madfall had.

  "No, Madfall, he's right. Rich people don't look after their own children."

  Madfall looked crestfallen, whether because Oenyn had dared to agree with Richard or because he realized he might have made a mistake all those years ago; it was hard to tell.

  "That still doesn't prove you're a prince."

  "But the birthmark does," Richard insisted.

  "Birthmark?" Madfall narrowed his eyes.

  "Yeah. You know the one on my hip?" Oenyn told him, rather apologetically. "Apparently the prince had one too."

  Madfall's eyes narrowed further. "How does he know about your birthmark?"

  "Well…" Oenyn shuffled his feet, suddenly finding it hard to look his father in the eye. "He saw it?"

  The temperature in the room ticked up a degree, and Richard swallowed heavily. As casually as he could, Oenyn stepped between Madfall and Richard.

  "I told you he was plotting something!" Madfall thundered.

  "Hey! Oenyn was the one who propositioned me!"

  Madfall froze, his golden eyes widening. "Propositioned? As in…propositioned?"

  Oenyn knew he was bright red, burning all the way up to the tips of his ears. "I was just curious," he grumbled. "But then when he took off my trousers—"

  Madfall cut him off. "I don't need to hear about that," he said, horrified. "I thought he tried to murder you in the bath or something!"

  Out of the corner of his eye, Oenyn could see Richard shaking his head desperately.

  "He didn't try to hurt me," Oenyn said. "We were just—"

  "I said I didn't need to know," Madfall said quickly. "As long as you're all right." He leaned closer, peering at Oenyn. "You are alright, aren't you?"

  "Well, I would have preferred if Richard hadn't start shouting about princes and birthmarks when I just wanted to—"

  Both Richard and Madfall let out anxious sounds, and Oenyn clamped his lips shut. "Sorry," he grumbled.

  Madfall craned around Oenyn, narrowing his eyes at Richard. Richard took a shuffling step backwards. "Tell me about this birthmark," Madfall demanded.

  "The prince had a birthmark the shape of a strawberry on his left hip. Everyone knows that."

  "That's a weird thing for everyone to know," Oenyn muttered.

  "The search for the prince covered a dozen countries," Richard countered. "Everyone was told what to look for—a boy born eighteen years ago, with a strawberry on his hip."

  "And you found one," Madfall said, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Do you get some kind of reward? Are you going to trade Oenyn in for gold? For a title? For a promotion?"

  "No!" Indignation blazed in Richard's eyes.

  "Then why does it matter if Oenyn is the prince or not?"

  "It matters because he's the prince. He'll be king one day! He belongs at the castle, with his family."

  Both Richard and Madfall looked at Oenyn.

  He swallowed hard. Madfall was his family. But the idea of another family, a human family, wormed its way into his mind. A mother and a father. People who probably looked just like him. People who missed him.

  Madfall's head drooped as Oenyn's silence stretched between them. "Oenyn is a grown man," he said gravely. "He's free to go where he pleases."

  Richard's eyes lit up, and Oenyn could tell he still didn't understand. He still couldn't see that Madfall had never been keeping Oenyn there.

  "You need to come back with me," Richard said. "We need to tell the king and queen that you're alive."

  The king and queen. His parents. Human beings with human arms who could wrap him up in the kind of hug he had only read about it books.

  "What are they like?" Oenyn said, the words coming out on a whisper, as if that would stop them from hurting Madfall. "The king and queen?"

  "King Edgar is a strong leader," Richard said confidently. "And Queen Bronwen is very beautiful."

  Oenyn shook his head. "No, I mean what are they like? Are they nice?"

  Richard frowned. "Well, I don't know. They're the king and queen. I haven't exactly…spoken to them. Ever."

  "Oh." Oenyn's brow creased.

  "I mean, I've heard the king speak," Richard continued in a rush. "You know, from a balcony, or to address the troops. He's a good speaker."

  Being a good speaker had nothing to do with being a good father. Oenyn wanted to know if the king and queen were kind, if they liked to read, what their favorite food was, if they liked to sit and watch the clouds float past on sunny days.

  He wanted to know if they were like him. He wanted to know if they would like him.

  "It takes a good person to be a good leader," Richard said confidently, stepping closer. "And besides," he lowered his voice, "they miss you."

  Behind Richard, Madfall's head drooped a little lower.

  "They don't even know me," Oenyn said, the words catching roughly in his throat. "I was just a baby when they lost me."

  Richard's gaze darted back to Madfall, and Oenyn knew he wanted to argue semantics over the word 'lost', but instead he said, "Even if that's true, they'll want to get to know you. Parents love their children no matter what."

  Oenyn's gaze strayed to Madfall again, to the hunch of his shoulders, the tension in his spine, the way his eyes were trained firmly on the ground in front of him.

  "I need time to think," he said, the words directed at both of them. Hope bloomed on Richard's face as dejection settled over Madfall's.

  "Of course," Madfall said, the word rumbling reluctantly out of him. "I'll just…" he turned and shuffled out of the cavern, toward his hoard.

  "It'll be amazing having you at the castle," Richard said, the moment Madfall was out of sight. As if Oenyn had already made up his mind. "You can meet all the knights, and you'll need to train, so they'll probably let you train with us. We can… we can spend more time together." He looked so eager, his brown eyes alight with possibilities.

  Oenyn wanted to be excited about it, too. Almost since their first conversation, Oenyn had craved Richard's attention, his interest. Now he had it, but at what cost? He hunched his shoulders, an unconscious imitation of Madfall. "We'll see. I just. I need to think."

  "Sure," Richard said, his brow creasing. "But, I mean. You're the prince! Do you know how many people would kill to be in your position? You wouldn't believe how many boys have shown up at the castle over the years, claiming to be the lost prince."

  The idea was unsettling, somehow: a parade of people pretending to be him. "Really?"

  "Of course! Anyone would want to be a prince."

  "Right." His own voice sounded far away to his ears. He needed to be alone, to get away from the excitement that sparked in Richard's eyes. "I'll talk to you in a bit, Richard," he said, hoping he sounded firm.

  Richard still looked confused, but he let Oenyn turn away from him, escaping down the cool, dark corridor to his own room. There, he found Gaf curled up in his bed, calmly chewing on one of his socks. A laugh bubbled up in Oenyn, but it caught in his throat, and came out sounding more like a sob. He dropped onto the bed, wrapping his arms around the naughty goat. Oenyn buried his face in her bristly coat, breathing in the animal scent of her.

  His life had been a mess since Richard showed up. Before that, things had been simple. Sure, it hadn't always been easy being raised by a dragon, but it had been simple. For his whole life, Oenyn had known that he wasn't like Madfall, but somehow that had never made a difference to either of them. He knew—had always known—that Madfall loved him. Madfall always took his questions about humans seriously, trying to answer them when he could and making sure to find the answer when he couldn't. But he had also taught Oenyn how to be a dragon, as if the skin he was born in didn't matter, as if he was capable of anything he put his mind to. There were times when it seemed like Madfall thought Oenyn could fly if he just said he could.

  Oenyn had grown up curious about humans, and in recent years had found he liked them. He liked the way they smiled and the way they liked to chat. He liked how curious they were about him in turn, when he started showing up in town. Human were kind and interesting, for the most part.

  But that didn't mean he wanted to stop being a dragon.

  Oenyn pressed his face deeper into Gaf's coat; she shifted under him, twisting to let him curl up against her belly. His eyes stung and he pressed closer to the earthy scent of her.

  Since Richard had shown up, things had become complicated.

  Richard loved his family and his training and his fellow recruits. He snarled about his brother, laughed about the squires, and listened with intensity to everything Oenyn told him in return.

  He was good, Oenyn was pretty sure, but in a different way than he had understood before. Good wasn't just an easy smile or kind eyes or a mild joke as Oenyn walked down a crowded street or bought supplies. People were more than that. They were messy and complicated and had layers that Oenyn had never experienced before. Richard had attacked Madfall, but he believed he had been doing the right thing, for his king, his country, his people. He was trying to be a hero.

  For all Madfall had done to prepare him for the world, he had never told Oenyn just how complicated it could be.

  Oenyn rolled over onto his back, making Gaf huff out an exasperated breath and rearrange herself around him once again. He stared up at the cave ceiling and wondered what it would be like to live in a castle, to look up at a proper ceiling, to lie in a proper bed. He wondered what it would be like to see other people constantly, whenever he stepped outside his bedroom door. He wondered what it would be like to have a mother who wasn't a sheep or a goat.

  He wondered all of those things, but he didn't want to give up a single moment of his own life. He knew what it was like to soar through the sky, to feel the brush of clouds against his cheek. He knew what it was like to stalk the forest and feel the world burn around him. He knew the thrill of the hunt and the dark joy of the kill. He knew the freedom of flight and the cozy security of the subterranean caves.

  He knew the fierce, protective love of a dragon. Who would want to give that up?

  A part of Oenyn wanted to stay in his room forever, curled up in the soft furs that Madfall had probably once stolen from Oenyn's own father or grandfather, and shut out the world outside. But he couldn't stew forever. Somewhere below him Madfall was waiting, probably half-buried in treasure, sifting gold between his black claws. Madfall, who would let him have as much time as he needed, even though every second was probably killing Madfall.

  Madfall hardly ever talked about his life before Oenyn. All the stories he told focused on treasure—how he got this gem or that crown, how he tricked this king or that tsar. The stories were about things, and Oenyn had still been little when he realized that Madfall never spoke about anyone else—not humans or dragons or even animals. It was just Madfall and the hoard.

  He boasted of his conquests, but all Oenyn could focus on was how lonely the star of all the stories seemed to have been. The Madfall he knew was never lonely; he had Oenyn and Nani and Gaf and the rabbits and the other animals that Oenyn had dragged home over the years. The main thing that Oenyn noticed about Madfall's stories was that he had never had anyone to listen to them before.

  Oenyn rubbed his eyes furiously, making his vision swim. Was this what it was like to be human? To worry and wonder and never know the answer? Madfall may have been lonely before Oenyn, but Oenyn was pretty sure it was his presence that had taught Madfall to worry.

  How did that anxiety weigh against the way humans made him feel, with their warmth and curiosity and need for companionship?

  Oenyn blinked up at the craggy rocks above him, doubt twisting inside him. He wished it didn't feel like he was being asked to choose between Madfall and Richard.

  A soft snore from Gaf broke the silence of the cave and Oenyn huffed out a laugh. Maybe instead of choosing between being a dragon or being a human, he should just decide to be a goat. Nothing seemed to trouble the old nanny.

  Oenyn forced himself to sit up. There was no easy way out of this dilemma, and he thought maybe that had nothing to do with being human or dragon, and everything to do with growing up into his own person. He took a deep breath and stood. There was an answer to every problem; Madfall had taught him that. And as far as Oenyn could see, there was only one way forward.

  He heaved himself up out of the bed and started off through the tunnels. "Madfall!" he called. A skittering of claws on stone told him that Madfall had been waiting. Oenyn returned to the main cavern and Richard.

  Richard shot up out of his chair, eyes wide. A second later, Madfall followed, surging up out of the tunnel in a mass of glimmering scales. They looked at him, expectant.

  Oenyn took a deep breath, letting his gaze stray over the only home he'd ever known. "I've made up my mind," he said, hoping he sounded confident.

  Richard and Madfall both leaned forward.

  "I want to go back."

  Part Four:

  Madfall

  Chapter Thirteen

  Madfall froze. He suddenly felt cold inside, like his fire had snuffed out. He forced himself to speak, steeling his face so it revealed nothing. "Alright."

  It was Oenyn's choice. Madfall had only ever wanted what was best for him. He wouldn't try to persuade him to stay. He had been content before he found Oenyn, and he could be content again. He was a dragon, after all. He didn't need anything but the thrill of the chase and the comfort of the hoard.

  Strangely, though, the idea of rolling in riches held no appeal. He felt as cold and lifeless as the gold piled up beneath him at the moment; what warmth could it bring him?

  If he were being honest with himself—which a dragon never was—he hadn't turned to the hoard for comfort in quite some time.

  "That is," Oenyn continued, "if Madfall is willing to come with me."

  Madfall blinked. "Come… with you?"

  The idiot human looked appalled. "You want the dragon to come?"

  "Yes."

  It was like all the air came rushing back into Madfall's lungs. "Oh."

  Oenyn offered him a small smile. "So? What do you think?"

  "You can't bring a dragon to the court!" the human protested.

  "Why not?"

  "Because he's a dragon! He's an enemy of the country."

  "I know. That's the whole point."

  "I don't understand."

  "You were sent here to kill Madfall."

  "But I didn't!" the human was quick to interject, hands held up in surrender. He snuck a worried glance over at Madfall.

  Madfall made sure to narrow his eyes enough to make the human jump.

  "No one's holding it against you," Oenyn said.

  "Speak for yourself," Madfall rumbled.

  "This is what I mean," Oenyn said, planting his hands on his hips. It was a gesture so familiar to Madfall; the little boy Oenyn had been swam in front of his eyes, tiny hands on his hips and defiance on his face. Whether it had been over eating his vegetables, or the morality of theft, or the fate of the idiot human, the gesture was always the same. Madfall felt a warm rush of affection that made the heat of his internal fire seem paltry.

  "I'm a human," Oenyn said firmly, "but I'm also a dragon. I'm not more one than the other. I'm both."

  The human looked lost, and Madfall snaked his tail around, wrapping the tip around Oenyn's ankle in a silent press of support. There had been times he wished he could turn Oenyn into a real dragon and make him forget all about humans, but he had always known Oenyn was only half his.

  "I don't want to have to choose," Oenyn said helplessly, his gaze tracking between the human and Madfall. Understanding dawned on Madfall. This was about more than where Oenyn came from. He could see it in the way the boy looked at the fool human. It was about where Oenyn was going, as well.

  Madfall sighed. At least now he knew that wherever Oenyn was going, he was taking Madfall with him.

  "You said I'm the prince. If that's true, the king will have to listen to me, won't he?"

  "I… guess?"

  "So, we'll show him that Madfall isn't dangerous. We'll convince him to pardon Madfall for his past crimes."

  The human raised an eyebrow. "We?"

  Oenyn paused. "Oh. Um. If you want to come with us?"

  "Burst in on the king and demand he pardon the dragon that kidnapped his son?"

  "Accidentally appropriated," Oenyn said.

  The human rolled his eyes, but then, after a moment's hesitation, squared his shoulders. "If you want me to come, I'll come." He paused. "Also, I live there."

  Oenyn smiled, wide and bright, and Madfall felt the heart he always swore he didn't have contract painfully. Watching Oenyn grow up was both terrifying and wonderful.

  "When do we start?" Madfall asked gruffly. Dragons didn't placate kings and they didn't live in castles, but they also weren't supposed to cohabitate with livestock and humans, so Madfall figured he was already neck deep into breaking the rules.

  "Right away?" Oenyn suggested. Madfall wasn't surprised. He had always thrown himself into things. Dragons were content to wait and plot, but Oenyn had never had the patience. He confronted things head-on and tackled challenges with gusto. Over the years, Madfall had come to realize that, while cold calculation had its place, some situations called for reckless bravery. "If we wait too long I'll lose my nerve. Also, Richard probably wants to go home."

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16