"That's what I told them. It would be a long, arduous process and I'm sure by then, Vateria would only move on."
"So what's the next option?"
"We send in our own to track Vateria down."
"And why would we do that?"
"There are many reasons."
"Name one that would actually make me care. Because at the moment this seems more like an internal family issue than a political one. And I don't involve myself in other dragons' family issues."
"I understand, my queen, and normally I'd agree with you. But it's believed that Vateria is working to secure an ally that will help her family regain their dead father's throne. With what I've been hearing lately about unrest in the Desert Lands, the citizens might be eager for such a move, depending on what she can promise."
"I understand that, Bram. And she could be sucking the cocks of every Sand Eater soldier in the hopes of getting her own army. But until she actually puts that army into play for her own benefit, I have no intention of striking her down simply because she doesn't know how to treat her cousin properly."
There was a long silence after Grandmum's words and she looked around the Great Hall at everyone staring at her and demanded, "What? What are you all looking at?"
"That was just so"-Auntie Morfyd shrugged-"rational of you."
"Aye." Uncle Fearghus rested his arms against the table and studied his mother. "I thought at the very least you'd send in Keita to poison her."
Auntie Morfyd grinned. "I thought that, too!"
Aghast, Grandmum snapped, "I'm not a monster!"
"Heh."
Everyone looked down the length of the table. Auntie Annwyl covered her mouth. "Oh, did I say that out loud?"
Grandmum's eyes narrowed while her children quietly laughed. "I'm not saying Vateria's not a problem. I'd just prefer we had something a little more concrete on her than she tortures her cousin." Although to Rhi that alone seemed more than enough.
"We'll send someone south," Uncle Gwenvael suggested. "Get more information and find out if Vateria's truly a threat or if she's just fucking one of the Sand Eaters for entertainment."
Grandmum nodded. "I like that idea. Who will we send?"
Izzy, who was still staring out into the courtyard, her arms folded under her chest, looked at Grandmum over her shoulder. "I'll go."
While everyone else took a moment to be stunned, Mum jumped to her feet. "Like hells you will!"
"I'm going, Mum."
"This has nothing to do with Vateria, Izzy. This is all about my mother."
Izzy shrugged. "Two vile bitches, one stone."
"I forbid it."
"I don't report to you, my lady." And Rhi winced at that one. "And before Annwyl tries to stay on your good side-"
"I haven't said a word!" Auntie Annwyl complained.
"-keep in mind that none of you can actually blend in while in the south. But I can."
"I don't care what bloody Annwyl says about a bloody thing!" Mum roared. "You will not do this!"
"Wait." Daddy gripped Mum's wrist and pulled her over to him and onto his lap. "Everyone just wait." He looked Izzy over for a moment. "I'll ask you straight out, Iseabail, Daughter of Talaith and Briec. . . . Are you planning to kill your grandmother?"
"I'd like to," Izzy immediately shot back. "But no. I want to look her in the eye. I want to find out for myself whether my sister can be trusted with her."
"And if you think she can be?"
Izzy rubbed her nose with the palm of her hand, scratched her cheek, then spit out, "Then I'll bring her here to meet with Rhi." Her sister looked over and Rhi felt her heart stop in her chest. "You can make your decision then, Rhi, about what you want to do next."
Rhi jumped up and sprinted across the room and into her sister's arms. "Thank you, Izzy! Thank you!"
Izzy tightly hugged her back. "You're welcome. But," she felt the need to add, "if I don't like the evil cow-"
"I know. I know." Rhi bounced on her toes while continuing to hug her sister. "Still! You're trying!"
"You can't go alone, Iseabail," Uncle Bram warned her. "Although your many weapons and dressing as a warrior will work to your benefit as long as you remove your colors, women don't usually travel alone in the south. They either travel with family members or other women."
"I'll ask Brannie."
"She hates the desert heat, I'm afraid."
"I'll get her drunk first, and she'll go far enough with me that by the time she sobers up, it'll be too much trouble to head back."
"Ah, yes," Uncle Bram sighed. "A father does love hearing that about his daughter."
Once the decision was made that Izzy would be going and, of course, somehow tricking poor Brannie to go along, she disappeared with Bram to get a quick lesson in Desert Land etiquette; Talaith stormed off, most likely to rant about her firstborn, Briec following her with an eye roll and a sigh; and everyone else went their own way until dinner time. All except Talan, who was still asleep in a chair, snoring.
eibhear decided to leave the boy where he was and headed outside. He saw Frederik sitting on the stairs, looking quite bored, and decided to give him a task.
"Think you can find my friends again?"
He quickly got to his feet but almost fell off the steps doing so. "Yes, sir. I saw them heading into town earlier today."
"Good. Go get them for me, would you? Tell them I need to see them now. So they need to put down whatever ale or whore they may currently have in their hands."
With a grin, the first eibhear could remember seeing from the boy, Frederik nodded. "I will, sir." Then he charged off. Almost ran into a horse merely standing in the road, minding its own business but . . . well . . . whatever.
"You've been awfully quiet."
eibhear looked down at his mother. "I have. Sorry. Lots of things going on."
"I get worried when things are too quiet, so I don't mind a little activity." His mother slipped her arm through his and together they walked down the steps. "So . . . you going with Izzy when she heads south?"
"Do you really have to ask me that?"
Rhiannon's head tipped back as she laughed. "No, I guess I don't." She patted his arm with her free hand. "But I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Izzy's a true warrior, with a warrior's soul. If she thinks for a minute that you're just trying to protect her-"
"Don't worry. I have all sorts of excuses that even she will have to agree with. They're all very logical and sane . . . unlike her."
They stopped in the middle of the courtyard and Rhiannon faced him. "Be careful in the south, my son. They do things differently there."
"After the Ice Lands, Mum, I can handle anything."
"True. But you didn't have Iseabail the Dangerous's adorable little ass distracting you while you were in the Ice Lands."
"Mum."
"What? I'm not blind. Just remember. She may not be blood, but your brother sees her as his daughter. So you can't just fuck this one and toss her away like you and your brothers have been doing since you each stumbled out of your eggs. You can't treat this one like a whore. She's family!"
"Mum."
"What?"
Chapter 24.
Izzy was up and dressed before the two suns had risen. She'd slept in her old room in the castle, her sister curled up next to her. Before she walked out the door, Rhi stopped her and hugged her tight.
"Please be careful."
"I will be. I promise." She kissed both her sister's cheeks and gave her another hug. "I shouldn't be long. Don't fight with Daddy."
"Okay."
Izzy opened the bedroom door and Rhi added, "And bring me something."
"Bring you something? Like what?"
"Something pretty. But local. But nothing with big bows, small bows are fine. Color-wise, silver and pink are good. Or very dark reds. No bright reds. And Mum won't let me wear black yet, but she is okay with blues and-where are you going? Well, I like green, too! Dark green! And good luck, Izzy! I love you!"
Izzy made it down the stairs, where her father was waiting. He smiled at her. "Silver and pink are her favorite colors, though."
"I've decided. She's not allowed to spend any more time alone with Keita. Pink?" she sneered. "Really?"
Chuckling, Briec leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Please. For the sake of my sanity, be careful. Your mother will be absolutely intolerable if any harm comes to you. And, I will definitely miss someone who irritates me so little."
Izzy hugged her father. "I promise to keep myself safe just so you won't have to hear any complaints from anyone."
"That's my girl."
Izzy stepped away from her father and pulled her travel bag over her shoulders. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you."
She smiled and headed toward the Great Hall doors.
"And Izzy-" She stopped, faced him. "When you meet your grandmother, think about Rhi. Not your mum. Not you. This is about your sister, don't forget that."
"I'll remember. I promise not to kill the old bitch unless I have to."
Briec quickly looked away, cleared his throat. She knew he wanted to laugh, but he was trying to be stern. She guessed she wasn't helping him.
"Thank you for that."
Izzy walked to the doors and pulled one open. "Tell Mum I'll talk to her when I get back."
She didn't wait to hear her father's response, instead heading down the stairs and across the courtyard to the stables.
"Morning, General," one of the stable hands said as he walked out, stopping to hold the door open for her.
"Morning, Richard."
Izzy walked inside but stopped short when she saw her mother standing by Dai's stall. Dai had his head over the stall gate and Talaith petted him from his forelock down to his muzzle.
"You're spoiling him," Izzy said as she stood on the other side of the horse.
"Can't help it. He's beautiful."
"And loyal."
Talaith smirked. "Yes. Loyalty."
"Don't worry, Mum. I have no intention of killing the old bitch. I still think this is an insane idea, but if there's a chance she can help . . ."
"Do you think that's why I'm worried about you going? It's not. While I'm sure my mother will be more than happy to help your sister, she'll have no use for you, Izzy. And those she doesn't have use for-"
Izzy took her mother's hand, held it to her chest. "Leave her to me. I promise to be careful. Very careful."
"And what about traveling through the Desert Lands? It's a vast region, Izzy."
"I have maps and-"
"No worries," Izzy heard from another stall, and she dropped her mother's hand and spun around to see eibhear standing by the horse he'd rode into Garbhn Isle just a few days before. "Oh. Sorry to startle you. Just cleaning out the muck from this one's hooves." He patted the horse's rump. "Isn't that right, girl?"
Taking the horse's reins, he led her out of the stall. "As I was saying, Aidan lived quite a few years in the Desert Lands with an uncle. So he'll be leading us once we cross Southland borders."
"Oh." Talaith looked back and forth between Izzy and eibhear. "I didn't know you'd be going with Izzy on this trip."
"Mum wants us to handle the Iron dragoness if she turns out to be a true problem. It's not the first time the M-runach have taken on this type of excursion. Besides, it'll be nice to see where you come from, Talaith."