Hatchling (Tameron and the Dragon) (27 page)

"Both of you are dismissed!" The Protector thundered.

Tam bowed and left the room, with Kiliane right behind him. He tried to speak to her before she departed, ignoring the presence of his escort near the door. "My lady, please forgive me. This wasn't--I didn't ask for this! You're beautiful, but I wouldn't do anything you didn't want me to. Please believe me!"

She glared at him and turned her back as she nearly ran down the hallway.
He felt heartsick. What was
wrong
with him? His escort faced him with blank faces, as if they hadn't heard a word. Now he was glad they couldn't speak to him. He ordered them to take him to his rooms. For once the place seemed like a refuge rather than a prison.

At least it felt that way till he fell asleep. His dreams were terrible. Once again he stood at the entrance to Aylar's barn, only this time he broke open the door and attacked Jarrett. The man's face kept changing first to Tigran's, then to
Mauric's, as Tam gripped his enemy's neck and squeezed. Marysa's face changed to Kiliane's, but it didn't matter. Mauric's corpse lay on the floor, as he tore open Kiliane's dress and crushed her body to his. The more she writhed in her struggle to get away, the more loudly she screamed, the better part of him liked it. "So I am a beast, am I?" he shouted in this nightmare, his heart filled with anger and obscene pleasure.

Tameron woke up, shaking with horror, and then relief that he was alone.
At least whatever keeps me from having magic means they can't read my dreams
. His sheet was soaked with acrid sweat. Once he'd visited the privy, he glanced at the shrine of the Lord and Lady in the corner of his room. "Are you more than dolls?" he wondered out loud.

Even if they
were
more, if only as symbols, what good were they to him? It was doctrine that if ordinary people lived good lives they were reborn as mages. Mages who used their powers well saw them increase in future lives, while those who did evil saw their magic decrease until it was gone altogether. What had
he
done to find himself so cut off from all power, even less than what commoners had? Perhaps Kiliane believed that mages were morally superior to the rest as well.
Considering how I enjoyed doing evil in my dream, maybe she's right
.

Oh, if only he were certain the Lord and
Lady actually watched over him. It was nearly dawn already, so there was no point going back to bed. Tam dressed, and tried to distract himself with the latest book.

He'd gotten barely three pages read, none of which he absorbed, when the first knock on the door came.
He forced his feet back into his boots and obeyed the summons.

His daily round of duties began once more. Breakfast was an ordeal. His father pretended nothing had happened, while both Mauric and Kiliane stared at him with hatred. Every mouthful of food tasted like ashes and sat on his stomach like a stone. As he feared, there was no answer to the note he'd sent to the Guardian when he returned to his rooms.
He didn't know if she'd even received it.

Sword drill was just as bad. Stine barely spoke to him, while everyone else avoided looking at him. Mauric had clearly been talking about last night before Tam came in.

On the practice ground the young mage came at him as if he meant to kill. Tameron defended himself, but didn't dare fight back after what he'd dreamed last night. It wasn't Mauric's fault he was shaking with fury and longing to destroy any sparring partner assigned him today. Then Mauric maneuvered Tam into a corner.
At least I don't have to worry about someone attacking me from the rear this way!
Anger turned to worry when Mauric kept pressing, even after it should have been clear he was only defending himself.

"It wasn't my idea!"
he said in a low voice, as he raised his sword to block another blow. "I don't blame you for loving her. She's beautiful! But I'll never touch her unless she wants me to. I've never used my rank that way and I never will."

Mauric hesitated for a moment,
and tried to strike again. "I love her so much, lord prince. I know I can't keep her to myself forever, not here. They told me about the Duty at the College. I swore it wouldn't matter to me, as long as she put me first. They even tried to offer me other women, if only I'd let her go. I knew that someday they'd let the two of us have children if I only waited long enough. I--I pretended we'd be together forever, the way it was for my parents--and from what I heard, yours...but now I know I can't have it. I can't stand it..." His voice cracked.

"You've had a couple of Festivals with someone you love," Tameron said. "I haven't even had one yet. And the girl I wanted to marry when I believed I was just an ordinary person ran to someone else the moment he showed back up just over a month ago!"

The young mage shook his head. "I suspect she's regretting it now! This land is so strange sometimes."

"At least you know that I don't have to have magic to have honor," Tam said bitterly. He sheathed his sword. "Kiliane said I was a beast just bec
ause of that, but it isn't true." He hoped it wasn't true. After last night he had doubts.

Mauric smiled sourly, and raised his sword in salute. "I thought you just had strong shields," he said. "You ought to be rejoicing in your good fortune, lord prince. You have all the privileges without the qualifications. It's not every father who provides so well for his son." He put his own weapon back in his scabbard. "We shouldn't duel like this. It would be unfair to take advantage of your disability."

He clenched his jaw with rage when he saw the pity in the young mage's eyes. "Or you're too ashamed to admit I'm better than you are anyway!" Mauric stepped back swiftly as Tam redrew his blade. The sharp-edged metal quivered in the air.

Tam breathed deeply. The young mage held his hands out away from his belt despite the sword pointing at his chest.
I can't do this. It'd be murder. I can't let last night become real. Kiliane would be right about me then.

A couple of the others were looking his way. He had to think of something quickly. "Isn't Commander Stine the best you've ever seen?" he asked.

Mauric nodded, his eyes wide with fear.

"You can always claim you were holding back if I beat you. But she never takes it easy on anyone, even me. Especially me. Ask any of the other guards!" Tameron said sharply. "But she's not a mage either. Now watch this!" He turned away from Mauric while the commander went from one sparring pair to another. No wonder she fought so hard to keep her reputation as a warrior! Anything was better than having people feel
sorry
for you!

He lowered the sword till its point drooped towards the ground as he quietly walked in her direction. It was going to be harder than he thought. She was the only one who treated him as if he were human the day he'd returned.
But in some ways she's worse than the mages. She's given her life to betray her own people who rebel against the rule of magic. My father does his best, but maybe that's only because I'm there watching him. And she knows, probably better than anyone else, just how evil some wizards are.

It was time as well to avenge the humiliation he'd suffered, too, not once, but twice. How could the other guards bow to him as his father's heir if he let that go without at least
trying
to fight back?
She must despise me, too, A lot of ordinary people think that only those with magical powers have the right to rule. Why should she respect me, especially after she's beaten me so easily in front of everyone?

Everything boiled over inside of him at once. The look on Kiliane's face when she heard that
he might be her mate still rankled. Losing Randor left an empty ache inside. Most of all, he was still furious at Jarrett for coming home when he did. And now Mauric's look of pity.
No. I've had enough of sitting and waiting for something to happen. It's my turn.

Tam
eron held the sword loosely in his hand and stepped towards the open center of the hall. Stine was strong, but he was younger. Running her ragged might give him a chance.

The commander looked at him and immediately leaped into a defensive posture.
He thrust without hesitation. She barely avoided it, and swung into a counterattack. He fended that off, immediately slamming into a bold riposte that nearly knocked the blade out of her hand. She dodged to the side and braced herself as Tam followed her with a powerful charge that barely missed.

They went back and f
orth a few minutes without injury, though any of their blows could have been deadly had they landed. He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to control his anger rather than let it rule him. He was done with being exhibited to the other guards as a bad example!

Stine suddenly leaped and came down at him, her edge ready to strike. Tam twisted away,
and reached up inside her guard. She swiftly retreated and brought her shield down on his blade. He pulled it away, and stepped to one side. Did she remember which leg he'd hurt? Maybe not. He feigned a slight weakness in his right knee. She went for it. He balanced itself on his right leg, kicked out his left one, and tripped her. She went down. He knocked the sword out of her hand with the edge of his foot, and set the point of his weapon lightly on her throat. "My enemies won't stop," he said hoarsely. "Neither will I."

He glanced up, though not so far he lost sight of Stine. Everyone in the room was staring at him. Mauric bowed, with fear in his eyes. Tameron slowly backed away, sheathed his sword, and left the sparring area. He couldn't bear it any longer. As he stripped off his armor, he threw his wrist braces against the wall. At least they couldn't entertain themselves with the sight of him till they came through the door. Today they might hesitate to do so.

It took him longer than usual to dress because he was shaking so badly. As he left the drill area, his escort patiently followed him, though he noticed the whispers. Perhaps they'd seen what had happened. None of them dared to catch his eye.

He stopped at the
boot maker’s. The old man cringed and apologized for not having the new boots ready. "You can't imagine what it's been like this last week, Lord Tameron." No doubt he felt he had to explain, and not just shake his head. "My apprentice is such a lazy boy!" the fellow continued. "I'll do my best, I swear, but I can't tell you for sure when they'll be done. Aren't those slippers good enough? The Protector ordered them especially for you."

"What about that pair there?" Tameron pointed at a set that looked close to the right size.

"Oh, dear. I must deliver those today. He'll be so upset if they aren't ready yet..." The old man's voice trailed off as he clearly realized what he'd just said. "Please don't be angry, Lord Tameron, I'm only doing what your father told me to."

Tam strode off without a wor
d. So he'd been right all along. The Protector would do anything to keep him prisoner! He grew more furious with every pinched step.

Instead of returning to his room, he turned towards the stables. He was weary of being led around like a blind nag. For once, his escort didn't block him. Maybe it was time to
really
test the limits placed on him.

The guards on the inner doors wouldn't allow him through.
Tam felt trapped and frightened now. Everyone seemed to be against him. He wearily gave up and returned to his room, and then asked for a tray. He couldn't face them all at the mid-day meal today, especially Kiliane. He knew that his dreams didn't reflect reality, but he still felt their shame.

Oh, Lord and Lady he was sick of all the rules that said he had to be
have, no matter the provocation. Were they trying to
drive
him into acting like a beast?

And he'd just publicly defeated the one person who might help.

Chapter 14

Tam became even more furious when the servant brought him a summons to appear in the dining hall instead of a tray. He reluctantly obeyed, though he had no appetite. His father's disapproval at the mid-day meal was so thick he could cut it with a knife. Mauric and Kiliane spoke with each other as if he didn't exist. For a few moments,
he wished the wolves
had
killed him. Anything would be better than enduring this.

If only I could have stayed lost
. Surely Aylar can't expect me to build a bridge on
this
foundation!

While at table he upset his plate onto the floor when his hands shook too much. Kiliane's scornful laughter made him wish he'd never been born. "May I withdraw from the room, Lord Protector?" he asked quietly.

His father's face turned gentle for a moment. "Of course. I'm sorry you're feeling ill today. Do you want to rest this afternoon instead of listening to more cases?"

It was a temptation, but one he'd better ignore. "Thank you, Father, but I'll probably feel better by then." He hoped. His churning stomach warned him he should leave soon, unless he wanted to disgrace himself even more.

Tameron was grateful he had permission to depart. Even a prisoner was given some respite from constant observation. He hurried down the hall as quickly as his escort would let him, and barely made it to the necessary room in his quarters before his rebellious stomach gave up the little he'd eaten.
Let the guards report
this
!
he thought. He was grateful when one of them offered him a damp towel to wipe his mouth.