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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 7.4, Un-Escaping

Kesst did not consider himself to be a particularly emotionless or heartless individual but the reunion of Theo and Evelyn, of brother and sister wasn't as much of a draw for him as it seemed to be for the rest of the group. Theo was obviously at the forefront of the tear-inducing reconnect between family and even the two Tribal bears were intent on helping the two Ermines celebrate their reunion. The only other person seemingly immune to the event was Sanmer, who was-- nowhere to be seen.

The Dragon tried to rationalize his lack of interest: he was being hunted; he had discovered that all of his memories of life belonged to another; he wasn't WHAT he thought he was, let alone who. Kesst didn't consider himself an egocentric individual... he just rationalized that he had a lot more going on in his life than meeting some long-lost sister and a nephew he didn't know he had. More than any of those things, however, he was in the manor of a woman who knew more about him than he did... and that thought scared him.

While the rest of the party was distracted Kesst moved ever closer to the door the Princess had used for her exit. Roaring-Flood at one point started singing a tune in the Tribal tongue... even though the Dragon couldn't understand the song it sounded like some kind of celebratory anthum. It was loud and attention grabbing, and made the perfect cover for Kesst's disappearance out of the room.

He was surprised at first to find that no guards patrolled the hallway but, a moment later he realized that the majority of the Princess' forces were on the OUTSIDE of the manor, not inside. Thanking his good fortune, Kesst began the next step to his wandering. Princess Noriene knew something about him and she obviously had plans that included him; the only way he could make sure he got a fair say in her activities was if he discovered something about her. He knew he would feel better about accepting her offered 'assistance' if he was aware of what her plans meant for him.

The Dragon prowled down the hallway slowly and silently, moving from door to door as he placed his head against it in an attempt to hear if any were occupied. He checked the door knobs of any that sounded empty and met with resistance in almost every case. Those doors that were unlocked he checked but most led to little of interest: a bathroom, an empty bedroom, what looked like a sewing room... a study. The final room he encountered was ideal for his search... except for one problem: it was occupied... by the Princess.

The Wolf was looking out the window when he walked in but she turned to regard him, ears up. She greeted the Dragon before he could about face and make an escape. "Oh! Kesst... I had thought you would still be with the rest of your party in the sitting room. Was the tea not to your liking?"

A number of thoughts went through his head, all quickly failing to pass his internal checklist for appropriate excuses. He ended up settling on the one that seemed the most reasonable. "I noticed Sanmer was missing... considering where we are I thought it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him."

Princess Noriene's muzzle split with a wide smile and she made a good-natured bat at the air with one paw playfully. "Ah... I could not agree with you more, my dear... but, then again, if you lost sight of him in the first place then I would wager that it would be far too late to START watching him."

Kesst cleared his throat, "All the same, your Highness, I'd feel more comfortable if I knew where he was."

The Wolf looked to the window once more then pulled the loose curtains back, tying them off before she closed and secured the double shutters. "I am afraid you've missed Mr. LeMarre, young man... but you should not worry; I ran into him earlier then he and I had a long talk about him being in places he shouldn't be."

The Dragon ran a talon absently along the closed tunic that hid the hole in his chest; he still felt incomplete, and her announcement made him even more self conscious. "Oh... so... um... where is he?"

Princess Noriene moved with studied grace toward the Dragon, causing him to take an inadvertant step back into the doorway. She smiled pleasantly and held out a paw in a genteel manner; he realized the next step would be to take it in his talon, which he did with some reservations. In such a dainty way she guided him back into the hall, pausing only long enough to lock the study behind them. "You and your friends can stay as my guests tonight... dinner will be served in an hour, and you will be safe here until tomorrow."

Although Kesst knew it was rude to do so he reasserted his earlier question... a little more bluntly. "Where is Sanmer?"

The Princess tittered, patting the talon that held her paw with her free one. "Mr. LeMarre is more accustomed to staying where he is unwelcome, I fear. Despite my well-wishes he chose to depart.. rather abruptly, I'm afraid."

Kesst studied the Wolf for a moment; he usually had a good sense about people and it seemed she was being the usual courtly sort-- letting on more than she was saying but saying less than was completely truthful. "So... he left?"

She nodded, laughing pleasantly. "Departed, a short time past, I'm afraid. But the rest of your party is still welcome to stay. He is a resilient sort, Kesst... wherever he has gone I am certain that no mere mortal will be able to harm a Fox as luck-kissed as he."

The Dragon was uncertain how he felt about the Princess' ingraciating words. He was confident that her offer for sanctuary was genuine-- she would assuredly protect him from any outside source of danger... but he still couldn't escape the thought that she had an ulterior motive, and that made him wonder just how safe he was from her. He hadn't lived so long being hunted by the Church to take unnecessary risks. The problem he kept coming back to however was whether there was more danger to him leaving... or staying.

The Princess apparently picked up on his reservations. "You aren't used to being under someone's protection, I assume."

Kesst nodded, slowly extracting his talon from her grasp; he was pleased when she didn't object. "I haven't run into many people who are willing to help me without some reason for their generosity."

The Wolf's smile widened even more and she nodded. "Few intelligent men expect to get something for nothing. You are a prudent Dragon, Kesst."

He leveled a gaze at her, speaking with as much accusation as he felt he could reasonably manage without alienating her. "Except I'm not exactly a real Dragon, am I? Isn't that the whole point of all of this?"

Princess Noriene's smile disappeared, but it was replaced by a thoughtful expression. "Kesst... it has long been my opinion that there is no real truth in this world... it is merely a matter of whose opinion is the strongest... whose will is powerful enough to shape the world into their vision."

The Dragon wasn't sure what to take of her change in the conversation so he challenged it. "So... what's YOUR vision?"

A soft smile returned. "My vision is one where men and women can be equal... where there is no divison between how far children from a rich family or a poor family can progress. My vision is a world where a man or woman is judged on their merits and not their sex or their breeding... a world where YOU can be as much of a Dragon as you wish to be."

Kesst was initially struck dumb by her retort, but a quote from the holy Passage of Egner came to mind... it was a scripture his mother-- no... it was from someone else's memory... but he remembered it nevertheless. "How sweet is honey that a man may choose to dine on it for the rest of his days... but to do so would embrace death for want of substance."

The Wolf's ears raised. "Hunted by the church but you still quote scripture?"

He didn't even hesitate to respond. "Dealing with commoners but you still tell half-truths like you're in court."

She came to a stop... and burst out laughing. It was nearly a full minute before she composed herself and, when she did, the Princess did so with aplom and majesty. Raising her muzzle, she gazed down sidelong at the Dragon. "Do you see the book there next to the vase?"

The Wolf pointed, motioning to a stand that housed an Ilyse ornamental vase and a small, leatherbound journal. He nodded. "I do."

She motioned to it. "Bring it to me, if you please."

Regardless of his reservations about the Princess she was royalty and he was in her home; he did as she bade, and returned to her, holding it out and announcing blandly. "Your book, your Highness."

Princess Noriene accepted it and nodded. "Thank you."

He watched as she unlatched the strap and opened the journal to the last page. She returned the book, facing him in a way that he could see what she presented. There was a single word written in flowing, flawless penmanship on it. L-E-A-D. "What's this?"

The Princess continued down the hall at a slow pace, forcing Kesst to keep up as they spoke. "It was the final lesson my father gave to my two brothers before Prince Malcom was sent to life with the Tribals."

The Dragon turned the journal around in his talons, examining the word as he tried to figure out its signifiance. In the end he responded honestly. "I don't get it."

Noriene came to a stop, standing outside the sitting room door; the muted voices of Kesst's companions could barely be made out through it. "It is a crown, my dear... THAT kind of crown. My father asked both of my brothers separately to explain what they thought of the meaning for THAT kind of crown."

Kesst blinked once and looked down at the word before looking back to the princess. "I still don't get it."

The Princess held her paw out and the Dragon obediently returned the journal to her. "My brother Thaddius said it was the eldest heir... although all of us wore crowns, since he was the oldest he wore the crown that would one day be the king's... the lead crown."

The Dragon paused at that, letting out a breath as he considered the interpretation. "When I first saw the word I thought of the metal: lead."

The Wolf nodded, her eyes getting a far-off look to them as she gazed at the wall. "And so too did my younger brother. Prince Malcom, when asked, responded that the lead crown referred to the weight of leadership... that it burdened whoever was the one chosen to wear it."

Kesst stared at her a moment before he spoke up. "What did you say it was?"

Princess Noriene's gaze snapped back to the here-and-now, taking the whistful expression with it and replacing it with a sardonic smirk. "I wasn't asked, of course... I'm a Princess, not a Prince."

The Dragon did not relent. "I'm asking now... your Highness."

Something about the Wolf's smile seemed much more genuine than he had expected. "I already told you, young man... there is no truth in this world, and it is all a matter of opinion... and so, to that end, I would have to say the crown, whether the lead crown or lead crown depends on who wears it."

Kesst was willing to extend the conversation past that but, just then, she opened the door to the sitting room. He glanced to the room then to her when he got the impression that she wasn't going to be entering with him. "You're not joining us, Princess?"

She shook her head quietly. "No... I have a few things to attend to before I meet all of you again at dinner... there is a horrible mess downstairs that needs tending to."

The Dragon offered a hesitant bow, heading back to join the rest of his party. A little nagging voice in the back of his mind wondered at the numerous half-truths he'd been told during his discussion with the Princess. What was worse, however, was that he had to admit to himself that whatever she said had made an impact... he almost found it hard to believe that he somehow trusted her... a little.