It was as if his voice had deepened overnight as well. It wasn't just the dragon that was changing him. He was rapidly becoming a man.
"How do we explain this?" Tressa pointed a thumb at Henry. "Until now he was a simpering fool."
It was Henry's turn to drop his jaw. "Was I that bad?" He looked at Jarrett, who shrugged, a smile on his face. Henry turned back to Tressa. "Maybe you can teach me a bit about being a man, seeing as you're so good at pretending to do it."
She looked at him again. Suddenly she felt she was the out of place soldier. Henry's miraculous recovery from his illness was going to make her stand out even more.
"She's going to help us, Henry." Jarrett placed a hand on Henry's arm. "Don't."
"I was only kidding," he said, winking again. It was a gesture Tressa was starting to hate. "You know that, right Max?"
She nodded. They were close to Stacia's chambers. He'd gotten the last word. It wasn't over though. She needed Henry and Jarrett to make her plan work. They needed her help because during Henry's moments of weakness Jarrett needed an ally.
"What's going on?" Jarrett asked Kelton at the door.
"A barrier has been breached," Kelton said. "She's furious. Pacing. Stomping. Screaming about war and blood and honey. Isn't that the oddest thing? Honey?"
A pit fell in Tressa's stomach. Honey. Hutton's Bridge had been famous for its honey before the fog. The barrier that kept them from the rest of the Drowned Country.
Her hands started to shake. Her people should be safe, still nestled within the fog that had trapped them for eighty years.
She felt cool steel. A sword. Jarrett had shoved it into her hands, giving them something to do other than tremble. She would thank him later. Now she gripped it tight, letting the hardness toughen up her fears.
"What does she need us to do?" Jarrett asked. "Is there an imminent danger?"
Kelton shook his head. "No. We ride out as soon as the horses are ready. We have a battle ahead of us, men."
Henry slapped his fist to his chest. "Finally, a real fight. I can't wait to smell blood." His tongue slipped out and ran over his lips.
Kelton raised an eyebrow. "You're feeling better, boy."
"Yes, I am. I feel like conquering the world. This is a great place to start." Henry slung an arm around Kelton’s shoulder. They walked into Stacia's antechamber together.
Tressa watched them saunter away. As soon as they were out of earshot, she leaned over and whispered to Jarrett. "You trust Henry?"
Jarrett wouldn't meet her eyes. Instead, he kept his focus on Henry's retreating form. "I have to.” He lowered his voice. “The truth?”
Tressa nodded. Finally she’d learn the whole story.
“My queen of the Yellow Throne demands her second son take the Blue Throne from Stacia or be banished forever without water or a camel. I am his only guard. My life is his."
Then hers was too. He knew her secret and could expose her at any moment. "Let's get this skirmish settled and then we strike the queen."
"Agreed." Jarrett drew his own sword. "The boy should be able to control his form soon. He will be ready to rule as soon as he does."
Tressa felt there were more qualifications for being a ruler than turning into a dragon, but it wasn't time to argue. She had to know who they were marching against and why.
Tressa and Jarrett followed the men into Stacia's chambers. She sat in her throne, one blue leather clad leg hanging over the arm, a spike-heeled boot swinging in the air.
"Close the door!" She shouted to Tressa. "I don't need anyone else hearing this. No need to cause a panic just yet."
The door slammed shut with a thud. Tressa turned around. She had a feeling she might need some extra support.
Kelton bowed at Stacia's feet. "How can we serve you, my queen?"
Stacia's blue eyes narrowed. She gazed at each of them in turn, as if she were weighing their very souls. Tressa forced herself to breathe normally. In. Out. Evenly. She would let nothing give her away. Stacia's eyes lingered longest, not on Tressa, but on Jarrett. The side of her mouth curved up.
"Each of you has sworn to protect me. For many years now we've lived in peace in the Drowned Country, thanks to the fog surrounding the ghost town of Hutton's Bridge. It has made it very difficult for our enemies to travel the roads to our kingdom. They can only land at our ports, which are heavily guarded by my personal army."
Stacia waved a hand in the air, her long fingernails tearing through the smoke created by the cinnamon incense burning next to her throne.
"Everyone here knows how important it is to maintain the boundary of fog. No one passes through it and lives."