"You won't speak to me like that again, young lady. I don't care whose daughter you are, you never insult your elders like that."
Chris was thrown bodily in to her room. She tripped over a loose tile, and was flung down on to the cold stones.
"I want my mummy!" Chris whispered to herself. Her sobs echoed off the floor.
"Your grandfather Ironheart said we're to have none of that." Her nanny stormed in. She had never really been left in charge of Chris before. Her duties had been to tidy the princess' bedroom, and to clean and put away her clothes, but for a higher rate of pay than the other maids. She was not becoming fond of children.
"I don't care. Daddy wouldn't care!" Chris stood up and stamped her foot, "I need to see Daddy."
The nanny leant against the window sill and breathed deeply. "No you don't."
"I'll tell him you're a pig if you don't let me."
The nanny turned slowly, looking at Chris through narrow eyes. "You know the monsters that lurk in the dark?"
"Mummy says they're not real. And if they were, she said the dragon knights would kill them. Just to protect me." Chris' throat was getting tight in panic.
"Dragon Knights aren't real, princess. But the monsters that lurk in the dark are. I've seen them with my own eyes. Huge giants of stone, or snake-like dragons who would swallow you, or tiny goblins that can burn you with hot pokers. Any way about it, these monsters don't like insolent little girls. And they eat all the little girls who defy their elders. Doesn't matter if they're princesses."
Chris screwed up her face, "You're lying! You're lying!" She screamed, bringing her soft blue blanket up to her eyes to hide her face.
"Shall we see, princess?" The nanny grabbed her wrist and hauled her in to bed. "What will happen when we turn the lights out?"
Chris shook her head, the tears rolling down her pink cheeks, her face growing redder with fear, "Please no. Please no! I never have the lights out! Mummy says..."
"Mummy won't care about you no more." The nanny scoffed. She took a bucket of water from the corridor and poured it over the fire.
The fire hissed and spat, smoke making curls like snakes emerging from beneath a rock. They were hungry snakes, headed straight for Chris. She shrank in fear as they got closer, before fizzling in to nothing.
The room darkened.
"Come on ladies." The nanny took the lantern out, blowing the last lights out as she left, "Our princess needs to be taught a lesson. We'll be back in the morning if the monsters haven't got you by then."
Chris stared after the rapidly vanishing light, as it cast shadows through her door, making objects leap about the floor.
Then there was darkness, and the full moon.
"Mummy?" Chris whispered. The smoke from the extinguished fire crept over her bed, filling her nostrils and making her choke.
The only reply Chris got, was the clatter of footsteps, as the guards left their post.
Chris leapt under the covers, she was truly all alone.
Dartz waited until most of the household was asleep. He slipped out of the door, robed all in red. Red. A colour of defiance in Dartz's mind. Lust.
He strolled down the corridors casually. He was not afraid. In the end the only person who even noticed was a lost looking guard. On seeing the king he stood aside and to attention. Dartz moved on.
He knocked gently on the door, "Iona. Your doctor." Dartz laughed lightly at his lie. He wanted it to be a surprise.
It took him quite by surprise when a lady, about the same height as Iona opened the door, dressed all in black and lace.
"This is Iona's room, yes?"
"Yes." The lady stood in front of him, unmoving.
"Then let me in." Dartz tapped his foot.
"The orders have been given that no one is permitted to enter the Queen's room. Only the doctors."
Dartz lowered his head, keeping his eyes fixed on her. "Do you understand who I am?"
"Yes your highness. You are not the doctor as you initially said."
"Dartz?" Iona crept to the door.
"Your highness." The woman held her hand back. "If this meeting occurs I must tell the Advisor. We are honest women. To tell no lies."
"Go tell him then." Dartz shrugged and pushed past her. "Leave us."
"I cannot permit this." The woman stepped in front of him again. "Your wife is in a delicate state. A holy state. She will not be permitted to be with you. If you have any respect for that you shall leave immediately, and return when your child is born."
Dartz raised his eyebrows slowly, "I had a man executed but a month ago for blocking my path."
The honest lady smiled sarcastically, "There have been no executions in Atlantis for 7 years."
Dartz narrowed his eyes, "But the point is I could have done. Now if you will not move out of my way, I will sentence the group of you to death."
"What for? We have done nothing but follow the Advisor's orders!" One of the younger sisters at the back looked frightened and bewildered.
"So you have. And now you defy the king." Dartz folded his arms, "I call that treason."
The women wavered slightly, looking to one another. The lady blocking the door nodded, "Come sisters. One of us must report to Ironheart for this... offence."
Dartz scoffed, pushing past the stupid woman as he clutched Iona passionately, kissing her. All the women scuttled out, shocked at their open and frank behaviour. Dartz and Iona burst into laughter.
"They follow me everywhere!" She giggled, "They're so... boring."
They both laughed again, and Dartz embraced her, "I feel lucky to be embracing you tonight. I thought I wouldn't see you for ages."
"Why?" She looked at him, brushing his hair back behind his ear.
"Oh..." Dartz smiled, "Father trying to give me mistresses."
"What?" Iona laughed, she was too full of ecstasy to care.
"I went in to my room to find a young girl draped on my bed." He tutted and stroked her hair.
"Dartz." She began slowly, the ecstasy fading, "He's going to separate us. Mistresses will be the start of it. And the honest women won't leave me. They want me to live like I'm in one of their convents."
Dartz paused, thinking. "We'll have to stay together at all times then."
Iona nodded and moved Dartz hand's towards her stomach. "When should we tell Chris? Neither of us has seen her today."
A door slammed, and the harsh angry voice of Ironheart echoed down the corridors, muffled by the gentle voices of the honest women.
"How about now?" Dartz smiled, grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door.
By the time Ironheart reached Iona's room, it was empty. Ironheart sighed angrily. Dartz seemed determined to disobey him.
They heard the guards walking calmly along the marble, but it seemed obvious Ironheart had sent them out to look for them., they sat in the statue hall, hiding behind a statue of some insignificant ancestor.
Dartz peered out and they seemed to have gone.
"All clear." He whispered helping her up.
"Dartz, we shouldn't have to hide from your own staff! You're king!"
Dartz raised his eyebrows, "I wouldn't be so sure..."
They crept out of the hall of statues and in to the river gardens. Chris had been moved over to the other side of the palace so not to be woken if there was any commotion in the King's court. They moved in the shadows and swept quickly across the bridge.
A guard heard movement and turned, pointing his spear, "Who goes there?"
Dartz and Iona hung behind the tree for a split second, wondering. Iona smiled, "Oh dear!" She cried in a much higher voice than usual, "Someone's caught us, Brandsome!"
Dartz stared at her as a surprised smile grew across his face, "Oh no!" Dartz said slowly and stupidly, "And we in such a passionate embrace."
Iona had to contain a laugh. "Please sir! Let us go! We shall not come out here for our moonlit walks again!"
The guard wavered, puzzled, "Brandsome? Is that you?"
Dartz paused, "Er... Yes... Who are you?"
"Brandsome! You are meant to be on duty in the Queen's Court! Explain yourself." The guard stamped his foot.
"I am not Brandsome the guard..." Dartz began slowly looking to Iona for help. She pointed at the flowers, "I am Brandsome the gardener!"
"Show yourself!" The guard pointed at the tree.
"Gandby?" A different voice appeared, "What are you shouting at?"
"Sir! There's a man and a woman behind that tree."
The other guard sighed, "Who are they?"
"Brandsome and a maid of some sort."
The other man poked the tree with the blunt end of his pike. He cautiously peered round and sighed. "Gandby, there's nothing there."
The guards were silent for a second, "I'll go back to my duties sir."
The sound of stamping feet signalled their departure. Dartz and Iona breathed lightly under the sandaflower bush. Dartz looked down at her and sniggered.
"That wasn't funny!" She hit him lightly.
"I was just going to hide! You answered them!" Dartz rolled out and helped her to her feet. "We're nearly there now. She's going to have to be moved closer to us."
They both looked up at the tower glinting in the moonlight, and made for the door, creeping softly up the stairs.
Dartz was puzzled to find Chris's room unguarded from door to top. They hadn't been spotted once! He realised of course, he should be grateful, but he feared for her safety. What father wouldn't?
Iona pushed to door open, and found Chris's room was dark. They looked at each other, puzzled. Everyone knew that Chris was afraid of the dark.
"Chris?" Dartz whispered.
A small whimper echoed from the other side of the room, "Don't eat me, please don't eat me."
"Chris!" Iona rushed over, as Dartz took a lantern down from outside and emptied it in to the fire place, making a lighter glow.
"Chris, it's Mummy and Daddy!" Dartz made his way over.
Chris looked up surprised. "Why are you here? Nanny told me that only the monsters would come in to my room at night."
"Then I think" Dartz said sitting on the edge of the bed, "That it's time we got a new nanny."
Chris poked her head out of the sheets. Iona smiled and hugged her tight, "I'm sorry we didn't see you today, Daddy and I have been very busy."
"They told me I would only see you on Fridays, and when I said they were lying they put me to bed for an hour!" Chris folded her arms sulkily.
"Well, they obviously did lie." Dartz lit her bed side candle and walked over to light the lanterns on her wall. "Because here we are, with some very special news for you."
"Have you got me a present?" Chris light up, smiling.
Iona laughed, "Not exactly" she said slowly, "But it is very special and I want you to be with us all the way." She put her arms round Chris and pulled her close. "Daddy and I are..."
"Can you read me a story?" Chris looked at her a big leather bound book.
"Chris." Dartz warned, "Your Mother and I are trying to tell you something."
"Ok." She sighed, "Then will you read a story, Daddy?"
"Of course he will." Iona smiled and stroked Chris's hair, "Now, Chris. You are going to be a big sister."
Chris looked at her mother, slightly puzzled, "Why?"
"Because," Dartz folded his legs, sitting on the end of Chris' bed, "Mummy is going to have another baby."
Iona and Dartz both smiled at Chris, who sat there looking bewildered. "Is that why I've got to have a tutor?"
Iona glanced at Dartz, frowning, "No, no. All little girls have got to learn, but you won't have to have a tutor because I've decided I'm going to teach you. And Daddy's going to teach you to be king."
"But I don't want to be King!" Chris cried out rather more loudly than intended, "I want to be a Queen!"
Dartz laughed and moved across to hug her, "Alright. You shall be Queen here."
"If..." Iona cut in and paused, looking in to Dartz's eyes, "If the new baby is not a boy."
Dartz's smile faded, "Yes."
"But I want to be Queen!" Chris folded her arms.
"Well, if you're not queen here then you have many fine cousins you could marry, and you can rule there. Remember, I didn't always live in Atlantis, did I?" Iona smiled.
Chris sat silently for a few minutes, "Can you tell me about where you grew up?"
Iona looked at Dartz and smiled softly, "I shall tell you the story of when I first met your father. If you go abroad to marry, you may have a very similar experience."
"Alright." Chris dived in to her covers, and sat there waiting patiently.
"Well, I left the harbour in the summer isles, and I had a very calm crossing really." Iona smiled to remember it, "Father, your grandfather, had a huge boat built for me, with a rising sun over the sea painted on to the side, because daddy's emblem is the sea, and ours was the sun, yes? It took three days to reach Atlantis, and I was very nervous. But when our ship docked, there was a huge mass of people waiting to meet me. And that was very exciting."
Chris sat back on her pillows, smiling inanely. She had her mother and father to herself.
Dartz looked to his wife and daughter lovingly. His family was there. The people who mattered most to him. He sat back and listened to the story, a story he hadn't heard since it happened.
They sat there long in to the night listening, Chris gasping and giggling where necessary, and Iona spent so long describing the dress and the colours of the wedding that Chris could almost see it. Dartz had not even thought of most of the things Iona had remembered since that day, but there it was, replaying in his mind. Their first dance, even the first time he'd seen her. He'd thought about that often enough, and how lucky he had been.
"I think I'd like to try on your dress, Mummy."
Iona laughed, "In the morning, dearest, you can."
"But now," Dartz moved to look out of the window, "The moon is high and even little princesses need their sleep."
"But Daddy, what happened after the wedding?" Chris opened her eyes wide, to plead for more.
"Mummy will tell you at some other point." Iona said quickly, standing up. "And I think it would be best if Mummy and Daddy slept in your bed tonight."
Dartz nodded assuredly. He didn't fancy having to go in to a palace full of people searching for him.
"Ok then." Chris moved to the side, her bed was huge and could easily fit her mother and father in.
"Iona," Dartz caught Iona's arm quietly and lead her over to the window, out of Chris' hearing. "I think it's time we regained some control."
Iona smiled up at him, "I thought you'd let him rule you forever."
Dartz laughed lightly, "Not quite."
Author's Note
Hello Atlanteans! Writing this is so much fun, and I'm thrilled at the responses I've got from people. Special thanks to Strawberry Moon and Gamergirl101 for sticking with me and offering support! (And to my proof reader MrPegasusSir) As it says in my profile, this and the next 20 or so chapters have been written for ages, so I can get a chapter a week out. Update day will stay as Tuesday from now on.
Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you have enjoyed the chapter!
Lots of love and Dartzy fun,
RanulfFlambard4
