Chapter 30
"We're looking for eighteen cousins? From all over the globe?" Nadia called over the wind.
"Well we've found you, and we know where three more are, and I have another back in Corona so we're down to thirteen. Most of our family are in royalty so they're generally found in castles. We're an overachieving bunch." Nadia spiralled on Quick Fire, laughter flying in the wind. She levelled beside me again.
"Once we have Cindy, Damon, Abigail and Adam, you head on to Germany for Brandon then Denmark for your aunt Helga with the dragons. I'll stop by Burke and pick up some more dragons before going through South America and Far Far away for Jonathan, Andrew, Lillian and Arthur and meeting you in England for George, Isobel, Henry, Leila, Phillip Jr and Finley. That's the whole eighteen together, then we can work out where to go from England." Nadia has a knack for strategy, as it turns out.
"Sounds like a plan, how far to Burke from here?" I called to Nadia,
"Not far, a day's fly maybe." Before there was more chances to talk, we were descending. The dragons touched down in an open valley behind the castle. The castle guard came out, spears at the ready.
"State your names and business." The captain called out to us as we dismounted.
"Elsa, former Queen of Arendelle, Alyssa, princess of Arendelle, Nadia, princess of Scotland. Dragons Gums, Quick Fire, Frostbite, Magda and Little Bite. Here to ask assistance of your former Queen Cinderella, current King Damon, Princess Abigail and her son Prince Adam." I called out over the sounds of the dragons settling.
"What business with the royals?" I groaned and whispered to Jack, who landed at my side,
"This is why I never visit the French." I turned back to the guard, who advanced a step, and moved closer to save my voice.
"Family business, Cinderella and her children are cousins of ours." The captain signalled to his squad and they opened up a path through them and escorted us to the castle. We were left under guard in the courtyard while the captain went up to find his King and Queen Mother.
"Captain, I told you not to be so aggressive, oh Elsa I'm sorry about him. He's new to the post; trying to do his best." Cinderella's words seemed to flood the Captain's mind and he softened visibly where he stood. Her blond bob of hair gleamed in the light as she made it to the bottom of the stairs.
"Cousin Cindy." Nadia greeted her first, pulling her into a hug. Considering their kingdoms are so close I'm not surprised they're on better terms.
"Nadia, how's your mother?" They exchanged pleasantries for a while before I was acknowledged again, "And you're the former Queen of Arendelle now? What happened?" I did my best to force a smile for the guards,
"I had a daughter, and I'd rather devote my time to her than run a kingdom." Cindy smiled,
"I understand, raising Damon and Abigail was a struggle. Charles was an immense help, where is your little one's father?" I glanced at Nadia who was staring at Jack.
"It's complicated." I smiled. Cinderella dismissed the guards and led our small party up the grand staircase.
"Damon is in a council meeting for another half an hour, and Abigail is with Grant and Adam, buying more things for Adam." The note of disapproval in her voice was blatantly obvious. We ended up in one of the largest sitting rooms I've ever seen, sitting by the fire and making small talk until Damon made his entrance.
"Mother." He greeted, kissing her cheek. He turned to us and bowed, taking my hand, "Cousin Elsa," and repeated with Nadia, "Cousin Nadia." He bent his knees down to Alyssa's height and took her hand as well. "Little Princess." She clapped and giggled, making him smile. "Abigail, Grant and Adam are back. They'll be up soon." He barely finished his sentence before the doors opened again and a small golden haired boy marched into the room, his two golden haired parents, one by magic one by birth, close behind him.
"Grandma, I wanted to go riding today, why am I here?" Cindy smiled genuinely, but there was a crease in her forehead that told us she wasn't entirely approving of his attitude.
"Adam, these are your cousins Elsa and Nadia. They've come to speak with your mother, uncle and I." He huffed as he sat down, and his mother sighed as she did. Grant sat in silence, but his expression was defeated.
"Is father not joining us?" Abigail asked her mother. Cinderella's face flickered.
"He's not feeling up to it." She held her smile as she turned to us. "What did you need to see us for?"
"This might go faster if I can contribute." Jack mumbled from above us where he floated around in circles, making frost pictures.
Five hours later, Jack was visible to all members of the room and three of my four magical cousins were on board with the plan, however Adam was proving difficult to add to the group.
"Adam you have one of the most unique and powerful gift any one in our family has ever had, you can't refuse to help us protect our daughter." Jack was trying with every fibre of his being to not strangle Adam. "Abigail, you said he can come with us, help me out here." Abigail sunk back in her chair, trying to hide herself behind Grant.
"If he doesn't want to come it's his choice, he shouldn't have to leave the castle if he doesn't want to." Jack scoffed,
"You pamper him enough and he's going to develop a curse-worthy attitude." Grant looked back at his wife, and Abigail looked down.
"Well I'm staying here with my servants and my room and my three course meals and my feather pillows." Adam stuck his nose up in the air and Jack clenched his fists.
"Fine, we leave the shapeshifter here if he's too self-absorbed to protect his infant cousin from all the forces of darkness." Jack kicked up and joined Alyssa playing on the other side of the room. I sighed,
"I'm sorry, but if you change your mind Adam, we leave for Germany in the morning." I smiled at the little boy, who flashed a fake smile and stormed out of the room followed by his parents. Cindy remained silent in her seat, the fire enhancing the age on her face.
"Your husband is right." She said quietly. I didn't correct her on the husband front, "Adam is going to end up victim of a curse, or worse." Damon moved closer to his mother, putting a hand on her shoulder,
"He'll grow out of it mother." She stood in silence and nodded to myself and her son,
"I'm going back to see Charles before we leave." She walked briskly, but every regally, from the room and left the four of us to wait for the French royalty to prepare for departure. The room fell silent aside from the soft conversation from Alyssa across the room and Jack's infrequent replies to the babble.
"I think I've endured enough of our cousins for now. I'm going to head for Burke, I'll send some dragons ahead to meet you on your way to England." I said my farewells to my cousin and she left. I heard the strong wing beats of her dragon leave the grounds and stood quietly to join my daughter and… boyfriend? Partner? I made a note to discuss our relationship status at a more convenient time.
"Mama, daddy helping me practice." Alyssa informed me the moment I was in earshot of her small voice.
"Has he, can you show me what you practiced?" She beamed at the request and held out her tiny fists and they burst into flame. She concentrated for a while before splaying out her hands and extinguishing the fire. She held up her hands to show me they were free of fire and I clapped her performance. "Very good. Have you learned anything else?" She tapped a finger to her chin, thinking of what other talents she could perform for me.
"Dirt!" She explained, I looked to Jack who looked back at me with the same puzzled expression on his face.
"What about the dirt, sweetie?" She reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out a clump of dirt that proceeded to fall all over the carpet. "Lyss, no!" She clamped down on the dirt that remained in her hand. I sighed as I started to clean the earth from the floor, when it moved. All of the specks of brown that Alyssa had dropped to the floor floated gracefully into my daughter's hand and formed a small horse.
"Like mama and daddy's horsies, but dirt!" She moved her hand and he small horse trotted about the air before coming to halt on her little hand again, where she returned the earth to her pocket.
"Who taught you that?" Jack asked the little girl, as dumbfounded as I am.
"My friend." She answered simply, practicing with her fire again.
"Which friend?" I asked, looking at Jack from the corner of my eye.
"His name Manny, he's my friend in my head." She smiled, showing us her fire fists again.
"He's talking to both of you now?" Jack looked away, "He's still ignoring me." He whispered. I sighed and returned to watching Alyssa play with some wooden blocks that were laid out by a servant earlier. I watched the sun dip lower and lower in the sky. By the time the sky was tinted purple Alyssa crawled into her father's lap and curled into his chest.
"I'll find us a room for the night, I think their royal highnesses are going to need the night before we leave." Jack picked Lyss up and carried her as she drifted in and out of sleep as we were shown to a room. I left Jack to put our daughter down to sleep and went out to check the dragons. They had started to curl up for the night, Gums and Frostbite seemed to have fallen asleep already while Magda and Little Bite were only just finding adequate places to lie down. I put a hand to their snouts and their odd sounding purrs of content satisfied me to leave them to their own devices for the night. I knew from my limited experience with Nadia as a child that they would take off in the early morning for a hunt and be back by mid-morning, ready to fly. I found my way back to my room in the castle and found Jack perched atop his staff, cross-legged as he watched his little girl sleep with her brown-gold hair fanning out like a halo around her head.
"I don't know what I'll do if someone hurts her." I held onto his arm and pressed my face against it, not quite able to reach his shoulder in his position.
"We just have to make sure no one does."