Mistress of Dragons by Margaret Weis Read Free Book Online

reckoning of dragons, which meant that she was ancient by the reckoning
of humans.
    It
is difficult to tell a dragon’s age by appearance, for there is no hair to go
gray, as on humans, no skin to wrinkle or brittle bones to snap. Draconas could
see that Anora had aged in the years since he had last seen her and he was
saddened. She had always held her head proudly upon its graceful, curving neck.
Now her head sagged forward, as though it had grown too heavy for her to bear.
The skin around her eyes was puffy, the eyes had sunken. When she spoke, he
noted that the upper and lower fangs and teeth were worn, smooth and rounded.
On her body were patches of bare flesh, where scales had fallen off and not
grown back, as they would with a younger dragon. Anora turned her gaze again on
Draconas and her eyes shone with the same bright intelligence he had come to
know and respect. Her jaw was just as firm, her thoughts strong and resonating.
    “We
have summoned you, Draconas,” said the Minister, “because something must be
done about Maristara.”
    Draconas
flexed his hands, his mouth twisted into a grimace. So that’s what this was
about. How long had it been? Three hundred years? An eye blink to a dragon,
though generations of humans had been born and died in that time. Something
must have stirred the pot to cause this foul thing to come floating to the
surface.
    “Yes,
Minister,” said Draconas, there being not much else he could say, aside from, What
the devil has taken you so long?, which would not have been well received.
    The
Minister’s red eyes flickered. Her tail twitched. Anora knew quite well what
Draconas longed to say. She made an oblique gesture, lifted a talon, cautioning
him to maintain his composure. She had no need. Draconas knew. He understood.
He waited.
    Another
dragon shifted his head to look at the Minister. He was a young dragon, with
shining green scales, muscular, strong, and dangerous.
    “I
ask for the wand,” said this dragon. “If there are no objections, I hand the
speaker’s wand to Braun,” said the Minister.
    There
being no objections, she handed the jeweled wand that she held delicately in a
taloned forefoot to the young male dragon. Draconas did not know him. Braun was
new to the Parliament and quite young to be head of a noble house. Draconas
knew, though, which house Braun represented. He felt a tingle at the base of
his spine.
    “I
am Braun,” said the dragon in tones that were smoldering red and sharp-edged. “As
you undoubtedly know, Maristara is my grandmother.”
    Draconas
inclined his head in acknowledgement. Again, there wasn’t much to say, except I’m
sorry.
    “I
am going to begin by reciting the history of events that have taken place over
the last three hundred years. In this, I beg the Parliament’s indulgence,
for all of you know the history. You have lived it. I have new information,
however, that I daresay none of you know.”
    The
dragons settled themselves. Some exchanged glances, but all curbed their
thoughts. If Braun wanted to publicly review his family’s shameful past, that
was his prerogative. Draconas, being a servant, had no say in the matter. He
didn’t mind hearing the story again, just to refresh his memory, especially as
it seemed he was now going to be a part of it.
    “First,”
said Braun, “I would remind you of the laws of Dragonkind, the laws that were
written at the very first meeting of Parliament, thousands of years ago.
    “The
first law: Dragons may not take human life. “The second law: Dragons may not
interfere in human affairs. Dragons may not coerce, intimidate, force,
threaten, resort to trickery or extortion in their dealings with humans.
    “The
third law: Dragons, with one exception, should have no dealings with humans.”
    Here
Braun paused to nod politely at Draconas, to acknowledge him the exception.
    Braun
then continued. “Three centuries ago, the dragon Maristara broke all the laws
of Dragonkind by seizing a human realm