56. Her Radiant Majesty
Our triad finally makes it back to the safety of the shore...
The Queen’s Aerie is a MMF fantasy romance (romantic fantasy?) in 57 parts that I serialized throughout 2023/2024! If you are just now joining the story, you can catch up by starting here. Full story ToC here.
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Previously: Agadart made a desperate grab...
He saw the emperor being caught and carried away by his own dragons, his limp body held in their talons as they wobbled for a nearby ship. But his instinct to go after him and finish him off was wiped out by the overwhelming fear he felt for Mani, who was drowning, who was dying…
He came down and landed on the hull of the ship, trying to figure out what do when Agadart simply slammed into the water like a diving bird. He screamed at her but nothing he sent through their connection could puncture her blind panic. She was in the water with Mani and Rodgardae was clawing at the ship’s side while hundreds of Wattish dragons flew around the site where their queen had disappeared below the water.
It was too churned up to see beneath the dark waves; some sailors managed to climb up the side of ship to safety despite the way it was still rocking violently, but kept their distance from where Rodgardae was peering into the water, calling out to his mates.
Agadart’s connection to him blinked out and he went headfirst into the ocean without thinking, desperate to get to his queen and their guardian despite his instincts to stay out of the dangerous waves. He could barely see in the water, but as he pushed debris aside he saw her body, floating down. But it wasn’t her flying form; it was Agadart, naked and clutching at Mani as she sluggishly kicked to the surface.
Rodgardae could barely guess why she had switched back to her walking form at such a terrible time, but he could not think it through while he was being clobbered by the ship as he tried to pull away, the wild swings of inverted masts and sails and broken pieces all assaulting him as he pushed his way to them. He figured out quickly that getting knocked out cold might have been what happened to Agadart, so he made a dash to grab them both, one in each hand, then held them close as he dived down to escape the hulking mass of the ship as it bounced around, breaking apart. Flapping his wings in the water was like moving in slow motion, and incredibly awkward, and he realized that he could not hold his breath much longer.
With a momentous push, he shot toward the surface, breaching it like a whale and with far less grace. He still had both of his mates in his claws as he bobbed, trying to get wing clearance to take off. This was why, he thought grimly as his flapping got him a lot of water in his face, that dragons did not swim.
Suddenly he was airborne.
He squirmed in panic when he realized that massive claws were wrapped around him, and craned his neck to look up.
With the placidity of the unbothered, Foösh was sailing up and away from the ocean with Rodgardae in his grasp.
Uncertain of what to do, Rodgardae just held on to his mates, hoping his own body heat was warming them up, as Foösh curved up and over the whole battleground with a few snaps of his massive wings. In the next minute, Rodgardae was dumped like so much garbage onto the main deck of his sister’s flagship.
He looked up at her call, where she was flying over them. He felt like hell but it was not the time to have a protective older sibling fussing over him. He gave an “all clear” call back as he settled his legs under him and spread out his wings, shaking water off.
Several sailors had run up with blankets, but the best person Rodgardae saw walking toward them was Milles.
“I know better than to ask if you are hurt!” he shouted up at Rodgardae. “Put them down, they’ve been in the water and we need to clear their lungs!” He motioned to where a couple of sailors spread out a blanket, then turned to one of his assistants. “Get the queen some clothes!” The assistant ran off like his heels were on fire.
He kept shouting at people as Rodgardae gently laid his precious cargo down on the blanket. Both were alive, he could feel their heartbeats through their bond, but in shock and, in Mani’s case, not breathing. He tapped Mani’s chest with a claw.
“Yes yes, I know. Back up! Move!” Milles pushed at Rodgardae’s forearm to settle next to Agadart. “Doctor Thorrein! We have a drowned human!” he yelled at one of the people standing off to the side while pointing at Mani. She rushed forward, dropping to her knees and immediately starting resuscitation while yelling out instructions to her own assistants.
Rodgardae backed up as far as he could, but he knew his time in his flying form was at an end. The battle would go on without him. He bumped a young sailor who was trying to pass by with his knuckle.
“Your Grace? I mean, Admiral…wait, Your Highness!” The sailor dropped to one knee in a panic, and Rodgardae rolled his eyes. He tapped a pattern out with one claw against the wood. “Yes, Your Highness! Clothes! Right away!” The sailor dashed off. When he got back with a set of plain transformation pants and tunic, Rodgardae shifted quickly and dressed himself.
Milles and his staff were swarming around his patients, so there was not technically room for Rodgardae to get close. He didn’t care. He shouldered his way in.
“Oh good. Pick up Her Radiant Majesty,” Milles said, flapping a hand at the radiant majesty in question while standing up. “I want to move both of them inside. The admiral’s quarters, Pele! Get the door open!” He pushed at one of his assistants.
Rodgardae only had eyes for his mates. Mani was still unconscious but was breathing again. Agadart, who had at least been draped in a cloak, startled awake when he bent down to pick her up, gasping for air and looking around wildly.
“I’m here, beloved. I’m here. Mani is here and they are working on him.” He held her in his arms and waited for the others to lift Mani on a litter to follow. “We’re going someplace warm.”
She just nodded and closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest. Rodgardae carried her into his sister’s quarters, leading the way for those bringing in Mani. He settled her on the bed then crawled over her to the far side, pulling blankets away as they placed Mani in the bed as well. Doctor Thorrein kept checking on Mani and ordering for specific medicines as Milles stood by.
“They mostly need connection and warmth. Let them sleep,” Milles said sternly at him.
“I know, Milles. I know.” Rodgardae curved around Agadart, who had passed out again, probably from the exhaustion and shock of shifting in the water. He reached over and put a hand gently on Mani’s chest, just to feeling him breathing. Their minds were muddled and thick with worry and fear, so he spent his energy radiating calming, loving thoughts.
Someone pulled heavy blankets over the three of them, and Rodgardae himself tumbled into slumber to the soft noises of the doctors talking shop.
