A Dangerous Proposal (Anastasia the Nonbinary Dragon)
The dragon seemed to glow as if from an inner flame.
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Revi, the gold dragon, wasn’t sure he heard Anastasia right.
The two young dragons stood in a green field. Ana’s mothers were off hunting and unaware of their conversation. It was the perfect time to discuss privately what ze had proposed.
Revi asked again, “Are you sure? That sounds like a crazy plan to me.”
The red dragon swished zir tail with impatience. “I am serious. And I think it’s rather hypocritical that you call my plan crazy when you literally launched an earthquake to destroy the palace.”
Revi winced at the slight accusation in Ana’s tone. He tapped his claws on the soft, loamy field. Once again, he wondered whether Anastasia’s amnesia would wear off, and ze would remember the terrible things he had done to safeguard zir.
He found himself regretting his actions. Revi should have found a better way to protect his friend during the cataclysm, but he had been too impulsive and unthinking back then.
“Fair point,” the gold dragon conceded. “But how do you know it’ll work? Narwal, despite how smarmy he is, is one of the most influential lords out there, with lots of supporters and hench-dragons.”
Anastasia puffed out zir wings as if to demonstrate something, but it was probably just a nervous tic. Ze didn’t look at him as ze said, “It must be done. He’s too dangerous. Whether I want to be ruler or not, he will seek to control me. Narwal has a bottomless desire for power. We need to show him that we can’t be messed with.”
Revi grimaced, and even his gold scales stiffened with apprehension. “Why don’t we ask your parents for their opinions first?”
His friend shook zir head. “No, they would never approve. As you said, my plan sounds crazy. But unlike my moms, you at least have some respect for…dramatic gestures, don’t you?” The red dragon stared at him with piercing eyes.
Revi sighed. Maybe his guilt from inadvertently hurting his friend before had caught up to him. He felt a need to make up for it, even if Ana never remembered what happened. He tightened his mouth. “All right. But give me some time to contact Phaeton.”
It was bewildering to Revi how Ana could want to invite Phaeton into action, given how much the red dragon distrusted the ice unicorn before.
He supposed times were changing.
At the moment, they were sitting with Ana’s moms, Leyla and Teefa. They shared a feast of birds, ducks, and other animals that zir mothers had found on their nocturnal hunt.
Their conversation, while sometimes stilted, was still civilised and friendly over the course of the meal. The gold dragon shifter was under no illusion that Leyla had warmed to him. She was likely playing nice because her wife and child were kind to him.
When they finally retired to sleep, Teefa and Leyla curled up around each other, tails and wings entwined, under the shelter of some trees. Revi was relieved that they didn’t pay any heed to where their child was sleeping.
Perhaps Teefa had convinced Leyla that Ana was in no danger from Revi. Teefa didn’t know the full extent of what Revi had done, though. But he had time to atone for his mistakes.
Anastasia crept up to him, a grim but determined look in zir eyes. Ze tilted zir head towards a farther place, thicker with shadows and well concealed from zir parents. While Ana stayed in zir dragon form as usual, Revi had morphed to his human form to avoid making too much noise and waking up zir mothers.
He was still nervous about the soft crunch of sand and soil beneath their feet, though. Anastasia whispered, “You look more anxious than me.”
“You would be too, in my shoes,” he replied.
Anastasia frowned. “I’m sorry for putting you through this. But this is the least destructive method I could think of to protect ourselves from Narwal.”
The gold dragon nodded, but kept his head down.
At length, they reached a shadowy corner out of Leyla and Teefa’s hearing range. Revi called out, “Phaeton, I have a favor to ask of you.” He filled his words with deep intention, though he knew that the ice unicorn would hear him regardless of how he spoke.
The gold dragon feared that the unicorn would be fed up with working with them, however. He did tell Ana that the unicorn didn’t come at his beck and call, but he wasn’t being entirely truthful. Phaeton could technically come anytime, as long as Revi implied that the unicorn had something to gain.
A few seconds later, a circle of air rippled in front of them. Then the ice unicorn leaped out of it with a splashing sound. Phaeton grinned at Revi and Ana. “Well, well, what new excitement have you called me here for?” His frosty eyes bored into Revi’s.
The gold dragon fought not to break off eye contact, no matter how unnerving the unicorn was. He had been working with Phaeton for a while, so this shouldn’t be any different. He said, “This time, it’s Anastasia who specifically has something to ask of you.”
“Oh?” The unicorn made a surprised expression. Though for all Revi knew, he could be pretending, since the unicorn appeared to know everything. “Ana, pray tell, what is it?”
The red dragon seemed to glow as if from an inner flame. After a slight pause, ze answered, “I need you to help us reach someone. It’s Narwal’s brother-in-law, Byron.”
The ice unicorn’s eyes grew wide. “Oooh, what might you possibly have to say to him?”
Ana gave him an unyielding smile. “Plenty. Are you interested in helping us?”
Revi had told his friend beforehand that Phaeton was not like the others. He had no desire for money or power, since he already had more than anyone could ever need. The only thing the unicorn lacked was fun and thrilling. The more chaotic and troubling the task was, the better.
Anastasia hadn’t looked too delighted to hear it, but Revi bet ze was relieved that ze didn’t have to give the unicorn a big favor in return.
Now, the ice unicorn gazed at the young red dragon, appraising. His voice was like a flute as he asked, “What kind of mischief do you hope to achieve?”
Anastasia widened zir smile a bit. “We want to sow discord to wreck our enemy, Narwal, who is an important part of the dragon forces. Wreck him, and we will bring down countless others in the process.”
Phaeton looked thoughtful, though Revi could tell that the unicorn’s interest was piqued. The gold dragon was happy that Ana learned how to negotiate with Phaeton so fast, but he was perturbed by how fast it was.
He supposed that to be a ruler, Ana would have to grow adept at these manipulations, and it wasn’t as if Revi were innocent, either. Perhaps somewhere in the gold dragon’s heart, he had hoped that his friend could be spared from these messy political maneuvers, and somehow still be a competent ruler.
The ice unicorn started pacing around them, his icy pelt glinting in the moonlight. “Ana, you’re such a sweetheart. Are you sure you want this? It seems opposed to your nature to do these things.”
It was like Phaeton had read Revi’s mind, which the unicorn probably did.
But the red dragon stood up straight, zir wings raised in a gesture of confidence. “It doesn’t matter what my nature is or is not. The duty still needs to be done.”
A frosty grin spread on the unicorn’s teeth. “Ooh, I like it. Even our great sovereign will slide down the slippery slope of ‘duty,’ ha. All right, I have no objections.”
Anastasia’s posture eased, and Revi could feel his friend’s relief. Revi still worried about how things would go. But it was time for him to start having faith in his sovereign, right? Assuming Ana wanted to rule for real.
Anastasia was indeed relieved that Phaeton bought zir proposal.
Well, Ana hadn’t been lying about anything. But ze hadn’t bothered to tell the unicorn exactly what ze wanted to do.
They decided to go now, while zir mothers remained asleep. Ana hoped that Byron wouldn’t be too opposed to a late night talk. But ze was fairly optimistic that this would work. Ze was surprised at zir confidence, but it was better than wallowing in despair, not knowing what to do or where to go.
Ana grumbled when Phaeton requested that ze morph into human form, but ze complied. Together, Ana and Revi, also in his human form, had to ride on Phaeton’s back. The unicorn cut open a new portal with his horn, and leaped inside with another watery splash.
The three of them emerged in a small courtyard. It must be far from the capital, as there was no earthquake damage here. They heard laughter coming from one of the buildings adjacent to them.
Phaeton looked amused as he glanced at the window lights. “Tread carefully, Ana. We wouldn’t want this opportunity to go wasted.”
Anastasia walked with zir head held high. “I know what to do.”
Phaeton dipped his head. “All right, my sovereign. I will leave you and Revi to it.” Without another word, the unicorn jumped back into the portal and disappeared.
Anastasia breathed in deeply and marched to the building where they could still hear laughter and talking, with Revi trailing behind zir.
It was strange that no guards accosted them. Ana had told Phaeton to transport them to a place where they would not be noticed, but ze hadn’t anticipated a courtyard empty of even guards and servants.
Anastasia shifted back into zir dragon form regardless and rapped on the door.
The sounds inside stopped. Footsteps approached, and the door opened just slightly. A feminine face peeked out. “Yes?”
But when the woman fully beheld Anastasia, and Revi behind zir, her jaw dropped and she swung the door open all the way. “Our sovereign! Please, do come in, Your Majesty!”
The woman was around Leyla and Teefa’s age, with a head of luxuriant, long brown hair, and a warm face. Ana didn’t recall her name but knew that she was someone zir mothers and Freya sometimes spoke to.
Behind her, a man with silver streaked black hair stared at Ana and Revi. He looked just as astounded as his companion, though he didn’t seem as glad.
From the mess of cups and cards on the table in front of him, it looked like Ana had interrupted a fun evening.
“Lord Byron,” Anastasia intoned. “Now that I’m the new ruler, I have a request for you.” Ze could sense Revi’s discomfort, but ze hoped he wouldn’t give anything away.
Byron looked like he wanted to rise from his seat, but instead, he gestured for them to sit around the table.
They might as well, since this would be a long talk.
The brunette woman from earlier sat beside Byron with a tight smile at Ana. “My sincere congratulations, Your Majesty. I’m sorry we missed your coronation.”
Anastasia ignored the insinuation that there had been no coronation, or no formal one, at least. Rather, ze just nodded and addressed Byron directly. “Can we speak alone?”
Byron exchanged a glance with his companion. She looked hurt, but bowed her head and rose to her feet. “I’ll see you later.” And she left the room.
Byron glanced with guilt at her departing silhouette. “Bei Bei — um, Bei Feng — wouldn’t betray us, Your Majesty. She’s one of my oldest friends.”
“Just because she’s one of your oldest friends doesn’t mean I want her to hear what I have to say,” Anastasia pointed out.
The man hung his head. “All right. What do you need?”
Anastasia paused for effect. “Lord Byron, I want you to be my spy.”
