“They do,” the dragon said, “but none are suitable. Several are already wed, and the rest too young to be either king of Belmair, or a husband.”

“How young?” the king wanted to know.

“The oldest of them is eleven, Your Majesty,” the dragon answered.

“Eleven. In three years he would be mature enough to be a husband,” Fflergant said. “And in the meantime there could be a regency to rule for him.”

“I will turn him into a toad,” Cinnia said darkly. “You will not wed me to a child, Father. It is past time for the tradition of kings only rule Belmair to change. You have no other choice. I must be Belmair’s queen in my own right. I will not take a little boy for a husband and then be told what to do by a regent’s counsel. I am seventeen, not twelve.”

“What other choice have we?” her father asked, desperately looking to the dragon.

“It is not a question of choice for Belmair,” the dragon said. “It is my decision who rules. The Great Dragon of Belmair has always determined its king from the beginnings of time, and I am the Great Dragon, Nidhug XXII. Fflergant of Belmair will be followed by Dillon, son of Kaliq of the Shadows.”

“A Hetarian?” the old king gasped, and fell back in his throne. A dozen grains of purple sand remained in the top half of the life glass.

Seeing how near to death Fflergant was, the dragon stopped the sands flow.

Cinnia noted Nidhug’s action, and looked to her mentor questioningly.

“I am permitted to do such in extreme cases,” Nidhug explained softly, and the girl nodded. Then the dragon turned to the old king. “Your Majesty, I know this must seem more than odd, but you must trust me as did your last three predecessors. The son of Kaliq of the Shadows is meant to be Belmair’s next king. His mother is a faerie woman called Lara. She was born in the faerie forest, and raised by her Hetarian father, who also has faerie blood. She is a great woman who has always used her powers for the good. Lara’s mother is Ilona, queen of the Forest Faeries. Dillon is more than worthy of your daughter. He is fair to look upon, and has lived twenty-two years.”