Ashanta was awakened early the next morning by a voice whispering in her ear, "Highness, it is time to wake up and go up to the tower. I can help you to dress in warm clothing, for the air is chill this morning." She turned and saw Sharra, clad all in white, holding a warm robe and wrap for her.
Ashanta dressed quickly, "Would that I had something warm to drink," she muttered under her breath.
"There is tea in the castle tower," replied Sharra, "Lingqui has brought it with, the pot wrapped snuggly in cloths to keep it warm. He is up there now, waiting for you. I must descend, I think, and wait for the visit in the oak wood behind the castle, for if I cannot speak to the dragon myself, I can at least pray that you would be kept safe, I think."
They separated, Ashanta climbing the stairs that led to the tower, while Sharra went to the oak wood behind the castle keep. "Those steps are steep," Ashanta observed as she reached the room at the top of the tower. I remember now why I do not come up here very often. Are you certain that we could not have spoken to the dragon in the courtyard instead?" she asked Lingqui.
"It was your idea to come up here to talk to him in the first place," Lingqui pointed out, "but I think that the courtyard would not have worked. The dragon is not landing, and so we would not be likely to have a chance to greet him. Now, let us wait patiently to see if he appears."
The two of them talked quietly together, wondering whether the dragon would put in an appearance, and what he might do if he did. Would he speak with them? Ignore them completely? Attack them? Ashanta had to admit that the second option seemed by far the most likely. Why would a dragon want to have anything to do with the feeble humans? They drifted into companionable silence.
"The sun is beginning to come up, I think," observed Lingqui suddenly. "See, you can see the faintest glimmer of light over the horizon there."
Ashanta looked, and saw that he was right. "We must be prepared to greet him then," she said, "but I suddenly feel so very sleepy." She yawned deeply.
Lingqui was fighting a yawn as well. "I too am sleepy Highness, and I know not why for I was fine until a minute ago. Now it seems that I cannot keep my eyes open," and as he said this, he slumped forward in sleep.
Ashanta fought against the feeling with all of her being, but soon, she too was asleep and dreaming, with her head resting on her chest.
The dragon flew in through the tower window, and bade her climb on his back. In the dream, she said to him, "Where are you taking me? And why do you keep visiting our castle? Are your intentions noble or foul?"
"I am the Dragon King," replied the dragon, "and I take you once more to the mountain top. You shall be the mother of my daughter, and she will save your people from a great danger."
"But how will you be the father of my child?" protested Ashanta, "You are a dragon, and I a human, and it seems impossible that we could have a child together."
But the dragon replied, "It shall happen as I have told you. You must guard your daughter well, for if harm befalls her, then your kingdom will become as dust."
And they flew on again, until they came to the mountaintop, and again Ashanta disrobed, as the dragon directed. When they had finished, he bade her climb again onto his back. "I shall not return again," he told her, "for it must be that I return thrice, and only thrice. But in nine moons you will be delivered of a daughter, and she will have marvelous powers and will save her people." And she slid off of his back and into the castle tower.
Lingqui opened his eyes. The sun was streaming in through the windows, and he saw Ashanta beginning to stir next to him. "Did you speak with the dragon, Highness?" he asked.
Ashanta shook her head, "I know not, for I too fell asleep, but he came to me again in my dreams. I will tell of them, but I wish that Sharra would be here as well, as I think it would be wise to seek her guidance. Therefore, let us go down again to my apartment and I will call for food, and ask that Sharra be sent to us as well."
Back in Ashanta's apartment, she leaned forward and demanded of Sharra, "Did you see the dragon this morning?"
"I saw a giant bronze dragon fly up from the castle tower," replied Sharra, "just as the sun was rising, and I hoped that you had spoken with him. I was frightened, but I resisted the urge to hide, and I saw him fly over the castle and away to the South."
"Then he did come back," said Lingqui, "but alas we did not speak with him. Just as the sun was rising, I felt an irresistible need to sleep, and, unable to remain awake, I slept deeply and without dreams. When I awoke, it was midday, and the sun was streaming through the tower window. I fear that we have failed in our mission."
Ashanta shook her head, "Perhaps not. I think that now I should speak of my experiences. Like Lingqui, I was overcome by the need to sleep, and I quickly fell asleep on the floor of the tower room. But the dragon came to me in my dreams once again, and he bade me to climb on his back and fly with him back to the mountaintop. I asked him who he was, and what he wanted of us, and he said to me this: That he was the Dragon King. And that in nine moons I would give birth to a daughter, and that my daughter would save the kingdom from a terrible danger."
"But how is this possible?" demanded Lingqui, "King Rafe has been gone for nigh on two moons now. It is not possible that you should be delivered of a daughter in nine moons. He will not return for some time yet, I think."
"I know not," replied Ashanta, "but that the Dragon King said that I would bear his daughter, and that we must protect her well, for if she were to die, then the kingdom would die with her."
"But how can a dragon and a human have a child together?" demanded Lingqui.
"I do not know," replied Ashanta, "but I tell you only what I was told by the dragon. No more."
"Perhaps we can ask him when he returns tomorrow morning," suggested Sharra.
Ashanta shook her head. "No. He told me that he can come only three times, and then no more. It is up to us to protect his daughter, and up to her to save the kingdom. I do not believe that he can do more."
"Well," observed Lingqui, "it sounds as if we are on our own then. Is there anything else you remember of your dreams? Anything that might help us to make decisions, Highness?"
Ashanta hesitated, "I'm not entirely sure. I remember that he told me that in eight years a grave danger would come to the kingdom. He told me that the child of my womb would save us from the danger. I suppose I know now that the child is supposed to be a girl, and that she is his child, and that she will be born in nine moons. Also, that she will be in danger, I think, and that we must protect her, else the kingdom will end. But I still don't understand how I am supposed to bear the Dragon King's child. When have human and dragon had children before?"
"Perhaps he was speaking in metaphores?" suggested Sharra. "Maybe there is not to be a literal child, but some idea that could be thought of as your child?"
Ashanta shook her head, "No, I think that he spoke of a real child, to be born of my body. But how? King Rafe has been gone these two months and more. How then could I have conceived?"
Lingqui looked at her, "You have not told us the details of your dreams, at least not the last parts. Perhaps the dragon impregnanted you?"
"But it was a dream," Sharra reminded him. "When has a woman ever become pregnant as the result of a dream? The idea is preposterous!"
"Perhaps," agreed Lingqui, "But perhaps it was not a dream. Surely it is very strange that the dragon should appear from the castle tower every morning at sunrise; just at the time that Highness remembers her dream beginning. Also, it is strange that Highness should sleep until midday on every occasion that the dragon visited. She does not normally, I think, sleep so late."
Ashanta shook her head, "I do not know what has come over me. I sleep until midday, and then fall asleep soon after dark. Why should I be so tired?"
"Exactly," replied Lingqui, "But if you were not truly sleeping, but in some sort of enchanted awareness, then perhaps you truly did fly on the back of the dragon and spend time with him on the mountaintop."
"We do not know that the dragon can enchant people," protested Sharra.
"Aye," agreed Lingqui, "But we do not know that he cannot. And the fact that Highness and I both fell into a deep sleep upon his approach suggests that he has some powers in that line. My sleep was utterly dreamless. Highness's was not. Perhaps this is because she did not sleep in the same way that I did."
Sharra looked thoughtful. "It's possible, I suppose. But it seems unlikely to me. Highness, have you an opinion?"
Ashanta blushed, "I do not know. I had believed it to be a dream, and if it was true, then I find that I am embarrassed by my behavior. I behaved with the dragon in ways that I was wont to behave only with my husband."
"So then," said Lingqui, "we return to my earlier question. Assuming that the dreams were not dreams at all, but truth, could you, in truth, be expecting the dragon's child. The answer may be very important."
Ashanta blushed. "I cannot rightly tell you," she replied. "The anatomy of a dragon, even a male dragon, is rather different from that of a human. I do not know exactly what happened."
"So I suppose then that we wait," said Sharra, "and see if a pregnancy reveals itself. You will let us know if you miss your moon time, Highness?" The statement was part question, part order.
Ashanta nodded acquiescence. "I will tell you."
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