was being interrogated or pressured with great-grandchildren talk. He asked Natalia about her travels and how she spent the last few months, how her friends were as such, and what the latest gossip was back in England. When J.D. started fidgeting and stirring her spoon in her teacup with a loud clanging sound, he gently placed his hand on top of hers to make her stop. Silently, she withdrew her hand and leaned back on the couch.
“So,” Natalia began, turning to J.D. “Aleksandr has told you about the ball at Blackstone Castle, yes?”
“Uh, kinda, yeah.”
“I am so looking forward to it, and seeing my grand-nephew again,” Natalia continued. “Cam and I have not seen him or his queen since the wedding. By the way, are you acquainted with Queen Sybil?”
“Oh yeah. I saved her when she got drunk at a party, and now her father lets me chop down a tree in his mountains for Christmas.”
Natalia’s brows furrowed. “Chop down a—”
“What she means is,” Cam interrupted, squeezing J.D.’s knee. “She saved Her Majesty’s life when they were young. The Blackstone Dragon was so thankful that he gave J.D. a reward.”
“You saved her …” Natalia’s eyes widened. “It really is fate. Oh, they will be so happy when we see them.” She turned back to Cam. “I nearly forgot to tell you the reason when I insisted on coming. I must speak to your cousin as soon as possible.”
“Whatever for, babushka?”
“I have had more news.” Her lower lip trembled. “About my dear Sasha.”
“Who?” J.D. interjected.
Cam took a deep breath. For almost all his life, he’d heard about Sasha. “My grandmother’s nephew,” he said. “Grand Duke Aleksandr, the son of her eldest brother, the Crown Prince Ivan.”
“Sasha is a nickname for Aleksandr,” Natalia explained. “And my dear grandson was named after him. I was only ten years old when he was born, and I adored him.” She laughed, though there was a distinct sadness in her eyes. “He was but a child when the rebels stormed the palace. We were to escape together. Me, him, and his mother. But we were separated. I can’t remember why. I was running, and they were behind me and then … they were gone. I tried to go back, but …”
“Most of our research has led us to believe that mother and son had perished in the revolution—er, rebellion,” he corrected when Natalia sent him a freezing glare. “Unfortunately, there is nothing left of the palace or the city.”
“But he didn’t die in the palace,” Natalia insisted. “I know it. I can feel it. I don’t know if he is alive now, but for many years, I could feel that he was somewhere in the world. And now I have proof that he lived on.”
“Really?” J.D. asked. “What proof?”
Cam sighed inwardly. Growing up, he’d heard the all stories. And seen firsthand the effects of his grandmother’s futile quest. For most of her life, she’d searched for the lost prince, and that attracted every kind of conman, charlatan, and impostor looking for a payout by taking advantage of a desperate woman’s grief. “Babushka, we’ve been through this before—”
“Shush, Cam.” J.D. held up a hand. “I wanna know more.”
Natalia smiled at her gratefully. “I swear this time, my proof is irrefutable. A witness came to me, telling me that they had seen a dragon flying over a lake along the borders of Ukraine and Belarus, where Zaratena used to be.”
“A dragon?”
“Yes. And so I said it must be my Sasha.”
J.D. looked confused, so Cam explained. “My grandmother had a middle brother, Prince Peter. He was our official emissary to the Northern Isles, building our relations with them. In exchange, they sent one of their dragon guards to Zaratena to guard the Crown Prince and his family. It was a great honor. Prince Peter was in the Northern Isles when the rebellion happened, and the then-king, Aleksei’s grandfather, gave him sanctuary. He married a local noble, and their daughter, Natasha, married the king’s son, Harald, and became queen.”
“What happened to the dragon guard in Zaratena?” J.D. asked, scooting to the edge of the couch.
“That’s just it. He was lost too,” Cam said. “Killed along with the prince and his mother.”
“But don’t you see? The dragon guard is still alive!” Natalia exclaimed. “There are so very few of them these days. Aleksei would be able to confirm if this dragon is the same dragon guard his grandfather sent long ago. If so, that means he’s still protecting Sasha.”