"I can't say I expected to be chosen. Looking back now, I suppose it was obvious. I was the best outcome to both parties, with them both thinking they would be able to mould me, and I suppose indirectly do their bidding. They were of course wrong... I am, after all, my own dragon... always have been, always will be. But to be chosen was such a surprise to me. And once I agreed, not that there was ever really a choice, it was just a whirlwind, one that I became caught up in, one that refused to let me go, and one I suppose I did my best to stay caught up in for a very long time, much to the detriment of everything else around me. I know better now, of course. I know that what I had then was much more valuable than I realised at the time. I also know that for about the only time in my life, I'd found a true measure of happiness. Being a knight, being on the council and having friends that I could count on, no matter what... I fail to see, even now, what could be better than that."
Looking up at the old shopkeeper, the king was met with a rather stoic, prehistoric face, his words seemingly having had no impact whatsoever. Feeling a little like he'd taken the top off a badly shaken bottle of fizzy drink, and that it was all likely to come out now, one way or the other... he ploughed on.
"Even once I realised... and it took me a long time... how was I supposed to make amends? I didn't think I could, even with everything in the kingdom at my disposal. You'd already sorted out the trouble with Rosebloom without any help from me."
The frown on Gee Tee's face shifted for just a split second, before returning with interest, but the king knew that he'd surprised his old friend.
"Did you really think I didn't know? To this day, the dragons of the King's Guard try and change their shift patterns, they barter, deal and cajole, all to be on duty and in the squad that is tasked with coming down here when Rosebloom issues another one of his searches. You, my friend, are something of a... legend. How Rosebloom doesn't know after all this time is quite beyond me. Is there anything you wish to tell me?"
To say this was something of a turnaround was an understatement. Studying his friend, the king was well aware that the master mantra maker could now not look him in the eye.
"You do realise casting any sort of mantra on another dragon without their knowledge, in particular a councillor, during peacetime, is a capital offence? The punishment, if proved, would be severe."
"If it could be proved, the punishment would probably be worth it," whispered Gee Tee under his breath, the king choosing to ignore him.
"So, you'd sorted out your own problem; what else could I do? Nothing, really. Like you, I'm almost certainly too proud for my own good at times... something that in this case has definitely let me down, and may have cost me one of my dearest friends, although I hope not. But I have changed, and with experience I now know that I would have done things very differently, but then I suppose we all would have. I can only really say that I am sorry, and for what it's worth... I mean it with every atom in my body. Not just for treating you badly, but for being too proud and for taking too long to try and atone for my error. Knowing you as well as I do, I find it unlikely that you'll accept my apology, but I hope in some small way you can realise that it isn't just you that's lost out in all of this, and that I have suffered, maybe not alongside you, but as well as you. While this wasn't the reason I came here today, I have to say it feels something of a relief to get this off my chest, and wish now more than ever that I'd done it a long time ago."
Poking his square spectacles as far up his nose as they would go, the old shopkeeper stared intently at the king.
"You always were very eloquent with your words, but back then you tended to back them up with your actions."
"Allow me a little time and I'll see what I can do," shot back the king.
Nodding slightly, the master mantra maker's reply was abruptly interrupted by the squeaky sound of the shop's door handle. Both had exactly the same thought, at exactly the same time. The time had come to fight, the king thought, assuming he'd been followed. With Tank still below the shop counter, still coming to terms with everything that was going on, Gee Tee stood poised, the deadliest of mantras ready to be unleashed. With quiet footsteps getting ever closer, it was down to him to act.
"STOP!" shouted Tank, bouncing up onto two feet, as the king and his dragon employer both shot him their worst scowls.
"NO... you don't understand," he pleaded. "It's only..."
Reaching the end of the nearest mighty bookcase, the footsteps walked around the corner, revealing... PETER! It was hard to know who was more surprised. The sight that greeted Peter was of the king and Gee Tee, almost ready for battle, with Tank standing in front of them, waving his hands about frantically. He had no idea what to make of any of it. Before he knew it, the king had swept him up in a great big bear hug, his expression now one of utter excitement.
"Peter, my boy, it's great to see you."
"You too," stuttered Peter. "What's going on?"
"Well," ventured Gee Tee, his wings crossed, still wearing a slight frown, "you were about half a second away from being burnt to a crisp."
"WHAT!!!" he exclaimed, stepping back out of the king's clutches.
"He's exaggerating," announced the king with a smile, giving Peter a playful slap on the shoulder.
Out of the corner of his eye, Peter caught the expression on Tank's face, and the slight shake of the head that went with it. Only then did he realise the seriousness of the situation.
"Is there something going on that I need to know?"
"It's my fault," stated the king. "I'm on edge, a little too much, truth be told. I've sneaked over here to ask for Gee Tee's help, but now that you're here, perhaps you can all help. I don't know who else to trust, and with the exception of Flash, I've no one else to turn to. This, I believe, is of the utmost importance."
Peter and Tank stood aghast but ready to help, while the old shopkeeper just rolled his eyes, like the king's request was almost an everyday occurrence.
With the front door to the shop now securely bolted, the four of them sat together in the workshop, sipping hot charcoal with melted marshmallows swirling dangerously on the surface.
"Ahhhh... just being here with the three of you feels so... liberating," exhaled the king.
"Your Maj..." started Tank, before getting the royal 'look' from the king. Swiftly he changed tack.
"George," he began again, sheepishly. "We're desperate to help you... as our king, and I'm pretty sure I speak for all of us," he said, giving the old shopkeeper his sternest look, something that was pretty much ignored. "We'd do anything to help you, even... lay down our lives if need be. But I can't imagine what could be so important, and how we can be of service, so perhaps you could fill us in, as I for one can't wait to find out."