19 The Terrible Plan

As soon as Olive looked up and noticed them standing there she quietly stood and gestured for Miles to take her place beside Bernard. Miles shook his head but Cora pushed him forward. He glared back at her but took Olive's seat after all. He looked awkwardly about for something to do before deciding to rest a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Thank you for coming," Olive whispered, crushing each of them in a hug, "It's been so awful. He only finally fell asleep an hour or so ago. The doctor had to give him quite a bit of medicine for his pain. Before that, he was just crying and miserable and... and he just begged for us to help him but...but we couldn't." A sob escaped her before she covered her mouth and hurried from the room, her friends following.

In the hallway out of the hearing range of the others, Olive cried in her friend's arms until she had no more tears left. At last, she straightened, her face red and her eyes swollen.

"I'll go find a cool wet cloth for your face," Selina squeezed her hand.

"I'll go with her," Constance nodded, "You need to eat something." The women ignored Olive's attempts at a protest and hurried away on their mission.

"I don't understand," Cora spoke quietly, "Why are they still doing this? Miles could've been killed stealing eggs and now Bernard has lost his hand. Why haven't they come up with something better?"

"He wasn't stealing eggs," Olive shook her head, "They're working on a new plan."

"And what's that?" asked Delaney anxiously.

Olive hesitated, "Bernard said...he said they're trying to lure the males out...to kill them."

"What?" Cora gasped, "The females are almost the size of horses and the males are twice that size!"

"And they breathe fire," Delaney added, eyes wide.

"What are they thinking?" Cora demanded looking shocked.

"They've been trying to kill the females and steal the eggs but it's not enough," Olive went on, "Every day the males breed more females and more and more eggs are laid. Some of the young are getting close enough to be able to breed themselves and the males are getting closer to maturity when they'll start breathing fire. They can't wait any longer. They can't keep doing the same things."

"There has to be a better way," Cora snapped, "who thought up this insane plan?"

Olive glanced at Delaney before adverting her eyes, "Vincent did."

Both Cora and Delaney's mouths fell open in surprise. Olive looked worriedly from one to another. "This can't be allowed to continue," Cora hissed, turning she stormed back the way they'd come.

Delaney followed after her as she marched straight to Miles and whispered they needed to speak to him outside immediately. Miles frowned as he looked from one woman to the other but then politely excused himself and followed them out of the room and then out onto the lawn. The other women now hurried after.

"Do you know how Bernard was injured so badly?" Cora demanded.

Miles frowned down at her, glancing at Olive for only a moment, "Yes."

Her eyebrows raised, "So you knew they were going to attempt this fool-hearty plan?"

His frown deepened, "I knew they were going to start a new plan that sounds logical and like it will likely be successful."

"Is this a joke?" Cora was growing louder now in her frustration.

"Miles this is too dangerous," Delaney interjected, "You have to go to the front. You have to tell them they can't do this! Tell Vincent to stop before he's killed!"

"Yes, go to the front to tell your delusional brother that his idiotic plan is only going to succeed in getting himself and all the other men there maimed or killed!"

"Cora!" Miles barked, eyes flashing with anger as they landed on her. "You will not speak to me in this way," his voice was cold, "And you will never speak ill about my brother."

He looked around the group then at each of them. "None of you will speak badly about Vince or his plan. They are the ones fighting on the front! Not any of you! None of you have ever even seen a dragon and you have men like my brother to thank for that!"

All the girls but Cora shrunk back at his scolding. Even Delaney looked away.

"Miles please," Cora begged then, taking one of his hands in hers, "You've seen the men at Briarwood. You've seen what the females can do. The males are even worse. Think of all the men they will kill..."

"Do you want them to die as your father did?" Delaney asked quietly then, "Do you want Vincent to die like him?"

Miles's eyes turned on her and they were cold. Watching him though she saw him hesitate and something flicker across his face before he settled the anger back in.

"My brother is trusted by our King who approved this plan himself and supports him. His men believe in him and the plan and they are following him. If you really want to be his wife one day, I expect you'd better learn to support him as well."

Delaney opened her mouth to argue but he cut her off. "I don't have time for this. I'm going to spend a bit more time with my friend and then I'll be leaving to join my brother and the others. All of you can do as you wish."

"I'm sorry Delaney," Cora said once Miles was gone.

"It's alright," she sighed, "It is a terrible plan. I can't believe Vincent came up with it."

"He must truly believe there's no other choice left," Selina spoke up, "Otherwise surely he wouldn't put all those men in danger."

"I think Miles is right," Olive said then startling them.

"How on earth is he right?" Constance asked, frowning at her friend.

"Bernard is one of his very best friends," Olive said seriously, "If he was willing to put him in danger then I feel that shows in itself that he truly believes this is their last hope. And if Bernard and the others did as he told them then they must believe it too."

"But how can it be?" Cora asked, exasperated.

"I don't know," Olive shook her head, "But I know none of us would ever risk losing each other and I don't believe the men would either."

The women were quiet as they thought over her words.

"We'll just have to pray," Delaney said at last, "There's nothing else left to do."