“There has to be a benefit to offset all the nuisances I must endure,” Kalyll said, making a flourish with his hand and acting all prince-like.
I smirked. I’d never heard him make a joke, and I found myself wondering how different he must be from the prince I knew so far.
“Yeah,” Cylea said. “Example number one… you.” She stared pointedly at Kryn.
“Thank you.” Kalyll looked to the heavens. “Someone recognizes my plight.”
“Pshaw, you would be lost without me.” Kryn batted a hand at the prince.
“This banter is very charming,” Arabis said, “but we don’t have long before noon, and if Dani is able to help, it may take time. So let’s get down to business. Shall we?”
Kalyll began explaining immediately, turning his full attention to me. “Remember how I explained earlier that the city walls won’t stop me from coming in tonight?”
I nodded.
“So instead of keeping me out, we will attempt to keep me in.”
“Like locked up in a cell somewhere?”
“Correct.”
“But if the thick walls and guards can’t stop you, how can a cell?”
“I will be tied up with Qrorium chains.”
“Qrorium?” I echoed. “I assume that’s some special material.”
Jeondar pushed to the edge of the sofa. “Yes, it’s a rare metal, very strong. My father has a set of chains that was once used to restrain a dragon.”
“And it will be enough to hold Kalyll?”
“Yes?” Cylea said, but it sounded like a question.
Wait a minute? They were worried that Kalyll would be able to break the type of chains that could hold down a dragon? To think of that level of strength contained in Kalyll was mind-boggling. I shivered.
“As you can see, we are not confident,” Kalyll said. “And this is where you come in.”
I leaned forward.
“Kryn had an idea,” the prince went on. “He thought you might be able to concoct a brew that will keep me subdued.”
“Mind you,” Kryn jumped in, “we’ve tried all sorts of things already. Nothing has worked. Stillstem, which can knock giants on their asses for an entire day, kept him down for a matter of minutes.”
My mind already whirling with possibilities, I jumped to my feet and started pacing in front of one of the bookshelves. No one said anything, but I could feel their eyes on me.
Stillstem was a heavy anesthetic, too strong for humans. I was aware of clinical trials in my realm that had failed even when stillstem was used in infinitesimal doses. If it hadn’t kept Kalyll asleep for long, what else could?
He had mentioned not being able to control his emotions.
I turned back to the group. “Did you try marsh flower?”
At the hospital, I used marsh flower to calm anxious patients. It didn’t always knock people out, but it relaxed the nervous system and had a calming effect on strong emotions.
“We did,” Arabis said. “It might’ve had a small effect.
“Was it administered in its pure form?” I asked, already suspecting the answer.
“It was.”