Chapter 186

**DIETER POV**

My insides have shattered into dust, there is nothing left inside of me, nothing but the pain of all those wasted years where i could have loved her again. I pushed her away, all because she didn’t want more children, i thought she was selfish, i thought that she was doing it just to make me angry.

I didn’t realise she was in so much pain, but what had caused it? Was it my own stupidity? Had i pushed her too far?

Perhaps it is that, perhaps i asked her for things she was not ready to give me, and in the process, i may have broken something inside of her that could not be fixed.

I am glad that Yen stayed behind with the children, she would have broken seeing her friend so willing to die. It would have torn her apart, as it is doing to me.

I slowly kneel down beside the body of my wife, taking one last look at her beautiful and yet strange blue eyes, she was perfect, and she was mine. But i took it all for granted, and i broke her because my own hatred. I wanted too much, and she could not give it to me, and so i shunned her. I pushed her away.

And i will regret it for the rest of my life.

I lean forward, gently closing her eyes, something she can no longer do for herself.

I need to burn the body; it is what she would have wanted.

I should be angry at her, but how can i be? She was so broken inside that she asked for death, and i am partly responsible for that.

Lucinda told me once that when she dies, she will join the great goddesses in the sky, and i hope that she was right, i hope she is among the stars. It is where she belongs.

She should spend her immortal life surrounded by peace and quiet. She deserves to be free of pain.

I turn to look at my daughter, and i watch her scream and cry, begging for the impossible.

Cay is covered in Lucinda’s blood, from her head to her toes, and her eyes are wide with fear, the same eyes that she got from her mother. She fears the unknown. She has no idea what will happen to her mother’s soul, and nor does anyone else, no one knows for certain.

But i would like to think that she is free and safe.

I turn to Mihen, the general of the enemy army, and i allow all of my anger to rush forward, my hand wrapped tightly around my sword.

“You will pay for what you have done, Mihen.” I tell him, a silent promise moulding with my bitter words.

“It seems to me that death is what she wanted all along.” Mihen laughs coldly, “Did you treat your wife that badly that she wanted to die, King Dieter?”

I growl stepping forward, but one of my soldiers stops me, the army moving one step closer, “Think carefully, my king, do not rush this just because of anger.” warns the soldier.

A soldier i do not even know the name of.

I turn to look at my daughter, her eyes red and swollen from crying, and i realise that he is right, i need to be very careful with what i do next.

If i make one wrong move i could lose my daughter too, and then Lucinda would have died for nothing.

“We have kept our side of the deal, now release my daughter.” I command, holding out my hand for Cay to take.

Cay attempts to move, but she is stopped by Mihen, and thrown to the ground behind him, where the other one, the soldier named Jren catches her, holding her in place.

Cay growls, smoke coming out of her nostrils, and anger hardening her eyes. “We had a deal.” She shouts at him.

Mihen turns to look down at her, “I said that i would let you live, princess, i never said that i would let you go.” he turns to me, “You can leave now, I've had enough of your face.”

I knew that he could not be trusted, if i want my daughter back, i am going to have to fight him.

“I’m not going anywhere until you give me my daughter.” I say calmly, the army behind me all chanting in the sacred language of the Griffins.

They are praying to the gods for victory, but most importantly their honour should they die.

Cay looks at me with wide eyes, and i see fear in them, the same fear that i used to see in the eyes of her mother.

“It is going to be ok.” I tell her softly, offering her a small smile.

She nods, trying to smile back through the tears streaming down her face.

Mihen laughs cruelly, “You can’t promise her that, Dieter, because you have no idea whether you will win or not.”

“I have faith in my men, and i have faith in myself.” I reply, smiling coldly, “But i have more faith in my daughter.”

He is about to ask what i mean, i can see it in his face, but before he can fire erupts from behind him, the soldier, Jren, screaming in agony as he falls to the floor, rolling around to try and suffocate the flames that coat his body, his skin melting away until there is nothing left but bones and broken muscle.

Cay stands slowly, her eyes masked with darkness, the same darkness that i have inside of me. She is my daughter after all, even if she does mostly take after her mother.

Mihen steps back, clearly afraid and cautious, he has just lost his second in command, and all the other men who stand with him are just as frightened, none of them dare move a muscle.

“You have raped me.” Cay says calmly, fire mixing with her breath, “You have bruised and broken parts of my body, and you think you have some sort of claim over me.” She takes a step forward. “You think that you can own me, but you cannot, no one can.” She smiles, blowing fire so close to Mihen’s face that he recoils in fear. “From ashes i was born, and to ashes i shall return.”

I smile, she is using the same saying that her mother recited regularly, it used to be a dragon prayer. Back when the dragons were a feared race to be avoided. But now they are all gone, all except for a small few. Including my daughter, because even though she cannot yet fully shift, she is a dragon by blood, and by heart.

She is just like her mother, and i could not be more proud of her.

Mihen holds out his hands, trying to show Cay that he is no threat to her, “Calm down, princess, i am sure we can work this out.”

I slowly edge towards him whilst he is distracted by Cay, trying to be as silent as possible, if i catch him by surprise, i will win.

“The only way that this will end is with your blood.” Cay growls, taking another step forward.

She has noticed me, but she does not let it show on her face, Cay knows exactly what i am doing, and i seems like she supports my decision.

“Stupid girl.” Snaps the general, “You cannot beat me, even with fire.”

“Maybe not with fire.” She says with a shrug, “But all men can die by iron and steel.”

I lunge forward as she speaks, driving my blade through Mihen’s back and into his stomach, twisting the blade until i am sure that i have cut into a vital organ.

He looks back at me, choking on blood as his eyes widen, he never expected me to do the exact same thing as he did to my wife. but he should have.

he should have never allowed himself to be vulnerable whilst surrounded by the enemy.

He made a mistake, and now he will pay for it with his life.

I rip out my sword and the general falls to the ground, spitting out blood as he tries to crawl away, but his men are already leaving. They can see that this is a fight that they will not win.

Cay stares at me for several seconds before she rushes towards me, throwing herself into my arms, “is it really over?” She asks.

“Yes, it’s over.” I whisper back, holding her tightly.

The general is dead, but he will not the the last enemy we face.

There is always someone stronger who wished to pray on others, but we will be ready.

I will destroy to world to keep my daughter safe, I failed her mother, but I will not fail her.