Chapter 21 The Queen's Duties
Elara's POV
Everyone stares at me.
The dragon noble's words hang in the air: "You carry yourself like a commoner trying to be noble."
My heart pounds. Sir Marcus leans forward, eyes narrowed. Thorne tenses. Drakon's expression is carefully blank.
I force a laugh. "I suppose that's what happens when you're raised differently than most princesses. My mother believed in humility and hard work, not just luxury."
"How interesting," the dragon noble says. Her ancient eyes study me. "Most Southern Kingdom royalty believe in the opposite."
"Perhaps that's why Queen Morgana agreed to this marriage," another noble adds. "To teach her daughter different values through the Northern Kingdom's example."
Several nobles nod in agreement. They're buying my explanation. Relief floods through me.
But Sir Marcus still watches me with suspicion.
"Well said, Your Majesty," Drakon says smoothly. "Now, shall we return to the border situation?"
"Actually," I interrupt again, "I think we should postpone this discussion. The king and I need to resolve our personal issues first. It wouldn't be proper to conduct important kingdom business while we're... distracted."
Drakon's jaw tightens. He knows I'm trying to stop him from mentioning the rescue mission. But he can't argue without making things worse.
"Very well," he says stiffly. "We'll reconvene tomorrow. Everyone is dismissed."
The nobles file out, whispering to each other. Sir Marcus lingers near the door, watching me. Then he leaves too.
Once the room empties except for Drakon, Thorne, and me, I collapse into my chair.
"That was close," I breathe.
"Too close," Thorne growls. "Lady Serpentine is over five hundred years old. She's seen countless nobles. If anyone can spot a fake princess, it's her."
"I know. But I had to stop Drakon from talking about..." I lower my voice. "About last night. About the rescue."
Drakon stands and walks to the window. "It failed. Thorne and his team were spotted by Southern Kingdom patrol. They had to retreat before reaching the palace."
My worst fear confirmed. "Is everyone okay?"
"Two of my warriors were injured," Thorne says coldly. "We barely escaped. The Southern Kingdom is on high alert now. It'll be twice as hard to try again."
"I'm sorry." Tears sting my eyes. "This is my fault."
"Yes, it is." Thorne's voice is harsh. "My warriors risked their lives because Drakon trusted you. And we failed."
"Thorne, enough," Drakon warns.
"No. She needs to hear this." Thorne turns to me. "Two good dragons are hurt because of you. And your sister is still a prisoner. So what's your next move, Princess? What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know," I whisper.
"That's what I thought." Thorne heads for the door. "I'm going to check on my injured warriors. Warriors who wouldn't be injured if you'd been honest from the beginning."
After he leaves, silence fills the room.
"He's right," I say. "This is my fault. I should have told you the truth sooner."
"Maybe." Drakon turns from the window. "But we can't change the past. We can only move forward."
"How? The rescue failed. Sir Marcus is planning to attack during a council meeting. And he has two dozen assassins hidden in your kingdom."
Drakon's expression hardens. "Tell me everything."
I explain what I saw last night. The maps. The plans. The assassins disguised as merchants and travelers. The attack scheduled for two nights from now.
"He wants me to help," I finish. "Dismiss guards. Unlock doors. Do nothing while people die."
"You won't do any of that." Drakon starts pacing. "We'll use this information to our advantage. We'll identify his assassins. Capture them. Stop the attack before it begins."
"How? You don't even know who they are."
"Then we'll find them." Drakon's eyes glow with determination. "Starting now. I'll have every newcomer to the kingdom investigated. Every merchant. Every traveler. Every servant hired in the past month."
"That could be hundreds of people."
"Then we work fast." He stops pacing. "But first, we need to maintain appearances. We'll have our public reconciliation tomorrow. Show everyone we've worked through our problems."
"Why tomorrow?"
"Because I'm taking you to visit a village. It's a tradition for new queens to meet their people. The villagers are expecting us." Drakon's expression softens slightly. "And it will give us a chance to talk. Away from Sir Marcus's spies."
A knock interrupts us. Faye enters, looking excited.
"Your Majesties! I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's wonderful news. Ambassador Thornwick from the Emerald Isles has arrived early for the council meeting. He's requesting an audience."
Drakon and I exchange a look. More nobles arriving means more potential targets for Sir Marcus's assassins.
"Send him in," Drakon says.
An elf enters, tall with silver hair. He bows deeply. "Your Majesties, I apologize for my early arrival. But I bring urgent news about unusual military movements near our borders."
My stomach drops. The Southern Kingdom is preparing for war. It's already starting.
The elf continues talking about troop movements and supply lines. I try to focus, but my mind spins. Two days until the attack. Lily still captured. Assassins hidden everywhere.
How are we supposed to stop this?
After the ambassador leaves, Drakon turns to me. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be exhausting. We'll visit the village, play the happy couple, and try to appear normal."
"Normal," I repeat hollowly. "Right."
That night, I barely sleep. I keep thinking about Sir Marcus's cold smile. About Lily alone in her cell. About two dozen assassins waiting to strike.
Morning comes too soon. Servants help me dress in simpler clothes than usual, still nice, but practical for walking through a village.
Drakon meets me at the castle entrance. A carriage waits. We climb in without speaking.
As we ride, I stare out the window. The countryside is beautiful; snow covered fields, pine forests, mountains in the distance. So peaceful, so innocent.
"Elara," Drakon says quietly. "About what Lady Serpentine said yesterday. About you acting like a commoner."
My heart skips. "I explained that"
"I know what you said. But she was right, wasn't she? You do carry yourself differently. Because you are a commoner. Because you've worked hard your whole life."
"Yes," I admit.
"Good." His response surprises me. "Because that's not a weakness. That's strength. My people will respect you more for it, not less."
Before I can respond, the carriage stops. We've arrived.
The village is small but cheerful. Houses with smoking chimneys. A market square. Children playing in the snow.
As Drakon and I step out, villagers gather. Human and magical creatures mixed together. They bow and wave, genuinely excited.
"The new queen!"
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
Children run forward with flowers. A little boy with pointed ears offers me a daisy. "For you, Princess Queen!"
I kneel down to his level. "Thank you so much. It's beautiful."
His mother, a faerie, smiles. "He picked it himself this morning, Your Majesty. He's been so excited to meet you."
More children approach with flowers and drawings. I accept each gift, talking to every child. They're so sweet. So innocent.
And Sir Marcus wants to destroy their world.
A young girl with small dragon wings approaches shyly. She can't be more than six years old. Her wings shimmer like copper in the sunlight.
"Hello," I say gently. "What's your name?"
"Kira." She holds up a flower crown. "I made this for you."
"It's gorgeous." I let her place it on my head. "Thank you, Kira."
Suddenly, she throws her arms around me in a tight hug. I hug her back, surprised.
"You smell like my mama," Kira says into my shoulder. "Like kindness and hard work. Not like that nasty perfume the human nobles wear."
I freeze. My breath catches.
Drakon stands nearby, hearing every word. His golden eyes widen. He stares at me with new understanding.
Because Kira is right. I don't smell like a princess raised in luxury. I smell like a working woman. Like a seamstress who spent her life with lavender soap and book pages, not expensive perfumes.
Drakon knows.