Chapter 69 Queen Morgana Arrives
Elara's POV
The white light faded. I opened my eyes.
We weren't dead. We were in a golden bubble of light surrounding me and Drakon.
Queen Morgana's magic crashed against it like waves against a cliff. But it held.
"How..." I stared at my hands. They glowed brighter than ever.
"The mating bond," Drakon gasped. "When you put yourself between me and death, the bond completed. Fully healed. It's protecting us both now."
"I didn't know it could do that."
"Neither did I. But it won't hold forever. Her power is too strong."
Queen Morgana stopped attacking. Studied our shield with interest. "Fascinating. A complete mating bond. I haven't seen one in decades." She smiled. "So tragic when they break."
"Our bond isn't breaking again," Drakon growled.
"Oh, but it will. Because I'm going to tell you something that will shatter it permanently." Queen Morgana walked closer. "About your precious mate. About who she really is. About what I always intended."
"I already know who she is," Drakon said. "I know about the blackmail. About Lily. About everything."
"Do you? Did she tell you I planned this invasion for five years? That I searched specifically for a commoner who looked like my daughter? That I needed someone expendable. Someone controllable."
My blood ran cold. "You... you searched for me?"
"Of course. Do you think it was coincidence?" Queen Morgana laughed. "I had scouts looking for months. They found six girls who looked like Celestia. I chose you because you had the most to lose. A sick mother. A young sister. Poverty. Desperation. You were perfect."
"No," I whispered. "You took us by chance..."
"I lied. I sent guards specifically to your cottage. I knew exactly where you lived. Who you were. What you loved." Queen Morgana's eyes glinted. "I created you, Elara. You were always meant to be my spy. My weapon. My way of destroying the Dragon King from within."
"But Celestia..."
"Was never going to marry him anyway. But I needed an excuse for war. Needed the Dragon King to seem like the aggressor. So I sent you instead. Knowing you'd fail. Knowing you'd be exposed. Knowing it would give me the perfect reason to invade."
The ground felt unsteady. "You wanted me to fail?"
"I wanted you to break his heart. To make him vulnerable. To destroy his trust." Queen Morgana looked at Drakon. "And you did that beautifully. You made him fall in love. Made him bond with you. Then shattered him completely. Now he's weak. Broken. Easy to defeat."
"I'm not broken," Drakon said. But his voice shook."
"Aren't you? Your own mate betrayed you. Your kingdom is burning. You've lost everything." Queen Morgana raised her hand. "And now you'll lose your life."
"NO!" I stepped forward. The golden shield moved with me. "You're wrong! I wasn't supposed to fall in love with him! That wasn't part of your plan!"
"True. That was an unexpected complication. But ultimately meaningless. Love won't save you."
"You used me," I said. Rage built in my chest. "You used my sister. You threatened to kill her. Made me betray the man I love. For what? For war? For power?"
"For revenge." Queen Morgana's expression turned cold. "Drakenmoor killed my parents in the last war. Burned them alive. I was ten years old. I watched."
"That wasn't Drakon! That was his parents! Decades ago!"
"I don't care. Dragon blood is dragon blood. All of them deserve to burn."
"So this entire war is just revenge?"
"Justice," Queen Morgana corrected. "And you helped me achieve it. Without you, this invasion would have been much harder."
"I had no choice!"
"You always had a choice. You just chose your sister over thousands of innocent people. That's who you really are, Elara. Selfish. Weak."
The words stabbed deep. Because part of me knew they were true.
"At least tell me," I said. "Lily. You were going to let her go after the war, right?"
Queen Morgana laughed. "Oh, you poor naive child. I was always going to kill your sister. The moment this war started, I sent orders. She was supposed to die while you watched helplessly."
My heart stopped. "No. You said..."
"I lied. About everything. The rescue mission? I let them take a changeling. The real Lily is still in my dungeon. Probably dead by now."
"YOU'RE LYING!" I screamed. "Lily is safe! We rescued her!"
"Are you certain? Have you checked her blood? Her magical signature? Or did you just assume the girl who looks like your sister is actually your sister?"
Doubt crept in. Horrible doubt.
The girl in the castle... I hadn't verified it was really Lily.
"Drakon," I whispered. "We need to check..."
"It's too late," Queen Morgana interrupted. "Because whether that girl is your real sister or a changeling doesn't matter. They're all about to die. The entire castle. Everyone in it."
She raised both hands. Magic built. Massive.
"I've planted explosives throughout your castle, Dragon King. Enough to bring the whole thing down. And they're about to detonate."
"You're bluffing," Drakon said.
"Am I? You have sixty seconds to decide. Try to stop the explosions and let me escape? Or fight me and let everyone die?"
"Fifty seconds."
Drakon looked at me. At the castle. At his impossible choice.
"Go," I said. "Stop the explosions. Save everyone."
"She'll kill you."
"Doesn't matter. Save them." I pushed him out of the bubble. "GO!"
He hesitated. Then transformed and flew toward the castle.
Left me alone with Queen Morgana.
The golden shield flickered. Weakened without Drakon.
"Thirty seconds," Queen Morgana said cheerfully. "Until everything goes up in flames."
She attacked.
My shield shattered instantly.
Dark magic wrapped around me. Lifted me off the ground. Squeezed.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.
"You should have stayed a seamstress," Queen Morgana said. "Should have lived a quiet, boring life. Instead, you got involved in things far beyond your understanding. And now you'll pay the price."
The magic squeezed tighter. My ribs cracked. Pain exploded everywhere.
"Any last words?" Queen Morgana asked.
"Yes," I gasped. "Just one. NOW!"
The real Lily burst from hiding behind a nearby wall. Threw something at Queen Morgana.
A vial. It shattered against the queen's chest. Liquid splashed everywhere.
"What..." Queen Morgana looked down.
"Ironwood poison," I gasped. "Cancels dark magic for sixty seconds. Faye made it. Lily delivered it. And you fell for it."
Queen Morgana's magic vanished. The spell holding me broke. I fell.
Landed hard but alive.
"You little..." Queen Morgana reached for Lily.
I tackled the queen. We went down in a tangle of limbs.
And I realized I had sixty seconds to finish this.
Before her magic returned.
Before she killed us all.
Sixty seconds to end Queen Morgana.
Forever.