45. The Death of the Queens
*Main Palace
The first thing Dagen had to do when he returned to the palace from the Misty Mountains was to find the trapped dragon queen. He was pacing back and forth in front of Amaya’s chamber door and hesitated whether to talk with her or not.
As the firstborn of the current dragon king and queen, so many thing should have been his, like the power of the throne and respect as the first silver bloodline prince; yet Dagen had always been in an awkward position. According to tradition, Thorn would inherit the throne as the dragon king’s firstborn, regardless of whether Tora was dead or alive.
But he had never cared about the throne. All he really wanted was a caring family, which was impossible. There was always competition among the dragon princes. He was lucky to be physically adept and posses incredible strength. But he’d never been as ambitious as Remus. Even if Dagen had beat him in a fight, he would never give him a feeling of satisfaction. Complements he’d earned from the dragon queen had though. Still, as they grew up, their fights become less frequent, and Dagen found that the compliments from his mother gradually reduced as well. He was too straightforward for politics, which apparently, was considered as a weakness by Amaya. Their relationship had become estranged, as it had with the other members of his twisted family.
The second he returned, his golden knights informed him that the queen had confessed to murdering a grey dragon descendant. They told him the woman seemed to have had a direct connection with the lost princess of the Stormy Clan, and that the case Eros was blamed for might be overturned. Too many questions formed in Dagen’s mind. He would ask Eros, but first, he wanted to see his mother.
Finally, he worked up the courage to enter the chamber.
The whole room had been sealed with solid walls made of Frost Stone. The stone was produced in the northern kingdom, and it was the natural enemy of the dragon race; its permanent chill would hurt their fiery skin. Her wings would be frozen, left incurable, with just a single touch.
Amaya heard Dagen’s footsteps. She sat up from the bed and teared up. “Dagen?”
Dagen stood in front of a sheet of Frost Stone that was transparent like typical glass, but the icy surface gave Dagen goosebumps as he shuddered all over.
“Dagen! It really is you,” Amaya said as she cried happily, “I’m so glad you've finally come. Let me out!”
“Mother, I can’t do that.” He took a few steps back as he gathered his nerves.
“What do you mean you *can’t?* You’re the one controlling the city’s security right? You’re the only one who can!” Amaya cried out.
“These are the king’s orders. Do you want me to disobey them?” Dagen asked firmly.
“But I didn’t do anything wrong! Eros wants me dead! And you choose to accept that? Your own mother’s death?” Amaya looked into his eyes.
“Of course I don’t want you dead! But father must have his reasons. What on earth did you do to that grey dragon woman and Leila? Tell me the truth!”
“If you already know…” Amaya collapsed back on her bed and turned away from her son, “Then I have nothing to hide…”
Dagen came closer to the stone. “Mother please. Let me know what had happened so that I can help you.”
“If Eros is determined to execute me, then no one can help. He firmly believes that I was the one who killed his first queen, Tora, and her best friend, the luna of the northern realm.”
“What?” Dagen was shocked. “But the court believes that Eros…”
“That Eros accidentally killed them, yes. That’s the truth. But he was too drunk to remember anything, and the court couldn’t find any solid evidence against him. So they couldn’t do much to him, but he has certainly lost their trust and respect since then.”
“But what happened to the previous queens?” Dagen said impatiently, “And the Stormy Clan?”
Amaya sighed, “It happened a long time ago. The luna of the northern kingdom was Tora’s best friend. She often came to the palace to visit, or Tora would secretly go to the north. Their friendship was found out, and both the dragon king and the werewolf king objected to it. Ancient rules opposed any contact between ice and fire. They were both locked away until just days before their deaths. Tora had been sick, due to her lung disease. She had been in bed for weeks. The luna was worried, and she came to the palace to visit her when Eros was out patrolling in the west. Both of the women thought Eros wouldn’t come back so soon. But he did. He was furious at Tora for meeting with the luna again. They had a huge argument. Tora insisted on letting the luna stay for the night. Eros was angry, but he was unable to dissuade her. Later, he got himself drunk. The next morning, Tora and the luna were both found dead.”
“Shortly after, the leader of the Stormy Clan, the Father Dragon, was assassinated, the Mother Dragon disappeared. The Stormy Clan vanished, along with all of the dragon spirits in the kingdom. I had been secretly searching for the Mother Dragon’s lost child since then. The princess was critical to the realm. If the wolves found out about the existence of a child of the Mother Dragon, then we would lose the only hope we had. But I realized that the grey dragon woman kidnapped the princess and hid her away. That’s why I killed her! I’m innocent! I can’t be executed over a worthless grey dragon! Son! Please believe me!”
It was impossible for Dagen to calm down now. “So you’re saying that Father blamed you for what he did to the realm?”
Amaya nodded as more tears gushed out of her eyes. “He didn’t want to believe he could do such a thing. Tora was his first love and he had never been considered a cruel man. Eros thought I killed his queen out of jealously. You were already a big boy then. He thought…he believed that I committed the murders…for you.”
At once, Dagen walked out of the queen’s chambers to find the dragon king. He clenched his fists and bumped into several passing servants. Dreadful rage overtook his regal pride. He simply couldn’t believe such absurdity; he was angered this his beloved family had fallen apart due to their own stupidity, and the kingdom and its citizens were the ones who had to pay. He pushed in the heavy door to the king’s council chambers and stormed in.
Eros was standing before the flaming hearth, observing something in his hands. Dagen’s sudden intrusion made him jump. With or without intention, the object in his hands fell into the fire. As Dagen stepped in, he saw the pages started to burn. It was an exquisite notebook with a short line of handwriting was beautifully scribbled on the front page. Tora’s Diary.
--
King’s Harbor
Rina had flown back from the Misty Mountains and was hiding behind a tall roof at the main dock of King’s Harbor. Her prideful dignity as a dragon princess had been smashed into the ground. She thought the antidote she brought over would help Thorn speak to her and further their relationship in a positive way. But that dirty little whore had, once again, lured her prince away from her. She was crying too hard to notice what was going on in the city. The usual bustling activities in the harbor had ceased. Boats rested on the water with full loads. Citizens were complaining and cursing. A few of them were in a panic, telling others that there would be a war in the capital soon. But no one truly knew what was really happening.
Then a sudden shrill scream had caught Rina’s attention. Several people had gathered in the area below the roof. They seemed to have discovered something. Rina came to the edge of the roof and looked down.
*A boy*. Rina saw a chubby boy lying naked and lifeless in one of the fishing chests. His limbs were twisted unnaturally, and his skin was as pale as the water foam. She recognized the mark on the boy’s back, a crescent moon, the sign of a royal werewolf. Why on earth was a royal werewolf boy found dead, here, in the dragon capital?
Amidst the stench, she noticed an irregular crisp scent. Her whole body quivered at the mere scent. Her core tingled and her heart raced. She experienced a feeling she had never had as if her whole life was waiting for this peculiar enthralling odor. She glanced around and scanned the streets until she saw a shadow looming in a corner. A man was staring at her from afar. His grey eyes were as pale as frost layered on a winter lake. Her instincts told her that this gorgeous man meant trouble. But she had already hopelessly fallen for him.