Chapter 1

Supernatural Realm:

A young girl of about 10 years old was carrying a bowl filled with red apples. She was taking it to the Dragon Queen's chamber, walking the long passage that led to the Queen's room. She started humming a tune the Queen's youngest son had taught her, shaking her head. Her dark long hair danced along with her.

"Leona," a voice whispered, prompting the little girl to stop her humming and turn to look behind her. Her hazel eyes widened. Standing before her was a lady. Her face was twisted and wrinkled, but her body looked young. One of her eyes was closed and looked rotten, and the other half looked good.

“Where did she come from?” Leona wondered.

"Are you the one who called me, ma'am?" Leona demanded. She was not scared of the strange lady at all.

"Yes, I did," the strange, ugly lady answered in a whisper.

"Okay, you have my attention, ma'am. How did you get into the Palace of the Dragon King? Did you lose your way?" Leona questioned.

"I did not lose my way, Leona. I came here to see you," the lady responded with a smile.

"To see me? Why?" the little girl queried.

"Can I have one of your apples, please?"

"The apples are not for me, ma'am. They are for the Dragon Queen, but you can take one," Leona said and stretched forth her little hands towards the lady, who smiled and grabbed one pf the red apples.

She looked behind the little girl with fascination. "Who is that?" she asked, pointing at nothing in particular. That grabbed Leona's attention, who quickly turned to look behind her to see what the old lady was pointing at. There was nothing there.

The lady opened her rotten eye and a maggot fell down into the apple and quickly burrowed into the apple.

"There is no one in here except you and I, ma'am," Leona told the lady.

"Maybe my good eye deceived me," the lady said apologetically.

Leona's eyes went to the apple in the lady's hands, and to her utter surprise, saw that the red apple was gold and no longer red.

"How did you do that, ma'am?" Leona asked with keen interest.

"I did magic on it," the lady replied.

"Really?" Leona asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, I have magic, and I teach you how to turn apples into any color of your choice, but you have to do something for me," the lady said, and that piqued Leona’s interest the most. She continued, giving the golden apple to Leona.

"Don't give this apple to Jay, Lillian, or Kate. Give this apple to Willow, Jay's younger brother. Can you do that for me?"

Leona nodded. "Yes, ma'am, Willow and I are the best of friends."

"Good, make sure he eats the apple. If you do a good job, I will fulfill my promise," the lady said and heard the footsteps of someone heading their way. "Someone is coming. I will see you soon," she added and disappeared.

Leona turned around to continue her journey to the Queen's room when she came across the Queen's handmaid.

"What kept you so long, Leona?"

Hiding the golden apple behind her, Leona said, "Sorry, m'lady, I was just—"

Forcibly collecting the bowl of red apples from her, the handmaid interrupted her, "Keep your excuses, child. No one wants to hear that. Go to the kitchen and find something to do there. Wash the plates, mop the floor, or help with the cooking." Then, she turned around and went back to the Queen's room.

*****

One hour later...

"Hello, Willow," Leona greeted the young prince of Dragons, her friend. She had entered the prince’s chamber and saw the prince drawing.

Willow, a young boy of 12 years old, smiled as he saw Leona. He had black hair and two different colored eyes—one was green and the other was amber. He had told her to always call him by his name whenever they were alone. Leona was an orphan. Her late mother was the Queen's handmaid who died after her mate, who had died when he challenged Ares to a fight. "Hello, Leona, come and see my painting."

"I will see your painting later, Willow. I got you something. You will like it," Leona said. Her beautiful young face lit up as soon as she smiled.

"You got something for me? Where is it?" Willow demanded eagerly.

Leona presented the golden apple to him. "This is it."

"Wow, is this really a golden apple?" At Leona’s nod, Willow continued, "I haven't seen one before. It's for me?"

"Yes, Willow."

Taking the golden apple from her, Willow stared at it in shock. "Thank you, Leona."

"I have to get going. I was cleaning the kitchen before I snuck into your chamber to give you that," Leona said and left his chamber.

Willow was still staring at the golden apple when his elder brother, Jay, walked in.

"Is that a golden apple?" Jay, a young boy of 15 years old, strode into the chamber and grabbed the apple from Willow. Just like Willow, he had dark hair, and his eyes were green.

"Hey, give me back my apple."

"I won't give it back to you. It's now mine," Jay said and took a bite out of the apple.

"I will report you to your father."

"He won't do anything to me. I am a full dragon and the crown prince who will take after him someday. You, on the other hand, are not a full dragon. You carry wolf genes from Mother, which is disgusting. A true dragon never submits to other creatures," Jay said, mocking him.

"But Father did when he wanted to marry the Princess of Werewolves."

"That's because Mother is his mate," Jay said.

"Whatever. You can have the apple. I will get another one."

Jay smiled as he took another bite from the apple.

"Why are you in my room?"

"Nothing, just to look for you and trouble," Jay said and left Willow's chamber.

_____

Leona was alone in the servants’ quarters. She was cleaning when the strange lady appeared.

"Did you give the apple to Willow?"

"Yes, ma'am. He took it from me."

"Did he eat it?"

"I didn't stay to see, but he took the apple from me," Leona answered. "I have done as you asked. Can you now teach me what you promise?"

"Of course, child. Draw closer to me, and let me whisper it into your ears," she said, smiling.

Leona did as she said, and once she was close enough, the lady placed her left hand on Leona's head, and a dark shadow entered her body. Her once hazel eyes became solid dark.

The strange lady crouched down to Leona’s level and smiled, which Leona returned with her own.

"You know what to do."

"Yes, mistress," Leona responded, her voice still normal but her smile cold.

"You remember how to say the curse correctly?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Then, be ready," she said and disappeared. No sooner had she disappeared, one of the servants, a male, ran into the servants’ quarters.

"You are being summoned by the King," he told Leona.

Nodding, she left for the throne room with the male servant trailing behind her.

Opening the large oak door that led to the throne room, she saw King Henry, his wife Lucia, Lillian, Kate, and Willow. Some dragon warriors came into the throne room after her and stood behind her.

On the floor in front of the King laid Jay's lifeless body.

"What did you give to my son?" King Henry demanded, his green eyes shining in fury.

"Nothing, Your Highness," Leona answered without fear.

King Henry stared at Willow for a brief moment and returned his gaze to Leona. "Dragons don't die, especially when they are royals, whatever you had given him killed him. Again, I ask: what did you give to my son?"

"I did not give Prince Jay anything, My King."

"Bring it," King Henry commanded, and one of the servants carried over a tray. On it was the golden apple, rotten and filled with maggots. "Willow said you gave him the apple which Jay took from him and ate."

"I did not give Prince Willow any apples," Leona said and turned her gaze to the shocked young prince. "Tell them the truth. Why are you lying?"

The strange lady, who watched what was happening through her large mirror hanging on the wall of an unknown cave, shook her head in anger.

The first son of the Dragon King isn't who she wanted.