The Dragon's mate-2

The Most Revered and Loved Queen

Queen of the Dragon Realm

“You truly deserve your title of being a manipulator of poisons, Magister medicinae. Despite being so young, you have surpassed expectations and are feared by all.”

“If the honorable queen thinks so, my life has not gone to waste. So……what brings you to my place? You have not visited me ever since your husband’s mate was done away with.”

“This is one of the things that I wish to know, Magister medicinae. What exactly did you do so that my husband’s bond with his mate became feeble?”

“Have a seat queen. It is a long story.”

“Magister medicinae, you have avoided this question previously but, this time…”

“I do not have any such intention now. Well…….you know that I poisoned that female dragon blood.”

“Yes I do.”

“Do you have any idea of what that poison contained? It was very complicated.”

Magister medicinae was quiet for some time and I waited patiently for him to continue.

“You see….this poison would undoubtedly drive a female dragon insane such that she would have eventually jumped to her death…but, before that, the estrangement between her and her mate, in this case, the dragon king, had to take place.”

I nodded as I remarked, “If those two did not completely separate, then my husband, too, would have followed his mate to the netherworld despite being an immortal.”

“True. Anyway, here is what happened. On a full moon night when those two were unsuspectingly brought together by me……I had drawn the mate’s blood and stored it in a flask. Dividing it into two equal portions, I had mixed one with a special poison and a slave dragon’s blood. This adulterated blood was re-injected into the female dragon while performing ‘Iniectio alicia’, a spell that can be performed only during a full moon night when the male and the female dragons intend to complete their mating rights.”

I took a deep breath. The news was shocking as I began to understand how difficult a task the Magister medicinae had done.

“Well, the mixture immediately acted and, led into a stupor, the female dragon did not respond to her mate’s advances. You must understand that, “Nothing can be more insulting to a male dragon than his mate’s indifference when he wants to complete the mating rites….” I completed his sentence.

“You are quite aware, queen. Your husband left in a fit of rage. I coincidentally prevented the young king from being hard on himself and offered him my friendship. That day, which was a chance encounter, was indeed eventful. The king came to my humble place and, while offering him a special drink, I mixed ‘nesciane confusiane’, the only pill in the Supernatural Dimension that can render a dragon unconscious.”

“Did you harm him?” The question slipped out unintentionally. After having spent centuries together, I could not help but feel concerned.

“Worry not, queen…..the king is a useful pawn and will never be discarded. Plus, I respect your ties with him. Anyway, more blood. This time, the king’s was withdrawn. It was then mixed with your blood and returned to him. Once more, the ‘Iniectio Alicia’ spell was performed. That was the night the king returned to your room and you conceived Vern King.”

“So it means…..”

“Queen, once the mate arrives, the dragon will never look at another female of his species, let alone spend a night together. In the rare case that it occurs, the dragon, in question, is at least partly a member of some other realm.”

Both of us were quiet now. I recalled the night of Vern’s impulsiveness was also when it was a new moon. The Aneglur line’s power usually peaks on that night. I was a part-Aneglur and my sons Vern and Ri had also inherited at least some bit of what the Aneglurs were characterized by.

My thoughts were interrupted when Magister medicinae spoke again.

“Your husband’s mate, unaware of what happened, remained a hopeless romantic. Every time that slave dragon came before her, due to the effects of the poison, she’d mistake him as the king. The slave dragon was on his way to becoming a smoke follower and hence helped us to add fuel to her delusional thinking. Your husband witnessed them being together and pained as he was, left.”

“I do not know how, but the mate realized that she had been tricked. However, it was too late. When that woman arrived at the palace gates of your realm, your husband, by then, a father, refused to meet her.”

“But the king said that….”

“He is vain and would never admit that he had been cheated. In fact, he was not. His mate was actually the victim and they were both deceived. But, in this world where the powerful rule, being weak is a disability and an invitation for others to humiliate you. The mate was too weak. The final result was that you got to be with the dragon king as his queen forever.”

Both of us were quiet for a brief moment before I asked, “Magister medicinae….did the mate die?”

“Who cares? She can never pose any threat to you.”

“But…..”

“Queen, the Aneglur King is supporting you. You do not need to be afraid. Anyway, I am sure that this is not why you wanted me to account for what happened in the past.”

“No, I answered honestly. This time it was my son. He has a mate. I want him to leave his mate forever and marry Liang instead.”

“Have you ever met your son’s mate?”

“No.”

“Is she a dragon?”

“Must be…. What else can his mate be?”

Magister medicinae shook his head as he said, “You still don’t get it, Keresa. If she was a dragon she might be from a noble clan. Things will be very difficult to execute. At the same time, even as my research continues, if his mate belongs to another realm….”

“That is highly improbable.”

“Well, your father-in-law’s mate…..I heard, was a mortal.”

“It is easier to deal with if she is a mortal. But, I am sure that she is not.”

“Magister medicinae…a mortal cannot be a threat.”

“True. However, you must find out who the mate really is. You should pay attention to where he travels in the Dragon Realm. Because Keresa…..my magic will only work on another dragon. If it is a supernatural being from any other realm….I am afraid that, at this moment, I do not have a solution.”

“I am sure that this is not the case Magister medicinae. I will find out as to who she is and tell you.” Even though I spoke confidently, inexplicable fear seemed to have dampened my spirits. As I walked away, Magister medicinae stopped me and said, “There might be a chance if your son could be impulsive enough to sleep with Liang. After all, he had some Aneglur blood as well.”

I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at him.

“Magister medicinae….he already did in a fit of anger.”

“If that is the case, I may have a solution. Be kind to Liang and make sure that their interactions increase. I will go back to my books and check for a few things. When the time is right, I hope that those two can visit me together.”

The spring in my steps had returned. There was hope and I was willing to wait.

Jake   

Despite having been to school quite a few times already, I had not seen Emily. Just as I was wondering about her whereabouts, ‘Indestructible Flames’ appeared in the fireplace.

“Jake, ‘The Honorable Deity just informed me that Emily has been taken in by The Sword Lady as a disciple. She has begun her training to be a warrior.”

The document I had just been reading fell down and it took some time for my mother’s message to sink in. Becoming a warrior was hard for those who had grown up in the Supernatural Dimensions and had some training in their respective realms. I remember my days when I’d feel nauseous all the time, when I hated the smell of food and when taking even a step forward would rupture my blisters. With heavy breathing and each passing second, I’d wonder what I had signed up for and would often realize that magic had been stripped of me and everywhere life as a mortal was more desirable. Emily, whose energies had been sealed off, and had only recently begun to partially manifest, it was unthinkable as to what dangers she might encounter…….For a second my vivid imagination painted an injured Emily and I, unable to take it in, immediately left my work and set off in search for ‘The Sword Lady’. I would do my best to let Emily go.

Emily had to take up more responsibilities when she grew up. A few years from now, she’d be better suited to undertake this journey. But, for now, it was best that she enjoyed being an ordinary Supernatural adolescent, whose greatest trouble was facing their tests and doing well at school.

The Sword Lady

I was sure that Emily would try to go to Enses phoenice. If she could own Enses phoenice she would be able to control the fire…..and only then could she move to the next step. At that moment, I was worried, but, there was not much that I could do for her. This was even beyond my comprehension. All I knew was that the previous owner too had to figure it out by himself. And when he returned, with the sword…his condition was such that the doctors had raced against time to ensure that he lived.. If the doctor had been inefficient, his journey might have ended. I was not cruel but realistic when I asked Emily to go after Enses phone. I had a feeling that she would not live like an ordinary Supernatural. The rainbow colored energy field around her revealed that she was meant to rule and, in my opinion, to be an able queen, Emily could not be sheltered. She would have to get used to battle very early.

The queen was the backbone of any empire. Even if she kept a low profile, her husband, the king, would be sapped by half if she fell. To hold the fort in future, it would be fine if Emily suffered today. I hoped that a day would come when I could bow down before her, and when that day arrived I would dust my boots off and serve, if she was willing, as her most able lieutenant.

I have gone off the radar for many years now. Many might mock my cowardice. But, in Emily, I had found the purpose of my life once more. She was a kind-hearted soul who had the makings of an empress. As her mentor, I hoped that she was ‘The Great Queen’ who’d end up be the one at whose hands the Aneglur Realm would wither and equality in the Supernatural dimension restored. I had never believed in God…but today, I bowed my head to pray to the unseen power that was the source of all creations….I prayed that one day, my disciple Emily would be the most revered and loved queen of the Supernatural Dimension.