The Dragon's Love

Chapter 2

-Laelia-

I was not sure where we were heading next, but as we came inside, he took a different turn, going down a hallway that led away from the one that would lead me back to my room. I followed him, not knowing what else I could do. Most of my time I was just sitting in my room, reading, but I found it hard to concentrate on the words, when I felt so worried and restless. Why hadn’t I heard anything yet? I knew why … because there was no one to hear from. They were all gone, weren’t they? I could feel it inside of myself. My brothers, executed. Ashes too … and Tylon. I was not certain if Ladon, Mayla, and Sivanna were too. They weren’t really a threat, but they had been close to me. Maybe that was enough for them to get a death sentence. Though as my mind wandered around the people I cared so deeply about, and that I believed I had already lost, I thought back to the night we had left. I was still not sure I had really seen him. I couldn’t believe it to really be him, but what if it was? What if that dark shadow really had been James? What did that even mean? Why was he there watching us?

“Queen of dragons?”

I turned my attention back to Rathilion. I hadn’t even noticed we were outside again and walking further into the woods.

“I told you to stop calling me that.”

I walked up to him. He was standing further up a little hill, waiting for me. He smiled a little at my words.

“What would you like me to call you then?” he asked, as I caught up with him.

He looked down at me with his light green eyes, watching me, looking through me. I felt oddly exposed, but strangely, I did not hate it. It was like he could see what I was feeling and understanding it better than I ever could.

“Just Laelia.”

He nodded slowly.

“Laelia. Beautiful name, like the flower it originates from,” he said.

I felt strangely warmed by his words, and I quickly turned my attention away, only to see the big field of flowers spread out before us.

“Where are we?” I whispered, shocked.

“Amazing. Isn’t it?”

I nodded, unable to form any words. It was. Amazing.

“We call it a little a little bit of heaven. Or at least that is how it is best translated into your language.”

I turned to him, seeing him admire the field in front of us that had so many colors it would take me days to count them all. It was so out of this world. I had never before seen anything like it. Just then a big white stag came out of the shadows. He was magnificent. Majestic, the way he carried himself, like he owned all of this. Like this bit of heaven was his domain. He lowered his head slightly, sniffing the ground, and then looked up, turning his head, looking for danger. Then suddenly behind him appeared more. Deer, both young and old, came forth, starting to eat the grass and flowers, as the big stag watched over his family.

“Unbelievable,” I said.

“Nature hides many things. If you are willing to wait for it to show you, you will see a world so unlike the one you are used to.”

I glanced at him, but his eyes were still on the big stag. We were poorly hidden, just standing between two big trees watching them, but since we weren’t moving, barely breathing, it seemed our presences were allowed.

“I never knew such things existed. White stags and deer,” I whispered.

“You have not seen anything yet,” he promised me.

I turned to him and smiled. I had not spoken many words to him since I arrived. This was the first time we had a proper conversation, and I liked it. He had a calming presence about him, and it helped lessen the burning fire inside of me.

“I believe you,” I said.

He smiled back at me as he heard my words. Then we turned to look at the beautiful sight before us for a little while.

“You lost hope, didn’t you?”

I looked at Rathilion, confused, but he did not look at him. A darker look had settled on his face.

“You believe them to be dead?”

“How can I believe otherwise? It has been too long.”

“A war is not won in ten days.”

“Ashes wasn’t going to war. He was going to get those we had to leave behind,” I said sadly.

“A war is coming. You know that.”

I slowly shook my head.

“Not necessarily.”

He finally looked at me, but his eyes told me I was fooling myself.

“Do you not wish to gain back what you lost? You humans have a certain saying … what was it now … Oh yes, an eye for an eye.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and turned away. I felt the fire roar inside of me as I walked away from the flower field. I could feel him following me, but I did not turn around until we were away from the beautiful little deer family.

“How dare you!” I finally said. “You think that is all we do? Warring. Fighting when people wrong us? You think all we desire is revenge?”

“You and dragons are not that different. Why there has always been bad blood between the two species,” he said calmly.

I shook my head. He knew nothing.

“We do not like war. We do not like blood. An eye for an eye was said by someone eaten up by their pain, but we have had peace for a long time now with the dragons, and now we are finally joined as one. Just because we fight for what we believe in does not mean we like it. The warring. The anger, and it does not mean there will be a war. If Ashes come back, we will not go for the throne. We just want our friends and family back.”

“You think he believes that too?” he asked.

“He knows we do not have an army. What war would he be fighting?”

Rathilion did not answer me, but I could see my words held no real meaning. He had made his mind up about the dragon I had married. He even seemed to have made his mind up about me. We liked the fire, and we enjoyed seeing people burn. I shook my head at the thought. I didn’t want to see people burn. I didn’t want to see anyone hurt. I just wanted my family back. I couldn’t care less about the throne everyone else was willing to kill for.

I turned away, ready to go back, when he called out to me again,

“Laelia.”

I sighed and looked over my shoulder so I could see him again.

“Be careful of the fire in you. It's powerful … and I don’t believe you know just how much power you hold.”

I didn’t comment. I just turned away, ready to head back, when suddenly there was the sound of a horn echoing in the woods. Rathilion walked up to me, his eyes scanning the now quiet woods, looking almost worried.

“What?” I asked.

He didn’t say anything, but started to run, and I quickly followed. We found our way back quickly, ran through the palace and came out on the other side, just as we saw the gate open. Liam, Libelle, Kayda and the king and queen stood there close to the entrance to the palace waiting. They all looked worried, as the person on the other side appeared, but we could not see who it was. Though the guards would not have let the person inside, was it someone with bad intentions? A horse came galloping towards us, and I saw as it came closer, the person behind it was slumped over its back, barely holding on.

“Who is it?” I asked.

Liam stepped forward, ready to calm the horse, who was clearly too scared by the strange weight on its back … or maybe something had been following them. It stopped right in front of Liam, who held up his hands and spoke calmly to it. It breathed out hard, its nostrils flaring, and two lines of steam showed in front of it. We all stood there waiting to see who had come. I got too impatient and walked towards Liam and the horse, and that was when I saw it.

“Samuel!”

I ran towards the side where he was almost falling off, holding him. Liam held onto the horse’s reins as he came beside me.

“Samuel!” I said again, pushing his head up so I could look at him.

He looked horrible. Blood and sweat covered his face and the side of his arm. He had been cut. Deeply, and an arrow was sticking out of the other side of his back.

“Samuel, can you hear me?”

He groaned and lifted his head, his eyes having a hard time concentrating.

“Laelia,” he whispered.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“They got them …”

It was all he got a chance to say before he lost consciousness and fell towards us. Liam was quickly there, helping me carry him. Rathilion came to our aid too, helping us get Samuel inside.