The Brave Mate of The Unknown

Chapter Four: Surprises at Every Corner

I was going with Mom and Dad on our weekly walk, we’d walk, have a picnic and even ride on Dad to finish the day off. It was nice, we had so much fun together. It was a nice break because I was getting busy, like mommy. During the week I had school EVERY day from 8 am to 2 pm, except on Wednesdays we get out at 12 pm but then I have to learn about princess etiquette , magic history, about our goddesses, the history of our family or other royal stuff until 2 pm. I couldn’t complain too much because public school was my idea. Dad had the weekends off to spend with me, during the week he was able to help Mom rule which means she had a little time to spend with me during the week now. By the time I got home on most weekdays Dad was always done with work.

Saturdays were just the best because it was family day. “Dawn we have something to tell you.” Mom started, she seemed a bit excited to share the news and sat down in the grass but my Dad sat down and pulled her into his lap and she pouted. “Scorch, this is a serious moment.” 

Dad shrugged. “It’s still serious, you can be serious on my lap, go on.” My parents loved each other, it was easy to see, at school some of my friends talked about how there parents fought. I mean we mostly played but sometimes we'd talk about stuff at lunch while we ate, maybe I was lucky.

Mom exhaled. “Dawn, we’re having another baby, you’re gonna be a big sister.” She smiled and Dad rubbed her stomach. "I'm three mon-"   

I gasped and it interrupted her but I didn't let her finish, I just started talking. “You’re having a baby? But why?” 

“Dawn, I’ve always wanted two or three children.” Mom frowned. “I thought you’d want a sibling? That way you’ll have someone to play with?” 

I scoffed. “I’m nine Mom, by the time they can play I’ll be older.” I crossed my arms, maybe I was being selfish but change was scary enough but this meant more then just change. This was going to be a whole other person 

Dad sighed. “Are you upset? Our family is just getting a little bigger.”

I didn’t know how to express what I wanted to say so I ran off, I didn’t realize it but I almost fell off a cliff that I thought was just a hill. My mom used magic to have me be scooped up by a tree before I could fall. “Let me go!” I yelled.

My parents got up and walked to me. “Dawn just tell us what’s so bad about having a sibling?” Mom asked again concerned.

I started to cry. “Because I just started getting more time with you and I don’t want to have to split it!” I cried. “The time I get with you now is good…” 

Dad waved so mom would let the tree release me, I yelped as I fell and Dad started talking. “You’ll get more time, while Mommy is pregnant for the last four months she’ll be with you the whole time, she won’t be working, I will and your Auntie Kylie will come stay with us for those four months to help me with the work so she’ll be around and I won't be constantly working. You’ll be able to spend the summer with all of us.”

I had conflicting emotions now, but that did seem like the best summer ever. I hadn’t seen Auntie Kylie since we visited her on Christmas, a human holiday her husband celebrates for his other god. “But what about after?” I looked up at them with big eyes.

“We’ll be splitting our work up a lot more between the two of us so an equal amount of time so you don’t have to worry.” Mom reassured me. “I promise we’ll spend more time together, not less and if there’s ever a moment where you feel that way tell us and we’ll fix it.”

I felt important to them, I always did, when you’re close with your family I learned you have to make sacrifices, if I wasn’t close with them I wouldn’t care if I got less attention. It’s hard sometimes but I know they have a big responsibility to our kingdom. That’s what Timothy says, he’s a guard who plays with me sometimes when both my parents are busy for a short amount of time. I felt like I was calm now, I took a step behind me because I forgot how close to the edge I was and I fell. I saw the shock on my parents face right before they called my name. 

Dad shifted into his dragon form and dove. I didn’t think he was going to catch me in time, I was terrified. All of the sudden I was flapping wings in my dragon form. I had shifted for the first time. I tried to fly but I  was still falling and could barely get a hang of it but I had landed on my Dad’s back. He caught me. 

He flew back up and landed next to Mom. “Dawn!” My mom climbed up my father and hugged me. “Oh my god, you scared the s**t out of me Dawn!” She was crying, just because of me.

I shifted back into my human form. “I’m okay mom.” 

She kissed me all over my face and I giggled. “You shifted.” She smiled. “It’s a great thing.” 

I smiled. “Yah, just like daddy.” I’d be a little more happy if I hadn't just almost died but it felt amazing.

My mom’s smile seemed a little sad after I said that. “Just time him.” 

Dad flew us around a little and we watched the sunset. 

The next day things were interesting. 

Dad woke me up early in the morning. I moved into a room connected to their room by a door when I was eight since I was getting older but I still wanted to be close and not down the hall. “Dawn, baby wake up.” 

I opened my eyes confused, it was Sunday and we never woke up early on Sundays. “Yes?”

There were only a few times I saw my dad excited, when he had a surprise for me and my mom. Or when he supported us like when I had a recital at school at the end of third year and when Mom was given festivals to celebrate her achievements as Queen. This was one of those excited times, I loved seeing him like that. “I have a surprise for you, I’m taking you somewhere to learn how to properly fly. The surprise is the place.” 

I smiled big, now I was fully awake. “Flying lessons?! Yay!” I jumped out of bed and ran to get ready. 

Once I was ready we left, on the way out of the castle I waved to Timothy. “Timothy I’m learning how to fly today!” I giggled.

Timothy smiled at me. “Have fun Princess, we’re rooting for you.”

Once we got outside I climbed on Daddy’s back in his dragon form and shifted into my dragon form. “I can ride alone now?”

“I don’t see why not, I did at that age and you can shift now if you fall.” He said then took off. It felt so different to ride alone, I felt a lot more all around me. 

We flew for a little while, over the forest in our kingdom, I’ve never traveled so far before. He started going pretty fast but I was holding on tight. I looked down and saw a completely different looking forest with all kinds of creatures. “Dad, look! Daddy are those orcs and goblins?? I learned about them in school!” I giggled.

“Yah there’s a lot of different species out here.” 

My eyes widened when I saw a dragon flying into a cave. “DAD! There’s another dragon!!” I gasped in shock. Went kept flying and it looked like we were in an entirely new kingdom, I had never been to another kingdom before. Everywhere I saw dragons, dragons flying, adults and kids. “Daddy...where are we?” It was so magical even though it lacked actual magic. There was a whole world of dragons I never knew about, no wonder my dad was so excited to show me.

Dad landed and I got off him, he shifted into his dragon form and held my hand. “The Dragon Kingdom, this is where I grew up, I lived here before I met your mother.”