The Dragon's Call

Chapter 8

-Ashes-

I had never imagined the northern princess would look so good in clothes worn by the women in the South, but when she came out of the tent, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She shouldn’t be this breathtaking, and I tried to ignore the beautiful sight. It was suddenly not hard to understand why she was known as the northern beauty, even in the South, there were tales of her. Suddenly, I was glad she would be wearing nothing but stolas and never be seen in such a hideous wedding dress, which I was quick to throw in the fire.

When the princess asked me if she couldn’t ride alone, I didn’t really believe she would try to run away. Where would the little princess go, where we couldn’t find her? The North now belonged to the dragons, but I still refused her a horse and put her in front of me, holding her close, and feeling her soft and curvy body pressed close to mine. I tried to ignore the sweet flowery smell, even after a day’s travel and a bloody wedding night, it was still very strong, and right in my nose. It got even harder to ignore it every time the wind blew by.

“How long will it take us to reach The Golden City?” she suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

“Nine days, if we keep up this pace.”

“Nine days I’m trapped on a horse and in a tent with you?!”

I couldn’t help but smile at her feisty behavior. I had always imagined her to be submissive and quiet, like all the other princesses I had met, but this one was as strong and hard as the northern cold. She did not show any kindness or mercy towards those who made her angry.

“Where exactly do you expect to go after we reach the city?” I asked her, wondering if she hadn’t figured out by now why my father wanted her brought to the South.

“I don’t know. In a prison cell? On the street like a commoner?”

I sighed, shaking my head slightly at her. She was a smart one, yet she hadn’t figured it out. She definitely had not been taught about strategic warfare.

“No. Not in a cell nor on the street,” I told her, seeing my older brother Sirrush and Blaze look back at us.

Clearly, they must have heard the disrespect and sarcasm in the princess’s voice and wondered why I had not yet put her in her place. I did want to. I was not used to people speaking in such a way to me, but for some reason I kept quiet.

“Then where?!”

I sighed again. The princess was really impatient. Had no one taught her to be quiet and wait for the person to answer her? She was very wild, indeed. Maybe it was time I taught her a thing or two.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

She turned her upper body around, narrowing her eyes and giving me her best angry stare, but I just met her eyes calmly. Perhaps other people from the North found her frightening, but I didn’t. The little princess was only that by name, and she no longer had any guards, brothers or father to protect her anymore. She wasn’t very scary.

“Be patient, princess.”

She just shook her head lightly before turning away.

-Laelia-

Nine days, I was trapped with the arrogant and evil prince Ashes. Nine days! We didn’t speak much, and every day I begged him to let me ride on my own, but that was out of the question. I asked if I could walk with my people, who they had brought with them to serve them. I would much rather spend time with them, than being with him and his evil brothers that I had learned were named Blaze and Sirrush, both older than Ashes, but I wasn’t allowed to do that either. I slept on the awful ground for nine days as well and didn’t eat a lot. I couldn’t, knowing how my people suffered, and the constant wondering what was going to happen to them and me.

Now that we had finally arrived at the Golden City’s gate, I would get my answer,s but as we neared them, I got more afraid of them. All these days I had been wondering, and now I was afraid of the answers… I didn’t want any of them to get hurt.

The gates were huge and golden. The walls were white and so tall it looked like they were reaching the sky. On the gates there were two big golden dragons spewing fire towards each other. It was quite amazing artwork, and weren’t my circumstances so terrible, I could have enjoyed the work. Even as we entered, it was quite magnificent. The lower part of town was dirty, muddy, the houses close together, but built on top of each other so more people could live in them. The buildings were as tall as the walls outside the city and turned brighter and nicer the further into the city we got. I had never seen anything like it.

People were leaning out of their windows waving and whistling and cheering for their victorious princes. There were even some women pulling down their dresses for them, showing, very obviously, their breasts, while cheering for them and their soldiers. I quickly looked away from the sight and tried to focus on the road ahead. The mud had turned into fine white stones, and the road turned even wider, until we got to another big gate, with the two dragons now standing as statues on each side, spewing fire into the air. The gate opened and the most amazing palace came into view. It was so big its shadow covered half of the big white courtyard and the big marble staircase that led up to the palace. I had no idea how many people it could inhabit, but it was so much bigger than my father’s castle and the connecting city, combined!

“My sons!”

I saw an older man, looking similar to the princes. He had more grey hair than black, and beside him stood a beautiful woman with the most golden hair I had ever seen. It was like the sun. She shared similarities with the princes as well, and I could only assume she was their mother, though she looked a lot younger than the man beside her. She wore a very bright red stola and their father was wearing a white toga.

Blaze and Sirrush were quickly at their parent’s sides, but Ashes was still helping me down from the horse. Just as he had swung his leg over the horse and landed on the ground, a young boy with black hair came running over to him. He was about ten, I guessed. He threw himself into Ashes’s arms, who caught him easily and lifted him up.

“You’re back!” he said happily.

Was this Ashes’s son? I wondered, as I looked at the boy, who looked almost like his twin, except for the hair. He even had the same yellow eyes. Ashes walked over to his parents before he put the boy down and greeted both of them. A handshake for his father and a small hug for his mother.

“Ladon really missed you,” his mother said.

“Just like father, Ashes is my favorite,” the brother said cheerfully, as he stood by his mother's side.

They all chuckled at the boy’s comment, but it seemed tense as if there was more hidden beneath the layers.

“Father,” Ashes said and turned around to face me, “the northern princess.”

All eyes turned to me. F*ck. This was it. I was finally facing the king of dragons, and the one who ordered the attack on my family. My hatred and anger grew the longer I watched the king. He had taken so much from me.

“Princess Laelia, welcome,” the king said as he nodded slightly. “Do come closer.”

My jaw was pressed hard together as I walked over to King Acheron, so he could get a good look at me. It was hard to look him in the eyes at the beginning, but slowly my own rose from the ground, meeting his strong yellow ones with my own green.

“The rumors do not do you justice,” he said and smiled as if he was speaking to a friend. “You are even more beautiful in person.”

I wanted to tell him to go shove that disgusting comment where the sun doesn’t shine, but unfortunately, this man decided not just my fate, but my people’s as well. So, I tried a little smile, before nodding once as a thanks. It was all I could muster.

“Come, you must be tired. Let’s find you a room.”

I looked at the king feeling surprised. I was going to stay here?! I turned to look at Ashes, but he was already walking up the stairs with his brother Ladon. I quickly followed the king, still wondering where all this was leading.