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Chapter 104
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2025-03-10 23:29:30
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My little Dragon Queen Chapter 105
Human nature, she finds, has a surprising capacity for selfish disregard.Even though she knows, now, that there is a high likelihood that Stella is as guiltless as anyone else can be, when bound by the lives of all those she holds dear, there is still that singular brand of deep-seated fury, simmering gently in Alcina's chest.The one that demands payment and retribution, for all that Brandon has suffered; for that all-consuming sense of loss that haunts Alcina, even now, as her fingers twitch with the phantom sensation of having her most precious person violently torn from her hands.Brandon watches silently as Alcina withdraws into herself, expression closed off and hands curled tightly."Then let us reconvene in an hour for our departure," Alfred suggests, leading Nordin out of the room first.Darla and Percy are next to leave, though not without Darla sending Alcina a smile of wicked approval over her shoulder.When it is just Brandon and Alcina remaining, Brandon turns to face Al
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15My little Dragon Queen Chapter 106
Alfred's intel leads them to a desert in the middle of nowhere.Given the Southern Terraces' general landscape, such a landscape should not have existed at all, amid the lush greenery that typically sprawls throughout the land. But here, as far as the eye can see, not a single shred of life grows, the ground dry and cracked with dust and nothing more.The dragons land with twin thumps, and their passengers' eyes are already roving over the emptiness.That is the only word that could be used to describe the sight: empty.Devoid of anything; including, above all else, life.Only after stepping unsteadily onto the ground, does Alcina finally manage to catch the faint outlines of buildings. They are all in shambles, torn down to the brick foundations, as though a massive force had run through them, hard enough to shock the very ground."Lord Cedric's Gift," Alfred murmurs faintly, as though thinking aloud, as his eyes run over the destruction.Alcina's brows furrow as she takes it all in,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-16My little Dragon Queen Chapter 107
Lincoln stands when a shadow appears at the doors of the cell.Brandon stands before him, solemn like a ghostly specter, expression even stiffer than it ordinarily is. He has only now managed to slip away from Alcina's side after the girl had spent hours trembling as though she may never be warm again; after she had spent another several hours still, falling into a fitful slumber.Brandon fears that there, in her dreams, Alcina will only find more horror awaiting her. It is not the first time that he has felt so powerless when it comes to those nightmares that make up his entire domain by birthright, for Brandon.His teeth are grit together, now, in a display of fury that Lincoln has rarely seen on the lord."So it was true," Lincoln murmurs quietly.Behind him, Stella hangs utterly still from where she is, shackled to the wall. She is unconscious, now, exhaustion having overtaken her at long last.Brandon's eyes flicker to their prisoner. "But that only makes her a greater risk," he
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17My little Dragon Queen Chapter 108
While all palaces have some manner of architectural aspects in common - that of ornate finery and opulence - each kingdom's castle has been known to bear its own unique markers to distinguish it from the others.The Heartlands, for instance, had been crafted in the singular image of grace and grandeur. Pristine white brickwork, interspersed with gorgeous stained glass artwork commissioned from only the most talented artists throughout the land; surrounded with blooming, vivid roses - the crown jewel of Duchess Clair's pride - and gleaming stone fountains.The palace stands as a point of pride for the most proud of noble houses, as a symbol of all that wealth and prosperity experienced by the kingdom.The Western Plains' palace, in contrast, is far more utilitarian. Built to be grand, yes, but specifically in a manner that belies its military strength; with far fewer frills than the Heartlands' palace, replaced instead with hulking towers and heavy walls to withstand even the harshest
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-18My little Dragon Queen Chapter 109
The palace of the Western Plains declares a celebratory ball, to take place at the week's end.It will be thrown in conjunction with Houses Walton and Clair, the lords of which will be present for the festivities. It is announced across all three kingdoms - and, effectively, to The Ethereal Isles at large - that it is to mark their freedom from the Red Throne's influence.Such news, of course, is met with wildly varying reception; from joy, to disapproval, to, in some small pockets, wild outrage.But such worries are for another day.For now, the three Houses have agreed, that it is important to honor those small causes for celebration wherever possible, in times as torrid as these.Alcina, for one, finds that her mood has, indeed, been lifted in the wake of the news.It feels a bit as though the sun might be dawning on a dark horizon, now, to know that there is a celebratory ball coming; not necessarily for the frivolities of the party itself, but simply that an excitement has seized
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-19My little Dragon Queen Chapter 110
“So you all will stand there, and pretend to be morally superior to Duke Albrecht, and yet all you seek is to use my Gift for yourselves-”Lincoln rolls his eyes with a loud sigh.It is so abrasive and strangely casual, that Stella falls silent, staring in bewilderment at the commander, who now has his hands planted on his hips. “You are just a sulky little thing, aren’t you?” Lincoln accuses, and Stella’s jaw drops.A vaguely strangled noise tears its way out of her throat, along with indignation.“I never said you would be forced to join the ranks,” Lincoln clucks his tongue. “I simply said it was an option, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”“You can be Lady Alcina’s maidservant, for all I care,” Lincoln rolls his eyes at her again, and Stella makes an indignant sound in her throat.He steps forward to reach for the shackles on Stella’s left wrist, first and releases it. Stella brings her wrist cradled to her chest, glaring balefully at Lincoln.Lincoln gives her an entirely
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-20My little Dragon Queen Chapter 111
House Warner hosts a ball under the guise of a celebration of the kingdom's newly declared independence from the Red Throne. From House Clair, are Lords Alfred and Nordin in attendance; and from House Walton, Duke Percy, and Lady Darla.The air is strange.It is, at once, stilted and celebratory, as though the attendees have not yet decided how they wish to feel about the matter of it all.There are noble attendees in full, blithe cheer, as though the declaration of independence has conclusively ended any prospect of war looming on the horizon.There are others, however - those who are better informed as to the state of affairs - who are more reserved in their gaiety, smiles tempered with a strained, forced edge.But nonetheless, it is a ball, and one that is hosted with all the usual opulence and lavish beauty of the blue-blooded gentry.Most importantly: there is dancing.There is a live orchestral ensemble on a raised platform, providing a lilting melodic backdrop to the festivitie
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-21My little Dragon Queen Chapter 112
Stella still wakes up in a cold sweat, sometimes. Or All the time.She’s never had the luxury of a soft bed beneath her to fall asleep to; has never had an entire bedroom to herself, never had working heating to keep her warm through the nights. She’s only ever known the harsh realities of slumber when there isn’t an imminent danger, having learnt - at the tender age of only thirteen - how to sleep with one eye open.But now, she has a room. Because, as it would imply, she is to have free time.With Duke Albrecht, she'd never needed a room, because she'd never had any time that wasn't actively spent pursuing whatever commands Duke Albrecht had issued.She has a room of her own, larger than any space she'd ever really called hers, tucked safely into the wing reserved for the servants' quarters.They have yet to assign her to a particular job, but Commander Lincoln - who seems to have become her de facto overseer - has told her that she is free to take all the time she desires, in plann
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22
Bab terbaru
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 121
That afternoon, Alcina takes off for the Heartlands with Perseus to inform her family of House Warners’s decision, while Brandon remains behind to see Percy and Darla off.When Brandon makes his intentions known to the soon-departing lords of the Ranges, there’s hardly a pause before Percy shrugs.“Very well, then.”Brandon raises a brow. “Is that all?”Darla grins, razor-sharp and vicious. “I’ve wanted to gut those pathetic vermin for a while now,” she says as she stretches her neck, languid and incredibly dangerous.Conversational. “Ever since they reared their stupid heads and tried to act like lions instead of the prey that they are.”Ever since they managed to escape unscathed from the massacre of the wedding at the Heartlands, Darla’s been unsettled. Like a shark that smelt blood in the water, only to have lost its prey.Darla has the kind of bloodlust that won’t settle until she’s standing above the carcasses of her chosen prey.Percy merely smiles, as warm as an indulgent love
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 120
They say that Captain Lincoln of the Western Plains’ military is a man unmatched, for he carries with him the favor of the goddess of victory, herself.Stella thinks they might be mistaken.For watching him now - watching the way he leaps into battle with nothing but a sword and his gleaming armor, having stepped down from his steed because he does not wish to risk harm to his horse makes Stella think-He is the god.Stella wishes to never fight another day in her life and has loathed fighting and everything it means and entails, but even she cannot deny that Captain Lincoln in battle is nothing short of mesmerizing.What a frightening man, to make something that Stella loathes like no other, into something- strangely beautiful.Even as the other men under Lincoln’s command have charged in to engage the others in combat, Lincoln remains at the front lines of the conflict, a dancing hurricane flitting across the ground to leave devastation in its wake.He takes on two, three, five, eve
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 119
A figure has come to stand beside her, tall and broad and armor gleaming under the moonlight, white teeth sparkling in a roguish grin-“Commander?”It cannot be.But it is.Commander Lincoln stands before her with all the casual grace of a man out for a stroll, confidence is as alien as it is captivating on the shoulders of a person who stands on a battlefield and yet still somehow manages to look as though he is at home.Stella gapes at him.Lincoln smiles.“What- wh- what are, what are you-““The cavalry has arrived,” Lincoln announces grandly, cheerfully. Always so bloody incomprehensibly cheerful, how-“What?”Lincoln’s smile turns just an edge softer, for just a moment. He tilts his head backwards, and Stella swivels her head, only to choke at the sight of- of soldiers, several hundred of them, bearing the glorious banner of the Western Plains-Stella’s wide eyes must betray her stupor, for Lincoln drops gracefully to a single knee beside her.Stella’s stupor turns into a stilted
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 118
“And where were you, when this intruder managed to slip past our defenses?” Brandon drawls.“Sinking the edge of my blade into his stomach, my lord,” Lincoln replies.They share a grim smile.“I only regret that I could not do so sooner, before he had killed the serving girl,” Lincoln sighs. At that, Brandon’s expression darkens.Alcina had been near catatonic with grief.Ridiculous, in some ways, that a princess should have grown so attached to her servant that she’d mourn Mary’s death like so. But that ridiculous heart is Brandon’s.They’ve hurt what belongs to the Shadowed Beast, and penance will be forcibly wrenched by payment in blood.“They’d likely been searching for Alcina,” Lincoln says. “Or at least, any viable intelligence on her command of the dragons.”“Yes.” Brandon has been made all too well aware of Duke Albrecht’s interest in the dragons. An interest that had spanned years before Alcina’s ever came into the world, if that dilapidated fortress were any indicator.For h
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 117
Brandon emerges from their shared bedroom with keen intent in every step, cloak swirling behind him. Alcina remains in their room, curled along the window seat, Orion’s quiet rumbles bringing her whatever semblance of peace is possible.He pins a standing guard with a raised brow. “And where, pray tell,” he says. “Is Commander Lincoln?”The answer makes Brandon’s brow curve higher and higher on his forehead.* * * * * * * * * *Long before he becomes Commander Lincoln, the man they whisper to be graced by the goddess of victory, the man who leads the greatest military force in all the land to nothing but absolute triumph and glory, Lincoln was just a Lin, a penniless street urchin who’d grow up in an orphanage that had too many mouths to feed and too few beds.It’s been a long time since Lincoln was that skinny, trembling boy in rags with dirt smeared across his cheeks and an aching in his belly; a long time since he’s tasted anything but the sweet, euphoric taste of victory and iron
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 116
With a bloodthirsty vengeance perched on her shoulder in glittering hues of ruby red, Lady Alcina arrives back at the Western Plains to find the castle sunk deep in discord.Although nothing looks to be amiss, it is undeniable in the very tension that permeates the air, that something is wrong.As the two of them enter through the main doors, Alcina can see the flicker of trepidation in the gazes of every guard and attendant who welcomes them back home.Something has happened.“Brandon,” Alcina murmurs, and feels the weight of her husband’s hand pressed against her back in response.“I know,” Brandon says. He too has sensed the unease.Even Lincoln - who ordinarily would be the first to greet Brandon upon his return from any excursion - is glaringly absent.The party has long ended and the lavishly dressed throngs of attendees have long since waltzed out of the castle doors to their own homes. It isn’t odd, then, for the castle to be so quiet, given the circumstances.What is odd, how
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 115
The iron shackles laying at their feet, massive and heavy and bolted to the floor with chains so great that even in their rusted state, have not deteriorated in strength, were clearly once used to contain a beast of unimaginable size and power.A beast terrible - and fearsome - enough, to have warranted such an egregious means of constraint.Alcina’s hands - those gentle, kind things, soft to the touch for how few hardships they’d ever seen, so tender that they’d blistered and bled when she first began to take up swordplay, unused as they were to adversity - curl into fists, still resting against the ivory.Brandon watches as they curl so tightly that he fears Alcina’s nails may draw blood on her own palms, shaking - not with fear, but anger.That is when something new catches Brandon’s eye.Something that catches one of the scant few rays of light, flitting in from the broken doorway.Something that looks like a massive jewel, curved vaguely in the shape of an egg.Something nestled
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 114
Mary catches them just as Perseus dips his head low for Alcina to climb aboard.From beside him, Orion paws at the ground with an irritated snort, displeased at being left behind. But with Perseus’s darker scales, Alcina had thought it would grant them a far better chance at going unnoticed at all, in the inky blackness of the night.“My Lady!”Alcina turns, just in time to see Mary run up to her, her breaths visible in foggy clouds in the night chill. In her arms is a dark bundle, revealed to be one of Alcina’s warm cloaks, lined with fur. Mary heaves for air as Alcina turns to fully face her, having evidently run the entire way from the palace.“My Lady,” Mary says breathlessly, expression lined with worry as she holds up the cloak. “You cannot simply take off into the night without even a cloak,” she says, edging close to a reprimand.Even as that pull pounds with a vengeance in Alcina’s chest still, ever stronger now that she’s recognized the call for what it is, Alcina can’t help
My little Dragon Queen Chapter 113
Alcina catches Nordin's eye from across the room, and though her brothers are unable to extricate themselves from the political small talk they are caught in, they send her a warm smile nonetheless.She beams back, and something in Nordin's smile softens, ever so slightly, at the sight of the sheer happiness the Lord of House Warner has managed to put on their sister's lips.When Brandon had suddenly declared a ball at the week's end, he and Alfred had shared a momentarily skeptical look. But then, Alfred's eyes had dawned with recognition, and he'd stifled a quiet laugh into his hand. Had, as Nordin demanded what was so funny, explained-It would seem that the great beast is entirely bewitched by our willful little sister.And Nordin had felt his own lips twitch into a helpless smile in turn, at the frankly ridiculous lengths it would seem the Lord was willing to go to if it would bring a smile on their little sister's lips in such dire times.Brandon leans down to ask if Alcina woul
