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019: Oaths and Alliances
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 020: Sunburst
[Carnelia] We return to the surface in a blink, taking our final forms and flashing to the surface as insubstantial beings of air and light. I say my farewells and promise to find him later tonight to continue our discussion.My mind is still swirling as I readjust to being solid again. Returning from my fourth form to my second still feels a bit disconcerting--I don’t think it will ever feel natural to me because it involves too much faith. But at least now I know that once I’ve gone insubstantial, I can go back to being me again and not have to worry about becoming one with the universe forever. Ona tried to assure me that it is in the nature of our kind to want to be substantial, to take up as much space as we can. The first of our kind found their solid forms here on this planet, the fourth being their more natural state because the world we inhabit demands it of us. But how can I trust the word of a drakaina who has never transformed into a more transient version of herself? I
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 021: Fallen Star
[Carnelia] Primus. Red ribbons of blood stream from his neck as he rapidly descends from the dais, his white tunic fluttering around him like broken wings. "Shift, damn it!" I shout as I run forward, clawing my way through the crowd. "Primus!" Maybe it is because my heart is beating so rapidly that in comparison it seems like the world is slowing down around me as I continue to rush forward. Everyone seems to stop as I focus on my falling mate. These next few seconds are critical. If he hits bottom, Primus will not survive the fall--it is a great height and he is already injured. He will die, but his suffering at the hands of the Luxandrian queen will finally come to an end. If I catch him and keep him safe, he will live but also suffer--because I am already watching him suffer, and if he is also injured and weak, his suffering will likely be greater, because he will no longer have the strength or will to fight back. I can not watch him fall. I refuse to let him die. Even i
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 022: The Body Royal
[Eleanora] Not again. Dear gods, not again. As Primus, my last chance mate, falls beneath me, my clutch begins to tear free. These eggs are only 2 months old--far too soon to be laid. But I know the signs. I feel the tell-tell sensation of them ripping away from me, the pressure to bear down and push them from my body greater than my need to hold onto them. Again my body fails me. Despite the Technician's assurances that any seed would be good enough to strengthen my clutch, again I feel their warmth slipping from me. The first time this happened, was when I watched my beloved husband suffer after the fall of his brother. We were able to extract a sample from him and using the tools we salvaged from our private facility, impregnate me again before anyone could be the wiser. But this is my fourth clutch. As it is now, my hold on the senior court is based solely on my ability to produce a royal heir to guide me into a new glory for Luxandra. They don't care which brother is the fat
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 023: Traitor to The Crown
[Carnelia] "Get your mother," I shout at Orion just before the guards silence me, taking away my breath and my words. Strong arms lift me, keeping my body from hitting the ground, as I pass out in their arms from lack of oxygen. When I wake, I am locked in a cold, stone room in a part of the castle that feels like a familiar nightmare. It does have some comforts, like cushions and a window, so I guess I should be grateful, although I'm sure these luxuries were only afforded to me so that if Queen Eleanora were asked to defend her acts before the High Council she could say in all honesty that I was "given the comfort and dignity required for my station." She seems to be the type who cares more about optics than she does about truth. It doesn't matter what is happening in reality as long as everything looks to be good and proper on the surface. There are bars on the windows to keep me from finding a way out, but none on the door. They don't need to. The door doesn't exist. This place
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 024: By Any Means Necessary
[Carnelia]There is a monster in the room. Something so dark and twisted and strange my brain cannot understand it. It walks on two legs, but the legs move unnaturally and make a weird whirling sound with every step. It has two arms, but they seem disproportionately short compared to the rest of the body. It has a hunched-over back but seems to be looking from up high.And when it speaks, it sounds like something from a nightmare of some place dead and hollow."Let's get her hooked up and into the tub," it said as soon as it saw me standing there, next to Primus' prone, injured form. The creature and its assisting soldiers do not care that my body is frozen in shock, mortified as I see what they have done to my poor husband's body. It doesn't try to help me understand before it starts the procedure. A guard is instructed to hold me down while another places this strange contraption of wires and tubes over my mouth. My eyes widen in pain as they continue to insert tubes with no warning
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 025: The Bard
[Primus]My father never approved of my love of music. I was born to be a lord, not a bard.My mother had different ideas for her sons, thankfully, and allowed me my indulgence. Since Father was often away, dealing with diplomatic issues, I didn't have to worry about his thoughts on the matter. I could be whomever I wanted as long as he was away.But then one night he came home with a marriage proposal. My bride was to arrive in two months' time, he told me, and I was to become a proper lord before then. When the guards came and burned all of my music, broke my lute, and took away my books, I was resigned to my fate. I spent the next month miserable as I learned how to lead, fight, and be everything my father needed in his oldest son."Let your brother take the title," my mother would urge. "He is better suited to it and wants it more. Or let your sister and her husband have it. She already has two heirs who can pass along the family name. Let the crest of the House Majere lay on their
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 026: Unwanted Attention
[Carnelia] To the casual outside observer, Emerald Cove is a raucous place that never sleeps--especially on a festival day when the streets are crowded with visitors. Lords and ladies, thieves and concubines, traverse side by side, enjoying the tastes and sights of a town taken over by debaucherous frivolity. On days like this, it is not unusual to find a man stripped of his dignity with a smile from ear to ear lying in a pool of his own shame. In other words, the people of Emerald Cove love a good party. Unfortunately, during the summer almost every day is a festival day. And for us poor individuals who live and work here every day, these days are absolute drudgery. Nobody works harder on a festival than a member of the Barmaster’s Guild. "Hey wench," a drunkard Lord something or the other, motions for me to come fill his tankard. I pretend not to hear him, not liking the tone of his voice nor the way he leers as he tries to catch my eye but instead finds his gaze falling on my
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 027: Debts and Honor
[Carnelia]Whether I meet this stranger in the room upstairs is not a choice. Guildmaster Jove made sure that point was quite clear before I even opened my mouth to argue.When I informed him that I did not "have a nice dress" because he "doesn't pay more than a shitty shilling" for my time, he produced something out of a dusty trunk that made my nose twitch and my eyes water.It was hideous.He didn't care what I thought about it, "damn thing cost me 50 pieces of gold."He probably got it off the back of a cart.It took three people to get me into the damn thing. I didn't know how he expected the gentleman to get the dress off of me until he showed me how easy it was to unhook the front."But how will I get back into it," I questioned as they pulled the corset strings tighter."You'll figure something out," he smirked. "You're a clever girl."Then one of the fancy girls, the type used to doing this kind of thing, came to me and began applying all sorts of cosmetics to my face. It fel
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Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 086: The Wanderer
[Primus]Her face haunts me in my dreams. My beautiful wife. I can't stop thinking of our last evening together when we finally reconnected and pledged to do whatever we must do to stay together.But she isn't here with me and I can't find her. The way to Elfholm is a mystery as no traveler who has encountered the elves remembers where. The illusions are so thick that they often lose themselves. It seems that the harder I search for her, the more difficult it becomes.Fate can be brutal. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how honorable or just, fate doesn't care. A king can be brought to his knees by it's whim. Carnelia is not with me but when I close my eyes, It's almost as if I can feel her in my arms again. Carnelia. My sweet and wonderful mate. It has been two weeks since I last held her. Two weeks since I heard I saw her through a film of darkness.She was so brave. So strong. But I can feel her pain. She needs me more than ever. Whoever has her, they are treating her cruelly.
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 085: Love and War
[Kora]I tried to call the Celestial Kingdom using the shared communications devices between our two countries. I wanted to update them on Orion's situation, to ask for aid and counsel. Elfholm has stopped sending messages demanding my presence at their Moon Council. I have tried sending my messages only to find my signals blocked.The False Queen demands my presence at Skyfall. With each refusal, she sends me a new piece of my love. At first, it was just a bit of hair, an article of clothing to remind me of his fragile situation.But it has been weeks.So now it has become talons and horns, fangs and scales.How long do I have before it is fingers and toes? His arm? His manhood?I am tired of being stuck here. I am tired of waiting.My father kept many labs. He was an anxious sort, very suspicious, and tended to over-plan. I can appreciate this about him as these are traits the two of us share. The colossus at my castle was not the only one, and while I am tempted to take this other
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 084: Shards
[Ona]She didn't warn us. She hardly even said goodbye. She looked at us with such sad eyes as she swept her hand upwards and we became encased within a sphere of darkness."I am so sorry..." Her last words faded and distorted as my brother screamed her name, screamed for her to stop.But she couldn't hear him.I held my little brother close while the darkness swept our little family, our remaining guards and nurses, up and out of Elfholm to Luxandra above.Freedom. She sacrificed herself for freedom.When the inky darkness receded, we were only footsteps away from the Eastern Gate in the Realm of Air, close to the home duchy of Eleanora the False Queen. Carnelia used her newly developed abilities to phase our entire number across a vast amount of space.Not even the Elf King himself was able to move us all so far so quickly.What is she becoming now that she is growing up into her power?"We need to get moving," I try to urge my brother, who has fallen to his knees, his hands reaching
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 083: Moonspeaker
[Carnelia]"I refuse," I hold my head high. "Allies do not treat one another like prisoners. If you wanted my help, you should have asked rather than chain me to this realm.""We're sorry, Your Majesty, but we feel it is necessary with your history to keep you contained. It is for your safety as well as the safety of all gathered here," an elderly drake steps forward, the starflower jasmine glowing blue throughout his long tendrils of hair."It took three of us to bring you back from the shadows when you unleashed your small nightmare," he explains. "We must keep you powerless or risk your wrath. We know the pull of a mother to her children. Why did you try to flee? You are safe here?""Why would any mother feel a need to leave quickly with her children and family--fear for their safety." I glare directly at my uncle. "As you say, I am too powerful. If someone were to threaten their lives," I refuse to remove my eyes from my uncle, who matches my gaze with his steely hardness, "I might
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 082: Torn
[Carnelia]The darkness takes me again, but this time, I have learned how to navigate it. The seemingly limitless void takes on shape and form. If I can find my anchor, I can find my way.Remembering the last time the shadows tried to take me, and how I used the shadows to take me to Primus instead, I focus on his voice, his scent, and the way I feel in his arms. He will be my anchor, my mate.The darkness slowly recedes and the silence is replaced with the sounds of my children crying as Primus calls my name."Oh gods, Carnelia," he weeps along with our babies as his hands grasp mine.Looking up, I see a dark, unnatural cloud looming just above the exit to Elfholm. Thalan doesn't plan to let any of us escape after all. I thought my uncle had at least a little bit of honor, but if I think about it, I can see the advantage of keeping us here. Ona and Primus he might let go, but me, my babies--we're his blood. His brother's legacy. Had I been born powerless, he might have let me go, but
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 081: Homebound
[Carnelia] Ona and I began to make plans immediately. We would all leave under the guise of returning Ona and ensuring her safety. Because our children are so very young, we would be taking them with us as well. Once returned, we'd close the gates again. As far as we understand, the Moon Dragons cannot phase into the Celestial Kingdom. The only way to get to the Celestial Kingdom without the gates being opened is by using a 4th form. Yes, the Moon Dragons have a 4th form, but that doesn't mean they'd just be able to enter the Celestial Kingdom without resistance. There are other defenses in place as well. They'd have to bring an entire army of Moon Dragons. And there is no reason great enough for the Moon Council to approve such an open act of war against fellow Celestials. The plan wasn't bad for one cobbled together from excuses, driven by hunches and fear. Elfholm isn't safe for our family any more, not with the Elf King so determined to keep me here. A drake like him wouldn't
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 080: The Queen's Knight
[Athony] The universe can be cruel. Sometimes the mate she chooses for you is a dream. Sometimes she is your nightmare. Often she is both. Eleanora keeps me around because I am useful. She is very stubborn with a willpower of steel--excellent qualities in a queen, but terrible ones in a mate. But she is loyal to those she finds useful. Why else would she still keep Segundus' corpse rotting in a vat of amber fluid? We thought it had been lost to the fire, but the universe isn't just cruel but capricious. She saw fit in her infinite wisdom to hide his corpse below several layers of earth, down a long lost tunnel leading to tracks that go to the sea. We found it a moon cycle earlier, and the joy in Eleanora's eyes was only overshadowed by her smile of victory. "We must have the Technician," she insists. "When that beast is in our grasp, we will win this battle and reclaim our rightful places." "You deserve to be Queen of us all," I bowed before her. As she touched my shoulder to r
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 079: Broods and Bonds
[Carnelia] "Primus" Moving as a shadow I find myself by my mate's side. I became the shadow. My husband is curled up in the nest with our children, snuggly resting by their side, lending them his warmth and protection, but as soon as he senses me in the room, his eyes snap open, glowing green like fresh leaves. "Carnelia."He slowly untangles himself from our brood, and I want to smile at the sweetness of it all but I'm terrified. Not only by what I just heard from my uncle but by what I might become. A creature of shadow. A creature of the void. "You came back to me," he cups my face as he brings himself closer, touching me tentatively like I might turn into vapor and disappear. For all he knows I might, I hurt his heart when I walked away. "I will always come back," I wrap my arms around him, taking pleasure in his solid strength. I need him to anchor me. Without him and our children, I might float away, becoming darkness. I need this. Breathing him in deeply, his warmth comf
Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince 078: The Shadow Walker
[Carnelia] The shadows call me now. I'm no longer alone when I leave the light. "A consequence of spending too much time too close to the void," Thalan explains as we turn the corner. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to hear them. Had I known you were a universal dragon sooner, I'd have pulled you from the dream immediately, even at the risk of your mind." We pause by a dark window. Everyone is asleep or close to it now. I left Primus with our children. I long to return to them and to reassure my mate that I will not leave him. I don't know how we are going to make this work. My heart is torn in two. But one thing I've never been more certain of is the importance of our little family. Even if I have to burn this world and forge another from its ashes, I'll find a way for Primus and I to rule together in peace. "The void," my words echo as it bounces along the crystal-covered cavern walls. "You keep mentioning this void, but I saw only Primus' dream." "Then how did
