[Tritus] Ona arrived an hour ago. I knew she would eventually. Not that she can change anything, it is already too late. It is too late for all of us. "How could you do it," she screams at me, so angry that even her hair is engulfed in red-hot flames. "Didn't you notice something was different about her?" "I didn't pay much attention, to be honest," I lie. I can't let her know that I gave that girl up seeing what was obvious before my eyes. Something impossible. Somehow that human girl was carrying a clutch. Primus' heirs.
[Primus] The first indication that I am no longer on the Emerald Coast is the lack of ocean. The ocean is a palatable thing, it adds a texture to the air, a sound, a taste. No matter where I am on the coast, I can always hear the sea. The sound of waves hitting the sandy beach and jutting rocks is a soothing balm in the background of my life. I feel lost without the sound. There is nothing like being along the coast, which is one of the reasons I have spent so much of my adult life living there. The second indication I have is the temperature. Wherever I am, the heat is so intense, that my body is both boiling and dry, like a chicken roasted inside a brick oven. It is a dry heat, the kind that you find high in the mountains or desert plains. This means I am inland, nowhere near a
[Segundus] I was working in my lab when the packages from the coast arrived. Excited that my wait was over, I paused in my examination of my latest acquisition, a sun dragon child with an unusual mutation, putting her back into stasis and throwing off my bloody apron before rushing to the stables. I opened the first package immediately. Primus. I dust off the viewing window, on the curved coffin of metal, and peer in to see his sleeping face, twisted in the pain of an unending nightmare. He won't remember any of this when he awakens, but that doesn't reduce the satisfaction of seeing the mighty Crown Prince Primus Ma
[Ona] I have not forgiven Tritus. I’m not sure if I ever will, even if I can understand his motives. But his sneaky inventiveness does come in handy sometimes. “So explain to me again how this works?” I am sitting inside a long, slender glass carriage of sorts, riding on top of a set of metal “rails” that line the bottom of an old Sun Dragon trade tunnel. These old tunnels are circular, made of stone, and lead to almost every kingdom in the northern continent. Tritus hadn’t told me about this before because he had been trying to convince first our father, and now Primus, to go along with his plan for a high-sp
[Eleanora] He is everything and more that I have ever wanted in a husband. Not just because he is handsome and regal, beautiful beyond words, his celestial parentage shining through with his pearlescent skin and vibrant eyes. Nor is it because of his status, although being High Queen of the United Dragon Kingdoms of Luxandra does have a nice sound to it. Primus Majere is perfect because of his noble bearing, intellect, and honor. He could have done anything to his brother, had him strung from the rafters if it suited him. But he didn’t. He gave him grace. He honored him as a potential heir to the throne. And then I heard three words that shattered that illusion. His human wife.
[The Maid] Master Segundus doesn’t like to know we’ve been here. So we move as silently and as quickly as we can when he is not around and he is not aware. It is our duty to serve him, even if he does not desire it. Today, I am tasked with cleaning any mold I find around bookcases and tables. There is a new table that has only been here for about a week, but I must check it nonetheless. My gods, it is heavy! What is he storing in this thing? It is probably just boring books or papers. I will see if I can wedge myself around…Dang it. That hurt. I’m going to need to get someone to help. &ldq
[Primus] Segundus wasn’t expecting to see me awake and sitting next to our father when he came into the hall. He thinks he hid his expression well, but I could see right through his tight smiles and his small bows. He was nervous, and on edge, a clear sign that he needed to think things through and consider the consequences of his words before continuing. I am sure he had hoped to speak to Father and the council alone about my wife before I had a chance to say anything. He was expecting it to take me longer to recover from containment and reorient myself to my surroundings. He underestimated my stamina, strength, and determination. I am a newly mated drake expecting the arrival of his first clutch. That is a powerful force. It is my nature to want to protect her, and I cannot do so if I am stuck in a catatonic state.
[Primus] Taking a deep breath I nod for her to continue. “Just tell me, please. I won’t be mad at you, Ona, for telling me whatever it is you need to say.” Sighing, she takes a deep breath. “One thing I did not share about Daax’s story was what his crew was really doing, pirating the waters and raiding ships.” She begins. “Daax lost his entire family. They had been completely unprepared for the invading army that wiped out their city in a single night. They thought they were safe, living in the Southern Continent. There were treaties in place to keep Luxandra out. They were a sovereign nation after all and on good trading terms with our nation. What would they have to fear?”