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45. The Death of the Queens
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Flaming Heart 46. The Streaming Water
At the end of a busy street, there was a quiet lane heavily overgrown with maple trees. Steep, rocky mountains stretched behind the swath of murky brown woods. According to Oswald’s map, Slathar was concealed just beyond the path.Leila was sitting on a swing, leaning against rough hemp ropes. She hid herself among the gorgeous golden foliage, and was listening to the leaves rustling in the wind.Since they arrived at the Craggy Mountains, she had felt a sense of inexplicable exhaustion. Her mind was working slower as well. The whole morning, she had been observing the cotton-shaped clouds in the sky without taking much notice of her surroundings, as if the clouds weren’t far-off from the ground, but floated above her, only skin deep. Leila’s senses seemed enhanced. She could even predict the weather hours in advance. The humidity in the air rose, and the clouds grew darker as sparrows flew lower. She knew that heavy rainfall would hit the town very soon, as the morning chill had alre
The Flaming Heart 47. The Queen’s Diary
The Dark TunnelFenris had decided to carry out his plan. He entered the dark tunnel connected to the outside of King’s Harbor, and its damp chill dissipated the unbearable heat. The dragon capital’s hot climate was one thing he couldn’t stand. One more reason to quickly settle his business and return to the north.The second prince of the werewolf kingdom wasn’t a fan of the dragon realm, nor would he visit if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. But it would be foolish not to invade during such a rare opportunity. The whole nation had lost their dragon spirits, which meant they had lost their power. He had been waiting for his chance ever since.He believed that the scarred dragon prince would never discover his true intentions. Remus’s ambition had never disappointed him. From the day he learned Remus planned to steal Thorn’s throne, he had started to carry out his plan. He orchestrated the attack at Ironedge to establish contact between the two kingdoms and even offered the poison to R
The Flaming Heart 48. The Chase
Thorn led two stallions to the front door of the inn, then mounted the tallest one.“They’ve been taken care of.” Serlon approached from across the street. “The spies from the North won’t wake up until nightfall.”“Good.” Thorn fixed his dark eyes on the road in front of him. “It’s critical that our visit to the brothel remains hidden from their master.”“They must still believe that you’ll die from the Frozen Sunset soon.” Serlon shook his head. “They severely underestimated my knowledge and ability to distinguish between a poison and an antidote.”“And they’ve overestimated their own intelligence,” Thorn added, “Thanks to your outstanding work in creating a perfect duplication of the antidote that Olcan gave me, I’m fully recovered. Have you ever thought about working in the royal palace?”“You mean as a royal healer?” Serlon shrugged, “Never considered it. I like to keep things simple.”“A free soul,” Thorn remarked, “You could be headmaster of the royal healers.”Serlon was comple
The Flaming Heart 49. The Face in the Water
Holding a flagon of wine in his hand, the dragon king, Eros, absentmindedly sauntered into Thorn’s palace. He rarely visited, and didn’t dare come without an invitation. From the bottom of his heart, he knew that he owed Thorn a lot, and his birth mother, Tora, the love of his life. Eros never forgave himself for what he did to her.The castle was abnormally quiet, precisely what Eros had yearned for in recently years; yet his queen and children made sure the main castle was just the opposite. Peace and quiet had always been always a luxury for the royal family. There was always something to attend to—court affairs, laws to be discussed and passed, noble guests, the countless servants and staff, and more. But as time went on, he had forgotten most of it. He would only remember the most important moments in his life.He could almost sense that growing old had begun to affect his mind, and clearly not in a good way. Indeed, he had lived a very long time, long enough for his past to blur
The Flaming Heart 50. The Desperate Heat
Leila was frail in Thorn’s arms. A burning sensation ravaged her body, as if her blood was boiling, melting her bones into the water.Thorn’s mind was racing as he flew across the sky above the forest. The rich scent of maple, vanilla, and pine pervaded the spectacular fall palette down below. Nothing could compare to the refreshing sweetness of maple syrup produced during autumn in the Craggy Mountains.Thorn intended to take Leila to the local market later to apologize to her. His own insecurities had dominated his behavior over the past few days on the road. But they would never get that far.A female dragon in heat meant new life, even though it hadn’t happened to a dragon descendant for a very long time. The entire structure of her body would be rearranged. With the help of a mate to connect the female dragon to a mark bestowed by the dragon divinity, the offspring would be naturally blessed. Only when a seed is planted in the female’s belly by her mate could the symptoms of the
The Flaming Heart 51. The Winter Nectar
Rina arrived at the the log cabin where Oliver used to live. It was a place hidden within a marsh, sitting at the edge of King’s Harbor. The area was rarely visited by anyone, and too difficult to navigate.She had taken a small carriage instead of flying directly there. The skies were heavily monitored by the Royal Garrison; she didn’t want any extra attention from Eros or Dagen.“Pull over,” she ordered the chauffeur and flipped a gold coin into his hand. “You never took this trip.”The chauffeur often escorted lords and ladies to several places they didn’t want people to know about. He didn’t even raise an eyebrow. He simply took the coin, then went back the way they came.Rina walked around a small hill, encircling the marsh, then cut straight on a path that led to Oliver’s cabin.When the house was in sight, she heard a strange noise echoing from afar. The area was usually restrictively quiet, but now it was rumbling chaotically, like there were many people around.She stood on t
The Flaming Heart 52. The Invisible Birthmark
Leila couldn’t sleep. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was desperately resisting rest. She had asked Tuya to accompany her on a walk along the creek behind the inn. She cradled her lower stomach, wondering if a baby could be carried successfully. But she didn’t dare get her expectations up—she didn’t dare expect anything anymore.A special part of her had been lost, as if a giant hole had dug itself in her heart. But since she had came back from the cave, she felt like it was impossible for her to ever part with Thorn. She was sure that she had fallen in love with him.The stone shone gently on her neck. Leila tucked it inside the neckline of her dress and stopped beside a pond.“Can you see the golden dust in the creek?” Leila asked Tuya, pointing to the water.Tuya walked closer to the riverbank, staring into its dark, rippling surface under the dim moonlight. “No.” She shook her head. “There’s dust in the water?Leila nodded coldly, as if she was facing the devil himself. “It’
The Flaming Heart 53. The Last Resort
A raven was sent to the west, hiding itself against the blanket of the night sky. Eros had decided to vacate the city as soon as possible.He had called upon the royal court for an urgent meeting. He heard everything Remus said to Oliver. When he fled to the edge of the city, Rina was just getting out of her carriage. He followed her discreetly, saw her enter in a wood house, then hid himself behind the window until he overheard Remus’ actual plan.The dragon king was no stranger to Remus’s ambition, and quite familiar with the fact that Amaya intended to let Remus take the throne instead of Thorn. She believed that he had the right personality for it; he could lie for the right cause and use his intelligence to manipulate others. Eros agreed that such abilities were essential for a king, but certainly weren’t at the core of the job. In fact, Remus could never be as good a king as Thorn. Those same strengths could also be fatal shortcomings, for either him, or the kingdom.Even so, wh
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The Flaming Heart Epilogue
Bolts of lightning snaked out from the scepter and scorched the entire dragon skeleton. The energy of the almighty power had given a life to the dormant, ancient bones. It was the undying existence of Father Dragon. The ashes were his flesh, burnt and crystallized.Thorn felt his dragon spirit quiver and heart grow empowered. He looked down at Leila. Her skin was glistened with a creamy glow, like a pearl, as she held the scepter like a goddess. He sensed that she was different; a more powerful being was connected to her soul.Then, the dragon eggs were lit up one by one. Soon, they illuminated the entire room.Olcan withdrew to the back of the room and tried to get away, but he was spotted by Thorn.The dragon scooped him up with his claws, then smashed him onto the ground, flashing his teeth and ready to bite off Olcan's head.Ben suddenly appeared behind them. He walked forward, restraining the urge to shift into a wolf. He moved past Leila to reach Thorn. His skin tickled from the
The Flaming Heart 62.The Moonlight
The MoonlightLeila was free-falling. Her hair was flying upwards. She was surrounded by darkness. She tried to reach, to grab onto anything around her, but there was nothing she could do to slow the fall. Fear flashed across her mind, but it was too brief to take notice. The faint gleaming of the scepter in her hands anchored her—it was a part of her. The constant noise of water sloshing was gone. She felt a tickling sensation in her throat as the air became drier and hotter. Then she heard the same whisper again,Sla..thar... Sla.. thar..As the sound grew louder and clearer, for the first time ever, Leila felt the power the word carried with it. It seemed like some sort of energy was resonating within her, shattering her muscles and bones, affecting her mind and thoughts as if an unknown power was waiting for her, and it was buried deep down below.She couldn’t possibly know how far she had been falling. When she landed, the ground was strewn with smoldering ashes and cushioned her
The Flaming Heart 61. The Fire Gem
Thorn stepped up. He placed himself between Olcan and the water sphere Leila and his baby were in.He stared at the wolf king with a deadly glare, and said with the coldest tone possible, as if every syllable was made of a sharp blade, “It was you all along.”Olcan responded with a wicked grin, pulling the string of the crossbow in his hands, aiming at the sphere, “I suggest you back off, dragon prince, if you don’t want to die with Mother Dragon. I should have killed her along with her annoying husband that day. But after I finally killed that old wretch, I was already too exhausted, giving her a chance to escape.”“But Eros’ ring... how did you get the ring?” Ula asked impatiently with a bewildered expression.“I think I know what happened that night,” Thorn answered, his gaze unwaveringly glued to Olcan as he inched towards Eros with small steps, “Olcan killed my mother and the Luna Queen. Then, he stole Eros’s ring while he was drunk and asleep in Amaya’s chamber. What always both
The Flaming Heart 60. The Mother Dragon
Olcan stood over the rampart, looking down on the ancient draconic city resting under the darkness. The palace was fully under his control. He was the first-ever werewolf king to accomplish standing at the dragon realm capital's highest point. But there was still a hole in his heart that couldn't possibly be healed.“My king,” one of his sentries approached and reported, “The dragon warriors, the so-called "Dark Wings," surrounding the palace were all captured.”“What about the brute prince and his foolish knights?” Olcan withdrew himself from the city view and moved back into the torch light.“All were put in the dungeons.”“Any casualties?”“No. The Frost Stones were very effective. As soon as the stones touched their skin, they were incapable of moving.”“You’ve done well,” Olcan gritted his teeth, “They underestimated us in every possible way, thinking I could easily fall for this imbecile's trickery.” He walked over to Serlon, who was bruised and swollen, lying in a pool of his o
The Flaming Heart 59. The Lunar Eclipse
Fenris had been tied to the back of a horse-drawn carriage. His body ached from sitting on the hard, wooden panels but was incapable of doing anything about it. Ulric’s corpse lay right beside him and had already started to emit a rotten smell.Normally, a werewolf’s corpse wouldn’t decay so quickly, just within an hour. But tonight was a special exception. A cold shiver suddenly washed over Fenris. Utter darkness had befallen the dragon land. He felt in his bones that the power of the moon had vanished. As far as he knew, the lunar eclipse wouldn’t be long—one or two hours at the most. He needed to survive it, then find a chance to escape.With quiet neighing, the horses stopped. The carriage pulled over on an empty alleyway. Fenris stayed put and tried to catch every sound passing through his ears. Someone was coming for him.“How was the trip?” Hugo flashed a grin at Fenris and pulled him out of the carriage. He then dragged him all the way into a dark house. Fenris was surprised b
The Flaming Heart 58. The Ring
Thorn forced his eyes open. The sharp water spear had become deformed, dissolving into the ocean water. He saw queen Amaya drop lifelessly onto the ground. King Eros was standing next to her. Eros picked up a handful of bubbling shells, buried his nose in them, and took in a big gulp of fresh air.“Dragon King,” Ula drawled, keeping a safe distance, “I didn’t expect you'd dare come here.”“I had to,” Eros lifted his face up from the shells, feeling better with ample air in his lungs, “I had a feeling you would make a move tonight. The streams’ mirrored surfaces only confirmed it.”Thorn looked back to Amaya, observing the fresh cut on her throat. “How did she die?”Eros glanced briefly at Thorn, dodging away from answering directly the question.“Who killed her?” Thorn pushed again, fixing his gaze on Eros.“Why are you looking at me like that?” Eros snapped, suddenly annoyed, “I did! Alright?” He raised his voice. “I had to. The capital is going to be attacked by werewolves! There wa
The Flaming Heart 57. The Golden Badge
Like a dark, looming storm, every werewolf squadron had set off for King’s Harbor under Olcan’s command. They moved faster than the night wind, carrying light-weight but incredibly deadly weapons made of frost stone. It was the night of the Lunar Eclipse, the strongest ever since the dragon race had lost their spirits. The werewolves believed that, if they could conquer the dragon palace, the first beam of searing moonlight would bless them with a century’s-worth of glory, power, and endless fortune. As for their eternal rivals, the dragons would lost their position in the world and fall to the Northern Realm, all thanks to the wolves’ frost stone.“Our fiercest enemy,” Fenris said to Olcan as they left the marshland, “the black dragon, he’s already dead.”“Your meticulous research amazes me, Brother,” Olcan said to Fenris without looking at him, “I underestimated you. I thought you were merely a careless man.”Fenris chuckled, hair prickled on his skin. “I’m glad to be of help. My me
The Flaming Heart 56. The Hidden Desert
Leila heard the voice again. It was louder and clearer this time. Sla-thar.. It came from down below, but it was too dark to see anything from her current distance. A faint reflection of the moon loomed beside Leila as she sunk downwards, cradled in Thorn’s arms. Unlike the cold and remote moon in the sky, its silver light was blazing hot, like the sun hanging over a parched desert. The path ahead was endless. The farther they went, the less it looked like an underwater world. It was the fishy scent that reminded her that she was deep in a river. The pain in her belly was subsiding; it mellowed into a slight discomfort instead of a sharp, breathless ache. What was more disconcerting than the pain was the rate of its growth. Leila’s belly was growing larger at an unprecedented rate. Thorn put his hand on it, feeling its heartbeat. Leila stared at him through the transparent bubbles on their heads, trying to decipher what he was thinking. His thick dark hair swayed in the water. H
The Flaming Heart 55. The Girl in the Room
Fenris was in a rather good mood. He just got a message from the spies he had sent to the Craggy Mountains; they reported that they had seen Thorn die with their own eyes, lying in bed and as his knight mourned. However, unbeknownst to him, it was a fake message—Hugo had forced the spies to write it with swords pointed to their necks before he finished them off for good.James and Serlon had escorted the crossbred girls back to their homes and had made sure any remaining Green Robes had surrendered or were executed. Unfortunately, Luca had died. The pain of losing one eye to Leila and further torture from Thorn was even too much for him to withstand.This city is soon to be mine, Fenris thought. He had dreamt of this moment for a long time. He strode across the damp ground, and the scent of the night seemingly became sweeter. The moon’s light was fading. It’s almost time to for their final strike. In high spirits, he entered the tent where his big brother was waiting.To his surprise,
