All Chapters of Reclaiming My Beloved Dragon Prince: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

[Carnelia] We've been on the road for a week and at this rate, I'm going to kill this blasted bard before we make it to the mountain. Leon promised this "break" would add no more than a week to our trip. But it has already been more than that, and we are so far afield that even if we were to head to the coast from here, we'd have added a full two weeks to our overall journey. The temperature is getting colder. Soon winter will settle in and we'll have no choice but to stay where we are. "The town of Ridgecrest is just up ahead," Leon mentions as we come to a crossroads. "We could try the old minstrel trick, get some free food and a place to sleep that isn't under the stars," he suggests, "or we can take the trail to the right and get back to Ana's sooner." I almost reply "Let's head back," when a brief look at the dark woods in that direction makes me hesitate. It has been over a week since I last slept in a real bed or been warm and dry. We just came out of marshland, and my boot

[Carnelia] He must not know. He can't know. Especially now that I know how he feels about me. And how my feelings for him ended an entire village. I am the dragon. Or at least, I think I am. It's the only conclusion that makes sense. I can't remember anything from last night other than screaming over Leon's escapades and tearing off my clothing in rage. I never wanted to care about him, damn it, but the heart doesn't always give you a choice. And now to hear from his mouth that he loves me, and that he wants to claim me as his own, to keep me close to his heart and protect me--I don't deserve that affection, not after what I did. It doesn't matter if I didn't have any control. Nor does it matter that I can't remember doing any of it. I know it must be me. Listening to the stories of the villagers who remember, the dragon swooped down from above, shining gold in the moonlight. The nails and horns and the webbing between the partitions of the wings are all as black as ichor. I se

[Ona] Unable to stand still, I pace back and forth in the grand gallery, watching the storm clouds gather on the horizon. Primus and Carnelia have been gone for over a week and I have no idea how much longer they will be gone. By now they've either found one another and reconnected or killed one another based on the glare Little Sister was giving her mate when they left together. It is strange, being in this dream all alone, waiting for a sign. Time has no real meaning here. Without the two of them to interact with, it feels like my part of the story is merely an afterthought. This castle only exists because they need it to exist. Once they are done with this part of the dream, this reality I exist in will cease to be necessary. I hope to be long gone before that happens. I do not want to see how I might change if the dream changes around me. With no better way to spend our time, each afternoon and early each morning I come to observe the road for any sign of my wayward brother and

[Carnelia] There is another scream. There is no doubt in our minds. That has to be Ona. "When I came in to find you," I explain realizing Primus is unaware of his sister's condition, "She was carrying a clutch." Primus' eyes widen in horror as the truth settles in. If she is carrying eggs, she might be ready to lay them. But as another scream rips through the room, if she is laying her eggs here, in this strange place, something has gone terribly wrong. A flash of fear and pain rattle into me from the bangle I share with Ona, projecting her feelings into me as vibrantly as if I were feeling them myself and I pick up speed. I'm not sure how I can help, but I can be there. The hallway is long and smooth, formed from shell and glass. I've never seen anything quite like it. Finding a window, I notice we are underwater when a large tropical fish floats past. We are in Undersea, Tritus' realm. I would stop and take a moment to marvel if Ona wasn't in so much distress. As more screams

[The Steward] I haven't felt quite like myself since the incident a few days ago. There had been so much blood. The dead servant, attacked by some wild beast, was torn apart, his blood lying everywhere.And now I see that face in my dreams, but in my dreams, I do not see the face of a servant, I see my own.But then I wake up, find a looking glass, and remind myself of who I am--Crown Prince Aethos, first son of Tritus, future Kraken King.So it could not be the face of the prince I saw on the ground.Because I am the prince.This place is driving me mad. That is the only reason I can give for my confusion. There is something about it that makes my skin crawl as if I am not quite in the right skin. If I could leave today, and go back home to the Grand Sea Palace, I would. But I cannot leave until I have fulfilled my mission.It is a shame my steward died on the way here. He knew what was expected, and he always had a kee