II

DAE

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Her nerves had finally calmed down once she's in the room, the beautiful princess, the Goddess that had accompanied her to her room had finally left leaving her their yet she was stuck standing in front of the door, staring at it, wondering would it open again to show the beautiful woman? When she first saw that woman standing beside the golden throne, she thought it was one of the Gods whom they pray to, she never would have thought that it was a princess... Biting her lip Dae finally tear her eyes away from the door and looked in awe at the big room that was given to her, this is nothing compared to her four cornered room in the tower, she could explore this for days! And there was a balcony too! She could freely Open the windows and stare outside, beaming Dae removed her cloak and her shoes, and sighed when her feet met cold marbled floor, she looks down and saw expensive carpet, back in her old room she wasn't even given such luxury, there are sofas, a fire place! A book shelf at the corner, a big closet for her dresses, this is something she was not given in her old room, everything there is of old and ruined... Something befitting her status, a bastard, a no one ; yet here... She is of royalty.

Dae walks towards the bed and put her hand atop it, pressing down to feel the soft mattress and the smooth silk of her blanket, back in the tower, she was only given a small bed with a piece of wood and thin sheet as a bedding, but here she's given a mattress, then Dae turns around and walked towards another door only to realize that it is a door leading to her very own bathroom, complete with toiletries. She won't have to pee in a bucket anymore nor bathe in a big barrel. In the west she considered a luxury if one of the maid allows her to take a bath, as taking the barrel up the tower takes extra job, and getting water is even harder. Sometimes when her father would visit her, she would have to beg him to allow her to take bath, now here she wouldn't even need too. She walks towards the bathtub laden in gold and touch it's surface before deciding to explore more of the room.... But her exploration was interrupted when she heard loud beating of the winds, curious she steps out of the bathroom and went to the balcony and peered into the sky. A strong sudden gush of wind made her step inside again, the sound was louder this time followed by a shriek. Looking up once again Dae saw dragons flying above her... And her mouth went agape at the sight of such beast. There were different sizes, and different form. Some were two legged while the other has four, some are longer and some are smaller, others were big and all are of different colors.

The dragons, the king of the sky and land and the seas... Dragons is what makes this kingdom strong, its what makes them indestructible. Another loud roar echoed through the sky followed by the thundering sound of giant wings, she was expecting to see the king's huge golden beast, but instead she saw something else.

Scale as red as flames, but glimmers under the sun like those of the rubies in the king's Palanquin. It was as large as the golden but this one has scars that you could notice even from the height it was... It's wings so big that the whole place was shadowed by it. The rumbling on its chest could be felt like a thunder... Oh Daw had never seen such beautiful yet terrifying creatures... This one is like a God.

"Wildfyre." Dae jumped startled when someone spoke behind her, she looks back only to see the king himself, Dae's stomach churns and drop at the sight of him, and sudden unwanted memories attack her mind, the kung... She had ridden with him on a few occasions back here in Solvira, and during those time, she had never felt anything but disgust. The king would touch her, his calloused and rough hand would run along her warms with sensual want, he would smell her, he would even dare to kiss her while Dae remain still, frozen in fear... Her head would spin with dizziness because of the close proximity, her nose would srunch up when she smell him.

Gulping Dae remembers her manner and curtsy.

"My king." She would greet him, the king would smile and approach her, he walked towards her, with his cain supporting him.

"The great beast is named wildfyre, she is the mount of my daughter." He spoke to her, and Dae nodded her head, before looking back at the image of the beast, now too far away from them. So she belongs to the princess.

"She's beautiful." She told him before looking back at him when she felt him standing too close to her. Dae held her breath and cast down her eyes, avoiding his eery gaze. His bony fingers reached towards her, Dae held her breath as his hand touched her fiery locks before pulling it and kissing it, he was admiring her hair, Dae had noticed right away his fascination towards her red hair, how he adores it.

"Not as beautiful as you. That beast is dreaded, full with scars, nothing in it is beautiful." He muttered before letting go of the strands of her hair only to caress her head.

"My... My... You red hair are sure youthful." He spoke with a smile on his face.

"Even your father looks younger in his age. Tsk... Do you know how wonderful youth is? I used to look so young, so beautiful." He spoke with a longing in his voice, Dae just stood there, frozen and waiting whatever it is he wishes to do.

"When this celebration is over, you and I shall plan for our wedding." She dreaded that topic, the wedding... She was glad enough that the king suddenly decided to postpone it by announcing two weeks of celebration. Dae wouldn't know what to do. She felt trapped just by thinking about it.

"I shall have you then... But for now I shall refrain myself." He smirks before putting his hand down, Dae nods her head and only then did she dare to look at him.

"Is the room to your liking?" He suddenly asked before turning around, away from her.

" Yes your highness, I have been delighted with the warm welcome that the princess had prepared for me." She told him, watching how he looks around the room. He hummed his answer. They were quiet for few moments until he spoke again.

" The princess shall accompany you until you are well familiar with the place, she'll be a host to you, and hopefully your friend." He didn't wait for an answer and left quietly, Dae was left there standing, her heart hammering from her chest in fear of the king.

The man is quick to anger, Dae had witnessed it on their travel, how he behaves when he couldn't get what he wanted, how easy it was for him to discard of someone's life, Dae had witnessed it, and the man was worse than her father, Dae couldn't imagine what her life would be, once she's married to him, for now the king acts like a man, civil, and calm. But soon Dae knew that the king would act more of a beast then man. Breath still shuddering she once again look outside... Oh how she wishes she was one of those dreadful beast.

ROSHANNE

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She stood by the top of the tower and stared at the beasts that Rome the skies, the tower of Maiden was the highest tower in Solvira and biggest at that, for it houses four of the largest dragons in there kingdom. Her father's dragon, Aureus, the dragon of count Velos, Dracor, the dragon of her half brother Skywrym and then her own... Wildfyre.

Those four beast are the hatchling of Abbadon, the largest dragon to ever live. Solvira had been the home of the dragons for millennium, there people are known as the dragon lords, and the other kingdoms fear them...

For millennium the dragon had aided them, it was through them that the kingdom of Solvira manage to prosper despite the many attempts of other kingdoms to conquer them. It was what made them closer to the Gods.

But now as Roshanne looked at the flying beasts... She could not help but worry... The numbers of dragon riders are declining year by year. Children born with the ability of bonding with a dragon grows small, and not only that... But their family had been dwindling too... How many of her father's children have a dragon? She could only count it with her fingers, not only that but the population of dragons as well is dwindling. It's been seven months and yet every time she visited the dragons nest in the far east of their land she found none. The caves in the mountains are mostly abandoned, with nest empty. There were a few caves who have had eggs, but none of those hatches. This is one of the many problems that she is facing, if this continues to happen Roshanne fear that it would be the end of another great dynasty.

"Worry does not suit you." A voice from behind her spoke, she did not turn for she knows who it was. Her cousin to her maternal side... Lady Cashandra of house Regalia, a sub brunch of the family of Helios, they too posses golden hair, but unlike them who has golden eyes... The Regalia has blue eyes, close to that of sapphire.

"I know cousin." She told her, she felt her hand on the small of her back, and only then did she look at her.

"What's bother you dear? Speak." Cashandra is older than her, yet she and her share a Stronger bond that they had with their own sisters and brothers.

"The dragons... They are slowly driving themselves to extinction. More are dying than hatching." She spoke, voicing her worry, Cashandra had been her only confidant, she trusted no one more than Cashandra.

"If it would lessen the worry in your mind... Storm's six hatchlings hatched yesterday... One was given to Duchess Rebecca's young daughter, Sofia... The other was given to young lord Ethan of house Celix. While the others remained unbonded." She supplies to her, Roshanne only nods, but the worry did not disappear nor lessen.

" Six is not enough to cover half of what we have lost, how many dragons and their riders perished in the war in south? Eighty seven... Cashandra... Those are too much... How many dragon riders do we have left? A hundred... Too small... And how many unclaimed dragons we have? Seventy, they are currently in the dome sitting and wasting away their years... How many wildlings are left... there are barely to count" She looks at her, Cashandra sighed and nods her head understanding her cousin's turmoil... The lessening of the dragons is always related to their monarch. It shows how weak their king is. Roshanne feared that if this continues, they will lose them.

She cannot afford that, what of the next generations to come?

"I ordered keepers to collect eggs and incubate it, to try and hatch some more. I will report to you again in three weeks days to see if there's any progress." Roshanne nods her head, thankful to her cousin's assistance. The two of them again just stand their in silence, they were watching, looking down the city.

"I've heard news for another concubine. Is it true?" Roshanne suddenly remembers the red haired girl that she left in the keep, the wide emerald eyes that looks around the keep like a lost puppy and her smile grew.

" Father brought in another yes. He was hoping to sire another children, praying that it would be a golden heir. And this one is peculiar." She spoke to Cashandra, her cousin tilts her head to the side, completely interested in the news she had just confirmed.

" How peculiar?" Roshanne stood straight when she saw the unmistakable shadow of Wildfyre approaching them, it seems that her mount had finally return to pick her up.

" The girl is young. From what I have heard she is no older than seventeen. A secret daughter of a king... And for once... Someone who's not ambitious... Well at least she does not look like she wishes to have a son and placed him on the throne... And from the rumors that I have gathered... The girl is stupid. Illiterate." Cashandra raises her eyebrows and then laugh, her laughter echoes making Roshanne smile.

" It seems that your father had tire of picking up ambitious and smart women, it seems that he settled for just a hmmmm... What do you call that? A baby maker?" Roshanne couldn't agree more, the girl is too young, she could never be expected to join in court, therefore she will be of no influence but Roshanne is still thinking of a way to make her useful to her advantage. While in the throne room Roshanne did not miss the way her father glance at the poor girl... Something about his gaze tells her something.

" Yes, the man is still hoping for a son, And I hope that the Gods does not give him another. I'm tired of competing and plotting accidents dear cousin." The two of them steps back when Wildfyre finally appeared, the red she dragon landed with ease. She let out a loud roar, opening her wings before settling back down and looking at Roshanne. Two golden eyes met and speak without even a sound, she could feel her dragon's ire, and her dragon could feel her own.

"She's growing day by day cousin, soon enough she'll be as big as Aureus." Cashandra noted as she watched the red beast with awe. Roshanne approached her beast and removed her riding gloves, she places her hand on her dragon's red scale and closes her eyes feeling her warmth, her rumbles and her breath... She feels her scars that she had gained from battle... Wildfyre is an old dragon, she used to belong to a war princess and a king, her scar is from Battles fought to defend Solvira. And it is an advantage. Opening her eyes Roshanne turned to look at her cousin.

"I shall see you again in three weeks days cousin, I shall hope for a good news." She told her watching as her cousin bows her head and step back, Roshanne wore her gloves again before climbing on wildfyre's back and sitting on the saddle. Once situated she commanded wildfyre to fly... Returning to the castle where her father is... She still have job to do, despite majority of the nobles not supporting her she knew that she still had to face them, talk to them for she knew that some of them have problems to raise for the throne to deal, shaking her head Roshanne decided to close her eyes for a minute and just feel the wind blow against her skin. The travel from the maiden tower to the sunspears castle is short, but it did not stop her from enjoying what little freedom she has, atop her dragon she is powerful, untouchable. Atop her dragon she is a god compare to humans. Atop her... She's everything that she's ever need. Opening her eyes once more she saw the golden roof of the castle up ahead, it was the pride of her father's father. The sunspears castle stood atop an mountain, the roof would glimmer upon the sun's light making it easy to see. Flying above it for a moment she looks down, the size of the people below made them look like there were ants. She could very much kill them, end their meaningless existence if she wanted to, melt the castle from her dragon's breath... And all of her problem would be solve... But she's a Sainte.... A reflection of their Gods and their gods are merciful so she's stuck with just having to bear them... With having to endure their scrutiny over her. Sooner or later she knew they would have to bow to her for she is the only true heir her father would ever had.

Her dragon let out a loud shriek before landing, she made sure to make a spectacle deciding to land on her father's garden where the celebration is being held, she dismounted her dragon, pat her side and whispered calming and soothing words. Roshanne was well aware of the stare everyone gave her, some of them stare at her with awe, some stare at her with fear... Some stare at her with disdain, in which she's all used to. Having to ride one of the largest dragons in their realm and being a woman gives her that, finally with a smile she let her dragon fly back to the Dome where she could rest. She turns towards to the people who was left speechless and she smiled.

"Please... Do not mind me, and enjoy the feast." On cue the musician played their song and the garden was once again engulf in a happy chatter, some nobles greeted her, she engaged in a few conversation with them, while others choose to ignore her. But while she was talking she felt a pair of eyes on her... And looking up she saw none other than lady Dae. She's in the balcony with Alastair and a few noble people, her eyes as usual were sparkling with what Roshanne could only guess as pure awe.

" It seems that princess had gain another admirer." Roshanne turns towards the one who spoke, and she was greeted by the sight of lady Freya, her cousin from her father's side, she was looking at the princess too who was now looking from a man speaking to her with rapt attention.

"I came as soon as I hear of the news, of a young woman with a red hair who the king had fallen in love too... Rumors said that she is of great beauty, and that hers exceeded mine." Sharp eyes suddenly turns to her, ah of course the lady was furious... After all lady Freya had been held as the most beautiful maiden in their realm for a decade now, and she's not used to sharing the spotlight. It seems that the young lady had gain enemy without even knowing it.

"Ah, well I guess i'am not the only who's being replaced... It seems that you as well cousin, but fret not... You weren't even considered as heir by his grace." Lady Freya's lips twisted into a smile before she covered it with her fan.

"Fret not my dear cousin... We all know that someday someone much Younger and beautiful shall eventually replace you." She spoke to her feigning smile, the lady returned it. Everyone knew that she and Freya does not have any good relationship, rivalry runs thick in their blood.

"Now if you'll excuse me." She turn away from her and walked away. Freya is daughter of the Duke, her father's brother, and it was known that the Duke supported the notion of placing Kaspian as heir despite lacking every quality in hopes to place his blood on the Throne. Roshanne walked away from the party but she did cast one glance at the young lady still speaking with a delighted lordling... And her gaze was caught once again by her.