Page 36 of Heir of Draga

Chapter Ten

Adelina

The Jasmine

Planet Draga Terra

Adelina straightened her open skirts that flared over leather pants. The peep-toe heeled boots only reached to her ankle, but they were stylish and comfortable. The second the fanfare was over Adelina would put on something a bit more comfortable and practical.

She’d gotten up early and as such she’d been able to thank Taj and say good-bye before most of the palace had been awake. There’d been no romantic, lazy morning for her and her new husband. Adelina would have to wait until they were in space for that.

Not that they’d done much sleeping.

As always the recorders zoomed around, focusing on her and her companions. She could hardly wait for the moment the starship doors sealed and she would be free. Of course she still had to record moments here and there to send back to her people, for them to see the dragons if they even allowed her to record, but Adelina would be able to choose when and where.

She would be the only royal other than Varan. And she outranked him. This trip would be the hardest test of her life. Thousands were looking to her to lead them, and no one else.

There was always the possibility she could fail. It frightened Adelina and she had to remind herself that there was no room for failure – that the pack she’d formed around herself would help her succeed. Cycles of study and training had led her to this.

One of her instructors had once told her that fear was a dream killer. She could have a thousand dreams and the motivation and power to accomplish them, but if she let fear keep her from trying then she would fail before she’d even started.

Adelina refused to let her people down.

Standing on the tarmac with Varan slightly behind her, she was able to see everything. Then Nadyah and Joslynn stood behind him, parallel to each other due to their equal rank. Roxy was already on the ship and the small guard flanking them looked professional and fierce in the new spidersilk armor she’d commissioned for them.

These weren’t royal soldiers or warriors. These were all Varan’s most loyal and vetted rogues, assassins, and warriors. As such he’d had a gold jasmine stamped on each arm and chest with the Draga wolf howling behind. They were all for Adelina, and she felt the weight of the stares from the other nobles and courtiers and even the palace servants.

What did they think of her? What did they think of this venture? There were too many of them for her to filter out the emotions, but the intensity of them had her sweating. All these people were rooting for her to succeed – or fail. She had to prove to them she was no longer the submissive little princess they’d seen all her life.

Adelina wasn’t the only one on the tarmac. All the forces on Draga Terra had been gathered and were prepped to ship out after she was gone. Asher and Veri stood side by side – equal before everyone. The pair was dressed for war and both looked fierce and ready to rip the Neprijat to pieces with their bare hands. Thousands of soldiers marched into their various starships behind her brother and Veri.

Sirus and his small contingent of warriors stood in formation near his starship, the Warrior’s Curse. William was with Ajax who wore armor as well. Adelina was the only royal not dressed for battle. Even her cousin Vasara who stood behind Giselle – they were both dressed head to toe in armor.

As did Varan, who wore his flashy black armor trimmed in gold. It was a strange moment, but Adelina reminded herself she’d never trained as a warrior – only enough to protect herself. Seeing her sister and cousin though – she wanted to learn. It was her place to protect her people and she couldn’t always do that from the sidelines.

Perhaps it was time she took her training in the fighting arts more seriously.

Then Giselle took a step forward and stood before Adelina. They stared at each other for a moment in silence as the recorders zoomed about, journalists reported on each section of the fleet, and where they would all be headed. Relief was palpable in the air as the watching citizens held back by guards saw something would finally be done.

Adelina had so many mixed feelings as she stared at her sister and queen. Giselle had made her prejudice about her genetics clear, but she was also allowing Adelina to go to the Hai Galaxy rather than take that away from her.

It was difficult to read Giselle with so many other emotions clogging the air, but Adelina could see the flickers in her sister’s eyes. Would they ever be as close as they once were? She doubted it, and that truth was hard and painful to swallow.

“Princess Adelina,” Giselle finally said. Her voice was loud and clear. The morning sun glinted off her gold-plated armor. Her black cape whipped behind her in the wind. Giselle had never looked as magnificent as she did then, armed to the teeth with the royal crown atop her tightly braided hair. “Heir to the Draga throne, Ambassador to the Draga Galaxy – my sister.”

Adelina’s heart lurched into her throat when she saw Giselle’s expression soften a fraction. Whatever had happened to her on Treon had changed her forever. But the sister she’d known was somewhere deep down. She may hate what Adelina was, but she couldn’t help loving her regardless. Even if that love infuriated Giselle.

“You will be the first Dragan royal – the first Dragan citizen to cross the border into the Hai Galaxy in more than three centuries. I pray the gods and goddesses watch over your journey and protect you. I pray you are successful, and I give you the means and permission to make any bargain necessary to bring the Drakesthai into our fold.”

Giselle lifted her hand palm up and servants poured from the palace onto the tarmac. They were eight stories above the surface of the planet, jutting out over the ocean with the floating ramparts watching over them all. There were gasps from the crowd on the tarmac, but thousands of murmurs of surprise rose from below.

The servants carried goods for trade: food, spices, gold, jewels, medicine, weapons, rare metals, spidersilk fabric and armor, even a few of the spiders themselves. Adelina could hardly believe it. Giselle had selected a little bit of everything that the Draga Galaxy produced and she was giving it all to Adelina in the desperate hope something might win over the Drakesthai.

Adelina bowed instead of curtseyed and she bowed low. Then she dropped to one knee and placed her fist over her heart in a show of allegiance. Adelina knew Giselle thought the trip was complete folly. Yet, here she was, giving Adelina everything Raena had not – every chance to succeed. Giselle had signed off on Adelina’s claim to her starship, renamed The Jasmine, and she’d accepted that Adelina had purchased two more, knowing exactly where the money had come from.

Something about risking everything Adelina had worked for her entire life must have convinced Giselle that Adelina was serious about her endeavors. After all, they used to be nearly inseparable. Giselle out of everyone knew what Adelina had given up for this fool’s errand.

It made her heart ache – the sensation sharp as it was edged with the pain of her sister’s rejection. Giselle was able to see past her genetics only so much as it served the Crown. She supposed she had that at least. The support and love from her brothers was more than enough.

---