Page 79 of Heir of Draga

Chapter Twenty-One

Adelina

The Royal Eyrie

Planet Hai Delta

Adelina carefully kept her expression blank and a bit contemplative to hide the shock at Prince Rykian’s statement. Her people were the cause of the Drakesthai’s infertility?

Before jumping to Draga’s defense she had to know everything. Her people knew so very little about the Drakesthai and most of what she’d read about their countenance had been wrong. Prince Kaiden had been nothing but kind to her and he didn’t even know her – and apparently he believed her people were responsible for this terrible thing.

It told Adelina much about Kaiden and his people that despite everything they were willing to meet with her – for hope.

Everyone stared at her and she tried to ignore the nerves she felt creeping up. Slowly she breathed in and then out while the older male let his words sink in. She waited him out, waited for him to reveal what she needed to know so she could plan her next move. Adelina had practiced for days. She could do this.

Adelina slowly clasped her hands at waist height, flourishing her black lacquer claws as she did so. All eyes went to the sharp tips and she felt them stir with apprehension. “I do not deny the truth of your statement, Prince Rykian, but I would like to inform you this is not in any records Draga possesses. If it were I would have pressed for a peaceful solution long ago…but I doubt you would have accepted a Dragan ambassador or envoy.”

Those odd grey eyes of his pierced her to her very soul. “We are not as simple as you think despite our physical strength. We count knowledge as one of the greatest treasures in our trove. While you may speak the truth, it does not change the facts.”

Adelina studied the Council, noting the three females. One was older, about the age of Prince Rykian. The second was perhaps as old as her mothers, and the third was young – close to Adelina’s own age most likely.

“Please explain it to me so I may fully understand,” Adelina said, speaking in Dragan for Varan and the others.

Prince Rykian walked around the pool, the drops of water loud in the silence of the cavern. “This is Kalene,” he said, holding out his hand for the youngest female. The beauty took the male’s hand and rose, her eyes still on the floor. “She is the last Dragon Princess of Hai. Only one female is born in each generation who can produce Drakesthai offspring. She is the only daughter of Serilda, and the last of her offspring,” he said, inclining his head to the oldest female. “And Tatsuo has only borne males thus far. The occasional Unchanged Human can bear a Drakesthai, but it is extremely rare. Yes, we are nearly as long lived as you are, but at this rate we will die out within the next generation or two.”

The way he assisted Kalene back into her chair, Adelina could see how precious these females were to the males. All male eyes were tender and protective when they fell on one of the three wingless females.

Her heart ached for these people. Adelina needed more answers. “And we’ve offered the chance to assist you many times over the cycles,” she stated. “Why have you closed your borders to us?”

Rykian didn’t answer her question, but another male shot to his feet. “You could not possibly understand.”

Adelina turned to him, keeping her expression calm when she felt her claws ache for flesh at the rudeness and accusation. So she smiled, revealing her long, sharp canines. The entire cavern recoiled except for her people. It only made her smile wider. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

“Prince Vasili of House Fyre, ruling family of Tainos.”

“You may call me Princess,” Adelina said, her smile widening as she enforced protocol.

Rykian shot Vasili a glare for his lack of manners but the young prince set his feet wide and flared his wings at her in anger. “Princess,” he spat. “Your people abandoned us after setting a disease rampant, sterilizing most of our males permanently. ‘Multiplied like vermin’ my father told me was the phrase used to describe us.”

Adelina bared her teeth at the accusation in his tone if not in his words – as though she were just as bad as the perpetrators.

Prince Kaiden stepped forward with a hand on Vasili’s shoulder before she could say anything in retaliation. “As you know I am Prince Kaiden of House Skye, ruling family of Anarr. We have documentation proving these incidents and are willing to share them with you. It has caused us cycles of problems,” he said, shooting Vasili a glare. “What Prince Vasili was trying to say was that we had no reason to trust those that came before. Why would these Kalans be any different than the ones who poisoned us? But Prince Nash told us about you, and we were willing to meet with you after hacking into your livestream. What we saw on the vid records about Princess Adelina was enough to convince the entire Council to at least give you a hearing.”

The others stayed quiet at his confession and Adelina felt her hands shake under their gazes – waiting to see what she had to say in response to all they’d revealed.

Adelina looked to the females. There was a pain written on their faces that she understood completely. Their worth was currently in the offspring they could produce – specifically female offspring who would help further the Drakesthai race…and they were unable to do so.

Kalene glanced up at Adelina and then quickly looked back down; horrified Adelina had caught her stealing a look. Goddess, this female was only a cycle or so younger than her. No doubt she wished for more out of her life than breeding.

But it wasn’t just the pain of freedom lost she saw on these females. It was the pain of wishing for children that would never come. There was also fear – miscarriages and birth were still deadly for them with so many complications. The wings in the womb had to make things a thousand times more difficult.

Adelina could help them. Perhaps not instantly, but the physicians in Draga were the best in four galaxies. Their research and breakthroughs were nearly unheard of anywhere else. They’d just created a vaccine to one of the last diseases that had no cure thanks to Ian. She had no doubt in her mind that she could fix what her people had done – and if not through reverse engineering then through discovering the original disease wrought upon these people through her investigation.

There was no doubt in her mind that what they said was true, even if she didn’t understand it. Why lie to her after decades of silence? But she needed more information to know how to help them.

“Princess Tatsuo, tell me what your opinion is on the matter?”

Nash shot her an annoyed look, but Adelina ignored him. She wanted answers. And she needed the female perspective on the matter so as to compare and understand the Drakesthai a bit better.

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