Page 2 of Fate of Draga

“Find anything useful, love?” Adele asked, settling down in her new spot. Since she was no longer queen the throne was left empty, waiting for the day Adelina would sit there.

Joslynn sat on the velvet chair opposite Adele and glanced out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the palace gardens and grounds. She would never forget that day they’d all learned the Crown had passed to another yet again and so soon – never in her life.

The recordings from Giselle, Asher, and Adelina had swept over the kingdom like wildfire a few weeks before. Joslynn had just arrived on Draga Terra – two weeks after the battle on Scyria. They’d been eating dinner in the Great Hall when the livestream flickered on, and everyone’s simulcast pinged with the urgent royal message.

Everything had stopped as the holo had displayed on the largest wall in the Great Hall. Joslynn had never heard silence like that before. When Giselle appeared before them, the queen mother and Elara had stood in alarm – looking back on the events Joslynn knew they’d somehow guessed what had been about to happen.

There were no other royals left in the Draga Royal Palace with Prince William and Prince Asher off to war with the ex-queen Giselle, and Adelina in the Hai System. Even the royal cousins were with the Draga Royal Army.

It was strange to be in the palace with only the queen mother, but it was rather empty regardless. So many were either at the Core’s border, or with the main armies. Anyone left made sure to send supplies and medicine and personnel where they were needed. All factories had been commandeered to produce weapons and starships.

Everyone who was physically capable had joined up to fight. Newly trained warriors were constantly being sent out. A new batch every week to join those at the Core’s border.

Even the jewelers were making delicate technology, working on whatever was sent to them. Clothiers helped make armor and cheap clothing for refugees. Every single life had been touched by the war, even the courtiers that were still living in the palace.

The queen mother had made sure to use them as well, putting the courtiers to work managing shipments from the capitol – helping those who fled the borders and then putting them to work or training them.

Joslynn hated that the grounds were no longer a place to relax and enjoy life, but she understood it. What she actually hated was how young those faces were. They all trained so they would be ready the day they turned eighteen cycles.

Despite all this preparation for the horrors of war, she had not been prepared for what had happened after the battle on Scyria.

Giselle’s abdication speech had shocked Joslynn. She’d known the second-born hadn’t been suited to royal life, let alone ruling, but she’d never expected an abdication. Not after only a few weeks. Retiring was one thing, but this—this was cowardly.

Then Adelina had appeared in a room that had made chills run down Joslynn’s spine. It wasn’t obvious, but one of the windows showed a fiery landscape in the background and it only added to the intensity of Adelina’s words.

Joslynn hadfeltthem in her very bones as Adelina took the Oath of Queen.

The entire Great Hall had watched with rapt attention while the queen mother’s face turned a sickly white. Joslynn had feared she would faint, but she’d stayed strong.

When Asher came next and accepted his role as Hand of the Queen, Joslynn had set down her cutlery. She’d retired to her rooms shortly after that to speak with Sirus on the matter. Her fiancé hadn’t much to say, but just seeing his face and hearing his voice had helped settle her.

The palace had been empty and haunted a few days after the announcement as everyone adjusted. The queen mother had given a speech and had it put on the livestream to reassure the people and update them with the war efforts.

With the distance between them, the Core and Draga Terra were about a week behind in news and announcements from Adelina on Hai Delta and a few days behind the outer rim. The delay kept them all in the dark, and Adele had the best scientists working on improving the signal speed.

The improved engines on the starships made messengers more viable. They could travel faster with a recording on a disc than a signal could at the moment, especially with the shields slowing things down even further.

Joslynn sighed.

Essentially nothing had changed except who was Queen. Everything else went along as though everything was normal – aside from the mass weapons production and the children training for war.

“A lot of these books are in the Ancient tongue,” Elara confessed. “And I’m embarrassed to say I’m rather out of practice. But the ones in the Draga tongue all say the same thing. The Drakesthai did not aid us during King Beo’s reign, and they never asked us for help.”

The queen mother grumbled and handed Joslynn one book while taking another for herself. “How’s your Ancient, dear?”

Joslynn cracked open the book. “Decent I suppose, but I’ve never had to use it outside prayers and the like.” Hours of reading gave her a headache, but this was all that she could do currently to assist her queen and kingdom.

When the queen mother had received the cast from Adelina regarding the true issues with the Drakesthai she’d kept it secret. Only Elara and now Joslynn knew. Joslynn wasn’t sure why’d she’d been chosen to confide in; perhaps her friendship with Adelina had been why.

But Adele was already mothering her, taking her to see the physicians so she wasn’t alone. Joslynn would never say it out loud, but she’d always felt incredibly sad she wouldn’t have her mother through this experience. And yet, she didn’t feel that way thanks to Adele.

She supposed it wasn’t that much of a stretch for the queen mother to ask Joslynn for help when her own daughters were dead, on the front lines, or in the Hai System. Joslynn’s heart ached for Adele. She had gone through so much in such a short time, losing so many loved ones.

They all had.

Turning the page she sat up suddenly. The word ‘Drakesthai’ instantly caught her attention.

“When was the last time you ate something?” Elara asked, studying Joslynn closely.

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