Page 43 of The Cursed Queen

"Princess." Lord Igneel dipped his head in acknowledgment.

I did the same. "My lord."

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better overall, but I'm feeling a little stiff from being stuck in bed all that time," I said, stretching my arms over my head and arching my back.

Lord Igneel smiled before tapping the bottom of his scepter to the ground. "Understandable. But now, if you'll follow me, I will show you where you'll be staying."

Nodding, I followed behind as he guided me up the narrow stone path. A swarm of dragons in their beast forms guiding up, down and all around. Some going through the dozens of corridors only to return with arms full of those violet gems I'd seen on Lord Igneel's scepter and throughout the cave.

"What are those jewels?" I asked.

"They're Zenitar Crystals. Right now, they're empty vessels, but we can use them to store the souls of the lost, and our own dragonfire to help store our magic or use them to enchant weapons."

Upon further inspection, I noticed how similar they looked to the amethyst crystal embedded in my pendant. On instinct,my hand went to the spot where the body of the pendant was hidden underneath my shirt. The warmth of the gem could be felt through the thin fabric.

"Is this the only place where Zenitar Crystals could be harvested?" I asked.

"Yes, but we distribute these to other regions for trade. Though lately, we've had to limit our travels significantly."

I didn't need to ask why when the answer was the reason I was here. Dragons were safe here, from the looks of it, but traveling to other regions left them vulnerable to attack. Another pang of guilt hit me.

"I hope there's something I can do to make it safe for dragon shifters to travel again," I said.

Lord Igneel looked my way with an approving look. "Your determination to protect and aid us is most admirable."

I gestured towards the hoard of dragons. "Well, they're my people too. There wasn't much I could do as princess back in the Zeffari Kingdom, but I'm hoping things will be different here."

"And I will help you reach your goal. I've already planned to have your mates train you in magic and combat."

My feet remained planted on the ground as I froze in shock. "You did what now?"

Lord Igneel chuckled. "Worry not, Daenerys, you will be well taken care of."

"I-I don't doubt that, but why assign the task to them?" I asked, not bothering to correct him when he called me Daenerys. I wasn't sure I was willing to officially change my name, but for my dragon lord father, I found I didn't mind him calling me that. It felt right.

"First, because you need to get to know them before deciding what to do about being mated to all of them. Second, right now, they're the only ones I trust to look after you. While I may have decreed that you and your druid knight friend are honoredguests here, that did little to mend the malice most of them feel towards druids. They would never outright harm you, but that doesn't mean they won't express their hatred towards you."

I already expected as much. My time here may not be all flowers and sunshine, but the one thing I wouldn't do was cower in the heat of their distaste for me. I've had many years of practice dealing with people who turned their noses up at me. Those who thought I wasn't capable of ruling in Queen Verania's place because of my lack of magical talent. It hurt to feel like I was never good enough during my youth, but as I got older, I learned to hold my head up and not show weakness. I would do the same here.

"I'll be fine," I said confidently.

The dragon lord grinned as he reached out and tugged a lock of my hair behind my ear. "I know you will, my dear. Now come along. The sooner I show you to your new quarters, the sooner you can start your training."

We didn't talk the rest of the way. Lord Igneel passed by several caves decorated for living arrangements. Some had a tarp covering the doorway for privacy. Finally, we stopped in front of one cave that was covered with a thick violet tapestry embroidered with dragons and butterflies. Lord Igneel pulled it to the side and motioned for me to step inside. Heart fluttering, I slowly walked forward. I gaped as my eyes roamed about. The cave was small, and not as lavish as my chamber back in the Zeffari Kingdom. It was roughly the size of the storage room, wide enough for me to stretch out my arms without touching the walls. The cave had a sleeping cot, a wardrobe cabinet beside it, and a table and chair across from it. Torches were mounted and lit on either side of the entryway, giving the space enough light to see. On the desk was a stack of books that I'd like to check out later.

"I know it's rather small, but I think it would do for now," Lord Igneel said from behind. "Overtime you'll be able to expand it further back, but you'll need help for that. We shifters rarely retire to our caves unless we're resting or changing."

He stepped inside and tapped his knuckles on the side of the wardrobe. "I've taken the liberty of having clothes made for you here. Taking into consideration of your wings, we've also had the backs of your shirts and dresses cut midway to make it easier."

"You did all this for me?" I asked in awe.

"Of course, I did. You're my daughter." Lord Igneel's demeanor saddened. "I know that may take some time to get used to."

"It will," I agreed. "But I'm glad to be your daughter."

That seemed to pierce through his cloud of sorrow. "I'm glad you are too."

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