Page 55 of The Cursed Queen

There was nothing more that could be said. The knight had made his intentions known, and there was no changing his mind. I hated it had to come to this, killing the very knights I spent most of my life believing I would lead someday. We went from allies to enemies. If only there was another way, but there wasn't.

Charging up my flames, I readied myself to put an end to the knight and set his dragon free. But the dragon Ryu and I rescued earlier slowly raised his head behind him.

Eyes widening, Virgil and I watched as the dragon opened his mouth and snapped his head down like a viper. The knight barely had time to let out a surprised shout before the dragon's mouth closed around him. The dragon ate the knight and swallowed him whole. Virgil and I looked at one another, wondering if we really witnessed that happening. The only thing that snapped me out of it were the sounds of my mates' bellows. I looked around, seeing all the dragons free of their magical influences. Their former dragon riders were nowhere to be found. They were all dead.

"Sera!" Andriel's dragon flew closer to us. "Are you all right, my darling?"

I huffed out an exhausted breath, dropping to my ass and leaning against one of Ryu's spikes. "Never better. We should return to the den before more dragon riders discover us."

Sera

It'd been three days since dragon riders attacked Ryu and me. The flight back to the den was thankfully uneventful. Andriel insisted I ride with Virgil on his back to give Ryu a break. He and Drayce took to the rear to guard the four dragons we rescued while Andriel and Ladon flew side by side. I barely had any energy to move when we finally returned. The shifters gathered upon our return with Lord Igneel waiting for us. Ryu and I explained what happened as best as we could.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen now. Verania lost four of her dragon riders, and I didn't think she'd be reckless enough to send more after us. At least not right now. Since we left no survivors from the enemy side, there was no way for Verania to know of our location. That didn't mean she wouldn't raise suspicions about the area where the dragon riders were last reported. For now, we had to wait and plan for the next attack to come.

As for the shifters we rescued, they shifted back to their human skin so Lord Igneel could properly welcome them back. One girl and three boys. Unsurprisingly, they wept at finally returning home after who knew how long they'd been kept in cages and forced to submit to the Zeffari Kingdom. A part of me wanted to look away. To not listen to the horrors they enduredwhile under the kingdom, but I forced myself to remain where I stood.

It helped serve as a reminder of why I was here. Why I wanted to fight against the Zeffari Kingdom. To further cement how cruel Verania had been, knowing full well what she was doing when she would hunt these shifters down and keeping them captive.

If not for the adrenaline draining me completely, I didn't think I'd have been able to sleep. I managed to, but not peacefully. I was plagued by nightmares, imagining all the torment those poor shifters had to endure. Unsure if they would ever escape. If they would ever return to their den. The more my mind raced with thoughts and images, the more guilt I felt threatening to cut off my airways. I'd never understand how I spent twenty-one years in the Zeffari Kingdom and did not know what was happening to them.

How could I have looked at the dragon riders, and the dragons they'd brainwashed, and thought that was what I wanted to do with my life? Was I that blind? Had I really believed there was nothing wrong with it? It took everything in me not to curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out.

That wouldn't solve anything. Instead of weeping like a child, I could continue my training, and making sure I put an end to Verania and the entire dragon rider battalion.

I spent the next two days working with my mates. After deliberating, it was agreed that Ryu would work with me on my magic, Drayce would train me in combat, and Andriel would help my connection with my dragon. Andriel also explained that he would help Virgil get stronger, too. Each of my mates were strict mentors with my training, but I welcomed it. It was also giving us the chance to bond.

All except for Ladon.

Ladon wasn't training me, nor did he want to talk to me. I already knew why before Andriel explained it to me. I couldn't say I blamed him for not wanting to interact with the former druid princess, but the rejection stung, nonetheless. What puzzled me were his actions. Ladon stated he didn't want me as a mate, yet he still came to my rescue when Ryu and I were attacked. He risked his life to save us. To save me.

I decided not to push for Ladon to talk to me, at least not right now. I wouldn't give up on him, but with so much on my plate, it was best to focus on what I could do first.

Waking up the next morning, I made my way to the courtyard as planned. A few of the shifters were still giving me dirty looks, but I also noticed that some had eased their tension about me after saving those four shifters the other day. Not a lot of change, but progress was still progress.

Stepping out into the blaring sun, I looked ahead to find Drayce waiting for me. I didn't have the chance to really take him in since arriving on Dragon's Peak Mountain, but now that he was training me, I allowed my eyes to roam up and down his form. He was layered with muscles similar to Andriel. His dark skin glistening in the sun's harsh rays, and his topaz-colored eyes glowed as if they were miniature versions of the sun. He had a firm presence to him, one that made him look ready to do battle at any moment. I could see why Lord Igneel deemed him the one to teach me to fight.

Sensing my presence, Drayce looked up to meet my gaze. He frowned but gestured for me to come hither. He seemed bothered by me. I guess I could understand seeing as how we were fated mates, and yet I was still deemed an enemy. But unlike Ladon, Drayce wasn't shutting me out. He seemed open to the idea, but was unsure of me. I'd take that. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do about my mates, but with some time, hopefully, I'd find a solution.

For now, I slowly approached Drayce, trying not to let my apprehension show on my face.

"Hello," I said casually.

He dipped his head. "Princess."

"I'm not a princess anymore."

Drayce looked around for a second to make sure we had no eavesdroppers. "You're Lord Igneel's daughter, are you not?"

I nodded.

"Then you're still a princess. Maybe not to the Zeffari Kingdom, but you are a princess of dragons."

"Not sure I'm worthy of that," I said somberly, knowing how much resentment the den had of Virgil and me being here. They didn't even know I was Daenerys yet, so how would they react when they found out? What would happen to Lord Igneel?

"It matters not if you deserve it or not. You were born Princess Daenerys; therefore, you are our princess. Even if nobody knows it."

That did nothing to reassure me, but it was the truth. I was born a princess, but I had yet to earn it. I was never worthy of being the Zeffari Kingdom's princess, which was why it always felt wrong to me, and I still wasn't worthy of being the princess of dragons. Was it something I wanted to earn? Did I want to be a worthy princess? Maybe it was a conversation I needed to have with Lord Igneel.

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