Page 17 of The Cursed Queen

The leader frowned. "Is something troubling you?"

"No, sir. I'm nervous is all."

"Well, don't be. You can do this. You're more than prepared for it. Now, strap a saddle to your dragon, and climb up."

As if he was the one in a lifeless state, Virgil stoically obeyed. He made quick work of strapping the saddle and reigns to my back. Once everything was secure, he pulled himself up and seated on top of me. If only I could move my eyes. The entire experience felt demeaning and made my anger towards the druids increase. But I forced my mind to calm down.

Think of the princess. Think of the chance for freedom.

"Good, now command your dragon's wings, and start flying," The leader instructed.

I felt my wings flapping, as my body pushed off the ground. Instantly catching air, Virgil and I began flying upward.

"Please forgive me," he begged once we were out of earshot.

Virgil guided us forward, going far away from the crowd. Once we had enough distance between us and them, he undid the enchantment, giving me complete control over my body.

"I may not understand you, but I hope you know how sorry I am. I didn't want to do that to you, but I had no choice."

"I know." I wish I could tell him.

With me controlling the beat of my wings, our flight throughout the kingdom was smooth sailing. I was sure it made Virgil look experienced. Like he was born to command a dragon to ride, but I knew he no longer cared about that.

"We'll get you out of this, Andriel. You and the rest of your people. I promise Sera and I will do everything in our power to rescue you all," Virgil said firmly.

I trusted him. Both Virgil and the princess. It would take careful planning, but we would succeed. We had no choice. It was a matter of life, death, and the future of my den.

Sera

I couldn't sleep at all last night. Andriel saying that I may have been poisoning myself this whole time, was wreaking havoc in my head. Could he be right? Was my mother lying and drugging me the whole time? While I'd love to fool myself into thinking she would never do something like that, I had to remember this was the same woman imprisoning dragon shifters. There was no telling what she was capable of.

If I wasn't thinking of Andriel, I was being assaulted by the dreams I continued to have every night.

An anguished roar, the rattling of chains, and the whistling of the wind.

A dragon's roar, I realized. One that was crying in pain. I could never see its face, or what was wrong with it. My surroundings were always too dark for me to see. The sounds it made always tugged at my heartstrings, causing tears to fill my eyes. Was it another shifter? If so, who was it? And why did it feel so familiar?

I awoke right when Vivienne stepped inside with my breakfast. We exchanged greetings and pleasantries while I ate, andthen she left with the empty plates, leaving behind the deadly medicine in question. Like Andriel requested, I didn'tdrink it, even when the urgency in my brain compelled me to do so. I resisted. Though it hadn't been confirmed yet, I knew Andriel's assumption of the medicine was true. I could feel it in my core.

Walking over to my nightstand, I picked up the bottle and held it up in front of me like a snake ready to bite me if I leaned in too close. I hated drinking the contents for as long as I could remember. So much so that I considered letting the curse take me if it meant never drinking the horrendous liquid again. It always made me feel worse before well enough to carry on with the rest of my day. I set it back on the nightstand, refraining myself from smashing the glass bottle. I'd deliver it to Andriel tonight when I would see him. For now, I had my duties that needed to be fulfilled.

I quickly dressed in a long maroon velvet dress with sheer long sleeves and gold trimmings embroidered into the design. After getting cleaned up and dressed for the day, I walked out of my bedchamber and off to the throne room, where my mother would expect me. I did my best to feign my sluggish state while passing by servants along the way. A few druid knights bowed in respect when I passed them, but some wore sneered expressions on their faces, thinking I wouldn't notice. They deemed me unfit for the tiara currently adorning my head.

I could've easily called them out for their hateful expression, but more pressing matters required my attention.

After walking down several flights of stairs without the need to catch my breath, I motioned to the guards in front of the double doors to let me inside. They graciously stepped aside, and I pushed my way inside. My mother wasn't alone. She was huddled on the dais with the rest of the council. The council consisted of her advisor, Clyde, the two heads of the druid army, Aizen and Enzo—twin brothers who'd shown great potential as warriors from an early age—and the four elders who helped mymother rule the druid region of Atheynia. It was because of their expertise and trust in my mother's leadership that the Zeffari Kingdom reigned as the most powerful magic kingdom in Iferia.

My mother looked up right when the doors opened and brightened when she spotted me, her arms outstretched for me to approach. "There she is. Our lovely princess!"

Something told me I wouldn't like where this was going, but I remained impassive as I walked towards the council. Reluctantly, I reached out and rested my hand on my mother's.

"Mother, what is this?" I asked, my eyes wavering towards the many faces that surrounded me. They couldn't have known of my secret meetings with Virgil to see Andriel, could they?

Mother brushed off my question with a flick of her wrist. "Oh, worry not, Seraphina. Tell me, child, how are you feeling today?"

"Much of the usual, tired and a little dizzy," I lied, my body slouching for added effects.

Mother pouted and spoke like I was still an infant. "I know, darling. It must be so difficult to be such a fragile flower. Well, at least you're beautiful. Although, not as beautiful as me."

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