Page 3 of The Cursed Queen

"P-Princess!" Virgil looked stupefied as he returned the gesture with an awkward bow. Afterwards, he moved closer so he could whisper, already seeming to forget that nobody else was around. "What are you doing here?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I was in the area."

Virgil's eyes narrowed as he regarded me. "You were in the area. Is that really your excuse, Sera?"

"Well, it's true. Say, while I'm here, how about you show me the dragons inside?"

"Oh, the dragons." Virgil nodded his head with a smirk. "You just want to see the dragons."

"Precisely! Glad you understand. Now, shall we?" I asked, patting his shoulder and dashing past him to the double doors.

"Hold it, Your Highness!" Virgil shouted, and I stopped while cursing under my breath. "You and I both know you're not supposed to be near these stables. It's too dangerous, Sera."

Damn, I should've known he wouldn't make this easy for me. I turned to face him, pleading. "Come on, Virgil, please! Just this one time?"

"I'm sorry, Princess. You know I can't let you go in there."

"Virgil Greyfield, as Princess of the Zeffari Kingdom, I order you to take me inside the stable to see the dragons this instant!"

Virgil's response to my official order was to snort out a laugh. "Ooh, that was a nice demand. I have chills. Unfortunately, it's still a no can do, Your Royal Highness. The queen specified that you're not permitted to set foot inside. She'd have my head if she caught wind of you trying to sneak around here."

I deflated in disappointment. What was the point of being a princess when even my orders held little strength? Trying not to cry, I did the only thing I had left; I begged.

"Please, Virgil? This may be my only chance to see a dragon up close. You know how important this is to me. Won't you please let me inside?"

Virgil's amused expression washed away, replacing it with sympathy. "Your Highness... Sera... you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you, but if you're caught, we could both get into trouble. I could lose my rank, be thrown into the dungeon, or worse, killed."

I almost protested, wanting to state that my mother would never do such a thing to someone loyal to the crown since birth. Then rightfully kept my mouth shut because that wasn't true at all. My mother had sentenced servants to the dungeonfor accidents such as spilling wine or forgetting to change her bedding. She's even sentenced men who failed to court her to their death. Mother was a ruthless queen with a poisonous heart filled with vanity that was taller than the highest of mountains.

I certainly didn't want Virgil to feel her wrath, especially not for something that would've been my fault. If something were to happen to him, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I was about to tell him I changed my mind, but the echo of the dragons' rumbling voices halted the words from leaving my mouth. Looking over my shoulder, I faced the iron gates that separated me from the winged beasts. Maybe it was my imagination, but it was as if I could almost feel the heat of their flames from where I stood.

I started rubbing my upper arms, feeling a flow of warmth coursing through my body. It felt strange, but it wasn't unpleasant. Something in the back of my mind was urging me to go in there. It was faint, but I could sense it. I needed to be there.

"Sera? What's wrong?" Virgil asked, sounding worried.

"I need to get in there," I muttered. "I can't explain it, but there's something in there that's pulling me in."

Virgil frowned. "For the last time, Princess, I can't—"

"Virgil." I faced him with a snap in my tone. He flinched, never having heard me use that tone with him before, even on days when I wasn't happy to see him, or when my mother would rile me up. I wanted to apologize, but since I had his attention, I pressed on, hoping he heard the urgency in my words. "This isn't some ploy to get you to let me in. There's something in there that's calling to me. I need to see what it is. Just... just trust me, okay? If you're so worried about us getting caught, then you can be on the lookout while I investigate. As soon as you spot someone, I'll run and hide. But please, Virgil, this is important."

Virgil eyed me warily for a few heartbeats, silent and calculating, assessing me and the veracity of my words. Thiswas more than simply wanting to see the dragons. Now it was more like the dragons were summoning me. That had to have been what was pulling me into the stables. Just when I felt like he would still refuse my entry, and I'd have to force my way in, Virgil let out a long sigh, followed by a shake of his head.

"Fine. You win, but only for a few moments. If there's any sign of knights coming our way, you run out the back door immediately. Is that understood?"

I nodded cordially, grateful that he trusted what I was telling him. I could only hope that it wouldn't cause him too much trouble.

He sighed and walked to the iron gates, with me following behind. After unlocking the doors, Virgil pushed them open with an ear-piercing creak from the rusted hinges. Giving myself a moment to let my ears stop ringing, Virgil gestured for me to follow him inside. I wasn't sure what I expected to find stepping inside the stables, but I wasn't expecting this. The large reptilian creatures of magic—well past ten stories tall—were shoved in cold stone cellars that were too small for their sizes. They looked like prisoners left in the dungeons to rot.

"What?" I gasped as I took everything in. The three dragons I spotted this morning were all present and accounted for. They were locked up, all curled up against themselves, looking rather sick and uncomfortable. My heart galloped like a running stallion as disbelief fueled my outrage. "What is the meaning of this?"

Everything about this screamed wrong, but the tilt of Virgil's head to the side, as he regarded me with confusion, told me he didn't see what I saw.

"What do you mean?" Virgil asked.

I gestured to the rows of cells on both sides of the stable. "What do I mean? I'm talking about this. Why are these dragonsin cells? They're barely large enough to keep them inside and look like they can't even stretch their wings."

"Of course not. If they could, it would make them more likely to escape. As it stands, they're offered limited mobility but need to remain contained for our safety, and their own. The cells are also enchanted with protection spells to keep their flames inside. So, if they try to burn their way through, all it would do is injure themselves."

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