Page 79 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
The silence stretched, broken only by Miranda’s quiet weeping. Then, to Sora’s surprise, the woman pulled away from her husband and seized Sora’s hands in a fierce grip.
“She’s not gone completely, then,” Miranda said, her voice thick, edges fraying with emotion she didn’t bother to hide. “If her memories live in you, some part of her continues.”
“I...” Sora hadn’t considered it that way. “I suppose that’s true.”
“The Moon Goddess blesses us even in sorrow,” Miranda continued, tears still tracking down her face, but she made no attempt to wipe them away. “She took my daughter’s soul to peace while gifting her body to her chosen Luna. There is purpose in this pain.”
Her acceptance stunned Sora. She’d expected anger, rejection—not this spiritual understanding that transcended grief.
Garth cleared his throat. “You said you were someone else on your world. Who were you there?”
“A historian,” Sora replied, gratitude warming her voice. “A researcher who studied ancient artifacts and weapons. I was examining dragon relics the night I died.”
“A scholar,” Garth said with a faint smile. “That explains why kitchen work confused you so. Our Sora could bake circles around most by the time she was twelve.”
A lump formed in Sora’s throat. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be her for you.”
“You are who you were meant to be,” Miranda said simply. “The Moon Goddess makes no mistakes.”
Morgana had stopped pacing, her expression unreadable as she watched the exchange. Finally, she approached, kneeling before Sora with head bowed.
“It was I who spoke to Princess Jewels,” she confessed, voice cracking as she exposed her neck in submission. “I told her about how your scent had changed, and how you were acting different. I thought—” Her words faltered. “I thought removing you from duty would restore what I’d worked my entire life to achieve. I didn’t think and I let jealousy blind me. I never imagined they would hurt our parents... or that dragons would have any connection to you.”
“Jealousy often blinds us to truth.” Sora’s breath left her in a slow exhale, the shimmer along her spine betraying the turmoil she kept buried. The princess’s hostility wasn’t unearned—she’d played her part in it—but her sister never considered the aftermath, the wreckage left behind. “You’re not the only one who’s struggled to find where you belong.”
“How can you possibly forgive this?” Morgana whispered, tears falling thick down her face.
“Because we’re family—not by circumstance, but by choice.” Sora extended her hand, remembering her own journey from denial to acceptance. “And in this new world we’re building, everyone deserves the chance to redefine themselves.”
Morgana hesitated, then took the offered hand. “You’ve changed.”
“We’ve all changed,” Sora replied, glancing at each face in turn. “None of us can go back to who we were before. We can only move forward from here—and hope to end this madness.”
Ignis shifted behind her, his presence a silent reminder of everything awaiting them beyond this family reunion. She felt his urgency through their bond—the coming council meeting, the message from Celestoria, the plans that needed making.
“We can’t stay long,” she said reluctantly. “There’s a council meeting tonight, and much to prepare for.”
“You’re going back, aren’t you?” Lyra’s voice barely rose above a whisper as her gaze searched Sora’s face. “To Celestoria. To face them again.”
Ignis growled, the sound vibrating through the stone floor. The family startled except for Sora, who had grown accustomed to his… dragoness.
“We have unfinished business with the royal family,” she confirmed, not wanting to burden them with the details of Coal’s capture or the essence harvesting.
Garth’s expression darkened. “After everything they’ve done—”
“It’s complicated,” Sora interrupted gently. “Politics between kingdoms always is. But know that I’m safe here.” She reached back, her fingers brushing against Ignis’s scaled arm. “I’m protected.”
The gesture didn’t escape Garth’s notice. His eyes narrowed as they tracked between his daughter and the dragon king. “And what exactly is your relationship with His Majesty?”
Heat crept up Sora’s neck, warming her cheeks. Through their bond, she felt Ignis’s amusement at her discomfort, along with something possessive that made her skin tingle.
“That’s also complicated,” she hedged. “But know he takes good care of me.”
“She ismyLuna,” Ignis stated, the simple declaration resonating with unmistakable claim. “Myqueen.Mymate.”
“Mate?” Miranda’s eyebrows shot up. “As in—”
“It’s not what you think,” Sora interjected hastily, though the spreading warmth in her cheeks belied her protest. “It’s a blood bond—a ritual connection that saved my life. We’re not... that is, we haven’t...”
