Page 87 of The Healing Dragon
I heal the few people in the clinic and, just as quickly, I’m on my way to the nursery.
“You don’t need to walk me there,” I say.
I’m holding Jesse’s hand in mine and the action feels so natural. We cross paths with a few guards, but none of them spare us anything more than a nod.
The smell of dirt at the start of my day has grown on me. I associate it with peace and quiet. It doesn’t feel that way when I spot Alejandra at the entrance of the nursery. She’s in conversation with Isabel but it ceases when I’m spotted. I try to let go of Jesse’s hand, but he doesn’t let me.
Alejandra looks between us with a blanked expression. “Your presence is required at the King’s office,” she says in my direction.
“For what reason?” Jesse asks, but Alejandra just shrugs.
“You both will find out sooner the faster you make it there.”
I expect her to go on her way after that, but she accompanies us to Brandon’s office. When we reach the hallway that leads to his office, we hear a trail of voices coming from behind his closed door. The echoes of arguments carry through the open space. I can’t make out the words and voices. However, they all sound familiar.
When we stand just outside the doors, the words finally become more clear.
“Well, isn’t that naïve!” someone shouts from inside. “The choice to hold back will only cause further distress on their people.”
“There is no reason to get loud,” Brandon says. His tone is not angry, but drained.
“Don’t you look at me that way. Before you were King, I changed your diapers!” That is the unmistakable voice of Dorty.
The young woman is a daughter of a royal house. Her family resides in Petra, better known as the City of Stone. They were the second stop in Brandon’s tour earlier this year. I don’t know her as much as I know of her. The few and far interactions we had were always in passing.
Alejandra opens the double wood doors and Jesse and I follow her inside.
Brandon frowns at Dorty. “So you say, but you aren’t that much older. I always doubted your claims.”
“The woman of the hour,” Bianca says with a tight smile.
I look around me and see a large party of what I can only call royal offsprings standing there. I’ve met every single one of them multiple times growing up, but despite their faces being familiar, I never did much socializing past pleasantries. The Oscuro brothers are far closer to them, as they often gather in groups during events.
“Well, at least she looks good,” James says.
That comment earns him an elbow to the rib by his oldest brother, Jill. The brothers belong to the Aether family from Helios. Their city is the farthest one from the Black Castle and the border. I know only one thing about the brothers and that’s that the brothers are trouble.
“James is second in line for the Aether title. Let him at least try his luck for the Duelo royal line.” Sabrina fans herself from a couch across the room. “Or has Jesse finally gotten himself out of the friend zone?” She searches my face for two blinks before laughing. “I guess not.”
She’s the only daughter of the Hue family. Her family resides in Gallalo, known as the City of Light. Their home was the first stop on the royal tour due to its distance to the Black Castle. Sabrina’s attitude has always been as sharp as her tongue, yet she has always been good at staying under the radar.
I stared at the faces in the group. “What is this about?”
“The news of your return to the Black Castle has made its way through Puerto Quinn.” Brandon walks to his desk and takes a seat. “There’s outrage about the way your treatment here is being described.”
“Outrage is one way of saying it. They are rioting for her return,” Jill adds in with a smirk on his face. “The city of Ignis takes the mistreatment of their royal family seriously.”
“Rioting?” I ask, looking at Brandon.
“Your father was not a Duelo by blood. The city of Ignis has denied him altogether. They deny his claims and his title in relation to their city. They have declared you their only living representative.”
Brandon has chosen the words thoughtfully. A subtle reminder to everyone in this room. Regardless of relations and social power, that is all our royal titles carry. No one would dare say it out loud, but our social influence in our cities is far more dangerous than Brandon would like to admit. My father didn’t turn on Brandon with the backing of Ignis because he knew they would never follow him. They never truly accepted him, regardless of how much he tried. My father married to become a Duelo. The city would never see him and one born a Duelo as equals. They all awaited the day one of my brothers would take over and rule. The day never came to pass, and it was all because of him. I can only guess how they all took that.
“You are the only living Duelo and they want you back,” Jill says.
“My mother is still alive.”
I don’t know why I say it, but I can’t help it. Ruling was never part of my path. I never truly dreamed of something farther than my freedom.
