Fated Hope

by Sariah Skye

  “Go on,” I prompted softly. I could feel Maxxus’ irritation ebbing from him. I ignored it for the time being.

  “Well,” Rosis continued, turning back around. “She started complaining of having disturbing dreams. We didn’t think much of it, of course. All kids have dreams, right? But they became more vivid…or rather, they didn’t. She said she felt like she was in this dark room, with no escape and she’d just feel…hopeless. She would start choking or gasping or something in her sleep and we’d try to shake her. She wouldn’t wake and she’d feel cold to the bone; I would have to breathe fire at her to get her to rouse. But it was at this time she started to withdraw, more than usual. She wouldn’t speak to anyone and, my other sister—the aura reader—she said her essence was tinged with black.”

  I gasped. “Shadows. They were coming to her in her sleep!” I looked at Maxxus with grave concern; his irritation vanished. He stepped closer to me, snaking an arm across my back and pulling me close.

  Rosis nodded. “That’s what we think—now anyhow. After we heard about everything from your Loremaster. Before we just assumed the…magic finally got to her.”

  “Magic?” Maxxus repeated, confused.

  Rosis sighed. “My sister was a pink dragon, Majesties.”

  I felt my knees nearly give out under me, but Maxxus’ strong arm kept me composed. Still, I gasped again. “Oh my—but…”

  “How were you able to keep it from your village for so long?” Maxxus asked.

  “Well, she’s a very light pink, almost white. Was. You could hardly tell. But when she started compelling people, and couldn’t breathe true fire—we sort of figured it out. We were able to convince everyone else she was just white, though, thankfully, and the downy hair she grew over most her body covered up the pinkest spots,” Rosis said.

  “She breathes sparkly mist too?” I asked, amazed before I clamped my mouth shut. Stupid. She doesn’t breathe anything anymore.

  “Your kingdom has issue with pink dragons too?” Maxxus questioned quickly.

  Rosis shrugged. “More or less. We wouldn’t sentence them to death, but ask them to leave. We of course know of Cyril everything that happened, of course. The reason I’m telling you this, well…now that we know of the Shadows…I believe that you, Highness may be in danger of them. More so than the rest of us,” he said, speaking earnestly. “My sister, she—” his breath caught in his chest.

  I reached out and clasped his forearm, sending him a surge of comforting magic that hopefully he wouldn’t notice, he would just feel…better.

  Rosis blinked, before smiling lightly. “My sister used to do that to me too. Thank you.”

  I nodded slightly. “Of course.”

  “We are already aware of Leo—umm—Queen Leorah’s susceptibility to the Shadows,” Maxxus spoke. “Finnian—our Loremaster—has already warned us. She’s been visited by the Shadows in her sleep before.”

  “But with Daniel’s help—that’s our Seer—I was able to walk through the dream and find my friend, and our king before he…perished,” I said, my voice trailing off quietly. “Though I wasn’t able to help him.”

  “Oh. That is formidable indeed,” Rosis said, his tone awed. “Well I guess my visit was pointless, then,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “I just couldn’t say anything in front of the others… just in case…”

  I nodded. “Of course. And it’s no worry, I thank you for trying to warn me.”

  “It is another good reminder that you have to be very, very careful, Lady Leorah,” Maxxus said sternly, shaking his finger at me.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes Daddy.” I grimaced as soon as I said it. “Ew, that’s not right…”

  Maxxus opened his mouth to speak, looking smug, but remembered we weren’t alone.

  Rosis bowed lowly. “Well, I apologize for the interruption. I just wasn’t sure when else I would get a chance to speak to you. Your attendant should be waiting just down the hall for me. I shall take my leave, now. Good night, Majesties.”

  “‘Night, Rosis,” I said, with a smile and he disappeared out the door.

  Maxxus gave me a look. “Another pink dragon?”

  I shrugged. “Was she, though? Perhaps she really was only a white dragon with really strong spirit magic?”

  “Perhaps but, the fire-thing…”

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “The dream-thing. That’s how they tried to come to me but…failed.”

  “Well, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. With myself, and Gabriel and everyone else, they won’t get to you again,” Maxxus insisted, when I looked away sheepishly.

  “What?” Maxxus probed.

  “The—dream I told you about?”

  Maxxus folded himself on the chaise, and waited, patiently for me to continue talking. “Go on…” he urged, his brow creasing.

  “I dreamt that I was saving Daxie from the Shadows. She was dancing in the woods, when they came to her.” Maxxus sat up taller, listening more carefully to my words. “Finnian saw it. I let him see. It was the Shadows.”

  I expected Maxxus to be irritated, but he looked confused. “But, how do you know it wasn’t a dream? If it was Daxie’s dream, wouldn’t it be that you just saw itwhile you were healing her?”

  I shook my head. “Finnian says no. My magic struggled here. I used it—but it was hard.”

  “Hell…” Maxxus stroked his chin thoughtfully.

  “Finnian already insisted: no more trying to heal. Yet.”

  Maxxus’ head bobbed up and down slowly. “I agree. It’s not wise.” His expression softened. “Was it…scary?”

  I shivered slightly. “Terrifying. To think they were after that adorable little child…I…” My words were cut off when Maxxus wrapped his arms around me and lifted me in the air, crossing the room and dropping me into bed.

  “Enough of that for tonight. One thing I know, if the pink dragon isn’t happy, perhaps she’s even more susceptible, yes?” Maxxus grinned, as he leaned over and unfastened the robes at my neck, before his fingers trailed down my neck and collarbone, finding a home underneath the bra I wore.

  My breath hitched. “So, you think you know what will make me happy?” I asked playfully.

  Maxxus pounced, his body over mine. “Damn right I do…”

  Chapter 12

  “Hold still, will you?”

  I grumbled as my hair was piled on top of my head and pinned roughly into place.

  “Christ, who would have thought dragons were so damn squirmy?” Daniel muttered under his breath, putting one last pin in place.

  “Well of course we’re squirmy when you’re attempting to torture us, seer-boy,” I snapped in return. He threw his hands up, and took a step backward to admire his work. And, work was an operative term. I raised a brow as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I think that Daniel was attempting some sort of chignon twist style, but it came out looking like… well let’s just say Britney Spear’s meltdown years ago where she shaved her head would look preferable.

  Maxxus stepped in from the washroom and immediately started laughing. “I hope your cat is in here somewhere, ready to catch the rats. They might mistake your hair for their home!”

  I snorted and nearly choked on my laughter. I attempted to stifle it once I saw the obviously wounded look on Daniel’s face.

  “I’m sorry, I warned you I didn’t live up to the gay-male stereotype of being great at hair and makeup!” Daniel started furiously ripping pins out of my hair, one of them in so tight it pulled at my scalp and caused me to yelp in pain.

  “Ouch! But the bitch gay-guy stereotype is accurate, shit!” I slapped his hands away from my hair and struggled to take the pins out myself.

  “Hey now!” He snapped his fingers in a z-formation and bobbed his head from side to side. “Dammit, Jim, I’m a bitch, not a stylist!” He said, with an exaggerated lisp.

  Maxxus growled, irritated. “For crying out loud who is this ‘Jim’ and why do you keep talking about him?”

  Da
niel and I exchanged a look and burst out in cacophonous laughter, which further irritated the green dragon, causing him to storm off in a huff back to the washroom. He stopped short of slamming the door and just stood in there, grumbling under his breath.

  “Stop!” I howled. “Or I’m really going to have to bite your head off, seriously! Both of you! I can’t take any more of this before I have to go be royal and crap!”

  Daniel winked at me in the mirror. “You know, you dragons threaten to bite all the time, but I have yet to see any actual biting happen. I’m a little disappointed.”

  Maxxus chuckled. “Speak for yourself,” he called out, peeking his head slightly out of the doorframe and wiggling his eyebrows before disappearing.

  Daniel let out a surprised noise, and pushed me in my seat. “Oh, please tell! Who is doing the biting?”

  “Maxxus!” I scolded, my face turning crimson.

  Daniel held up his hands. “Fine, I’ll just let my imagination go wild. Okay, what say we just go natural with all this shit, eh?” He said, running his hands through my hair and shaping it around my face. The brown I’d dyed it weeks ago to go incognito had washed out, exposing tendrils of strawberry strands that hung down my back, once again. Almost as if I hadn’t cut my hair in the first place.

  “I’m sorry you got stuck with this,” I said to him. “I know Kiarra would rather be here, but with half the Court down, someone has to attend to all the visiting dignitaries. My parents and Valessia can only do so much, and my grandfather is currently visiting with Yarrem.” I scrubbed my palm over my face and groaned. “Arrrrrrrgh, it’s all too much!”

  Daniel patted my shoulders comfortingly. “It’s what I’m here for, dear. I just wish I was better at this stuff. I can get you dressed, and offer opinions and make sure you arrive places on time but hair and makeup?” He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Nope.”

  “But, I thought you did this stuff when you did drag before?” I asked in confusion.

  Daniel smirked. “Well I didn’t do most of it myself. I had some help from a very unexpected source.” He grinned at me in the mirror and wiggled his eyes pointedly.

  “Who?”

  “You know.”

  “Gabriel?” I said, surprised and wide-eyed.

  He nodded. “He’ll never admit it, but with his knack for detail and finding the best videos on the internet, he was able to figure it out.” He chuckled, reaching over my shoulder for a brush on the vanity. He carefully passed the brush through my hair.

  “It’s too bad he isn’t here now to help.” My expression fell. “I’m afraid things will never be the same between us,” I said with a sigh.

  “Why do you say that? Just give him some more time,” Daniel said. “It’s a big adjustment for him.”

  “I know, I know,” I said in exasperation. “He’s just rather…standoffish. Isn’t he, as a knight, supposed to be by my side with all this?”

  Daniel shrugged. “Well, sometimes we have to step aside and realize someone else right now can do the better job,” he said, nodding his head towards Maxxus. “He was able to do his part, and save you from the Shadows.”

  “I know. If he hadn’t of been there…” I trailed off, before I gasped. “Oh my—that poor dragon in the Northlands! Rosis’ sister! If she’d had a knight…”

  Maxxus sighed from nearby, while he swung his emerald robes over his broad shoulders, fastening them at his throat. “The Northlands dragons haven’t ever really been very social, darling. There’s little chance, even if there had been multiple Knights out there, they would have allowed their help.”

  “Wait. What now?” Daniel was perplexed.

  Maxxus and I filled him in, and once he was caught up he was visibly distraught.

  “Oh my…” he put his hand to his open-mouth. “That’s terrible. Do we know how she…umm…” I knew he was alluding to the question of how she committed suicide.

  I shrugged. “I didn’t ask.”

  “Frankly, I didn’t want to know either. The concept of it is rather disturbing for Leo here. Having a visual…” Maxxus shuddered violently.

  Daniel grasped my upper arms in solidarity before his head went slack on his neck.

  “Oh shit!” I leapt up from my seat, but Maxxus was quicker and caught Daniel before he could fall. “A vision? Now?”

  Daniel gasped before raising his head and standing solidly once again. “I’m okay. It was just a quick one.”

  “What about?” I asked, and he became very tight-lipped.

  Daniel gulped and looked away. “I saw…well I think I saw her when she…passed. It was…” The seer looked shaken, and Maxxus tried to guide him to the chaise nearby, but he pushed Maxxus away. “I’m okay. Just disconcerting. But it’s not the first time I’ve had ugly visions,” he said dryly.

  I gave him a sympathetic look. “Sorry you had to see that.”

  Daniel shrugged his despair off, replacing it with a grin. “Well, some things just happen for a reason, yes? Let’s get you finished, eh?” He said, before I could inquire further.

  It was another twenty minutes or so before we were ready to meet with the delegates from The Northlands and Dreka—who had arrived around breakfast time when they were expected to, unlike the dragons from the Northlands. But with Daniel’s “help” and our determination, we arrived in the throne room looking as regal as we could.

  I was sort of grateful it’d been Daniel getting us ready, not Kiarra who would have insisted on the big dresses, shoes, and the repulsively obnoxious crowns. The look of horror on her face when Maxxus and I walked in was quite obvious. I liked her—but I so didn’t care right now.

  My grandfather rushed over as soon as we stepped in; he’d been speaking to a willowy blonde woman, wearing a high jeweled crown and long, flowing, gold-colored robes. A less conspicuous male followed behind her, carrying her train as she stood. He wore a high-necked, black jacket with an elaborate insignia on the back. His hair and eyes were just as pale as the other dragon’s; I assumed they were from Dreka. With their links to human-Scandanavian heritage, most them were white-haired and blue-eyed in their human forms.

  “Announcing the arrival of the King and Queen of Anarach, Queen Leorah and King Maxxus!” My grandfather called out, in a commanding voice. The room came to attention and we all bowed to each other gently.

  Prince Darzius nodded at us from the opposite side of the room, and continued his conversation with my parents. It was all he could do, because two of the delegates from Dreka came up to us at once, without hesitation, leaving their unnamed guards behind to watch vigilantly near the wall.

  “Your Majesties, I am Queen Xalana from Dreka. Thank you so much for allowing us to intrude on your kingdom in such a trying time,” she said, her face emotionless as she spoke but her eyes spoke wonders; they darted about, scanning us—me especially—obviously looking for any signs of madness, insanity or whatever she probably would have heard about us.

  “Queen? We are honored to have you here, your highness. We were under the impression though, that delegates would be sent as representation; not that you yourself would be attending,” Maxxus spoke, smiling politely. We exchanged the briefest of looks. No one had seen the new queen of Dreka yet; she’d been crowned only within the past couple of months. Photos and whatnot had been passed along through the grapevine, but now I saw they were somewhat…altered. This queen appeared much older and less attractive in person than her photos. Clearly, someone in Dreka was privy to Photoshop, I thought to myself, rather amused. Dragons were not generally prone to vanity so this was…interesting.

  I raised a brow as she continued to stare at me, rather suspiciously.

  “Allow me to ease your mind, Highness. No, I’m not insane. I haven’t gone mad. I didn’t seduce the king here, we have actually been friends for a long, long time. I am quite within my right mind I promise. Whatever you’ve heard, has been a lie,” I said, smiling sweetly and batting my eyes. I adjusted the circlet I wore on my head,
reminding her that I was royalty, no matter how much I didn’t want to admit it.

  Maxxus quelled a cough deep in his throat when Xalana looked surprised a moment, then grinned widely.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. You might think I’m rude. Yes, I admit we’ve heard the stories about the infamous pink dragon of Anarach, but I was mostly curious about the wings,” she said, looking intrigued.

  “Wings?” I asked, confused.

  “Yes! One of our seers said they contain every color of the rainbow, and thus you contain all the elemental magic there is. Is that true?” She asked, looking hopeful.

  I stifled a sigh. I patted the necklace that I wore underneath my white blouse, making sure it was there. I closed my eyes briefly, and willed the shift.

  “Leo—” my grandfather began, but as soon as I was coherent after the moment of shifting, I narrowed my eyes.

  “Oh, we know everyone is wondering about it. Let’s just get it in the open, shall we?” I said in my slightly deeper voice. There was a murmur that scattered about the room. I could feel the tension in the room like a rubber band pulled to its limit.

  I hesitated to catch Queen Xalana’s eye, dreading the coming scorn. But to my surprise she appeared...enthralled?

  “Oh, so it’s true!” Xalana took a step back slightly, and bowed her head.

  I raised an eye. “What is true?”

  One of her delegates stepped forward, a male in human form of average height, with long brown hair he wore in a bunch at the back of his head, and hazel eyes that were nearly yellow in color. “A prophesy has been told in Dreka of a great darkness that is unsettling the realms, and of the one with glass-like wings that will lead the campaign to mend it. I see now, that it was you.” He spoke with reverence, which was entirely surprising to me.

  “Glass wings?” I peered over my shoulder at my outstretched wings.

  “Well, they do look like stained glass,” Daniel said to me from nearby, nudging me gently.