The center of the cave was open, save the four stalagmites, and along the back curve of the wall were two large eroded steps, as if the gods had built this cave for the dragons at the time of the mountains’ creation, as if they knew dragons would hold council in this room. Beautiful purple and blue flowers grew from tiny pools of water, also offering a soft glow to the room and making it even more magical than it was.
Heavy footsteps came from my left, and dragons walked out from the tall mouth of a side cave. To my right, even more dragons, and they spoke to each other as they took their places on the platforms above me. Only two dragons looked identical. The rest were different colors, sizes, had different horns or none at all, spikes or ridges down their backs, smooth tails or tails with spikes or knobs. Two dragons were even bigger than Nicholia, and a small handful were as small as birds.
My heart swelled as if I was looking at my sisters, as if I were at home with my family.
Still, I felt very small and insignificant in this grand hall of dragons.
Two dragons approached from my right and I held my breath. They both glanced eagerly at Nicholia, who nodded in reply.
“I have brought the faeries with me,” Nicholia said loudly, for all to hear. “Their home was burned down, and they have nowhere to go for now. I am allowing them to stay in the old caves, but they will need food and we need to check on any injured.”
Dragons trotted down from where they stood without hesitation. They bowed their heads to me as they passed and left the cave. I couldn’t help but think there was merit to Nicholia’s statements. They all looked at me as if they’d never seen a dragon before.
“What name did they give you, child?” the woman before me asked. Her scales were brown, and she had a long narrow nose that came to a tip like a bird’s beak. Her horns curved like mine, and she stood with the elegance and poise of royalty, but her eyes were warm—much different than the mother who had raised me.
“My name is Elisa,” I answered.
“That’s a beautiful name.” She looked over at the man at her side.
The male dragon was green with what appeared to be tree branches for horns coming out from his head to look like a withered forest. He watched me with kind eyes. “This must be very shocking for you,” he added carefully. “My name is Rowen, and this is my wife, Isaline. We believe …” He drew a breath. “We are your parents.”
The lump in my throat tightened. I desperately wanted to believe it was a lie and the truth at the same time. I’d longed my whole life to be noticed by my mother, to make her proud, yet she was still my mother. She had been there through every significant moment, such as when I’d completed my first big mural of a dragon—even though she didn’t like that it was a dragon, and seeing real dragons in the flesh, I realized just how horrible of painting that was. Still, Mother had stayed at my side when I was sick. She’d taught me about politics. She’d made most of my birthday celebrations delightful.
I wasn’t sure I was ready for a set of new parents. I didn’t know what to say to them either. Here stood a man and a woman—both dragons—claiming they were my real family. If I was truly a dragon, which clearly I was at least part, it would only make sense that my parents were dragons. But if my mother had an affair with a dragon that could shift, like Nicholia, I could be part dragon because of that. Or she could have told the truth and I really was cursed by a sorceress. Or there was the simple reality that these were my parents and somehow I ended up with humans to raise me.
My head ached as I tried to make sense of everything.
Nicholia turned to address the other dragons. “I know this is rather shocking to all of you. This is Crown Princess Elisa of Griswil. Until today, she didn’t know she was born a dragon. The parents who raised her are the king and queen of Griswil and raised her to believe that not only was she their daughter but that she was cursed to become a dragon.”
“Despicable,” someone nearby spat.
The dragons were none too pleased. Several others voiced their outrage.
Nicholia nodded. “I know. She feels the same way. Elisa is overwhelmed right now, and we ask you to please not demand too much. The next few days we will …”
Nicholia’s voice faded from my attention when Isaline gave me a soft smile. “Why don’t you come with Rowen and myself, and we’ll talk, just the three of us?”
I nodded. “That would be nice.” I surprised myself with how small my voice sounded.
She smiled a little wider and led the way down a nearby hall and turned into another cave, though it could only fit about ten full-sized dragons. “Perhaps you can tell us a little bit about this curse you were told as a child?” She sat on one of the large pillows along the outside of the room.
Rowen sat at her side.
I found myself longing for Dormir so I could hold his hand and feel his reassurance, but I sat across from them as confidently as I could. I didn’t know how I would hold his hand as a dragon, but his presence alone would be enough. I cleared my throat and repeated the curse I had known my whole life. “But the dawn of my seventeenth birthday, a week ago, there was a letter that came. It said something about a rose and then me having a decision or the kingdom would be at risk.”
Isaline glanced at Rowen.
“Roses?” Rowen muttered.
“It would make sense. The human queen banished them shortly after … Elisa was taken. Perhaps the garden of roses is the answer?”
Rowen turned to me. “Did you ever see roses in Griswil?”
I shook my head. “Mother said they were a cursed plant, regardless of what stories said. They were poisonous and a single prick could make you sleep forever.”
“I would like to take you to the garden of the roses,” Isaline said. “I don’t wish to overwhelm you more than necessary, but I believe the queen took your prophecy and twisted it to fulfill her desires.”
“Prophecy?” I looked at each dragon. “Not a curse?”
Rowen shook his head. “As Isaline said, you are dear to us for more than the reason you are our daughter. You are the first dragon born in many, many years. A prophecy was given about your arrival. The prophecy says this: A blessing upon her head I place, for she will save the dragon race. When she faces her greatest fear, her destiny will be made clear. She will hear the prophecy’s call, and the reign of humans will finally fall.”
On one hand, a curse.
On the other, a prophecy.
“I don’t understand,” I finally admitted out loud. “There’s so much conflicting with how I was raised. What if I’m not your daughter? What if I’m not this … special dragon who was supposed to save the dragons? I’m just a girl.” I looked down at myself.
“And what if you are more than you ever dreamed?” Isaline asked.
“A prophecy,” I repeated. I wasn’t just a girl. I wasn’t just a princess either. Deep in my heart, I knew their words rang true.
Isaline rose to her feet and walked to me. “Come with me.” She offered me a reassuring smile and left the room.
If I wanted answers, I had to try and find them.
Rowen smiled and nudged his head. “Go on.”
I followed her farther down the hallway, which wound and sloped upward toward the top of the mountain.
“I can’t imagine how confused you must be,” she said over her shoulder.
“I am,” I confirmed. “May I ask some questions?”
“Absolutely.”
I didn’t know where to start. All the answers I wanted to know came at me with no sensible order. “How old was I when I was taken?”
“Just a child. Only two years of age.” Elisa, what you must understand is, we desperately tried to keep you safe. We tried to keep you hidden and protected because our world was in chaos. The dragons and faeries were at war with humans, who had come in and were taking over the land.” Pain was etched
between the scales on Isaline’s face, but before I could dwell on it, she looked away. “We failed,” she whispered. “They came in the night when I was on patrol. Rowen had worked all day, building fortifications with the faeries and was exhausted. They slipped in and took you right from his arms. He fought for you. He killed half of them, but he was in his human form, and they nearly killed him.” When I didn’t answer, she looked back at me.
“I have no recollection of any of that,” I explained. “I should remember. But I don’t—”
“It is possible they had a wizard remove those memories from your mind,” she offered.
“It’s very likely,” I answered, thinking of Jarrett, the friendly old wizard Mother always went to for everything.
Had he been the one to remove my memories?
I wondered what he thought every time he looked at me, knowing my true heritage and knowing he had used magic to suppress it all. Did it make him happy? Terrified? Proud? I would have to ask if I ever got the chance.
“You mentioned human form. I saw Nicholia transform too,” I said. “Are all dragons able to do that?”
“In the past, dragons were unable to transform. Nicholia was one of the first to do so. Quist was one of our mighty kings, the wisest dragon known. He was gifted with a rare magic and bright mind. In fact, he is the one who gave us the prophecy about you.” She smiled at me. “Quist explained that learning to transform would be the next phase of our existence, our evolution. For a while, many frowned upon those who chose to be a shifter, but Nicholia saw the advantages long ago. In the battle against the humans for Griswil, he convinced many others to accept it as well. Rowen and I happily followed him.”
Isaline stopped at the mouth of the cave. Starlight and moonlight spilled through the opening, reflecting off her scales and giving her a glow.
I’d trusted Gerard, and he’d left me to die. I’d trusted Dormir, and he left me locked in a cell. If I trusted Isaline … would she do the same? Then again, I felt in my heart that she was telling the truth. The sincerity in her eyes told me she was trying to give me answers. And if I had to follow her to a garden of thorns, I would risk it to know the truth.
I followed her through the opening and found myself in a garden with cliffs on one side. A hedge of fat yellow roses and small pink roses protected us from the dangerous edge. In fact, the entire garden was filled with roses of varying colors. To my right was a row of snow-white roses, and clustered with them, gorgeous beige roses. I’d seen roses in paintings before, but never in real life, and they were breathtaking. Some had large wide petals, others had tightly wrapped tiny petals.
“To transform back into a human form, all you need to do is recall who you were before,” Isaline explained. “I imagine it will be rather easy for you since you were raised a human.”
Glittering light grabbed my attention, and I turned to watch Isaline transform into an elegant woman with blond hair, bright blue eyes, and my chin. I knew I didn’t look anything like the mother who had raised me, but I never imagined I could ever look so much like someone.
Isaline looked just like me. Or rather, I looked just like her.
I imagined myself as I had been, and in little time I was a young woman again.
“Elisa—” Isaline’s breath caught, and tears glistened on her lashes. Her fingertips brushed her throat.
“I look just like you,” I finished for her. Based on looks alone, Isaline had to be my mother. She just had to be.
We stood feet away from one another, both too hesitant to move any closer. And then I did one of the bravest things I’d ever done.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around my mother.
Nineteen
Isaline sniffled, and I leaned back to find her wiping tears from her eyes. “Go on. You need to find out the truth.” She gestured toward the roses.
Reluctantly, I stepped away and turned to the nearest roses. They were pink and reminded me of Dahlia. The sharp thorns under their heads looked dangerous but lured me closer. If I wanted to know the truth, according to that letter, I needed to prick my finger on a thorn.
I licked my lips and grabbed the stem of the rose. A thorn dug deep into my thumb, and I hissed and pulled back. A single drop of blood landed on the petal and sunk into the center of the flower.
A blessing upon her head, I place, for she will save the dragon race.
A curse upon her head, I place, that all will see her truest face.
Whispered words rushed around me, a mix of the curse I’d grown with and the prophecy just revealed. Dizzying white light flashed behind my closed eyelids.
Everything stopped.
I peeled my eyes open and found myself on the shores of a lake I’d never seen before. The gentle waves lapped at my bare feet. I wiggled them deeper into the sand, squishing it between my toes. I’d been to the ocean’s shore at Terricina last summer. Prince Ulrich had snuck me on one of his ships for a day excursion with Ismae. She pretended not to be interested in him, but I knew then that she was madly in love.
Mighty dragon wings beat overhead, and I raised my eyes to catch the sunlight glint off a golden dragon as he flew by. His shadow stretched across me. I turned to watch him land in an open space behind me, so gently he didn’t make a sound.
“Quist!” a woman greeted.
“What news do you bring?” a man asked.
The golden dragon tucked his mighty wings against his back. “I bring a prophecy,” Quist answered.
I ran to the side of the mighty dragon to get a proper look at him. The others had mentioned his name, Quist. Mother said he had been one of their kings, and I could see why. His golden scales shone as bright as the rays of the sun. Two ridges came to a tip at his nose, but stretched upward over his eyebrows, then curved out on each side of his head and into two large, translucent white horns. Smaller white horns protruded beneath those, acting as a shield to his neck. His claws were the same shade of white. He had a short face, but his smile spread all the way up to his ears.
A woman I recognized as Isaline stood hand in hand with a young man who must have been Rowen.
“Are you here to help us with this war?” Rowen asked.
He shook his head. “You can do this without me. But I do have a promise. You will be blessed with a child.”
Isaline and Rowen gasped simultaneously, and Isaline put her hand on her husband’s chest.
“I must also give you her prophecy,” Quist continued.
“Her?” the man asked.
Quist nodded. “I saw her.” He looked to his right and locked his eyes on me.
He couldn’t possibly see me. Everything was in a blur like a memory. This was from the past. He couldn’t see me, could he?
“The sun god showed her to me. She is brave and strong, and will be one of the keys to saving us all.” He looked back at the two, and the glint off his scales blinded me.
The blinding sunlight dimmed, and I found myself standing on a burning battlefield. Tall and mighty trees stood around me, groaning as their trunks swayed, and their words whispered in a ripple: “Tell the faeries. More danger. Humans coming!”
I looked to my right. A mighty army was climbing the hill led by a general on an armor-clad horse whose face was hidden behind a helmet. Following the voices of the trees, I turned and ran away. I stumbled and fell to my hands and knees, my heart racing and fear choking me.
“Evacuate!” a voice shouted.
I lifted my head and saw the beautiful architecture of the faeries—grand carvings, tall windows, and statues. More than that, everything was familiar from the carved railings of the staircase to the wooden doors. It was the castle where I’d grown. My home.
A fae woman held a child against her chest and wore a crown upon her head. The child clung to his mother, his purple eyes wide in fear, but he didn’t cry.
“Misla, the hu
mans are near,” a man said as he ran to her. “We’ve evacuated the city below and—”
“Now the castle.” She shoved the child into his arms. “Take Dormir to safety. If he dies, the royal line will be lost forever.”
The man snatched her hand. “Where are you going?”
She reached up and touched his cheek. “I have to ensure everyone is out of the castle.”
“Let me do that,” he insisted.
“It is my duty as queen.” She ruffled Dormir’s hair before kissing his forehead. “Stay with Papa, little light. Hold this tightly.” She placed a purple stone into his tiny hand. “Don’t lose this. It’s magic and will keep you safe.” She winked and then ran.
“They lived in the castle,” I whispered, watching Dormir’s father carry him down the hall toward the stairs.
A low whistle sounded before the wall exploded. Shrapnel flew at me. I flinched and ducked, but nothing struck me. I looked through the hazy dust and saw a shadow looming before me. I ran through it and out onto an open meadow.
Dazed, I slowly turned in a circle until I saw a mighty golden dragon, Quist, standing before me.
I took a deep breath. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” he answered. “Elisa, you were chosen long ago before you came to his earth. You were powerful even then, and confidence radiated from you. You are that same woman if you choose to be. You’ve heard the prophecy. You’ve seen the short history of your land. You feel in your heart the truth.”
“But I don’t understand,” I interrupted. “If I was so important, how is it the humans got me? And why did no one save me?”
He shook his head. “The humans heard of the prophecy and wanted to prevent it from coming true. During the dark times, they launched a war against faeries and dragons alike. You were so young. They took you and fabricated a lie to keep you human. As you heard, they twisted your prophecy and made you believe it was a curse.”
The Dragon Princess: Sleeping Beauty Reimagined (The Forgotten Kingdom Book 1) Page 16
