Dragon's Treasure (Dragons Awaken Book 1)

by Maya Starling

  Olivia tried to speak again but only managed to croak out something incomprehensible.

  “Oh, here… Take slow sips.” Her mother unwound her arms from around Olivia so she could press a cup of water to Olivia’s parched lips.

  When the worried woman put the cup back down, she took Olivia’s slightly bruised face gently in her hands and looked at her like she was a miracle. The love shone strong through her tired, red-rimmed eyes. “My dear Olivia, I thought I would never see you again.” She kissed her daughter’s cheeks, tears starting to flow again.

  The last thing Olivia remembered was rolling down the decline, praying to the One God to either make it stop or make her lose consciousness.

  Kaden!

  Please let him be alright, she chanted in her mind. She needed some answers first.

  “Wha…” Olivia cleared her throat before she continued. “What happened?” She looked up at her mother, wincing as she brought her right hand up to rest it against her chest. It was then she discovered that the hand was wrapped up tightly in a splint. A bandage was wound around her head as well.

  Lady Caroline saw the physical pain in her daughter’s eyes and before she answered her child’s questions she offered, “Do you want something for the pain first, my sweet? You must hurt fiercely.” She was relieved to have her daughter back, alive. Everything else would be dealt with and would heal in time with a lot of love and care.

  When Olivia nodded, which caused her to wince again, Lady Caroline walked over to the desk and prepared the tea of mixed herbs that the young healer had given her for this exact purpose. Returning to Olivia’s side, Lady Caroline’s eyes welled up again at the sight of her daughter, bruised and battered but safe in her own bed. The days and nights she had spent awake, worrying over Olivia’s safety, were all blurred together. It felt like an eternity had passed, but her baby was home now.

  “Here.” Lady Caroline offered the tea to Olivia’s lips. “This should help; do not worry, it is only warm, not hot.”

  Olivia took the first sip tentatively. When her tongue was not burned and the taste was manageable, she drank it all, quenching her thirst with the tangy liquid.

  Putting the now empty cup on the bedside table, Olivia’s mother sat on the bed beside her and took Olivia’s uninjured hand in her own.

  “How much do you remember?” Lady Caroline said cautiously.

  “Everything. Until I hit my head; from then on, everything is black.” Olivia barely held back her tears. Tears of fear and worry for Kaden. She closed her eyes for a few moments to compose herself before opening them and giving her mother’s hand a squeeze and a fake reassuring smile as a sign for her to continue.

  “Well, from what we have been told, Prince Magnus and his men had been hunting a dragon for quite a while and when they finally found him, they discovered you as well, being its victim, abused and held captive.” Olivia’s mother frowned at the thought of her daughter being mistreated and didn’t notice the alarm in Olivia’s eyes as her throat constricted and no words could pass through.

  Her mother continued, “They fought the dragon off to offer you a chance to escape and once the prince killed the dragon, they found you unconscious. Apparently, your foot got caught in a root, so you fell and hit your head on a rock.” Olivia’s breath halted, trapped in her lungs; the thought of Kaden’s death froze all of her brain functions, her heart almost beating its way out of her chest. The shrapnel of her broken heart pierced her lungs, and she drew in a slow, painful breath. Her vision blurred and she could barely make out her mother’s words as she continued speaking about how Magnus had taken Olivia and his surviving and wounded men to the first big city they came to. On their way they had passed near her family’s estate and happened to encounter a man who knew her family and who had recognized Olivia’s unconscious body. Knowing her family had been looking for her, the man quickly led them to her home.

  Her mother’s words were a mess in her head.

  “How long?” Olivia’s fingers dug into the sheet at her side, holding together the last cracking pieces of her heart.

  “You were asleep for three days.”

  “Three days?!” The first tear rolled down Olivia’s bruised cheek. “Kaden…”

  Her voice quivered, “The dragon?” Olivia looked up at her mother, tears now running freely down her cheeks.

  “Dead, as I said,” her mother repeated, brows furrowed. “They brought its big claw with them. The head was too big to carry without a wagon.”

  My dragon!

  Olivia’s eyes widened in panic for a split second before she burst into tears, reaching for her mother, her lifeline.

  Lady Caroline mistook her daughter’s tears of sorrow and heartbreak for tears of fear and relief that the dragon was dead. “Oh, my dear, sweet child… It is alright now... you are safe.” She held Olivia in her arms once more, running a hand up and down her back reassuringly.

  Olivia wanted to tell her mother about Kaden, about Magnus, wanted to tell her the truth, but her brain had given precedence to her heart and it did not want to speak but tried to hold itself together, fighting against what she had just heard.

  Her mother just held her and offered the comfort of her embrace and soothing words, trying to erase Olivia’s worries. Just when Olivia started to gather herself up so she could speak her truth, her father walked in through the door.

  “Father?” Olivia whispered reverently. She waited for the chiding and scolding to start. The last time they saw each other, their exchange involved shouting and harsh words. She regretted them all; she loved her father immensely and had never wanted to hurt him.

  Lady Caroline stood up so she could give her husband access to their daughter. Lord Connal’s tired blue eyes were set on Olivia, the dark circles around them completely out of place on his face. He was a man of great stature and charisma. When he entered a room, he never went unnoticed, and this trait only became more prominent as he got older, his once light brown hair now completely silvery white. But now he looked exhausted, distressed and his actual age. Usually he stood worthy of his title, proud, tall and neat, but now, as he gazed at his only child with nothing but adoration, and with a slight stubble on his face, he looked like an ordinary man.

  “I am sor—” Olivia’s father cut her off by closing the distance between them and taking her into his arms.

  “No. I am the one who should apologize… I am so, so sorry my dear Violet,” her father choked out, fighting his own tears.

  Only her father called her Violet. Since her parents hadn’t been able to agree on a name, they had given her both, Olivia Violet, so hearing her father call her the name that only he used made her cry again, this time breaking into heart-wrenching sobs.

  Lord Connal cradled his daughter against his chest. He slowly eased one of his big hands under her knees and lifted her tenderly into his lap while resting his back against the headboard of her bed. His heart wept for her and her pain. Her whole body was shaking, her sobs loud and painful and her breath getting faster and faster.

  She was starting to hyperventilate.

  When Olivia gasped for air, Lord Connal took her face in his hands and forced her to look into his bright blue, but red-rimmed, eyes.

  “Look at me… Good girl. You need to calm down… you need to breathe. Come on, Violet. I am not angry at you. I am just glad to have my girl back, to know that you are alive and safe, and whatever happened out there… you are strong enough to handle it, after all, you are your father’s daughter.” He offered her a small reassuring smile. Olivia closed her eyes for a moment, grateful to have been blessed which such wonderful parents.

  Olivia forced herself to follow the rhythm of her father’s deep breaths.

  “That is it. My girl,” her father praised and planted a soft kiss against her forehead. He tried to wipe away her tears with his thumbs but it was a failed attempt; they just kept on coming strong.

  All the crying made Olivia’s head hurt worse, even with the herbs sh
e had taken. The headache, her head wound and the stress of crying made her nauseous.

  Olivia opened her eyes, searching frantically for her mother. She felt the sickening feeling rising in her stomach so when Olivia spotted her, she quickly put a hand up to her mouth.

  Lady Caroline dashed across the room, grabbed the washbowl and brought it to her daughter just in time as Olivia started heaving. Lord Connal held Olivia’s hair back and rubbed her back gently.

  When Olivia was done, she washed out her mouth and took a couple of sips of water. She snuggled back up to her father, soaking up his strength and feeling of safety. She felt like a little girl again.

  It didn’t take her long before she fell asleep.

  “I am so sorry,” Lord Connal whispered against his sleeping daughter’s hair as he kissed her head softly. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into the warm eyes of his lovely wife.

  “It is not your fault, my dear.” Lord Connal’s wife leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

  “It is. If I had not forced her… she would not have run away. I should have listened to her and not…not gone off like that on her.” His eyes were filled with deep regret. He loved his daughter to pieces and was sorry that his actions had caused all of their late problems.

  “It is not only your fault then. If you want to place the blame, then it is on all of us.” Lady Caroline wiped a stray tear away. “It was mine and Olivia’s just as much as yours. She is as stubborn and impulsive as you are and she acted on impulse instead of taking the time to think things through. She is old enough to know better and I….I just stood by and did nothing. We are all equally to blame.”

  A few hours later, Olivia woke again. She was nestled safely in her bed and felt a weight on her left hand. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see her father’s head resting against her unharmed hand. Pulling her hand free, she rested it softly against his hair.

  Looking around, relief settled over her as she studied her room. It wasn’t anything fancy in her opinion. She had a nice queen-sized, four poster, dark-wooden bed with violet drapes and a sky blue quilt with cloud patterns on it. Her mother had made it for her sixteenth birthday. On each side of the bed were nightstands with drawers, an oil lamp resting on each. They were not burning now as the sunlight poured into the room from the high windows on her right. The violet velvet curtains filtered it, illuminating the room softly. The floor was made from dark wood as was most of her furniture; her dressing table with a mirror that had been in the family for generations, and a wonderfully crafted wardrobe with butterfly and dragonfly patterns carved into it stood next to it. Her study desk and shelves filled with books that she loved rested against the other wall with a pair of velvet-covered armchairs facing it. Her dresser was the simplest piece of furniture. Another mirror was set on the wall above the drawers and a vase with fresh cut roses was set on it, their scent drifting across the room to comfort her. Olivia always loved the scent of her mother’s pink roses. On her left side next to the dresser were the doors to her room and straight ahead was the fireplace, a family picture resting over the mantel above it.

  Olivia smiled at the sight of it.

  Movement to her left caught her attention. Her mother was sitting in a chair next to her father, watching Olivia curiously, a book set face down on her lap. Olivia wondered how she had missed her when she had scanned her room.

  She offered her mother a tired smile that never reached her eyes.

  “Tea? For the pain?” Lady Caroline inquired and Olivia only nodded in return.

  The movement in the room woke her father as well and he raised his head from his napping position.

  “Hello Vee.” He smiled softly, relieved that she had settled down somewhat.

  “Hello Father.” Olivia tried to smile in return.

  The door to her room opened and Magnus stepped in, looking worried, offering Olivia and her parents a weak, sheepish smile, showing off his dimples.

  Olivia’s smile dropped and she sobered up completely. What is he doing here?! Her heart started beating fast again. She was just about to tell her parents what had truly happened to her, when he had to come and disrupt her attempts.

  “I hope I am not interrupting,” Magnus said as he looked at Olivia’s father.

  “Oh, not at all, Your Highness.” Lord Connal beamed at the prince as he rose from the chair.

  “No need to stand up on my account, Lord Moore.” Magnus was relieved that he was still welcome in the household. He could tell he had arrived just in time before Olivia managed to tell them her side of the story, and he had a feeling her parents would believe Olivia’s words over Magnus’ any day. He couldn’t let that happen. “I was just worried about my princess, so I came to see how she was doing.” He looked at Olivia with a full smile on his face as he ran his fingers through his now shorter blonde hair.

  “Well, you came just in time. She has managed to calm down now and we were about to tell her about your proposal.” Lady Caroline finished mixing the herbs and picked up the cup to bring it to Olivia.

  “Proposal?” Olivia couldn’t help but to wonder.

  Her father squeezed her hand gently before he spoke up. “Yes. I know we had set up a marriage for you with Lord Mykke, and I am sorry about forcing it on you and we will discuss that later… as I said, I know we already promised your hand to Lord Mykke but that arrangement has been annulled. Lord Mykke has been very cooperative since Prince Magnus asked for your hand in marriage so you could be his queen one day.”

  Olivia’s mouth fell open. All the air seemed to rush out of the room, leaving her gaping in mute, disbelieving horror. She tried to comprehend what her father was saying, for the words to fully settle in her mind, while Magnus grinned over the shoulders of her parents.

  “I….I…”

  “This time though, we will not force it upon you.” Lord Connal looked with a stern face at his prince. “Even if he is the future King himself, it will be up to you to accept, my dear Violet.”

  Now both her parents and Magnus were looking at her, expecting an answer.

  Magnus drew her attention as he raised his hand behind her parents’ backs. The cold crept into his gaze, eyebrows furrowed and his lips set into a straight line. He looked pointedly at her mother, then her father and then, very slowly, drew his index finger across his own throat.

  Olivia gulped. Did he just…? She dared not finish the thought.

  “You can take your time to think about it of course. After all, you have been through so much,” Olivia’s father offered when Olivia didn’t respond.

  Magnus’s eyebrows rose at her.

  “I…” Olivia started to say and saw Magnus nod his head at her, letting her know she should say yes before he pointed to her parents again, behind their backs. “I accept.” Olivia saw no other choice. She had apparently lost Kaden; she was not about to sacrifice her parents. They didn’t deserve it and she already felt like an empty shell. How much worse could it be?

  “Are you sure, Livvie?” Lady Caroline asked as she studied her daughter’s tired face, still holding the cup in her hands.

  With a fake smile, Olivia nodded again. “Yes… I am sure. After all, he is my knight in shining armor,” she said as she kept her eyes on Magnus. She couldn’t lie and look her parents in the eyes.

  An approving smile appeared on Magnus’ face.

  “I am just tired… and in pain.” Olivia’s gaze shifted back to her father and her mother, seeking understanding. The haunted look had been in her eyes since she had woken up. It was very hard for them to read her.

  “Of course, Princess.” Magnus walked closer to Olivia, bypassed her father and leaned over to lay a gentle kiss on her forehead. Olivia barely managed not to gag and vomit at the feel of his lips against her skin. He softly cupped her cheek with his hand. “You rest and heal. As soon as you recover enough we will leave for the palace. I have a future Queen to present to our people.”

  Two days later, Olivia was finally allowed to
leave her room. Magnus was always around, hovering, threatening her with menacing surreptitious glances, never leaving her alone with either of her parents for long enough to tell them what had happened, under the excuse that he was worried about her wellbeing.

  She had learned that he had lost another knight in the fight against Kaden, and that two more were seriously injured, one of them with a severely burned head. A boy named Donovan nursed them. He was also the one who provided her with the mixture of herbs that eased her pain. The redheaded girl that she had seen with them was apparently Magnus’ cousin; they were escorting her to the palace along the way. Olivia somehow doubted the whole story.

  When she had been left in her room alone, she had cried. She cried for Kaden, and for their bond that had developed so strongly in the few days they had together. She mourned alone, never running out of tears. The grief prolonged her recovery, and an ever-present headache lingered. She mostly kept to herself, her thoughts unsaid. She would rather not talk than be forced to lie to her parents. Talking was hard for her anyways, just another distraction that would bring her walls down, the sorrow threatening to drown her.

  In a few days, when Magnus’ men had recovered enough, she would be leaving her home and parents behind again, which was going to be another thing to grieve about. At least she could keep them safe.

  She had heard that Lord Mykke would be visiting today. He had come to visit when she was bedridden, but her parents wouldn’t let him see her and now she wanted to apologize to him in person for running away.

  She stood at the entrance to the stables, waiting for him to come out.

  Her hand was still splinted, nestled safely in a sling against her chest. It would take a month or two for it to heal completely. The few bruises on her face were healing, the colors fading, and her head was much better, the bandages taken off. She had hit the back of her head against a rock and had even needed a couple of stitches. It was healing nicely, but she still had the occasional bout of nausea if she moved her head too quickly.