Dragon's Only

7. Who am I?

Debby's POV

We are sitting at the lounge area in my bedroom. My parents have changed to comfortable outfits and are seated as well. My mother sits beside me in a long light flowy nightgown. She holds my hand. "We need to talk dear. It's time you know the whole truth about yourself."

I look at my father. He has those eyes again; those which he had when he was at the dining table and we had locked eyes. This time he says, "Yes dear, your mother and me decided it's time to say the truth. We tried our best not to tell you. But with a coup going on in the court, it will be hard that it won't seep into our daily lives."

"What coup dad? Is it what we saw at the table? They are trying to take your place?"

My father says, "That place my darling, is not of the nobel. But of the royalty."

"The what now?!"

"Let me start from the beginning. You know I fought the war. Wars are not pleasant. Your mother fought along with me. Before the war started. The Royal house was attacked by demons. Very few royalty were left to survive the battle. Most importantly your aunt and me survived."

"You are royalty?"

"Yes, I am. That makes you royalty as well. Your aunt.."

"Is she still alive?"

"Yes, very alive. She is the queen."

"The queen?"

"And you are the only surviving heir to the throne."

"What?! Wait so that means the coup will happen to take the crown. That reminds me I always saw the Queen, I mean my aunt wearing the crown. Never the king."

"Yes, the crown accepts only the royalty blood. Yet, rightfully I must be wearing it. But we knew there was a coup brewing. Since the Queen and King are yet to conceive a child. You being the legal heir unless there is a male child in the family, which we don't makes you the target.

The demons and their evil intentions have infiltrated our ranks long ago. So it was what your aunt suggested. To keep the kingdom safe, we, your mother and me gave our crown and the royalty to your aunt and her husband. They both are King and Queen per say. Politically they are the face. Yet, all decisions and the ruling even the stamp on them run through me. This may make us high and mighty for some. Because we are."

"Why are you telling me this now? Is this supposed to be a secret still."

"Yes, this is still to be the secret untill the time is right. We are waiting for your powers or abilities to grow. That is why your aunt and uncle were there at the Palace Arc Abilities."

"Yes, it felt weird that they would be at my ceremony."

My mother chimes in, "You are special my dear. Not only by blood but also my the mix of abilities that your father and I share. You will develop your abilities too. I suppose you have seen the Keeper. He comes around for the most powerful ones."

"I don't understand why did they keep saying that dad should have married another.."

My mother says, "Tut! Tut! That's because we spun the story like that. Dear, you should have told the story from the start." She looks at my father with disapproving eyes.

My father fills in, "Yes dear! So," he pauses, then continues, "After the attack on the royalty. There were two survivors. You should know the discussions between royalties stay between them. That is how the kingdom was always governed. This means that when I was hitched to your mom, other than me and your aunt no one else knew. During the several battles we fought, the Queen met the King. They fell in love and got hitched. Mr. Trance was our General, still is."

I look at Mr. Trance standing at the door quietly. I never really noticed him there.

"Umm, yes he is on protection duty for you since your birth. So, he is a butler of sorts. He will soon be your personal mentor too. But, am again off topic."

My mom nods in agreement. She says, "During the war, Mr. Trance discovered that there is a coup being formed to hitch your father to any girl. The girl will automatically then get inside the house of royalties."

My father adds, "We thought of the story like this. I was one of the relatives of the royalty. Your aunt supported the story. Since there was no once else left in our family, the story was fine. Your aunt would be the queen, her husband the king. Your mother was already pregnant. "

"Shouldn't I be a lot older now?"

"Our baby died during the war." My mother's eyes droop low. I can see old thoughtful lines form on her face. I squeeze her hands, "I am sorry. I don't know what to say."

"It's okay baby girl it was a long time ago. That's why we take extra precautions for you.", my mother says with a sad face.

"So, at that time the fairies and the demons thought I was supposed to marry the Queen since we are distant relatives. And instead I married your mother secretly. What they don't know is your mother is the distant relative a royal blood too and we were married before the war started. Your aunt is my younger sister. Now, that's about the story."

My mother looks at me, while my father looks at the walls with distant eyes. I ask, "Do you miss your family?"

My father responds, "Yes, dear. The road for us is not easy to live. At the dinner table what you saw is the start of yet another coup. We don't know who is behind it all. And why are they aiming for me. If they know the truth who among us betrayed. I will have to smell out the snitch among us."

My mother thoughtfully says, "The interrogation will help."

My father nods, "I don't know how much."

I ask, they look at me, " Why did the Nobel's at the table seem so mild and meek like they were following some sort of untold orders. Yet their wives seemed all bold enough to question?"

My father remarks, "You are smart to notice it. At that table I doubt any lady noticed it. It was weird if you look from an outsider' point of view. Well, the Nobel's at the table know. We all fought together. However their wives and any ones will not know. They are sworn in an oath by a witch spell. Anyone who tries to break it, will end up dead before becoming a snitch."

"That must be a very powerful witch spell, Papa"

"Yes, it is my dear. It is by the most powerful witch of 4 generations to have survived. She lives among us."

"Isn't she told to have disappeared?"

My father laughs, "No my dear. She is well alive and lives among us. When the time is right she will reveal herself. Let's just leave it at that."

I nod in understanding. There is so much information to process. So much has happened today. I feel a little sleepy.

My father says, "One last thing my darling, before you go off to sleep. This is all a secret you have to keep in the worst of the times, even when your life is in danger or even when our lives is in danger."

"Father, I hope we don't reach that day."

"I hope so too my dear."

My mother adds, "You should remember your life will be much more hard from this day forward. Friends will tun to enemies. You will have to judge the people and never trust anyone besides Mr.Trance, us, your aunt and uncle. No matter who. Or else our lives will be in danger." I look at her frightened with red eyes.

My father says, "I have asked Mr. Trance to start your training."

"I don't have any abilities Papa."

"It doesn't matter. You will get them when you are ready. We don't want to be late and wait for your abilities to come by. You will start with self defence in the morning and work on tinkering abilities for now. Later Mr.Trance will change your course according to your performance. He is the best among best."

"Yes, Papa." I nod and start to speak then go quiet.

"What is it tell me?"

"Papa, if it's not too rude to ask, what happened to the first baby?"

"That's the story for another day.. It's already too much for you to process."

My mother takes my hand and leads me to the bed. She helps me to the bed, tucking me in, she kisses my forehead and cheeks. "It's time to sleep my dear. You have a long way ahead starting tomorrow."