Hail the Dragon Enchantress

Chapter 11: Saying Goodbye Again

~Queen Regina’s P.O.V.~

The poison won out. I refused to let him go. Looking up at the stars while Nithe burned his body. Why? Why are the people I love destined to die? Bring him back! Bring him back, damnit! I finally opened up and happened this is what happens? Falling to the ground and holding myself, screaming why to the heavens.

“Why?!” I cried and screamed. “Bring him back!” I hit the ground so many times. My father, his father, Klaus, my mother and his mother held me close.

Klaus would whisper from time to time, “Damn you, brother.” He tried to make sure I didn't hear him. I saw him stand away from us and go to his brother’s burning corpse. Picking up a stone. “Damn you! I told you not to leave her!” He wanted to throw it, but was stopped when he dropped to his knees. “You were my brother. You were stronger than any man I have known!” He looked back at us and I saw the tears on his face. He looked back at the pyre. “You left her to raise a child by herself!” Tanwen flew down and landed on his shoulders. He chirped and nuzzled into him. My tears temporarily stopped as I watched this young dragon bond with Klaus. He crawled into his lap. “And you left him behind. A welpling of a dragon.” I got up and went over to my brother by marriage. Holding him. We both ended up crying together.

After the pyre, we made our way to the under the castle tomb. There, I placed his ashes in the coffin we made for him. It read, ‘Here Lies King Clint, the first in his name. Taken from us too early. Loving husband. Loyal Brother. Magnificent king.’ I stood there and watched as his coffin was pushed into the wall. I didn’t want to leave. I heard my family leaving. The castle guard soon followed. Followed by them were the commoners. Until I was alone. I placed my head over his coffin’s slab. It looked just like him. I continued to cry more.

“Come back to me… Please, my king. I can’t do this anymore.” I don’t know how long I was there for. The cold marble version of him wasn’t enough. We cremated him to make sure no grave thefts could happen. But I also had his body molded into the marble to make him timeless. Why? Why was I destined to lose the men I loved?

A hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned to look, hoping it was beloved. But it was just my father. “Oh, my dearest girl.” He pulled me into his embrace. “‘Tis nearly dawn, sweetheart. Were you down here all night?” I nodded. He wiped the tears from my cheeks. “Get some rest, sweetie. Cyril, Imelda and Klaus will be leaving today. I will see them off.”

I snuggled into my father’s chest. “Klaus bonded with Tanwen. Make sure that baby dragon goes with them? He belongs with them.” He rubbed my back and reassured me. I wasn’t tired yet. Instead of going to my room, I took off on a flight with Nithe. Crying into her neck as her wings pulsated and the wind drowned out my cries. Eventually, I fell asleep on her.

~Jack’s P. O. V.~

I had to get away from here. This was bad. I can’t see anything. When was the last time I saw a sunrise? A blue sky? The lush green forest? I was fighting each day to save myself. How long has it been since I was a prince? I don’t know how many years I was stuck down here. The sting of the whip caught my back. I had to find him too. I didn’t have time to waste here. I needed to get home. Back to Heinkrembard. My family. How did they even sneak in? More importantly, how did they sneak me out of my room? My hand found a large crack in the walls of this cave. Large enough for one to slip through. I tested the depth of it with my hand. Maybe there is a possibility I could hide in there. I decided that it would be my best option. I managed to push my body deep into this crack. I kept going until I was able to feel the rocks that made a wall. But to my surprise, I ended up falling onto dry sand. It has been a long time since I felt dry sand. I had to find out where I was. I don’t even know if it’s night or day. They may have whipped me, but they left my head alone. How long was I in that cave for? I had no vision.

What seemed like hours of stumbling about, my feet found a boat. I could hear the seagulls and hear the ocean. I tested around the boat to feel where the water was. Then, I decided to commandeer this dinghy. I pushed it out to sea and hopped in. I grabbed the ores and began rowing myself to who knows where. At least, I will be away from here. Once I get my vision back, I am finding my partner. Thinking of my old home. I missed her voice. I missed everything about my old home. But her? I missed her the most. I remember her long golden hair that was in waves like the sea. Her beautiful emerald eyes that shimmered in the sun like glass. I held her hand and kissed her soft skin.

After a while of rowing, I stopped to let my arms rest. Dinghies were not meant for open water travel, but it was the best I could do. I missed Kelp being next to me. He was growing into a fine dragon. At first, I thought that it was my adopted family who set up my kidnapping, but when I heard the people talking, it was a wizard who wanted my blood and Kelp’s blood for his experiment. It wasn’t until recently that I started to fight back again. He came back and hit me when he said that my queen was married. He took pleasure in killing her king with his own poison. That was 4 days ago. I counted the days with the tides of the water. At night, the water receded from my feet. During the day, it was up to my knees. He was foolish enough to talk about his plans for my queen. To say they were sickening to the stomach was an understatement. He planned on having her bewitched to do his bidding and take over some parts of the isles. Then, having her consent to giving him an heir to his throne. The pirates he paid for agreed to this plan. I, however, couldn’t stand idly by and let him do that. They didn’t tie my feet down. I ended up kicking some in the groins and used what little strength I had to break the already breaking rope tied on my hands.

I rowed and rowed until I couldn’t anymore. I felt exhausted. I put my arms in the water. My hands touched the sandy bottom. Getting up out of the boat, I made my way to the shore. My body is weary from my escape. I let myself fall onto the sandy shores and closed my eyes. A great roar from above caught my attention. I was home? In Shora? My heart felt enlightened. Home. My home. Would my queen recognize me? I know I would for her if I could see her. Even if she didn’t, I would remind Queen Regina who I am to her. And write my adoptive parents a letter. I was home. Safe. Safe… That word made me the happiest man alive. I felt my consciousness fade as I heard the beating of dragon wings.

“Hold on!” I heard her voice. My beautiful queen’s voice.