The Summer When I met You

CHAPTER TWO

            The crowd parted as Lilandra made her way towards Ophelia.  Since the minister have not yet started the ceremony, the princess was free to roam from the throne until such time as she will be called again to stand with the queen.  There was no love lost in the dragons of Sierra as they gazed and murmured about the young princess. 

            No one knows the circumstances of her birth.  Rumors have it that she was the daughter of the queen from a landwyrm.  Others would say that she was adopted since she was the only one of the royal blood line with snowy white hair.  All her brothers were redheads like their mother.  She was even accused of performing some magic in order to become the princess since they did not see their queen being pregnant.  None of them knew nor even cared to know the truth.

            Lilandra would shrug off the comments as her mother did.  The queen was a very private person and she really didn’t go out of the limelight that much but her power can be felt all over the island.  Thunder would rumble and the earth would shake when she is either upset or angry and they shudder at the impact since she seemed to become more powerful when she was pregnant.  Queen Athanasta would laugh at the comments made by their detractors.  She didn’t need to prove anything to them.  As their queen, they would only need to bow down and obey.

            Females in their hoard were very prized as they were only few in number.  They have thousands of males and only five hundred females.  Each female had their own entourage of consorts but they could only breed males.  Only one who is born in the royal lineage can produce a female so the males really look forward to the presentation of the princess.  Now, it was clear on their faces that they wish they didn’t.

            Lilandra made her way towards one gifted female who was her friend and confidant.  Ophelia, Lilandra’s friend was the commander of the royal army and also a distant relative.  As children, they have been trained on war tactics and hand to hand combat.  They were the only females who do not have a lengthy line of consorts following them.  Like Lilandra, Ophelia preferred to face battles and war than finding mates.  Soon, Ophelia would also come of age and follow her princess’ footsteps.

            She was the only one who knew the truth about the claw marks on Lilandra’s face.  She was there when it happened and Ophelia knew that because of her great sacrifice, Lilandra will become a great queen when the time comes.

She sketched a bow before the princess and then glared at the male dragons crowding near them.

“Your highness.”  Ophelia greeted brightly.  Lilandra nodded in greeting before gesturing her friend to move towards the balcony.  It was a clear indication that she needed a little breath of fresh air.  Both females made their way towards the vacant balcony.

Lilandra breathed deeply the fresh air as she knew they were out of sight from the prying eyes of those who were blatantly showing their disapproval.  She had never wanted their approval because she knew they would only be doing it just to spite her.  Her mother had raised her to be strong so she had to be strong.  She is strong.

But can you make a weak heart become strong?

“Are you sure about this, Lilandra?  I mean, studying with the humans?  What would the council say?”  Ophelia began as she stood beside her friend.

“They will think that I have lost my mind completely.  That the dynasty of our race will be led by a disfigured insignificant wyrm who can’t even defend herself.”  She drawled sarcastically.

Ophelia scoffed.  If there is one thing that will never happen was that their kingdom will fall into ruins.  Lilandra was the one who made sure that their kingdom was secure from invaders during the unceremonious attack against Queen Athanasta.

“They do not know what they are saying, those ass hats.”  She muttered under her breath.  Lilandra chuckled before she gazed outside.  The blue horizon that Leidlein has was truly remarkable but she was looking for something more, something with the same hustle and bustle of a city.  The yearning of living in a world with people who do not know who you are.

She remembered how her own mother imitated her grandmother and took her lessons from the human world.  According to her mother, it was a world that was filled with different colors and scents.  It was something that was so extraordinary that her own mother stayed there for a long time.  Of course, dragons would have been extinct in human beliefs but some rumors would come of monsters from a loch or hiding behind the early fog.  Fear of the unknown became dominant in the human world but she wanted to learn their ways.  She wanted to understand more if they are like these people within Sierra who keep a façade of beauty in order to appease their queen.

“Will you stay and keep the queen guarded?  I will only be gone for a month or two depending on what things I can learn from there.”  Lilandra mentioned, slightly hesitant.  She didn’t want to leave her mother especially now but she is still the queen and would not be easily written off as weak.

Ophelia laughed.

“You do know that your mother doesn’t need me that much now, do you?”  She drawled sarcastically.

Lilandra turned and looked at her only friend.  If there is one thing that she can count on, it was Ophelia.  She was more like a sister and a best friend rolled into one.  If there is anything that she knows about the young woman was that she was loyal to a fault.  She would do everything in her power to assist her queen and the princess, of that Lilandra was certain.

“Yes, but you are the only one I can trust.”  Lilandra replied, her tone honest and sincere.  Ophelia blushed and chuckled shyly before scratching her neck.

“Princess, it is time.”  Lord Illuyankas called out to them, his ministerial robes pooling around his feet.  Lilandra nodded before following the minister, Ophelia not far behind.

*******

            At the back of the queue, two pairs of malevolent snake like eyes burned with hatred, envy and lust combined as the princess and the queen were once again presented to the crowd.

            “Well, would you look at that, Devlin.  We have ourselves a disfigured queen.”   Ladon scoffed under his breath.  He was one of the queen’s consort but was spurned a decade ago for conspiring against the queen.  He would have been beheaded had it not been for his position as consort but he was forever banned from facing the queen or be a part of the process of being chosen as a consort ever again.  It was a light sentence but his work as the guardian of the gates of Hesperides gave him a little of his former prestige.

            The man beside him was his son from another female dragon.  Unfortunately, the woman died before she could challenge the queen so his son remained unwanted and a disgrace.  None of the female dragons would choose Ladon’s son and he had despaired greatly at the loss of power.  They were hoping that the queen’s daughter would be suitable, but looking at the disgraceful face of the woman was more than they could handle.

            Devlin merely chuckled.

            “Well, father. Beggars can’t be choosers.”