The Dragon King and His Human Mate

3. Goodbyes

Anastasia

I didn't know how many hours I spent alone inside my room, despite my family's pleadings to open the door and talk to me. The thing was, I really wanted to be with them considering it was our last night together, but I wanted some time alone too. So I could think about everything I had and everything I was about to lose, starting with own my life. I still wanted to see myself grow old and have children and grandchildren. Didn't everyone want this, after all?

But at the same time, as stupid as it sounds, I felt like I had fulfilled something, being the chosen one, instead of another innocent girl. Like I had done something for my people, however small and pathetic it was.

When I opened the door, the first thing that happened was Harry wrapping his arms around me, and for the first time, I allowed myself to cry. He only whispered in my ear that things were going to be alright, but this time we both knew they wouldn't.

"Why are you crying?" I heard the most loving voice in the entire world, my little sister's. Sophie was only six years old, but the idea of her being chosen one day to sacrifice herself to the mad Dragon made my whole body shiver. This was probably what my family was feeling right now and it hurt even more.

"Because I'll miss you," I said, taking her in my arms and she wrapped her little legs around my waist, wiping the tears from my face.

"Why are you leaving us?" She asked innocently, making me feel even more miserable all of the sudden.

"You know Ana loves travelling, right? She'll go visit so many places," Harry lied to her while trying his best not to cry.

She pouted, sad. "Will you tell me about them when you come back?" 

Fortunately our parents entered the room and I was saved from answering that. It was simply too much for me to think that I'd never see her beautiful face anymore, see her grow up and become such a beautiful young lady.

They tried and failed to remain strong as they joined us in a family hug and I tried my best to memorize every little feeling and memory I had with them, because I knew soon they'd be long gone.

The night was a roller coaster of emotions, but I was still glad I had it with my family. And we already knew the knock in the door was the sign it was already over, and it was never going to repeat itself.

"The boat is waiting for you, Your Grace," one of their guards informed us, but I already knew it was time to get ready and say my goodbyes.

I started with my parents and it was even harder than I originally thought. Mother sobbing hard wasn't doing things easier for me, I had to admit.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't stop this Anastasia. Please forgive me," Father told me, looking away the whole time.

I shook my head as I kissed him goodbye. "It's not your fault, Dad, please," I said, before moving to my mother and giving her a hug too. 

"We'll never forget you Anastasia. You'll always be among us," she was able to say and now I found myself between them, filling my head with how it felt to be with them for the last time, before I moved to my little Sophie.

"You lied to me, Ana," she said, tears filling up her beautiful hazel eyes. "You're going to that island, where that scary Dragon lives." I gasped, having no idea how she found out, but before I was able to say something, she wiped the tears from her face herself. "But you'll make him fall in love with you, right? Just like in my fairytale, the magic will break and he'll turn into a human again. You'll come back with him."

This time I couldn't stop some tears from making their way doing my cheeks. "You're right, my sweet Sophie. I'll charm him... with my pretty smile," I said, crying and smiling at the same time, knowing how much she loved the way I smiled.

"Pinky promise that you'll come back?" She hopefully asked, offering her pinky to me, and I wrapped mine with hers.

"Pinky promise," I said, knowing for the first time I wouldn't keep my promise to her.

Leaving a last kiss in her forehead, I moved to Harry. He was trying his best to remain strong, but I knew how much he was hurting inside.

I gave him the tightest hug I could possible give as I whispered in his ear, "You have fourteen years to change things little brother. Please don't let them take her too."

Tears ran down his cheeks. "I promise I won't. I'm so sorry, Ana, I have failed you. Please know that I love you so much," he said, leaving another kiss in my forehead. After another minute of us in each other's arms, I was finally able to walk away.

Felipe was waiting at the end of hallway for me, and for the first time, I allowed myself to think that he wasn't that bad of a person after all. In other circumstances, I would love to have him as a friend.

"At least the wedding you hated that much never happened," he tried to lighten up the mood, but I noticed that he was trying hard to hold back the tears. Did I matter to him this much?

"Marrying you would certainly be better than being burned alive, I have to admit," I tried making a joke out of it.

He looked away, however, his eyes full of pain. "Forgive me Anastasia, I—" but I didn't let him finish. I crashed my lips into his, giving him my first and last kiss. At least I wouldn't die without knowing how it was to kiss someone, and he kind of deserved it after bearing with me for two months. It caught him completely by surprise, but he deepened it and even though I felt nothing romantic for him, it still felt good. It felt like a proper goodbye.

Our people were gathered in front of the palace and it made me smile, even though they looked sad. I gave them my goodbyes, before running to my family for a last hug.

Turning my gaze to King Ethan for the last time, I saw him standing proudly in the balcony, a winner look in his face. It was clear as day now, he had made it possible for me to be the chosen girl.

But I walked with my head up anyway. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a victory.

It was unfair, but at least I knew I had tried my best.

*******

I wasn't sure how much time I had spent in a small boat with two wizard guards talking with each other in their own foreign language I never was interested about, at least until now, but it felt like eternity. 

Out of the sudden, my eyes caught something else besides immensity of blue, noticing that they were heading the boat to that direction. 

It wasn't hard to guess that it was the desert island I was supposed to go to. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought I didn't have much time left now.

However, a fight between the two guards dragged me back to reality. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it sounded serious.

"You heard Prince Felipe's orders, we mustn't kill her!" The light haired man shouted to the dark haired one in my language this time so I could hear him.

I froze, his words sinking in eventually. Kill me? Why would they kill me? And how did Felipe know?

"Who cares about his orders? I have orders to kill her and that's what I'll do," the other one said, pulling a knife out of his belt, launching himself to me.

I was dumbstruck at first, I couldn't move, couldn't think.

The other guard, that was obviously in my side, blocked his way by trying to push him out of the boat.

However, when I thought I had a little bit of hope left, the dark haired guard made a sudden fast move, and cut the other one's throat, blood spilling everywhere.

He was dead. Dead and now drowning down the ocean.

I could feel my heart dropping from my chest when the murderer gave me the scariest, most intimidating look, reaching forward with his knife to end me as well.

I made a step back, tripping in the skirt of my big dress, falling backwards. For my biggest luck, his knife was only able to only cut my thigh a little bit, but nothing I couldn't handle. I had been training with my brother for years, I wouldn't go down without a fight at least.

Only then I reminded myself I had a leather belt tied around my other thigh, holding my small personal dagger that I carried around for years.

How was I that stupid to forget about it?

Breathing was long forgotten when he reached me with only two steps, grabbed me from my long red hair and spun me around so my back faced him. He put the knife on my throat, probably aiming to finish me off as he did with his 'friend'. 

I had no idea how I moved that fast, but I was able to stab him in his ribs area, before he was able to cut my throat. His hands left me, so he could pressure in deep wound. But the helpless look in his face made me realize he already knew it was his end.

However, when I thought I had won, he gave me a devilish smile, closing his eyes, murmuring something in his foreign language and I found the boat literally cutting in half. My body started drowning, just like his almost lifeless body was doing in the other half boat.

The man already knew he was dead but he wanted to take me with him so badly. His orders seemed more important to him than his own life.

I tried holding myself in the half-boat and swim forward to reach the island, which looked impossible considering how far away it was and how heavy and numb my leg was becoming from the blood loss. I didn't even know how to swim properly.

After some minutes, that felt like eternity of me, I figured it was pointless. I couldn't swim with an injured leg, the island looked like a tiny spot on the horizon, and my eyelids were getting heavier by the second.

I tried to place my upper half in the boat so I would be able to rest a little bit, and stop fighting with the ocean waves. Some seconds after realizing I wasn't drowning anymore, I gave up and eventually, everything turned dark.