Secret Dragon

Chapter 17

Cadmus

“Who are you, and why do you look strangely familiar?” I stared at her and back at Mom. She looks like an older version of her!

“That would be I am your grandmother! I used to be a part of your life til you started school at 5. Then I was told you went off to boarding school and was told to leave and never come back...” She turns toward Mom with a disgusted and angry face, “But I always knew you’d get into trouble! Just like your father!” Mom never talked about her parents… Dad steps in front of me and Wyvern before it gets ugly.

“Before we get into that crazy mess. Let’s start with some good news!” He emphasized good staring right at Mom.

“Do you, Cadmus Lothair Rhaegar Pendragon, solemnly swear to preserve and protect the kingdom of Galvan from all foreign and near enemies? Keep peace, and when forced, protect by war?”

“I do swear.” Dad took off his majestic silver crown that reminded me of clouds and white gemstones that are cloud white and grays. Hollis smiles at us and they both present a new crown for Wyvern that I had especially made for her. I knew something would happen and Mom wouldn’t give up her crown that easily. So I made a new one with a mix of snowflakes and lightning bolts. Snowy blue gemstones reminded me of Hayle’s eyes and Volt’s lightning yellow.

“Do you, Wyvern Eirwen Freya Tiamat, solemnly swear to preserve and protect the kingdom of Galvan from all foreign and near enemies? Keep peace, and when forced, protect by war?”

“I do swear.” She smiles at my dad and her parents proudly.

“I object!” Mom shouts from the prisoner’s box and we humor her.

“You’re not queen anymore now that I’m not king! Your opinion doesn’t matter anymore!” He turns towards the crowd and smiles at them. “Fellow kingdoms, do you accept King Cadmus and Queen Wyvern as your new Galvan king and queen?” I see the 8 other kingdoms stand and smile at us.

“We do!” Seven kingdoms smile proudly at us.

“We don’t!” Unsurprisingly, Volaha Island doesn’t agree.

“You’re also under investigation, so your vote doesn’t count. I call upon the Duke and Duchess of the Ash, Moltenor, and Ember Flamehearts, as the Volaha island replacement royal family.”

“We second that!” Queen Azuris and Princess Mari Rainpeak chuckle as if she was hoping this would happen.

“And we third it.” I smile at Dad, knowing this is technically my first act as king.

“Wonderful! Guards, take the former king and queen into a holding cell until further notice.” The Sunswirls were kicking and screaming as they left, but everyone just chuckled. “Now, let’s get back to you.” Turning towards my grandmother.

“Yes…” She stands up from her seat and walks towards the thrones.

“So explain yourself.” I try to sound diplomatic, but we’re minutes into our reign.

“My name is Azalea Rowan-Dumont. My dragon’s name is Kaya, and she’s an earth-dragon. Adelinda is my biological daughter, while the former Volaha queen, Vesta Sunswirl, is my stepdaughter.” The crowd goes wild with talking to the person next to them as that news drops on us.

“Well… that’s some news. Do explain how that happened!” I pressed her to go on, and I wish I had some popcorn!

“I had realized that Adelinda’s father, Darius Rathmore dragon named Tempest, my former mate, was an awful person and dragon. Things started like a normal newly mated couple until we started having hatchlings.” She glares up at Mom, and they just glare at each other. “When we found out that our oldest and only was going to be a girl, Adelinda, he went crazy! He kept saying that the oldest was always a boy, and he accused me of cheating, which I didn’t. He hated Adelinda so much he wouldn’t even touch or look at her for the first year of her life! So one day he goes on a ‘hunting’ trip’ to get us more meat. He’d be gone for WEEKS at a time! So I started a farm so we wouldn’t starve! He comes back to tell me that he’s been seeing another woman, Vesta’s mother, and she bore him a boy, Vesta’s older brother, Cole Blackburn, but he unsurprisingly left and stayed with his mate’s family. He’s very happy with them, so good for him. He was so excited about having a boy that it didn’t bother him that she was a fire dragon, and he was water… but eventually, water put out the fire, and Vesta’s mother was… unalived from what I was told later on. He didn’t want to try to have another child with me because he didn’t want to have another girl. Her father was very ‘traditional’ that the oldest child should always be a boy, the husband goes out hunting, and the wife is only good at bearing eggs and looking pretty.” I scrunched up my nose. I definitely would not like this man! Hence, why do I learn that both of my daughters are in the thought process of just being glorified party planners because HE raised them!”

That matches what we read in her journal when we found it a couple of months ago. “I have since found a second chance. He’s also an Earth dragon named Terrance Avalan Dumont, dragon name Cobble, and my ex-mate has since passed away. Good riddance…” I heard Mom growl at that comment but kept quiet for now. “I was rejected when Adelinda was still a toddler, but Vesta’s mom stepped up and raised her like her own when I wasn’t allowed to because heaven forbid I provide food and shelter for her because I started that farm and made a living selling our produce at the market. He left me and he took my only hatchling…” This sounded like a sore subject for her to talk about. She had a pained look on her face.

“Are you ok to keep going?” I asked her, grabbing a box of tissues next to the aisle where the parents usually sit and giving them to her.

“Thank you, young king. It’s rough memories, but I’m ok. Thanks for asking.” She wipes away her tears and I head back to listen with Wyvern. “Did you have any part in what happened to my mate’s family?”

“NO, but my ex had heard that you were a girl and was disgusted. Saying that the firstborn should be a prince. How ironic that you’d be his granddaughter-in-law one day to his grandson. Luckily, he never will know.”

“How does Vesta fit into this?” I asked her worriedly.

“Vesta and her mate, Ragnis Sunswirl, had heard about Cadmus not yet having his mate and were desperately trying to pawn off Kindra to do what Adelinda wanted to do to Cadmus essentially. Bid off their children to the highest bidder in hopes that they have a son together.”

“But Cadmus and Kindra are technically… step cousins?? EW!” The crowd chuckles at Wyvern’s outburst, but I’m not bothered by it. At least she could make people laugh.

“I couldn’t agree more, your highness. Even though they’re not raised together or kin, it’s still weird. I’m a full-blooded grandmother to the now, King Cadmus, but step grandma to former princess Kindra.” She holds her head high despite being on trial.

“Did you help send the former princess to Cadmus?” Airo asked with a stoic face.

“No, I’m too old to deal with such trivial things. I honestly don’t care about titles or riches. All a parent could ask for is for their hatchling to be happy, have food, shelter, water, and to be loved by her mate (the real one, not a fake one).” They glare at each other once again.

“Did you know about her or her father making a love potion to force me into taking her as my queen?”

“No, that was after I left. He had given up on me and Adelinda, but yet still wanted custody of her. Why? I have no idea. To indoctrinate this backward thinking and weasel into the royal family?? Who does that to their hatchling!?” I presented her with the journal that we found. She looks at it fondly as if she was remembering something. “I got her this journal… to fill it with memories or to get things off her chest or just to write her thoughts.” She skims through it and smiles a little. Remembering the fond memories, and the not-so-fond. She looks up at Mom with tears, trying to fall.

“I guess I could’ve tried harder, but I thought I was doing the right thing. You were screaming that you wanted to be with your dad and I gave in! IS THIS WHAT YOU GUYS WANTED?! YOUR FATHER IS DEAD, YOU DETHRONED, IN JAIL, AND NO REAL MATE?! YOUR FAKE MATE HATES YOU AND RUINED HIS CHANCE TO BE WITH THE RIGHTFUL QUEEN, YOUR SON HATES YOU. YOU’VE RUINED YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW! I HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED CAUSE THIS IS YOUR REALITY!” She scolds her like a hatchling stealing from the cookie jar before dinner. She turns toward us, wiping away the tears that had finally fallen.

“Do whatever’s necessary to her.” She stoically sits down in her seat, taking the box of tissues with her.

“Well… thank you, grandmother, for this information. It does help, but doesn’t change the fact of what former queen Adelinda Pendragon has done. It is with a heavy heart that we have to do this punishment, but let my queen, father and I talk about this, and we’ll announce our decision.” We leave the throne room and go to a smaller room near it I’ve heard used for moments like this.

“What do we do, dad?” I somewhat know this answer, but I don’t have the heart to say it.

“The punishment is either… death, dungeon time, and a hefty fine, or, in her case, stripped of her dragon and living life as a peasant in exile.” Dad looked like he didn’t like it either. They did live together for 20+ years and maybe loved each other at some point, but that’s gone.

“What happens to her dragon when she’s separated from your mom?” Wyvern asks, fidgeting with her queen ring out of nerves.

“Well, the dragon can live on its own, get a new owner, and transform into another element or it can pass away cause it was so betrayed by its human. Depending on the relationship between human and dragon it can either be very painful cause they had such a great relationship that they don’t want to separate or it’ll barely hurt at all since they don’t care anymore.”

“That’s so sad… who’d perform that?” Wyvern and I glance at each other as we remember what happened to her mother.

“Probably the shadow king and queen, or they could lend us their executioner. They handle dark magic like this.”

“I remember the queen from the tea party. Queen Malinda Klauth. I didn’t see a princess with her, nor did she mention her king.”

“I’ve heard they’ve had some tough times, but they’re civil and rule well together. She doesn’t force her princess to go to those things since they’re so… frivolous, but they have two sons and a daughter.”

“Oh… she mostly kept to herself. Of course, I didn’t get to talk to her before the whole mess with Kindra happened so quickly. Who are the rest of the family?”

“King Jett Klauth, Queen Malinda, Princes Shayne and Donovan, and Princess Raven. They don’t like to get out much since it’s too hot for them or too bright.”

“Should we call them?” I asked them.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Cadmus, why don’t you go ask for them?”

“Of course, Dad.” I go off to do as I was told and try to find a steward. I tell him my assignment, and he goes off to find them. A couple of minutes later, they’re all back in their black and purple royal regalia.

“Good to see you again, Jett” Dad sticks his hand out for a hardy handshake for King Jett and it’s like old friends catching up.

“It has been a while. Now that you’re retired, why not come and visit sometime?” They continue their handshake until they drop hands.

“I’d love to, but first business. Unfortunately, we need your services to strip the former queen of her dragon.” The rest of the family’s smiles drop away at the seriousness of that moment.

“Really!? That’s going to be her punishment!?” He turns towards us and we just nod. I didn’t have the words to say. “Well, it’s never fun to be called to do it, but necessary sometimes. I’ll do it. She doesn’t know me as well, so she won’t weasel my mate to not do it.”

“Yeah, she would do that… I’m sorry to have to do this, son.” He claps his hand on my shoulder, trying to be supportive and sympathetic.

“To be honest, among friends, I’m not sorry for her. She hasn’t been much of a mother to me in a long time. It’s time she gets her punishment and leaves us alone.” I walk out and head back to the throne room, where everyone is waiting for our answer.

We all get back out there, and it’s a stark difference from the cheerful smiles and rejoicing an hour ago, to the seriousness and stiffness just now. Mom is back on the prisoner’s balcony waiting for her fate and, surprisingly, not struggling with the guard. My grandmother was in what was supposed to be my mother’s seat waiting for our answer.

“People of Galvan and our visiting kingdoms. We’re here to celebrate the new king and queen, and to say goodbye to the old ones. Adelinda Pendragon, we’ve made up our minds about what’s going to happen to you.” Mom perked up when Dad talked. “You are to be stripped of your dragon, lose your title and perks that come with it, and live in exile. Guards will imprison you if you come back to Galvan. Guards, bring her down so we can set forth her punishment.” She cries as she comes down from the prisoner’s box, but her tears mean nothing to me. King Jett steps in front of us while Mom is in front of the throne.

“Ex hoc tempore separabit draco tuus a te, et eris duo. Si draco vult novum dominum, inveniet unum, alioquin draco, liber esto!” Which, if my spellcasting is right, that roughly translates to, From this time your dragon will separate from you, and you will be two. If a dragon wants a new master, it will find one, otherwise, dragon, be free! Mom doesn’t scream as she and her dragon separate. I would’ve expected something since it’s supposed to be very painful, but yet, nothing… the water dragon looks at her angrily and sticks her tongue at her as if she’s glad to leave. She looks at Wyvern’s mom and smiles. It transforms and brightly changes into a snow dragon.

“Frost! Oh, how I’ve missed you after all these years!” The older dragons gasp as the reunion in front of them happens. Now they believe Wyvern’s family was telling the truth. Everyone clapped and cheered for the joyful reunion. Frost’s snowy blue eyes sparkled as she saw Mom again. They ran towards each other and hugged. Her snowy white scales sparkled as if it were fresh snow that had fallen. She stood tall at her 60ft height, 90ft length, and she stretched out her wings, all 92ft wingspan of her. Very normal for an elder dragon. King Jett smiles at them and spreads his hands over them.

“hic draco et femina coniunguntur. Coniunge nos nexum et amicitiam coniungere et renovare.” Again, if my spellcasting is right, that roughly translates to, here the dragon and the woman are united. Join us to connect and renew their connection and friendship. There was a bright light around them and just Queen Evie was left.

“Oh, it’s good to be whole again!” Wyvern hugged her and cried happy tears for her. Well, one down… now to deal with the Sunswirls…