Empyreal Dragons

Chapter Nine

Red Crest Kingdom

King Aaron looked at Eva as she began packing her belongings onto the back of the carriage. Eva made sure that she put all of her things in separate bags due to Aaron having his guards check her bags before she departed. Eva always knew better than to trust anyone other than herself, she never had faith in anyone except for one person.

Everyone, that was someone, hid heavy secrets but for Eva, she couldn’t have such a thing.

“Is everything good to go?” Eva heard a voice say and turned around towards Aaron and Clarissa

With her being in the palace, she really grew to like Clarissa. She was a feisty woman who knew when to play the victim and when to play a heartless leader, she was an actor that played many roles. She was quite the character despite coming from such a humble background. Having both parents that were rich, they raised her to believe that she was always a Queen, and sooner or later she wanted nothing more than to be the Queen.

Eva smiled.

“Everything is fine and good to go.” Eva replied as she placed herself inside of the carriage

Tapping the carriage door twice, the horses took off and Eva didn’t look out the window to say any goodbyes.

As Aaron and Clarissa watched the carriage go away, the smile that Clarissa had turned into fear once the carriage was out of sight. Clarissa turned to look at Aaron as Aaron’s cocky attitude finally went away. He went so far to play the act of a cocky arrogant King that Eva managed to convince him to kill 40 of his guards just because that’s what a cocky King would do.

As Eva asked him "Do you think the Kingdom would like to hear that the Queen Mother doesn't support her son in law due to him not being who he claims to be?", Aaron knew that he couldn't fight her. He couldn't fight Queen Mother with her title on the line.

Aaron was close with the men that were warriors, but because of Eva’s commanding nature, his guards and warriors hate him more than anything and wish for Queen Reyna to come back and lead them. Since Reyna was the original person leading the armies of warriors.

As for Clarissa, she saw first hand how Eva was and if they hadn't killed Reyna, then Reyna would’ve been an unbeatable foe that no one could take down, just like her mother. Clarissa invited Eva to a tea party and Eva purposely stirred up problems between the women of the party.

All of the women already didn't like Clarissa since their favorite person was Reyna but she was missing from the throne. So when Eva showed her face to the group of women, she constantly asked questions about the disrespectful things Clarissa said about the other women behind their backs.

The women no longer invited Clarissa to the tea parties for she’s an ungrateful mistress that should’ve known her place.

The couple sighed as they got rid of the troublesome person. And now, she will be able to wreak havoc at a different kingdom, the Lovech Kingdom.

“Do you really think we can trust her?” Clarissa asked Aaron

Aaron rolled his eyes at her question as he turned on his heels and began walking back to the palace doors. This “Queen” is horrible. Why the hell did I get rid of Reyna when anything that someone damaged Reyna could fix in a few seconds? Where Clarissa can't even have an intelligent conversation!

“COME ON!” Aaron yelled at his wife

Clarissa rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth but still obeyed his command. She hated when Aaron treated her like the dog Eva called her, she always felt inferior to Aaron but for him to really treat her like that made her blood boil.

I’ll show you who to make feel inferior, Clarissa thought as she followed Aaron back into the palace as the guards that surrounded them watched their fight.

The guards looked at each other and nodded. They have news to tell Eva once she reaches the Lovech Kingdom.

Lovech Kingdom; Dragnior's Office

“The Throne Room she said? JAMES I SWEAR IF THAT STUPID WOMAN COMES INTO ONE MORE ROOM SHE’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN!” Dragnior yelled as he slammed his fist down on his desk

James flinched at Drangior’s actions. Since the day Reyna stomped on Rubian’s flowers, Dragnior has hated her. The dragon connection was pulling him to her before but after what she’s done, there have been no signs of an attraction at all.

Dragnior rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. Reyna has to be the worst person he has ever met! No respect for his palace or his dead wife! And now she wants him to say sorry for giving her what she deserves?!

I will never apologize to her for what she did to Rubian’s flower. Dragnior looked out of his window as he remembered the day that him and Rubian planted those flowers. It was when Rubian was pregnant with Zahn that she explained to Dragnior that she loved daisies. So he planted pink flowers all around the garden for those were his favorite flowers and planted a daisy in the middle.

Rubian was confused and looked at him with question as he smiled and told her why he planted pink roses around the daisy.

“It’s because I will always protect you and everything you cherish.” Dragnior said to her as he rubbed her belly containing their child

Dragnior signed at the memory. The memory that couldn’t be erased, surely not by some disrespectful woman like Reyna. No matter how much the dragon blood may want me to be attracted to her, I will never love a woman like how I did Rubian.

James looked at Dragnior as he felt sorrow. Dragnior didn’t understand a thing about Reyna and Reyna wanted to understand everything about Dragnior. They were too different people connected by the blood they shared from the ritual as the last of the Empyreal Dragons and yet here they were, fighting over a flower from Rubian.

James hated Rubian because he always knew that she was a spy sent to kill his Master. The day that Dragnior took Rubian’s life by his own hands, James felt relief as the snake, Rubian, didn’t ruin anything or do the ritual with Dragnior so that she could be a dragon. She would’ve used her dragon powers to destroy the Lovech Kingdom as an inside job.

With the powers that Reyna possesses now, if Dragnior keeps making her mad, she will soon want to destroy the Lovech Kingdom with Dragnior’s head on a silver plate. James doesn’t like anyone who threatens the life of his Master, but he feels like Reyna is different. Reyna doesn’t want to hurt anyone in this kingdom, she’s only focused on finding ways to destroy the Red Crest Kingdom.

James knew that Reyna was a smart woman. A woman that could find truths within lies as he found out from her conversation with her a few morning's ago. So without a doubt if she wanted to, she could try to destroy this Kingdom too.

“FINE! Tell Syrah to get her dressed! I will meet her in the damn Throne Room.” Dragnior said stomping his feet as he got up from his desk and began making his way to the door

Oh my King, James thought, please don't anger the beast inside of that woman.

Lovech Kingdom: Reyna's Bedroom

“Syrah! Where were you earlier? And why did James serve me my food?” Reyna whined

As Ms. Syrah looked up at Reyna with a smile on her face, Reyna stood in front of the mirror of the bathroom with a tight string tied up on her small wrist, a little pin to work with on her hair and two brushes that Syrah brought her. Using the small pin to split her hair down the middle into a straight part, Reyna moved her hands to use the water from the sink and placed the water onto her hair, which in return started to dampen her clothes and hair.

“MISS REYNA?!” Syrah yelled as she looked at Reyna

What was she doing?

“Calm down Syrah. This is a hairstyle that I’ve learned from a friend of mine. It requires a bit of a mess as you can see.” Reyna replied with a laugh

After placing a lot of water onto the hair, Reyna used the brush to smoothen down her hair as the slit in the middle showed. Brushing her hair down completed as the water made the hair wavy, Reyna used the tied string and wrapped it around the rest of her remaining hair. Putting her molded wavy laid down hair into a ponytail with the rest of the long wet hair falling down to her lower back, it really brought out Reyna's distinguishable facial features.

“Miss, y-you look beautiful.” Syrah said as her face was in shock

Reyna laughed.

“It’s time for me to get dressed. My hair won’t be dripping water for much longer but it will be wet. We have to dress me immediately if we want my hair to look like it has sense.” Reyna replied

Syrah nodded her head as she ran over to the bed and brought over a dress that she snuck from out of one of the market stores in the kingdom. A very popular store that sells beautiful dresses, Syrah used the name of the King to get the dress for free and with that same trick, she’s managed to give me so many clothes from that lavish shop.

I will have to personally thank Syrah later, Reyna thought to myself before Syrah snapped Reyna out of her thoughts.

Syrah began tugging on Reyna's silk shirt as she forced the shirt from off of her. Placing a bra and some new underwear onto Reyna's slimmed body, weirdly Reyna has gotten used to the routine of Syrah seeing her naked.

She’s seen more of my body than the doctor did the day that I was born.

Not even feeling flushed from shame anymore, Syrah began placing the dress over Reyna's head as she made sure that the dress didn’t touch her hair. As the dress came down to her hips, Reyna looked towards the mirror in the bedroom that Syrah placed this morning and saw that the dress was hugging her body very nicely.

Everything about Reyna's body is in healthy shape as she had no stomach, mainly from never eating food, but she had a butt and enough chest to feed dozens of children. Reyna's body was small height wise, but her legs were looking pretty long as the dress had a slit to show the right leg. The dress had no sleeves as the black dress stopped right over top of her chest but not covering above the collar bone area. Her shoulder and top chest area were exposed as the ponytail hairstyle added more length to what the dress does not cover. It was a simple plain black dress that stood out.

“OH MY QUEEN YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL!” Syrah yelled as she smiled at Reyna

Reyna smiled in return. She was actually starting to like Syrah despite how they met.

“Okay! Now, let’s put on these shoes and get you out there to the King!”

Lovech Kingdom: Throne Room

“JAMES! WHERE IS SHE?!” Dragnior yelled

James sighed deeply for the 15th time. Him and Dragnior just sat down in the Throne Room but Dragnior has been asking this same question for the past 5 minutes.

“She is coming sir.” James replied angry

Dragnior then shut his mouth. It doesn’t take much to make James angry, but when he is in that mood, it’s best to shut up and keep quiet.

As Drangior waited a few more seconds, he then heard footsteps followed by voices speaking.

“You will be fine! Go! Go!” It was Ms. Syrah voice probably speaking to Reyna

Hearing footsteps once more, a curvy figure walked in through the doors of the Throne Room. It was … Reyna, but with a shocked face?

Reyna looked around the Throne Room in awe. The second you walked into the room, there was a large statue of a dragon's right above 2 big golden chairs. On the glossy floor was a big green dragon painting that looked so realistic.

Every dragon in this room looked so real in detail that everything looked like it could come to life with the snap of a finger. Seeing now a big oval table in the middle of the room, Reyna could see Dragnior there with his mouth opened in wonder.

Feeling her heart skip a beat, she hasn’t experienced it in a while so she forgot how it felt. How it felt to have Dragnior look her in the eyes while her body reacts to him heavy.

Dragnior couldn’t take his eyes off of Reyna as her body was amazing in the black dress that she was wearing.

There was a slit in her black dress that showed off her brown long legs with the black shoes that she has on. Her dress never made it past her upper breasts as her shoulder and suckable neck was exposed. Her hair was pulled back into what the women would call a "ponytail" as it fit her small face with perfection … She was indeed perfect.

Reyna, trying to ignore the attraction, stomped her feet over to the table and James quickly rushed over to pull her seat out for her.

James couldn’t ignore her beauty either as she had such a perfect body and face. It was impossible not to look at her because she was so good looking, but she was also his Queen.

Dragnior noticed that James eyes were on his woman, his blood boiling in anger.

“KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GROUND!” Dragnior yelled

Reyna didn’t jump or flinch because she always found Dragnior angry sexy, but she couldn’t show it. Not at all right now, he disrespected her and she needs her sorry.

James looked at the ground as Reyna felt sorry for him. Reyna looking into Dragnior eyes, she coughed as she wanted to start this conversation.

“I am here to hear my 'I’m sorry'.” Reyna said

Dragnior glared at Reyna.

“NEVER. You are here to tell ME that you are sorry.”

Reyna laughed.

“How dare you… After what you did to me!” Reyna yelled as she lifted up her wrist to show Dragnior her wound

Dragnior eyes showed sadness. It is not his way of life to hurt women so he didn’t mean to hurt Reyna, but she should’ve never messed up his garden.

“How dare you! YOU RUIN RUBIAN’S FLOWER!”

“RUBIAN IS DEAD!” Reyna yelled

Dragnior froze.

How dare she speak about his wife like that! HOW DARE SHE!

“WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT CARING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS DEAD?!” Dragnior yelled

James rose his head and had his eyes widened in horror.

That was the wrong question to ask a woman who he found dead. Reyna looked hurt as she placed her hand on her stomach. She remembered having this talk with Dragnior, but she never would’ve thought that he would ask her an insensitive question like that.

“I am Reyna Rose, former Queen of the Red Crest Kingdom and former mother of my son who was stabbed out of my own damn stomach, Zahn, the heir to the Red Crest Throne. I DIED AT THE HANDS OF MY OWN HUSBAND AND HIS f*****g MISTRESS FOR f***s SAKE! SO I WOULD KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT CARING FOR SOMEONE WHO'S f*****g DEAD!” Reyna snapped

Her beautiful grey eyes were now gold from her anger. Her skin began to harden as Dragnior could see scales trying to form themselves. Reyna was livid.

Dragnior looked at Reyna in shock.

Yes he found her outside of the palace dying, but he didn’t think it was the King himself that killed Reyna and her son. Drangior felt pity, but that was soon replaced with anger.

“AND I HAD TO KILL MY WIFE BECAUSE SHE WAS A TRAITOR! I HAD TO RIP HER HEART OUT, OUT OF LOVE! AND YOU STEPPED ON HER FLOWER!”

Reyna froze. Dragnior had to kill his own wife? H-His wife was a traitor and he killed her? So was that story that Zahn told me a lie that his father told him? Why?

Reyna guilt was soon replaced by anger as well as neither Drangior or Reyna wanted to back down. James seeing this decided to step in before this got out of control.

“Master, Miss. May I add a word or two.” James said walking up to the table where they sat

Reyna and Dragnior both glared at him but James didn’t care.

“You both are connected by trauma. Trauma that made you into the people that you are today. Master, even though you don’t want to, could you please explain your feelings properly to Miss. And Miss, could you please listen to Master?”

Reyna and Dragnior both glared at each other before deciding to let their stubborness go. Dragnior took a deep breath as he looked at his hands on the table.

“I-It was 10 years ago when I met a woman named Rubian Roselia. She was a bubbly bright woman who loved peace and quiet as her favorite thing to do was read books. I remember the second I laid my eyes on her the first time I met her, I fell in love right away,” Dragnior paused.

Using his dragon nose, Dragnior smelt the air to see what Reyna was feeling and smelled… jealousy? Looking up at Reyna, she was looking at Dragnior with gold eyes as she took deep breaths.

Enjoying that she was jealous over Rubian, Dragnior continued.

“We spent everyday together in the sheets in my bedroom as I loved her scent and body. But it wasn’t until one day that she came to my bedroom and claimed that she was pregnant with my child. I was happy, excited and told her that we should get married immediately so that our baby could be the next prince of this kingdom. Little did I know that, that was her plan all along. To get pregnant by me and force me to marry her so that she could stay in this kingdom and steal anything that we had.”

Reyna raised her eyebrows.

“Anything that y'all had?” Reyna asked

Dragnior nodded his head yes.

“She was a spy from a different kingdom that was sent to gather our weaknesses so that when it was time to go to war, her kingdom could win. I was heart broken by the news and I didn’t want to believe it until one day she was in the secret garden and I saw her put a knife up to her stomach where my son laid.”

Reyna heart dropped … squeezing her stomach with her hand, she couldn’t understand how someone would kill their own son just because they wanted to take down an entire kingdom.

“I-I couldn’t let her hurt my son. H-He… I built a bond with him as he was inside of her stomach. I loved that little boy. And so, in order to protect my kingdom and my son, I ripped her heart from out of her chest.”

Ouch, Reyna thought as she looked at Dragnior.

“And when I buried her body, I buried it under that daisy that I planted for her.”

Reyna’s eyes widened.

Oh my god, she thought, I stepped on his ex-wife burial.

Feelings completely like s**t, Reyna rose from out of her chair and rushed over to Dragnior. Holding her hands out, Reyna scooped up Dragnior’s hands that laid on the table.

“I am so sorry Dragnior. I didn't, I didn’t know that she laid under that flower. I am sorry for disrespecting you and her. I know that I can’t take away any of the words I said out of anger, but I can own up to them and apologize because that was completely wrong.” Reyna said

Dragnior looked shocked.

He didn’t expect Reyna to say sorry, especially when Rubian would have never said sorry to him for any mistakes that she made. Dragnior’s body started to get hot at Reyna’s touch. Reyna didn't notice this because she was still in guilt for what she did.

She was a horrible human being.

“Now Miss, would you care to explain to Dragnior how you feel?” James said as he smiled at Reyna, he knew she was a good person

Reyna felt tears coming into her eyes as she put her head down. Squeezing Deagnior’s hands tightly, Reyna began to speak.

“It uhh… I was a little girl who was sold to be the Queen of the Red Crest Kingdom when I was 5 years old. My mother sold me to the King because she felt bad that she couldn't give me that life that I should have, but she didn't know that those royals were abusing me until the day I actually became queen..." Reyna paused as she could recall those nasty memories that were forced into her head out of fear

Dragnior frowned deeply at the fact that the strong woman in front of him now went through something like that.

"I was raised to watch out for people and stay on my guard around my husband's mistresses because they were always greedy for the title of queen. My husband loved me and only claimed me in his bed at night to make sure that I would have his son, I would have the heir to throne so that we could have our little family and love each other in peace,” Reyna stopped and sighed

Dragnior glanced over at James before Reyna continued.

“But he didn’t love me, the second I got pregnant he became distant from me, like I never even existed. He began to bring women into his bed as I had to hear their enjoyment every night with different woman... until one day while I stood by my window in my bedroom, a servant called for me and told me that the King wanted me. I thought he was calling to love on me or to at least finally name our son, but instead he showed me that his mistress was pregnant and shoved a sword through my stomach.” Reyna began crying

Dragnior felt horrible, he could only imagine what his life would’ve been like if Rubian actually decided to kill Zahn.

“I looked at him and tried to put the blood that was on the floor back into my stomach but I couldn’t! I couldn’t save my son. His f*****g mistress stood beside him and showed me the baby bump that she had because he got her pregnant before he decided to sleep with me. I wanted to address them but me losing my son was more important and I kept trying to gather the blood, trying to put him back together."

Reyna paused to try and stop the tears that were forcing themselves to be shown.

"But once I realized that I couldn’t save my son, my husband then stabbed me in the heart. And after stabbing me in the heart he had the palace guards that swore their loyalty to me throw me outside to die in the rain. I DIED DRAGNIOR DON’T YOU SEE!” Reyna was now fully crying

Dragnior realized that behind the blank face of Reyna was nothing but emotions. Emotions that she tries to lie to herself about not having all the time. She’s been disrespected all of her life and now that she’s finally found her purpose again, he treated her like how her husband treated her, like s**t.

James frowned as he felt tears coming into his eyes from her sad past. No one would've expected that a woman like her came from a painful past like that.

“I-I am sorry too Reyna. I didn’t realize what your life has entailed and for that I am sorry for having treated you badly.” Dragnior said as he lightly touched her wrist

Using his left hand, he lifted up Reyna’s chin and looked her into her gold eyes.

“I am so sorry Reyna Rose. I treated you like s**t and I feel bad that you had to go through something like that again, please forgive me.” Dragnior said and Reyna smiled

“I am sorry too Dragnior. I was wrong for what I did, stepping on your wife's garden. Could you forgive me?” Reyna asked and Dragnior smiled

"Always..." Dragnior replied

Looking into each other's eyes, there was that dragon's pull once more. The pull that gave them both goosebumps as they felt rushing emotions flow throughout their gold eyes that looked into one another.

They both were once people who didn't even know that the other existed, but now here they were, communication to understand who they are as people and who they are to one another.

James was now smiling at the process. They were just two broken people who needed to understand each other and now that they were on the same page, the Lovech Kingdom has now gained an important ally that will shift this Kingdom….