Authors: Jessica Burnett
It’s caused me to realize I must embrace this living hell.
Out of dream land I come to settle by you.
For my sweet boy, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.
My love for you is so far reaching.
I have the courage to start my teaching.
I no longer fear the world around.
Our destiny is bright; a good life abounds.
To you, my son, I know to be true.
I will forever love you. ”
Fourteenth Chapter: Coronation
“What the hell happened back there?” Derek asked as we entered the king’s chambers once again. My father lay on the bed, unmoving.
“I’m not really sure.” I answered honestly, “What I do know is that Lachlan works, or rather worked for, Alfonzo.”
“What?!” Derek gasped. “Wait. What do you mean
worked?”
“Well… I kind of killed him. Or rather, Queen Ember killed him.” I pause to gage his reaction, his jaw dropped open, astonished. “It was amazing. All she did was touch him. Touch him, Derek! Just a poke to the forehead and
poof
he was gone. Dust lay before our feet. I wonder if I still have the ability to do that or if it disappeared with the Queen…” I shook my head as I checked my father’s pulse, relieved to find there was still a steady heartbeat.
“What’s his name?” I ask suddenly.
“Who’s name?” Derek questions, bewildered at my subject change.
“My father’s… not once have I heard someone speak his name.”
Silence followed as we stared at each other for a moment. Derek examined my eyes while brushing my hair back out of my face. A bewildered expression crosses his features as I scrunch up my eyes trying to figure out what he is thinking.
“You know… I don’t really know. Nobody is allowed to call him anything but ‘the King’. Or something relevant to the term…” Derek whispers, still looking at me intently.
Derek continues to roam his eyes down my face to my nose, to my lips and back again. There’s a question lingering in his eyes that I am afraid to answer. I look away suddenly, focusing on my father’s still body. I ponder what all has went down and how much more I will have to go through before this all ends… if it ever ends.
“How do we wake him up? I’m guessing it’s his meds that have knocked him out but there has to be a way to fix that, right?”
“Yes.” Derek says sadly, although I am not sure why. “I’ll get on that.”
He gently pulls out my father’s IV and takes a box out from under his bed. Opening the box he pulls out a large needle and a small bottle of clear fluid. He fills it up half way and sticks it in the crease of the King’s elbow. Within seconds the king was startled awake. As if the medicine had jumpstarted his heart.
“Good evening, your majesty. How are you feeling?” Derek whispers kindly, with adoration in his eyes.
“Derek?” The King responds, a hand going up to grasp Derek’s arm. “Did you find them? Are they safe?” His eyes bulge as he talks, worry creasing his strong features. My father has bright green eyes, grey hair, and a prominent jaw line. He looks to be about 6’3 although it’s hard to tell with him lying underneath the sheets.
Derek simply nods towards me and I walk forward so that I am within the King’s line of sight. “Hi, Daddy.” I whisper as I brush my hand against his face. I watch his face as relief washes over him.
I receive a flash back to when I was five; I was sitting on my father’s lap asking him to play dolls with me. I remember begging ‘
Daddy please play with me. Please Daddy. I love you bunches.’
with the biggest ‘I’m going to get what I want’ smile.
“Ember, how I have missed you!” The King says as he claps my hand in his.
I wish I could respond the same. But, as it is I have few memories of him still. And while each one I have is a bit nostalgic I still don’t know how I feel about him completely.
I look up at Derek as I realize he is staring at me again. He looks away quickly and speaks to my father, “Your majesty, what do you wish for us to do? Alfonzo is dead. Ember killed him. But, we have yet to discover who else may be working against you.”
The King’s loving eyes turns to a grimace, “You killed Alfonzo, dear? How?”
“It’s hard to explain. Let’s just say Queen Ember burst out of me.”
Confusion washes over his face, “And a Queen you shall be.” He ponders this a moment. “As far as I know Alfonzo is the leader in this all. If one were to spread the news of his death then the majority of our attackers would back off, presumably. However, the dragons will not be so easy to deter.”
“The dragons?” Derek and I ask at the same time.
“Yes. The dragon king has been working for Alfonzo with the promise of many riches. You know how much dragons like their jewels. It’s obvious that he will only hit us harder.”
“Alright. We’ll prepare for battle.” Derek states firmly. “We will set you up in the safe house beneath the castle along with Kai and Damien. Ember and I will handle the rest.”
“Are you sure you two can handle that?” The King asks, looking back at me. It is clear that his real question was whether or not I could handle it.
“Don’t worry, Daddy. We got this.” I smile brightly, trying to reassure him but also realizing that I knew I could.
“Okay” he says, unsure, patting my hand gently.
“Are you sure you can handle this?” Derek asks as we don our armor.
“I’m positive.” I say brightly. “Besides, I have a secret weapon.” I move my eyebrows up and down at him.
“What?” He asks, slightly frightened by my positive attitude.
“I can’t tell you.” I wink at him. I turn around and head toward the safe room. “I’ll meet you by the front door when you’re done. I’m going to give my father and son one last goodbye kiss. Just in case, you know.”
“Of course.” He nods in agreement. “Give Kai a hug for me.”
I nod my head and trek down the hall as fast as I could. I find it a little difficult to move in the heavy armor. I find myself hoping I will do better on the battlefield.
I knock three times on the iron door and wait patiently for an answer. The window at the top slides open and Damien peers out. The locks on the door slide across the door making an awful sound and the door flings open.
“Hurry up and get in here.” Damien ushers me in.
Kai runs up to me and hugs me tightly, complaining about the roughness of my armor.
“I’m sorry, honey. I have to wear it for just a little bit longer. Now give me a big kiss because I have to go.”
Kai’s face puckers as he leans up to kiss me on the cheek, wishing me well. I hug him one more time and whisper in his ear, “That one is from Derek.” He smiles brightly as he runs back to grandpa, crawling on his lap.
I lean over to kiss my father on his head, promising to hurry back.
Derek and I emerged onto the battlefield; empty all except four dragons standing strategically at each corner of the field. The one closest to us was twice the size of the others and wearing a huge jewel around his neck. He was the color of ash with a ferocious stare that could scare off even the toughest of men. My immediate thought was that he must be the king my father was talking about. The other three were purple and bulging but not nearly as fearsome as the first.
“How are we going to do this?” Derek asks, bewildered.
I smile brightly at him as I connect to my inner power and draw out the sword of Belzamarth. Everything comes so much easier since I rid myself of the evil queen living within me. It was almost as if she had been hindering my powers.
“Wow. How’d you do that?” Derek asks, astonished.
I don’t bother to answer. I am focusing on another power surging through my body; the power of calling. I was wishing a friend forth; a dragon by the name of Archer.
The wind stirred up, leaves started blowing, the colors of the wind could be recognized in great detail, and the earth beneath our feet shook with a great force. A tornado of my own power surged through the field and when all stood still, Archer appeared before us.
The red dragon looked a little muddled, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He first looked to the king and then his brothers and then to Derek who had drawn his sword in fear. When his eyes focused on me his head bowed in reverence.
“Your majesty, you beckoned me?” He asked quietly, careful to be courteous in my presence.
I nod my head, “I wish for you to help me end this war. Are you up to the task?” I ask vehemently. Derek is looking back and forth between the two of us in awe and wonder.
“Whatever you wish, your majesty. Where do you want me?” The dragon asked keenly with a slight smile on his lips.
I smiled back at him, “You take care of those three over there. We’ll take the king. They’re looking a bit antsy.”
“Yes madam.” Archer nodded with an evil smile playing on his lips as he turns to get a better look at his adversaries. I could tell that this dragon’s intentions weren’t pure but I also knew he wouldn’t turn against me when all was said and done. If I defeat the king he will be loyal to me for eternity, for then I would have truly proven myself.
Archer sank down into a crouching position as he neared the other three dragons who were watching him warily. Derek settled into a position behind the great red dragon as he moved closer. My best guess would be that Derek is trying to sneak up on the ginormous black dragon while his majesty’s eyes are solely on me, as if nothing else mattered but taking me down.
Archer jumped into the air suddenly, his wings gliding out swiftly for a few seconds only to fold back in place as he grabbed one of the purple dragons by his neck, his teeth sliding neatly in between the other dragon’s scales.
Derek lunged towards the Dragon King only to be slapped away as the black dragon rose up his claw as if swatting away a pesky fly. Derek went flying through the air, landing a few feet away from me. Concern gripped my chest but I had no time to check if he was okay for the King was heading straight towards me. His wings were spread in a half fly, half tuck position, his face was in a permanent snarl, and his body took down trees in his mad race to get me before I got away.
I looked quickly over to Derek, to Archer, to the castle, and back to Archer trying to decide what was the best route to go. If this ‘king’ could swat Derek away like he was nothing I certainly didn’t stand a chance against him in hand to hand combat.
Archer was working on his third dragon, having already killed off the other two. He was covered in blood from head to toe, whether it was his or theirs I could not tell. He takes a swift glance at me as the king is about to pounce.
Get on my back, child.
I hear a voice boom in my head. I look towards Archer startled. He is no longer looking at me, engaged in battle, but somehow I knew it came from him. I ran as quickly as I could, realizing that while all of this seemed like a long time frame, in reality it was only about a few seconds.
I had almost reached Archer when I felt something sharp smack against the right side of my body. I went flying through the air only to be caught, very gently, in the palms of my favorite dragon. Grateful for the catch, but aggravated by the stinging pains running throughout my body like annoying little pinpricks and knives, I sat up quickly and ran, or rather climbed, up Archer’s left arm, grabbing hold of his massive shoulder as he righted himself.
The King stood before us, towering over everything in sight with hatred in his eyes. His wings beat madly sending gust of winds so strong they were rocking the trees. I gripped on tighter and hid behind my great dragon, hoping to dispel some of the energy coming our way. I stole a swift look behind us to make sure we had no other attackers, satisfied in seeing all three younger dragon’s dead, or at least unconscious, on the green grass that was now soaked in blood.
I lurched back around when I heard a loud roar erupting from the black dragon’s mouth as he breathed massive flames towards us. Archer blocked the majority of them but my right arm caught fire for a split second. I patted it out as fast as I could, knowing I had to be prepared for more. I felt helpless sitting up there while the big bad dragon’s duked it out. This was my fight after all, I should be participating. If only I had allowed Queen Ember to survive one more day…