They soon reached the SeaWing palace, the moonlight glinting off its pearl-encrusted spires. Icemoon landed on the greeting platform, her claws clicking against the smooth surface. Queen Coral landed right behind her, folding her magnificent wings as she turned toward Sunny, who still clutched the satchel containing the precious egg.

Coral reached out instinctively toward it but stopped herself at the last moment, pulling her talons back. She knew she wouldn't be allowed to hold her egg - not now. Her gills fluttered with resigned acceptance.

Icemoon studied them silently, her mind racing with plans and escape routes. She jumped when Blister's wing suddenly brushed against hers - SandWings were naturally warm, but Blister's warmth was different. It was the kind of warmth that would blister and freeze at the same time - a nasty cold that Icemoon never wanted to feel again.

She quickly stepped away from the SandWing princess, but those black eyes followed her every move. Blister was watching her like she was a prize to be won, a treasure to be added to her collection. The same way she'd looked at her when Burn had first brought Icemoon to her stronghold all those years ago.

The moonlight cast Blister's pale scales in an eerie glow, making the snake pattern along her neck seem to writhe as she moved. Clay shifted closer to Icemoon protectively, while Glory's scales rippled with warning colors.

Don't let her get too close, Icemoon thought. She'll try to sink her claws in again, just like last time.

Icemoon froze mid-step as Commander Shark swirled down from the sky, his powerful wings casting shadows across the icy terrain. A sharp, gleaming spear was gripped tightly in his talons, its tip glinting dangerously in the fading light.

"Your Highness, there you are," Shark's voice was as cold as the ocean depths. "The Orca statue has struck again. It's called another egg."

His words were calm, but there was a quiet tension beneath the surface, like the dark currents that moved unseen beneath the waves. Icemoon's eyes narrowed, her frost-covered scales shimmering in the moonlight as she processed the news.

Queen Coral touched her forehead with the edge of her pearl necklace, her sharp gaze glimmering with satisfaction. The pearls caught the light as she adjusted them, their luster a reflection of her pride and power. A soft giggle echoed through the room as Princess Anemone emerged from behind her uncle, her ocean-blue eyes wide, staring warily at the entourage surrounding her mother.

The SeaWing princess shifted nervously, her fins twitching as the tension in the throne room mounted. Anemone could feel the weight of expectation in the air, like the pressure of the deepest trenches. Even in her mother's presence, the young dragon's worry was unmistakable.

Moray, Whirlpool's daughter, stepped forward from the shadows of Shark and Icemoon, her presence dark and unsettling. Her eyes were hollow, lifeless, weighed down by exhaustion and sorrow. She had loved her father, perhaps too much. Now, the light in her had dimmed, replaced by a cold emptiness.

"Your Highness, we can always set guards—" she began, her voice faltering.

But Queen Coral snapped a wing in irritation, silencing Moray mid-sentence. "Don't bother, traitor. Go back to your chambers and stay there," she ordered, her tone cutting like a blade through the water.

Moray recoiled, eyes flickering with pain, but obeyed without another word. As she slunk away, Coral turned to Commander Shark, her expression fierce. "Make sure she doesn't cause any trouble. Kill her if you have to." Her voice was icy, carrying the authority of a queen who wouldn't hesitate to eliminate even her own kin for the safety of her kingdom.

Icemoon drew her wings in close, her frost-tipped scales catching the faint light as she exchanged a tense glance with Shark. Both dragons could sense the mounting danger. Queen Coral was furious, more menacing than any ruler they had ever encountered, her anger bubbling beneath the surface like a whirlpool about to pull them all under.

Icemoon took a steadying breath, her voice quiet but controlled. "We can return to our post, Your Highness."

But Coral's eyes snapped to her, the queen's gaze sharp as a bladefish. "My dear, you're with me, remember?" Her tone was sweet, but there was no mistaking the steel beneath it. Coral's grip on power was absolute, and even dragons as formidable as Icemoon were not immune to her commands.

Icemoon nodded, careful to keep her expression neutral, though her thoughts churned like the icy sea. She had to hide her animus power—if Queen Coral ever suspected, her life would be in danger. That little mistake she had made on the beach, the one that had drawn attention, was going to haunt her, wasn't it?

Icemoon's mind raced. I just want my friends to be safe, she thought, her heart heavy with the burden of secrecy. But I can't protect them if I'm not with them. She longed to be free from Coral's iron grasp, to return to her friends, to where she could be herself without constantly looking over her shoulder. Yet here she stood, trapped by duty, fear, and the weight of her hidden power.

Tsunami stepped up beside Icemoon, her scales gleaming like wet sapphires in the dim light of the throne room. Her fins flared slightly, a sign of her protective instinct. "Mother, she needs to stay with us," Tsunami insisted, her deep blue eyes fixed on Queen Coral. "The more dragons we have to guard your egg, the safer it will be. Icemoon can help."

Icemoon felt a rush of relief, but it was short-lived as Blister slithered forward, her serpentine gaze piercing the tense air. The sinister SandWing princess always seemed to ooze manipulation, her golden scales and venomous tail only adding to her aura of quiet menace.

"What the princess says is true, Coral," Blister said, her voice as smooth and cold as a desert night. "Let her go with her friends. It won't be a bother."

Icemoon's spine prickled with unease, every scale on edge. Blister's words felt too calculating, too slippery, as though each syllable hid a hidden motive. It was like being caught in a whirlpool, knowing there was something lurking below the surface, ready to drag her under. Even the air seemed colder with Blister in the room, her presence a constant reminder of the treacherous world beyond the safety of the SeaWing palace.

Queen Coral's sharp talons tapped against the floor as she considered, her eyes narrowing. The weight of the throne and the responsibility of protecting her lineage clearly pressed heavily on her. The room was filled with the scent of salt and seaweed, the ever-present hum of tension swirling through the waters as the dragons awaited her decision.

Queen Coral dipped her snout, her aquamarine scales shimmering under the pale light of the sea. Her eyes flashed with a mix of authority and worry as she finally spoke, her voice stern and unyielding.

"Fine," she said, though her tone held a sharp edge. "Go with them, but be safe." She stressed the word safe like a command, her gaze locking onto Icemoon's with the weight of a tidal wave. It was not just a suggestion—it was an order, a warning of what would happen should anything go wrong.

Icemoon dipped her head in acknowledgment, but a flicker of fear stirred in her chest. The pressure was mounting. Queen Coral's expectations loomed over her like a dark cloud, and even the depths of the ocean felt stifling. There was no room for mistakes, not now, not with Blister lurking in the background and the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance.

Tsunami shifted beside her, a reassuring presence in the midst of the tension. But as they turned to leave, Icemoon couldn't shake the feeling that even the smallest misstep could spell disaster—not just for her, but for everyone she cared about.

The dragonets of destiny shot into the sky, their wings cutting through the waterlogged air as they soared away from the SeaWing palace. They banked hard, diving down toward the safety of their hidden cave within the coral reef, the ocean currents swirling around them like a protective embrace. The deep blue waters sparkled beneath the fading light, but the weight of their mission pressed heavily on their wings.

Back on the palace platform, Blister stepped up beside Queen Coral, her sand-hued scales shimmering with a subtle menace. The SandWing princess slithered closer, her voice a low hiss, as if sharing a dangerous secret. "You know she is an animus, right?" Blister's eyes gleamed with cunning as she spoke, her forked tongue practically tasting the tension in the air.

Queen Coral blinked, her expression unreadable for a moment. "I have my suspicions, yes," she admitted, her tail flicking lazily in the water. "But we can't bother her. She'll never use her power for us."

Blister's smile widened, a predatory gleam flickering in her eyes. "Oh, I believe she will," she said, her voice dripping with confidence. It was a promise of something darker, as though Blister already had a plan in motion, one that would bend Icemoon's will to her advantage.

The queen frowned slightly, glancing at the place where the dragonets had disappeared. Deep in her heart, she wondered if Blister's words held more truth than she cared to admit.