I tried to sit in the metal tub; however, the newly formed wings got in the way. No matter which way I sat, they were there, and sitting on them hurt. Sighing heavily, I stood as the water cascaded off my body. My newly scaled skin shone in the firelight.

"What's wrong, my queen?"

"What's wrong? Look at these things!" I bellowed, grabbing the feathered wings and shaking them.

I tugged a bit too hard and pulled them at the shoulder blade.

"Ouch." I sunk into the basin again and cried. "What am I?"

"You're something special."

"Special? Look at me, Charlene! I'm not special. I'm a monster."

"Evelyn, you are not a monster. You are a queen. You are a mother. You are part dragon. How many people can say they are part dragon?"

I shook my head, "What is so great about all of this?"

I held up the wings, shaking them again.

Charlene knelt next to me, dragging a cloth across my shimmering shoulders. "You are an amazing queen and the protector of your people. Look at you, Evelyn. You having wings. You are the only one who can defeat the Guild. You died, yet you live."

"The Guild. They're the reason for all of this. The reason I even bonded with dragons in the first place."

"Is it that terrible though?" she sat back on her heels and arched her brows at me.

I stood and looked at the droopy wings. "I don't even know how to fully control them."

"Practice."

I rolled my eyes as the door to my chamber squeaked open.

"Who goes there!" I yelled.

"Relax woman, it's me."

"James!"

"I wanted to see how you are."

He reached out and rubbed my feathers.

"Can you not?" I asked.

"Forgive me. I've just never seen a person with wings before."

"I've never had wings before."

"What does it feel like?" he asked, circling around me.

I shrugged, causing the large objects attached to my back to shake. "They feel cumbersome."

"Have you tried moving them around?"

"I don't know how."

"Interesting."

I flexed my back, causing the feathers to expand behind me. "Oh, that's new."

"What did you do?" Charlene asked.

"I just stretched out my shoulders."

"Try it again," James said, pushing my wings back down.

I nodded and stretched my back again. The wings flung out as though they had a mind of their own.

"Focus on them. The feeling you have as you move," James muttered, circling me.

I reached out an arm to stop him, in the process a wing sprung forward smacking him in the face. "Stop doing that."

"What?" he asked.

"Going around and around. You make me feel so awkward."

"How are we going to hide them?" Charlene asked.

"Hide them?" James questioned. "Why hide them?"

"I don't think anyone is ready to see their queen with feathers and scales."

He stroked his chin and nodded in agreement. "No, I suppose not."

Charlene jumped up and strode to the clothes. She dug around, shaking her head before she must have found what she was looking for. She pulled out a silver and white cloak.

"What is that?" I asked.

"A cloak. You've always refused to wear it." She swung it around so that it rested on my shoulders, completely obscuring the wings. "And it's just perfect."

I turned to look in the mirror. She was right. The wings were hidden very well beneath the satin fabric. The only thing that stood out was my scales.

"Don't worry about the rest. I'm assuming you still plan on wearing gowns?" she asked.

"Oh, yes, of course. I almost forgot that I hadn't put anything on. I don't even feel the cold."

"What does it feel like?"

"I don't know. It's an odd feeling. It doesn't feel like scales, I suppose it still feels similar to regular skin, I just don't feel cold." I let Charlene take the cloak and help me into my nightgown. "I do have a problem."

"What?"

"All of my clothes are made for people and not half-dragons. What do I do with my wings?"

"Oh." Charlene sat on the ottoman in front of the bed and stared at the bulge in the back of my shirt. "That does pose a problem."

"Yes, it surely does."

"Just cut it," James said pulling a small dagger from his side.

"That works for this, but what about my gowns?"

"Hmm, I suppose we're going to have to find someone we can trust who can make new gowns."

"Can we trust anyone? Really trust them?"

"I can only think of one," Charlene said, crossing her leg, and shaking her foot.

"There is only one person who I know can make you act like that. Do you really think we can trust her?"

"Who is this woman?" James asked.

Charlene sighed and continued shaking her foot. "Someone who we don't talk about or see. Ever."

"Who?" James asked again.

Charlene closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Amelia," I said.

"Amelia?"

"My little sister."

"You have a sister? Why wasn't she at our wedding? Or at court?"

"She's not exactly looked upon highly in the family."

"Why?"

"She ran away from home. Our parents had set up a wonderful marriage for her to a wealthy earl. She wasn't in love with him. She loved some boy from the local town. He was a nothing. Just some apprentice. Our parents said that their union was forbidden and if she went against their wishes she would never be allowed back home. So she left. She started her own sewing business making gowns. She's actually really good. She's successful. But out parents refuse to acknowledge her existence."

"I haven't seen her in years. Do you think she would make my gowns?"

"She's the only one that I know who wouldn't say anything. She does still like you. You were always nice to her."

"She was a nice kid," I said.

"I'll send for her."

Charlene stood and left James and me alone. The fire crackled as we just stared at each other. I didn't feel the same. I didn't feel like I had before I died.

"Do you still love me?" he asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

"What's wrong, Evelyn?"

"I don't know. I just feel like everything is going to change. I know I'm so different now. I feel the change."

"No, things won't be the same, but they still can be between us. I love you."

"I know you do, James. But what happens now? Am I mortal? Am I immortal? What am I?"

"We'll find answers to all of the questions. We'll find out what's going on."

"What will we do if someone finds out?" I asked.

"We'll deal with everything as it happens. This is all new to me as well. I don't think anyone has ever dealt with things like this before."

"Can I still be a queen?"

"Why wouldn't you be able to be?"

"I don't know. What if this transition changes my personality and not just my appearance?"

"You're fine."

James wrapped his arms around my body and held me close. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes before slowly sliding down my cheek, before landing on his shoulder. James jumped back and grabbed the spot where my tear hit.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"That was really cold."

"What was?" I questioned.

"Whatever you did." His eyes grew large as he stared at me. "What happened to your face?"

I turned to look in the mirror. There was a long purple streak down my cheek. "I cried."

"Purple tears?"

I pulled him closer to the fire and looked at his shirt. There was a large purple circle where the tear hit his shoulder. "Remove the shirt."

He did as told and I ran my hand over the spot on his skin. The purple wiped away, but it left a strange texture to his skin.

"Interesting."