Carmine's talons were moving of their own will.

Soon, the princess was running faster than she ever had.

And for what?

To stand by her mother's bed, and hear the last, hateful words of the SkyWing Queen?

Titian hated Carmine, it was obvious. Now she was dying, and the princess figured that her only daughter,  which she also hated, would be the last dragon that she would want to see.

It was obvious... but Carmine still had mixed feelings towards her. A part of her still saw her as family, as the dragon that taught her how to walk and that laughed at her first, broken words. And that part of her was making the princess run towards her dying mother's room.

-/-

Queen Titian's room was larger than hers, with more windows and a more spacious bed. King Forge didn't share it with her, and Carmine had no idea of where her father actually slept, but she guessed it was somewhere in the Queen's quarters.

But at that moment, the King wasn't with his wife.

Titian was laying in bed, alone, if it wasn't for the two medics by her side, who moving quickly with swift talons.

The Queen's hacking coughing made Carmine falter for a second before walking to her mother's bedside.

While the bedsheets covered most of her body and her wings, the princess could still see the burn marks across the Queen's neck. Part of it was so burned it was impossible to see her scales.

The Queen of the SkyWings raised her head slowly and hissed something under her breath. The medics must have heard the message because they bowed deeply and walked outside the room, their heads held low as a sign of respect and grieving.

Carmine kneeled down, sitting at the bedside of her mother, who's shallow breath made her close her eyes in pain.

"You couldn't wait for this moment to come, huh?" She said with a cracking voice, "your hatred for me has finally culminated."

Carmine looked at her with pain in her eyes. But she didn't say a word.

Queen Titian smiled crookedly. "The moment you hatched, the world seemed to stop. You were perfect, and so was that moment. I hung on to that perfect moment every time life got ugly," she coughed, her breathing becoming dryer. "You were perfect, Carmine. But I didn't want to think of what you could become. What you are now... you're a rebel. I-," she coughed again, "I can't believe that this is what you... became."

Carmine looked at her mother but didn't say a thing. She shook her wings, biting back the pain that those words inflicted on her.

"But... some-," she coughed again, her whole body shaking, "some, some part of me is proud. You're a-a...," she stopped for a second.

"A warrior. You're a warrior, Carmine," she said with a strong voice, despite her wounds, "and that would make any mother proud."

For a moment, Carmine didn't believe those words. For a moment, she waited for her mother to add a 'but I hate you anyway'.

That sentence never arrived.

And the princess spent a few moments basking in her mother's praise.

CREEK

The door to the Queen's room opened.

Carmine expected her father or her brother to walk in... perhaps even a close advisor.

But instead, an armored SkyWing marched inside with steady steps. Carmine recognized the armor to be one of the Royal Guards.

She took her helmet off. Carmine seemed to remember those deep red eyes... she had seen this dragon before.

The Royal Guard bowed respectfully. "Your majesty... I could say that I am deeply grieving, but that's not what you need to hear right now your highness. Commander Crest is dead, he burned to death trying to save some escaping SkyWings."

Carmine was surprised with the confidence that the SkyWing used to address her Queen. Anyhow, Titian smiled and nodded.

"He-he died a hero," she croaked before coughing again, "such a rockhead. That means... congratulations, Lance. You're the new Captain of the Royal Guards."

Lance

Lance

Lance

That name rang in her head a few times. She didn't hear the part of the conversation that followed.

She just saw Lance, all those years back, trying to kill Wisp without a shred of remorse.

"Carmine..."

Titian's voice came out as a pain-struck whisper, and that shook the princess from her haunting thoughts.

"Mother," Carmine said, taking her mother's talon as the Queen's breathing became faster and shallower.

Her time was running out.

"According to law..." the Queen started, but Carmine shook her talon.

"This isn't the time to quote laws, Mother," she said, sadness starting to wet her eyes.

"ACCORDING to law," she started again, looking at Carmine sideways, "when I die, you're supposed to honor me as your ancestor, follow in my footsteps and take my crown and all that comes with it. When I die, you would become the next SkyWing Queen."

Carmine was caught, once again, off-guard.

"Me? Queen?" she asked herself, thunderstruck.

Her mother pressed on. Carmine heard her getting quieter and quieter, but still not willing to give up.

"But, I said 'would'. Law says yo-you would become queen after my death. But I still have one last minute to make one last change," she coughed again, and Carmine knew she was now fighting for air. She held her mother's talon harder.

"You're many things, Carmine. But not a Queen. You're never going to be a Queen," she said as quickly as she could before coughing once more, even more harshly than before.

Lance stepped closer. Carmine was starting to understand what was about to happen.

She breathed quickly, her eyes closed, then gritted her teeth, trying to hang on, unsuccessfully.

"You're never going to lead this tribe. The next SkyWing Queen... will be Saffron."

A silent moment passed.

And then, Queen Titian of the SkyWings was gone.