Prologue

THE PAST... NOVEMBER 28, 5415.

I should've known. I should've known that happiness as a King never lasts. They never last for a Dragon Rider King, at that. I did everything by the book: I got one of the strongest dragons to ride, I met my Mate, got married, had three wonderful kids, and I was happy. You can never truly be happy as a King, either your wife hates you or your country suffers but I had none of that. My wife loves me, and I love her. My people love me, and I would do anything to keep my people safe.

When people tell me how much it sucks when you lose your Mate, I tell them that it would never happen to me. I would never let Astraea out of my sight, I'd rather die than let my children lose their mother. Today, I choke on my words. Today, the universe decides for me, that my heart is going to drop to my stomach and that the air in my lungs will vanish.

"Get your dirty fucking hands off of her!" It doesn't sound like me, anger was never something I liked to express, but I would be damned if King Minjun Cha was going to take my precious Mate away from me. He held her back against his chest, a knife against her throat, and my tears didn't hold back. He had a son, one that was Pluto's age, and the hate still held onto his heart. My children couldn't live without her.

"A wife for a wife. I warned you, Lucijan Kardos. Your bitch of a Mate was going to pay. She was going to pay with her ungrateful life." He snapped viscously at me. Astraea's soft blue eyes met mine and she mouthed, 'I love you. I love you.' I took a step forward and Cha showed me his fangs.

"My children need their mother!" I yelled at him, "This was not Astraea's fault, Minjun! I am sorry about your father but this was when Astraea was a babe! This can stop. We can be allies, we can start over." I cried because I knew, I damn well knew in my soul.

"It's too late. I have you surrounded. Such a shame your army is protecting the borders. Say goodbye, bitch." Cha smirked into my wife's ear and he pushed her. He made her kneel as he stood behind her.

"Take care of my babes, promise me, Lucijan," She said, chin held up high, "I love you. More than you'll know. Promise me you won't be hard on Orion, Nova will always be our smart ass, and-"

"Our youngest will always hold your gentle heart. I promise. I love you, Mrs. Kardos," I whispered and she held her fist to her heart. "I will hunt you down. I will kill you." I said through gritted teeth and blurry eyes.

"I'll be waiting." He grinned and he vanished with my Mate, up into the sky with his Black Dragon. As they vanished, I heard her piercing scream and I felt the bond dull into nothingness. All I could do was fall to my knees and scream.

A WEEK LATER... DECEMBER 5, 4900.

"Can you care for him? Like he's your own?"

"Yes, yes I can," The maid told me with a small voice, it's not every day that your King asks you to raise the Heir of the Kingdom she lives in. "But King Kardos, a question, if I may." She tells me and I look up at her.

"Why me? Why do you want me to raise Orion?" She questioned and it took everything in me to calm those embers in my veins, swallow that lump in my throat, and give her the face of the Ember King.

"Because I trust you to raise him well. I have faith in you," I assured her, "I need you to do this for me. When you get Orion, you will have to make up some memories. I'm going to wipe his memory-"

"My King, he is nothing but a boy, you can't-"

"You're right, I am the King, which means, I will not take any suggestions from you. You are not my Royal Counselor," I snapped, "You are a maid for the House of Flames. You will raise my Heir, you won't tell him who he really is till he figures it out. When he turns 20 years of age, he'll slowly get his memories back. That is when he will find me. I need you to subtly teach him the ways of a King," I huffed, "He is the future King of Red Blaze. Your life is on the line, Mrs. Erdős. Can I rely on you?" I asked, staring at her. Fear struck her eyes and I had an image to hold up. I am the Ember King of Red Blaze, and I must keep this image because I will be damned if Minjun Cha was going to hear of me falling apart.

"Y-Yes, sir. When do you want me to come to get him?" She whispered so low that I almost didn't hear her.

"He will come in a car. He will be asleep, the magic will be tiring. I'll see you later." I told her and I left her there on the dirt hill in front of her house.

When I arrived back at my home, with my children, I wanted nothing more but to cry. Orion wrapped himself around my right leg and Nova around my left. Pluto was running toward me and I smiled. I watched them pull from my legs as I kneeled to my three little ember's eye level.

"Pa, can we go ride-" Orion started and I pulled him into a hug. I held him tight, and I tried not to cry as I held my child to my body.

"Meet me in your room. I want you all to go to your room's and I will meet you there. I have a surprise." I said and they smiled at me, I felt sick. My kids trust me, they trust me to be the father that Astraea reminded them of everyday but this is right. What I am doing is right for them. I am not right for them. Astraea was always the better parent and right now, she's cussing at me from above but I have to trust what I am doing is right. She's gone.. And I'm the only parent left.

Looking at my 7 year old, I kneel in front of him. He smiles at me, those lips curve into a smile and it's like I'm looking at Astraea's smile with my eyes staring at me. His blond hair something he got from her family, but that smile, god damn that smile is killing me.

"I'm going to show you a magic trick, my little Ember," I tell him and he nods, I place my dragon mark on his forehead and I start to speak the spell, "Orion Ambrus Kardos," I whisper, "I cannot wait to see the man you will grow up into. I cannot wait to meet you again. Daddy loves you. I love you. Your mother loves you." I mutter the last part of the spell and I watch my son sway.

"I love you Pa." Then he passes out in my arms. I cradle him and I cry into his neck. I'm not strong enough. What I'm doing is right. This is best, this is the best I can do. I pick him up and I give him one last kiss to his forehead before I hand him off to one of my Warriors.

"Make sure he gets there safe and make sure she knows whats expected of her," I tell him and I listen to Orion snore softly. "In time my Ember." Then I take my leave and head to my daughter's room, my little six year old's room that is exploded in pink.

"Papa!" She giggles and I pick her up when she jumps into my arms. I twirl her one last time and place her on her bed. "What's my surprise?"

"A very special one, my Ember," I grin at her and it makes me feel sick to my stomach. "Magic. I need you to look at me." I tell her and she complies. I place my hand on her forehead and repeat the spell again.

"I love you Papa."

"I love you more than you'll ever know my little Star. I promise you that I will find you again. I promise you that Papa will never stop loving you." I repeat the process and Nova Astra will train on our mountain as a trained warrior. It's what Astraea would've wanted. Princess or not, she must be trained just as hard.

After I finish with Pluto, and hand him off, my heart feels empty. I'm exhausted. I want to sleep but I want most in this world is my family, my wife, and my three beautiful Embers. With them all gone, life isn't the same, and life will never be the same anymore. I'm Lucijan Kardos, the Ember King, and another King who has lost everything.