A thin line of smoke drifted lazily past my nostrils, and my eyes shot open. Naturally, I looked around and expected to be tied to a stick above a bonfire, with dragons covered in war paint aiming sharpened sticks at our hides. In reality, I was pretty far off.

     I was on a luxurious pillow seat, surrounded by a hundred of armored dragons pointing bladed tails at me. The smoke I detected came from an oil burner, spreading relaxing scents throughout the room. My eyes glanced at what laid before me.

     Sitting on a crystal throne encrusted with sapphire and diamonds, Queen Nirasa smiled warmly at me. Nota and Kintes also began to stir, sitting on identical pillows beside me.

     "Welcome, hatchlings!" I was shocked that the Queen of the Blue Castle was showing such sincerity.

     Nota mumbled to herself "We aren't hatchlings."

     "I am sorry for our rather barbaric way of bringing you here." She continued. "But with our varying relationship with the Blatua Kingdom has my guards paranoid."

     If we were in the Blue Castle, their guards must've carried us all the way to Talig, the city of the Raliu Kingdom.

     "They saw it fit to bring you here." She rambled on. "To, as they say, decide your fate. That sounds rather dramatic, don't you think?"

     "So you're going to let us go?" Nota asked hopefully.

     "Don't be absurd." The Queen giggled, and then her face suddenly lost all warmth and kindness. "Being Blatua spies, you will be executed."

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     I barely had any time to register what just happened, before all three of us were thrown into a prisoner cell.

     Kintes pushes himself to his feet and shook out his red fur. "Well, that was unexpected."

     "That idiot of a Queen..." Nota was infuriated. "Calling us children and now she plans to kill us with absolutely no proof that we are spies!"

     "Nota, Nota!" I rested a paw on her shoulders to calm her. "Getting mad won't help out situation."

     "You're right." Kintes stated at me. "We need to bust out of here."

     Nota ran over to the polished bars and slammed her paws into them aggressively. "But how?!"

     "I have an idea, come here." I waved for them to huddle, and whispered the plan.

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     "Can you believe we got to meet Queen Nirasa in person?" I loudly said. "I don't even care that we're about to die, I'm just amazed at how beautiful her castle is!"

     "Eh?" The guard leaned away from the wall.

     "But even her castle isn't comparable to how stunning she is!" Nota further complimented.

     "I heard my name." The Queen ran down the stone steps and told the guard. "What are the spies saying about me?!"

     The guard stammered. "Er, they-"

     "Oh my Gods, Zepth look!" Kintes instantly sat up and his eyes got wide at the sight of the Queen. "She's here!"

     "Of course I'm here, you ridiculous hatchling." She raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

     "She's even more extravagant than when we saw her five minutes ago!" Nota squealed with joy, then lowered her voice towards the Queen. "It was such an honor to be thrown in your brig, by the way."

     Queen Nirasa's face instantly went red. She smiled and recollected herself, raising her chin high. "It is a rather breath-taking cell, is it not? I insisted the bars be polished properly, and the floors be scrubbed until you could see your reflection."

     "Did you hear that?!" I spun my head to Nota. "She spoke to you! With her musical voice! To you! Can you believe it?!"

     "I think I might pass out..." Kintes fanned his face. I ran over to him, and helped his stand upright.

     "If you pass out, we won't get to witness her marvelous grace as long, since our time is numbered." I frowned, over exaggerating a pout.

     The Queen went silent, and we held our breaths. She finally opened her mouth. "I see no reason why these hatchling can't live. They have learned their lesson, right?" She straightened herself and boldly walked over to the guard, holding her paw out.

     "B-But, your majesty-" he started, but was faced by her stare. He took the key ring off the hook and carelessly set it on her palm. "I should have been a chef..." he grumbled as the Queen spun back to us.

     She smiled and unlocked the door, letting us out. "If you return to the Blatua Kingdom and report about my kingdom..." her face went serious suddenly. "I will personally find you three and make your execution especially painful."

     Nota swallowed. Just like that, Queen Nirasa went back to smiling. "Let me show you the way out."