Yeah, I didn't update last Friday. I've had this draft written forever, but I didn't have the motivation to upload it onto wattpad (I'll do it next week). Anyway, here's the chapter that was supposed to be published last week.

1345 words

~~~~~

Some months earlier...

"I need a job, Your Majesty. Please, let me be a guard. It's the only thing I know."

Ruby stared at Ember pensively. He made a strong argument. But would she be able to stay strong in her decision if he was always around her and her son?

Say yes! her heart pleaded.

Absolutely not! her mind exclaimed.

In front of her, Ember furrowed his eyebrows as if he saw her internal struggle.

"You don't have to, of course. It's just what I thought would be best for me."

"I-" Her voice choked up. She cleared her throat. "I try to do what's best for my subjects, and if this is what you think is best for you, I will allow it. The next training of new guards is in two months. If you feel comfortable though, you can start training with this group. What do you prefer?"

"Can I think it over and get back to you?"

"Yes, but try to tell me before tomorrow so that I can tell Hawk."

"Hawk? Your brother is the captain?"

"Yes. He begged me for the position after I became queen and he'll keep it until I get married."

"Oh." He fidgeted around, looking uncomfortable.

"Um... you can go now." she said after a long silence.

"Thanks. See you later."

~~~~~

"Are you crazy?"

"What did I do?"

"I thought you said you were over her! You can't say that and then immediately go to work for her!"

"She's the Queen. Everyone works for her."

Crim smacked him with her wing. "Don't talk back to me while I'm yelling at you."

"Sorry," he said, although he wasn't really.

"So let me get this straight. You broke up with your girlfriend, who is the mother of your dragonet after fighting with her. Then, you tell me that you never want to see her again. And then you sign up to be one of her guards? What is wrong with you?"

"I was being serious! I didn't want to see her! But I want to be a guard. It's all I can do. Just let me do this!"

"Ember, it's your choice in the end. But you're going down a long road of emotional trauma. Be careful."

"I'll be fine."

~~~~~

"Your majesty, if possible, I would like to begin training as soon as possible."

"I will arrange for that. Vermilion, I want to talk to Hawk. Bring him here."

"Yes, Ruby."

"Should I go?" Ember asked after an awkward silence.

"No. I want you to stay until Vermilion is back with Hawk."

"Hawk," Ruby said once he arrived. "I want you to train Ember as a palace guard in this rotation. As an ex-army dragon, he can fight. Just teach him the protocols and brush up on any skills."

"Yes, Ruby."

"When should I start?" Ember asked.

"Next Monday."

"I'll be here. Thank you so much."

"Dismissed," Ruby said, rubbing her forehead.

~~~~~

Present Day

"Come on, Cliff," Ruby called. "We have to go!"

"Coming!" came his swift reply.

Today was an exciting day for Ruby and Cliff. It celebrated the day they met. The day he was born. Ruby knew that her subjects couldn't care less, but it was important to her. So she was about to announce a holiday for her subjects.

"Ruby, my two best guards will accompany you and Cliff."

"Okay. But you know that we're only going to the old arena, right?"

"They'll be there with you the whole time," Hawk reiterated.

Ruby rolled her eyes, but said nothing as the four of them flew up to the arena.

"Ember and Granite, please wait here while Cliff and I are standing there." They both gave her nods of understanding.

Yes, it was true that Ember was one of Hawk's best guards. But that also meant that Ruby and Ember would be spending time together often. They had gotten used to each other's close proximity by now.

And as much as it hurt her, Cliff actually enjoyed Ember's company. He spent much more time with Ember than she did, almost like a regular father-son relationship. And she even felt sorry for Ember, who tried to stop the relationship that was quickly growing.

It just strengthened her resolve to keep this information from her son for as long as possible, but it wasn't long before he would begin to ask questions. And at that point, she would need to have a real conversation with her ex.

She took a deep breath and cleared her mind.

"Subjects! As you are aware, my son, Prince Cliff hatched one year ago today. To commemorate this occasion, I'm declaring today a holiday. Take the day off and enjoy yourselves!"

"That's it?" Ember asked as they returned.

"What do you mean?"

"Two personal guards and heavy security for three sentences that lasted less than thirty seconds?"

"Did I ask for personal guards and the security detail? No. If you have any problems, please convey them to the captain of the royal guard. My brother, Prince Hawk."

"Sharp as ever, your majesty."

"I have to be, especially when my guard doesn't pay attention," she said as Cliff snuck behind Ember to surprise him.

However, Ember wrapped Cliff up with his tail before he even reached him. "I'm always paying attention. Shall we leave?"

She gave a short nod.

~~~~~

"When do you want to go to Jade Mountain, Cliff?" Ruby asked later that week.

"Why would I go there?"

"Because it's a good experience."

"What if I want to stay here?"

"You can't stay here for the rest of your life."

"Why not?"

"You'll grow up and have a palace job or you might marry someone from another tribe and move there."

"Ew... I don't want to get married."

"I'm not married, and look at where it brought me? I'm a single mother and single-handedly raising my stubborn son while ruling the kingdom."

"No one said you had to do all that. Just get married again."

"Again? There wasn't even a first one."

"Then what about me?"

"Maybe this isn't a conversation to have right now. Let's talk about it later," she said uncomfortably.

"What about me?" he persisted.

She sighed and wrapped her wing around him, pulling him to her side. "Can I tell you a story?"

"No."

"A few years ago, I was the general of the SkyWing army, while my mother, Scarlet allied herself with one of the SandWing sisters. I had an entire army under my control. Except for one dragon. He was always calling me out, talking back to me after I gave him orders, and generally being disruptive. This should have been annoying, but some part of me didn't think so... and I fell in love with him. But my mother didn't approve of him, and she nearly killed him until he ran away from the Kingdom of the Sky. By that time, I was already with egg. And then you hatched and everything was okay."

"Was?"

"Is," she said hastily.

"You said 'was,'" he insisted.

"Slip of the tongue."

"Who's my father then?"

"He- he's not around anymore," she lied.

Of course, that was the exact moment that Ember chose to walk in.

"Who's not around anymore?"

"No one!"

"My dad," Cliff said.

Ruby winced and begged Ember not to say anything with her eyes. Thankfully, he seemed to get the message, although he didn't look happy about it.

"Let me tell you something, kid. One dragon might think that they're protecting another dragon by doing one thing while the other one sees it as cowardice. Later, the second dragon tries to protect you by withholding information from you while it would actually hurt less if they just told you. Don't believe everything you hear, and keep an open mind."

If Cliff heard the icy undertones in Ember's voice, he didn't show it.

"That's enough," Ruby said.

"Whatever. Just think about it, okay? Remember that every story has two sides and that everyone is connected somehow."

"How are we connected?" Cliff asked, gesturing between the two of them.

Ruby's heart stopped for a moment until Ember answered. "I'm your guard, and you're my charge. That's all."

Later, when Cliff was asleep, Ruby met Ember outside.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not telling him the truth."

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for him. He's not just your son, Ruby. He's mine too, and I'm raising him part-time, whether you see it or not."

"I know that!" she snapped. "I'm not blind."

"Sometimes," he began thoughtfully, "you seem like it." And then he left her to contemplate his words in the deafening silence.