A Queen or King belongs at the forefront of every battle and war. They must be prepared to lay their life down for their people, else they are cowards and undeserving of the crown.

This is Our Law

~ From the Dragonling Grimoire

Mako didn't catch any hippos, but we managed to wrangle a giraffe down to eat. The evening sun was still burning strong as we carried it back to the palace - or rather, to the two irritated fyns waiting in one of the many gardens that sprawled around it. Dmitri was slamming his tail repetitively into a slow moving stream, killing several fish along the way. Alek was draped inside the tightly-packed branches of the massive dragon blood tree that the garden centered around. I could see his flashing scales among the newly blossoming flowers.

"Dmitri, Alek!" I called as Mako dropped the giraffe nearby. We landed beside it, prompting Dmitri to shoot to his feet and bound over, pushing his way between us as he began to groom my scales. Mako slid away before meeting my gaze briefly, red eyes alight with amusement, and sitting beside the giraffe carcass.

Alek slunk down from the tree's branches like a cat before striding over. He held his head high, watching Mako with critical eyes as he walked over to me with exaggerated grace. He greeted me with a simple nuzzle on the shoulder before turning to face Mako with a slightly patronizing look.

"Iciclecrash colony?"

Mako met his gaze evenly and responded respectfully. "Yes sir."

"Involved in the war?"

"My mother has been making battle plans for a long time. I have been giving her advice on occasion."

"Are you finished with your studies?"

"I finished before the end of winter."

"Alek." I called, interrupting the interrogation. Alek snorted, smoke curling from his nose as he turned and walked back to me. "Good boy. Mako is just here to meet you."

Alek rolled his eyes at my comment, but didn't say anything. I took that as a good sign as slipped away from my mates. Dmitri snorted in disdain and followed.

"It's nice to meet you." Mako said diplomatically, dipping his head. "Ani's mother and mine were broodmates, and we grew up together."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Alek and Dmitri exchanging a dark glance with each other. My tail flicked out and smacked each of them on the shoulder. "He's not into wyks, you guys."

I watched in growing amusement as shock and horror spread across both of their faces. Dmitri made a chuffing sound of embarrassment and shook out his wings. "Well, I suppose it's fine."

"You know, I don't have any interest in Anita," Mako piped up slyly, "but, I mean, you two would be fun in bed."

The absolute rage and distress that exploded across my mates' faces was enough to break me down into giggles. Mako snickered and jumped out of the way of Alek's burst of white-hot flames, which crystallized the sand underneath him.

"I kid, I kid!" Mako laughed as he ducked away from Dmitri's claws, scurrying over to a manketti tree  and leaping up to hide amongst the branches. The two fyns seemed placated for a second - until Mako continued. "You're not my type anyways... at least, not the Lira over there." He gave Dmitri a rougeish wink and leapt backwards from the stone hurtled at him from below.

"Dmitri!" Finally containing my laughter, I bounded over and leapt on Dmitri's back, clinging to him so he couldn't move properly. He growled, glaring at Alek's grinning face, but laid down so he wouldn't hurt me. "Good boy." I said teasingly, nuzzling his shoulder as I slipped off.

"So testy." Mako drawled from the tree, scales rippling so that their colors matched the ashy gray of the tree bark. "I was joking, friend. I wouldn't dare try to take Ani's precious mates away. I would like to keep my head, thank you very much."

Dmitri snorted and glanced at me. "This is your friend?" Glancing at Mako, his tail flicked. "Why?"

"Rude."

"Dmitri, he's an old friend. We practically grew up together."

"He's from a different colony." Alek added in. He had settled down on a bed of soft moss, lounging like a cat as he watched us with a slight air of disdain. Sand and dust clung to our scales from the little tussle. "How could you have grown up together?"

I took a breath and stood, stretching out lazily. "My mother was from his colony, Alek. There was a border dispute a few years before I was born, and my mother was captured."

Mako nodded and called out from his perch. "Lord Edgar let some of our delegates come and visit them, including my mother."

Alek and Dmitri suddenly exchanged a dark glance, the fading hostility amped up until it crackled in the air. My heart dropped. "What...?"

"Mako," Dmitri asked, ignoring my question, "which cities were involved in the dispute?"

Mako blinked and tipped his head thoughtfully. "I believe only Lord Edgar, but I assume Queen Dominique sent troops."

I nodded, glancing back at Dmitri. By our Law, the reigning King or Queen must be involved in all conflicts. No one questioned it anymore. But my mate's dark look, unease prickled at my chest.

¨Dmitri, why ask?" I began nervously. ¨Surely you would have known. You've been around for a while, right?"

"Yes, I have." Dmitri practically growled. "Which is why it's rather strange that I never heard of a conflict between us and the Iciclecrash colony. I was told that your mother was bought from another colony."

The unease curling in my chest turned to needle pricks of dread across my entire body. "Dmitri... Lord Edgar was the one that captured my mother."

Alek stepped closer to me, sending a pointed look to Mako. I watched as confusion, understanding, and fear flitted across his face. His scales paled white before he got up and scurried out the garden, tail flicking once through the bushes as he disappeared.

"Ani," Alek began, "why hadn't you told us this before?"

I was at a loss for words, but my mate's sharp eyes urged me to speak. "I... I don't know. It's common knowledge at the estate... at least, my sister Clara and my old patrol knew."

The distant memories of Clara, Jack and my old squadron flitted across my mind for the first time in ages. I racked my brain for any indication of lies... no. They all were genuine enough, and Clara shared the same plight I did.

Long-forgotten names and faces were unearthed as I silently assessed my memories. Ashley and Mason, the Ryns who I trained with, stood out. My heart seized as I remembered how Mason would slip off alone to talk to Edgar, casting furtive glances my way. In my own pride I had assumed he was attempting to get a key to my room and didn't say anything.

Ashley's taunts and jibes, something that paled in comparison to the things I had endured for the past few months, suddenly took a new meaning, the hatred in her eyes cast in a new light.

Rumors weren't just spread about me. Ashley's clutchmate, a Mora, had been killed by an Iciclecrash dragonling. I had paid no attention to the gossip at the time - after all, it was just idle talk that usually proved to be baseless lies - but something told me it was more than just that. Damn.

Dmitri's searching gaze snapped me back to my senses. "No. Other people... I think they knew otherwise."

Alek shifted on his feet, claws flexing into the ground. "Queen Dominique definitely knew." He muttered, eyes on the ground as he ripped furrows into it. "How many of the Lords and Ladies knew?"

Dmitri gently drew me closer with his wing. I leaned against him, numbed to my core. "Let's go back to our room." He said quietly. His words and movements were calm, but I could practically feel the rage boiling under his skin.

"Agreed," Alek said, flapping his wings to get them warmed up for the flight, "we can discuss this later."

Mako invited me to the feast that night. I remembered Liza's comment about one happening, but I didn't put two and two together until I was already there. It was a good distraction from the earlier talk, but the realization still hovered in the back of my mind and ruined the mood.

To make it worse, we had to take our humanoid forms to attend, due to the size of the hall. Or, as Alek said, it was "too dangerous" to have dragonlings of rival colonies in a room together in their true forms. I suspected it was just another way for the Kestreldive colony to show off their wealth. The opulent display of silken tablecloths, pure silver cutlery, and abundant varieties of food leaned in my theory's favor.

At least the food was good.

Alek and Dmitri had declined to come, each deciding to try and figure out whatever they could about my new... problem. At least Mako was there, along with, to my delight, Liza. Queen Gertrude had let her slip away from the royal's table at the head of the banquet hall down to ours.

I must really have been upset, because even Liza could tell immediately. She sat beside me, shutting the journal she had managed to slip in despite her mother's protests, and grabbed my hands. "Anita, what's wrong?"

A very prideful part of me was embarrassed to say, so I hesitated. Mako took the opportunity to explain, making me cringe into my chair. It sounded so... bizarre and incredulous. But Liza's face clouded over thoughtfully, eyes betraying no disbelief of the story. Just the same confusion I felt.

"But... why?" Liza began slowly. "What would be the point? Your mother wasn't a royal, was she?" I shook my head and she nodded. "So it wasn't politically charged."

"What about revenge?" Mako asked, messing with his silken napkin. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, his disheveled chestnut-colored hair falling into his face. "Could Edgar or Dominique have some hard feelings?"

"Your trade was closed off, after all." Liza piped up. My thoughts flashed back to the negotiations meeting I had attended. They mentioned something about trade...

"So, are we really cut off from the other colonies?" I asked, glancing between the two. My lack of knowledge pricked at my pride, but it wasn't worth getting irritated over right now.

Liza opened her mouth, but Mako spoke over her. "Yes. It's been that way for as long as I can remember." The unspoken question of 'how couldn't you know' hung heavy in the air, but I was still thankful for Mako's hasty attempt to salvage a bit of my pride.

Suddenly catching on, Liza blurted out "What, they haven't told you?"

I flinched and sighed in defeat. "No. They haven't. Ryns aren't supposed to be worried about such things."

"But why does-"

Mako interrupted by motioned to one of the Inas that arrived with food. "Ah, perfect timing." He said cheerfully. "I'm starving."

I quietly accepted my bowl of stew - a strange concoction of roasted gazelle, cowpeas, baobab leaves and amaranth - and began eating. Liza looked bewildered, but she just brushed several unruly strands of hair out of her face and fiddled with her spoon.

Silence fell over our table as we each focused on our food. The gentle rumble of the dining hall rolled over us and I tried to focus in on other conversations. Maybe there would be something important...

The continuous chatter about who did what and where and how was so mind numbing that I had to tune it out after just a few minutes to save the rest of my brain cells. I forgot just how utterly boring Lira conversation could be. Yet... looking at Mako and Liza's inattentive looks, I wondered just how many of them faked the conversation for the sake of politeness.

I brewed over that thought as I finished my stew. Some Inas brought baskets of sorghum bread and I chewed on some as I waited for the next course. Mako finished second, smacking the bread from my hand. "That'll make you fat."

"Excuse you," I rolled my eyes at Mako's playful grin and picked up the slice again, "unlike you, I actually work out." That wasn't necessarily true lately -  I had avoided training with my squadron in favor of learning from Liza - but Mako didn't need to know that.

With a dramatic gasp, Mako fell back into his chair, a look of theatrical shock on his face. "How cruel of you!" He turned to Liza, who was quietly giggling to herself as she tried to finish her stew. "And you! Will you not defend my honor?!"

"To be fair," Liza murmured, "we haven't quite been introduced."

I was appalled by my absolute lack of manners. "Liza! I'm so sorry! This," I motioned towards Mako, "is Prince Mako Lissan of the Iciclecrash colony. Mako, Elizabeth Lysand of Kestreldive."

Mako grinned at Liza. "Charmed to meet you." He said lazily. "Now that Ani has finally decided to introduce us."

"I was a little distracted!" I exclaimed.

"Too distracted to just say a few sentences?" Liza added in innocently.

"Don't gang up on me, you heathens!"

We broke down into laughter. It felt good to just have fun again. My horror of discovery faded away, replaced by the idle, friendly talk from my companions as the second course - roasted guinea fowl rubbed in bereber and glazed with honey - was brought in.

Mako was the one who brought the plan up. "Hey, what if you come back with me until the summer festival?"

I stared at Mako in surprise, wiping the spicy, sticky mess of bereber and honey off my hands. "How could I do that? Queen Dominique is probably gonna want to drag me around and show me off to all the other colonies." I said ruefully.

There was a mischievous twinkle in Mako's eyes. "Ah, but the festival will be at my colony this year."

I nodded slowly, still not understanding. It was customary for the festival's location to rotate from colony to colony every year. Last year it was the Burningsky's territory. I had never been, as only those who finished their Trial could attend.

"Well... every year, each colony has to send a few dragonlings to help set up. So..." Mako grinned and it finally clicked in my head.

"You want me to come?" Mako nodded vemenantly. "And what if Queen Dominique doesn't let me?" There was a sly glint in his eye as he leaned closer.

"Don't tell her!"

I immediately opened my mouth to tell Mako what a stupid idea it was, but I hesitated. Honestly... it didn't sound like too bad of an idea. Still, I wasn't exactly convinced.

Not because I was afraid of angering  Queen Dominique. Forget her. The Iciclecrash colony was located inside of a glacier. Literally. It was really fucking cold.

"And why should I go?" I prompted, still wavering on the decision.

Mako didn't miss a beat. "We could ask around, try to find any Ryns who were at the border dispute when your mother was captured." That... was very tempting. The revelation literally just turned my life upside-down, and I would love to get to the bottom of it.

I always hated to admit Mako had good ideas... occasionally.

"I'd have to get Dmitri and Alek on board..."

Mako slipped an arm around my shoulders. "Just tell them I'll be going with you. I'm sure they'll be practically falling over themselves to come with us."