My blood boiled as I stared at Loriana trapped within her chair, I was beyond grateful that Emerald had saved my son and I wanted to properly thank her but thanks to Cassius she had stormed off. Before I went to find her though I needed to hear more information from Loriana.

Standing in front of her with my hands placed behind my back and a stern look plastered on my face I stared down at her."You've committed treason Loriana and your mere future is a dark one unless you tell me how you planned all of this, I want to know where you got the poison and how you got it into Cassius's drink." 

She looked at me with her guilty tear filled gaze and swallowed slowly."I bribed one of the servants to slip it into Cassius wine when they were setting up and I got it from...the....the Outcasted." She whispered.

My boiling blood instantly went cold at the name she mentioned, the Outcasted are a group of dragons who seek nothing but ruthless destruction and hope to one day crush everything the rest of us have worked so hard for. My  family and I enjoyed are small yet comfortable kingdom, only a few mortals lived with us and we respected those that did, if the Outcasted were in charge then humans would be enslaved.

Fear struck my heart as I leaned forward and searched Loriana's guilty gaze, her lips trembled with silent sobs and she fidgeted under my gaze."They would never give you something for free, you stupid girl what have you promised them?" I questioned.

Loriana hung her head in shame and slowly mumbled."In return I had to sneak one of their men into Scalefire, they kept talking about a witch and how she was staying here. I tried to tell them that there was no witch here but they wouldn't believe me."

Running my fingers across my tired face I turned to a guard standing in the doorway of the dining hall."I want you and the other's to search this entire castle, I want you to find Emerald immediate and do it quickly!" I commanded.

With a simple"Yes Sir", the guard marched off.

My temper flared as I turned to see Cassius carelessly leaning against the table, he had no emotion on his face and didn't seem to care that his soon to be wife plus the woman who had saved his life was no missing. I stood in front of him and rose my eyebrows in question."Are you just going to stand here all night and pout?, Emerald is missing yet you look like were all boring you." 

His lazy gazed silthered to my face and he shrugged his shoulders effortlessly."Sorry, I'm not on the best terms with her at the moment and I've had a very horrible night. I apologize if me almost dying is giving you anger problems father." He snapped.

I clasped my fingers tightly around the front of his shirt and slammed his entire body onto the dining table, I loomed over him with my eyes burning."Don't you dare speak to me like that you arrogant child, do you realize all that girl has done for you? For this family?, She was scared to be here because she feared you would have her burned or that our people would turn against her with your word, I promised her though, I reassured her that my son was a good man. Now she's missing, do you have any idea what they'll do to her Cassius?"

Cassius stared at me with wide eyes and slowly shook his head no, his breathing turned into raspy panting as he slightly shook beneath me.

Tighting my grip on his shirt I shook my head in disgust."They'll torture her or they'll rip her apart all because of you, because you are nothing but a pathetic boy who likes to play games and twist other's emotions. Now if anyt-"

"Sir!, I apologize for interrupting but some of the guards outside found this and we believe it belongs to Mistress Emerald, her scent is all over it." A loud voice interrupted.

Letting go of Cassius I turned towards the guard and felt my stomach twist, he held a strip of light grey fabric with blood droplets staining it. The same fabric Emerald had been wearing to the dinner...