The Empress was the most beautiful woman that the children had ever laid eyes on.
Her pale skin seemed to give off a soft glow as she glanced at the window on one side of the room. Her dressed matched that of the castle, dark. But it was interesting to see the blue hair upon her head.
"Your Majesty." Oidoas shifted to his human form, after letting the kids down, then bowed lowly "I have returned with the children to ask for you help returning them home." Her dark blue eyes that seem to be hazed over met each of their curious gazes. "I thought I told you to stop asking about this." Her voice was soft but firm as she turned to face them. "I understand that, Your Majesty, but they have been pulled into our world against their will and wish to return to their world." Oidoas spoke up after he stood and walked over to the children, carefully pulling the three together and more in front of the Empress "Liliana would send us home." Her eyes sharpened at her late sister's name "Who dares to utter my sister's name?" "I did ma'am." Jack took a few steps forward, "From all of the stories I heard, your sister would send us back home in a heartbeat." "Well she isn't here to send you home." The Empress snapped back "And I told you Oidoas, I wasn't going to return them home!" Her fist collided with the end of the armrest of her throne. "Why do you hate all humans?" Ralph asked softly as the room became quiet, "Is it because some was used as pawns a long time ago and they betrayed everything she worked for?" The Empress glanced at the smaller boy, he was brave to speak. "Yes." She answered in a whisper "Liliana had worked hard for your species. She adored that we shared a world with creatures that could speak, could make their own decisions. Despite the fact that Hunters began killing my people for their scales and their abilities, Liliana just smiled and called it a minor setback. She would travel to the town and give out shed dragon scales so they would stop hunting. Sometimes she would return home battered and bruised." She stood up and carefully walked over to the window, glancing down into the room it overlooked. "I asked her why she didn't defend herself, she could easily wipe them from the face of the earth. Do you know what she told me?" She looked at the reflection of the children of the window. "What did she tell you?" Mimi asked her. "She told me "The species is young Sister, they are scared of us. We are big and powerful creatures, I think for us to understand each other we have to see each other in the same perspective." That night she began to practice a magic spell to make dragons turn into humans. She wanted to explore their world and make them understand that dragons were nothing to fear..." She turned around "...and where did that get her!? Six feet in the ground!" The force made her hair fall into her eyed and she panted slightly "It got her killed." "You could continue her work." Ralph stated "Continue to show people that dragons are nothing to fear." "No, I refuse." She shook her head "This conversation has gone on long enough, now get out of my sight." She waved them away as she left the throne room and walked down a hallway.
Against Oidoas' wishes, the children followed after the Empress down the hallway and into a side door, where stairs led down into a giant room that was decorated in a million different kinds of lily flowers.
In the center of the room was a silver coffin that had a glass top where you could see the person laying inside. The woman inside the coffin had white hair. Her skin seemed to shine brighter than the pale skin of the Empress. If it wasn't for the coffin, Mimi would have assumed that the young woman waa merely sleeping. She looked so peaceful. They watched from the steps as the Empress slowly walked towards the coffin, a couple of flowers in her hands. "Liliana, I am so sorry." She set the flowers down at the foot of the coffin before she got down on her knees. "I should have been there to protect you and I wasn't." She leaned her head against the glass part of the coffin "I know you want me to continue to run the kingdom. I know you would want me to send the children home. They beg but I cannot. I can't use magic anymore, not since I was struck with that dagger. I can't remember to do anything, everything is so hazy. I wish to turn back into my dragon form but it's impossible. Lili, please tell me how to fix this," She begged her sister's body "Please help me Liliana." Tears began to slip down her face "I can't do this alone anymore."
Mimi covered her mouth and looked at the two boys. What were they supposed to do now? The Empress lost the ability to use her magic? Ralph gestured that they leave the room and they quickly walked back up the stairs and out the room, only to be met with Oidoas' disappointed face. "You should not have followed her into her private chambers." "I don't think we are going home anyway," Jack started with a small shrug, "She can't use her magic." Oidoas' face changed from disappointed to now worry. He shifted pass the children and made his way into the room. He glanced around in shock. Liliana wasn't buried? He shook his head to remind himself of why he came in to the room and hurried down the steps "Your Majesty..." He started when she stood up quickly, "Get out!" She waved a hand at him as she growled in anger. "No." He replied as he continued towards her with fast steps. She backed up and moved around the coffin "Why are you charging at me like that?" He stood on the other side of the coffin. "You can't use magic?" "That's none of your business!" She replied but the denial was all he needed to hear. "How long has this been going on?" He asked her and tried to hurry around the coffin to grab her. "I don't have to tell you anything!" She moved to the left to avoid his hand as he made a grab for her arm. "Stop it!" She hissed. "No, Your Majesty, this is important." He dashed around and caught her off guard, grabbing her arm and began to pull her close. "Don't touch me!" She yelped and swung a hand at him but he caught it with ease. She stared at him with wide eyes "How dare you!?" "Your Majesty, please just listen to me." Oidoas started and pulled her closer "We need to get your magic back or else-" "I'll die right!?" She interrupted him. "A dragon that was born with magic dies when their magic is lost. I know. But healers can only extend my life but very little, I have already accepted my fate." He grabbed her by the shoulders "I will not allow that!" His voice boomed in the mostly empty room. "Just let me die!" She looked up at him with pleading eyes. His face sharpened into a glare "No." He tightened his grip slightly "I will not let you die." He then turned to the stairs and began to forcibly led her out of the room and back down the hallway.
She struggled weakly against him. He was much stronger than she remembered or was she weaker than before?
"Oidoas, where are you going!" Ralph called as the three children followed after the two adults. "I am taking Her Majesty to Rain, he is the oldest healer I know." He replied bluntly, ignoring the angry cries of his Queen, who was trying to beat his arm so he would let go of her. He had not forgotten the kindness that the Queen had shown him years ago and he was not going to let her die now, not when she still needed to rule.