"You need healing Bri!" Vance protests.

"Not until we find Kit and Revish!" I reply covering my wounds up with armor.

Grim, Harold, and Brennen burst through the throne room door.
"We found them! And that traitor Allery!" Grim says.

The name Allery leaves me shaking with anger, but I must resist the urge for vengeance. There is nothing honorable in that and I won't be seen as a queen with no mercy.

"Where is Allery?" I ask.

"We have put him in cells for now, thought you might want to be the one to "off" him." Harold replies.

I lower my eyes thinking about it.
"No one will be "offing" anyone."

Vance looks over to me confused.

"But my queen, he has committed treason! He has sided with the enemy! He killed Patrick!" Harold replies lips snarling.

"I know...I know Harold. But there are times when mercy prevails over vengeance. If we kill him, then we are no better than Thanatos himself. That is what he would do. Allery will live the rest of his life in cells, under the watchful eyes of our guards. If he continues his treachery here, then we will make it so he cannot even muster up one spell." I reply. I raise a hand to Vance, motioning him to help me up from my seat. His concerned increase as he comes to my side.

"Please Bri, you need healing." He whispers into my ear as he takes my hand and pulls my arm over his shoulder. He pulls me up and I stumble forward slightly.
"Bri!" He says quietly.

"I'm fine for now Vance. Andai is healing me slowly." I reply, knowing full well, Andai is in just as bad of shape as I am. He is only healing himself at the moment.

He sighs annoyed.
"Ok but after we settle this I'm healing you myself!"

"Where is kit and Revish?" I ask Grim.

"They be resting in their room. But, we look around the city, everyone is better but still weak." Grim says.

Harold interrupts. "Yeah, most don't have any memory of what happened over the last month. I can't remember anything up to the meeting. Do you have any memory my queen? I still don't understand what happened."

I do remember; I remember the anger Vance had, the tears I cried, the confusion of it all, but I also remember the love and comfort, our few hours riding on Andai's back, the way he felt, the way he looked at me. It was all a fallacy, I know it was, and I'm not even sure if it was really Kit or the demon shapeshifter. But it felt real to me and has placed a sliver of doubt in my mind for Vance. Even though I know it was the work of Thanatos, he has succeeded in placing a rift in our love, I hate that part the most. I should deny those desires for Kit, yet I can't seem to let them go. But time rights all wrongs and time heals all wounds, eventually things will go back to normal...I hope.

"I don't remember much either." I reply.

Everyone seems to agree for the most part, although I notice Gogo has a shameful look and her face and has turned a shade of red I've never seen before. I smile at her and she looks away.

"Take me to Kit and Revish. I want everyone with me for this."

We walk through the halls to the and down to the living quarters.

"Through here." Grim says and we make a right turn down the west wing. He stops us half way at a door and opens it. In the room lies Kit on his bed, the curtains have been opened to let in the morning light, it shines brightly over him. We enter the room, and my breath catches in my throat. The first thing I noticed about him were his arms. They had no tattoos on them, and the pain of what I did with that demon sinks in completely. There was hope that it might have actually been him, but in all actuality, it wasn't.

I lift my hand to let everyone know not to go any further towards him. I approach the side of the bed and sit down beside him, I see the rise and fall of his chest. He doesn't look as if he is in any pain or strain, which is good. But he does have some bandages over his chest and neck. I look down on him, that handsome face of his, he is still just the way he was before. I run a hand through his thick spiked hair, he groans and his eyes begin to open

Hazel eyes look up at me.
"Hey beautiful." He whispers. Those words brought both joy and sadness to my heart.

"Hey." I barely choke out through a tear filled smile.

"Kit! You sleepin on the job again? I thought we talked about that?" Vance jokes.

Kit sits up looking around the room at everyone stopping on Vance.

"Sorry about that buddy, couldn't help myself, it's been a long few days." He replies glancing at me.

"Yeah, has it ever, I'll let it go this time." Vance replies.

"Do you remember everything?" Harold asks. "We can't remember shit!"

I stare at Kit and he stares back at me and for a fraction of a second there is sadness in his eyes.

"I don't remember much." His reply was given with no emotion attached, then takes his eyes off me.

And that simple answer closed my heart from him. Even if he did remember, he certainly didn't want to. I sigh, letting that thought sink in. Ok then.

"Looks like you're ok Kit. I have to go see how Revish is doing. If there is anything you need, let me know." He looks up at me and we pause there for a second. "I can send someone to help you." I say just as emotionless as him and stand.

A stupid decision I made, standing too fast after what I had just gone through was a big mistake. I black out for a second and fall on top of Kit. I can hear everyone gasp and call my name.

"Bri?" He asks holding me up by my waist, his face a little too close.

I regain consciousness, more embarrassed than anything to be in the arms of someone I should not have feelings for, then Vance, my savior, my knight, comes to my rescue and takes me out of the awkward situation my body has thrown me into. Stupid, so stupid. I curse myself.

Vance picks me up.
"That's it Bri I'm going to heal you whether you like it or not!"

I was in no position to argue with him.

"Gogo! Can you please go check on Revish, and when he's awake tell him to come see me."

"R-Revish?" She gasps. Her eyes flick over to Vance who is grinning wildly at her and her face turns a that same astonishing red..

What is going on here? I think.

"Yeah Gogo! See how Revish is doing!" Vance chuckles.

"Ok!" She squeaks in an awkwardly high pitched voice clenching her fists at her sides. She marches as quickly as possible out the door and we follow behind.

——————————

The heat of the milky healing water I made was heavenly, especially sharing it with the love of my life. She has nestled in, resting her head back on my chest. With a cloth I drip the hot liquid over her chest and shoulders, then rub it into her skin. She hums at me.

A knock at the bathing room door.
"Yes?"

"Sir I have your bottle of wine and desserts you asked for." Our hand maid says through the door.

"Come in!"

She opens the door avoiding any kind of eye contact.
"Put it here." I say tapping the chair I placed beside us.

"Yes sir." She bows and sets down the tray then makes her leave.

"Did she say desserts and wine?" Bri asks sitting up.

"Yup!" I take a cup and begin to pour some wine for her. "I thought we should celebrate our victory and share a drink in memory of Patrick. He was a good guy, we had some great times together."

I can hear her sigh, she takes the cup from me takes a sip and lies back again.

"Vance?"

"Yeah Bri?"

"Have you ever felt someone's last breath?" She asks, and my heart stops for a minute. I have, many times, in battles and wars. Shiva's was the last one I felt...and that was a feeling that struck me internally, not only could I feel her pain and fear of death, I also felt my own pain from it. It was like feeling both sides.

"Yes, when a mage that is pledged to you dies...you feel it internally, because you share almost everything."

She was silent for a minute before she spoke again.

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't imagine what you went through Vance. How do you get passed it?"

"You never really do, you sort of just carry on. I will never forget that feeling, and sometimes it haunts me, but my life has to keep going, I just wished it was different."

"Different? How did she die?"

That question was something I know I should answer, because lying to her again...well she will never forgive me. But if I tell her, she will hate my father, even though...a part of me will never forgive him for what he did. I'm not sure what to do at this point.

"I..."

"It's ok you can tell me." She says.

Here it goes...
"My father killed her. So I could pledge with you." And I said it, blurted it out and now I close my eyes and wait for the recoil.

She turns towards me placing the cup on the chair. Then she sits back on her knees between my legs and gives me this painful look. I guzzle my wine back until the cup is empty then set it down on the chair.

"Have you forgiven him?"

"Not entirely no."

"If you were me, what would you do in this situation?" She asks.

Now, Brianna is one hell of a sensible thinker. When she is not under some sort of taint from Thanatos that is. I know that when a person asks, "what would you do in this situation", they already know what they would do, but it may hurt the other person whom they are asking in the first place. She does this a lot, because Brianna has a good heart and doesn't want to damage something that is already broken. She's a smart girl and I'm damn lucky to have her. But I honestly don't have an answer for her, only because I can't even fathom the decisions she has to make and the things she has to do. But what I do know, is that my father has made similar decisions to her. Decisions that are based on detrimental effects, things that would and could destroy more lives than what was lost in the first place.

"Well, to be honest, putting myself in your place is not possible. I can't. Because the decisions you make are beyond anything I can comprehend or understand. But what I do know is that you and my father both are expected to rule, protect, and lead. Sometimes the decisions you make are the basis of a better outcome, one that could save more lives than what you lost in the first place. You both play on a larger field than anyone else in this realm or any other realm." I take her hands in mine.

"I do believe what my father did was for the greater good. But the way he did it, is what hurts me the most."

Silence as she stares at me. She searches me as she analyzed what I've just said.

"Ok Vance, if that is what you believe then I will too. But in my presence things will be different. I will never sacrifice an innocent life willingly for that greater good. Because to me, every life is worth fighting for, there is nothing greater than life itself. Even the ones that get in the way of your duty. We are about to go to war, and we will see more death than life itself, we don't need to add to that."

And there is it, a noble answer, an answer from a trueborn leader. This world needs her in so many ways its mind blowing. She is going to change everything.

I lean in to kiss her pulling her into my lap. She pulls away and looks into my eyes and places her hands on the sides of my cheeks.

"I'm sorry for everything I had put you through the last two days. You deserve better."

"Hey, it's ok, I wasn't the best guy either. I feel like such an asshole for losing my temper like that. I have never done anything like that before."

"It all felt so real, every part of it. Even though it was just someone messing around with our minds."

"Yeah. So what happened? I still don't know. I remember saying goodbye to everyone except for you. Sorry for that. Then we all went our separate ways. We were flying by Babbitt, when Andai started bleeding and wounds started appearing all over him. I knew it was you, everything that was happening to him was happening to you. It was terrifying."

"After I left the room I went back to mine, and smashed everything in it. So wild I know. I cut myself on a vase." She lifts the almost healed wound up for me to see. "I bled out a lot, I must have hit a vein or something. Then someone came to help me, I couldn't see their face at first. But they bandaged me up, and placed me in bed. I...don't remember a lot after that. I heard Andai call to me in my head loud enough to snap me out of the illusion I was in. There was a demon pinning me down it stabbed me in the shoulder. It wanted to..." she trailed off.

I sit angry and shocked, waiting for her to finish.

"It beat me up pretty bad. But I managed to fight my way out into the hallway where Harold and Grim were. They must have heard me cry for help because they were ready for a fight. Harold shot at it but that only helped me get out from under it again. Then the demon started to multiply."

"My god Bri." I whisper. I can't believe what I am hearing, I swear I will never leave her side again. She carries on.

"We ran with hundreds of demons behind us. We made it out to the courtyard and the rest of the guys were there. They were trying to figure out where the hell that summoning circle came from."

"We saw it! Andai couldn't get through, anytime we got close it would drain his mana and he would have to land somewhere further away. I replenished his mana a few times."

"So that's why he couldn't answer me back."

"Most likely." I reply. "So then you summon a holy guardian. How did Patrick..."

"The spell required a willing sacrifice and I was in no shape to be casting anything. He gave me everything and I took it from him, then I summoned the holy deity."

"I'll have to personally thank Harold and Grim. They will be honored for this and a proper ceremony should be held for Patrick."

She smiles finally.
"I have a good council. Aside from Allery. It makes me think of how inexperienced I am as a mage. I bet a high arch mage would have felt something was wrong before it even happened."

"I don't think so, anyway you can't look at things like that. How are you feeling now?"

"I'm much better. I don't even need sleep. Where did you learn mage craft?" She asks with big curious eyes.

"My father's mage, she said she knew I had magic circuits before I could even use them. She spent a while teaching me and I caught on pretty quickly."

She snuggles up into my shoulder.

"We have a long road ahead of us." She says.

"Yeah, But I do have to make sure my father is ok. Now that the Mage's here are back to normal, I'm pretty sure we can use an orb to talk with him."

"Ok. I still don't like him for what he did."

"I know Bri, but that's my shit not yours." Reply stroking her hair.

She sighs.

We spend another hour loving each other, drinking wine and eating desserts before getting ready for some hard conversations. We decided a council meeting was the best course of action before dealing with Allery.

————————————

Rain, nature's way of purifying the air around us. Although I've never seen it like this before, the rain was hitting the ground so hard it was falling upwards. Vance says the rainy season has come for this side of the realms, that it is their winter season. He says they don't get snow on this side, it's too warm here and all they get is rain. I couldn't imagine a winter with just rain, I need snow. There is nothing more serene than hunting for deer in the fresh powdered snow. I laugh at myself. But I am not a hunter anymore, I am a queen and I'm supposed to act like one.

So I decided to put on an outfit more fit for a queen. If I am to speak with Allery in cells, I would like to look like I own this place. So I have summoned every maid I could find to help me look "proper".

I stand on a pedestal surrounded by five mirrors on golden stands. I look at myself, my body looks, although slightly skinnier than before, fit and strong. My hair has gotten longer by maybe half an inch, but my eyes are different. They glow with a halo of green light and that changes with the way I feel sometimes.

"Here you are miss. You said white fabric?" One of the handmaid's asks. Her name is Jade. She reminds me a lot of Mina. I missed Mina, I wished I could have brought here with me and I wonder what she's doing now.

I step into the dress, it was beautiful. It was covered in Pearls that sparkled when you moved. The bodice was tight and came up just below my breasts. They called this bodice and underbust that pushed up my breasts higher than I felt they should be. It held together sheer fabric over top of them that came up to my neck with a small tie around the back. My back and shoulders were uncovered down to my mid waist and the bottom portion was made of a very sheer sweeping fabric. I had them cut slits in it so I can walk. Yes I still have trouble with dresses.

"Your highness, you look beautiful." Jade says. The rest of the maids gawked at me admiring my body.

"Thank you jade." I reply blushing slightly.

They sit me down at my vanity and begin to "perfect" my face with oils and paints. I refused the last time I was in this situation. But this time I wanted to feel like a queen. I know I will probably hate it, but I was curious to see if it made any difference at all. So they plucked,feathered  and dusted me. Then sprayed sweet smelling oils on my arms and shoulders that shimmered with flecks of gold.

"Is it to your liking?" The perfectionist, so they call her by trade, asks and hands me a large oval mirror.

It was definitely odd looking at myself this way, everything was perfect. My cheeks were a little rosier, my eyes were contoured with colors of brown, bringing out the new glow in them even more. I didn't actually mind this, although training with any type of sweating would wreck it all. But I don't plan on training today. I plan on being a queen today.

"It's perfect. Thank you."

She bows.

"Your crown my queen." Another maid says and hands me a white coral crown Galen used to wear. It had been modified for me to fit my head ,thankfully, or it would have ended up around my neck. It had many points to it and an emerald in the very center at the front. I run my hands along it feeling its durability. It was delicate, I would have to be careful with it, thank god I cut slits in the dress, I could almost picture myself tripping and landing on such a delicate thing in front of everyone.

The maids have separated my hair down the middle and somehow straightened it with these strange looking weights. It looked almost thicker when straightened and glistened in any light that touched it. They sprayed golden oil into it and combed it down. I place the crown on my head, stand, and walk to the pedestal.

"Your shoes my queen." Jade sets them down in front of me. They were a slipper type shoe with lace sewn over the tops. She helps me into them.

"There all done." Jade says. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen my queen. If you don't mind me saying so."

I laugh. "Beauty comes in many forms Jade. But thank you for that. Can I ask you all something?"

Everyone stops what they are doing staring at me in fear.

"Y-Yes of course." Jade stutters.

"Are you worried about my ruling here? I can't imagine how hard this must be to follow someone you don't even know."

Each maid looks at each other then back at me.

"My queen, King Galen had sold us out, he had turned to a darker side and we were all forced into the depths of it with him. Anyone who could save us from that evil is worth following. But I do warn you of Allery, he is a necromancer, a highly skilled one, and might still have some followers in the palace. We hope you give him what he deserves."

That angers me, knowing there are still people here practicing the work of Thanatos. It dawned on me then, that it wasn't really my choice as to what happens to Allery, yes he tortured us with his evil ways, but he nearly destroyed the people here. They have the right to say what happens to him.

"Allery will see justice and anyone who follows him. But not by my hands, by everyone in the city. It will be up to you, the people of Emeriss to decide his punishment. You all deserve that." I turn and embrace Jade tightly. Although, maybe she was too nervous to embrace me back. I whisper thank you to her and the rest of them.

"Alright, time to go be a queen!" I say and salute them awkwardly.

They giggle whispering to themselves.

———————————

I walk the halls listening to the rain, it was a refreshing sound like washing the taint of the palace. I notice the mage torches have turned a golden color today bringing warmth to the ambiance filling me with the sense of a fresh new start.

I walk towards the throne room where I assume my council will be. It was hard navigating a palace this size, I get lost quite often and sometimes I spend an hour just trying to find someone. But I am learning to ask, "have you seen so and so." It helps, but a lot of the time I get "no I haven't, have you checked the throne room?" So I've learned to always start there. Off in the distance to the left is the throne room doors. Thankfully I hear them open and someone walk out. But my heart skips a beat, and my nerves start to run rampant. Now feeling silly for wearing this dress and perfection creams, for he might think I look like someone I'm not.

I approach him, no turning back now.
"Hey Kit."

He turns to look at me and does something odd. He steps back and drops the scrolls of paper he was carrying all over the floor.

"Shit." He curses.

And scrambles to pick them up, dropping some more as he does. He is struggling for some reason so I decide to help. I lift my dress and bend down grabbing a few scrolls.

"What are these for?" I ask handing them to him.

"They are scrolls for writing, the chronicle here has been assigned to.." He looks up at me and pauses for a minute." Umm..to record the events that have happened."

We both stand at the same time and I hand him the rest of the scrolls I have picked up. He rolls them all together and pulls twine overtop securing them in place.
"That's interesting, so we are going to be in a book?"

He smiles so handsomely.
"Yeah I guess so. But I should go he is waiting for me."

"Oh...Can I walk with you there?" I ask and his eyes go wide.

"Umm..yeah of course." He replies and takes a deep breath in.

We walk silently down the hallway. I glance over at him and he glances away. He's acting so strange that I have to ask. I take his hand and stop him.

"You're acting strange Kit."

He winces.
"Yeah..."

I wait for a response better than that, but he just gazes at me.

"What's wrong?"

"I...it's nothing I'm just having some trouble adjusting after the whole demon taking over my body thing."

I search his eyes, I feel as if he's hiding something. Then I remember that his soul was separated from his body for some time. Maybe he saw some things that are permanently fixed in his mind. I feel for him, I step forward towards him and pull him in close hugging him deeply, thankful he was ok and made it out alive. He gasps.

"Bri..." he whispers and wraps one strong arm around my waist and squeezes.

"I'm glad you're ok, I would be lost without my council." I whisper back then let him go. He stands there staring at me with a sad look. I still don't understand why, but I'm not going to push him. If he wanted to talk about it, he would, so instead I take his arm in mine and lead him down the hall with me.

"You know Kit, I'm over do for some training, maybe we can practice later?"

"Uhh..yeah sure." He replies.

"My father would love it too, hey! maybe we could all train together!!" I put on my best smile. He looks down at me and chuckles.

"Anything for you, I would be an interesting fight for sure." He replies.

"Mmhmm!"

We walk into a large open room filled from floor to ceiling with books and scrolls. I've never seen a library before and I found myself gawking at everything. I let Kits arm go and bound towards the first books I see. They were marked on the spines in gold leaf and red stained leather. I touch them running my fingertips along their porous covers, then a book across the room from me catches my eye. It was a deep green color and not made of leather. I skip over to it as excited as ever and pull it from the shelf.

"My queen! Welcome to my library, my name is Vincent, please take any book you like." The chronicle bows and sweeps his hand over the room. He was an older man, silver hair and a long white pointed beard, he looks similar to a wizard you would read about in the stories here.

I look back at everyone just beaming. This room was full of stories and myths, legends and prophecies. I could spend hours here reading, losing myself in their fantasies.

I sweep my hand over the green book, it was covered in dragon scale and engraved into it was the title

The Book Of Dragons

I gasp.

"My dear, it seems you have found a book that interests you. I can see why." He scurries over to my side and opens the book for me, licking a finger he turns the pages and stops at Andai.

"This is your dragon is it not?"

"Yes!"

"Yes...Yes...The king of dragons, the most powerful, come sit, come sit! I will tell you all about him." He shuffles me over to a seat right beside Kit who is watching me smiling and listening intently.

"Hundreds of years ago Andai ruled the world of dragons, he was the greatest king they had ever had and the most powerful, as I said before." He licks his finger and turns the page.

"When the war of the gods broke out he was there, he led us to victory, the last dragon to drive the gods of evil back to the underworld. It was unfortunate the other dragons didn't survive." Vincent flips the page over to a page that held a painting of a beautiful white dragon.

"What kind of dragon is that?" I ask.

"This is Cyndra she is a rare hybrid dragon one that controls fire and ice, she was Andai's most precious treasure, but she fell to Erebus a demon god during the war, I don't believe Andai has ever recovered from that loss. This book writes of every type of dragon that ever lived, you may keep it if you like." He says.

"Thank you! Umm...I have some questions."

"And I have answers." He pats my hand.

"What happens to a dragon's heart when it dies?"

"A very good question! Some die with the dragon and leave this world as they move onto the next. But some are left behind, it all depends on the situation. Andai's heart was captured by the people who worshipped him at precisely the right time, before it left to the celestial world with him, creating the myth that if you possess a dragon's heart, in your case "the stone", you can bring that dragon back to life. Which you have proven that myth to be actual fact."

"Are there other stones left in this world?"

"This is all just whispers and hear says, but there is a mountain in Lesteros called..."

"Arrows Peak!" I say finishing his sentence.

"Yes! you know of it?."

"I came from a small farm in Lesteros, the mountain was in my backyard."

"Is that so? Hmmm...interesting...you were a farm hand?"

"Yes...and a rogue hunter." I chuckle at myself, reminiscing about all of the simple troubles I used to get myself into. Vincent cocks an eye at me and Kit bursts out laughing.

"You are one of a kind Bri." Kit says and I blush profusely.

"Yes you are my dear." Vincent pats my hand again. "So, legend says Cyndra's heart was torn from her by Erebus and thrown into the middle of the mountain, and over the many years a glacier formed over top of it. It is now encased in thick almost unbreakable ice. Many have tried to find it, but the cold is what gets them and any one who makes the trip up does not come back down."

I sit back in my chair thinking, if we could find the stone maybe I could summon a second dragon, two dragons would make us invincible. I will have to speak to Andai about this. I look at Kit who is examining the book now. I tap his arm. He looks at me.

"Looks like we are adding yet another adventure to our list of crazy and wild things we like to do. You coming?"

He grins back.
"I wouldn't miss any adventure with you!"

"So you're going to try for Cyndras heart?" Vincent asks.

"Yes! Don't get me wrong Andai is exceptional but another dragon would be outstanding!" I close the book and look at everyone.

"Well I should get back to my scriptures, thank you Kit for bringing me the scrolls, my legs just aren't what they used to be." Vincent says and taps his leg.

"Anytime, I should get this queen here, back to her knight before he gets suspicious." Kit takes my hand and stands me up.

"M'lady." He says and waves his hand in front of me. I sigh and roll my eyes.

"And I here I thought you were her knight. My apologies. You two look as if you've been together for a very long time." Vincent chuckles.

We both look at each other and Kit turns away quickly. Is he...blushing? He places a hand on my lower back and courts me out the door with the dragons book in hand.

We walk the hallways again in silence. Although a few times I believe he was trying to say something but would opt out of it to clear his throat or cough.

He seems very nervous around me and glances at me more than he ever has. I would always feel his eyes on me, especially when I'm laughing or when Vance is with me. Maybe he does remember what happened on Andai's back. I should ask, but I'm scared to, and he had already answered that question. He finally breaks the silence.

"So another dragon's heart. Are you sure you can take on another one? You nearly died the last time, I don't know if I can watch that happen again."

I stop. Thinking of the right response. I already know that it is something I need to do. But another's opinion might be good too.

"What would you do in my situation?" I ask.

He crosses his arms and thinks for a minute.
"I would do exactly what you are going to do. But I don't think you need to take on that weight again. I believe there is someone else out there who can."

"There isn't anyone else who has the strength that I do. At least not anyone I know yet." I reply.

"Well we have a lot on that list of crazy and wild adventures to get through, maybe we will meet someone by then." He winks at me and we carry on walking.

"Maybe."

——————————————-