My room was filled with black and white pictures of her, making faces, just being happy, laughing. There was even one of her playing in the rain. She was so beautiful and so extraordinarily vibrant. It was sad that she’d become consumed with grief and stopped living. He tried to speak about Blake as well, but I always told him that I was tired. That I needed to rest. I didn’t want to speak about Blake.
I didn’t know if he knew for sure what Blake’s fate was. But I refused to believe that he would lie to me because of what had happened to Queen Marguerite.
Sammy and Becky practically lived in the castle. Becky’s hands were filled with two sad cases but she made sure that we laughed on occasion, and she too tried to give us hope that Blake would return.
Sir Robert was a different dragon now that my father was back. He was fierce again.
Becky’s Dad was one of my father’s loyal men that had made it out alive with him.
I’d been in a coma and hadn’t seen most of the reunions, they’d made a big fuss about it through the media.
Lucille had been beyond herself when she saw him, or so I’d heard. They were still on their second honeymoon, where I don’t know, not even Becky knew, but she talked to him every night.
My father gave them all a choice, they could still serve the country or retire. Most of them, including Etienne, wanted to get away from Etan as fast as possible. I didn’t blame him.
My father’s hearing with the Council came soon. I didn’t think that they would’ve done that to him, but he looked ready.
I sat next to my father in front of the Ancients.
I had to suppress my smile on numerous occasions, as they forgot who he was. The day hadn’t started off like that though…
“DO I REALLY have to go? The Council and Ancients are not huge fans of mine, Dad.”
“It is the first meeting we will be together, Elena. I would love for you to be there, please.” I had the feeling that they weren’t huge fans of my father either and that just maybe he didn’t love these meetings either.
I nodded.
He smiled, kissed me on my head. “That’s my sweet pea.”
I loved his nickname for me; he’d used it a lot too, just like I used to say “for the love of blueberries.”
I put on my best clothes for today’s meeting and went with my father, Sir Robert and a couple of guards I’d used to see hanging around the Castle of Tith.
We went to the City Hall in Tith. I hated that hall.
My father and Sir Robert were speaking softly. His recovery was going well, but he still walked with his cane and there were times that I wondered how he’d got the burn scar on his face and neck. Whenever it had happened, the two never spoke about it in front of me.
Sir Robert started to laugh and my father and I looked at him.
“What is it?” my father asked through a huge grin.
“Just Blake.”
I smiled too thinking about the day he’d destroyed the City Hall.
“Should I be worried?”
“Not the least, Al. Just after he Dented, Elena didn’t make it easy on him.”
My father laughed softly. “Your mother would’ve loved knowing that. She was always worried about the future. About this Dent since the day she found out we were having a baby girl. What did he do?”
“The Council and Ancients have changed, Al. A lot. I can’t prepare you for what you are about to find.”
“We’ve all changed, Bob.”
“You know about them trying to strip away her title. What I forgot to tell you was they forgot to inform Blake about the hearing, they never sent him an invitation and somehow he got one.”
I smiled as it was Pappi who had made sure Blake had gotten his invitation.
“He almost destroyed the City Hall to get to her. The way he used to speak to them, it embarrassed me for many years, but that day, I was the proudest father there ever was.”
My father just stared at him. “What?”
We both laughed.
“Oh, I wasn’t happy either, Dad. But they said it was against their Dragon Law not to have informed him.”
Sir Robert laughed. “Breaking down the walls is not what your father is referring to Elena.”
“They disrespected the Dragon Law?” my father asked in a serious tone.
“One of the things that has changed, Al. They use it whenever they see fit.”
“Robert, how could you just let them do that?” All jokes were suddenly gone.
“How, you really want me to answer that?”
My father just stared at him. I knew now what they meant about my father and Sir Robert sharing their own, different kind of bond. They lifted each other’s spirits. He bent over and leaned with his forehead against Sir Robert’s. “Even if I was dead, Bob. You had responsibilities to all dragons.”
“They tortured me because they thought I was the one that betrayed you. If it wasn’t for Helmut…”
My flesh erupted with goosebumps, it was intense.
My father took a deep breath and sat back in his seat.
“Even if I wanted to Al, they wouldn’t have listened to me. If Blake wasn’t the Rubicon, believe me, my family wouldn’t be here today.”
My father turned his head and just stared out the window, thinking.
Maybe it had finally sunk in how much everything had changed.
The carriage landed in front of the City Hall and reporters rushed toward us.
My heart started to beat but my father, even if he felt the way I did, didn’t show it.
Sir Robert climbed out first and cameras went off. I huffed when they addressed him as Sir Robert again, asking him all sorts of questions.
My father closed the door. “What is that about?”
“Didn’t you hear what they did to him, Dad? They’ve only started to address him as Sir Robert again the day everyone found out you were still alive. Actually, not even then. It was the day you were reunited with him.”
He squinted first and closed his eyes as his jaw muscles pumped.
“You don’t have to be here today, Dad. Wait, see what they’ve became like first, prepare yourself, please.”
He smiled and touched my face softly. “It’s good to have someone care again. I’ll be fine, Elena.”
He took a deep breath and opened the door.
I feared that he really wasn’t ready for any of this. But to be honest, I wasn’t ready for what followed either.
My father smiled, waved and even stopped to shake hands with some of the reporters. He spoke to them as if they were humans, not cockroaches. He answered so many questions as he walked toward the entrance of City Hall. They all laughed at his responses. It was as if he was a different type of dragon breed himself. One that charmed everyone, that made them forgot what they were, and about their job.
I smiled.
Sir Robert caught the admiration on my face “Now you know why everyone called him the Greatest King That Ever Lived.”
“Because of the way he spoke to reporters?”
Sir Robert chuckled as my father wrapped his arms around an older lady to take a picture. “No, because your father treated everyone as if they were someone important.”
I looked at my father again. He sure was amazing with all of them.
When we reached the stairs, my father turned around, waved at everyone and held out his hand for mine. I took it and we walked up the steps to the entrance.
Stan and his gang were waiting, as one of the guards opened the City Hall’s door for us to enter. I was glowing inside as my father knew what the cockroach had done, but they all bowed down low.
“Please, Stan, get up,” my father addressed him. He didn’t even look at me.
“I need to thank you for taking care of Elena, trying to teach her everything that she needed to learn in such short time. It comes from my heart, thank you.” My father bowed his head to Stan, gave him a warm smile and walked on again.
I just stared at him. I wasn
’t the only one. Stanley was confused too and he hardly looked at me and then back down. “Princess.”
I didn’t greet him at all, walking with huge strides after my father. How could he have thanked him? I’d told him what he and his team had done to me when I’d just discovered I was the princess.
Everyone on the Council bowed as my father entered. He also bowed down gracefully and walked over to one of the two chairs that were in front of the Ancients who weren’t on their thrones yet.
My father should be up there, not those old farts.
I sat down next to him.
Sir Robert was not standing behind my father. It bothered him and he looked at me through narrow eyes.
“Told you,” I spoke softly and my father’s face turned emotionless as if my reply just didn’t bother him anymore.
He looked at me again and I looked away.
He wielded a shield around us. I knew it as the twitter of the others started to disappear instantly.
“You are upset because I thanked Stan?”
“He didn’t deserve a thank you from you.”
He chuckled. “You are so much like your mother. She would’ve probably ordered a restraining order on him for the way he treated you.”
“I don’t want to know what Mom would’ve done. She’s not here, but you are. He treated me like shit, Dad. Threatened to take our money away. Was part of the team who wanted to strip me of my title.”
My father laughed, which made me even angrier. “Even if he wanted to Elena, he couldn’t. He was manipulating you. And got away with it.”
“So it’s my fault?”
“That’s not what I said,” he spoke softly. “Getting a thank you from someone with my sort of status, Elena, is harder than a punishment. Believe me, you will get your apology from him, it might not be in front of millions of people, or the cameras, but it will be sincere and from the heart.”
I just stared at my father as I thought about it.
“You think that I’m not livid with him for how he treated you? I am furious, but I’m also a king. We have to strategize to get what we want. You are my daughter, Elena, and it’s time they respect and accept that.”
I nodded. “Sorry, I really suck at this.” I was referring to the strategizing part.
“What, being my daughter? I think you are doing an excellent job.” He gave me a one armed hug and a kiss on the temple.
The shield vanished as the Ancients walked through the doors and took their seats.
Pappi smiled as he saw me and nodded toward my father who nodded back.
I wondered if my dad knew about him being Mom’s great, great, great-great-great grandfather.
They all addressed my father like they did with everyone, nothing special, like he deserved. My father took all of their questions, even the harsh ones.
It made me furious again as I couldn’t see the end result of this. Why was he so friendly and obedient? He was the King of Paegeia for crying out loud.
My Pappi didn’t like it either. He stared at Duclin with all his questions and I knew where it was going to lead to.
Then Sir Robert got up.
“Sit down, Dragon,” Duclin said and he stared at Sir Robert. He didn’t wanted to but after a while he did. It was as if an invisible force did it for Sir Robert against his will.
I looked at my father who looked at Duclin again.
“What is your reply, Albert?”
“Let me get this straight, you want to disown millennia of bloodlines from the throne of Paegeia? Is that it?”
“Not in those precise words, but it is time a stronger bloodline takes on this responsibility.”
“Let me guess, a dragon bloodline, like your own bloodline perhaps, your honor?” My father sounded calm, as if he were really thinking about giving up his birthright.
“I don’t see why not. This is after all the dragons’ world.”
“And yet you order your will on your subjects?” my father said and Duclin squinted. “What will I do to my people if you can’t even listen to what dragons have to say? What voice will humans and shifters have?”
“There are other elite dragon families, Albert.”
“Other dragons.” My father smiled. “And who is going to follow these other dragons?”
“Your family has had this world for a long time, it’s time to stand down.”
“And when danger comes again, who will this world turn to, those dragon that will rule Paegeia?” My father was still calm.
“Remember who you are talking to,” Duclin said through gritted teeth.
My father smiled at him. “Precisely because of that, I will not stand down. If you don’t like it, then we can sort it out like they used to in the old days.” Everyone gasped. How did they sort it out in the old days? “But just remember what runs through my veins, and I will bring my sword and shield to defend my right and my people’s right.”
“Is that a threat?”
“I don’t need to make threats, Duclin. I’m the King of Paegeia, and so was my father, and his father before him. We were chosen by the greater power to rule this world. When the greater power chooses you, or your bloodline, I promise you He will let me know and I will step down. But there is no dragon in this world that will run this country the way I will. Not yet.” The way he said that I knew he was referring to Blake. As if he believed with all his heart he was going to come back too. It gave me hope.
“I’m what my people need to heal and to have peace. And whoever is going to stand in my way will cause another war. I’m not afraid of those, as I have one of the most noble and strongest dragon’s fighting at my side.”
I could see Sir Robert’s chest rising slightly and a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. “I will not make you pay for all the unkindness you’ve bestowed on him and his family, but I think it’s time.”
“Time for what?” Duclin spat.
“Time to take that vote. Our forefathers put you five up there, I think it’s time to rethink who our next Ancient team is going to be, as some of you are a bit clouded about what is best for Paegeia and all its inhabitants here.”
“You cannot do that. Like you said, only your forefathers could do that.”
“They are dead and no longer have a say in this world.” My father’s tone was slightly stronger, but still calm. “Aye, for a new Council.” My father lifted up his hand. I looked at Pappi and he had a smile on his face. He closed his eyes and laid back as if he’d been waiting for this for a long time.
I lifted up my hand too. “Aye.”
One by one all the Council members lifted up their hands, even King Caleb.
My Pappi opened his eyes and lifted up his hand.
Duclin look at him. “You fool, you are on this Council. Lower your hand.”
“King Albert is right. He is the best for this world and his people. I thought you had learned by now that you cannot strip this family line of their title. It’s who they are, and it’s who they will always be for millennia to come. Aye.”
The others just stared at the floor and three more lifted up their hands.
“You can’t do this!”
“It is done. And if anyone mistreats the Dragon Law again they will be brought in for a hearing and sentenced by me. From now on, no dragon will ever not have a say when it comes to hearings. We fought years for them to have a voice, we killed our kind for them to have a voice, and we lost a lot of good men for them to have a voice, and lost really brave dragons for them to have a voice. My dragon belongs at my side and no hearing or meeting will ever tell him otherwise. They will be addressed accordingly as they deserve. To gain that title, it’s something that cannot be bought, only earned and nothing can take it away. Now if you’ll be so kind as to excuse me, I have a world to run.”
My father stood up, grabbed my hand and bowed down again.
The entire hall burst into applause.
Goosebumps flushed my skin as everyone got up, everyone except Duclin. It was th
e most amazing thing I’d ever seen and for the first time I didn’t regret saving him from Etan.
A smile appeared on my father’s face before we walked out.
I smiled again as I thought about that day. It was the first day I’d met my father’s patient side and his side that had given him the title of The Greatest King That Ever Lived.
He wasn’t the type that would change things because he wanted to, he was the type that changed things for the good of his people, and changing the board of the Ancients was for the best, as some of their minds were clouded, as he’d said.
It wasn’t a surprise either that he didn’t take Areeth away from Caleb. He believed in second chances and believed in his heart that Caleb deserved one, even if I didn’t.
But I trusted him.
Like he said, Caleb must have earned it too, in some way.
That wasn’t the only thing that happened. My father found love again.
They tried to hide it from me for a long time. And now that I thought about it, it was stupid for them to do so.
I thought she was at the palace to make sure that I was okay, getting healthy, getting the new hospital back on track, but she stayed longer than she should have.
And one night I caught them dancing on a balcony.
They both froze when they finally saw me standing on my opening—yes, the castle had those too. My father had built it for Blake.
“Elena.” It was the only thing he said.
“Dad,” I said back. I smiled softly and went back into my room.
My father didn’t waste any time after we spoke about that possibility, that drastic change, and wanted to know if I was ready for it.
I loved Constance, she was like the mother I’d never had. We shared a special bond and I just laughed as I gave her a hug.
“It’s about time, Dad.”
She really looked so embarrassed about all of this, and worried. But I wasn’t.
This weekend was the big day.
I tried to get a special message to Blake to return but again, no answer.
That conversation he’d had with someone, who I was sure now was death, replayed in my mind, every time I thought about it.
I was losing hope and I knew how Queen Marguerite had felt, well an inkling of it. She’d lost so much more.