Queen of the Dragons

Twenty

The walk was long and exhausting.

We had walked all the way up a hill, with many people following behind me. Every time I looked back, more and more people were gathering! Why?

I had recognized the hill from where I had traveled around with Cael...but I did not realize that the ceremony would be on a beautiful grassy hill! As we walked up, The Calitica were directly behind me, but behind them was Juni, Cael, Harkin and a bunch of people I had barely recognized. I did however see a few council members.

Once we reached the top of the hill, I felt like passing out unto the grass...but I could not. Instead I took in my surroundings.

Dark red flowers were scattered all over. Ones that were not there before. Two golden pillars stood in the center with grassy moss covering them.

The King stood in the middle of the two pillars. He had dark makeup streaking across his face. His smile did not look like as nice one either. He had a large scroll in his hands, holding it highly as he looked beyond me. At the Caticala women.

I also saw Winona. She was standing with a man about her age. Holding hands with him. A nervous smile on her lips. I waved at her and she waved back, blowing a kiss to me. The man next to her gave me a suspicious look, pulling Winona closer to him.

"Um...where is Loche?" I whispered to Vesta who stood next to me. She pointed to the sky...and my heart almost fell to the ground.

Two dragons. Flying towards us!

My hand instantly grabbed onto the woman's arms, in fear. Why on earth were these dragons heading directly for us?! Why was no one running?

I watched in fear and amazement as the two dragons opened their powerful mouths. An ungodly noise shattered my fragile ears. I felt myself putting my hands over my ears as the ground seemed to shake with the force of their two roars.

My body was now shaking as I realized they were not going to stop...but they were slowing down in their descent. The black scaled dragon with a familiar set of eyes, began to fall. While the other one stayed in mid air, flapping its large wings. The one dragon was generating so much wind that everyone's hair seemed to wildly whip back and forth.

"That dragon is going to get hurt!" I told Vesta holding onto her for dear life. The dragon would fall and we would all be injured! This was not what I wanted my wedding day to be like! Death by dragon.

I closed my eyes, waiting to be slapped by a tail or claw maybe... "Princess look, please!" The woman stressed as I peeked one eye open.

The dragon was shrinking. The more it shrunk, the faster it would fall. Until it hit the ground with a large thud. The impact it had, caused dirt and grass to fly up everywhere, temporarily blinding us from seeing what was to become of the dragon.

"Oh...my."

What was supposed to be the dragon...was my betrothed. Loche. Completely naked. Muscles covered every inch of his body...muscles and scars. He was also shining with sweat or water I suppose. He did not look much like himself.

Patches of silvery black scales covered his skin. His eyes were completely void of his human self. Instead darkness covered the whites of his eyes and a dangerous gleaming orangish red color glowed in the middle.

Those eyes were glued to my own. I felt my body begin to shiver as he did not blink or look away from me as a man placed a large golden cloak over his body. Thank goodness! I did not think I could continue looking at Loche while...well while nude.

My eyes refused to go lower than his stomach and I was glad of it. I did not need to see what separated men from women...for fear of passing out!

Loche quickly closed the space between himself and his father. His eyes were still on me as the Calicata woman pushed me forward. My heart began to beat wildly as I nervously smiled at him. "Hi Loche," I whispered, my eyes lingering on his large chest instead of his scary eyes.