𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙

Chapter 7

     "Spark," Queen Sunset said sternly. "I expected better from you. The wolves are our enemies. We're at war, Spark. You can't go running off with this wolf. It would be disrespectful to all of us, especially your mother. She has a great role to play, as General."

     Spark just hung his head, and Raven nuzzled his shoulder comfortingly.

     "What do you think we should do with them?" Queen Sunset asked the other royal dragons.

     Five voted to put the three in a prison cell, and another five voted to let the three have their own room in the palace where they could be asked questions in a comfortable manor. It was up to Queen Sunset and Lady Citrine now.

     "I vote we let them have the room for interrogation," the BirdWing announced in a light, high-pitched voice with a tiny yawn.

     "Okay, then. I agree with Lady Citrine," Queen Sunset announced.

     Eclipse did a little happy dance inside, glad that she wouldn't have to be in some sort of horrible prison again. Then Lady Violet declared loudly and regally that it was sun time, and that she absolutely must go to her tower roof to recharge her scales because it was so stuffy and there wasn't enough sun. Then she left.

     Lady Citrine just yawned loudly with a little squeak at the end, stretched, and flapped away. Lady Bristletail  twitched her tail in annoyance and impatience, grumbled that she had much better things to do, and left.

Then the royals that were left – Lady Darksight, Lady Crane, Lady Pearl, Lady Crimson, Lady Swallowtail, Lady Birch, Lady Obsidian, Lady Crystal, and Queen Sunset – guided Eclipse and her companions upwards.

     The throne room didn't have a ceiling at all; it was a long passageway upwards, with rooms in the walls around them as they flew up. Sometimes instead of rooms there'd be ledges, with statues or scrolls or guards on them. At last, they reached a ceiling.

     There was a hatch in it, and they went through one at a time. Eclipse stared in awe at the beautiful room. It wasn't as big as the throne room, maybe just a third of its size, with the huge stained glass window with a picture of Queen Sunset on it.

On the opposite side of the room, there were big glass doors that opened onto a beautiful marble balcony big enough for six dragons to fit on.

     There was a marble ledge sticking out of the wall on the wall between the huge window and the big balcony. It had a dip in it, perfectly fit for the queen. It was filled with satin pillows and silk carpets, all regal colours like deep violet and royal blue.

     On the opposite wall from the ledge, there was a desk. It had neat rows of ink and paints in glass jars at the back edge, scrolls tucked into one corner, a scroll laid out in the middle of the desk, and a small jade statue of a regal-looking LeafWing in the corner of the desk opposite the scrolls. There were also silk bags of treasure tucked next to the desk.

Below the stained glass window, there was a big pile of pillows and carpets that looked like the most comfortable thing in the entire world to sleep-deprived Eclipse. She was surprised when Queen Sunset waved her tail toward the pile, and nudged Eclipse and her companions toward it. Eclipse collapsed into the soft silks and satins, trying her best to not fall asleep right away.

     Raven and Spark plopped gracefully down beside her, sitting as close to each other as they could get.

     "My question is why are you two so friendly with each other? Our species are at war," Lady Crystal said in a deep, commanding voice, and scowling frostily at Raven and Spark.