Queen of the Dragons

43

"Juni....what is wrong?"

My sister was crouched down on the floor of our bedchambers, sniffling. She resembled a rock with how she was sitting and I giggled a bit, poking her arm. When she did not answer me, I frowned.

One of my teachers had interrupted Dale and I playing in the meadows and pulled me away rather rudely. Saying we had an emergency and that I could not play with the help. Which I did not understand but I had to follow Madame Fenway because she would get mad and possibly yell if I did not follow! Which was scary!

"Juni," I pouted, sitting down and scooting closer to her. "Juniper berry," I teased using the funny name mama and papa call her at times.

"Tis not funny, Estelle!" Juni cried out as she pressed herself against the wall even more and away from me. Her tears made my chest ache and I nervously put my arms around her. What was wrong with my sister?!

The door suddenly slammed open and both of us jumped as Dinah rushed into our room. She had a handful of items in her hands and seemed terrified. "Papa is burning all of mama's things!" Dinah cried out as I gasped, wondering why papa would do that. He loves mama a lot.

"B-But why?"

"Because mama is dead Estelle!" Dinah cried out as she began to throw pillows off of her bed. Mama was not...she was not gone! She was not feeling well for a few days but she could not be gone. She was mama! "Get up! Help me hide some of mothers stuff, papa is trying to burn it all!"

Why would papa try to burn all of mama's stuff if he loves her? "Get up you donkeys! Get up and help!" She cried out as I stumbled up and quickly began to help hide some of mama's things. My hand held a beautiful jewel necklace that mama always let me wear. I quickly rushed over to my chest of dresses and put it safely in there before looking to Dinah who has begun to cry while pulling Juni from her hiding space.

"Let me go, Dinah! I want mama!"

"Mama is dead!" Dinah sobbed as she yanked Juni up. Tis not true...mama would not leave us because she loved us too much.

I grabbed my crying sister holding her tightly, "Stop crying Juni...mama would never leave us," I whimpered, holding her closer.

Dinah made a weird noise in her throat. "Yes she would! She cares more about healing strangers than she does us!"

"Tis a lie, Dinah!" I yelled as I found out that I was now crying too. Tis not a good thing because I have nothing to cry about...Mama is alive. I just know it!

"Tis not a lie, Estelle! You will be next to die Papa says if you keep using that curse!"

A gasp came from Juni as she pulled away from me and towards Dinah. "Stelle do not die like Mama!"

"I will not die! Tis not a curse, it is a gift that mama and I have!" I cried out as I began to rub my eyes with how tired and upset I was. Mama always said it was a gift, no one ever called it a curse! Curses were bad, gifts were good!

"Tis a curse!" We all froze at the sound of a deep voice. Turning around quickly I was surprised to see Papa standing in the doorway. He did not look happy. His eyes were red...and he looked as if he had been crying. His robes looked as if a dragon from our night stories blew some fire on it.

He stumbled over to me, landing on his knees. "Papa," I questioned in confusion as he gripped my shoulders tightly. "What tis wrong?"

"Your mother...your mother is dead my sweet child," he spoke with his voice cracking a bit. I shook my head, trying to pull away from him. Tis a lie! Mama would never leave me!