Jessa: The Adventures End

12

Anyone ready for another chapter? There are some twists coming up that I think you'll enjoy.

Jessa looks at Alaric with her head canted to the side as Dhiren comes to her side. "What is it, Alaric?"

Alaric has never felt so nervous about anything before. Nothing in his long life has prepared him for giving Jessa this news. He's not all that happy about doing it, but knows that if he holds off doing so that she will be even more pissed when she finds out.

"Alaric?" Jessa asks this time with concern.

"Sorry, Jessa, Dhiren, just not sure how to tell you this." Alaric takes a deep breath and with the worried looks they both take on just blurts out what he has to say. 

"When the fighting is done and the dragon kin are killed at least to the point where they will no longer bother the people, I will be abdicating and you, Jessa, will be taking over as the gold leader, the queen. The Ancient One is already aware of this and approves."

Jessa looks at Alaric shocked. It has only been about four years since she even learned that she was the crown princess for the gold dragons, now she, a baby dragon, will become the queen. "How does Frosnack and the others feel about this?" Jessa demands.

"She understands why and approves. She's pretty much got your coronation planned, at least I wouldn't put it past her having done so." Alaric says more than a little amused. "All the golds are excited about you taking over for me.

"Jessa, I've been the king for a very long time. Reniel should have taken over for me years ago, but he was lost. Then you were as well and I thought I would be forced to be king until my death."

"Alaric, something I don't understand," Dhiren says once the other two fall silent.

"What is it prince?" Alaric asks, thrilled to have a reason to turn his attention from his grandchild.

"Why haven't you flown another to get another child in all the years since Reniel went against your orders?"

Alaric smiles sadly. "Like Reniel, I gave my heart to his mother. She was killed guarding his egg. She managed to save his but not the others in the clutch. My wife, I've missed her a great deal. All the others that hatched from our flying have died for one reason or another. Reniel was the best and greatest of my wife's and I's love. Even he was taken down, but not before he left someone that surpassed him. I will remain for some time to help you become adjusted to your new position, but, I will no longer be the one in charge."

"Alaric, I'm not ready to take over my duties as crown princess, other than killing the dragon kin I don't even have a clue what the duties are. Now you are telling me that I'll have a shit load more duties added onto those." Jessa is nearly overwhelmed with what she was just told.

Alaric smiles at his grand daughter sadly, "I'm sorry, Jessa, but the weight of being the king is nearly overwhelming to me now. Dhiren will be a wonderful help for you in your duties, Mostly the dragons govern themselves so there won't be much in the way of duties to them. I and Frosnak will help you and guide you as you need it, but for the most part it will be instinctual for you. Just as all the decisions you made to save this world have been instinctual."

"You really know how to overwhelm someone, Alaric. I'll need some time to take all this in."

"I guess, then the news I have wouldn't be well received," Zira says coming forward.

Jessa rubs her head where a head ache has taken up residence. "What more could you possibly have to say that would make this go one way or the other.

"Just this, if you and Dhiren survive the upcoming fight that his parents have decided to abdicate in your favor. They want Dhiren to take up the duties as king and you to take up the duties of queen of the moon elves. They will help you by remaining on the council but no longer wish the burden of ruling."

"What happens if we don't survive? Then neither the golds nor the moon elves will have a king or queen."

Alaric and Zira look at each other in horror at the mere idea, Jessa and Dhiren must take up their respective duties.

"Then the world will burn to ash within a few generations." Fey makes herself known.

"Your destiny, I told you, you either become the goddess of this world or you will destroy it. With your death the world will become fated to die."

"But if I take on the duties of queen of both the dragons and elves then the world doesn't burn? Is that what you are saying Fay?" Jessa demands.

"It is less likely. There will still be cross roads for you to take. Your adventures won't be as exciting as they currently are, but they won't be entirely over either. They will just change. The choices you make once you ascend to both thrones will directly impact the world in ways you won't see for generations of time." Fey tells her then closes her mouth. There is so much more she would like to say but she is unable to, doing so will affect future decisions and she cannot do that.

"Jessa," Zira starts but Jessa cuts her off. 

"I'm sure you mean well, all of you, but I need time to absorb all this information. Please, will you all excuse me?" Jessa says and makes her way through the gathered deities and dragons.

"Well she took that far better than I had hoped." Alaric says before leaving himself.

"You had to tell her right now, Zira?" Dhiren demands before leaving to find his wife.

Zira sighs in relief. "It went far better than I had hoped."

"Young Dhiren didn't seem too surprised about his parents decision." Fey mentions thoughtfully.

"I'm sure he already knew or guessed that they would do so. They've wanted him to take the throne for years now, but have held off since he wasn't yet married. Then he found Jessa and they knew that soon they would get to retire. They've been waiting anxiously for Jessa to retire from being a guard to taking her proper place as the princess there in Silva."

Fey snort in elegantly at those words. "I would have loved to have seen them try to get Jessa to stop being a guard even earlier."

"They were smart enough to not interfere with her duties as gold princess. They recognized that she would have just told them off if they had tried. They are more than a litttle intimidated by Jessa. Can't say as I blame them in the least." Zira tells her older sister before she too leaves.

Fey loses herself in thought at what she saw and heard this night.

"My Lady, is there anything I can do for you?" Jasper comes upon Fey later on and wakes her up from her thoughts. 

Fey smiles at her champion, "No, Jasper. You might want to stay away from Jessa as much as you can for a bit. She was just informed that she'll be expected to take on the thrones of both the gold dragons and the moon elves once the fighting is done. She was less than pleased by this."

"Thank you, my lady, I will indeed do so. I'll pass it along to the other guards as well. No reason for them to have their heads bit off by her if a little warning could save them."

"You are a good man, Jasper. Ivy sends her love. Sorid is taking personal care of her. She knows that Ivy is special to Jessa and so will make sure that she will want for nothing."

"Thank you my lady, it eases my heart to know that Jessa's mother will be watching out for her." With that Jasper eases into the night and goes to find his bed. He has no doubt that Jessa will want an early start. First he tells Sorsha the news and she promises that she'll let the others know as well. They both shudder at the thought of how Jessa is going to be in the morning.