The Royals of Silvercrest

19

King Shane's POV:

I sit inside the meeting room, surrounded by the members of the council.

"King Cavaar has responded to the letter regarding the suggested Union of he and Princess Ruby." Lord Miles says to the room

Prince Wesley, a boy of seven, seemed a good match.

He is young, holds lands in the Isles and his family has a large fleet of dragons. From what I hear he is good with the people and is a kind boy.

There are over 100 dragons flying about in the world.

A lucky few handfuls of families became dragon riders bonding with their dragons. Many other families were slaughtered in their attempts to do so. Nobody knew why dragons would bond with someone and not others would forever remain a mystery to us. When attempting to become a rider, there was always the chance you'd be eating, or burned before you could get close enough to even touch the beasts. Once the bond was broken, it created devastating results for both rider and dragon. They'd go mad.

I motion for Lord Miles to continue.

"They have accepted her hand. As a gift they have sent an egg from Nymeria and Talon, Your Grace."

Hearing the names, my eyes widen.

Nymeri, a large golden dragon had been in battle more times than any other dragon ridden today. She alone is a force mini would not dare to reckon with. Talon, an even larger silver dragon has been known through the stories that he was one of the wildest dragons ever to be tamed with a saddle, a wonderful match. I ask for it to be presented if it is here with us Lord Miles confirms. He turns, gesturing to a servant girl holding a small black smoking pot. She steps forward, placing it upon the table before curtsying and returning to her post. Carefully, I open the lid, releasing a plume of smoke into the air. I feel the heat upon my face, and as the smoke clears, I see a small golden dragon egg covered in thick hard scales of silver.

" Send word back to them that I am honored to receive this gift and that I too in time shall send my own." I say

He nods.

" We know, of course, that we have thirteen dragons and only several riders." I say thinking out loud

"Twelve and six, Your Grace." Lord Julian says

I turn to face him, puzzled.

"Which rider and dragon fell?"

"Rider Evero and Viper were struck down at the Battle of Onx last night. Word was sent early this morning from my hometown."

There is a brief silence that follows.

Dragons are only ever taken down by others.

No human has ever slain one.

There was a time before us that they ruled the skies.

Viper had been one of the best battle dragons by far. In her 50 years upon this plane she had taken down fleets of ships, wiped out entire armies in one day, and even a dragon or two herself. Whomever had gained the upper hand was a true threat. Who knows what damage this dragon could do?

"These dragons are from the Dazeron species. It shall mature within three years, Your Majesty."

The meeting finishes and I make my exit, heading off to find my daughter.

I walk out into the courtyard to see her and Queen Leia talking and laughing as Queen Leia braids her hair. I'm filled with joy, seeing this beautiful moment with the two most important people in my life. A loud roar breaks across the sky. In another kingdom, such a sound would stab fear into the hearts of those who heard it. A dragon making its way about could mean peace between nations, as protection or a fiery death. Here however, it is a sign of our prospering reign. The dragons in the outer world thrive, far away from humans. A dark blue dragon shoots across the sky, moving so fast if we blinked, we would miss it. Another dragon is following close behind, a dark gray medium sized creature, giving chase. I watch as they swirl about in the sky, playing with one another. Princess Ruby giggles, watching the display.

The blue dragon, whilst small in stature, is incredibly fast, the light beams off its bright blue scales. It lets out a shriek, blowing out a puff of smoke, almost as if it's coughing. The grey dragon's wings beat rhythmically, giving a shriek in response. Their fluid movements as they weave around one another suddenly shifts, the two positioned across one another, squaring off.

I shift closer to my family, just in case.

Then in one graceful movement, the blue dragon flicks its tails, the gist of force allowing it to shoot itself upwards before taking off, upside down before gliding back into a normal position, disappearing with another push of its tail. The grey dragon huffs, giving chase.

"Ruby I have great news for you." I say to her

Queen Leia finishes tying off Ruby's braid with ribbon. Ruby bounds over to me, showing off with a big smile and shake of her head.

"You look darling." I say

"What new Papa?" She asks brown eyes full of wonder

"As a gift for the wedding, you have been blessed with a dragon egg from two of the most fierce dragons in the land. You, my darling shall be a dragon rider one day."

I watch as her eyes light up with more joy than I had ever seen.

She's always been fascinated by them.

My heart fills with pride knowing she'll be following after her mother's footsteps.