Dragon Blossom

Queen of three kingdoms.

Eri was always obedient because it made dad happy and mom no longer got angry. But with Lady Mera, there was no way; her brow was always furrowed, and her lips were tight. She taught Eri fun things, and Eri was sure that she loved her at least as much as Lady Queen, but she could never see her happy. So, it wasn't worth being obedient. Especially that day when they were in what had been her home. That's why she had escaped and was hiding from her teacher.

Dad had explained that now this was the home of the fat king and Lady Queen, and many other people who looked at her strangely. Everyone had been kind, but almost everyone looked at her a lot, or not at all. Mom said it was because of the fat king's daughter, who hadn't returned yet. Eri hoped she would come back soon; she wanted to meet her. Maybe she was hiding somewhere in the castle. She decided to keep exploring.

Everything was very different from when she lived there. There was no dust, nor did it smell bad. Everywhere she looked, there were many people doing things. Why couldn't it have been like this then? She could have met so many people, learned so many games. She felt a little pain in her heart as she remembered that some people were afraid of her. Maybe they had waited for her to leave to live there, that's why they looked at her so strangely...

She pushed that thought away. It couldn't be; everyone had been affectionate with her despite everything, just like in Artemia. Everyone gave her sweets, and the best part was that now she had tons of honey candies. She didn't have to eat them slowly. They had even taken her to meet the little bees that made them, little bugs similar to fairies, but better because they made honey candies.

The hallway suddenly seemed familiar. Dad had taken her there that day. If she continued, she could find the room where her bed was. Maybe that old man would be there, or at least she could sit in the pretty chair again. She hurried to the huge door and found it closed. No, it was slightly open. She peeked inside before entering; it was rude to enter places by surprise.

They had placed a large table in front of the pretty chair. There were many people saying many complicated words, but she could understand that they were talking about her. The fat king had just said that she was going to be a good queen. He could be rude sometimes and smelled sour at other times, but she knew he loved her very much. Dad was there, with the face he made when he scolded her, and mom looked like she wanted to scold him.

The one next to dad said something about being her "consort." What was that? She wasn't anything to him. It surely wasn't something good because dad got up from the chair and punched him in the face. Dad never did that to people; he had told her that she should never do it. The fat king and other gentlemen with metal hats separated them. She didn't understand anything, but she took advantage of the fact that everyone was busy to quietly enter and listen better. She hid behind a column; those things were very useful when she wanted to hide.

"Prince Freydelhart, please," said the young man with strange clothes in a trembling voice, getting up from the floor. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything, I just wanted to show a flaw in my father's plan."

Why did everyone use such difficult words?

"If the princess were to marry and have children before me, her children would have more right than mine despite the agreement, and if it were the case..." He looked at dad, putting his hands between them, then turned to look at the fat king. "...that in the future we were to unite, your plan to keep me away from the throne would have failed, or would you deny that right even to her just to keep me away?"

Everyone was silent. Was he talking about marrying her? Mom said that was something done for love. In stories, princesses married handsome and brave knights or wise and kind princes. She was a princess, she didn't want that weird boy who made dad angry. She shook her head vigorously as the idea crossed her mind.