Dragon's life in college

ch 35

I apologize for not updating. Summer was very busy and with not having any new chapters to give you guys for half of it. I fell out of the habit of updating this story.
I will try my best update every other week.

Unlike the others which had arrived together, the two Queens arrived separately. A tradition, Nigel would later learn, was established to allow each a chance to be cheered on by their respective subjects and allies before the other arrived.

He supposed it made sense, although he had a feeling it had more to do with neither Queen wanting to share the spotlight with the other. For official events and ceremonies the two had no problem with standing or sitting besides each other on the same platform, but arrivals were different. Also, the tradition had been established shortly after the war had ended, so perhaps it had been their way of ensuring that neither side over-stepped too much.
But on the other claw, it sounded like a perfect was to establish an ambush and not risk hurting or killing one’s own queen. But with the other side already on the platform and standing there, it would also be easier for accidental damage to occur if a large number of dragons attempted something. Actually, it might be a better way of ensuring that assassinations were carried out cleaner. The other kingdom’s queen alone on the stage, not suspecting anything with one’s own queen safely out of the way. Although then it would be very obvious as to who planned it. Well, for whatever reason the tradition had been made and it still stood, although Nigel was certain by now that neither side ever dreamed of attacking the other. The two kingdoms had been at peace for so long, and no one had any desire to reawaken a centuries long war between them.

Anyway, back to the visit, Nigel scolded his brain. And why assassinations, I usually think about math problems. Think about math problems, he told his brain. His brain was unhelpfully silent.

Since they were at a fire kingdom college, the Fire Queen arrived first. With a dramatic beating of wings and accompanying applause, Queen Eldur of the Fire Dragons landed on the stage. For a moment, she paused there, flame-patterned wings held out for a moment before she regally swept them back high and above her back. Her ruby-red scales shone darkly under the sun, a stark contrast to the dancing flames above her head. Instead of her royal crown she wore a simple golden band studded with flame colored gems.

Immediately, the entire crowd dropped down into polite bows, the fire dragons elaborately flaring their wings a bit to show off their colors. Nigel tried his best, although he couldn’t help but feel like an uncoordinated hatchling next to Ryu’s impeccable bow. Still, he was better than the first time he had practiced it and had accidentally whacked Ryu in the face and almost tripped over his own tail.

Although, really, who thought it necessary to add elaborate flourish to an already complicated move. Well, complicated at least if one had the grace of a seal on land, as Turtle said as he watched him practice. Nigel hadn’t known what to think knowing that next to Turtle he looked clumsy. Turtle who regularly tripped, fell, ran into, or landed in or on people and objects all day.

Queen Eldur paused for a minute to look over the crowd, before she swept out of the way. It was now time for the Water Dragon Queen to make her entrance.

Glancing around him, Nigel couldn’t help but notice that Oceania looked even more tense and nervous-? - than she had before. It seemed so strange to Nigel, although he didn’t have long to dwell on that fact before fresh cheering heralded the arrival of the final queen.

Unlike the Fire Queen, the Queen Mer did not have any dramatic wing beating or flaring. Instead she elegantly swooped out of the sky, landing lightly on the stage while she looked intently into the audience. Almost as if she was looking for something or someone. Her multicolored blue, green, and purple scales shimmered in the sun, overlayed with the watery sunlight of her wings. Like the Fire Queen, she was not wearing her royal crown. Instead she wore a simple tiara made from and resembling branching coral, with a few pearls scattered about.

Again the gathered dragons bowed, the water dragons all adding a little extra grace to their bows. Nigel figured that that likely had to do with bowing underwater, since elaborate flaring would not be practical. At least from what he had seen of Turtle’s attempt to swim. And that dragon still had the nerve to call him clumsy.

But what was odd was the way he could feel Queen Mer’s eyes looking out into the crowd. While Queen Eldur had briefly glanced over them, she had never intently scrutinized them. Maybe the Water Queen just wanted to see how the fire kingdom ran its colleges? It didn’t seem like either kingdom would run them too differently, but maybe the water kingdom did something different. They were mostly underwater after all, so obviously some things had to be different about them.

Although the only difference Nigel could think of was that there would be fish swimming around instead of having birds flying. Maybe there were just differences about having to build underwater, unless they just used caves.

Nigel straightened up from his bow. Queen Mer was still intently scanning the crowd. Beside him, he noticed that Oceania was trying to make herself small, as though she was trying to hide. Confused, he glanced over at her to see if something was wrong, but she refused to lift her head up. Turtle had all but hidden behind Ryu.

What was wrong? Nigel wondered. Neither of his friends had ever acted this way before, especially Oceania. But as he looked up at the Water Queen, he understood.

Around her neck was a string of purple scales. Purple scales that looked exactly like an amethyst necklace. A marking he had seen before.

Once again I am sorry for not updating in a long time.