Dust in the Empty Flames

Chapter 11

 Enjoy! One more update for today:D

I woke up in a very comfortable bed. It was a wooden four poster canopy bed with light green curtains around it. I got up a bit confused and then regretted it instantly as my head started spinning and I lost my balance. I fell back onto the bed just as someone walked into the door carrying a tray of delicious smelling food.

He looked at me alarmed," Hey, now, you shouldn't be up!"

He helped me back into the bed with great care. My eyes teared up a bit remembering how Olivia and Grace would do the same thing but the tears didn't fall, they never did.

He looked at me with concern but smiled brightly," I brought you some breakfast if you're hungry."

I looked at him questioningly," Who are you?"

He looked at me ruefully but didn't answer.

I then remembered him calling out my name before I passed out and asked suspiciously," Who are you and how did you know my name?"

He looked at me apologetically," You probably don't remember me... but we used to play together as kids..."

I looked at him confused," But that can't be true...I only played with two other people Prince Daniel and Prince Andrew and you can't be...."

And then I got a good look at him and it hit me. He had longish dirty blonde hair, green gray eyes, and a boyish smile. He had the same blonde hair, green eyes, and smile as....Prince Andrew!

I looked at him in shock and he said sheepishly," If it makes you feel any better, I'm just as shocked as you are right now..."

I frowned wondering how he could try and make jokes at a time like this," But then if you've been here the whole time why did you disappear? Where have you been? You should be the next king not your cousin, and you-"

He cut me off," I ran away three years ago. I chose to leave and I did not want to go back. I have my reasons but first I want to know how you got here, why you're here, and how you of all people got mixed up with a dragon and a wolf-hybrid?"

I frowned and looked at him a bit defensively," I ran away, too, and I don't want to go back, either. The dragon mother was the one who brought me here on her way back to feed her babies and she let me stay with them for the rest of the night. I woke up this morning to see her gone, probably for more food, and then the wolf appeared out of nowhere and attacked. I tried to protect the babies but I couldn't. Then she came back and we tried together but again we couldn't. But then you showed up and now we're here."

He nodded thoughtfully and then asked gently," If you don't mind me asking, why did you run away?"

I bit my lip," If I tell you...you have to promise you won't send me back."

He laughed and nodded," Hey! You're looking at a former runaway prince yourself, of course I won't tell!"

I smiled appreciatively and then sighed and said," Today was kind of...sort of...supposed to be my wedding day..."

He blinked obviously not expecting that," What?"

I bit my lip," It was an arranged marriage to your cousin actually and while he was a great guy and everything I just couldn't marry him, and so..."

"You left?" he asked incredulously but gently.

I nodded hesitantly," Yeah. There was no other way."

He nodded bitterly," I know the feeling..."

I looked at him curiously wondering if he actually did," Why did you run away?"