The Dragon King

Chapter 28

Queen Aquamarine Andry of Sarkin

RIVERGARDE, MORITH

Hailvory lands in the early morning fog, using it as cover for both a giant dragon and her shifting into human form. The air is cooler than what Marnie is used to and reminds her of Emberhelm resting in the valley heart of the Imperial Mountains. She grew accustomed to the Sarkin heat. She is reminded of the cooler weather in storms and in the rainy season of Emberhelm. The mention of Emberhelm, or her family, no longer rubs her raw on the inside but feeling it is something else entirely. Elyas always knows when she is missing her former home and encourages her to talk about it. Ivory, who gets the more profound sense, lets Marnie suffer in silence. That is Ivory's way. She knows she can only help if she is allowed. Yet, there are some things that Ivory won't let go of, even if she has to drag her feet all the way.

"I still believe this to be a terrible idea." Ivory grumbles as she steps from what is left of her shifting fog.

Marnie grins with a shrug of her shoulder and a defiant glimmer in her eyes. "I know."

"You are too stubborn." The pair begins walking up to the castle. "The egg could hatch any day, which means your child is coming, ready or not."

"My child is just going to have to wait because I am not missing this wedding. I practically raised Letty, and there is no chance I am missing her wedding." Marnie returns with every bit of the stubborn woman that Elyas fell in love with. "There are risks in life every day, and I will not sit in a padded room all my life because of fear. This is no exception."

"Well, if you go into labor, I am dragging you back to Sarkin whether the wedding has started or not." Over the past several months, Marnie has come to recognize certain tones in Ivory's voice. Though she always looks stern on the outside, she hardly ever is on the inside.

"I would expect no less." Marnie grins at the pale creature at her side and then sighs as they continue walking closer to the castle. "Just let me see her and get as much time with her as I can. She is my family. If I can't be with Zircon, then I have to make do with what I can get."

"I do understand the love of family. Do not mistake me for someone who does not." Ivory hesitates, and Marnie stops and looks back at her. For a moment, she can see something entirely too human in a shape-shifting dragon. "I miss my family too, and I don't just mean Elyas and Ebonash. I have loved and lost. I have seen death far too much in my lifetime." Marnie's mind jumps into thinking of all the dragon children she has had and seen born and then lost. The more Marnie studies Ivory, the more she recognizes the lost look in Ivory eyes. Marnie starts to wonder if there is something else, something more intense.

"I do not pretend to believe that I am the only one who has seen loss, Ivory. Everyone has felt pain and everyone deals with it in their own way." Marnie steps up to Ivory and takes her cool hand for a moment, just long enough to give a comforting squeeze. Ivory gazes at her, and for once, Marnie doesn't see the dragon or some sort of creature. She sees a human and everything about being human; every emotion and pain. "You are a protector, a guardian, and I can see why now, and I understand. When you lose someone you care about, it makes you determined to protect the next. I lost my parents and my sister. My brother was taken from me, and I hardly ever got to see him. I could never stop him from leaving and going into dangerous situations. I never knew if he was coming home. When I started looking after Yvette's children, I wanted to protect them from such things. I didn't want them to think of war and death, and I especially didn't want to think about it happening to them. I built my life around them, and I tried to keep them safe." Maybe she didn't know it then, but she can see it now, looking back. "I suppose that is why I couldn't let this go. Since I have been in Sarkin, I can't protect them. I need to know they are alright. I need to see it. This isn't just a marriage celebration. This is Letty securing her safety. If I can't protect her, then I have to make sure that Cyrus can."