Legends of Lux

Chapter Two

The photo above isn't exactly what the dragons look like, but it shows their size perfectly. So if you were wondering how big they are, that's it.

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Entering the grand dining hall, Ashlyn scanned the room. Seated at the head of the long table was her father, as usual. To his left sat Gareth, and around the rest of the table sat the royal advisors. The seat on the right of her father was empty, waiting for her. When the guards announced her presence everyone looked up to see her. A few of the advisors smiled politely while others maintained a face of neutrality. Gareth smirked his usual smirk at her and she glared in return. Her hatred for him wasn't well known, but she occasionally reached the point where she couldn't hide it.

    "Ashlyn, my dear, how are you?" He father asked, although judging by his tone he didn't care much. He hadn't cared about anything but power since her mother died.

    "I am well father, and you?" She put as much kindness into the words as she could. Although she knew it was unlikely, she still tried to spark some of the father she used to know in him. The one who visibly loved her and showed affection.

    "Fine, dear." He replied, already bored with the conversation. "Now come, sit. I must tell you some important news." The page had been right, he must finally be revealing who he declared war on.

    As she sat, she noticed just how hungry she was and began to eat the food in front of her. The castle chefs were incredibly talented, and she wasn't disappointed with her dinner.

    "Child," King Rupert began. "I am sure you are already well aware that we are at war. However, I am under the impression that no one has informed you of who, exactly, we are at war with. Correct?" She nodded, chewing the last bites of her food.

"Well, let's change that, shall we? Ashlyn my darling, we are officially at war with the dragons of the Misty Mountains." The satisfied smile on his face told her he wasn't kidding.

"Wha-what? Father, you can't be serious?" She stammered, dumbstruck. Dragons were powerful creatures that could kill a mortal in a matter of seconds. They were the also incredibly large in their dragon form. Ashlyn recalled seeing one that looked about as big as a the large barn they kept the palace horses in. One swish of a tail or snap of a jaw and a person was reduced to nothing more than a corpse, and that wasn't even including their fire. It took at least ten humans to take down a single dragon. A war against them, well it was suicide!

"For what reason have you declared war." Although clearly annoyed by her previous statement, the king seemed all too eager to answer her question.

"That is the question, isn't it." He chuckled darkly. "Well, the answer is quite simple, I want to capture them. We will have whole paddocks full of dragons! Imagine it Ashlyn, imagine having your very own dragon!" He sounded so proud and excited. It was the most joy he had showed in years. Still, what he was suggesting was beyond wrong. Not only was it cruel to the dragons, but she knew it would be bloody for them as well. There was no way they would submit by choice, force would be used. The thought terrified her.

"Father this is wrong. We've been at peace with the dragons for centuries! Why ruin it now? What you are planning is cruel, can't you see-"

"ENOUGH!" He yelled. "I will not tolerate this! I am your father, Ashlyn, and the king. You listen to what I say, I do not take orders from you!" Although she wanted to argue, she held her tongue.

Gareth, being the wretched person he is, took this as the perfect moment to join the conversation.

"Your Majesty, don't mind your daughter. She is under a lot of stress right now, with all the suitors competing for her attention. Besides, she is only a woman. Everyone else adores your plan! The dragons will bow to us, my friend, and we will rule everything." By the time he finished, his eyes had developed a far away look. Ashlyn could only imagine the horrible ideas he had when it came to "ruling everything." She shuddered.

Her father, however seemed completely taken in by Gareth's words. He let out a deep laugh and smiled at his "friend".

"You're quite right Gareth. The men all think I'm right, and that's what matters. My beloved Ashlyn is just a girl, she couldn't possibly understand." Ashlyn was disgusted. How dare they talk about her like that!

"Father, may I be excused?" She asked haughtily.

"What? Oh yes, of course." He waved her off, clearly uninterested as he launched into a conversation with Gareth. She left the room as fast as she could, wanting to distance herself from all the horrible things she had just heard. What her father was planning was madness. She knew he had changed in the last ten years, but this? As she made her way back to her room there was a single thought going through her mind; she was going to help the dragons and stop her father.

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Well, there we go! I wonder who will make the first move, the humans...or the dragons? Guess you'll have to wait and see!

I'm so pumped to write this story! I have a lot of things planned that should be coming up really soon, so keep your eyes peeled for another update!

-Amberly