The Dragon Prince

Chapter 12

Queen Aquamarine Andry

Church in the Mountains, Morith

I had been back here many times over the last several years, with both Elyas and Zircon. It is the place I go when I need strength, or when I am missing her. I made since that Aohlee would run here. We were dismounting off Hailvory when she gave a sharp jolt and began to be distressed. She quickly formed into Ivory, and for once she held a look of pure horror. "Emerask." She mumbled, looking to the sky, searching. He has escaped.

"No." I stated, and Ivory looked back at me. "I ordered his release."

"Marnie." Elyas said my name with pure shock. "You released Emerask. He is very near wild. Why would you do such a thing? No one can control him."

"That isn't true." I walked over to Elyas taking his hand. "There is one person, other than Felix who can control him, I know it."

I glanced at Ivory, to see a look of curiosity cross her ghostly face. "Marina." I nodded. "Do you truly believe she can control him?"

I shook my head. "No. But he won't hurt anyone anywhere near her, and Nikolas is in the city. He can protect her."

"Why would you release him?" Elyas worried tone caused me to look back at him, taking in the familiar dark eyes of the man that I love.

"Because Marina is the only one who can find him, and she needed a boost of hope." I sighed. "If he flies over us, that could mean he is heading to the Imperial City, to the only person he feels a connection too." I glanced between Ivory and Elyas. "I gave her my Ember Stone, and she bonded herself to it. Now, if she is Felix's true love, Emerask will feel it, and he will be drawn to it. To her. Together, they can find Felix. I don't know why I thought of it earlier."

"You and I both know that it is going to hurt her." Elyas sucked in a breath for a few seconds and let it out in a huff of frustration. "It will burn her, like it did you and I."

"She knows that." I nodded. "She was willing to accept it in the chance of finding Felix. Whatever the future holds for them. If he makes it home or not. If he accepts the crown or not, or even if she renounces and Dominic reclaims. Even if they can't be together in the end. She is taking the chance anyway." I looked to the father of my children. "This is the only hope of finding Felix."

He nodded. "I agree." I missed Felix. I missed my son. My first born. He looked so much like his father, and I assume, where ever he is, that he only grew to look like him even more. As his mother, I knew undoubtedly that I would immediately recognize him when I would see him next, and I knew more than anything that I would see my son again.

"You were right." Ivory stated, and Elyas and I looked at her to see her look up to the sky. A dark shadow quickly passed over us causing me to smile, truly smile, for the first time in years. "He could feel me down here, but he didn't care. He went right past. He is headed towards Vrinian. To Marina."

"Mother?" Hearing a new voice, a voice I recognized as my middle child, I looked away from the sky, and down to my daughter. The last time I had seen her was her wedding. How different she looked now, and not just in appearance. She seemed more reserved, quiet and depressed. I, of course, do not blame her. Her once bright blue eyes, which she had inherited from me, were now grey and slightly red from crying not long ago. She looked thinner as though she hadn't been eating.

"Aohlee." I walked over to her, and before I even hugged her she started crying. I held her in my arms like I had the day she discovered Lewis was dying. She loved him so much, and I hated to see that this was how it ended. It was worse knowing that we went into this knowing the ending already. I put my daughter in this position. I allowed her to marry Lewis. My children were falling apart, and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't fix it. As their mother, I want to protect them, but how can I protect them when they won't let me. They make their own mistakes, but I wish I could keep them from them, or soften the blow.