The Dragon Prince

Epilogue

Iron City, Sarkin

1 year later

Once again Sarkin is bursting with delight as the news spreads far and wide of a joyous happening within the Sarkin royal family. Villagers, merchants, and farmers from across the realm of Zoshan gather outside the castle gates in the Iron City, awaiting the smallest glimpse if they are lucky. However, they receive more than a glimpse as the family themselves appear on the main balcony, and the gates open wide, allowing the people to swarm in. They stare up with smiles and cheers as those in the balcony are patient and kind. The Royals wave and beam, and display the newest addition to the family. Prince Karic Andry is his name. He is small and wrapped in a white silk cloth in his mother's arms. His dark eyes wide and amused by the noise. His hair is dark and curled at the tips much like his father's. The child is none other than the son of the King and Queen themselves. Felix and Marina hearts are filled with joy. Standing in front of the King is their daughter, the Heir of Sarkin, Jaymie Dain-Andry. In the year that followed Felix's wedding to Marina, Jaymie had much changed. At eleven years old, she is tall, and as skinny as Felix had been at that age. The tight curls that had given her the look of innocence had flattened slightly into loose waves, and the color brightened to a shade of orange that was unique. Though she cannot see how many people have gathered, she can hear them, but the sound does not frighten her. There is very little that frightens the Heir Princess now. She is strong, courageous, intelligent and every bit as stubborn as her father.

The news of the coming of the child had been a shock to nearly everyone who knows Felix and Marina, but none was more surprised than Jaymie. In the beginning, she had been filled with joy and excitement, as everyone else was, to have a sibling. The child would be someone she could grow up and play with, and teach everything she knew to. As time grew on, however, her subject started to see her quite differently. Rumors spread, and though Felix and Marina tried their hardest to put an end to them, they found their way into Jaymie's mind and into her heart. To some, Jaymie is not seen as the true heir, for she is strange and weak in their eyes, and eventually she had seen herself as just that. As she stands on the balcony, she forces a smile, and gives an occasional wave, but in her mind, she cannot wait to be out of their sight. Out of the sight of those who think she is unworthy. A small voice fills her ears, far quieter than the crowd, and yet it seems to be all that she heard. It calls to her, beckoning her to come. It calls to her by name. Though she wants to go to it, she knows she has to wait.

A group has joined Felix and Marina on the balcony just behind them. The Former King and Queen, Elyas and Aquamarine, the grandparents to the new little boy, are among this group. Pure pride is visible on their faces. Behind them is their General Ivory, standing as ghostly white as ever, with silver armor that glistened in the sunlight like a diamond. Ivory shares her own prideful smile, as she, the dragon Hailvory, was present in the hatching of Karic's baby dragon, Cleamond. Ivory had shared a memory of a dragon she once knew that was a twin in appearance to the new little dragon. His scales are clear in color, with shapes like crystals and sharp as the edges of diamonds. His body beneath is black as Onyxark. However, Cleamond is a dragon of light, and the cells making up his skin illuminate in darkness. As a result, the little dragon glows. Next to Ivory stands Elyas' personal guard Asher, with dark skin and dark eyes. For the past year, Asher has been training to control his human form, and can now speak in longer sentences and withstand the form for nearly twelve hours before returning to his dragon form of Ebonash. Behind Felix is his brother Jasper, who looks as pale as usual, and one can nearly visibly see the demons that threaten him in the darkness of his world. Next to him, his wife Mickaela stands with their three children. Little Alyssia will be celebrating her third birthday in the coming months, as will her twin elder brothers, Alfred and Ederick, who will be turning seven. What Jasper lacks, Mickaela makes up for with smiles and waves, and encourages her children to do the same, occasionally bending down to them and mumbling something with a smile.