Queen Celeste is busy doing the court work left by her husband, it is late in the evening yet her love is not yet arriving, he promised her that he will be back before supper, but up until now no signs of king Eragor in Rausten's castle can be found.
She's starting to worry now, all she knew is that her love will go on a hunting and will be accompany by sir Eddard, something must've gone wrong.
Her meeting with Rausten's royal council is adjourned, Celeste decided to go in the throne room and wait her husband there. While walking she reminisce a picture of her husband together with her only daughter Linde, playing in the castle gardens chasing each other laughing--- she smiled at the thought of it such beautiful picture that she will cherish forever.
She came back to her senses when she realize that she's already in the throne room,
the room walls have many intricate carvings of dragons flying in the sky, many tapestry hanging on the walls embroidered with dragons, the high ceiling is painted by the draco constellation and the room was lit of a big chandelier with many candles.
Celeste tiringly sit in her throne, Rausten's throne is quite uncomfortable since it is made of an old birch tree roots, the roots is entangled and form in a shape of throne,
they believe that a throne made of birch root will guide every king and queen who sits with it, the wisdom of the draco constellation.
The room was quiet and still, abruptly Celeste heard a clanging of an armor in a hurried footsteps,
the opening of the door echoed in the silent throne room and brings to her a messenger drench in sweat and panting for his breath.
" Your highness, I bring grave news from the west, Queen Galadriel whishes to talk to you as soon as possible."
The moment she heard of the west, Eragor is the first thing that comes to her mind, her heart is now beating fast, nervous of the thought of such grave news this messenger brings.
" Go on messenger, what is this grave news that make you run hurriedly here. "
She can't wait hearing the news, village Vale is in the west and Eragor plans to hunt there a long time because of its famous tree horned deer.
" A messenger from Highgarden arrive here saying that the village of Vale near the Faun mountain, is now desolated, all the townsfolk there is dead, the corpse is drained and its like no traces of soul can be found in their bodies. "
Celeste's hands are now sweating, who would do such wretch in Rausten's land, aside from this she's also worrying about her love.
" And what of my husband? I presume that he's in the Vale today for hunting. "
The messenger took a deep breath before uttering the news, that will surely shock the queen.
" My condolences queen Celeste, but king Eragor is also found dead the same way as the townfolks, all the royal knights of Rausten including sir Eddard died. "
Tears started falling on queen Celeste's green eyes, how could this be happened, her love is now dead---- trembling to speak still Celeste manage to form her composure,
there is a room for grieving but not now, once the news of Eragors death spread throughout Grado, Thorum or maybe other small kingdoms will be interested in Rausten's political power.
" Immediately summon maester knoll and princess Linde here in the throne room, I need to talk to them as soon as possible. "
the latter quickly bid his good bye and hurriedly go, she couldn't think any person having grudge for her love,
although Thorum is not an ally still their kingdom have a peace treaty that was signed by both kings of the kingdom.
Celeste slowly caress the bright aquamarine amulet in her neclace,
" The stone must be safe, no matter what happen it must be safe. "
Moment later after she have talked to maester knoll and her daughter Linde, she decided to go in the ancient birch tree at the center of the garden of castle Rausten.
There she will meet her friend queen Galadriel of Highgarden, she is a ghaila with special ability of illusion,
Galadriel can send her illusions in any dimensions as long as it have an affinity with nature, that is the reason why they can talk even though their kingdom is miles away from each other.
Rausten's garden is quite big, it have many medicinal herbs, beautiful flowers of different kinds and trees, although the garden seems gloomy at night, the garden blooms its beauty as the shine rises.
The thick fog makes it hard to go to the ancient birch tree, but Celeste did not seem to mind it,
the stone that she uses is not an ordinary dragon stone, it belongs to the Royal family of Rausten;
the Coal stone, only the king can be able to use it, the power it posses is extreme burst of flames that once a person is burn with it, the pain won't go away,
the aura stone, only the queen can use this dragon stone, its power makes the holder heightened her senses and can see through the life of others.
She stop at her tracks and raise her hands palm open, a peculiar stone floats within her hands, glowing in a aquamarine color, small breezes of wind surrounds the stone and underneath the stone is a small magic circle written with runes.
The fog is a defensive wall that surrounds the ancient birch tree, only the air stone's power can be used to pass through the fog wall,
Celeste ordered the stone to use its power to pass through, a beam of light emitted in the stone and hit the thick fog, slowly the fog subside.
She walk a little further and saw in the mana pool is her friend Galadriel watching the flow of mana in tree roots.
" Why do you want to talk to me Galadriel? I already know the news about Eragor. "
Galadriel still watches the mana pool, even though she's a hundred year old, her beauty still remains with those long blond curls, bright blue eyes and an elegance of any royal in the continent, indeed she is truly a queen.
" Were not talking about Eragors death, its about the dark energy emitting from the east, such darkness that is full of evil and abomination. "
Celeste becomes more curious about what she heard from her friend, if she senses a dark energy, then it must be too strong to be able to get Galadriels attention.
" Does it have something to do with what happened in the village of Vale? If truly an opposing darkness is rising then, we must protect our people and the stones of life. "
" My scouts reported that during the attack of the village, there stood a stranger dressed in a cloak with a symbol of a blazing eye. "
She become stiff hearing the symbol of the blazing eye, that symbol is very familiar to her, the grim of hell is what they called it,
a symbol of the dark mages practicing fell magic, that almost destroy Grado eons ago.
BINABASA MO ANG
A Dragon's Melancholy
FantasíaThe kingdom of Rausten is near to its downfall, along with the three great houses of the continent of Grado. Chaos engulfed the whole land leaving traces of scorched villages, stained bloods and rotting flesh. The peace of the land is in the hands o...
