The Blood's Flame (The Dragons of Flareia Book 1)

Chapter 26 - Olivier

The Palace of Sand

26th Year of the Ocean

Last Day of the Third Moon

Olivier jumped awake at the sound of someone banging on her door. Her head thudded painfully against Kylan's, who groaned and opened his eyes, scrunching them closed again as they were met with the harsh morning sunlight.

"Crown Princess!" Yelled the person at her door. A guard, she realised. She scrambled to her feet, forcing Kylan awake. She could hear yelling throughout the palace grounds. She could smell smoke. When she glanced behind her across the sea beyond the balcony, she saw enemy ships docked – and more coming. She yanked the door open.

"Are the people safe?" She asked. "Has the city been evacuated?"

The guard nodded. "There are various evacuation centres around the city where the people are staying. A mile radius around the palace is entirely void of Ivenstrans entirely."

"And my family?" She pressed. "Flae?"

"We are rounding everyone up now – the palace walls have been breached."

"And you didn't think to mention that earlier?" Kylan asked, appearing at her shoulder.

The guard's eyes widened as they took in the Umbrassi Dragonheir. "Sorry, Lord Dragonheir, the Crown Princess had questions—"

"Lymphario, where is Lymphario?" She asked.

But before the guard could speak, her dragon was answering. He's trying to push back the remaining ships. Lymphario grumbled. The city may well be saved if even half the fleet gets shipwrecked.

For the love of the tide, stay safe. She begged him.

The same to you, Olivier.

"My mother." Olivier interrupted the guard again, who had been explaining the same as Lymphario. "Get her out first. She should have been evacuated with the rest of the people, she cannot fight—"

"I believe she was in her parlour."

Olivier cursed under her breath. Queen Illeya's favourite parlour was on the ground floor, looking out onto the Palace Beach. She shouldered past the guard and ran. She heard both the guard and Kylan calling after her, but she refused to stop. She didn't need their protection, but Queen Illeya needed hers.

Compared to how quiet and empty the palace had been the night before, having sent most of the staff to the evacuation centres with the other Ivenstrans, it was now alive – but not in a way that Olivier was familiar with. Avalonian soldiers filled the main hall, grappling with those sent from Umbrassé. Swords clashed and cries filled the air – cries of pain, anger, passion. And Olivier was about to willingly run into the middle of it all. She watched an Avalonian soldier fall, his blood staining the tiled floor. The Umbrassi who had defeated him turned and yelled something to one of his comrades – in the direction of Illeya's parlour.

Olivier stayed crouched behind the staircase's half-wall and watched in horror as the Avalonian soldiers were pushed further and further back towards the throne room, until all that remained in the main hall were bodies. She didn't realise she was crying until a tear landed on her arm that was wrapped around her knees. She hastily wiped the tears away and scrambled down the stairs, freezing when she reached the centre of the hall. There she counted twenty fallen Avalonians and fifteen Umbrassi. She choked back a sob as she recognised all twenty of the men. She wondered if Kylan could have identified any of the Umbrassi.