The Dragon King's Bride

Chapter 14 : Anticipated Freedom

Zofia was gone. 

The castle was empty and quiet. The coldness could be felt as it reached from the walls and into the kingdom. Winter was there, snow was falling, Draegon's heart was cold with the distance between him and his mate. 

Draegon stood beside Niklaus as the worried people stood below them. Women had their hands twisted together and men stood with their brows furrowed. 

It had been a week since she had left. 

"It is with great remorse that I, King Draegon, bring the news to you, the people of Caledon." He paused, uncertain about the script that was written for him. "Your beloved queen Zofia is terribly ill." Draegon finished, trying to compose his angered trembling. He nearly growled as he gritted his teeth together. He cleared his throat. There was a sob in the audience, and a few soft cries of worry. Of course, now that she was gone she was everyone's favorite. It was Nik's idea, to tell the people that she was sick. Mephis and Draegon agreed to it, because that way they could keep it hidden that she had run away. If she didn't return, if they were certain that she wouldn't, then they would say that she had died. They had sent a crier out to tell the people that their king would address them, they had gathered in a buzz that had died down as soon as the somber faces stepped up to greet tem. Draegon took a deep breath as he stood back. 

"What about cleaning up the old sector?" Someone in the crowd asked. 

"The queen's project will continue in her absence." Draegon answered. He ran his fingers through his hair and let Garison step in between him and the crowd. "If this life fails, there is always the next." He reminded himself in a whisper as Niklaus took the crowd on instead. 

"What's wrong with her?" They shouted. "When will she be better?" A voice joined in. 

"We are not sure what ails her, but we are confident that she will soon be her normal self." He lied, but he was failing at keeping it together. He had thought that she was going to be leaving with him, but she hadn't. She had left all on her own. Something must be wrong with her, he thought. She had gone off on her own and left him. 

Zofia was enjoying her time on the road, except for when she got mugged. She had nothing to give the robber. Instead she offered to start a fire on which he could cook his rabbit. He ended up sharing with her and they shook hands and parted ways with smiles. She had a plan in mind of where she wanted to go, even though the horse had a completely different plan. Zofia fought with Steve the stallion for the whole first week before she caved and let him have his way. She was close to starving and she needed his help. He was all she had to talk to on the cold and quiet roads, all warmth she had to cling to. He kept her sane, till he no longer listened. She shuddered and hung on him like a tattered rag, listening to his hooves as he insisted they to somewhere only he knew about. 

Draegon stared out of the window as if he could see the people in town, as if he would see Zofia among them. The snow was starting to fall. Behind him Mephis and Niklaus were interrogating Juniper, prodding her for answers. Garison stood by the wall as if he was just a statue clad in black. Dex sat at the desk, taking notes.

"Do you know where she could have gone?" Nik asked her gently. Juniper had been in tears since the moment she had heard that Queen Zofia was gone. 

"No, I don't know. I thought you would know." Juniper sniffled into her white handkerchief. Nik lowered his head at that, ashamed that he in fact didn't know. "She said that you had been friends with her for a long time."

"She doesn't know the kingdom. She's been in this part of Caledon all her life. I would say she's never seen a map, but she was so studious, she must know." Nik said to the five other people in the room, trying to think long and hard about where she could be. He hadn't told a soul that she was going to be leaving with him before she ran off all on her own.