Dragon Twins (Pending rewrite)

Chapter 18

Aden

KIARA JOLTED awake. She groaned and rubbed her head with a claw tipped hand.

"Good, you're awake," I said. Her slitted eyes glared daggers at me. She crossed her arms and waited for me to speak. I tried not to stare too long at the flat chest she had crossed her arms over.

"Um..." I did not think this through. "I wanted to... Um... Wanted to know... Why you wanted me to keep the magic a secret."

Her eyes lit up in amusement. She was definitely enjoying this.

I let out an aggravated sigh, "We need to figure out how to fix this," I gestured at her body. "before you're crowned."

"What if we can't?" Her foreign language shocked both of us. It was a guttural sound that I somehow had been able to understand.

"You talked!" I exclaimed. Not that I thought anyone else would be able to understand her.

The shock wore off her quickly. "Answer my question. What if we can't?"

And that was it, I didn't exactly know. There's no history books on shapeshifting kings and queens. No mention of any shifting, except in the Prophecy, but that doesn't explain how it's happening.

"I- I don't know, Kiara." Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. The Crowning was still weeks away, but I felt my magic grow stronger and stronger as my birthday grew closer. As our birthday grew closer.

"I think it's best you go then." Her dismissal hurt, but I nodded.

Outside her room, I told the soldier standing guard, "Let no one in this room. The princess is not feeling well, and wishes to be left alone."

He saluted, "I shall guard her with my life, Your Highness."

I nodded, and left to find Marcus. I found him chatting with some court ladies in a hallway.

He noticed me and smiled, "Ah, Your Highness, nice of you to join us." He bowed, and the ladies who noticed me curtsied. Innocent faces stared back me.

I joined in on the act. "Marcus, you know to call me Aden." Now, I'm not the flirtatious type, but whatever I say, the ladies seem to swoon over.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Your Highness," a lady who's name I could not remember said. She hung on to Marcus's arm.

The lady on his other side said, "We were just talking to His Lord about this new girl we've seen around the castle." She fanned herself in mock embarrassment, "I'd say she's the fairest looking one here. Her void black hair looks as if it could swallow men whole. Oh! And those adoring green eyes, they look exactly like yours, Your Highness."

Of course, I knew they were talking about Kiara. I'd bet she got that sort of gossip about her anywhere. She was beautiful, even as a dragon.

The third lady chimed in, "I heard she was a foreign lady from a different country." I almost choked when she said that. Kiara was most definitely not foreign. I don't think she'd really consider herself a lady either.

Marcus looked up, trying to hide his amusement.

"You have met her, haven't you, Your Highness?" the second lady asked.

"Ah- Er, of course I have."

The first lady came closer. "Is she betrothed? If not, I think she'd make a fabulous queen in the future."

I couldn't hold up for that one. I burst out in laughter. All three of the ladies looked at me, shocked.

"Why should you laugh at such a manner, Your Highness?"

Trying to calm down, I replied, "Trust me when I say, there is no way we would be getting married." I mentally facepalmed as I said that.

"Ooh, does that mean she's hiding something?"

"Does she have a dark secret?"

"Is she a spy working for the-"

Marcus interrupted, "If you'll excuse us, I think my buddy, Aden and I need to have a little chit chat." The ladies curtsied, and he and I walked away.

Once we were out of earshot, Marcus exclaimed, "You were bloody brilliant back there!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Now everyone will know that we have an undercover spy working for us."

He patted me on the back, "No wonder you're never able to find a mate. You're so awkward, when there's talk about finding you bride."

"Soon, I won't have to worry about finding one, because I won't be the Crown Prince." I doubt Kiara was too happy about it. She doesn't seem like the type to fall in love with a picked out lord or prince.

"Let's leave that all behind for now," Marcus said. "I've got a meeting in a couple of minutes, and I'm sure you're supposed to be in one right now."

Together, we made our way to the impending doom.