Dragon of the Flames

Chapter 10

Sweet fidgeted. Being queen was one of the most difficult tasks she had ever upheld, ever chosen. It demanded expert concentration and unbound-less resilience. Everything was being put at stake here, the alliance between two powerful kingdoms in a debate that could at any moment turn to war.

Don't speak, don't move, don't blink, and for Edna's sake, don't say a word!, had said Elder Mana.

Sweet was doing exactly that. For Shadow, this would have been a routinely aspect of her life. Listening to the designated delegates converse as she daydreamed about her next flying race or wondered what her friends where doing better with their life than sitting in a fancy chair looking bored out of her mind.

Yet Sweet was not Shadow. This was the first time in her entire existence that she had stood in the Queen's seat and seen everything from this... perspective. Not that she'd ever seen a treaty be discussed in the first place, those things were for royalty and Elders and Her Highness, not for apprentice dragons who had read more books than seen other dragons in her life... like Sweet.

As she stood there and watched the delegates of the dwarves speaking to the crescent of omnipresent Elders and royals by her side, she wondered why she hadn't ever been permitted to attend.

It's not that Sweet was dumb -she was far from that, on the contrary- or unable to understand the courtesy talk of royalty and old dragons, because she understood them all fine. As she saw the dwarves wave their hands and demand more land, more power and more authority over their populace, Sweet realized something greater.

Shadow, used to treaties and probably snoring at the idea of having a conversation longer than five minutes couldn't have even started to see the dominance of the Elders and the Royals on... everyone. Everyday dragons and other beings alike, from Fairies to Fantasy to Freaky. All governed by the Elders, and supposedly The Queen Her Highness of Dragons were at the top.

So why had she been willed to silence if she was The Supreme Power?

Sweet's mind gave her a reply in a blink: They're afraid.

The Elders were afraid of her word. Knowing Shadow, that was a reasonable statement. She wasn't exactly the wittiest, sharpest, slick-tongue dragon out there with her obvious remarks and prickly replies. She was honest and with good intention, but talking for her was... talking. Nothing more.

Looking at Sweet at first glance, it could have been assumed that was the case with her too... but soft spoken and calm did not mean introvert. Sweet dug up literature like a freak. She savored synonyms, experimented expressions, catered quotes, you name it. Words were as important to her as the message they were delivering.

It's as if she was perfectly made for this exact situation... perhaps it was time she broke her will of silence.

"We haveth told thou numerous times our requests yet they haveth o' so many times been dispelled. Thou art oppressing us, when We cannot merely convict a said bandit for his crimes without thee need for Dragon-kind intervention, 'tis becomes ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous, We tell thou...!"

"May my word speaketh forth?" Sweet's voice was a murmur over the obnoxious dwarve's outrage. If it hadn't been for Elder Mana's keen ears, no one would have known Sweet had uttered a word.

"Thy Highness--"

"Thank Thou, Thy Elder Mana."

"But--"

Sweet had earned her approval to speak. It was time to show the delegates the true power of Thy Queen, the power of her carefully woven stories which held the grain of truth and wisdom.

"Dwarf delegates. Thou art all familiar wit' thee famous historic tale o' Kruwell and Diorite, yes?"

The delegates gave her a funny look. Most obviously, they hadn't studied their history enough while they had been busy mining their daily ore out of the mines, and had no clue of what gibberish Sweet was talking about.

"Thee story starts about Kruwell, who t'was a reputable miner. Kruwell had been recently promoted t' Miner-in-Cheif o' thee Luckypotts Mine in southern mountain territory."

Sweet cleared her throat, knowing the illusion of Shadow was surely looking as accurately nervous as she was feeling right now. She continued.

"Kruwell, down yonder, met Thy Diorite, o' small size dragon for an adult, with scales impossible to distinguish if he t'was black with white spots o' white with black spots, thus his name."

"Back in thee days dragons would mercilessly slaughter dwarves t' eat them. 'Tis because o' Kruwell and Thy Diorite that this is no longer thee case."

"Thou see, thee southern mines had reported a dragon hiding in thee tunnels, devouring dwarves working in them. Kruwell went t' investigate and ended up facing Thy Diorite. When asked why he t'was eating thee dwarves, thee dragon started crying. He told Kruwell he had once been a powerful dragon warrior, but an evil witch had cursed him in'ta a mine-dwelling hermit."

"Kruwell, honest and good, did not doubt thee dragon's word and went t' inside thee valley t' find thee witch and lift the curse off thee dragon. After doing so, they both stayed good friends."

"So when thee day came for thee dragons t' need jewels, and for thee gnomes t' need protection against thee increasing amount of thieves and bandits in the valley, Kruwell and Diorite claimed that harmony between our two nations was possible, and fruitful for both parties."

"With this story in mind, We wish for thou to remember that thee Dragon laws enforced upon thy kind art for thy safety, and for thee best of thy people. Signing the treaty can only bring better things for both our nations. Thank you."

With a courteous conclusion, Sweet rested her hindquarters back on the throne, for she had stood up and walked around her entire speech. The dwarves were dumbstruck. Elder Mana was looking at Sweet as if she'd grown a second head. Elder Griffin was smiling proudly.

"We couldn't haveth said that any better ou'self," rumbled the male, turning his head to face the delegates with a calm smile. "Thy Queen has spoken. Our alliance 'tis a privilege, Dwarf-kin. Thou should take it."

The leader of the dwarf delegates hesitated, picked up a feather carefully placed and dipped it in ink. The large treaty was written down for them, and at Sweet's amazement, they signed it without saying another word.

Her speech had worked!