The Dragon Prince: After the War

6-Claudia

6

Claudia

I suppose being an exile isn't so bad. 

I mean, we have to sleep in sketchy people's inns and I'm sorely missing my hot-brown morning potion, but it's better than being dead. 

"Claudia, could you get me some more wine?" asks a voice. My father.

That's another good thing about my life- I still have my father. Of course, he's the only one I have left, but who needs abandoning mothers and I-will-kill-our-father-and-force-you-to-chose-between-me-and-dad brothers? 

I refill his cup.

Right now, we're in the sketchiest and dirtiest inn of them all. For starters, the whole place looks like it's crumbling down, and these tables sure could do with a good wash. A big step down from being a sort-of princess. That's not mentioning the glasses that look so dusty it seems like they haven't been cleaned in ages and all the hooded figures in every corner avoiding eye contact with each other.

Not that my father and I aren't cloaked, too. The number of signs with my face is almost flattering. It's definitely more than the number of signs with my dad's face, zero. That's the nice part about everyone thinking you're dead- no one looks for you. But, of course, you still have to take precautions. I mean, if someone saw my "dead" dad roaming the streets, it might cause more chaos than if they thought he was alive.

Also, we're still in Xadia, a dangerous place to be if you led the army that was trying to kill the dragon prince and his mother. It's not like we can leave, though. Dad's bug friend is living in a cocoon in a cave near the spire. My dad says we have to stay close, but I wish we could leave.

Not like I'm leaving him.

"What are we waiting for Dad?" I whisper to him. "We could go back to Katolis right now and take back the throne."

He snorted. "Us and whose army? No, we need to wait until he wakes up."

"I suppose you're talking about your bug friend," I answer, slightly irritated.

"Caterpillar," he says quickly. Then he sighs. I've gotten so used to his sighing lately. "It's a pity your brother chose to abandon us. He would have made a valuable asset."

He's been talking more like this lately, forgetting I'm here and just rattling off whatever's on the top of his head. 

"Well, Soren is no brother of mine," I say forcefully. Dad looks up and I think he is taken aback by the anger in my eyes.  Then he smiles a cold smile.

"Of course," he says.

"Dad..." I start. "What is that thing in the cocoon?" I've already asked him this question many times, but maybe it will be different this time. Maybe he'll answer.

No luck. "I have told you, Claudia, he is no concern of yours." His temper is rising. That's not good.

"Okay, okay. Got it."

His face softens. A rare occurrence. "Someday you will know. Someday you will be at the forefront of change."

Something about the way he says it sends a chill down my spine. 

I pretend to yawn. "I'm going up to our room and getting some sleep."

He nods, but his focus is already elsewhere. I wander from the table and up to my room, my hood making my face invisible. Once I'm in my room, I start prepping. I have all the ingredients I need. Just a few steps and I can make a discover  spell and figure out whatever my dad's hiding.

All my ingredients are ready, and I'm about to do the spell when my hands start shaking. I can't do this. My father's all I have left. If I do this, I could lose him too. 

I place the ingredients back into my bag, untouched.