A Crown of Gold

Faye

I stood with my forearms rested on the balcony railing. The sun was high and the sky cloudless, a perfect day for flying. I took a deep breath, the ocean air filling my lungs pleasantly. I chewed on my bottom lip, the weight in my coat pocket not going unnoticed. I sighed, reaching into the material to pull out the token I'd taken from the cave. The ruby caught the sun in an elegant glimmer, it's red color reflecting back onto my face. I smiled down at it, the small piece of me. I missed the cave, and our lives there, but that time felt far too close to the life I'd led before dragons. The idea of still dwelling in the tiny village I'd grown up in sent a shiver down my spine.

As I studied the ruby's curves, the memory of Nan came back to me. The small stone she'd given me just a few days before I'd been taken by Sephraim, colors to match Darius. I hadn't thought about it since then, till the little ruby the same size rested in my palm. Had she known? Nan always did claim to have traits of a Visionary. I hoped she had known, maybe then some of the guilt that still lingered for leaving could be relieved. 

I closed my eyes, shaking my head a little. No matter how hard I tried, the past always seemed to creep itself into my thoughts. If it kept up, I was sure I'd lose my mind. 

...

"Just come with." Darius pleaded. I huffed, throwing my elbow over my eyes to shade them from the sun. Suddenly the warmth from it disappeared, the cooling sensation of shade replacing it. I cracked an eye open, Darius's chest blocking the sun from view. I groaned, using my palms to push myself up into a sitting position. Darius moved, the sun pouring out over the courtyard again. 

"They ask for you all the time," he tried. "And the girls have dresses they've made for you."

I sighed, "I know, I know. I just don't like all the decorum of it when I go." I explained. "The bowing is a little much."

Darius scoffed, "You would be the only person to resent being treated like royalty."

I forced myself to my feet, my one eye closed and the other squinted from the piercing sunlight as I gazed up at Darius. "Fine, I'll go, but only because I'm bored out of my mind staying here."  I said, placing my hands on my hips. 

Darius grinned triumphantly. I rolled my eyes, approaching him and hauling myself up onto his back. The flight wasn't long, a few minutes at most--the coastal view not a bad one to look at as we made our journey. When we landed in the same town I'd been dubbed 'Queen of the Sky', the  townspeople flooded from their homes and workplaces to greet us. The women immediately came to me when my feet touched the ground, leading me away from Darius and into the bustling, mid-day happenings of their town. The men gave little bows of respect as I passed. I looked over my shoulder, glaring at Darius who only smirked in return. 

Two of the women held my hands as they guided me to sit in a well padded and fur-covered chair. "Sit, sit, our queen," one said with a grin. I smiled lightly, shaking my head, "I'm no queen."

The woman's smile never faltered, "To us, you are queen." 

Darius you will never hear the end of this, I scolded through our link. Each of the women began laying different fabrics in boxes at my feet, some others held out elaborate necklaces for me to see. "I make beautiful dress for you, Sky Queen," a woman with long, dark hair that flowed in a braid down her back said. "You like red?"

I nodded, smiling at her, "Matches my eyes." 

All of the women laughed in a flurry of giggles. I wasn't used to this kind of attention, especially not from women. The feeling was warming, whether welcoming or suffocating, I couldn't decide.