A Dragons Mate

16

Maddie watched as the sun went down and hovered within the trees. Leaning up against her bed post, she wondered what Kyle was doing. It had been quit a bit since she last saw him, and he looked like he had fun with her people. But there was something in his eyes that just caught her and made her wonder. 

Wrapping her arms around it, she swinged from one side and landed on her mattress. Her face lay looking to the door. Due to being deep within the forest, the trees where much higher and a bit more dense then they where around the Dragonlights kingdom. But the trees allowed shad and free lumber, which helped since they where so far from any other form of light.

"Maddie, dear. Time to wake u...." Her mother started but then trailed off as she look at her daughter on the bed. 

"You ok, hun?" she asked. Maddie just buried her face back in the bed and groaned. Her mother had a small look of confussion and disgust. But then sat on the bed and watched the sunset from the window. 

Once the sun was mainly set, her mother fall back onto the bed, her hair falling on top of Maddie's head. She turned her face to find her daughter blowing off the tufts of hair in her line of sight. She smiled and laughed. 

"Now, why is my usually perky daughter all in a fuss? Shouldnt you be celebrating, your birthday is coming up soon," Her mother started to ask her. Maddie sat up and brushed her "night"shirt  down. 

"I dont know. Maybe its because of everything going on," She said. Her mother looked confused. Not much had been going on. Except for....

"Your in love with the Dragonlight!!!!!?????" her mother squeeled. Maddie jumped and covered her mothers mouth before anything worse came through it. Placing a finger on her lips to show her mother to be quiet, they nodded their head in agreement and maddie moved her hand. 

"No I dont think thats it mom. And his name is Kyle by the way. You said you knew him," She said crossing her arms under her bust. Her mother shrugged her shoulders. 

"I did. But me calling him that isnt like an insult or anything, it is what he is. Besides, I'm pretty sure if his kind knew that we where alive they would be saying the exact same thing, just Dark Reigns instead. Dont take it too much to heart sweetie," She said before getting up and patting down her skirts. 

"Come down for something to eat, ok?" She said before walking out and closing the door. Maddie didnt have time to argue with her mother, especially over something as small as this. Maddie knew this would come one day, but she always assumed that her mate would be the one she fell for, and not someone who drove her people out of civilization. 

Taking a big breath in, she sighed and walked over to her closet. getting changed into a midnight blue top and skirt that just came above the knees. She then placed her black flats on and then undid her hair from the bun she had it in and did a braided crown with parts of her bangs flowing and framing her face.

Practically skipping down the stairs, Maddie had a bit of a better mood then when she woke up, well to be honest she never really went to sleep. Too much was going through her mind. Including what she "discussed" earlier on. 

Walking in through the kitchen, she snatched a muffin from a basket causing a small but fun stir from the bakers and chefs. Course it didnt mean much to them, she never did it to cause trouble. But just as she stepped out of the kitchen into the dining hall, she noticed a look of seriousness from her parents that sort of dampened the mood. 

A baker opened the door and snatched the muffin from Maddie's hand and snuck back into the kitchen. Maddies hands folded in front of her as she walked towards the table where her parents where reading something. Judgeing by the look on their face it had to be either something important or something disterbing. 

She slowed her pace and sat in a seat directly across from her father, hands still folded nicely in her lap.

Her mother looked up  at her and all Maddie could do was see a type of sadness in her eyes. Maddie feared the worst, such as they had been found out or someone important had died. Her father "coughed" in order to get her attention back to him. 

"Maddie, it is about time that we talk about you coming of age," Her father said. Last time she heard a conversation that started off like this was when she was 13, and that was embarassing.

"Darling, a letter from the house of Benton has asked for your hand in marraige," Her mother said looking down on the table. Maddie's face froze at the thought of marriage, especially with all that happened and all that she realized this morning.

"House of Benton?" She asked. While she had only heard of it in passing she knew nothing about them.

"Yes, their second son has fallen for you and has asked to meet you and discuss a wedding," Her father said handing her the paper. 

"A wedding, so soon?" she said. She looked over the paper and couldnt believe her eyes. Running a hand up her face she looked to her parents for guiding. 

Her mother just looked to her husband and stood up and walked away. Maddie couldnt believe what she was looking at, a proclamation of love? Doubtful. While most weddings where fast, it was usually to get some advantage, except for people in her kingdom, they where usually out of forbidden love. Which was then accepted later on. 

She gave the paper back to her father and stood up and started to pace. 

"Father, dont you find this suspicious? Especially with how fast they wanted a wedding?" She asked. 

He nodded his head. "Yes my dear, but what can we do. You as a princess need to get married sometime. And if we stall all these letters we are getting about you, then it would seem like we are hiding something, correct?" He asked. She nodded her head. The last thing she would want to do it place her parents in a difficult position. More so then she already did while running off into the woods and among the people. 

"Very well then," she said sounding upset. She needed a friend to talk to. Lord Rondelle would be someone to talk to. As the thought of him crossed her mind, she noticed that he wasn't around as much as he used to be. She figured that she would visit him as soon as she could sneak out of the palace. But as she said that, a dark raven came and pecked at the window. Her father didnt seem to know or hear it. 

She pointed towards her room. She snuck out of the room with her father and charged up stairs to her own window to let the creature in. Being part dragon, most of the Dark Reigns could talk to animals, assuming they tried hard enough. 

"what is going on little friend?" She said petting its head. It shook away her hand and started to caw. 

She listened intently and placed a hand over her mouth, feeling her tears well up in her eyes. She paced some more and then walked to her writing deak and started to scribble out a message. 

"I know this is a challenging time, but please send this to Prince Kyle, of the Dragonlights. Its very important," she said the tears coming down her face even more. 

The raven grabbed the note in its beak and flew off to find the princes castle. Maddie collapsed on her floor, but without changing. she grabbed a dark cloak and then ran off in the direction of a cave. 

Rondelle's Cave.