Wings of Fire One Shot Book

Ruby Embers: Part 2

So when I first wrote this part, I was thinking of a 5-shot. It is now at least a 7-shot. At least.

I will warn you, this part does not have a lot of shippy-moments in it. But I love this part anyway, so tell me what you think about it.

2101 words

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For three months, Ember trained. Hard. He barely saw his father anymore and more than half the time he woke up with aches in places he didn't even know he had muscles.

Still, even he could see the difference in his body at the end of those three months. His muscles were more defined and he could lift things that looked impossible just a few weeks ago.

He never saw Ruby once during training. But soon enough, she became the general of the SkyWing army and Ember became the newest soldier.

That's when the fun started.

It wasn't that he didn't respect Princess Ruby. In fact, it was almost exactly the opposite. Ember respected her too much to let her be squashed under her mother's plans for the army. He knew commands such as the ones she was giving didn't come from her. Ruby would never be so cruel.

So every time she gave an order, he countered it. The first time he did so, he was especially rewarded with scandalized expressions on the soldiers' faces.

"Our scouts have reported IceWings and SandWings approaching the SkyWing territory. We will sneak up on them and attack before they even know what's happening. We must take as many prisoners as possible for Queen Scarlet's arena." Ruby said.

Ember spoke up."Your generalness," he said carelessly. "Why do we need those prisoners?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes at him. "Those are your orders. Are you really being so impertinent as to question them?"

He pretended to think for a moment. "Hmm... I suppose the answer to that is yes."He heard many scandalized gasps from all around him and grinned.

"Yes, I am questioning the validity of those orders. Why do we need to take those dragons as prisoners if they're going to die anyway? It would be so much more merciful if we just killed them on the battlefield. Spare them the pain."

Ruby opened and closed her mouth, and she looked over at him with a sheepish grin. "Actually, that's what I think too, but these are my orders from the Queen and I can't disobey them. Just do as you're told, soldier."

"Technically she can't even kill you since you're her only heir and- SHUTTING UP NOW," he said hastily when he saw her warning glare.

"Take only the most important dragons as prisoners. Generals, ascending soldiers, and royalty. Mother- that is, Queen Scarlet only wants the most thrilling dragons to fight in her arena."

Ember looked up in surprise when he heard the hint of disgust in her voice when she said that. He knew the orders she gave were not her own, but he was still startled when she sounded loathing of her mother and her playthings. Most of the nobility practically lived in the arena in order to see the fights.

But maybe, just maybe, Ruby didn't hide in her room because she was shy. Maybe she hid there because she hated her life as the queen's daughter.

The realization struck him. He had known Ruby since she hatched. Not very personally, of course, but since her mother rarely took an interest in her, the palace staff was forced to raise her for the first two years or so, until his best friend, Princess Tourmaline grew up enough to take care of her sister.

Five- year- old Ember himself had entertained the small dragonet when she was bored- which, to be honest, was most of the time.

But she looked so much like her mother that he and the other staff thought she acted like her and shared all of her ideas and thoughts.