They sign the treaty in blood at midnight after going over every section, down to the smallest details. The two Kings despise one another, but they manage to tolerate each other for hours in a single confined room.
In those hours, I should have been packing what few belongings I have; instead, I spend the time outside. All I have are the clothes I am wearing.
I used to have other belongings, but I learned long ago that I would never see them again.
I know my belongings have been thrown away or stolen by my sisters and the maids. I have nothing left to remember my mother by. I want something of hers, I care for nothing else that has been lost – old clothes or children’s toys.
I should enjoy the last bits of cool air as I hear the land of the Fire Dragons is hot, the ground sometimes even catching fire on its own from the sun. For an Ice Mage like me, it will be silent torture and hell. I normally despise the icy air, but I believe I will eventually miss it.
I can’t help but wonder why the King chose me yet again, these thought never leave me.
I wish I could read his expressions and thoughts, but without sight, I cannot see his face. I don't know anyone who can read minds. I will never know his reasons for choosing me. If I ask, he will lie. Besides, does it really matter?
What do I know about him? Very little…
I know the army of Dragons at the borders finally retreated when they received word from the King. I can imagine the bloodthirsty men not being happy with his decision. I wonder what their reactions will be on discovering he is bringing home an Ice Mage for a bride… Perhaps they will be confused, happy… Or angry.
And upon their King’s return, what faces will they show him? What faces will they have on seeing me, their future disabled Queen?
Perhaps being blind is a blessing. I will never see their looks of disgust or hatred. However, I will hear their words, I am sure they will not hold their tongues. Maybe initially they will, but eventually, given time, they will not be shy with their thoughts.
It is already well past midnight and soon, I will be amongst the Dragons and in the lands they rule. The lands I will soon be ruling. Shortly, I will be around those who hate me for different reasons. I don’t have anyone to bid farewell to; my absence will not be missed by a single person. Even those in the tower will not miss me. Maybe they won’t even realize that I am gone.
I am traveling on horseback with one of my father’s men to the border. It is the first time I have ridden on a horse; though, I am not alone, the man sits behind me, guiding us to our destination.
I decide that the experience is enjoyable. The beast is warm, his fur long and coarse, and his heart thunders in his chest as we ride.
The sound is reassuring and pleasant. His breathing is heavy but not labored. He is working hard, the pounding of his hooves against the ground grows louder as the land changes and is rockier than I expected.
I weave my fingers through the fur. The beast is big. Big… Not as big as a Dragon, but still large.
It is too bad I will never see my surroundings and experience the world in different colors as others do. I will never see the sun rise or set, the flowers blooming, the snow falling, or even my person. I feel like an empty vessel with no face or personality compared to the many others I am surrounded by.
Sight is everything to them, even to the person I ride with, and I’m sure even to the Dragon King.
I wish magic existed to cure me, to make me see again. As a child, my mother would tell me grand stories, fairy tales, to make me hopeful about magic which could cure anything, even my blindness.
My curse makes me think too much. I am so caught up in my thoughts and memories, I didn’t realize we have stopped riding. I am hoisted down from the horse, all without a word being spoken to me.
The horse paws at the ground with its hoof, loud snorts expel from his nostrils, impatient to be moving again. My feet are stationed on the earth, while my heart races. Everything is moving so fast that I am struggling to get my thoughts together.
I hear a snap of the reins and feel the spray of small pebbles pelting my dress as the horse turns and gallops off, leaving me all alone. I listen for a long while until I can no longer hear it, which tells me I am finally by myself.
I listen carefully for any signs of life around me, but I hear absolutely nothing. The air is still and vacant of even winds. I try to control my fear, but I am unable to. I panic and start walking, hoping to hear signs of life. Someone who can help me.
This is the very first time I have been left alone for a long time. No, if I am honest, this is the first time I have been completely alone. I have always been surrounded by people, even if separated by stone walls. I could hear the noises of their life from talking to breathing. This silence is comforting in a way.
I have no idea what is coming next, but I recall the Dragon King’s words of wanting me at the border by dawn for him. I assume or maybe hope that it is almost dawn. I didn’t want to be left alone; even a terrifying Dragon is better than no one...
I click my tongue each time I step forward to get a feeling of where I am. It seems that there is no life here around me, no trees, birds, animals, nothing but stretches of barren land. Even the smallest of life has magic, and there is nothing here.
My heart pounds faster with worry, but I reassure myself that everything will be fine. Yet deep down, I knew nothing will ever be okay again. I am putting false hopes in my head like my dead mother, so long ago, gave me one that my vision will be cured with miraculous magic.
After walking aimlessly for what seems like hours, I stop wandering. If I go too far, will the Dragon King find me, or maybe someone besides him? Someone or something wishing me harm?
The Dragon King obviously does not care for his new bride. I am sure a blind Mage wandering around lost is a joke to him.
Unsure of what else to do, I listen more intently to my surroundings. I hear nothing at first, but when I concentrate, I can hear something. The sound is almost nonexistent.
In the far distance, I hear the something that can be easily mistaken as heavy winds. Though that's not an apt description, it is more like a loud hum resonating through the air.
As I try to figure out what the noise is, it gets louder and closer, approaching fast. Before I have a chance to react, I feel strong winds gust past me and lift my dress.
It finally clicks in my head.
A Dragon.
Those sounds are the flapping of its powerful wings, disturbing the air around me. I crane my head up toward the source, and as I concentrate, a large mass of magic hovers over me.
It looks like the Dragon King’s magic, which I faintly saw during our first encounter. This must be his Dragon in the flesh.
I feel startled as the mass of magic lowers to me, the beat of its wings slowing to a rhythmic beat. I feel like death is descending on me instead of a Dragon.
What is he doing?
My muscles tense in apprehension as I feel warmth and vibration begin to enclose around my shoulders. Spindly long clawed fingers slide between my arm and body before tightening quickly. I feel my dress tear as the claws accidentally snag the loose fabric.
The claws are so sharp that the fabric gives way easily. If his claws accidentally touches my skin, my flesh will be torn asunder. The thought is terrifying, but somehow, he manages to avoid my skin.
My breath is caught in my throat as the wings, which were beating gently, begin to pulsate the air violently. I am lifted off the ground, my feet dangle over vast emptiness as his wings propel us higher in the air. I am frightened, yet I don’t find myself moving. I am frozen with fear at the thought he may drop me.
I wouldn’t be able to do a thing if he dropped me from this height… I will surely die. Maybe he intends for this to be a joke and he is going to drop me, making my death a symbol that nothing will appease him, and he will have his war in ten years. Or he will go back on the treaty and declare war anyway.
I grab the Dragon’s skin, trying to find security in something that cares nothing of my life. The scales on his hands are smooth and soft. It is an odd texture for me when I was told their skin is slimy or so rough that touching the scales will rub away my flesh.
I can’t stop my mind from returning to the thought of falling to my death. Learning rumored stories to be false is not on the top of my list. I may have my magic, but it will not do me any good. My powers of ice will not blanket my fall at this height.
More pressure is applied to my shoulders, making me stiffen. My body’s weight is already a discomfort to my shoulders from being carried by my torso. He is soaring through the skies with ease as I am in his grasp, suffering. Struggling.
I cannot enjoy the feeling of the wind pressing against my face. We are too high in the atmosphere; it’s where only God should reign from.
Most will be crying in my situation, but I find no tears forming. I cried for so long in the tower that I do not think I have any tears left. Crying is something shameful with our kind, or so I have been taught by the people around me.
Dragons must think the same, tears are weak...
Drifting through the air would not be so bad if I wasn’t being carried through the skies within a Dragon’s clasp, a Dragon who seems to despise me and my kind.
My hearing is drowned out by the wind whipping past us and the beat of his wings propelling us forward. I cannot perceive anything but those two things.
After a time, the ache in my shoulders becomes unbearable. It is my ears that hurt. Soon, the Dragon King’s wings begin to slow, and his hold on my shoulder lessens until I am completely let go of.
I feel panic and start to think my beliefs are true about him killing me by dropping me. I begin to plead for my life against my better judgment.
“Wait! Please don’t! Don’t let me go! Please!” I shout.
My pleading doesn’t work as before, I know it. I feel myself falling through the air. I tense, clenching my eyes shut, knowing the fate that awaits me.
Comments (0)
See all