Freya’s pronouncement struck Ana like a thunderbolt.

Lucille, Mateo, Mildred, and the blue dragon brothers looked just as stunned.

Aside from Leyla and Teefa, who clearly already knew about this, only Ero gazed up at Ana with trust. “My sovereign,” the calf said sweetly, as if testing out the word.

The red dragon grunted. “Ero, please.” Ze turned back to zir grandmother. “This must be some sort of joke,” Ana said bluntly.

Leyla furrowed her brows. “Don’t speak like that to your grandma.” Leyla’s blue eyes were intense as usual. Her emerald earrings stood stark against her silver hair.

Ana persisted, “But I’m not popular among our people.”

Queen Freya was not deterred, however. Her smile was warm and bold. “Ana, dear, you are the best candidate. And you don’t need to be popular. I have plenty of haters myself, especially when I announced that I would not remarry after your grandfather passed away.”

Ana gritted zir teeth. “But I’ve always been free and independent. I have no experience in governing a country. There must be a way to find a cure for you and my mothers.” Even if Lucille didn’t want to help. Though Ana also didn’t want to pressure her to have another child if she truly didn’t want to.

The queen’s expression was kind but cajoling. “You can learn. I can teach you. Our advisors and ministers can train you. Our people aren’t looking for a universally adored ruler, they’re looking for a competent one. You for sure have the ability.” Freya’s grey eyes turned sad. “Ana, please, I really don’t know how much longer I can hang on. I will rest in greater peace if I know the kingdom will be in good hands.”

Frissons of chilliness swept through Ana. “No, this is unreasonable to expect of me. I’m just fifteen.”

Freya’s face grew tighter and impatience started to flare in her lovely irises. “Ana, you are young, yes, but you are also wise and mature beyond your years, and more intelligent than most adults. You are my dear grandchild, besides. Why do you have so little faith in yourself?”

The frissons grew in Anastasia, and ze shivered involuntarily. “I don’t foresee this as a good direction for the kingdom. Why don’t we work harder to find a cure for you and my mothers?” Ze tried zir best to sound strong, but zir voice was getting brittle.

Ero gently nudged Ana’s wing. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll help you. You don’t have to do it alone.”

“Ero, you’re just a little kid,” Lucille protested.

But Freya shook her head. “Ero is just a kid, but he would be a great calming presence and company for Ana, as I see that you cousins are already good friends.”

Ana frowned, not liking how the queen was already exploiting zir friendship with the calf.

“Ana, sweetie.” Teefa stepped up to zir and stroked zir ears. This gesture was normally soothing to Ana, but not right now. Teefa’s black hair was soft like the night, and her brown eyes were compassionate. “I know this is really hard for you. And you are a good child who only wants the best for everyone. Truly, if we could find a cure, we would. You are young, but you have all our support. There is no other dragon in the whole kingdom we would rather trust. You are our only hope.”

The tears in Teefa’s eyes made Ana want to give in. But it was madness to expect zir to rule the kingdom!

Then Leyla came over to touch Ana’s wing on the other side. “Dear child. You have to do what’s best for our people. We want you to be happy, but if our kingdom falls into disrepair, then you’ll have no place to even live. We can’t survive if the land gets swallowed up by endless wars like it was before the dragons conquered it.”

It truly wasn’t fair. Anastasia didn’t want to lose zir parents and grandma. And Ana never enjoyed being bound to others. Ze wanted to be a free soul, able to wander wherever ze liked. Were there genuinely no other candidates for rulership?

“Hey Ana,” Ero pushed against the dragon’s side again. “It won’t be so bad. You’ll finally have the power to undo the cruelty and injustices you told me about. You’ll have the power to make new laws to protect vulnerable creatures.”

Anastasia stared at Ero and scowled at him. “Sometimes I hate just how much you move me,” ze whispered in a rare admission.

Ero’s smile was shy and tentative. “So…”

Anastasia grimaced. Ze looked straight at zir grandma. “Okay. I will take the throne.”

When Anastasia saw the euphoria and triumph on zir grandma’s face, ze didn’t know whether ze would regret this decision.

***

Ana needed some privacy, and only Ero was allowed to accompany zir.

The cousins strode through a private garden. Ero was gratified by the amount of thick grass there was to eat. Ana had been given a bit of meat earlier, so ze wasn’t too hungry.

The night air was chilly but refreshing. The plants underfoot were soft but tough to the touch. Ana gazed up at the night sky as if ze could find answers there.

The dragon felt a little nudge at zir shoulder. It was Ero, of course. The calf grinned. “Aren’t you happy that you’ll be the ruler of your kingdom now?”

Ana rolled zir eyes. “I’m not officially the ruler until — unless — my grandmother dies…” Ze stared off into the distance, before murmuring, “But I still think they’re too pessimistic. There’s got to be a way. We have a lot of palace resources and a wide network of allies. We’re not giving up.”

The calf-shifter nodded. “Of course we won’t give up. But as the heir, you’ll be given all of these responsibilities and powers. You’ll be able to use your power for good. Isn’t that exciting?”

“Theoretically,” Ana said in a sardonic tone. But ze reminded zirself that Ero was still a child; he didn’t deserve Ana’s bitterness.

Ero spoke again with a mouthful of grass. Ana resisted the urge to tell him not to speak with his mouth full. “So when will the training start? And can I come with you?”

Ana sighed. “As much as you can.”

Just then, the door to the garden burst open, and a dragon guard announced, “Your Highness, Ero, please come in for the feast.”

Ana snorted, glaring at the well-dressed dragon shifter, a tall, athletic man with dark brown hair and grim eyes. His name was Rhett, if ze remembered right. Ze said haughtily, “We already ate.”

Rhett just shrugged with one shoulder. “Sure, but a feast is not just about food. It’s a social event that you’ll have to learn to manage as our future ruler, Your Highness.”

Clearly this guard had no fear of Ana despite zir status as the future ruler. Not that ze wanted his fear anyway.

The dining hall was full of raucous noise as many dragon nobles joined Anastasia’s family. Ero’s parents and cousin were the only commoners at the long table.

The decadent food, with fowl, hare, deer, and more, should have made Ana’s mouth water, given how little ze had been eating outside of the palace. But it didn’t.

Aside from Eros’ family, there were some other vegans who were given fruits and vegetables. But the cow and bull-shifters looked uncomfortable sitting at a table full of mostly carnivores.

Regardless, Mildred sauntered up to Ana and Ero, and gestured to them to sit next to her.

Ana felt self-conscious that ze was the only one in dragon form in this huge, packed hall. Sometimes the nobles would bring their children in dragon form, but today, the only children at the table were Ero and Ana. Ero didn’t seem bothered by this fact.

Mildred congratulated Anastasia much like Ero had. The red dragon grunted, “It brings me no joy.”

The cow-shifter maintained her smile. “We all do what we must.”

Ana gazed at Mildred, with her dark hair framing her face, and eyes that were both strong and gentle. Ze wondered again what problems she had with her husband. Mildred, seemingly oblivious to Ana’s curiosity, turned back to her plate and nibbled at her peas and carrots.