The Cursed Queen (Dragon’s Curse #1)

Sera

I kept my building rage dormant while discussing my birthday event with Mother. Now that I was free to leave, I hurriedly returned to my chambers, hoping nobody would stop to talk to me. Once secured inside with the door shut, I finally let loose all the emotions that built up inside me. My blood was a volcano; boiling and ready to erupt. My vision blurred as I whirled around, gripping handfuls of my magenta hair. When I let out the scream I'd been holding, a rippling pulse of magic exploded, causing the furnishings to rock and the fire in the pit to be put out.

I stood in the heart of my room, gobsmacked and petrified, wondering what happened, and how it happened. I knew it was magic, but it couldn't have been mine, could it? My magic could barely light a candle, let alone cause an explosion like that. It couldn't have been an intruder since I was the only one in the room. Looking around, my eyes landed on the medicine bottle, still sitting on my nightstand where I'd left it.

Untouched.

I walked over and picked it up. Maybe this was all because of the curse. I never once in my life missed a day of taking my medicine. Now, on the day I forget it, my emotions were threatening to incinerate me from the inside out. My vision was unsteady, and I had just released a wave of magic I shouldn't have been able to unleash. Not wanting to waste any more time, fearing what the curse would do to me next, I opened the bottle and quickly downed the liquid in one sitting.

I revolted at the taste lingering on my tongue as I consumed it, nutty yet spicy, with a chilling mint aftertaste. Once I drank every drop, I slammed the bottle onto the table. Immediately, I felt my body temperature chilled. The burst of energy I felt moments ago vanished. I had to sit for fear that my legs wouldn't be able to keep me up. I was back to being a wilted flower in the winter, weak and brittle. Suddenly I missed the lively energy I had this morning. Testing the strength of my magic, I pointed a finger at the fireplace, willing the flames to flare back to life.

It didn't work.

I couldn't feel an ounce of magic surfacing from my core.

After my fifth failed attempt, I dropped my hand in resignation. The effects of the medicine worked fast, but now I was disappointed. Perhaps I should've waited a little longer, before taking the medicine, to see how much stronger my magic would be without it. A few moments later, I jumped at the sound of knocking at the door.

"Come in," I called to whoever it was.

Vivienne stepped inside, closing the door behind her before rushing over to me. "Your Highness, are you alright? Everyone heard a ruckus downstairs, and I rushed to check in on you. Your mother wanted to send the guards after you, but I volunteered to come up first."

"Y-Yes." I sighed. "My apologies, Vivienne. I was merely letting off a bit of steam and throwing a tantrum. But everything's all right, I promise."

"A bit of steam? Why? Is something the matter?"

The truth almost slipped from my tongue, but I caught it in time. It killed me not to confide with Vivienne when she'd been my most trusted confidant for my entire life. But for now, it was best to assume everyone had been conspiring against the dragon shifters until proven otherwise. It would break my heart to deem Vivienne innocent, only to find out she'd been deceiving me.

"I-I was just upset that I wasn't able to have more time with the dragons in the cellar," I said instead. "The knights were looking for me, and I had to sneak away before they caught me."

It wasn't a complete lie. I wanted to spend more time with Andriel, and knights were searching for me in the cellar. It simply wasn't the entire truth.

"I see." Vivienne stepped closer and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me to her side. Instinctively, I tilted my head to the side and rested it on her shoulder. She always smelled of fresh lavender, which never ceased to appease me in times of distress. Much like how I was feeling now.

"I'm sure you'll have another chance to see them," she said.

Oh, I most certainly would. "Well, Mother informed me she's moving the dragon ceremony forward to host it on my birthday. She's even hosting a dragon rider tournament to see who my protector will be when I'm queen."

"Really?" Vivienne seemed delighted by the news. "That's wonderful, . I'm so happy for you! See? I said you'd see them again. Any clue which dragon Virgil is selecting for himself?"

"No, we never discussed it. Virgil was too busy trying to talk me out of getting too close to them." I didn't want to think about Virgil using magic to bend the minds of a shifter and willing it to carry him on their back. Virgil knew the truth and seemed just as horrified about it as I was, but did that mean he would surrender his upcoming promotion to Dragon Rider? I needed to see him again to find out where we stood, but I also needed time to regain my strength because it still felt like a mountain was pushing me to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Vivienne, I'm not feeling very well. Do you mind giving me some time to rest a bit more?"

"Are you sick? You took your medicine, right?" Vivienne looked toward the nightstand where the empty bottle fell over, but the proof that I took it was still clear.

"I think it's just from all the excitement of seeing the dragons. Maybe I had a burst of adrenaline and now I'm crashing."

"You did seem strange since coming back from seeing them. I'll see about getting you a special remedy to liven up your strength. Rest until I return."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

I exhaled as soon as Vivienne left, feeling drained, but I had no time to relax. There was more information I needed to know. Unfortunately, the only person who could give it to me was Andriel. I'd need to see him again.

––––––––

––––––––

The sky was consumed by the dark of night when a knock sounded at my door. I hurried over and opened it a crack, relieved to see that it was Virgil. I huffed a breath before opening the door wider and letting him inside.

"This is madness," Virgil loudly whispered as he rushed inside, pacing back and forth with his hands running over his pale hair. "Tell me what we saw this morning actually happened?"

I leaned against the door and crossed my arms. "If what we saw happened? Oh, you mean the part where a dragon bathed in flames before revealing himself to have a human body? Yeah, that was real, unless you and I inhaled a dose of Ubole pollen and we're having the same hallucination."

Virgil froze in his steps to scowl at me. "Really? You think now is a good time for your quips?"

"It's better than thinking about how long this kingdom has been kidnapping and holding shifters captive. Or should we talk about how you've been training to hex and use one of them to do your bidding for the rest of your life?" I asked, my earlier panic and outrage creeping back up with a vengeance.

As he realized his part in this, Virgil looked as if he was going to be sick. At least I wasn't alone in feeling mortified. His disgruntled expression helped to dissolve some of the ire I felt. Plus, it wasn't his fault. Like me, Virgil never knew, and I also wanted to become a dragon rider. Now that dream was burning into a pile of ashes. Forever lost, but for the first time, I wasn't disappointed by it.

"We need a plan."

Virgil quirked a brow. "For what?"

"To set them free, Virgil. We can't continue to allow this to happen."

"Are you daft? You think we can set them all free?"

"We can't just leave them to be used as pawns."

I couldn't bear to let the ordeal continue now that I knew the truth. This wasn't where they belonged. I was sure these shifters had lives that were interrupted and plucked away from them. Their homes, their families, their futures. All were taken by my mother and the very kingdom I called home. I couldn't allow it any longer.

Virgil brought his hands together in front of him as if to pray. ", I understand where you're coming from, but there's no way we could set these dragons free with nobody noticing. They'll be attacked if your mother or the guards see them flying off. And we'll likely be caught and punished. Your mother will have my head for certain, and there's no telling what she may do to you."

There was truth in Virgil's words. To set the dragons free, it wouldn't be while trying to conceal our intentions. If I were to do this, I would directly have to go against my mother and the Zeffari Kingdom. I'd be branded a traitor. I'd lose everything—me, not Virgil, as I decided regarding him.

"Then I will do it alone," I declared. "I dare not risk your life in this endeavor."

"No," Virgil barked in protest. "Absolutely not. I will not have you doing this crazy mission alone."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not asking for your permission. I'm setting the dragons free alone and will suffer the consequences should they catch me."

"Your Highness, please. This is not the time to be irrational." Virgil stepped closer to me and took my hands in his, gripping them firmly to express his worry for my safety. I loved knowing how much he cared for me. Aside from Vivienne, he was the only one who did. Someone who saw me as more than the princess, or as someone too weak to learn magic, or to one day assume the throne as queen.

"You know what will happen if you're caught," Virgil spoke softly. "There's no question that your mother would consider it treason, which means the punishment you'll receive is—"

"Execution," I finished for him. "I'm aware, but I don't care. All that matters to me is releasing the shackles imprisoning these shifters."

My fingers interlocked with Virgil's the connection between us, causing my heart to tighten. "It's the right thing to do, Virgil."

"I don't disagree with you." Virgil huffed. "But if you're hell-bent on doing this, I shall join you. We'll be fugitives together."

My body stiffened at his decision. A small, selfish part of me wanted to accept his help, needing his strength and support. To cling to him as an infant would to their parents. As much as I wished for him to sacrifice his life for me, I couldn't ask that of him.

"No," I said firmly. "I can risk my life, but I can't risk yours."

"You wouldn't be risking my life. I'd be risking it myself," Virgil pointed out, smirking like he'd already won this argument.

"Virgil—"

"Stop!" Virgil raised his voice, then winced when he realized how loud he was being. ", you don't have to do this alone. If we work together, we may have a better chance of pulling this off."

"Are you willing to risk everything for this?" I challenged him, needing him to understand the gravity of his choices. "Your family has served this kingdom for generations. You've pushed yourself through dragon rider training when everybody thought you didn't have what it takes. You're on the precipice of achieving everything you worked so hard to get. Are you willing to discard all of that to help me?"

Virgil stood there without answering, the pregnant silence thickening between us. My heart stammered against my chest, pleading for Virgil to reconsider. He was the one who tried to warn me off by expressing the dangers that would befall me should I be discovered. But now that I planned on carrying out my quest, he wanted to accompany me? Out of the question.

Virgil licked his lips before finally speaking up. "You're willing to risk the punishments for the sake of these shifters. Why can't I do the same?"

"Because I have a reason to. Andriel called me his fated mate, and if I were honest with myself, I felt a connection between us." My hands pressed against my chest where my heart continued its rapid beating, fueled by nerves. "I can't explain it. I know nothing about fated mates, but the mere thought of Andriel spending any time alone in that cellar makes me physically ill. The thought of someone mounting him like a common horse and using magic to persuade his mind to obey a dragon rider's commands. It angers me that something like that has happened to the other dragons currently under the control of their riders. I'll be damned before I let this continue. To him, or the other dragons."

"You're wrong," Virgil said matter-of-factly. "I have a reason for doing this with you. Because you're doing it, and I've always promised to protect you since we were children. Also, because it's the right thing to do. So, like it or not, Princess , I'm helping you set Andriel and the others free. You can argue with me all you want, but you'll only waste precious time because I will not be swayed. Understand me?"

Reluctantly, I conceded, knowing full well that Virgil would remain true to his word. He was as stubborn as I was, and while he relented frequently, sometimes it mattered most that he remained strong in his decisions. Especially when he was right.

"Fine." I sighed in defeat. "We'll need to speak with Andriel and decide on a plan, but it's after nightfall and the guards will swarm the castle."

"Not a problem. Follow me." Virgil smirked before taking my hand and pulling me out the door and into the corridor. He looked both ways before ushering me to follow along the east wing. We ran from one corridor to the next, making sure not to be spotted. When we noticed a guard making their way to where we were, we hid around a corner before we were spotted and waited until they left. After a few moments of walking, he stopped at a door leading into a broom closet.

"What are we doing here?" I whispered.

Virgil pressed his fingers to his lips to shush me, looking around once again before opening the door and shoving me inside first. The space was barely big enough to house us both with all the cleaning equipment the servants stored here. If not for the small window on the other side shining a beam of moonlight through it, we wouldn't have been able to see anything. The air was musty with a cloud of dust that made it difficult to breathe.

"Why are we in here again?" I asked, trying not to inhale the smell.

Virgil had to squeeze between me and the wooden shelf in front of me, the space so thin that our front rubbed together as he moved. The way the solid mass of muscles along his chest rubbed against the pebbled nipples had electricity coursing through me. A shaky moan forced its way out before I could keep it contained. Virgil paused for a moment, but then continued like he heard nothing. For me, I resisted the urge to hide my face and run back to my bedchamber to die of embarrassment. There was a small gap in the corner between the shelf behind me and the wall farthest to the back. His hands were flat against the wall behind the shelf, and he pushed his whole body weight into it.

I wasn't sure what he was doing until I heard a gravelly sound echoing, followed by a meager amount of dust and debris raining down on him. The wall he was pushing against slowly moved, I realized. With a grunt, the wall opened like a door, revealing a darkened path that I never knew existed.

"What is this?" I asked in astonishment.

"It's a secret passageway that leads to the back gardens. It's meant to be an escape route for servants if the castle is ever under attack."

Why had I never known about this? Surely, as Princess, it should've been my duty to know of these escape routes to help assure the servants would have access to them in emergencies. Did my mother know of them? Those were questions I'd have to ask another time.

"It's dark," I noted, since we didn't bring a torch or a lantern with us.

"Not to worry." Virgil closed his eyes as he muttered an enchantment under his throat. When they opened again, the white of his eyes was as jet-black as ink. His crystal blue irises morphed into a golden ring that glowed as he regarded me.

Night vision , I concluded. He'd be able to see through the dark now.

"Follow me." Virgil once again took my hand, acting as my eyes as he led me through the darkened route to freedom. As we walked, I tried reciting the night vision enchantment, but was unsuccessful. I gritted my teeth in frustration when I failed three other times. Of course my magic had died the moment I'd taken the medicine. I was starting to regret that decision.

The air was damp and heavy. I tried not to think of the moldy stench as I trailed behind Virgil, blindly following him with our entwined fingers.

"This is it, come on," Virgil said as we reached what I assumed was the end of the tunnel. Releasing my hand, my ears picked up what sounded like Virgil climbing up a ladder. His grunts, followed by the rustling of stones, told me he was forcing open another doorway. Light pierced through the top, revealing Virgil, his hands pressing against a stone surface above his head and moving it off to the side. As soon as the exit was no longer concealed, he pushed himself up and out.

I followed suit, climbing up the ladder and holding out my hands just as he reached for me. Gripping my hands, Virgil helped me up and out of the tunnel. As he said, when I looked up to inspect my surroundings, I noticed we exited in the center of the garden's walkway. I inhaled the clean, floral air while Virgil slid the stone back into place.

"I'll have to remember that passageway," I stated, both of us standing and dusting ourselves off.

"Probably a good idea," Virgil agreed.

Virgil and I wasted no more time running to the dragon stables. Halfway there, we spotted a guard standing in front of the entrance. I scampered to hide behind a rose bush while Virgil went to talk to him. I couldn't hear what was being said, and I was worried Virgil wouldn't be successful in what I hoped was getting the guard out of the way. It seemed as if it wasn't going anywhere, but then the guard laughed at something Virgil said before patting his shoulder and walking off.

I exhaled in relief, waited until Virgil motioned for me to come out, then got up and ran over to him.

"What do you say to him?" I asked as he undid the locks on the gate.

"I asked if I could take over his guard duty. That way, I could have alone time to assess the dragons and find out which one's the strongest, and claim it before anyone else," he explained. "Barrow was amused by how sneaky I was and said he wished he thought of it, the bloody bastard."

My sentiments exactly, but Barrow wasn't my concern right now. Virgil undid the lock, opening the gates and we stormed inside. We stopped in front of Andriel's cage. My fated mate, in dragon form, was curled up with his eyes closed. When he heard us approaching, his reptilian eyes shot open. He noticed me and brought his head up and forward, close to the bars, but cautious not to touch it. Maybe it had to do with the wards.

"Disarm the wards," I commanded Virgil.

Virgil worked his hands and fingers, the tendrils of magic wisping about. Soon the runes on the gates faded, along with the binding enchantment along Andriel's body.

I reached through the bars and patted Andriel's snout. "Andriel, we need to talk."

I waited for Andriel to say something, but all I got was silence.

"Andriel?"

Andriel tilted his head to the side, his eyes moving, and I could tell his focus was on me, but I couldn't hear what he was saying.

"?" Virgil questioned.

I shook my head, trying to send him a telepathic message instead.

Nothing.

Icy dread fell over my body. "I can't hear him."

"What?"

"I... I can't hear him. I can't hear Andriel's thoughts anymore."