The Cursed Queen (Dragon’s Curse #1)

Ladon

The sun had set, and so far, I hadn't spotted the princess or the rest of her mates. I half expected to run into them, or at least the princess. Not that I'd been stalking her, or worried about her in any capacity. I just felt it odd that I had yet to see her at what would presumably be an important moment for her.

Sera seemed to have taken my warning seriously because her training had increased, but she handled it without giving up. I still wasn't sure why I entered Lord Igneel's cave to tell him about Baxus' plan to challenge him. I told myself I wanted no part in this feud. My goal was to stay out of it and move on with my life.

Even when Baxus asked if I would pretend to befriend the princess and learn of her weaknesses, I gave him no answer. What they did was none of my business. I didn't even ask Baxus to tell me what he was up to. He volunteered the information to me as if we were on the same team. He seemed confident I would join him, and I admit to following him this far, primarily out of curiosity. But I was still not interested.

Then why did I divulge the plan to Lord Igneel and the princess?

When they asked me, I said it was because I didn't want Baxus to be the appointed leader. There was truth to that, but it wasn't everything. In some parts of me, I felt compelled to help Sera. To warn her, because I knew once I told Lord Igneel the plan, he would move forward with revealing her true identity. She would automatically be crowned dragon queen. I doubt that would deter Baxus. If anything, he would take delight in the opportunity to prove he was better than her. To humiliate her in front of the entire den.

A part of me didn't want that to happen. I blamed it on the fated mate bond. I could say I didn't want her until I was sick of saying it, but the bond still had a knot around my heart and constantly pulled me to find her. To mate with her and be part of this group she formed with the rest of her mates.

I shouldn't want that. Every time I looked at her, I remembered all that I endured when I was a mind-controlled slave. The way he would sneer at me like I was scum. How he took pleasure in injecting me with dragonsbane, weakening me to where I could barely move. He would then kick my snout and shout how weak and pathetic I was, andhow I should take it, seeing as how I was a mighty dragon . He would often take my meals from me as well. The other knights would tease him about it, asking if he was sure he wanted to make his dragon too weak to do anything.

His dragon. I was property to the knight. I never got his name before. My ears were constantly ringing, so I never paid attention. It mattered no longer, seeing as how the bastard was now dead. Even without his name, the knight haunted me. Whether awake or asleep, I felt his phantom presence around me. I still waited with bated breath for the sting that told me another dose of dragonsbane was filling my system and corrupting my magic.

Nobody knew I was suffering in silence. Most believed I returned completely unphased and were in awe of my strength. But I wasn't strong. Hidden in the comfort of my cave, a place I never thought I'd return to, I was shaking and forming a pool of sweat underneath me. My hands covered my ears as hard as possible to drown out all the laughter and taunts in my head. But they wouldn't. They'd never leave me. They hovered around me like flies, driving me mad.

I've debated going to Freya to see if there was an enchantment or remedy I could take that would rid me of these terrors, but I never bothered. I didn't want to risk her telling Lord Igneel, knowing word would get to the princess, causing her to feel even more guilty.

Yes, I knew that made it seem like I was worrying about her feelings. I hated myself for being so considerate. I should want her to suffer like I had. To blame her for everything that happened to me.

But Sera had things happen to her too. She was already suffering, and would likely suffer more. Was it fair of me to continue blaming her when we shared a common enemy? If anything, the Zeffari Kingdom's queen should be the one to feel the heat of my ire. Unfortunately, she wasn't here, but Sera was.

I sighed heavily in annoyance, seated on the floor of my balcony, my feet dangling over the edge as I leaned back against my hands. My eyes were on the now-darkening navy sky, flexes of orange, gold, and pink, still lingering from the sun.

A gentle breeze whistled along, carrying a chill in its wake, but it did nothing to my naturally hot body.

I sat alone, wondering if I would ever find a sense of normalcy again. To no longer be surrounded by the ghosts of my past. I wondered if Sera had ever asked the same question to herself. Was she adjusting to life in the den easily, or was she still struggling to find her normalcy, too?

What about the druid boy?

Virgil seemed to fit right at home here in the den. Especially when he was out training with Andriel. He was like every other warrior I knew. His place was out of the field. That was his sense of normalcy. I still didn't trust him, but my respect for him grew the more I saw him. He wasn't getting any special treatment, or rather, not the pleasant kind, but he never lost his composure. He kept his head high and stayed focus on what he was doing.

It was impressive, but I still wouldn't have him around. Though he was the one who saved my life, him and Andriel.

But he was still a dragon rider. Accepting him would mean accepting all dragon riders.

"!" I perked up, then turned around just as Ryu bolted into my cave with the druid boy behind him. A dragon rider was in my cave. The realization worked its way up my body, trying to get me to tighten up and go into a state of panic. I pushed the feelings down with all my might, all while keeping a brave face.

"What?" I barked out.

Ryu's eyes were wide as he looked out in all directions. ", have you seen the princess and the others around here?"

My eyebrows shot up. "They're not here?"

"I don't think so, but they should've been back by now."

"Should've been? You mean they left the mountain?" I asked as I stood up, my nerves tightening with concern for the princess.

"They left to hunt for more food. Baxus told them it was an order from Lord Igneel," Virgil said, his expression showing his discomfort. Either for the princess' absence or being inside my cave, I wasn't sure.

Lord Igneel told them to hunt? That didn't sound right to me. Why wouldn't he ask the usual team to go instead? Plus, I was certain we had enough meat for the meeting already. Unless Lord Igneel didn't make the request.

"When did they leave?" I asked, while mentally wondering where Baxus could be.

"Two hours ago," Ryu answered.

Normally two hours wasn't that off, but the princess would need to be here, so I was certain they wouldn't spend too much time out on the hunting grounds.

"You think they might be in danger?" I asked.

Ryu shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't picked up any distress calls from Sera or Drayce. Have you?"

I shook my head. When I first received her plea for help when she and Ryu were under attack, I was surprised. I didn't think she intended to reach out to me, but I felt her fear. It was tempting to ignore it, but I couldn't shake the panic I felt knowing she was in danger. I never admitted to it. Only now there was nothing but silence through our bond. Maybe they were falling behind, or hadn't collected enough kills yet.

But the fact thatBaxus told them to make this errand didn't sit well with me. I didn't know anything beyond his wanting to challenge Lord Igneel. He never mentioned doing anything more, much less to the princess and her mates.

"We should go look for them," I said, already preparing to shift and fly off to where they should be.

"We can't," Ryu protested. "What if Baxus tries to sabotage Lord Igneel or something while we're gone?"

"He never said he would do something like that." But that didn't mean he wouldn't. He may be omitting things from me since I never agreed to join him.

"We can't all stay here. Not if the princess and her mates are in trouble," I said.

"You're right. I should go after him," Ryu said, with Virgil stating he was going too.

That would leave me to find Baxus and figure out what he was plotting. "Bring her back as soon as possible. If she's not here by the time Baxus issues his challenge, Lord Igneel will have no choice but to accept the challenge."

That meant even if he revealed Sera as Daenerys, he wouldn't be able to crown her dragon queen. Not unless he won the challenge first. Lord Igneel may pull it off, but it may be too much for him.

Ryu jumped off the ledge and shifted into his dragon form. He hovered below the edge, allowing Virgil to safely jump onto his back. I looked away, hoping it wouldn't trigger my anxiety, but it didn't help. Imagining him riding on Ryu had me thinking of the other dragon riders, like the one who used me.

Dammit, why was I so weak?

I gave myself a few moments to remain in control after Ryu and Virgil took off. Not wanting to waste time after feeling calmer, I ran out of my cave to search for Baxus. I called out his name while maneuvering around the crowd in search of him. For a moment I thought he wasn't here, that he might have snuck up on Sera and the others for a sneak attack, but for Baxus to issue a challenge, he needed to be here.

I went to search in his cave, but it was empty. He also wasn't training outside, so he had to be inside the mountain somewhere. Before I felt the urge to explode, I spotted him. He hid in the crowd facing the front of the dais. I shoved and punched my way to the front, pissing off a few of my brethren in the process, but I didn't care. When Baxus was within reach, I stretched my hand forward and gripped his shoulder to get his attention.

"Baxus!" I shouted his name, finally reaching him.

He turned to see me and grinned wickedly. "Hey, there you are! You're just in time to witness my moment of greatness."

"Did you tell the princess and her mates that Lord Igneel wanted them to hunt?" I asked, choosing to ignore his need to hype himself up.

His grin widened as he snickered. "I did, and I had something waiting for them when they arrived. Judging from the fact the old fool was pacing and wondering where they were, I assume that means my trap worked."

So, I was right. Baxus had set something up for them. "What did you do, Baxus?"

Before I could get him to tell me, the crowd hushed itself as Lord Igneel stepped onto the dais. He stood tall and proud, his scepter beside him. Everyone, me included, dropped to one knee and bowed our heads.

"Rise, my brothers and sisters," Lord Igneel commanded.

We did, then Lord Igneel took a seat on his throne.

"Happy Summer Solstice, everyone. As you know, we've had a lot of life-changing events that have taken place within the last several weeks. For the first time since we first felt the loss of our comrades at the hands of the druids, we've had many of our brethren return home safely."

Everyone cheered at that, delighted that some shifters who were held captive and forced into doing the druids' bidding could return home to their families. I returned to silence and isolation.

Lord Igneel continued. "And speaking of druids, we've had two of them staying with us. One being ahalf-dragon shifter. And if not for the two of them, none of our den members would've made it home in the first place."

The second round of applause lacked the energy of the first one. Most were still unsure what to make of the two druids in question. Baxus snickered in delight.

"I know many of you have questions, and I intend to answer them all. I was originally planning on having—"

"Wait!" a woman's voice in the distance cut in.

I recognized it right away, princess Sera's voice. Everyone looked up at the sound of a chorus of dragons above us. Three dragons descended, knowing it was the guys returning. Sera was mounted on Andriel while Virgil rode on Ryu's back. Relief washed over me at seeing them back in one piece. I shook the troubled thoughts out of my head, then looked to Baxus. His piercing glare was on the princess and her company. Visibly, he looked pissed but refrained from speaking out.

The guys shifted back, then stepped off to the side of the dais with Sera. Lord Igneel brightened at seeing her daughter return safely. Now that she was back, Lord Igneel could crown her.

And that was what he did.

"As I was saying, I intend to answer all the questions you have about the druid princess and her knight companion. As many of you know, I had a daughter. One that I presumed dead. But it turns out, she was very much alive, and in the hands of the druid queen herself. But soon she realized that the world of dragons was not what she expected."

"What?" Baxus whispered in a mix of anger and shock.

I secretly smirked at his reaction. The rest of the crowd began mumbling in disbelief, seeming to put all the pieces together before Lord Igneel could finish.

"My daughter found her way here, back to her home, where she belongs. This was where she learned the truth. The truth about herself and the world she lived in. And now, she's prepared to fight and to help set the rest of our brethren free. I'm sure you all have figured out where I'm going with this, but first, I'd like to introduce you all to someone."

Lord Igneel reached out his hand to the princess, signaling her to walk over to him. She smiled softly and stepped forward. Sera was still in her strange half-shifted form, a physical display of hybrid genes clashing together, but she didn't let that slow her down. Her black, taloned hand rested over Lord Igneel's, and the dragon lord gently pulled her closer to him.

"This is Princess Seraphina Warbrook of the Zeffari Kingdom. However, that's not all she is. This is Daenerys Stormsummer, my daughter and dragon princess of the Dragon's Peak Den," he stated proudly.

The crowd gasped in surprise, some in outrage, but others clapped, delighted to see our dragon lord's missing heir returned to him.

"There's no way she can be the old man's daughter!" Baxus shouted in disbelief.

"Did you know about this?" he asked me.

"I didn't," I lied. "He must've revealed it after I declared I wouldn't be her mate."

Lord Igneel allowed the crowd a few more moments before gesturing forus to settle down. "My daughter's return comes at a perfect time. As you all know, it is high time for me to retire. I've prolonged this moment for as long as possible because I was unsure who to appoint as dragon lord. But now, I no longer need to make that choice. The answer came to me when Daenerys came home. By the dragon god's law, I appoint Princess Daenerys Stormsummer as the Dragon's Peak Den's dragon queen."

"I object!" Baxus shouted as loud as he could. His dragon helping to increase his volume. The crowd split down the middle, exposing Baxus as he eyed Lord Igneel and Daenerys.

He pointed to her. "There's no way she can be dragon queen. She's a druid!"

Sera took a step forward, hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes. "I'm also a dragon and heir to the current dragon lord. By the dragon laws, that means I'm next in line to take the role of dragon queen."

"But this is preposterous! She barely even knows how to be a dragon! She can't even shift while stuck in this form!"

That was one thing he made a point on. Without her ability to properly shift, she wouldn't be at full strength, which was needed for a dragon lord. Nobody would take her seriously as a dragon queen.

The princess didn't react to the jab at her lack of shifting. She tilted her head to the side and eyed him questioning.

"Oh?" was all she asked. She then balled her hands into fists, holding them up in front of her as her eyes squeezed shut and her lips pressed into a firm line.

I wasn't sure what she was doing at first, but it clicked when I saw the purple flames she could conduct begin to lick around her body.

She was trying to shift.

Muscles tightening, her body began to visibly shake. Her teeth were soon bare as she groaned and pushed harder for the shift. The flames grew larger while not completely consuming her. I saw it happening. The scales along her exposed flesh faded. The horns on top of her head shrank, as did the set of wings on her back. Her first shift must've been agonizing because she screamed into the sky. A loud, pain-stricken shriek as her flames began shrinking back into her body, along with the dragon half of her genes. When it finally ended, there the princess stood, completely back into her humanlike skin.

She was unsteady on her feet and almost dropped to the ground, but then Andriel and her other mates rushed to hold her up.

By the gods, I couldn't believe it. She somehow shifted back.

Sera nodded to her mates, assuring them she was okay now. They let her go, and Sera stayed on her feet. She then crossed her arms, giving Baxus a you were saying kind of look.

Lord Igneel stood from his throne. "Daenerys Stormsummer, please kneel."

Daenerys turned to face her father before kneeling as requested.

"You swear your loyalty to the Dragon's Peak Den. To protect your people, and to guide them. To be their heart, their soul, their strength, and to be the voice of reason. The voice of authority. The voice of compassion. Do you solemnly vow to rule the den with the best of intentions? With the good of your members in your mind. For the good of our future generation. Will you lead them to the best of your ability?"

"I solemnly vow to do," the princess declared.

"Then by the power vested in me by the dragon god, Behemoth, I place this crown in your care."

Lord Igneel took the crown adorning his head and placed it on top of Sera's. She stood then and turned to face the crowd.

"Presenting, Daenerys Stormsummer. Dragon Queen of the Dragon's Peak Den!"

"I challenge you!" Baxus declared now that he could finally issue his challenge.

The crowd stopped their applause, stunned by his declaration. People moved as the members of his entourage shoved their way out of the crowd to gather behind Baxus. I remained in place, my eyes glued to Sera to gauge her reaction. She remained standing tall, not showing any emotion. She was doing great.

"Since I can no longer challenge the old man, I guess I'll have to settle for you," Baxus growled. "Obviously, you're not the right person to rule our den, and I'm doing something about it. I have enough shifters following behind me to issue a challenge. It's high time we dragons returned to our former glory and take back our people from your kingdom by force!"

"Yeah!" his personal crowd cheered, energized by their leader's vision for the pack.

"Daenerys Stormsummer, I challenge you for the title of dragon lord!" Baxus demanded.

Everyone held their breaths in wait. Once she answered the challenge, she wouldn't be able to take it back. This would ultimately decide the fate of our den, and how we moved forward to rescue the rest of our clan. There was no telling how this would play out, but if she truly meant to help us, Sera would have to give it everything she had.

That seemed to be her plan as she stepped down from the dais to walk over to Baxus. His hand was already outstretched, waiting for her to accept it. Sera did, reaching out and clasping her hand with his. That officially sealed her fate, and ours.

"I accept your challenge."

––––––––

To be continued in...

" The Rebel Queen: A Fated Mated Dragon Fantasy Romance (Dragon's Curse, Book Two) "