《Anastasia the Nonbinary Dragon》


 Chapter 1: The Valley

    There weren¡¯t always dragons in the Valley.


    Instead, the Valley used to be swimming with ghosts.


    Spectres made this their abode, not even bothering to conceal themselves. If any tourists came by, few of them got back out.


    But one day, a curious new creature wandered in, wide-eyed and adorable. It was a calf. A calf-shifter in beast form. He had brown and white fur and tiny horns, and his name was Ero.


    Ero stumbled into the Valley on his four stubby legs. He was lost, but he was a wanderer by nature and not easily cowed ¡ª no pun intended.


    The soil squelched as he made his way through, as it had rained earlier today. The sun was setting now. Its orange and lilac rays washed over the valley like a dream.


    He knew that his parents would be worried and angry, because he had gotten ¡°lost¡± again.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get killed one day,¡± his mother told him just yesterday.


    They had been staying at an abandoned barn. His mom was in her cow form and she stood in a majestic, confident way that made everyone else pale in comparison.


    The calf frowned at the dank straw below him. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    His father, a stout and dark-colored bull, shook his head. ¡°You have no idea what will happen to you, honey, no idea.¡± The bull grunted and poked his snout into a trough, munching at the hay in a distracted manner.


    Ero peered at his father, suspicion furrowing the calf¡¯s brows. ¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡±


    The bull¡¯s eyes widened and he sputtered out, ¡°No, no, nothing. I wasn¡¯t implying anything.¡± His dad was quite timid for a bull-shifter, and he avoided his son¡¯s questioning gaze.


    Right now, in the Valley, the ghosts poured out and wove through the air, as the night had finally descended.


    Ero appraised these wispy, translucent shapes, wondering if he should greet them. One of the spectres, a wiry-thin man with messy hair, spoke in a crackling voice, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you afraid, little one?¡±


    The calf gave him a bemused look. ¡°Should I be?¡±


    More and more ghosts milled around the calf-shifter, turning the air into mist.


    That spectre with messy hair went on, ¡°We¡¯ll give you one last warning. Don¡¯t blame us for having no mercy on the young.¡± He glowered and his mustache quivered with agitation.


    Ero blinked and glanced around at the swarm of phantoms. The calf was undaunted despite the ghosts¡¯ chilly facial expressions. He laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. How can you hurt me? You aren¡¯t even solid.¡±


    The spectres flared like a sound wave at his insolence ¡ª or just at his startling naivety.


    That spectre with a wiry frame and messy hair was Avery, and he boomed, ¡°Take him away!¡±


    Before the calf could react, a whoosh of ghastly wind swept him up several feet into the air. Ero was nervous for a second, but soon realized he wasn¡¯t going to fall, and he enjoyed the night scenery from above.


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    He saw past the fog of the spectres, through to the rough vegetation of the Valley. The trails of grass and soil were crude but still beautiful.


    The ghost of a middle-aged woman, Margaret, tutted, ¡°Nothing scares him. What a shame. So young to die.¡±


    A small ghost who had died at the age of six grunted at this. ¡°Not funny.¡±


    ¡°Not trying to be,¡± said the dour Margaret. She tipped up her chin, and flipped her hair with a harrumph.


    ***


    Ero ignored the squabbles of the ghosts, who, as far as he was concerned, were giving him a free ride in the air, even if they complained a lot.


    The breeze washed over his brown and white coat, giving him a joy and relaxation that even the happy-go-lucky calf rarely felt. He soaked in the sheer wonder of it all.


    Soon, the ghosts flew him to the core of the Valley, where they kept their prisoners ¡ª most of whom were human, but not all.


    Ero still didn¡¯t feel any need to worry, until the ghosts dropped him into a dark cage and locked all the doors.


    ¡°Wha ¡ª Hey!¡± the calf cried out. ¡°Get back here!¡± He glared through the circular glass window.


    The ghosts laughed raucously and ignored him, flying back to their own business. One of them shrieked, ¡°I love tormenting mortals until they lose their minds.¡±


    Ero was just angry at first, believing this was some nasty prank. But as he yelled and raged and got no response from anyone, he finally grew to be afraid.


    It was so dark here, so cold, and worst of all, he was isolated.


    ***


    Ero didn¡¯t know how long he had been trapped in this cage. How many days. He was hungry, weak, but the enchantment of the cage kept him alive.


    The ghosts didn¡¯t want their victims to die so soon and escape their ¡°punishment¡±.


    Still, Ero languished, his spirits crushed. He missed his parents so much. He should have taken his mom and pop more seriously with their warnings.


    The calf hadn¡¯t shifted into his human form in a while, either, and didn¡¯t have the strength or heart to do so.


    One day, while Ero stared through the window, hoping in vain for any of the ghosts to take pity on him or at least look at him, he heard a scratching noise nearby.


    Though the calf¡¯s physical health had faded, he had also grown more attentive to slight changes in his surroundings, as the monotony around him was unbearable.


    Hope and fear warred in his young chest. And then, just like a miracle, an orange and crimson light burst into being beside him.


    A creature appeared and its skin glowed with orange yellow light. It stood on four strong, clawed feet; it had glinting scales, a muscular whip tail, and a pair of big, leathery wings.


    Ero gasped with giddy joy. ¡°A dragon! Please tell me I¡¯m not dreaming.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming,¡± the dragon said in a voice that was haughty but not unkind. It peered around the cage as if looking for something.


    Ero continued, eager just to talk to someone after all this time, ¡°What¡¯s your name? I¡¯m Ero.¡±


    The dragon darted its gaze back to him. ¡°Call me Anastasia. I go by ze, zir pronouns.¡±


    ***


    Anastasia told the calf-shifter, ¡°Stay behind me while I work my magic.¡±


    Ero was ready to do anything this dragon angel bid him, let alone something as simple as that. He felt a mixture of terror and excitement when he saw the fireball expand from zir mouth.


    The orange sphere spread like gasoline all around the front of the cage. The heat was so intense, Ero thought he would faint.


    But the cage began to melt before his eyes.


    He was so awed, he couldn¡¯t stop gawking.


    Before long, Ero and Anastasia could step outside! Ero wanted to shout for joy. But the ghosts nearby noticed and came swarming and shrieking.


    Anastasia looked perfectly at ease, and ze released a torrent of flame that frightened the ghosts away. The dragon nudged him. ¡°Climb on my back. Now.¡±


    Though Ero and Anastasia were about the same size, Ero didn¡¯t waste time questioning zir strength. He didn¡¯t know how long the fiery fence could deter the phantoms.


    When the dragon flapped and lifted off the ground, Ero felt such an overwhelming thrill that he grew lightheaded and dizzy.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. He was safe. He was going to go home.


    Then he realized that Anastasia was not taking him home, at least not yet. Ze told him about the dragons¡¯ operation.


    ¡°The ghosts of the Valley have dominated and terrorized people here for decades. We can¡¯t let that go on any longer. I¡¯m taking you to the Valve, a hidden pocket inside the Valley where my kind congregate.¡±


    Ero was restless. ¡°When can I go back home, though?¡±


    Ze snorted. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for days. Missing your parents for another few hours won¡¯t hurt them.¡±


    As the two dived towards the Valve, little did they know that Ero would be gone from home for far longer than a few hours.

 Chapter 2: Breaking Away to Freedom

    With every flap of Anastasia¡¯s wings, the dragon carried the calf further across the sky. Soon, the duo reached an odd clearing within the Valley.


    Ero was startled to see no ghosts roaming about.


    When he asked about this, Anastasia said, ¡°Ghosts don¡¯t like dragon fire. They stay away from us as much as they can.¡±


    The calf drew in a breath of fresh air, savoring his freedom once again. He noticed that Anastasia had a certain smell, too. It was subtle and made him think of ash and phoenixes.


    Before long, Ana landed in the clearing where two dragons, both as large as elephants, were basking in the sun. The ¡°clearing¡± was larger than it seemed; it stretched out like an arm and disappeared around the bend. A river cut through the land, and the burble of water was music to the calf¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Go eat and drink,¡± Ana told him, much like an older sibling would.


    To Ero¡¯s delight, the grass was lush and abundant, soaked through with warm sunlight. The running water nearby promised a delicious drink.


    Still, Ero didn¡¯t want to be too far from Anastasia. Even as he bent down to chew the grass, he glanced up from time to time to check that ze was still there.


    The two elephant-sized dragons were light blue, while Anastasia was amber-red. The bigger of the blue dragons chortled. ¡°Good job. I doubt this one wants to leave you, though.¡±


    Anastasia rolled zir eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Ze stared at the two other dragons as if expecting a confrontation. Ero tensed. He wanted to help Ana, but he knew that he¡¯d be useless against a dragon, let alone two.


    The larger blue dragon, Demiel, grunted and signaled with his head for them all to follow. The smaller blue dragon was Demiel¡¯s younger brother, Lance. The latter shot Anastasia and Ero a scornful look, before stomping off with Demiel.


    Anastasia replied with a low growl, ¡°We only just landed and the child still needs to feed. Leave us.¡±


    Ero padded a little closer to Ana. But it was odd that ze had called him a child when ze couldn¡¯t be that much older than him.


    Demiel snorted, and to Ero¡¯s amazement, the blue dragon began to shift, and so did Lance. Before long, the dragons had transformed into two young men in their 20s.


    Lance smirked. ¡°Ana, just shift back into your human form. It¡¯s easy. Or are you afraid to let your new friend see your human self?¡±


    Ana looked like ze¡¯d be happy to fry him right now. Ero thought the blue dragons were too bold. Why did they shift to human form while Ana was still a dragon?


    Regardless, Ana restrained zirself and scoffed, releasing a puff of smoke into the air. ¡°I can shift later. Just leave me alone.¡±


    Lance shook his head, while Demiel remarked, ¡°Your attitude will bring you trouble, Ana.¡± He looked gleeful at the prospect.


    But the red dragon just glared at him and said nothing.


    At long last, the dragon boys trotted off, turned around the river bend, and disappeared.


    As soon as they were out of sight, Ero lifted his head and asked, ¡°What was that all about? Why do you have to get into your human morph? And why don¡¯t you want to?¡±


    Anastasia frowned, but at least didn¡¯t seem angry at Ero. ¡°Inside the Valve, we¡¯re required to enter only in human form, like how soldiers and bodyguards have to leave their weapons outside before entering a fancy home.¡±


    Ero said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to shift to human form, then?¡±


    Anastasia gave him a displeased look. ¡°I like being a dragon more. Isn¡¯t that enough of a reason?¡±


    The calf thought for a while. He glanced down at his feet, and glanced up again. Ero lowered his voice, though it was unlikely anyone was close enough to eavesdrop. ¡°Ana, maybe we can fly away. You¡¯re a powerful dragon, right? And you¡¯re small enough to fit almost anywhere. Why do you have to stick to your dragon kin if they force you to shift into human form against your will?¡±


    The dragon¡¯s shocked expression was quite a sight. Anastasia looked away at the river, zir eyes tracing the meandering water. Then ze said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    It was Ero¡¯s turn to be shocked. ¡°What?¡±


    Ana repeated in a gruff voice, ¡°I said okay, let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t need them. And they have plenty of other dragons to help in their rescue missions.¡±


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    The calf was still stunned that the dragon had accepted his crazy proposition. He had only suggested the idea in the heat of the moment, out of sympathy for Anastasia. He didn¡¯t think ze would take him seriously ¡ª unless the dragon was joking with him?


    Ero asked in a cautious voice, ¡°But aren¡¯t you devoted to the cause of rescuing prisoners like me from the ghosts?¡±


    Anastasia stared off into the distance. ¡°I used to be passionate about this cause. But lately, some¡­things happened that were very upsetting. To be honest, after saving you, I was planning to resign and leave the Valley.¡± The dragon lowered zir gaze and added in a whisper, ¡°Besides, sometimes dragons are even worse than ghosts.¡±


    Ero¡¯s breath hitched at that. ¡°What do you mean?¡± It wasn¡¯t like he had never heard of dragons destroying villages and causing mayhem. But since Ana had saved him, he assumed they were the good kind of dragons.


    The red dragon fluttered zir wings a bit, looking conflicted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer that question right now.¡± Zir gaze hardened slightly. ¡°If you still want to leave, we should go before the other dragons get suspicious and come to grab us.¡± Ze huffed and more tendrils of smoke came out of zir mouth.


    Ero glanced around. ¡°Okay.¡± He added, ¡°I hope we won¡¯t be followed, but I¡¯m coming with you, yes.¡± The calf climbed onto Ana¡¯s back again. With a flap of zir powerful wings, ze took to the air once more.


    They were way up in the clouds before Ero asked, ¡°Can we go to my barn? I want to see my parents.¡±


    Anastasia snorted. ¡°That¡¯s too risky. The other dragons will know to track us there.¡± Ze was silent for a moment. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret flying away. I may not be¨Cvery fond of my fellow dragons, but they wouldn¡¯t have hurt you.¡±


    Perhaps the dragon should have clarified that before their lift-off. But Ero was gleeful too, as Ana¡¯s late revelation implied that the dragon wanted him to come along, right?


    Though Ero did miss his parents, he didn¡¯t want to say goodbye to Anastasia, either. With the dragon, he felt like they could have fun and exciting adventures together. And Ana made him feel safe.


    He mumbled, ¡°Then where should we go?¡±


    Anastasia¡¯s voice vibrated with barely concealed mirth. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise.¡±


    Before the calf could reply, the dragon dived down at a blinding pace.


    ***


    Ero screamed all the way until they landed.


    They had broken through a thick canopy of trees, and plopped down onto the soil and leaves below.


    In a light tone, the dragon said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, little calf. We¡¯ll be safe here.¡±


    The calf-shifter scowled as he shuffled through the crunchy leaves on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m not that little. Not much littler than you, anyway.¡±


    The dragon was still amused. ¡°How old are you, then?¡±


    ¡°Eleven,¡± Ero said.


    Anastasia laughed. ¡°I¡¯m fifteen. You really are little.¡±


    The calf made a face. ¡°I¡¯m old enough.¡± He trotted around as he examined their surroundings. They were in a dense forest, with the sunlight filtering through the leaves. At least there was plenty of grass to eat, and from the trickling he could hear, there was a stream close by to drink from, too.


    And then it struck him. ¡°Um, Ana, what would you eat?¡± He was suddenly afraid that Ana might see him as food, even if he clung to the belief that a dragon who saved his life wouldn¡¯t kill him afterwards.


    Anastasia gave him a cool look. ¡°I can hunt. Even without fire. I¡¯m not about to burn this forest to the ground, you know?¡±


    Ero thought quickly. ¡°This is part of our escape plan, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Not only would the thick trees cover us, the other dragons would also avoid using fire, because they don¡¯t want to destroy the forest?¡± Not that it was unheard of for dragons to raze a whole forest into nonexistence.


    The red dragon let out a frustrated puff. ¡°If they¡¯re really desperate, they won¡¯t have any qualms. But yes, normally they wouldn¡¯t wipe out an entire habitat and ecosystem like that. They realized that even dragons could benefit from wildlife that¡¯s alive and well.¡± Ze sounded sardonic.


    ¡°But won¡¯t anyone miss you?¡± Ero pressed.


    Anastasia narrowed zir eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this.¡±


    The dragon continued to be frustratingly tight-lipped, no matter how much he badgered zir.


    At last, the dragon said, ¡°Stay here. I¡¯m going to go hunting.¡± Ze had found a large cluster of bushes the calf could hide in, though Ero honestly didn¡¯t want to be confined anywhere, not after his ordeal with the ghosts¡¯ dark cage.


    ***


    Anastasia felt a jab of guilt for leaving the calf unprotected, but it had been a while since ze had fed. No, ze wouldn¡¯t go so far as to eat the innocent calf, but ze didn¡¯t want to chance it.


    The dragon perched on a high branch of a tree, and scanned the forest floor below.


    Just then, a brown hare climbed out of its warren to feed on the grass. Ana¡¯s eyes widened with anticipation.


    In a moment, the hare spotted the dragon. It froze, clearly not understanding what it was seeing. But by the time it realized it should get back into its warren, it was too late.


    Ana swooped faster than an arrow, and took the hare.


    The hare was plump and juicy, though not Ana¡¯s favorite thing to eat. But food was food. Ze took pride in zir speed and agility, too. How many other dragons could boast of being small enough to fly through a forest, but also swift enough to catch prey with ease?


    When Anastasia flew back to the thicket, ze was relieved to find that Ero was still there. But he was scowling.


    ¡°What now?¡± Ana asked. Ze was more patient now that ze had finally eaten.


    The calf said, ¡°While you were off hunting and feasting, look what happened!¡± He dug briskly at the damp soil, until a glass bottle full of milk appeared.


    The milk looked like it was still fresh. And the bottle glinted obscenely against the natural landscape of the forest.


    Ana was stunned, and then angry. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Though ze had zir suspicions.


    Ero looked down at the bottle, muttering, ¡°Someone¨Cthey looked human but could easily be a shifter in disguise¨Ccame to me. They shushed me, saying I might come to harm if I made a sound. Then they placed this bottle of milk in front of me, saying that you, Anastasia, would understand what this means.¡± Ero wrinkled his nose. ¡°Just because I¡¯m the son of a cow, doesn¡¯t make it funny to give me a milk bottle.¡±


    Ana huffed. ¡°And you think I was pranking you with this human?¡±


    Ero frowned. ¡°No, but¡­¡± He shook his head, and the fury in his eyes faded into sadness. ¡°Are we being followed? I already agreed not to go home.¡± He looked like he was about to cry.


    Ana nudged his head gently with zir muzzle. ¡°Don¡¯t let them bring you down. We¡¯ll get through this. I promise.¡±


    But despite the dragon¡¯s reassuring words, Ana eyed the bottle of milk as distressing memories flooded into zir mind.


    No, ze couldn¡¯t tell the calf yet. He was still too young.

 Chapter 3: A Heart to Heart

    A rainstorm struck that night.


    Water splashed violently through the leaves, drenching everything into a wretched, sodden mess.


    Ero huddled with Anastasia in a burrow that the dragon had dug out. Ze was incredibly swift at digging. This was how Ana had broken into the dark cage to save the calf, by burrowing and using dragon fire to melt the cage base.


    The calf was warm despite the torrential downpour outside, as Ana practically radiated with dragon heat. He wanted to talk to zir about the milk bottle, the Valley, the Valve dragons, anything. But Anastasia was quiet tonight.


    Ero didn¡¯t want to push his luck, either. Ana had clearly been upset about the milk bottle¡¯s appearance, even more so than Ero had.


    Anastasia wanted to keep a lookout for any other intruders. But ze refused to say any more about the milk bottle.


    ¡°You have so many secrets,¡± Ero mumbled, feeling more than a little miffed.


    Ana had only responded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m sure there are plenty of things you don¡¯t want to share, either.¡±


    Ero had pulled himself up to his full height, which still wasn¡¯t very tall. ¡°You can ask me anything and I¡¯ll answer.¡±


    The dragon shot him a bemused glance, but didn¡¯t bother asking. Zir refusal to even inquire about his life, hurt Ero even more than zir unwillingness to share much about zirself.


    Now, as they sheltered from the battering rain outside, Ero nudged Anastasia again, ¡°Tell me a story.¡±


    The dragon was wary when ze replied, ¡°What do you want to hear?¡±


    ¡°Anything! It¡¯s so boring to wait out the rain with nothing else to do,¡± Ero protested.


    Ana snorted. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to pry information out of me. It won¡¯t work.¡±


    Ero butted his companion lightly with his head. ¡°I promise I¡¯m not. I just want to have more fun while I¡¯m sitting here.¡±


    The dragon rolled zir eyes. But ze made up a story to humor him. Ze told a tale of castles, knights, dragons, and monarchs.


    ¡°And then the dragon defeated the knight and saved the day. The end,¡± Ana finished.


    Ero giggled and vibrated against the warmth of his friend¡¯s scales. ¡°You¡¯re an awful storyteller. So matter of fact and direct, no spice or sauce to it.¡± When the dragon chortled, the calf said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that you¡¯re not good at everything, though.¡±


    Ana was silent, and Ero thought he had said something wrong.


    He was about to ask when Anastasia spoke up again. ¡°Does it bother you? That I¡¯m ¡ª good at so much?¡± There was an uncertainty in zir voice that Ero was not used to hearing from the confident dragon.


    Ero pondered for a moment, listening to the incessant rainstorm, and even to the rumble of thunder outside.


    For a calf, he had little fear of thunder, as he knew the chances of being struck by lightning were slim. His mother had taught him how to avoid danger zones, too.


    ¡°No,¡± Ero began. ¡°But sometimes I feel like I can¡¯t match you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, who said you needed to match me? We¡¯re not rivals, and we¡¯re not even the same species,¡± ze said.


    The calf chuckled, casting an embarrassed glance at the dragon. Zir body was a glowing amber, just like it was when they had first met. ¡°We¡¯re not the same species, yes, but I can¡¯t help but feel self-conscious sometimes,¡± Ero admitted. ¡°You can fly, breathe fire, you¡¯re strong and well respected by your clan ¡ª ¡±


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    The dragon snickered loudly. ¡°Well respected by my clan? How would you know that? Neither Lance nor Demiel ¡ª the two blue dragons you saw at the Valve ¡ª were respectful to me.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Ero said, treading carefully, ¡°Demiel and Lance were jerks. But I still get the sense that your fellow dragons respect you.¡± He paused. ¡°Otherwise, how could you just resign and quit the Valve?¡±


    Anastasia went still at those words, and zir body temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees.


    Ero cleared his throat. ¡°I did think more deeply about everything, you know? I¡¯m eleven, not a newborn.¡±


    Animal shifters lived much longer than non-shifter animals did, so an eleven-year-old calf shifter was still a calf, not a bull.


    Ero continued, ¡°If you had stayed a little longer at the Valve, you could just ask to resign, and then the dragons would let you go free. They might even allow you to take me back home.¡±


    Anastasia was still tense and silent.


    Ero sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide so much from me, you know? I¡¯m not as dumb as you think.¡±


    ¡°I never thought you were dumb,¡± the dragon retorted.


    Ero leaned into Anastasia, partly because he was getting cold, but mostly because he just wanted to. ¡°At first, I thought you agreed to flee the Valve with me because you wanted to make sure they didn¡¯t separate us, that maybe you wanted me around, too.¡±


    His voice trembled a bit at those last words. The calf stared off into the distance. ¡°Then I thought maybe you just didn¡¯t want me to see how you look like as a human, though I¡¯m sure that you look just as awesome in your human form as in your dragon¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with beauty,¡± Ana said, but ze seemed to be less tense now.


    Ero sighed and pushed the soil around with his hooves, as he often did when he was nervous. ¡°Yeah, but whatever the reason for why you don¡¯t like to shift into your human morph, it would still be a big risk to fly away and anger the other dragons.¡± Ero took a deep breath before he said the next part, ¡°Except they won¡¯t really be angry, will they? There are no dragons coming after us.¡±


    ***


    It took a moment before Ana spoke up. ¡°Very good. You are smarter than you seem.¡± The dragon¡¯s voice was haunting yet melodic, and the sound echoed in the calf¡¯s ears.


    Ero exhaled. He was more confident now that he had gotten zir confirmation. ¡°It was when the strange human gave me that bottle of milk, and you got mad, that really made me think. The human looked like a young woman, with a kindly face, despite her odd comment that I might come to harm if I made any noise.


    ¡°I did think she couldn¡¯t be an ordinary human, since there¡¯s no way a human mortal could just charge into a dense forest and know my exact location. She¡¯s a shifter, isn¡¯t she? I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a dragon, but is she a dragon ally?¡±


    Beside him, Anastasia seemed to crumple a little, perhaps from exhaustion, or resignation. ¡°Her name is Melia. She¡¯s a horse shifter.¡±


    Ero nodded. ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t feel any threat from her like I usually do with carnivore shifters.¡± He laughed. ¡°Present company excluded.¡± Anastasia huffed but sounded amused. He relaxed and stretched his hooves on the soil around him, which felt softer now. Even the rain outside was lighter than before, less aggressive, and less raging.


    ¡°So I¡¯m guessing that Melia,¡± Ero began, ¡°was sent by your dragon folk, maybe even flown here by a dragon herself. But they chose her partly because she¡¯s an ally, but also because they wanted to reassure you, with a benign horse-shifter who couldn¡¯t hurt a dragon like you, that they give you peace and wish you well, even if they don¡¯t quite understand why you left.¡±


    Ero added, ¡°That milk bottle was a peace offering, wasn¡¯t it? The milk wasn¡¯t a prank, but rather a gift. I haven¡¯t drunk my mom¡¯s milk for years now, but this was still their attempt at friendliness.¡±


    Anastasia let out a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re partly right.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ero said, dismayed.


    Anastasia laughed. ¡°It was clever of you to figure this much out already. I have truly underestimated you. Yes, you¡¯re right that the dragons wouldn¡¯t want to kidnap or kill me. We don¡¯t always get along, but they don¡¯t generally bear me any ill will¡­¡± Ze trailed off.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be glad that we ran off,¡± Ana stated, ¡°but the other dragons and I were never close, and they do have other dragons to take on their rescue missions. Yet¡­¡± The dragon groaned. ¡°There is so much more to this story, and I really don¡¯t want to tell you. I promise that this isn¡¯t your fault, though, so don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    The rain outside had lightened substantially by now, and soon, it was no more than a drizzle.


    Ero urged his companion to come back out with him. He wasn¡¯t fond of raindrops, but he also wanted to stretch his legs. Anastasia grunted but made no objections otherwise.


    The calf enjoyed the fresher open air up here. The smell of the grass and leaves, newly doused with moisture, was much more pleasant than the smell of dank soil in their lair.


    Ero said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like being in your human morph, but I feel like being in mine now. It¡¯s been too long.¡± With that, Ero¡¯s calf body blurred and blended, like a smooth churning of milk, until he was replaced by a human boy with light brown hair and grey eyes.


    He knew he was adorable, even if Anastasia looked taken aback by his sudden transformation. Then Ero said, ¡°Since we¡¯re not in any real danger, I want you to fly me back to see my parents.¡± He smiled and showed his dimples, even in the dim moonlight. ¡°Just a brief visit, then we can go wherever we want together.¡±


    Anastasia frowned deeply at him, but said, ¡°All right. You deserve that much.¡± Ze clenched zir jaw. ¡°I may not get along well with your mother, though. Especially when she sees my human morph.¡±


    When, not if, Ero thought, and his heart leapt with excitement and apprehension.

 Chapter 4: Family Reunion

    On the surface, the farmland around Ero¡¯s barn was perfectly fine and untarnished. Fields of crops, blooming trees, delicious grass.


    But appearances were deceiving.


    Before the calf-shifter and the dragon had even touched the ground, a tall, athletic young woman in her twenties, with short black hair and defiant bangs emerged from the barn.


    ¡°Mildred?¡± Ero gawked.


    The young woman, Mildred, laughed and opened her arms. ¡°Welcome home, baby Ero.¡±


    The boy whispered quickly to Ana, ¡°She¡¯s my cousin. She rarely visits so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Ana gave him a faint nod, and Ero hopped off reluctantly. He went over to his cousin and let her fold him into her embrace. Mildred fluffed his hair and chuckled. ¡°Oh, how you¡¯ve grown.¡±


    The calf-shifter winced and said, ¡°What did you come here for?¡± He paused. ¡°And where are my parents?¡±


    His cousin halted for a second, before ruffling his hair again, as if trying to soothe ¡ª or distract ¡ª him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I visit for pleasure? Does it have to be for a specific purpose?¡±


    Ero heaved a deep breath. ¡°Where are my parents?¡± he repeated.


    Before Mildred could reply, Ana cut in, ¡°Ero, they¡¯re coming out of the barn.¡±


    A middle-aged couple stepped out through the building doors, both in human form. But the woman, Lucille, was frowning, while her husband, Mateo, looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.


    Ero released himself from his cousin¡¯s arms and ran to his parents. ¡°Mom? Dad? What¡¯s going on?¡± He glanced back at Anastasia, but zir face was unreadable.


    His parents were not looking at the dragon, however. Lucille said, ¡°Mildred, stop faffing about. We still have serious business to do.¡±


    ¡°Er, yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Mildred replied. It would have been funny to see this buff, sporty girl submit so easily to her shorter and less muscular aunt. But Ero wasn¡¯t laughing today.


    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Ero cried out.


    His father spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, son, but we¡¯ll have to move. There has been¡­a blight at our farm.¡± He grimaced. ¡°Your mother and I were nearly poisoned by pesticides.¡±


    Lucille tutted. ¡°And it¡¯s the dragons¡¯ fault.¡±


    Anastasia grunted with disapproval but did not correct her.


    Mildred spread her hands. ¡°Dear cousin, while you were gone, a lot of things happened. Your parents were distraught that you didn¡¯t come back home that night, especially when someone sent a bird to say that you were caught in a ghostly prison in the Valley.


    ¡°But the messenger added that if your parents were willing to do a small favor for them, they could keep you alive until they could get a dragon agent to save you.¡± Mildred shot Anastasia a pointed glance, then averted her gaze, as though the dragon¡¯s aura was too intimidating to her.


    The humid morning air seemed to grow heavier on his skin. Ero asked, ¡°And what small favor was that?¡±


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    His mother growled as she responded, ¡°They wanted a bottle of milk from me, because cow-shifter milk is more fortifying than the milk of regular cows.¡±


    ***


    Ero was stunned. He was only eleven, but even he knew that cows couldn¡¯t produce milk if they had not had calves in a long time.


    It had always been astonishing to him why cows in particular (and sometimes goats) were picked on for their milk but other animals were not. The boy turned his gaze to his cousin, already guessing the rest of the story.


    Mildred took over at this point. ¡°So auntie called me up for a favor. I asked her why she couldn¡¯t have uncle give her another calf, but of course she wasn¡¯t happy with my reply. I guess she only wants one child.¡±


    The young woman gave her cousin a cheeky grin, and went on, ¡°Luckily for you, I had given birth to my own calf just a few months ago, so I can still make milk. Normally, I don¡¯t like being used like a dairy cow for human or other species¡¯ consumption. But we love you and don¡¯t want any harm done to you.¡±


    Underneath his cousin¡¯s cheer and confidence, he could sense her unease. He felt ashamed, too. He thought about how little contact they had, that he didn¡¯t even know she had a new calf. Thankfully, his mother did.


    But he had to ask, ¡°Then what about the blight?¡±


    His dad spoke up this time. His voice was grim but at least he wasn¡¯t avoiding his son¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well, it turns out that they specifically wanted your mother¡¯s milk, not Mildred¡¯s, so they were upset. They told us a dragon agent had already rescued you but had flown away somewhere. Yet, they thought you¡¯d still get back home sooner or later since, in their words, their agent was ¡®not heartless.¡¯


    ¡°Nevertheless, they said that they had no use for Mildred¡¯s bottle of milk, so they would deliver it back to us. Except we still haven¡¯t gotten back the bottle. And then a couple of dragons flew over and sprinkled the farm with pesticides! How petty. Good thing Mildred caught them in the act before your mother and I could feed. And not much hay is left to eat in the barn, so we¡¯ll have to find a new place. I¡¯m sorry, son.¡±


    Ero slowly turned to face Anastasia, who had been silent. To zir credit, ze met his gaze without flinching. Ze nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I had anticipated that this could happen. And no, it¡¯s not your fault. When I found out about their practices, including some others, I didn¡¯t want to stay with the Valve dragons anymore. I don¡¯t believe in exploiting other species for our own gain. And I¡¯m sorry to say that their exploitation of cows is already one of the milder cases. Many other species have it even worse.¡±


    Ero sucked in a breath. ¡°What happens to other species?¡±


    Anastasia looked away. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know. But just think about how humans treat animals, and how humans also treat each other. I had thought that, despite our fire and explosive fighting, the Valve dragons would never do something so deliberately damaging and exploitative. So I had to leave them.¡± Zir eyes looked weary, even sad.


    Sharp steps resounded as Lucille strode up to the dragon. She furrowed her brows. ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯ve never been a party to these ¡®human-like exploitations of other species and of each other¡¯?¡±


    Anastasia closed zir eyes for a moment, and when ze opened them, ze was melancholy and pensive. ¡°I confess that I was once party to it, as I was ignorant back then and had no idea how other creatures would feel.¡±


    Lucille sneered while folding her arms over her chest. ¡°You expect me to believe that dragons, out of all creatures, care about anybody other than themselves?¡± Her husband nudged her, but Lucille wouldn¡¯t budge.


    The dragon sighed. ¡°You can believe what you want, but this is the truth.¡± Ze quivered zir wings a bit. ¡°Ero, give your cousin Mildred back her milk.¡±


    The calf-shifter was startled. ¡°But I don¡¯t have it with me.¡±


    The dragon frowned at him. ¡°Sure you do. I asked you to put it in your pocket, remember?¡±


    Ero reached down into his empty pants pockets. He groaned. When they were in the forest and he had shifted into human form, Ana had advised him to put the bottle in his pockets. But he was reluctant to keep the milk, since it didn¡¯t seem like a friendly gift. Ana hadn¡¯t paid further mind to it, as ze had needed to hunt for breakfast before their trip to the barn.


    Anastasia exhaled. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m sure your cousin isn¡¯t in urgent need of it. But¡ª ¡± Ze gazed around at all three of Ero¡¯s family members. The dragon had a look of resignation. ¡°If you really want proof of my sincerity, I will shift to my human form.¡±


    Ero held his breath at zir announcement.


    Ana¡¯s transformation was more gradual and graceful than Ero¡¯s hasty shift last night. The amber-red dragon morphed into liquid flame. And when the smoke cleared, they saw ¡ª a boy. A stunningly beautiful boy, with luscious black hair and dark brown eyes.


    Ero felt shy all of a sudden, though he also hoped that Ana would hug him and protect him. Then he wondered with some shame whether he had mistaken the dragon as transfemme when ze was actually transmasc.

 Chapter 5: Uncomfortable Truths

    They finally got to see Anastasia in zir human form. Ero was awestruck, and not just by zir beauty.


    Anastasia glared at him. ¡°Stop staring, Ero.¡±


    The calf-shifter blinked. ¡°Sorry, I just didn¡¯t expect that you would, uh, present in such a masculine way.¡± He blushed.


    Lucille stared at Ana like she could drill diamonds into zir skull. She gritted out, ¡°I knew there was something familiar with you, Tundra.¡±


    The dragon hissed. ¡°My name is Anastasia. I¡¯m very sorry for what happened to your farm, and they had no right to demand your milk especially as your son is long past nursing age. But there¡¯s no need to deadname me.¡±


    The cow-shifter had a mulish look on her face. ¡°You can hide under any name you like, Anastasia. I just wonder why you don¡¯t present in a more feminine fashion to better suit your identity.¡± Ero flinched at his mother¡¯s ignorance.


    Ana¡¯s gaze was hard as glass. ¡°You¡¯re making a lot of assumptions about my identity. And contrary to many cis folks¡¯ beliefs, not all of us trans folks want to change our presentation. Some of us are perfectly fine with the way we look and dress. It¡¯s other people¡¯s fault if they don¡¯t care to respect our identity. And by the way, my pronouns are ze zir, not he him.¡±


    A tense silence stretched. Ero reached out for Ana¡¯s hand. Happily, ze accepted it, though perhaps Ana was the one in need of more comfort right now.


    Lucille grimaced. ¡°Look, I have no problems accepting trans folks¡¯ identities, and I shouldn¡¯t have assumed that you would prefer to look closer to the gender that your name suggests. But Tundra sounds gender neutral to me.¡±


    Ana frowned. ¡°Tundra sounds quite masculine in our dragon society, and I wanted nothing to do with it.¡±


    Ero¡¯s mother was still poised in her stance. ¡°Okay, if you like. I have no interest in arguing. But don¡¯t distract me from our grievances¡­Anastasia. It was thanks to you, that I?¡ª?¡±


    Mateo took his wife¡¯s arm. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s not go there.¡±


    But Lucille was determined. She smirked. ¡°You had a confusing parentage, didn¡¯t you, dragon? Your ¡®parents¡¯ arranged to get cow-shifter milk for you to drink every day, because they wanted you to grow up great and strong.¡± She glared harder. ¡°But it¡¯s extravagant to get so much cow-shifter milk for the sake of one dragon child. Only the richest dragons of the realm could afford to do this.¡±


    Anastasia glanced down at Ero. The calf-shifter returned zir gaze with a plaintive look. Ze said, ¡°Yes, a couple of dragon princesses had taken a fancy to me, and decided to adopt me as their child. My biological parents were?¡ª?unknown.¡±


    ¡°And how did you like your daily bottles of milk?¡± Lucille pushed on.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly enjoy it,¡± the dragon answered with a frosty expression. ¡°But it gave me speed, strength, and stamina more than most dragons my age. As a child, I didn¡¯t know how they got their milk, and I assumed that cows could produce milk forever. And I do regret it, but what¡¯s done cannot be undone. I haven¡¯t drunk any more cow-shifter milk in years, if that¡¯s any comfort to you.¡±


    ¡°I assure you that it was not a comfort,¡± Lucille boomed. ¡°You still indirectly took advantage of those young cow-shifters, whom the dragon nobles and royalties have turned into dairy cows. More than one lady has been shunned and kicked out onto the streets after she ran out of milk and refused to get pregnant again. Or she grew too old to make any more milk.¡± Lucille stared off into the distance. ¡°But as you said, you were just a child, so how could I blame you for not knowing? Yet, I can¡¯t forgive you for stealing my milk to save a friend who was already beyond all cure!¡±


    The dragon bristled. Even in human form, ze was intimidating. ¡°My friend wasn¡¯t beyond all cure. Someone in the palace had been poisoning his food and drink, but it was a slow-acting poison that didn¡¯t show up until years later. And I never hurt you. I only had someone take Ero away from you for a short while, so I could get some milk from you.¡± Ana gritted zir teeth. ¡°My friend couldn¡¯t afford to buy cow-shifter milk himself and I had promised to keep his illness a secret.¡±


    Ero was startled that someone had taken him away from his mother, so that Ana could get Lucille¡¯s milk. And who was poisoning zir friend?


    Lucille pursed her lips. ¡°Yet, you had to choose my milk over everyone else¡¯s. And I know you picked me on purpose.¡± Her tone was accusatory.


    Ero looked from his mother to Anastasia in panic. ¡°Can you just tell me what happened?¡±


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    The dragon shot him a quick glance and grimaced. ¡°I¡¯d rather not get into it.¡±


    Lucille raised her chin. ¡°My son isn¡¯t as vulnerable as you¡¯re making him sound. He can take a lot more than that.¡±


    The calf-shifter looked down at his feet. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like his mother¡¯s vote of confidence, but he didn¡¯t want his mom and Ana to fight. He had been curious when Ana said his mom would dislike zir in human form, but he hadn¡¯t thought that their antagonism would be this strong.


    His father looked uncomfortable but didn¡¯t seem like he was going to intervene. Mildred was frowning but didn¡¯t appear to want to interrupt, either.


    Ero let out a deep sigh. ¡°Anastasia, please just tell me. I¡¯m sick of all this suspense.¡± What he didn¡¯t say out loud was that he wished there were no secrets between him and Ana. And while he had faith in the dragon¡¯s goodness, he also needed more answers.


    Ana gave him a considering look, before saying, ¡°Fine. But I need to speak with you alone, with nobody else to interrupt.¡±


    Lucille hissed and was about to retort, but her husband restrained her this time. ¡°Please, Luci. Just let the kids go. Ero is a smart boy and can take care of himself. Why don¡¯t they talk in the barn while we wait outside? Anastasia saved our son¡¯s life, so ze won¡¯t hurt him.¡±


    Ero was relieved that his dad was asserting himself, for once. His mom growled and protested, but at last said, ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t take too long, and swear on your honor that you won¡¯t distort the truth to make my son feel better about you.¡±


    Ana clenched zir jaw. ¡°You have my word.¡±


    Ero inhaled a deep breath before following his dragon friend into the barn. He was scared of what horrors he might learn, but also thrilled to discover more of Ana¡¯s past.


    ***


    It felt like they were in a world alone, even in his familiar barn with its musty sweet smells.


    Ana gestured for Ero to sit on the straw, before taking a seat opposite him.


    Ero spoke up first, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my mom assumed you had to present in a feminine way to be valid. She¡¯s not a bad person, but she can be quite inconsiderate. And um, I¡¯m sorry too that when I saw you present in a masc way, I thought you were actually transmasc rather than transfemme. I was ignorant.¡±


    Anastasia crossed zir arms and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Transmasc, transfemme. Is there nothing else beyond that? I¡¯m not a boy, no matter how I look in human form. But I¡¯m not a girl, either, despite my chosen name. In any case, I am neither transfemme nor transmasc. My gender is somewhere outside of these spectra. But I feel comfortable with the name Anastasia, my ze zir pronouns, and even my human appearance, except when people assume I¡¯m a boy.¡±


    Ero looked down at his feet. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re at least not defensive, and not trying to tell me how to live my own life,¡± Ana said.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ero dared to look up and meet zir eyes again. ¡°Do people often tell you what to do and how to live your life?¡±


    Ana pressed zir lips together. ¡°You could say that.¡± Ze flicked a bit of hay off of zir pants. ¡°So do you want to hear more of the story about your mom, or what?¡±


    The calf-shifter almost burst out: I don¡¯t just want to hear about my mom. I want to hear about you. But he controlled himself and nodded instead.


    Ana was silent for a while, as if unsure of how to begin. When ze finally spoke, it was in a quiet, meditative voice. ¡°What I didn¡¯t mention was that Lucille was an adoptive sister to one of my mothers.¡±


    Ero gaped. He didn¡¯t know what to say to that.


    ¡°So in a way, she was right that I chose her milk for a reason. I already knew her, as she was my auntie,¡± Ana said. Ze made a strained smile. ¡°Your mom was an orphan and the dragon queen on my mom Teefa¡¯s side, took pity on her, even though Lucille was a cow-shifter and it was rare to have a cross-species adoption. But my grandma was the queen, so who had the right to refuse her?¡±


    Ana¡¯s eyes grew distant. ¡°But maybe different species weren¡¯t supposed to mix, after all. Your mom soon rebelled against my grandma and even Teefa. She thought the dragon royalties were tyrannical and controlling.¡± Ze rolled zir eyes. ¡°Not like Lucille isn¡¯t a controlling person herself.¡±


    Ero piped up and asked, ¡°Wait, different species aren¡¯t supposed to mix?¡± He couldn¡¯t hide the tremor in his voice.


    The dragon shifter raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about us, Ero. Of course people of different species can be friends. But it might be hard to be family members, at least in your mom¡¯s case.¡±


    Ero was both relieved and disappointed by this answer, but he didn¡¯t want to think about why. After a pause, he said, ¡°My mom never told me that much. I just knew she was an orphan. She didn¡¯t explain why I didn¡¯t have grandparents on her side. But?¡ª?¡± He felt sheepish. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t really care because I would rather go on adventures than to visit relatives anyway.¡± He chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I would have been able to see Auntie Teefa, you, and your other mother?¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Auntie Leyla,¡± Anastasia replied without missing a beat. Ze sighed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t meant to be an offense to your mother that I took some of her milk. Of all the cow-shifters in the palace, I was most familiar with her, as you can imagine. And it was only supposed to be a one-time event that wouldn¡¯t hurt either you or your mother.¡±


    Despite Ero¡¯s love for Anastasia, even he could sense that something was missing in zir tale. ¡°Hold on.¡± He frowned. ¡°Why was my mom a dairy cow in the first place? And?¡ª?who was this friend you were trying to save?¡± He stared at Ana. ¡°What else aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    Anastasia grimaced and looked away. ¡°I wish you weren¡¯t so sharp,¡± ze muttered.


    Normally, Ero would have been delighted at this praise. But this time, he scowled. ¡°Ana, come on. If we are friends, why do you have to keep so many secrets from me?¡±


    Anastasia closed zir eyes. ¡°It¡¯s?¡ª?¡± Ze sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to say this nicely, but¡­Lucille was very rebellious. She disguised herself as a commoner to get away from her parents sometimes. But one day, we learned that she had been having a love affair with a handsome bull-shifter who was one of the gardeners. And she had gotten herself pregnant.¡±


    Ero¡¯s breaths became uneven. ¡°That handsome bull-shifter was my dad, Mateo, right?¡±


    Ana looked dejected, even tired. ¡°No. It was your biological dad, Stefano. And he¡¯s dead now.¡±

 Chapter 6: Unwelcome Visitors

    Ero¡¯s mind reverberated with what Ana had unveiled to him. So many questions rose up in his head, but all he could say was, ¡°What ¡ª how ¡ª why ¡ª ¡±


    Just then, a heavy crash resounded outside the barn, and a second later, there was a furious knocking on their door. ¡°Ero, Ana, come out. It isn¡¯t safe here anymore.¡± It was Mildred¡¯s voice.


    Anastasia cursed when another crash sounded. ¡°Come on,¡± ze muttered, pushing off of the straw floor to get to the door. As ze did so, zir form morphed, and much faster this time. Ana was an amber-red dragon again by the time ze reached the entrance of the barn and kicked the door open.


    For a moment, Mildred stood there, still in human form, her normally cheery face streaked with tears. Ero met his cousin¡¯s eyes, and he wondered how much of her aunt¡¯s backstory she knew.


    But there was no time to ask.


    Out on the farm, two large craters destroyed what used to be gorgeous fields of cabbages. And circling in the sky above, were two familiar blue dragons.


    When Ero emerged with Ana from the barn, the smaller of the blue dragons laughed loudly. ¡°There he is. The little one, in human form too. And of course, our darling Anastasia.¡±


    The red dragon hissed and called out, ¡°Lance, what on earth are you and your brother doing? First, some of you rained pesticides on an innocent family¡¯s farm. Now, you¡¯re playing meteor shower?¡±


    Ero glanced into the craters and indeed, each crater was made by a huge rock. They weren¡¯t necessarily meteorites, though.


    The larger blue dragon, Demiel, sneered. ¡°The pesticide spray wasn¡¯t from us. And this farm is already done for, anyway.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can drop rocks on us!¡± Lucille shouted. Her dark hair billowed with her fury.


    Demiel ignored her and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need your farm. You¡¯re all coming with us to the palace.¡± He darted his gaze to Mildred. ¡°Including you and your incompetent uncle.¡±


    Ero bristled at Demiel¡¯s casual insult of his cousin and father ¡ª stepfather. Ero normally wouldn¡¯t want to cross a dangerous predator, let alone a dragon. But Ana¡¯s presence and Ero¡¯s shock at his parentage made him bolder than usual. He hollered, ¡°What if we don¡¯t want to go with you?¡±


    The blue dragons exchanged a glance and guffawed.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cute,¡± Lance said. ¡°He actually thinks he has a choice. Whatcha gonna do? Let Ana defend you? Have your parents and cousin protect you? Ha! We could burn your whole family to a crisp!¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Ero said in indignation, though he was also bluffing.


    Thankfully, Ana spoke up. ¡°They really wouldn¡¯t dare. We are Her Majesty¡¯s daughter, grandchildren, as well as her son-in-law and his niece.¡±


    It felt strange to hear Ana refer to him and zir as someone¡¯s ¡°grandchildren.¡± And it would take some time for Ero to get used to seeing the beautiful dragon as his cousin, even if they weren¡¯t biologically related.


    Demiel and Lance still had those smug smiles on their faces, but it was clear that, in spite of everything, Anastasia had the advantage. Ero guessed that the blue dragons were guards, at most, while Ana was royalty.


    Anastasia might be much smaller than them, but ze stood with dignity and grace. The red dragon stared unflinchingly at the brothers above them.


    After a moment of this staring contest, Mateo cried out, his arms waving with frenetic energy, ¡°All of you, just stop. What does Her Majesty Freya wish us to go to the palace for?¡±


    Ah, his father, always the peacekeeper. The last thing Ero wanted to do was to make peace with these jerks. But he still respected his dad, for the most part. So he waited to see how the dragons would respond.


    Demiel and Lance looked sombre now. Demiel said, ¡°Her Majesty has ¡ª something she needs you all for. And there¡¯s no time to waste.¡± He growled. ¡°Quit stalling and just come with us. You too, Ana.¡±


    Anastasia snarled. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡± Zir tail whipped to and fro like a weapon at the ready. Ero leaned closer to Ana, as though ze could protect him from anything, even if he understood that his hero ¡ª his cousin on his mom¡¯s side ¡ª was not omnipotent.


    Speaking of cousins, Mildred remarked, ¡°What¡¯s the point in asking them? They¡¯re clearly both dolts whom the queen didn¡¯t even bother to confide in.¡± She put her hands on her hips. Though a cow-shifter was no match for two dragons, Ero still felt proud of her for standing up to them.


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    Lance and Demiel fumed, as tendrils of smoke curled from their nostrils. They wouldn¡¯t dare breathe fire and risk killing them, right? ¡°Believe what you want, milkmaid,¡± Lance spat out. ¡°And oh. This is yours.¡± He hurled something small and shiny towards Mildred.


    Ana flew up and caught it between zir claws. Ero was not surprised to see that it was the milk bottle. He recalled his brave words yesterday that no dragons were after them, and Ana had agreed. They were too naive.


    Anastasia was still in the air above, hovering like a red phoenix. Ero hung his head. He felt a little crestfallen despite his faith in his dragon cousin.


    But Anastasia chose to land next to him, not Mildred. The dragon¡¯s gaze on him was both kind and intense. Ze whispered, ¡°We¡¯re not giving up.¡± Ze extended zir claw to let Mildred retrieve her bottle of milk. The cow-shifter didn¡¯t seem thrilled to get her milk bottle back. Ero didn¡¯t blame her.


    Lucille flounced over to them and said, in her usual authoritarian voice, ¡°This is going nowhere. The dragons wouldn¡¯t dare to harm us, but they could certainly wreck the rest of our farm, not that we can live in a pesticide-infested place anyway. And they¡¯re so tight-lipped or they simply don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I¡¯d rather just go see the queen and get it over with.¡±


    Ero and Ana shot her a shocked glance. His mother was the last person Ero would expect to give in without a fight. But what choice did they have? Demiel and Lance would just harass them until they truly had nowhere left to live.


    ***


    Anastasia felt some remorse for letting Ero believe that the dragons didn¡¯t care about zir. Most of the Valve dragons may not have cared about zir as a person, but because of Ana¡¯s connection to royalty, they would never leave zir alone entirely.


    But Ero was so young and innocent. Ana wanted him to hang on to some hope. The Valve dragons typically didn¡¯t get into palace affairs, so ze thought that they could get lucky. But of course they didn¡¯t.


    Lance and Demiel really were grunts, though, despite their bigger size and swagger.


    Ana didn¡¯t like the idea of listening to the blue dragon brothers, but ze was also curious, and worried, about what was happening at zir grandma¡¯s. Maybe something had befallen Leyla or Teefa, and ze had not visited them in a while.


    Now they were in the sky, with Ana carrying Ero, Lance taking Mildred and Lucille, and Demiel transporting Mateo. Night was fast approaching, and the sun sank lower and lower beneath the horizon.


    Ero¡¯s little voice broke through Ana¡¯s reveries. He whispered, ¡°Do you really trust them?¡±


    Ana and the dragon brothers flew at a safe distance apart, so Lance and Demiel wouldn¡¯t overhear their conversation.


    Ana grunted. ¡°I don¡¯t like them, but they¡¯re not the worst. They are cruel and petty, but they want to save their own hides, so they won¡¯t do anything that could endanger them in the future.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about them not daring to hurt you ¡ª and my mother ¡ª as members of the royalty?¡± Ero asked.


    The amber-red dragon winced. ¡°You say that like I enjoy the power and benefits of being royalty.¡±


    The calf-shifter quipped, ¡°But it is beneficial. It¡¯s a great protection against bullies like Lance and Demiel.¡±


    Anastasia had to smirk. ¡°Yes, but if I were a commoner, these bullies would leave me alone.¡± Besides, given what Ana had witnessed among the dragons, Lance and Demiel were small fry and wouldn¡¯t even qualify for the title of ¡°bully.¡± But Ana wanted to spare him those stories. The dragon had already told him a lot more than ze had been comfortable sharing.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± said little Ero, ¡°as a commoner myself, I would say that we¡¯re not safe from bully attacks. Plenty of predators, fellow herbivores, as well as humans and other species, have invaded and ambushed us many times, for reasons unrelated to my mom¡¯s princess status, which I didn¡¯t even know about until today.¡±


    Ana was silent for a while, letting that accusation sink in. Ze said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I never wanted you to know this much. Yes, I get that it¡¯s annoying that I keep a lot of secrets from you, and I apologize. But I also don¡¯t like the idea that you now have to live with the burden of that knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Knowledge isn¡¯t a burden,¡± Ero protested.


    Just then, they heard Mildred yell out, ¡°Hey, stop, stop, let me down!¡±


    Ana turned zir head sharply, ready to intervene, even to fight Lance if necessary. Ze flew closer to them, and saw Mildred with a puffy, livid face. Lucille had her lips pressed into a firm line, though she wasn¡¯t stopping anyone, either.


    Lance snorted. ¡°Lady, you¡¯re crazy. I could drop you as you wish, but I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even survive to tell the tale.¡±


    Lucille responded in a surprisingly calm voice, ¡°Stop goading her, you scum. Just leave us alone and keep flying. And Mildred, vent all you want, but don¡¯t make threats when you¡¯re riding on a dragon¡¯s back high up in the sky.¡±


    Mildred looked incensed. ¡°Auntie!¡±


    Out of sheer impatience, Ana cut in, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Mildred widened her eyes a little, though she didn¡¯t seem cowed. ¡°Huh. Lance here was just being a jerk, saying that my milk wasn¡¯t good at all, that it was thin and stale, so no wonder the Valve dragons wanted Lucille¡¯s much higher quality milk.¡±


    No wonder Lucille didn¡¯t care to defend her niece. Lucille was too selfish to care about someone else if she herself was still benefiting.


    But Mildred wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°He said that my calf must be suffering, from how poor and paltry my milk is, and that my husband must be some weak sod, since I¡¯m clearly a fit and strong young thing, so how else could my milk be awful?¡±


    Lucille interjected, ¡°Just ignore him. He¡¯s a dragon who knows nothing about cow biology.¡±


    Mildred still looked furious. ¡°Even if you dragons didn¡¯t appreciate my milk, you still didn¡¯t have to spout such mean venom at me. Nor did you have to insult my husband, whom you¡¯ve never even met.¡±


    Lance chuckled derisively. ¡°Oh, and how does your husband look like?¡±


    The young woman pursed her lips and grew sullen, but otherwise did not respond.


    Anastasia was about to ask another question when Ero whispered into zir ear, ¡°Mildred and her husband have problems. They¡¯ve been unhappy for a while.¡±


    ¡°What kind of problems?¡± Ana whispered back.


    Ero was about to reply when Demiel cried out, ¡°There¡¯s the palace. Let¡¯s go!¡± He dove down like a missile and his brother followed a second later.


    For a moment, Ero and Ana were alone together in the dimming sky. Ana was curious about Mildred¡¯s problems, but ze didn¡¯t want to be way behind, especially as ze prided zirself on being much faster than Lance and Demiel. Besides, Ana thought that now wasn¡¯t the best time for such deep disclosures.


    So ze said, ¡°We can talk more later.¡± And ze blitzed down from the sky towards the bright and shimmering palace.

 Chapter 7: An Ominous Change

    When they entered the palace, Anastasia was not prepared for the gloom that surged over them.


    The palace was brightly illuminated, but there was something strange and threatening in the air.


    Ero nuzzled against Ana¡¯s haunches. He had shifted back into a calf, as he felt oddly vulnerable in human form.


    Lucille glanced at her son and looked like she was about to say something. But she frowned and turned her head away again. Lance and Demiel had shifted to human form, as a courtesy to the queen, and because they were huge.


    Ana was small enough to not have to transform. Plus, ze was royalty and did not need to conform to these rules. This was zir home, after all.


    Mildred, Mateo, and Lucille were still in human form.


    They stepped through the palace past the rich halls, gorgeous gardens, and fanciful rooms. There was no end to this splendor.


    Mildred moved up to Ana and Ero, and placed a hand on her cousin¡¯s head. ¡°Hey kid, you all right?¡±


    The calf grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m fine. But stop touching me.¡±


    The young woman lifted her eyebrows, shrugged, and walked away.


    Anastasia glanced at zir companion and whispered, ¡°Why do you hate her so much?¡±


    Ero responded with a sullen face, ¡°She¡¯s just annoying. I want to be left alone.¡±


    Ana snorted. ¡°Okay, if you want more space to yourself?¡ª?¡±


    Panic appeared in Ero¡¯s eyes. ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you¡­¡±


    Anastasia marveled at how quickly ze and Ero had grown close to each other over the past few days. While Ero was usually the attached one, Anastasia would also feel amiss if the calf was gone for too long.


    But the two of them hadn¡¯t been apart since Ana went hunting in the forest.


    Before Ana and Ero could carry on their conversation, they reached the throne room. The dragon guards were in human morph, as their dragon forms were too enormous for the palace to contain.


    When Anastasia beheld zir grandmother on the throne, ze finally realized the source of zir unease.


    Grandma Freya¡¯s face was wrinkled even beyond her age, and her body was emaciated.


    The dragon queen was dying.


    Anastasia flew to zir grandmother¡¯s side.


    Freya smiled slowly at Ana and the rest of zir company. ¡°My dear grandchild.¡±


    Ana couldn¡¯t help but quip, ¡°Ero is your grandchild, too.¡± Ze knew it wasn¡¯t zir grandma¡¯s fault. But Ana didn¡¯t want the calf to be excluded.


    The dragon queen was not affronted, and beamed at the small calf-shifter. Ero stared back, as though dumbstruck at meeting the queen, his grandmother, for the first time in his life.


    Freya began to cough violently, and her maid patted and rubbed her back. Ana stared with consternation at this scene.


    Zir grandmother stopped coughing for a moment, though she seemed to struggle to maintain her composure. ¡°My dear Anastasia, Ero, and?¡ª?Lucille.¡± She gave a strained grin to the cow-shifter.


    Lucille looked unimpressed. She was either unaware of or unconcerned about her mother¡¯s welfare. The cow-shifter said, ¡°Mother, what did you call us for?¡±


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    Anastasia flinched at her callous tone of voice.


    The dragon queen sighed and cast her daughter a fond look regardless. ¡°You¡¯ve grown even lovelier since I¡¯ve last seen you, my child. But I?¡ª?have contracted a disease that I¡¯m not going to recover from. Our healers predict that I have less than a year left to live, though they don¡¯t know how long exactly. But I currently have no spouse, and have two daughters, including you.¡±


    Anastasia chipped in, ¡°What happened to my mothers?¡±


    From the shadows, Leyla and Teefa appeared, both in the form of beautiful middle-aged women. ¡°Ana, it¡¯s so good to see you again,¡± Teefa said.


    Despite zir mothers¡¯ looks of affection at Ana, the red dragon could tell that something had changed. ¡°Oh no,¡± Ana gasped when ze realized.


    Purple pockmarks were beginning to gather around their necks, like a necklace about to throttle them.


    Grandma Freya interrupted, ¡°As you can see, whoever cast the poison has gotten all three of us. Your mothers can still live at least a couple of years, as their symptoms are still early in their progression.¡±


    The younger dragon couldn¡¯t believe this and growled. ¡°Whoever did this will pay. And is this why you¡¯ve been getting the Valve dragons to give you Lucille¡¯s milk and rejecting Mildred¡¯s?¡±


    Ze heard Lance and Demiel snort from behind, but ze couldn¡¯t be bothered to mind them right now.


    Cow-shifter milk had healing properties, but it was no guarantee against illnesses and poisons. Moreover, the healing power of milk from a cow who was closer to them, whether by family or friendship, was said to be stronger.


    Ana had always thought it was a myth that Freya made up to persuade the people that it was okay to adopt a cow-shifter child.


    The red dragon narrowed zir eyes. ¡°So neither Mildred¡¯s nor any of the palace cows¡¯ milk were of any help?¡±


    Freya shook her head with a forlorn expression. ¡°The milk made the symptoms less painful to endure, but the symptoms are still there and they are worsening. And I¡¯m sorry to say that Mildred¡¯s milk wasn¡¯t any different from the other cows¡¯.¡±


    ¡°But you returned all of Mildred¡¯s milk to her,¡± Ana countered. Ze tried not to think about how ze was about to lose all of zir family in one fell swoop.


    Freya grimaced. ¡°We did extract some of it, but our medicine maker could tell from that small extract that it was not enough. So we decided to spare the rest of her milk, with sincere apologies.¡±


    Mildred snorted.


    Freya raised her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms Mildred, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    The young cow-shifter pouted and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯re not finding any cures, but I doubt you¡¯d get the milk from my aunt¡¯s body, either.¡±


    Ero¡¯s mother hissed in warning. ¡°Watch your words, young lady.¡±


    The younger cow-shifter spread her arms. ¡°It¡¯s not like you want uncle to knock you up and get you to produce milk as soon as possible, on the off chance that it can save your mother, sister, and sister-in-law.¡±


    Mildred¡¯s words were blunt but honest, and Anastasia could not bring zirself to blame her, despite everything. It must be grueling to be used for your milk and then cast aside like that. But ze was not sure how Lucille felt about it.


    Lucille huffed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want my husband to ¡®knock me up,¡¯ as you so eloquently put it, just for me to make milk that may or may not help them.¡±


    Ero cut in, ¡°But why? At most, I would have a younger sibling.¡±


    Bless Ero, Anastasia thought. He was so innocent, even if he pretended to know more about the world than he truly did.


    Ero¡¯s mother crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I simply don¡¯t have the time to take care of another child. One is more than enough.¡±


    Ero turned his eyes away from her with a miffed expression.


    To Anastasia¡¯s surprise, Lucille actually looked a bit remorseful at her son¡¯s reaction. She added, in a softer voice, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t love you, Ero, but raising a child is not something to be taken lightly.¡±


    Her son didn¡¯t seem mollified. ¡°But lots of other people have a sibling. Why should that be such a big deal? I can help you take care of my younger sibling, too.¡±


    Lucille gritted her teeth and looked torn.


    Anastasia felt an odd twinge of sympathy for the normally proud cow-shifter. Ze said, ¡°Ero, come on. I can be your sibling. And neither your parents nor you would need to raise me.¡±


    That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because the calf made a face at zir and turned away.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Freya broke through the turmoil. ¡°If you¡¯re all done squabbling, I understand that not all cow-shifters want to have more children. My own hands are quite full with Teefa and Lucille, thank you very much, even if I wasn¡¯t way past my prime.¡± The dragon queen cleared her throat again, and sounded as though she were trying to suppress another cough. ¡°So I have a different proposal.¡±


    The dragon queen looked awkward and tormented for a moment. ¡°Assuming we won¡¯t find a cure in time, I?¡ª?want an heir to take my place. It can¡¯t be Teefa or Leyla, for obvious reasons. And I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t choose you, either, Lucille, because the dragons would never accept a cow-shifter as their leader, even with my blessings. And I frankly don¡¯t think you would be a fit queen, anyway.¡±


    Lucille sniffed, but otherwise said nothing.


    Grandma Freya paused before speaking again. ¡°And so, I will pass my throne down to Anastasia.¡±


    The silence that ensued echoed through the room like a shadow.

 Chapter 8: Unwanted Power

    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.¡±


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    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?¡ª?unless?¡ª?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.

 Chapter 9: The Gold Dragon

    Ero picked at his food. It was a bowl of seaweed.


    Normally he would have enjoyed even such gimmicky food, but right now, he was strangely nervous. He had shifted back into human form so that he could sit in a chair.


    The dining hall was lively and colorful, and since Ero and his family were the guests of honor, no dragons would try to eat them. But he was still ill at ease. Beside him, Ana had also shifted to human form, and ze was barely touching zir food.


    As the heir to the throne, ze should be getting many greetings from the dragons around them. Yet, to Ero¡¯s astonishment, everyone was ignoring zir.


    The calf replayed what his grandmother had told them, that the people were not looking for someone popular, but rather for someone who was competent. He had no doubt that Ana was competent, yet how could ze rule if nobody paid zir any attention?


    Ero had been so confident earlier, believing that Ana could just rise to the position and do great things. But now, he was having doubts. Was it normal for people to ignore their rulers? Or had Ero underestimated just how distant the other dragons were from Ana?


    On the surface, ze had a decent relationship with zir mothers, and arguably with the queen. But at the moment, Freya, Leyla, and even the gentle Teefa were busy entertaining other guests, and completely ignoring Ana.


    If this was the usual social setup for dinners, no wonder ze would prefer to leave.


    The calf was about to say something to the red dragon, but ze spoke first. ¡°Ero, I don¡¯t feel hungry right now, so I¡¯m going out for another walk. If my grandma or mothers ask where I am, you can just tell them the truth.¡±


    With shock, Ero was about to ask if he wasn¡¯t invited this time, but Ana beat him to it. ¡°I¡¯m going out alone, though,¡± ze said. ¡°I need some space to clear my head. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Ana gave Ero a brief glance and a faint smile. Then the dragon shifter whirled away and slipped out of the dining hall.


    Ero glanced around. He was both relieved and appalled that no one else noticed Ana¡¯s exit.


    ***


    Once ze had happily morphed back into a dragon, Anastasia flew up into the night sky.


    It wasn¡¯t as dark as one would imagine, with the palace lights below, and the stars above. But still, the night was a comforting embrace. Ana savored the cool air flowing over zir scales like water.


    Too many things were rumbling through Ana¡¯s mind, that it was hard to focus on anything. As the heir to the throne, ze would soon have the power to change a lot of policies; yet, deep down, ze was unsure. Despite zir young age of fifteen, ze wasn¡¯t deluded enough to think that ze could do anything ze wanted.


    There would be a lot of protest and backlash from nobles and other powerful dragons. Every decision from the throne had consequences.


    Not that Ana wouldn¡¯t push for the changes anyway.


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    But the red dragon¡¯s thoughts were disturbed when ze beheld a familiar golden spark in the distance. It was a gold dragon, Revi. He was one of the nobles¡¯ sons, and was a little older than seventeen.


    He was ¡ª a nice kid, though he didn¡¯t speak much and often moved off into the shadows by himself. Anastasia had never been one of the popular dragons and very much preferred to be alone, so ze was naturally curious about him. They didn¡¯t talk much, nor could Ana call them friends. Ze didn¡¯t know much about him, but ze couldn¡¯t deny that ze was a bit intrigued by the gold dragon.


    Before Ana could call out to him, however, Revi suddenly appeared in front of zir. Ana was shocked. Ze had forgotten just how swift the gold dragon was, almost as speedy as Ana.


    Revi¡¯s voice was as musical as ze remembered, though it was rougher and less euphonious than before. ¡°Ana, I wanted to speak to you. I know what your grandma Freya says, but you can¡¯t take the throne.¡±


    The gold dragon¡¯s eyes were crystal-clear pools with stars sparkling in their depths. He looked so benign and open, which contrasted with the words he just said.


    Without backing off from this staring contest, Ana growled, ¡°And why not?¡±


    Revi frowned. He appeared genuinely puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? You¡¯re not a good fit for the title. You don¡¯t even like the people that much, and you keep to yourself.¡±


    Anastasia was both angry and perplexed. Ze peered at him, with his candid eyes and flashy golden scales. Ze replied, ¡°Revi, I don¡¯t know what your deal is. But sovereigns don¡¯t have to be sociable people. We can rule just as well without being flocked by others. Also, I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re making a stink about my preference for solitude when you¡¯re not that sociable yourself.¡±


    The other dragon seemed thoughtful, and he glanced away for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve never been good with words, Anastasia, and I suspect you aren¡¯t, either. I don¡¯t mean any offense to you. But since nobody dares to oppose your grandmother¡¯s decision, I have to speak up.¡±


    ¡°Were you even there when I made my objections to taking the throne?¡± Ana asked. Ze didn¡¯t like how defensive ze sounded. In fact, Ana didn¡¯t like how Revi made zir feel in general. The red dragon had never enjoyed using zir royalty status to stomp on anyone else, but at this moment, ze was feeling a surprising urge to do so.


    Revi tilted his head to one side, as if he were contemplating whether Ana was sane or not. In a slightly quieter voice, which Ana took as menacing, the gold dragon said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of me. I truly mean no harm and only want what¡¯s best for you. Yes, I did see you in the throne room and I felt for you.


    ¡°Rarely am I this frank with my words, but I don¡¯t want you to suffer. You have no idea how much pressure the royals go through. Queen Freya is a remarkable dragon. You are remarkable in your own way, but you know in the depths of your soul that you¡¯re not suitable for the position.¡±


    Ana felt zir hackles rise up. A surge of heat gathered in zir throat, but ze resisted the desire to blast him with fire. If ze couldn¡¯t contain zir temper even with Revi, then how could ze rule an entire kingdom?


    It was strange how Ana was so reluctant to accept the throne at first. But now that the gold dragon was trying to dissuade zir, ze ironically felt more motivated to take the reins.


    The red dragon stared off into the distance. Ze watched the stars glittering starkly against the darkness. Then ze said, ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me, Revi. You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m capable of.¡±


    Revi frowned again, his expression full of dismay. ¡°No wonder they say that it¡¯s a risk to challenge a royal. To be honest, I don¡¯t want our kingdom to fall into ruin, and I don¡¯t want you to be miserable, either.¡±


    Anastasia really wanted to snap at him. Zir voice was hard steel. ¡°Revi, I don¡¯t understand your motives. You claim to be doing it for the good of the realm, and for the sake of my happiness. But I wonder if you yourself want to be the sovereign, or if you wish for a friend or family member to take the crown?¡±


    The other dragon seemed unfazed. If anything, he just looked quizzical. ¡°Why would I want to be the sovereign? And while I¡¯m sure there are friends and family who would be interested, I wouldn¡¯t want to put anyone into that position.¡±


    Revi was silent for a second, before saying, ¡°Ana, what I propose is that we cooperate to find a cure for the disease. Then we get Freya to renounce the throne early, and push for Leyla and Teefa to become the queens.¡±

 Chapter 10: A Lurking Secret

    Ana wasn¡¯t sure if ze heard him right.


    In a wary voice, Ana asked, ¡°Why do you want my grandma to abdicate early?¡± Ze wasn¡¯t opposed to zir mothers ruling, but the way Revi worded his request was strange. Freya wasn¡¯t perfect, but Revi¡¯s impatience to have her step down from the throne was suspect.


    The gold dragon glanced away again, this time down at the glowing palace below. Revi murmured, ¡°I heard your?¡ª?cousin?¡ª?the calf-shifter say that you wanted to create a better place, right? A place where animals don¡¯t have to be exploited for the dragons¡¯ gain?¡± He raised his eyes again and he looked sincere. Or did he?


    Ana engaged in another staring match with Revi, hoping to catch any signs of deception from him. The gold dragon didn¡¯t flinch and just stared back. After a while, Ana broke off the stare first. Ze was tired of this strange competition between them. ¡°Of course, I want to change the policies, but?¡ª?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried that the dragon nobles and other politicians would rage, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re so hesitant?¡± Revi asked.


    Ana shot him a sharp look.


    But the gold dragon was not deterred. ¡°Again, I mean no offence to you. You are a strong dragon with an iron will and a fierce determination to match. Yet, governing your own life is different from governing a country. You said so yourself that you¡¯re still young and inexperienced.


    ¡°Your mothers, as the daughter and daughter-in-law of the Queen, would be much more experienced, and they already have extensive connections among the nobility and other dragons. But unlike your grandmother, Teefa and Leyla are younger, and from what I¡¯ve seen, more open-minded and compassionate towards other species.¡± He paused. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Once again, Ana peered closely at him. Revi looked every hint like a noble¡¯s son, maybe even like a prince. Perhaps that was why Ana suspected that he wanted to steal the throne for himself. It wasn¡¯t completely unheard of for a dragon to snatch a throne by force, rather than by lineage.


    Revi looked impeccable and shimmering, and had a decent size. He was large enough to pack a punch, but small enough to be swift. While Ana was adept in a fight, ze couldn¡¯t guarantee that ze could subdue Revi if he ever tried to rebel.


    Ana was about to reply when ze saw a familiar figure striding through the palace gardens.


    It was Mildred, alone, and still in human form. Perhaps the cow shifter was just taking a leisurely stroll to refresh her mind, as Ana had before bumping into Revi. But something felt off.


    ¡°Revi,¡± Ana said, ¡°let¡¯s talk another time. I have some other business to attend to right now.¡±


    The other dragon frowned, but to Ana¡¯s surprise, he nodded. ¡°Come find me when you¡¯re ready to seek a cure for the disease.¡± He spun around and flew away like a streak of golden stars.


    Anastasia was aghast. Ze wasn¡¯t sure if Revi was just bluffing or if he had some insight into the cure. He seemed so confident that Ana would look for him again, as if there was no one else that ze could turn to for this quest.


    But no matter. There were more urgent things at hand now.


    ***


    Mildred looked furtive as she shuffled in a certain direction that Ana knew well.


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    The red dragon kept watch from the sky, at an angle where zir shadow wouldn¡¯t be visible to the cow-shifter.


    Ana didn¡¯t want to intervene unless something really happened, partly because ze didn¡¯t want to get involved. But to Ana¡¯s bewilderment, Mildred changed direction last minute and headed towards the woods instead.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t enjoy sneaking up on people, but ze had a premonition about what was to come. Ze wasn¡¯t worried about what Mildred herself would do, but rather about ¡ª


    The cow-shifter reached the edge of the wood, and to Ana¡¯s alarm, she shifted into a cow. It was startling to see, as Ana was so used to her in human form. Yet, the cow, with her smooth, black-and-white coat, was just as tough and muscular as she was in her human form.


    Anastasia followed Mildred through the dark wood, with dread coiling in zir stomach.


    At long last, the cow stopped at a clearing, and a man burst out from a bush. His hair was light brown and messy. His clothes were worn. But most of all, his eyes were both angry and defeated.


    He frowned at the cow-shifter, while she gave him an impatient, even reproachful, ¡°Moo!¡±


    The man grimaced, and he fetched a small bundle that he had hidden in the bush.


    Wrapped in the bundle was a little calf. But it seemed deformed and shrunken, very different from the plump and healthy Ero.


    The man scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t blame this on me. You know that you¡¯re at fault, too.¡±


    Mildred gave him another baleful moo.


    The man placed the bundle underneath Mildred, and the cow gazed with concern at the calf. The small creature hadn¡¯t even moved.


    The man, who Ana was fairly certain was Mildred¡¯s husband now, sighed and moved to fit the calf¡¯s mouth around one of Mildred¡¯s teats.


    Ana wanted to look away, but ze was mesmerized by the sight. Mildred looked like she was bearing a burden, though she also appeared oddly at peace. Despite how lifeless the calf seemed, Ana could see that it was drinking its mother¡¯s milk now.


    It was an intimate moment, despite everything.


    Then the calf spat out its mother¡¯s teat, and began to cough. The man cursed and folded the cloth around the calf again. The cow sighed and slowly shifted into human form.


    Her husband scowled at her, yet she was unfazed. She held out her arms. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, her husband gave the calf to her.


    The cow shifter cradled the calf, gazing down at it with morose eyes. ¡°Clive,¡± she said, ¡°I really don¡¯t think Vera can live much longer. We might have to?¡ª?¡±


    Clive¡¯s jaw tightened in an aggressive way that put Ana on high alert. But he just glared with hostility at his wife. ¡°I said no. We¡¯re not giving up.¡±


    Mildred let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°Do you think I enjoy this? I love Vera just as much as you do, if not even more so. I want what¡¯s best for her. And sometimes, staying alive is not the best choice.¡±


    Clive gritted his teeth, and balled up his fists. But Ana could tell by now that the man was all sound and fury. He wouldn¡¯t dare lift a finger to his much stronger and more athletic wife. And maybe, just maybe, there was still enough love between them to not get into a fight.


    ¡°Give her to me,¡± Clive said.


    Silence stretched between them. But at last, Mildred relented and placed her daughter back in her husband¡¯s arms. Mildred looked away from them both, her face full of pain but also determination.


    If only Ana could find out why this was happening. Did Ero know about his cousin¡¯s hardships with her child? At the thought of Ero, Ana suddenly wondered if there might be something even worse to this story. If the couple didn¡¯t reveal more background information soon, Ana might not be patient enough to wait.


    Just as Ana was about to leap out of zir hiding place out of sheer frustration, there was a small squeal from the bundle.


    Vera went through a rough and inelegant shift, but she gradually turned into her human form. The girl had raven-black hair and blue eyes. But like her calf form, she was thin and frail, and her face was dirty, as if she hadn¡¯t washed in days. Or maybe she had just been buried in the hiding place with her father for too long, here in the palace woods.


    Come to think of it, surely Mildred didn¡¯t have time to call her husband to come over. It was as if she had known they would come to the palace, and had her husband bring her daughter to meet her here.


    ¡°Vera,¡± her father was pleading and mournful.


    The little girl waved her arms. ¡°Where are we?¡± she whispered.


    Mildred cast a soft glance at her daughter. ¡°In the enchanted palace woods, just where we promised to take you one day.¡±


    Vera¡¯s eyes glittered with both joy and sorrow.


    ¡°So this is your calf and husband, Mildred?¡± a male voice called out.


    Everyone turned to look at the intruder. A young man in a blue tunic entered the clearing. And an unfriendly smile stretched across his face.

 Chapter 11: Fiercely Protected

    When the man intruded into the forest clearing and taunted them, it was the calf-shifter who responded first. ¡°Leave my parents alone.¡± Vera¡¯s voice was frail but firm, and her blue eyes sparked with fury.


    The man was none other than Lance, the dragon shifter brother of Demiel. His malicious smile never left his face as he said, ¡°Oh, Mildred, your daughter is a feisty one, isn¡¯t she? It¡¯s a shame that she might die before morning.¡±


    Anastasia, from zir hiding place, barely refrained from springing out and smacking the callous man to the ground.


    But Clive could not resist. He flung himself at Lance, his fists swinging like hammers. Normally, even a dragon shifter in human form would have to watch out, as Clive was a bull shifter. But Clive was worn down and weakened, so his strikes were too slow; Lance just dodged to the side with a laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m in a good mood, old man,¡± Lance uttered in an airy voice. ¡°Or you would pay for your impudence.¡±


    Mildred got up from the ground, with Vera clutched to her stomach. With her free arm, the cow shifter held onto her husband. She murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t let him get to you, Clive.¡± To Lance, she hollered, ¡°How dare you speak that way? Vera may be ailing but she has a lot longer to live than that!¡±


    Lance spread his palms, the mirth in his eyes still apparent. ¡°Oh, you poor milkmaid! You think giving your daughter some cow shifter milk would extend her life? If you don¡¯t believe me, you are absolutely free to wait till dawn and see what happens to her.¡±


    Mildred stood up straighter. At her full height, she was almost as tall as Lance. ¡°How would you know? You¡¯ve only just met Vera. And you have no right?¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Actually I do,¡± the dragon shifter said with a gloating drawl. ¡°In fact, Queen Freya herself sent me to find you. You may be a pathetic specimen of a cow, Mildred, despite your seemingly healthy and blooming looks, but our Queen has mercy on you. She knows what will befall your dear daughter, and she asked me to bring you this.¡± He reached into a pocket and drew out a small bottle. A mysterious green liquid sloshed inside.


    Mildred gritted her teeth. ¡°Why should I believe such nonsense? And what is that solution?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a solution, all right,¡± Lance said. He grinned down at the liquid in his grasp. ¡°A solution to extend poor Vera¡¯s life by another few months or so.¡±


    The cow shifter scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t need ¡®help¡¯ from you dragons. Our healers said that Vera had at least a few months left. What you¡¯re offering me would make her suffer worse.¡±


    Clive reached over to take Vera in his arms. He stroked his daughter¡¯s hair, and she squeezed her eyes shut as all these frightful predictions were made about her. Clive spoke up. ¡°Stop threatening my family, dragon. I don¡¯t know what beef you have against my wife, let alone Vera, who has never hurt a single soul.


    ¡°But Mildred is right that you¡¯re a dirty scum with nothing but malice in your heart. Why, I recognize that potion by its smell. It¡¯s the one that Queen Freya and her daughters drink. The plant used to make this concoction is normally toxic, but in small doses and mixed with the right ingredients, it can stave off most toxins already in the body, at least for a little while.¡±


    Lance frowned, confusion filling his face. ¡°If you already know this, then why do you still reject our Queen¡¯s help?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Clint¡¯s stare at Lance was severe. ¡°Because what Vera suffers from is not the same as the queen¡¯s and princesses¡¯ ailment. She is not poisoned.¡±


    ***


    Anastasia was startled by Clive¡¯s announcement. By the look of Lance¡¯s dumbstruck face, he hadn¡¯t known, either. Mildred was withdrawn and miserable, with her head tilted down.


    Clive continued, ¡°She may look like she is poisoned. But the truth is, Vera has had a frail constitution even from birth, and gets sick easily. With a lot of care and diligence on our parts, she managed to recover from each one, except for her latest flu. So she¡¯s going through a tough time, but it¡¯s not poison, and she will not die by morning.¡±


    For once, Lance was speechless. When he spoke again, it was in a quieter voice. ¡°Then why¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did we bring her here to the forest?¡± Clive asked. ¡°My wife sent me an urgent message to bring her here, in the palace wood where most dragons would at least not be able to shift and eat us.¡±


    Mildred nodded. ¡°I knew that Ana and my aunt wouldn¡¯t be able to hold off flying to the palace with you and your brother, so I quickly sent my husband a message on my phone. You were so busy gloating that you didn¡¯t notice. Ana and the others were also too busy watching your and your brother¡¯s antics.¡±


    Indeed, Ana hadn¡¯t paid that much attention to Mildred back at the farm, except when ze gave her back the bottle of milk.


    Lance was strangely agitated, as if disappointed that he lost the chance to humiliate an innocent family. Ana wondered too how Lance managed to track them down. Perhaps by scent?


    The awful man sulked, and made movements like he wanted to smash the bottle of potion.


    With a cold chuckle, Mildred said, ¡°Go ahead. You can dunk that precious juice of yours. We don¡¯t need you dragons interfering. We already have enough problems.¡± She gripped Clive¡¯s arm more tightly. The couple glared so hard at the dragon that they could have turned him to stone.


    Lance pressed his lips together. Then he narrowed his eyes at the calf shifter. ¡°So, you suffer from a weak constitution, eh? You poor thing.¡± But there was no sympathy in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you also have a younger sibling? How are they doing?¡±


    The couple tensed up, while Vera hid her face in her father¡¯s chest. Mildred replied hotly, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Our younger child is somewhere safe and out of your reach.¡±


    A sly smile slashed across Lance¡¯s lips. ¡°What? Mildred, since I did let you ride me, I thought we would be on warmer terms. Why are you so harsh? And why do you think I would have anything personal against you or your children?¡±


    Clive looked uncomfortable as he shifted his eyes from his wife to Lance.


    Mildred murmured to her husband, ¡°Think nothing of it. He¡¯s just trying to rile us up. Auntie Lucille and I rode on his back to come to the palace. Just as Uncle Mateo rode on Lance¡¯s brother, Demiel¡¯s back, while Ero rode on Anastasia¡¯s back. That was all.¡±


    Anastasia was sure that really had been all, but by the bizarre energy Lance was giving off, Mildred¡¯s oddly evasive manner, and Clive¡¯s continual discomfiture, Ana thought there might be something else going on. But ze couldn¡¯t tell what exactly.


    The bull shifter sighed and gazed down at his daughter. ¡°Regardless, Vera deserves some peace and rest. We have no interest in dealing with numbskulls such as you, Lance.¡±


    At that, Mildred gave a brisk nod and hauled her husband to leave the clearing together. In fact, they were moving towards Anastasia¡¯s hiding spot.


    If ze really wanted to, ze could slip off elsewhere, but with Lance around, there was a smaller chance of getting away unnoticed, if Lance hadn¡¯t detected zir already.


    Ana had run out of patience, however, and in a split second, ze leapt out of the bushes. Mildred and Clive gasped in shock, while Lance was aghast and infuriated. Mildred said, ¡°Ana, I know you¡¯re one of the good dragons and you mean well. But we¡¯ll be okay. Don¡¯t try to intercede for us, please.¡±


    Anastasia huffed and stood zir ground. ¡°Is it really true that all Vera has is a common flu?¡±


    Clive bristled. ¡°Are you accusing me of lying?¡±


    The red dragon peered at Mildred¡¯s husband with cool eyes. ¡°No. I just wonder if there¡¯s anything else happening to Vera that you¡¯re not aware of. No matter what you think of the dragons, Ero is my cousin, which makes Mildred and her daughter a part of my family. So I will help Vera whether you like it or not.¡±


    It was time to stand strong, no matter how much the others doubted Ana. Ze would be a useless sovereign if ze couldn¡¯t even save a child from death.

 Chapter 12: A Strange Warning

    Lance curled up his lips with disdain, and his blue eyes were piercing. ¡°You¡¯re so full of brave talk, Ana. So smug that your grandmother chose you to be her successor.¡±


    Smoke puffed out of Ana¡¯s nostrils. Lance was abysmally ignorant and ze shouldn¡¯t have to deal with him. Ana turned towards Vera. The calf-shifter bore almost no resemblance to her cousin Ero. Ero was bright and lively, while Vera was sad and withdrawn.


    Now Vera was still hiding her face in her father¡¯s chest. Clive bundled up his daughter in a protective embrace.


    Ana muttered, ¡°Are you sure that your healers are enough? I¡¯m sincere about wanting to help. I know you don¡¯t trust dragons, but you can at least trust me.¡± Ana paused and glanced at the dark-haired woman beside Clive. ¡°Mildred, you heard Ero suggest that I could use my power to make reforms.¡±


    Mildred smiled slightly. ¡°That was the argument that persuaded you to take the throne, huh?¡± The cow shifter¡¯s posture was still guarded, but her voice was gentle.


    Ana nodded and tried to ignore Clive¡¯s scowl. The bull-shifter was even harder to win over than his wife. Ze went on, ¡°Precisely. If Ero?¡ª?and you?¡ª?can believe that I want to reform our kingdom to protect other species, then why wouldn¡¯t I help you and your daughter?¡±


    Mildred sighed and stared at the ground. ¡°Again, you have benign intentions, Ana. But you don¡¯t understand.¡± Her black hair brushed her cheek like a soft curtain. ¡°We¡¯ve had a bad history with dragons, and your Auntie Lucille¡¯s experiences frankly didn¡¯t endear us to your species, either.¡±


    Ana frowned and gave her and Clive a hard stare. Ze wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t fair to assume that all dragons were bad. But the cow and bull-shifter weren¡¯t about to change their views anytime soon. Instead, ze peered at Lance, who smirked like he knew better than all of them. Ana snorted at him, then looked back at the bovine family.


    Ze gazed down at Vera. She was frail and dishevelled, but she no longer hid her face. The calf-shifter gazed back at Ana with wonder and curiosity. Ana asked in a low voice, ¡°How are you feeling, little one?¡±


    Vera blinked her wide eyes, and glanced hastily at her parents. When Mildred nodded and Clive just made a ¡°hmph!¡± sound, Vera replied in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯m¡­well enough.¡±


    Ana frowned, as Vera clearly wasn¡¯t willing to be frank with zir. The red dragon tried again, ¡°I meant what I said, Vera. I will find a cure for you if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡±


    Vera looked down and nodded mutely. Her pinched expression was too sombre and serious for her age.


    ¡°Are you done with your interference yet, dragon?¡± Clive said, his teeth bared in a snarl. ¡°We have good reason to distrust dragons, even if your track record is squeaky clean, and I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Ana heard a loud sniff. It was Lance, of course. The blue dragon shifter said, ¡°Ana, these people are incurable. If they do change their minds and accept your help, then you can do something. But you can¡¯t force someone to accept your assistance if they don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°You could say the same for yourself,¡± Mildred spat at him.


    Lance ignored her and continued, ¡°I know we¡¯re not friends, Ana, but I¡¯m not your enemy, either, despite any grievances I may have had with your bovine relatives.¡± An odd tension now thrummed through him. ¡°Come soar with me through the sky. I have something I want to tell you, my future sovereign.¡±


    Anastasia was amazed that he didn¡¯t sound sarcastic when he uttered the title. But neither could ze believe that the blue dragon shifter would have a change of heart. Ze looked over at Mildred and her family. Though Mildred appeared sympathetic, Clive was still hostile and Vera seemed unsure.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Ana sighed. ¡°Fine. But don¡¯t try anything funny and don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Lance flexed his arms, as if preparing to shift already. He grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to assassinate you.¡±


    ***


    Anastasia and Lance leapt up the tree branches. Lance¡¯s human features warped until he became a big blue dragon. He launched himself into the air and Anastasia zipped up with him. The sky still looked like a swath of darkness studded with silver stars.


    Unlike Revy, the gold dragon who could be friend or foe, Lance was probably completely malicious, no matter what he claimed.


    As the blue dragon coasted beside Ana, Lance finally spoke up. ¡°I can sense your wariness, Ana.¡±


    ¡°Can you blame me?¡± the red dragon snapped.


    The blue dragon did not reply to that and just kept going. ¡°I know you always see me, Demiel, and most of the Valve dragons as evil. But you¡¯re still so young that you can¡¯t see the whole picture.¡±


    Ana huffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t come all the way up here just to hear you deride my intelligence.¡±


    Lance shook his head as if with wry amusement. ¡°You¡¯re so defensive. I wonder what kind of ruler you would be if you couldn¡¯t listen to anybody¡¯s feedback. Even Freya isn¡¯t as stubborn.¡±


    Anastasia was about to tell the blue dragon not to drag zir grandma into this. But ze decided not to quarrel about these extraneous details. ¡°So what is it you wanted to tell me?¡±


    Lance was silent for a long while, and it seemed as though he wanted to ride the skies and evade responsibility. Ana was about to snipe at him again, when he responded slowly, ¡°I know you won¡¯t like to hear this, but you shouldn¡¯t trust Mildred, or even her husband. They¡¯re hiding a lot from you, and I¡¯m not just talking about Vera¡¯s condition.¡±


    Ana¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°It¡¯s clear to me that Vera isn¡¯t just suffering from a flu, though Clive might really believe that. But still, what do you have against Mildred and Clive, for you to distrust and judge them so?¡±


    ¡°And what makes you distrust and judge my brother and me so?¡± Lance asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re hardly the same thing,¡± Ana retorted.


    Lance¡¯s chortle expressed how he felt about Ana¡¯s assertion. ¡°You are such an innocent and unknowing dragon. I feel sorry for you. And believe it or not, I don¡¯t actually dislike you, though I know you hate me. I respect that you¡¯re trying your best, despite your lack of knowledge. But sometimes, you¡¯re helping the wrong people, and you¡¯re too idealistic to see it.¡±


    The red dragon glowered at him. ¡°You can¡¯t throw random accusations like that. Mildred and her husband don¡¯t trust you or most of the dragons. She doesn¡¯t trust me, either, though she has a better opinion of me. But you just sound salty because they don¡¯t like you.¡±


    Lance made a sound that was half amused and half angry. ¡°There are times like this when I don¡¯t get why Freya and the others say you¡¯re so smart, but I suppose you¡¯re just as dumb as the rest of us when you feel too strongly about things. You¡¯re too obstinate to see past your own narrow beliefs.¡±


    Ana felt like snapping at his neck. ¡°Stop trying to distract me from my question by hurling petty insults.¡±


    The blue dragon glided down a bit in the sky. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to distract you. I was only saying that even you can¡¯t see past your preconceptions. Why are you so determined to see the bovine shifters as good?¡±


    ¡°And why do you have to see them as evil?¡± Ana countered.


    Lance shook his head, as though with grief. ¡°Life isn¡¯t just about good and evil, Ana. I¡¯m not claiming that Mildred and Clive are bad people, but things are not as they seem. You¡¯re far too young and gullible, and I fear for the day you become our ruler.¡±


    Ana was about to protest that they would find a cure for Freya, Teefa, and Leyla in time. But ze stopped zirself before the blue dragon could borrow this tangent to dodge the topic again. ¡°Just answer my question,¡± Ana said with a growl. ¡°Why do you tell me not to trust Mildred and Clive? What¡¯s really going on here?¡±


    Lance fell silent again. ¡°I wonder if your cousin Ero knows about it. I get the sense that even Lucille is clueless.¡±


    Anastasia sighed in exasperation. ¡°Why won¡¯t you be clearer in your words? What exactly are you talking about? What sorts of awful things have they done or are they doing?¡± And why would Lance, out of all people, know about it? Anastasia may not be the most eloquent dragon in the world. But ze was also less susceptible to flowery wordplay and distractions. Ze wanted to cut straight to the heart of the matter, without being dazzled by all of these verbal gimmicks.


    At this point, Lance stopped soaring and just hovered in midair. He cast a curious glance at Ana. ¡°How much should I trust you?¡±


    The blue dragon¡¯s gaze was meaningful, as if the truth would cost Ana to find out.

 Chapter 13: A Startling Revelation

    Anastasia widened zir eyes, and fury burned through zir. ¡°Why did you want to speak to me in private if you weren¡¯t going to tell me anything?¡±


    Ze was befuddled, too. ¡°Did you think I would be satisfied with a vague warning that has no evidence to support it?¡± If Lance thought Ana was so dumb as to accept so little information, he was grossly underestimating zir.


    Lance¡¯s shoulders seemed to sag, even as he hovered with his blue wings in the night sky. ¡°You¡¯re right. It does seem fruitless to talk if I withhold what I planned to tell you. Will you promise not to speak of this with anyone?¡±


    The red dragon was about to say yes, but then ze scowled. ¡°You¡¯re not pulling me into that trap. How do I know that your secret won¡¯t be something that endangers people?¡±


    Lance averted his gaze. ¡°Well, then, you¡¯ll have to be content with my incomplete answer.¡± He started descending towards the palace, at a slow speed.


    Anastasia grouched. When they were close to hitting the ground, ze bit out, ¡°Fine. What is it?¡±


    The blue dragon halted his descent, and slowly flew up again, presumably to resume their conversation.


    Ana groaned but followed him as ze awaited his answer; ze hated being manipulated like this.


    The dastardly blue dragon glanced around as if fearful he would be overheard. ¡°So the Valve Dragons negotiated terms with Ero¡¯s parents. But Lucille could not provide the milk.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Anastasia grunted with impatience. ¡°And she called Mildred to help her. Thankfully, Mildred had given birth to a new calf a short while ago, so she could give milk.¡± Which was later scorned, Ana thought.


    The blue dragon stared off into the distance. ¡°That¡¯s right. But guess which dragon was chosen to fetch the milk from Mildred?¡±


    Silence stretched between them. Ana just stared at Lance, already dreading what he was about to say.


    Though Ana hadn¡¯t spoken, the blue dragon continued, ¡°It was me. Originally it was supposed to be Demiel, but he wasn¡¯t feeling well that day, or maybe he just didn¡¯t want to run another errand. So I volunteered to take his place.¡±


    He paused. ¡°Mildred and I arranged to meet in a glade near her barn. Of course I could have asked her to come closer to The Valley. But there was no guarantee that the ghosts in The Valley wouldn¡¯t spring out to get her, wherever she happened to go. Plus, I didn¡¯t want to fuss over something as trivial as the venue. And I didn¡¯t mind flying farther away, since I could stretch my muscles a bit and explore.¡±


    Ana narrowed zir eyes. Lance normally wasn¡¯t such a talkative dragon. Clearly he was going into all these unnecessary details for no reason other than to stall for time. But ze would wait a little longer before interrupting.


    The older dragon sighed. ¡°When I arrived in the glade, Mildred was already there, in human form. She glowered at me as I alighted, and didn¡¯t stop frowning when I shifted into my human form. It wasn¡¯t as if I would expect a cow-shifter to be thrilled to see a dragon, but I couldn¡¯t help but be annoyed.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I requested the milk that she had promised. She glared daggers at me like I was about to steal something precious from her.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Anastasia cut in, ¡°It¡¯s her milk. Of course it¡¯s precious to her.¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡± Lance smirked. ¡°But it seemed like she was about to give me her milk regardless, and I waited with a lot of patience. She reached her hand into her coat, where I assumed she had stored her bottle.


    ¡°Yet, she hesitated, and suddenly looked confused. She took her hand out of her coat, and fixed me with another glare. And then, to my astonishment, she said, ¡®Follow me.¡¯


    ¡°It was a bewildering moment, but she didn¡¯t bother to see if I agreed, and already stalked off through the tall grass of the area. I protested and asked where she was taking us. She just told me to shush. At long last, we reached an odd little clearing. There was a small green lump in the middle, like a miniature hill, though it was covered by moss rather than grass.


    ¡°She started panting as though she had traveled a long distance, which she hadn¡¯t. And from her physique, she could surely walk many miles more without a problem. But then she darted to my side.


    ¡°I was startled and got ready to defend myself, in case she tried to hurt me. Instead, she grasped my shoulder and made me crouch down on the ground with her. She whispered, rather ominously, ¡®Don¡¯t speak until I tell you to, okay? Leave all the talking to me and play along.¡¯ This was perplexing and aggravating, but I was also curious what she had in mind, so I agreed for the moment.¡±


    Anastasia huffed and cast a glance at the other dragon. ¡°What on earth is this strange tale?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired of this tale, say the word, and I¡¯ll cease it,¡± Lance said.


    The red dragon clenched zir claws. ¡°Keep telling the story but leave out the irrelevant details,¡± Ana demanded.


    Lance let out a wry laugh. ¡°None of these details are irrelevant.¡± He went on, ¡°Before I knew it, I heard a rustle. Then a woman who appeared to be in her sixties, pushed into the clearing. She stared suspiciously at Mildred and then at me. Mildred, to my amazement, was smiling. She smiled so much that it lit up her face.


    ¡°The old woman asked her what she was doing. They talked for a while and I gathered that this woman was a distant relative, and Mildred seemed quite eager to please her, for some reason. Mildred called her an aunt, but she was likely a great aunt, since she must be about twice the age of Lucille. This great aunt¡¯s name was Ivy.


    ¡°At some point, Ivy finally glanced over at me, and Mildred?¡ª?¡±


    The blue dragon stopped talking. He seemed to have frozen. Ana railed at him, ¡°And Mildred what? What did she say?¡±


    Lance looked down, and his eyes were glazed. ¡°Well, she¡­she told her great aunt that she didn¡¯t love her husband anymore, and was seeing me.¡±


    Ana cursed, but Lance went on, his voice a bit hurried now, ¡°I was stunned but Ivy must have poor eyesight that she couldn¡¯t see my facial expression. In fact, she was pleased and said it was about time that Mildred left her no-good husband.


    ¡°Ivy has detested Clive ever since Mildred had been with him. But Ivy wasn¡¯t pleased when Mildred clarified that she didn¡¯t plan on leaving her husband, since they wanted to stay together for their children. But as she found no more satisfaction in her marriage, she hardly spent any time with him outside of taking care of their calves.


    ¡°So, Mildred strayed away and began seeing me, and she suspected that Clive was seeing someone else, too. Mildred sounded so cheery and fake in her tone, that I wondered why her great-aunt couldn¡¯t catch her lie. But Ivy despised Clive so much that she bought this tall tale.¡±


    Anastasia sucked in a cold breath. ¡°And you said nothing during all of this?¡±


    Lance snarled at Ana. ¡°I was dumbfounded that Mildred would concoct such a story, but I didn¡¯t want to do anything rash before I found out what was going on. Ivy said that this affair was better than nothing, and she didn¡¯t want Mildred¡¯s happiness to be poisoned by an uncouth bore like Clive.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, Ivy believed that Mildred had only married him for the sake of rebellion, some stubborn wish to prove herself different from everyone else. So she tied herself to a man who is so clearly her inferior.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so nasty, Lance,¡± Ana cut in again.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t being nasty. It was Ivy who said this. I had never even met Clive before,¡± Lance retorted. ¡°Ivy laughed with merriment and declared that Mildred will continue to receive her blessings. She placed this red amulet around her great-niece¡¯s neck. Mildred was visibly relieved, and Ivy finally took off and left us alone.¡±


    Anastasia studied the blue dragon carefully. Lance darted his eyes away, and looked as if he were ashamed.

 Chapter 14: A Concealed Story

    Lance cut a glance at Anastasia. ¡°I know you¡¯re judging me, but you can see that from beginning till the end, I had no intention of harming anyone.¡± His posture was still defensive and rigid, however.


    Ana wrinkled zir nose at the blue dragon, not believing him. ¡°All right. Then what happened next?¡±


    The other dragon seemed smug that Ana was interested in his tale, and his blue scales gleamed in the moonlight.


    ¡°When Mildred and I were finally left alone, I of course demanded that she explain everything. Don¡¯t get me wrong. Mildred is attractive. Normally I wouldn¡¯t have minded if such a lass propositioned me, even if she weren¡¯t a dragon shifter. But I didn¡¯t want to be dragged into something without knowing what I was getting into.


    ¡°In any case, all her cheer and pleasant manners faded when her aunt was gone. Mildred was severe as she stated that she and her husband indeed didn¡¯t love each other anymore. She had been thoroughly disillusioned, and her husband was probably disappointed by his wife¡¯s lack of interest in him.


    ¡°But they did decide to stay together for the children. They never explicitly talked about seeing other people, but they had a silent agreement that they were no more than the co-parents of their children.¡±


    Anastasia frowned more and more, and Lance said, ¡°Don¡¯t go all judgy, Ana. I don¡¯t like this, but I can sympathise with Mildred in this case. Who on earth knew why she attached herself to the man in the first place? He¡¯s so coarse and devoid of charm. She must have had romantic notions about marrying someone wholly unsuited to her, believing that she could make a miracle out of it.


    ¡°Mildred added that thus far, she hadn¡¯t been seeing anyone. She had no idea if Clive was seeing someone else, but she frankly didn¡¯t care anymore, as all passion between them had cooled.


    ¡°But she confessed that she would look longingly at some young men, and occasionally some young women, and dream about having a future with them. She just never had the courage to act. Less because she was afraid of upsetting her husband, but more because she didn¡¯t want her children to think she was a bad mother.


    ¡°I then asked her why she had to snag me, a complete stranger, into this plot. I know some people think they have no choice but to cheat. Yet, if I were her, I would get a divorce rather than mooning over potential suitors that I¡¯m not even brave enough to pursue. Nevertheless, I just wanted to know what the deal was with Ivy.


    ¡°Mildred then took up her amulet. She pressed a button on it, and the lid popped open. Inside was a velvet, multi-coloured leaf. Before I could ask what it was, she put it in her mouth and swallowed it.


    ¡°Her smile at me became friendlier. She said, ¡®You and I are strangers, but you look exactly like the type of man my aunt Ivy would approve of. I¡¯m not giving you permission to touch me, but I thank you for helping me regardless.


    ¡°She explained that from time to time, her aunt Ivy would visit her, like a godmother. And every time she would commiserate with Mildred and urge her to leave her miserable husband. Ivy would also bring her a charm. At this point in the story, Mildred grew evasive and avoided my eyes.


    ¡°When I pressed her for more information, Mildred gazed at me in a distant, almost eerie way. She elaborated that due to certain reasons, she is?¡ª?naturally infertile. However, her aunt Ivy dabbles in black magic¡­ She helped Mildred conceive and have children, because Mildred really wanted to become a mother.¡±


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    ¡°I can already see where this story is going,¡± Anastasia said, zir eyes going wide. ¡°But I don¡¯t like it.¡± Zir tail swished.


    Lance smirked. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I liked it. And you can probably guess the rest. When Mildred chews this magic leaf from Ivy¡¯s amulet, she can continue to have calves and lactate. Of course, Ivy doesn¡¯t want her niece to ruin herself by having children with her deadbeat husband. In fact, Ivy had threatened to stop giving her this magical leaf if she didn¡¯t break ties with Clive and find a worthier man.


    ¡°You would think that Mildred and Clive would know better, right? Clearly this dark magic is affecting Vera and probably their new calf too. Though they likely haven¡¯t noticed anything amiss with their youngest child, and seem to assume that the calf would have no health problems.


    ¡°Vera, on the other hand, is a different story. Both Clive and Mildred are complicit in harming her with this black magic. Even if Clive insists that it¡¯s just a poor constitution and not something worse.¡±


    Anastasia stared hard at Lance. ¡°If you know the origin of Vera¡¯s disease, then why didn¡¯t you speak up when Clive uttered that nonsense about their daughter having a flu?¡±


    To Ana¡¯s surprise, Lance was undaunted, and he showed his fangs in a slight grin. ¡°You¡¯re missing what I really said. When Mildred told me about the dark magic, I had not thought about the magic¡¯s effects on her offspring. It was only much later, when Freya told me about Vera, that I thought of the magic leaf.


    ¡°But since I had promised Mildred not to tell her story to anyone, I decided not to tell even our queen. Since Freya is our queen, I didn¡¯t question her about her sources of information. But I bet that she knows something about Ivy and her black magic. Otherwise, how would she know about a child from an obscure family?¡±


    Anastasia shook zir head; zir long, amber wings pierced through another drift of cloud. ¡°Mildred¡¯s not obscure. She¡¯s the niece of one of the princesses. And even if she were obscure, that doesn¡¯t give you the right to slander her.¡±


    Lance frowned at zir. ¡°Even after hearing this tale, you still have faith in Clive and Mildred? They are at fault here. And they think it¡¯s okay to keep relying on these methods, even though dark magic is always dangerous.


    ¡°Maybe Clive is ignorant and believes that this magic just leads to poorer health. But I believe Mildred notices more, since Vera did come from her body, after all.¡±


    The red dragon suddenly had a new thought. Ze said, ¡°If the Queen rejected Mildred¡¯s milk, perhaps she figured out that Mildred¡¯s milk was tainted by dark magic. That could be why she knew about Vera¡¯s illness.¡±


    Lance¡¯s face went tight, as though he hadn¡¯t thought of this explanation. Ana continued, ¡°Also, maybe Freya found that Mildred¡¯s milk has the same poison that afflicts her and my mothers.¡±


    At the red dragon¡¯s words, the blue dragon looked angry, and smoke puffed out from his nostrils. ¡°You¡¯re so na?ve. You think you can just draw connections like that? As if real-life problems would resolve themselves into such neat patterns.¡±


    Ana just snorted. ¡°Maybe growing older makes you overcomplicate everything, when the truth is something much simpler than you think.¡±


    Lance persisted in his refusal. ¡°I don¡¯t believe Vera¡¯s disease is from having poor health or contracting the flu. But I also don¡¯t think her affliction is the same as what Freya and your mothers suffer from.


    ¡°I know we never got along, Ana, but I truly wish your family no harm. And I hope they will discover a cure too. Trying to get into dark magic investigations, in order to save your grandmother and mothers, will just waste you a ton of time and energy.


    ¡°Of course, if you insist on helping Vera, then you can start with Ivy and her black magic if you want. Good luck getting Mildred and Clive to listen to you, though. If Mildred were smarter, she would stop letting her calves drink her milk.


    ¡°And I wager that the healers Mildred and Clive have seen, can only tell that Vera is sick, but not why. ¡°


    Throughout this tale, Anastasia wondered how much was true and how much was made up, if this wasn¡¯t a complete lie. Yet, was Lance smart enough to concoct such a complex story?


    Nevertheless, ze couldn¡¯t be sure of anything yet. Ze would watch and wait.


    And, Ana grudgingly thought, Revi might know more about this matter.

 Chapter 15: Unpopular Together

    It was late by the time Ana flew back to the dining hall. Most of the diners had already left, and of course Mildred was nowhere to be found.


    Ana wasn¡¯t sure if Mildred wanted to come back to the castle anytime soon. Even her dinner plate had a pile of corn and peas remaining, as if she had given up on her meal before streaking off to the forest.


    Freya had promised Lucille and her family that they could stay in the guest rooms for as long as they wanted to. Besides, Queen Freya would like to see more of her daughter and grandchildren, while she was still well enough to do so.


    Anastasia privately doubted that the queen even loved Lucille that much.


    One of the few people left in the dining hall was Ero. He was still in his little boy form, and he stood restlessly around their table. When he saw zir, Ero beamed and his eyes sparkled with joy. Ana sadly thought about how different Ero looked compared to the ailing Vera.


    But Anastasia hid zir gloom behind a smile. Ero darted forward to hug the red dragon; he nearly knocked over a chair in his enthusiasm.


    The boy gazed up at his cousin and frowned. ¡°Where have you been? I know the company here isn¡¯t the best, but¡­¡±


    Anastasia asked first, ¡°Have my mothers or grandmother asked about me?¡± Ze was especially worried since Freya had presumably given Lance a vial to take to Vera earlier. What was the queen planning?


    The calf-shifter glanced down at the floor. ¡°Well, they did ask me where you went. I said that you wanted some air. They didn¡¯t seem too surprised and were content to give you space. Freya said that these are big announcements, with her passing down the throne to you, and the news that she and your mothers don¡¯t have long to live.¡±


    The red dragon looked at him with puzzlement. ¡°You seem unhappy about what she said.¡±


    The little boy shrugged. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t sound right to me that, after giving you such shocking news, they would just leave you alone, virtually ignoring you, rather than talking with you about it.¡±


    It was Ana¡¯s turn to frown, and ze nudged the calf-shifter closer with zir wing. ¡°Ero, I¡¯ve always been a self-sufficient dragon, and some would even call me aloof. My mothers and grandma might want to talk to me about things, but they¡¯ve learned from experience that I might get bristly and shut them out. So it¡¯s better to leave me alone to brood and think first. Much later, I might seek them out for a talk.¡±


    Ero gave Ana an astonished look. ¡°So they weren¡¯t ignoring you on purpose? Then how about the dragon nobles around us? You just got pronounced as the next ruler in line. Surely they would be more curious and want to talk to you, but they didn¡¯t even look at you.¡±


    Ana realized that Ero was a lot more upset than ze expected. The red dragon truly didn¡¯t want that much attention. And while ze would like to talk more with zir grandmother and mothers eventually, ze understood that as royalties, the queen and princesses had to spend a lot of time socialising with the nobles.


    In fact, Ana was relieved that zir parents and grandmother could handle those social duties, as ze had neither the patience nor the finesse to talk pleasantly with people ze disliked.


    ¡°Ero,¡± Ana began again, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried and want to look out for me, but there are norms among my family and the dragon nobles that you¡¯re not familiar with. I wouldn¡¯t say I love everything about my family or the kingdom, but you could have misunderstood some things, though I appreciate your concern.¡±


    Anastasia took a deep breath and went on, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter to me what the dragon nobles think. I only care about what my family thinks.¡± This included Ero and maybe even Lucille. Ana was unsure about Mildred, and ze didn¡¯t know Mateo that well, though he appeared to be a decent person and father.


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    Ero still didn¡¯t seem satisfied with this response. He pouted and scuffed the floor with his shoe. ¡°It¡¯s cool that you don¡¯t care, but I do. It sounds like a bad start, that you¡¯re the heir to the throne, yet they¡¯re so disrespectful that they won¡¯t even acknowledge you.¡±


    The red dragon sighed. Ero was truly too young and na?ve, and saw things in black and white. ¡°It¡¯s no secret that I never got along with most other dragons, including the nobles. Some of them may have been jealous of my grandmother¡¯s favor, and didn¡¯t want to speak to me. Some others simply don¡¯t enjoy talking to me, which suits me just fine because I don¡¯t want to talk to them, either.¡±


    Ero pressed his lips together with continued discontent. ¡°But I still think they should give you more respect as the future sovereign.¡±


    Ana nodded, not wanting to argue further. Too much had happened today, and ze had been given a tremendous amount of information. The dragon only wanted to rest and retreat for the night.


    ***


    The next morning, Anastasia crept out of zir room after eating breakfast inside. Ze didn¡¯t enjoy eating with others, and it had nothing to do with being ¡°ignored¡± by the nobles like Ero had believed.


    Last night, Ero had been reluctant to separate from Ana, but Lucille managed to persuade her son to leave his dragon cousin alone. While Ana liked Ero¡¯s brightness and optimism, ze also wanted some time alone to reflect and sleep.


    Before the red dragon had gone back to zir chambers, ze bumped into Mildred. The cow-shifter smiled in a friendly way, as though nothing had happened.


    Ana had stared at her for a bit, wondering if any of Lance¡¯s claims about her were true. Regardless, the cow-shifter didn¡¯t stop to chat, and just went to her own guest room beside Lucille¡¯s.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t ask her where Clive and Vera were.


    Now, in the morning, the red dragon ventured out into the garden again, unaccompanied by anyone. Options zipped through zir mind. Then ze decided.


    The red dragon bolted up through the sapphire sky; the sun shone with a shameless brightness.


    Within minutes, Ana arrived at a house near the castle. The house was painted in shades of cobalt blue. Ze touched down and paused for just a moment before knocking on the front door.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t have long to wait. The door was opened not by a servant or butler, but by the master himself.


    He was in human form, with light brown hair and vivid green eyes. He was dressed so resplendently that you would think he was attending a party, rather than just lounging around at home.


    The man broke into a smile. ¡°Ana, I knew you would come. As always, you do not disappoint.¡± He waved zir in.


    Ana was relieved that Revi didn¡¯t ask zir to shift to human form indoors, since not all nobles were so accommodating.


    Nevertheless, the gold dragon shifter must have read zir mind, because he added, ¡°If you like, you can shift to human form. No one else is in the house.¡±


    The red dragon scowled at him. It was one of the many things that made Revi distinct from other dragon nobles. He chose to live alone, and though he had servants, most of the time he asked for peace and quiet, so his servants would stay somewhere nearby. They would come back to help their master from time to time, but he was usually unaccompanied.


    Anastasia hesitated for a moment, before deciding to shift. For all Revi¡¯s faults, Ana trusted that he would never misgender zir. In a quick blur of colors, the red dragon transformed into a human being.


    Ze always felt more delicate and vulnerable in this state. Yet, despite Anastasia¡¯s preference for being a dragon, ze sometimes missed being in human form. Ze just didn¡¯t feel comfortable being human around most people.


    Revi led Ana to the guest room where they sat around a big glass table. He said, ¡°I assume you¡¯ve thought more about what I said, about finding a cure for your mothers and grandmother?¡±


    Anastasia studied him, searching again for any deceit. Revi seemed only pensive, not malicious. At least, Ana hoped he wasn¡¯t.


    Anastasia rested zir arms on the cool glass of the table. ¡°What do you know that nobody else does?¡±


    Revi shot zir a look. ¡°Direct and to the point as usual. I wouldn¡¯t have bothered your Highness if I didn¡¯t have anything concrete to offer.¡± His gaze darted about the room, as though he were worried that he would be spied on in his own house. Then he rose from his seat. ¡°Come with me. I have something to show you.¡±


    Ana frowned but followed.


    The gold dragon shifter ambled towards his bathroom.


    Ana hissed. ¡°I¡¯m not getting a wash.¡±


    Revi snorted. ¡°Neither am I. But bear with me for a minute.¡± He flicked a glance over his shoulder to check that Ana was behind him. Then he reached over and turned on the faucet in the tub. He wrenched the knobs so they were at maximum heat.


    Dragons, even in their human forms, weren¡¯t afraid of such heat levels. But Ana was still wary of zir companion¡¯s movements.


    The gold dragon shifter put a finger to his lips, as though telling Ana to be quiet, which made ze roll zir eyes. And then, without warning, a hole opened up at the bottom of the bathtub.


    The hole expanded until it covered a third of the tub, and all the water swirled down like a whirlpool.


    Revi turned off the faucet, and Anastasia stared with dismay at what was revealed.

 Chapter 16: Ice-Cold Heart

    Anastasia gasped in bewilderment.


    In Revi¡¯s bathroom, there used to be a bathtub. But the scalding hot water seemed to have melted away the tub¡¯s material. In its place was a huge, rectangular hole, with steps leading down into the darkness.


    Ana frowned. Zir eyesight was much worse in human form, and ze wanted to shift back to dragon. But Revi placed a hand on zir arm.


    He whispered, ¡°I know the temptation is great to morph back into your most comfortable form. But believe me, it¡¯s better to be human?¡ª?or seem human?¡ª?for this expedition.¡± He paused. ¡°After you.¡± The gold dragon shifter extended a palm towards the steps.


    Anastasia glared down at Revi¡¯s restraining hand, though ze could shift anyway and he would be helpless to do anything about it. But ze snapped instead, ¡°You can go first.¡±


    Revi smiled. ¡°I offered to go last to watch your back in case anyone or anything attacks from behind. I will go first as you wish, and you can protect us from any sneak attacks.¡± And with that, the man climbed into the former tub and trod down the stairs with an annoying confidence.


    Ana hesitated at the top of the stairs for a moment. Ze glanced around, and hoped none of Revi¡¯s servants, or anyone else, would march in behind them later.


    ***


    The passageway down below had a pungent scent, and for once, it was a blessing that Ana was in human form. The stench would have been intolerable if ze was in dragon form with a keener sense of smell.


    Eventually, the pitch darkness was pierced open by the light in the distance. They entered a lit hallway that looked absolutely ordinary, except for the odd sense of emptiness.


    Regardless, Revi appeared unfazed. Ana wondered how often he came down here, assuming there was a way to recover the bathtub every time, via magic or other means.


    They soon arrived at the end of the hallway, where there was another door. It was small enough that even Ana¡¯s petite dragon form would have to squeeze to get through. But ze doubted that was the reason Revi urged zir not to shift.


    When Revi shut the door behind them, the pungent smell in the air abruptly vanished. Chilly vapours surrounded them instead. As a dragon shifter, Ana didn¡¯t catch cold easily, but ze still wasn¡¯t fond of the lowered temperature.


    And then all of a sudden, Anastasia saw the source of the chilled air.


    There was a statue of ice, in the shape of a unicorn.


    ***


    Anastasia was startled when the statue moved, and even more so when it laughed.


    The ice unicorn¡¯s voice was melodic, but it sent shivers down Ana¡¯s spine. And not just because the creature was a block of cold solid.


    Revi glanced back expectantly at Ana, as if he were showing off a prize to zir and wanted praise. The gold dragon shifter said, ¡°Anastasia, this is Phaeton.¡±


    Phaeton interrupted, ¡°What a cute thing you are, Ana, probably even more so in your dragon form.¡± He shot Ana an ambiguous smile. ¡°I hear you¡¯re looking for something from me?¡±


    Anastasia was about to say that ze had never even heard of him. In fact, ze had never met an ice unicorn before today, though ze had heard tales about them.


    But ze straightened up zir back, and said in as confident a tone as ze could manage, ¡°Do you know what poison it is that my mothers and grandmother are suffering from? And if so, do you know where to find the cure?¡±


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    The ice unicorn exchanged a glance with Revi. Phaeton replied, his crystal eyes sparkling, ¡°Do you want the poison, or do you want the cure?¡±


    Ana furrowed zir brows. ¡°That¡¯s an odd question to ask.¡±


    The ice unicorn was unrelenting and pressed, with a frosty smile, ¡°Poison or cure?¡±


    Ze hesitated for just a moment before saying, ¡°Cure.¡±


    The ice unicorn burst out laughing at zir response, and even Revi smiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Ana couldn¡¯t help but ask with impatience and unease.


    ¡°Nothing. But you young dragons are so adorable. Especially if you¡¯re royalty.¡± The ice unicorn rolled his eyes. ¡°You see things with so little subtlety and finesse, like everything is black and white to you.¡±


    This sounded so like what Lance had told Ana yesterday, that ze quickly lost zir temper. ¡°That¡¯s enough of these aimless critiques. Can you tell me what the poison?¡ª?the cure is?¡±


    The ice unicorn sighed, and his mane rippled like it was flowing in the breeze. What he said next caught Ana by surprise. ¡°Do you trust me? We¡¯ve only just met, but if you ride on my back, I can take you to the place you need to go to find the cure.¡±


    Anastasia glanced at the glacial perfect smoothness of the unicorn¡¯s back.


    The unicorn smirked and stretched himself to his full height. ¡°My body may be slippery, but you won¡¯t fall, I¡¯ll make sure of it. But you can only ride me in human form. I don¡¯t like the feel of rough dragon scales on my skin.¡±


    Anastasia glanced at Revi, who looked so out of place with his fine, resplendent clothes in this shoddy cold room. ¡°What about you?¡± Ana asked the gold dragon shifter.


    Phaeton answered instead, with a toss of his head, ¡°He can come with us if you like. Otherwise, you and I can go alone.¡± The unicorn whickered. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t need a dragon friend to babysit you?¡±


    Ana hissed and felt so tempted to just shift to dragon and leave. But ze restrained zirself. ¡°You are a stranger to me,¡± the red dragon shifter began. ¡°I don¡¯t want a babysitter, but I do want a witness.¡± Ze managed to say all of this without losing zir cool.


    Phaeton looked peevish, and his smile grew sharp as an icicle. ¡°So you want me to carry two dragons on my back?¡±


    ¡°Two dragon shifters in human form,¡± Ana corrected. Phaeton was so fickle. Earlier, the unicorn didn¡¯t care either way, but now, Phaeton was grumbling about taking Revi with them.


    Anastasia didn¡¯t see the gold dragon shifter as a friend, but ze trusted that Revi wouldn¡¯t want zir to be hurt. Having him present could be a good deterrent to the ice unicorn, should he try anything devious.


    Revi looked thoughtful, while Phaeton snorted with discontent, his nostrils flaring.


    Ana quipped, ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to. Revi could fly behind us.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter raised an eyebrow at zir proposal, while Phaeton snarled, with his icy teeth bared. ¡°I doubt that even a dragon can fly fast enough for this, not to mention that dragons would be too big.¡±


    ¡°Even for my dragon form?¡± Ana assumed that the ice unicorn had at least heard of zir small size as a dragon.


    Phaeton sniffed and flicked his tail dismissively. ¡°You are an odd one, Ana. No one else your age is quite so small. Most teenage dragons would be the size of a small house, at least. One wonders whether you truly drank all that cow-shifter milk.¡±


    Before Ana could retort, Revi cleared his throat and cut in, ¡°That¡¯s not important, Phaeton. But aren¡¯t there other ways I can accompany you two on your journey?¡±


    The ice unicorn shot him a distasteful look. ¡°Not in this case.¡±


    The three of them were silent for a moment, and Ana keenly felt the waves of chilliness leaping off of the ice unicorn¡¯s back. Then ze said, ¡°What kind of place are we headed? And will two dragon shifters in human form be too heavy?¡±


    Phaeton shot zir a nasty look, so ill-befitting the elegant appearance of a unicorn. ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m weak?¡±


    Ana shook zir head blithely. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve never encountered an ice unicorn before you, so I don¡¯t know what weight may be too much and literally crack your spine.¡±


    The ice unicorn looked positively sour now. ¡°I may be a creature made of ice, but that doesn¡¯t make me fragile?¡ª?¡±


    Revi stepped in and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure ze wasn¡¯t implying anything of the like. But I just want to know if there¡¯s any way I can accompany Anastasia on this expedition.¡± He folded his arms in a way that somehow looked composed rather than defensive.


    There was more sullenness and silence from Phaeton. At long last, he said, ¡°Okay, you can both ride on my back.¡± He hissed. ¡°But no kicking my flanks or yanking at my mane. I¡¯m not some common stable horse.¡±


    Ana thought Phaeton was quite far from a common stable horse, and much less agreeable, too.


    The coldness seeped up Ana¡¯s legs when ze climbed onto the unicorn. Revi sat right behind zir, thankfully without grabbing zir shoulders or waist, at least not yet. Ana clung onto the unicorn¡¯s neck.


    The unicorn didn¡¯t complain, for once. ¡°Hang on tight,¡± he whispered.


    A portal opened up in front of them like a cave made of water, except you couldn¡¯t see through it. The unicorn bounded into the water cave with a great splash.

 Chapter 17: A Vulnerable Soul

    Anastasia had been gone all morning.


    Dejected, Ero sighed and collapsed back down onto his bed.


    Lucille shook her son¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Get up! Why are you being so sulky?¡±


    The calf-shifter, currently in human boy form, made a moue. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like getting up. Just leave me alone.¡±


    After a while of filial strife, and occasional soft entreaties from Mateo, Lucille finally gave up and left the room.


    Little Ero stared up at the tall ceiling with its large glass chandelier. He had woken up later than usual. When he went out for breakfast with his family, he learned that Ana had already left.


    Ero felt too disappointed?¡ª?and hurt?¡ª?and decided to mope and stay in bed for the rest of the day.


    He had thought that Ana liked and trusted him. They hadn¡¯t known each other for long, but they were cousins, even close friends, right? Ero sighed again and dwelled in the gloom of his thoughts.


    But while he lay flat and listless on his bed, he heard a whirring sound from the corner of his room.


    A small creature with four wings and big eyes crouched there. It was like a dragonfly except its body was the size of a piglet¡¯s.


    Ero¡¯s jaw dropped in astonishment. Before he could speak, however, the creature appeared before him; Ero had no idea when it had moved. The creature spoke in a syrupy voice, ¡°Are you lonely, little boy? Don¡¯t you wish you had some company?¡±


    The calf-shifter narrowed his eyes at the dragonfly-like creature. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just want to sleep.¡± He even shut his eyes in defiance.


    But he felt a light prod on his arm. He grumbled and opened one eye. The dragonfly creature was staring at him. It said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I only want to help. You miss your cousin, Anastasia, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Now, Ero opened both his eyes and sat up in bed. ¡°Yes, and?¡± He was still suspicious of this mysterious creature, but he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity and longing.


    The dragonfly creature?¡ª?Ero decided he would just call it ¡°Dragonfly¡± until he found out its name?¡ª?gave him a wide, sly smile. ¡°I know where ze is right now. Ze isn¡¯t in any?¡ª?normal place at the moment, but if you trust me¡­¡±


    ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± Ero asked, genuinely dismayed. ¡°We¡¯ve only just met.¡±


    Dragonfly laughed; it was a trilling, yet unpleasant sound. ¡°You¡¯ve only just met your cousin Ana for a few days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Ero insisted.


    Dragonfly just shrugged. ¡°The choice is yours. If you want to find your cousin, follow me. If you don¡¯t want to see zir ever again, then I¡¯ll excuse myself from your presence.¡± The creature began to amble away.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ero leapt out of his bed, and rushed to block Dragonfly¡¯s path. He huffed. ¡°What are you saying? Why would I never be able to see Ana again?¡± His stomach clenched at the thought.


    The hideous creature smirked. ¡°You are really attached to zir, aren¡¯t you? So have you decided?¡±


    Ero puffed up his cheeks. ¡°I still don¡¯t trust you, but are you suggesting that my cousin will be in danger?¡±


    Dragonfly looked away, though its lips were still curled up in a sardonic smile. ¡°Ze isn¡¯t in danger yet, but ze is about to be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very vague,¡± Ero said. ¡°Let me at least call my mom?¡ª?¡±


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    Dragonfly snorted. ¡°Are you such a baby that you still need your mom to go with you?¡±


    The calf-shifter shook his head defensively. ¡°No, but why should I believe a random creature like you? How do I know you won¡¯t lead me to my doom, where I would definitely never see Ana again?¡±


    Ero was an impulsive and adventurous calf, but he was still haunted by his experience at The Valley. He didn¡¯t want to be trapped in a dark cage again.


    The more Ero looked at the Dragonfly, the more sinister it appeared. Ero was going to tell the creature to leave him alone; he would ask for help from other dragons in the palace, even Grandma Freya if necessary. But before he could say anything, the bedroom door burst open.


    Standing there, brown hair in disarray, was Mildred. ¡°Ero, don¡¯t listen to him. Come with me.¡±


    The insect-like creature hissed, while Ero ran towards her, relieved beyond measure at her presence. The dragonfly pounced, but Mildred punched his face.


    A crunch sounded and the creature howled. Mildred dragged Ero out of the room and slammed the door before the creature could retaliate further.


    ***


    Mildred¡¯s heart was thudding, even as she tried to look calm for her cousin¡¯s sake.


    Ero shook out of her clutch before demanding, ¡°What?¡ª?who was that?¡±


    The cow-shifter gritted her teeth. ¡°Come with me first. Let¡¯s not talk where the creature can still hear us.¡±


    She was thankful that Ero didn¡¯t argue, for once, though he was still sullen. Regardless, Mildred was grudgingly impressed that Ero had resisted the creature¡¯s temptation, given how much the calf worshiped his other cousin.


    Mildred took Ero outside to the palace gardens, and they sat on a bench in a quiet, but not isolated, place. She wanted to be out in the sun, in public where there would be witnesses if anyone tried anything, but where they would still have some privacy.


    She patted down her unruly hair, as if that would fix things. Ero glanced at her with impatience. ¡°So? And is Ana really in danger?¡± he demanded.


    Mildred pressed her lips together with displeasure. ¡°It¡¯s not really about Ana at all, not directly, at least. It¡¯s about you. These creatures will do anything to trick you into following them, and they will hold you captive forever.¡±


    She held out a hand when Ero began to protest. ¡°I know you already guessed that,¡± she clarified, ¡°and I¡¯m proud of you for resisting. Truly, I am. I should have known that even Queen Freya¡¯s guest bedrooms wouldn¡¯t be protected from tricksters.¡±


    The cow-shifter frowned and continued, ¡°Goodness knows I¡¯ve dealt with enough liars, but the fae are accomplished liars, where they can lie without telling a single falsehood. But they do know what?¡ª?or who?¡ª?you care most about in your heart.¡±


    Ero glanced down at the grass. His short legs dangled from the bench, some distance above the ground.


    They were silent for a bit, until Mildred added, ¡°It won¡¯t be the last time someone uses your affection for Ana against you, so be prepared.¡±


    Ero lifted his chin at that. ¡°I know. But can you tell me if Ana could be in trouble? Or do you not actually know?¡±


    Talking to him could be such a pain. She replied, in as soothing a voice as she could manage, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I asked around and some guards saw Anastasia fly off in that direction.¡± She pointed. ¡°Some other guards suggested ze might have gone to visit Revi, who is a gold dragon lord here. Apparently, they¡¯re close.¡± She shrugged.


    The calf-shifter hopped off the bench, and a barely concealed ire thrummed through his body. ¡°Well, whoever this Revi is, he might be up to no good.¡±


    ¡°Ero¡­,¡± she began.


    But he waved a hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave Ana alone, even without the fae creature in the picture.¡±


    Mildred furrowed her brow. ¡°You plan to go alone?¡±


    Ero looked away. ¡°I would if I could, but if ze is in danger, I¡¯d need some backup.¡±


    ¡°But not me, right?¡± Mildred asked with a faint smile.


    Ero glared at her. ¡°I was going to ask my parents, but they wouldn¡¯t let me near a dragon lord¡¯s mansion. So that only leaves you.¡±


    The cow-shifter let out a dry laugh. ¡°How wonderful. You chose me because there¡¯s nobody else.¡±


    Ero shrugged his small shoulders. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Mildred muttered. ¡°If I don¡¯t at least escort you, your mother would kill me. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, Anastasia and Revi dismounted from the ice unicorn. They had landed in a surreal-looking field.


    It was farmland with rows of crops. Except the crops weren¡¯t vegetables. They were glass vials of liquid.


    Phaeton stretched his back in a lazy way. His icy body and its aura of cold vapor, seemed oddly compatible with the fragile, crystalline vibe of the landscape.


    The unicorn whinnied with amusement. ¡°Pick one of the vials. Let¡¯s see if you can find the right cure.¡±


    Ana cut him a glare. ¡°Is this a joke?¡±


    ¡°No joke, future sovereign,¡± the unicorn answered in a mocking tone. ¡°But since there¡¯s royal blood in you, you must have a special intuition to help you find the right one.¡±


    Anastasia was adopted, but even if ze was biologically related to Teefa and Freya, ze wouldn¡¯t believe this ¡°royal intuition¡± nonsense. Instead, ze glanced over at the gold dragon shifter. ¡°Revi, come with me. I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    Revi seemed skeptical but came without complaint.


    Anastasia thought hard about zir next steps.


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± the ice unicorn announced. ¡°You have to stay in human form. If you can¡¯t resist shifting back to dragon, it¡¯s game over for you and all the vials will be destroyed.¡± His grin was malevolent.

 Chapter 18: A New Terror

    Anastasia and Revi trudged through the strange farmland. Phaeton, the ice unicorn, sneered at them from a distance.


    When Phaeton was out of earshot, Revi asked, ¡°Ana, are you sure about this? The stakes are high here.¡±


    Anastasia shot him a disdainful look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in league with Phaeton? Why are you bringing up doubts about his scheme now?¡±


    The gold dragon shifter gave Ana a bland smile. ¡°Who says I¡¯m in league with him?¡±


    Ana peered up at Revi with a frown. Their footsteps made splashing sounds on the muddy field, though their shoes remained miraculously clean. ¡°Stop trying to confuse and bewilder me,¡± ze snapped.


    The other dragon shifter bunched up his shoulders, his eyes far-off. ¡°I¡¯m truly not trying to bewilder you, and I am sorry I got you into this.¡±


    The red dragon shifter stiffened. Ze cast wary eyes over Revi¡¯s much taller form. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ana asked.


    Revi looked everywhere but at Ana. His shoe scuffed the edge of a furrow. ¡°Sometimes, we have to make sacrifices and do what we must, even if it hurts.¡±


    Anastasia stopped walking. ¡°What are you playing at? Be direct with me. Don¡¯t dodge around like Lance did.¡±


    A sign of real anger came into Revi¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t compare me with dragons like Lance.¡±


    Ana was undaunted, folded zir arms, and waited.


    Revi sighed, and drooped his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get into it right now, okay? I just want to help you with this task first. This magical landscape isn¡¯t the best place to have a long t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte.¡±


    The red dragon shifter stared at him with suspicion, but agreed that this was not the best place to get into a deep talk, especially not with the ice unicorn watching them. It was odd too how Revi had asked if Ana was sure about this mission a moment ago, but now he was determined to help zir with the task¡­


    But for now, ze said, ¡°You know this is all nonsense, right? Royal intuition to find the vial to cure the poison?¡± But zir voice shook a little at the thought of how close ze could be to the solution.


    Revi looked back at Ana with a surprising intensity. He cleared his throat. ¡°I know this is hard for you to believe, but Phaeton is right. You do have royal blood in your veins, even though you¡¯re adopted. And this streak of royalty, no matter how slim, will guide you toward the correct vial.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like sheer superstition,¡± Ana said vehemently.


    Revi knitted his brows. ¡°This is no superstition. I¡¯ve investigated this phenomenon in depth for years. But since I have no royal blood, I could only recruit you to do it.¡±


    Anastasia¡¯s ears perked up at that, and zir hackles rose. If only ze could shift back to dragon right now and slash at him. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m the pawn to help you get what you want?¡±


    Revi frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not a pawn. I just want to help you and do the best for our kingdom.¡± At his feet, the vials glinted with enigma in their cages.


    Anastasia shook zir head, feeling angry but also sad. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what kind of delusion you¡¯ve put yourself under, and I¡¯m still not sure what you really want?¡ª?¡±


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    ¡°Ana,¡± Revi said, raising his hands in an appeasing gesture. His voice was half poignant, half remonstrating. ¡°Why do you have so little trust in me? Aren¡¯t we friends, at least?¡±


    ¡°More like civil,¡± Ana snapped back. Once again, ze resisted the itch to morph back to dragon form.


    Without realizing it, Ana and Revi had recommenced their walking on the muddy trail. And then all of a sudden, Ana felt it.


    ***


    It was a flash of recognition. Warm and cold frissons ran through Anastasia¡¯s body. Somewhere in zir mind¡¯s eye, ze spied a glowing form in a sandstorm.


    Ze broke out of the trance, and stared at the vial that stood out from the rest. There wasn¡¯t anything visibly different about it, but ze still felt an odd sense of familiarity, home, and nostalgia. Reflexively, Ana reached for it.


    Only for Revi to block zir hand. ¡°Wait,¡± he said sharply. ¡°It could burn you. Let me take it.¡± He reached for the vial.


    Ana slapped his hand away and hissed. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Is this a trick?¡±


    The gold dragon shifter pressed his lips together and shook his head. ¡°No. You have royal blood, so you will be drawn to the vial, but touching it can also corrode you and tear you apart. So please, let me.¡±


    It was beyond frustrating to be kept in the dark about so many things, to have to put blind faith in Revi, whom Ana did not fully trust. Yet, if it was indeed so dire to touch the vial, even brave Ana was hesitant to try.


    Ze bit zir tongue while Revi grabbed the vial. He sighed with relief when he held, then cradled it, in his hands. Ana, meanwhile, felt a leaden dread, apprehension, and fury.


    Ze didn¡¯t know where all these negative emotions came from, though ze certainly was annoyed by Revi¡¯s intrusion. Ana was exasperated by the whole situation, and that ze had to stay in human form all this time.


    Wet splashing sounded beside them, and there stood Phaeton. The ice unicorn looked remarkably pleased with himself, and his mane and eyes sparkled with menace. ¡°Excellent work, master.¡± The unicorn was looking at Revi.


    ***


    Ero the calf-shifter and his cousin, Mildred, broke into Revi¡¯s mansion. Or, more precisely, one of Revi¡¯s guards was concerned about his master¡¯s welfare, and opened the door to let them find him.


    Ero supposed that he and Mildred must look quite harmless too, being mere bovine shifters. Mildred suggested that it might be a trap.


    ¡°Not that we should give up on this mission,¡± she added quickly before Ero could protest.


    And so the two of them searched through ¡°Master Revi¡¯s¡± glorious halls. It was all so opulent, rivalling even the splendour of the palace.


    Mildred snorted while examining a gold-framed, body-length mirror on the wall. ¡°Some people are so rich that they spend it on useless ornaments, don¡¯t they? And he must be quite vain, too.¡± But she did check out her own reflection in the mirror.


    The calf-shifter glanced about the lavish marble floors, and up at the diamond chandelier. The chandelier seemed even more ostentatious than the one in his guest room at Queen Freya¡¯s.


    Everything was beautiful here to the point of nausea. Ero thought about how his home barn was much warmer and more comfortable, with the straw and hay. Except the dragons had already wrecked their farmland and poisoned the grass.


    Mildred tapped him on the arm. ¡°Hey, I know this is upsetting, but I¡¯m not sure this is the right place to look.¡± They were marching through the halls on the third floor already, with nothing more interesting than the rooms of jewels, velvet, and luxury.


    The calf shifter shook off her hand and huffed; he placed his hands on his hips, and surveyed the place once again. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go back downstairs.¡±


    His cousin rolled her eyes, but shuffled with him back down the winding staircase. Ero had the sudden thought that the bannister was like a pony¡¯s mane, with wavy rivulets and a silky strong force. Somehow, that image gave him an ominous feeling, and he quickly let go of the bannister. Mildred didn¡¯t seem to notice anything, however.


    As soon as they reached the ground floor, Ero immediately sensed that something was wrong. A faint, oily smell slid into his nostrils.


    He sniffed to locate where the smell was coming from, and charged towards Revi¡¯s bathroom. Mildred called out after him as she followed.


    At first, the calf-shifter thought the door was locked, but when he kicked it, the door swung open with ease.


    Now, the oily stench was so intense, it made his head swim and his vision blur. Then he turned his gaze towards the bathtub.


    Mildred screamed and yanked Ero out of the bathroom. He protested but her grip was too strong. She ran with him until they were out of Revi¡¯s mansion.


    In the bathtub, Ero had seen the rotting corpse of a red dragon.

 Chapter 19: Guilt and Lies

    ¡°Anastasia is dead,¡± Mildred whispered with tears in her eyes.


    Mildred the cow-shifter and her cousin Ero, the calf-shifter, were hiding away in the palace garden.


    Ero shook his head with a defiant set to his jaw. ¡°No. I don¡¯t know whose corpse that was, but it definitely wasn¡¯t Ana¡¯s. Ze is smaller than that.¡±


    Mildred pressed her lips together. ¡°Then whose corpse was that? Why would there be a dead body of a red dragon in Revi¡¯s bathtub?¡± She cried out, ¡°And how can you be so calm?¡±


    ¡°Because it can¡¯t be Ana,¡± repeated little Ero. He furrowed his brows. ¡°Revi likes Ana, doesn¡¯t he? So no matter how evil he is, he won¡¯t kill zir.¡±


    Mildred gritted her teeth and was silent for a few moments. Finally, she said, ¡°Assuming that wasn¡¯t Ana we saw there, what can we do? Report the powerful dragon lord Revi? His guards didn¡¯t stop us from leaving the mansion, which is odd, but do you suppose Queen Freya would take us more seriously than she would the dragon nobility?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Ero quipped again. ¡°I¡¯m her grandson.¡± He didn¡¯t understand why Mildred was being so negative. It was scary to see a dead body, but that dragon was clearly larger than Ana, though it was still smaller than the average teenage dragon.


    His cousin sighed, and brushed a strand of black hair from her face. ¡°There¡¯s so much you don¡¯t know about the world. People, especially dragons, are brutal and merciless.¡±


    Ero grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s what you all say, like you think I¡¯m dumb.¡± Mildred looked like she wanted to argue, but Ero was faster. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to get stuck on these little things. I want to save Ana.¡± He directed his gaze towards the palace.


    Mildred bunched up her shoulders, muttering, ¡°Freya¡¯s not going to care.¡±


    Then, Ero suddenly inquired, ¡°How¡¯s Vera?¡±


    His cousin looked startled at the mention of her daughter, and her eyes grew wide. ¡°She¡¯s fine at home with her dad. Why do you ask?¡±


    The calf-shifter studied Mildred¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He may be young but he was astute.


    Mildred glanced down at the weeds near her. ¡°Nothing. Well, she¡¯s still sick, just the same as before.¡±


    Ero frowned. ¡°No. Something has changed, though. I can feel that there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me.¡± Though Mildred was in the habit of hiding things, he thought.


    She trampled one of the weeds underfoot. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it right now, okay?¡± She looked pointedly away from him. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s talk to Freya.¡±


    ***


    Anastasia growled at Revi, the gold dragon shifter, and Phaeton, the ice unicorn. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    Revi and Phaeton had knocked zir out with a sleeping hex. When ze awoke, ze was trapped inside a crystal cage.


    Ana had tried to morph to dragon, but something implanted in zir back electrocuted zir, forcing the red dragon shifter to stay in zir human form.


    Ze glared at the gold dragon shifter and ice unicorn. They were back in Revi¡¯s mansion, not in his underground passageway, but somewhere on the upper floors of his mansion. Ana hadn¡¯t visited his place enough times to remember exactly where they were. But now, ze wanted nothing more than to strike back against them.


    Revi said with an infuriating calm, ¡°Ana, this is the best solution, trust me. It¡¯s a little uncomfortable but you won¡¯t get hurt this way.¡± His smile turned wistful. ¡°I care about you too much not to protect you.¡±


    Nausea churned in Ana¡¯s gut. ¡°If you really ¡®cared¡¯ about me, you wouldn¡¯t imprison me.¡± Ze kicked at the crystal wall, but got nothing but a throbbing foot and an undamaged wall.


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    Revi shook his head. He had the gall to pretend to be sad. ¡°I know how bad this looks, but I¡¯m doing this for your own good. This operation will be huge. If I don¡¯t keep you tucked away in this safe corner, you will get hurt.¡± He cut a glance at Phaeton. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡±


    The ice unicorn whinnied his glee. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Ana would be so gullible, but oh well, desperate sovereigns ¡ª and heirs ¡ª are the easiest to manipulate.¡±


    Revi lightly tapped the ice horse¡¯s flank. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rub it in. And Ana, I do feel very sorry about this. But you¡¯ll understand in time, and I hope you will forgive me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you,¡± Ana said with a snarl.


    Revi just dipped his head with a mournful face, then left the room with the ice unicorn.


    ***


    Revi¡¯s heart thudded so hard, he could feel it in his chest as he climbed the steps back down his mansion. He had been so paranoid about getting trapped in his own building, that he never built an elevator, so he had to put up with the slow stairs.


    Phaeton, as usual, was callous and amused. He whickered, ¡°Gosh, I didn¡¯t realize you would be this heartbroken. Life is rough, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The gold dragon shifter frowned. ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡± He truly hoped that Ana would forgive him one day. Ze was all tough words, but Revi knew that ze had a tender heart underneath. The gold dragon shifter glanced at the vial of healing potion in his palm.


    The ice unicorn cut in again, ¡°Hey, are you sure you won¡¯t be too soft towards Ana?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be,¡± Revi said with a grunt; he slipped the vial back into his jacket pocket. ¡°I have no other choice, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The ice unicorn rippled his frosty mane. ¡°Then I¡¯ve chosen the right master.¡±


    Their footsteps thumped down the stairs. He would be absolved, Revi thought. He was just doing his part for the kingdom, and indirectly, for Ana. They would all see it in time.


    Before Revi left the house on his ¡°trusty steed,¡± he made sure to dunk a rotting corpse of a red dragon in the bathtub as a decoy. He had illegally stolen the dragon from the morgue. It was a miracle that he managed to store it away somewhere that hid its putrid smell.


    Phaeton turned his head away. ¡°Let¡¯s go. This is gross, and he isn¡¯t even small enough.¡±


    Revi sighed. ¡°He was the smallest red dragon I could find in the morgue. It¡¯ll be enough to pass a temporary test.¡±


    Phaeton rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ***


    Ero and Mildred reached the doors to the throne room. A tall guard with dark blond hair blocked them. ¡°No intruders allowed. Her Majesty is busy with important guests.¡±


    Ero glared at him. ¡°She¡¯s my grandma and we have something important to tell her.¡±


    The guard looked firmly back at Ero. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you twice, calf-shifter.¡±


    The calf-shifter was livid and yearned to break out his fists against the man. But Mildred gripped his arm. ¡°Stop. Let¡¯s just go.¡±


    Her cousin wrested away from her grip. ¡°How can we give up?¡± he yelled.


    Mildred shushed him. ¡°We¡¯ll come back when she¡¯s done with her meeting, okay?¡±


    The tall guard smirked. ¡°Yes, listen to the lass. Just wait till Her Majesty is done.¡±


    Ero detested his taunting tone, and from the look on her face, Mildred didn¡¯t like being casually called ¡°lass,¡± either. Ero uttered, ¡°You think you can warn someone off just because you¡¯re big and a dragon?¡±


    Mildred tugged his sleeve. ¡°Come on, he¡¯s not worth wasting your time on,¡± she urged. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and wait.¡±


    Ero and the guard stared daggers at each other. But Mildred managed to drag her cousin out of the palace.


    ***


    Revi rode on the ice unicorn as they dived through a portal. They reappeared in a very special room.


    This room was wrapped in shades of purple. It was normally as beautiful as a present, but right now, all of these curtains, decorations, and even the pretty furniture, felt like a suffocating pillow to him.


    An artificial perfume clung to the air. And pressed against a wall, was the huge bed of the princesses. Teefa lay there sound asleep, her beautiful black hair splayed over the covers in disarray. Layla was nowhere to be found.


    When Revi approached the bed, Teefa¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Even in illness, her dark brown eyes were lovely and warm. She murmured, ¡°Revi, what are you doing here?¡± She darted a glance behind him. ¡°And Phaeton, how good to see you again.¡±


    The ice unicorn bowed, one of the rare times he ever showed deference towards anyone.


    Princess Teefa just had that effect on people.


    Without wasting another second, Revi pulled out the coveted vial. Teefa¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. The gold dragon shifter cleared his throat. ¡°We have found the cure. Just mix some drops into water, and you will recover.¡±


    Teefa stared at them wordlessly while Revi filled up a glass from the kitchen attached to the bedroom. He sighed as he poured a few drops of the clear potion into the water, just as he had researched so long ago. He placed the vial with the remaining potion on a nearby table.


    When Revi raised the glass of water to Teefa¡¯s lips, he saw that her eyes were oddly blank. He paused and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Teefa blinked like she had woken from a trance. But she smiled again, and parted her lips as if ready to imbibe the liquid.


    Revi took a deep breath, and poured the cure down her throat.


    Nobody noticed the ice unicorn tapping his horn on the vial of leftover potion. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

 Chapter 20: The Lost Dragon

    Princess Teefa drank the potion from Revi¡¯s hand, then she widened her eyes. It was as if a miracle had befallen her.


    The purple scars around her neck faded, and she sat up on her bed, smiling. ¡°Why, you succeeded, Revi! Wonderful!¡±


    The gold dragon-shifter bowed, shy but pleased. ¡°Princess Teefa, nobody else really trusts us but you, hence why we created a portal into your room. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Teefa shook her head with merriment. ¡°Not at all. I understand you. I will take the vial to my consort and my mother. Thanks to you two, we will all recover.¡± She gave Revi, and Phaeton the ice unicorn, a peculiar glance. ¡°How did you discover the vial of medicine?¡±


    The gold dragon shifter exchanged a glance with the ice unicorn, and the latter looked expressionless. Revi said, ¡°It¡¯s too long a story to impart. We¡¯re just incredibly relieved that it worked. We are always at your service, Your Highness.¡±


    Teefa chuckled. ¡°Please, call me Teefa. Leyla just went out for a walk. The Queen is probably still in her throne room. I¡¯ll write a note to my wife first.¡±


    Revi thanked her, and together with Phaeton, they leapt through a portal back outside. Their task was done. Now for the others to do their part for the kingdom.


    ***


    Ero the calf-shifter barged back into the palace, with his cousin trailing after him. The young cow-shifter flicked her brown hair behind her neck, grumbling, ¡°You¡¯ve got to have more patience. How can your grandma be done with her queenly meetings in just a few minutes?¡±


    Yet, the rude guard who blocked them earlier was gone. In his place, were the blue dragon shifter brothers, Lance and Demiel. Lance tried to give Mildred a meaningful look, but she ignored him. Demiel just grinned. ¡°Did you miss us, milkmaid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a cow-shifter, not a milkmaid,¡± Mildred protested, her arms tensing as if ready for a fight.


    Ero yelled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two supposed to be Valve grunt dragons, not actual palace guards?¡±


    Lance and Demiel looked offended, though Lance was still trying to catch Mildred¡¯s attention. Ero didn¡¯t know what was going on between them, but they did give off a strange vibe when she was riding on his back to the palace the other night.


    Ero wasn¡¯t sure if this had anything to do with his cousin¡¯s sick daughter, Vera.


    Demiel explained, ¡°There are other guards here too, but we were instructed to welcome you in. You¡¯ll be pleased when you get there.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mildred asked, even as she strode up to push the doors open.


    There was shiny, glamorous finery everywhere in the throne room. But unlike last time, the decrepit old woman on the throne now looked lively and strong.


    Stunned, Ero and Mildred ran up to see Freya. On either side of the Queen, were her daughter and daughter-in-law, Princess Teefa and Leyla.


    All three women looked like they were in perfect health. It was as if the disease had never happened.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ero could only say, gazing at the fully healed royals.


    Freya laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t believe this, right? Teefa had some mysterious friends who wished to remain anonymous, but they found the cure!¡±


    Cheers and applause roared in the throne room.


    But when the noise died down, Ero asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Anastasia?¡±


    At his question, Grandma Freya¡¯s blooming face turned worried. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We haven¡¯t seen zir since this morning.¡±


    Ero gritted his teeth. ¡°Ana must be in danger.¡± He added, ¡°Mildred and I went to explore Lord Revi¡¯s mansion, since we last saw Ana fly towards his place. We didn¡¯t find anyone or anything, but ¡­ there was a rotting corpse of a red dragon in his bathtub.¡±


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    There were loud gasps from everyone, including Freya, Leyla, and Teefa.


    Ero shook his head. ¡°But obviously it wasn¡¯t Ana¡¯s. Ze is smaller than that. It was probably a decoy to divert our attention.¡±


    Mildred said, ¡°It was definitely very repulsive, and ¡ª ¡± She sighed. ¡°Yet, if that wasn¡¯t Ana, then where is ze?¡±


    A sharp knock sounded on the throne room doors.


    Freya snarled and yelled out, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    The guards opened the door to reveal a man who seemed to be in anguish. He carried a child in his arms.


    ¡°Clive?¡± Mildred rushed to her husband. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Clive shook his head, and clutched the child tighter in his arms. ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer. I need to talk to Freya directly about this.¡±


    Queen Freya looked pale as she regarded the child in the man¡¯s arms. She spoke not a word as Clive stepped towards her.


    Guards arose on either side to stop him from approaching, but Freya waved them off. ¡°Let him speak. He is harmless.¡± The fear in her eyes told a different story, however.


    Clive said, ¡°Queen Freya, your henchman Lance offered me your antidote to extend my daughter¡¯s life. Thank you for your kindness, but Vera is suffering from something else, not from the poison, which I see you have recovered from. Congratulations.¡±


    It was chilling to Ero how calm Clive sounded, like he had a dormant anger about to erupt.


    Clive looked down at his daughter, Vera, who seemed so delicate in his arms. Her eyes were closed, and she was huddled against her father¡¯s chest, as though she were clinging onto the only shelter she had.


    ¡°My wife and I decided to give her a heavy sleeping potion for now, so she can have some peace and respite from her suffering. This is only a temporary measure, though, especially as such sleeping potions aren¡¯t healthy to use long term, especially not for young children.¡±


    He paused. ¡°But I would like your help with her.¡±


    Mildred looked aghast, but Clive ignored her and went on, ¡°We¡¯ve been distrustful of dragons for too long. I admit that I¡¯m still wary, but at this point, I¡¯m willing to ask anybody for help, anything to save my daughter from pain.¡±


    Ero tried to catch Mildred¡¯s eye, desiring answers, but his cousin was adamantly looking away. He knew that Vera was sick, and that her illness had driven the couple apart, but he hadn¡¯t realized how serious it was. Vera was even thinner and paler than the last time he saw her.


    Freya suddenly looked very old. She appeared even worse than when she was poisoned, if that could be possible. The queen rubbed her scalp, her silvery strands of hair seeming more scraggly than beautiful now. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that your daughter is going through this.¡± She glanced at Mildred. ¡°But I would require your wife¡¯s help.¡±


    Mildred cringed away from her sight. It was odd to see the normally confident woman shrink from the dragon¡¯s attention. She hid her face in the shadows.


    Yet, Freya advanced upon her like a spectre. The queen¡¯s smile was kind but firm. ¡°Mildred, we don¡¯t have to share anything in front of other people if you don¡¯t want to. I just want your promise, so we can work together and heal your daughter. Vera deserves a happier life, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    Mildred grimaced, and tears stood in her eyes. She gazed at the sleeping girl in Clive¡¯s arms. Then, the cow-shifter wiped her tears. To Ero¡¯s astonishment, she said, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t.¡±


    Freya¡¯s warm demeanor turned frosty. ¡°But why? Even your husband thinks it would be a good idea to gain my assistance. You know I have resources.¡±


    Mildred scoffed. ¡°You have resources for sure, but you were completely helpless in finding a cure for yourself and your daughters, even wanting Lucille¡¯s, and then my cow-shifter milk, to no avail. I¡¯m glad for you that your disease is cured. But how?¡±


    ***


    When Mildred asked that question, there was a collective gasp. Everyone was so distracted by other questions, like where Anastasia was, how to rescue Vera, that they were distracted by perhaps the most striking thing in the room ¡ª three healthy royals who were previously close to death by an incurable disease. You might even think that they let the audience get distracted on purpose.


    Leyla raised her arms to request calm and quiet. Everyone waited in silence. She exchanged a glance with her wife, and projected with her voice, ¡°As we said earlier, we had an anonymous hero come to our rescue with the elixir.¡±


    Ero frowned suspiciously. ¡°And who is this anonymous hero?¡±


    Leyla shook her head, her silver hair flowing about her like a watery curtain. ¡°They do not wish to be named. We are very grateful and will reward them handsomely.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Anastasia?¡± Ero persisted. ¡°So now ze is not the future sovereign anymore?¡±


    Leyla gave him a strained look. ¡°No, Ana will still be the future sovereign, but much later than before. Ze would be at an older, wiser age then, just as ze had preferred.¡±


    Ero still frowned. ¡°Does Ana really want to rule, though?¡±


    To his surprise, it was Mildred who snapped, ¡°What? I thought you were the most enthusiastic out of us all when Ana got to be the future ruler. Now that ze gets to still rule, but at a more experienced age, and ze gets to keep zir family, isn¡¯t that the best possible outcome?¡±


    Ero scowled at her and stamped his foot. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, do you?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t,¡± Mildred replied, looking both mad and sad at the same time.


    Just then, they heard a rat-tap-tap knock on the throne room door again. The doors were closed to give people inside the illusion of privacy, perhaps.


    The guards opened them, with some cries of dismay.


    Standing there at the door, in his illustrious clothes and shining eyes, was Revi the gold dragon-shifter.

 Chapter 21: The Cataclysm

    Revi the gold dragon was tall and imposing.


    He was in human form, not dragon form. But it was as though he were wearing hard scales, glinting and rigid. He cast an ominous shadow at the door to the throne room.


    Mildred was the first to recover her voice and yell, ¡°Revi? How dare you show your face here! Where is Ana?¡±


    As always, Ero couldn¡¯t help but admire his cousin¡¯s boldness, though he considered himself bold, too.


    Revi glanced at her with a fixed smile. ¡°You have no idea, fair maiden. You have no idea what we all did, for the good of the kingdom.¡±


    Queen Freya gawked, her silver locks flowing in the air. ¡°What are you talking about? Have you gone mad?¡± She cast a scornful look at him.


    The gold dragon shifter smirked. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the dawn of a new era. It¡¯s time to demolish the old and welcome the new.¡±


    He sounded like a mad cultist or something similar. Ero wouldn¡¯t be daunted by him, though. He stood tall beside his cousin.


    But just as he was feeling smug over the gold dragon lord, he felt a tremor beneath him. In disbelief, he watched as the ground began to shake and crack.


    ¡°Everyone, evacuate the palace!¡± Freya exclaimed.


    No one needed to be told twice. Ero took a glance up at the ceiling; it was adorned with the most beautiful decorations imaginable?¡ª?and it was splintering. There was no time to think about why or how.


    A crowd of people rushed to the exits. Pieces of the floor above crashed down, crushing some of the dragon shifters. All Ero could do was run. At first, he ran after Mildred. But they were separated when a piece of flooring collapsed in front of him, blocking her from his view.


    He couldn¡¯t see Revi anymore either, not that he cared about that asshole¡¯s survival.


    Then, a slender hand reached out and clutched his. It was Princess Teefa. Her smile was warm and kind even in the midst of the chaos. ¡°Come on. Follow your Auntie Teefa.¡±


    Mesmerized, Ero could only accept. Especially as he didn¡¯t know the palace well enough to find another exit. It struck him that he had never really interacted with Ana¡¯s mothers before.


    The Dragon Princess held his hand with a ferocity that didn¡¯t match her exterior. A split second later, a huge chunk of wall fell down right where he was an instant ago.


    The calf-shifter breathed heavily, and he called out, ¡°Where is Ana?¡±


    Princess Teefa didn¡¯t answer, but she hefted the boy onto her shoulders and dashed out of the palace. She was such a delicate-looking woman; it was hard to remember that she had dragon strength.


    All around them, dragon nobles and other species swarmed around, fleeing the area. The earthquake continued even outside of the building. But it moved more slowly outdoors. Many of the dragon shifters began to morph into their dragon forms to fly away.


    Teefa suddenly halted and asked, with a deadly calm, ¡°Ero, do you trust me?¡±


    The calf shifter hesitated, but only for a moment. ¡°Yes,¡± he whispered.


    The dragon woman grinned, and at once, she looked both dangerous and reliable, just like her child, Anastasia.


    In a moment, Teefa¡¯s form warped until she became a gorgeous purple dragon.


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    It felt strange to ride on an adult dragon, after his experience riding on the much smaller Ana. But it was no less comfortable. She was warm beneath him as she kicked off and soared into the sky.


    Ero gazed down at the palace below. The building was in ruins now, all that grandeur wiped out in a mere few minutes. Even the ground outside was ripped up and destroyed.


    ***


    Mildred once again found herself riding on Lance, who had shifted back into a blue dragon. She grumbled, ¡°Why am I with you again?¡±


    Demiel, Lance¡¯s brother who was flying next to them, answered first. ¡°Better to come with us than to be martyred down there.¡± The dragon pointed with his snout to the wreckage below.


    The cow shifter could hardly look. It was too sudden, too devastating. She closed her hot eyes for a moment. ¡°Did nobody know this was going to happen? Surely the mighty kingdom can¡¯t collapse that easily, both literally and figuratively.¡±


    The dragon under her rumbled with a thoughtful tone. ¡°I doubt that the kingdom would collapse figuratively as well. This bloodline of dragons is particularly strong.¡±


    Mildred winced. She shifted her legs uncomfortably on his rough scales. ¡°But how is this seismic catastrophe even possible? I would have thought that Queen Freya would have magical protections, at least.¡±


    Demiel snorted with amusement. ¡°That¡¯s what you would think. Sometimes I can sympathize with Anastasia. The palace gives you a false sense of security. We would ironically be safer out there in the wild, even back in the Valve.¡±


    She huffed, her chest heaving with the rapid onrush of cold air. ¡°So are you taking me to the Valve?¡± Her words were even sharper than she intended.


    The dragon brothers were silent for a moment, before Lance replied, ¡°At first, we wanted to, but it¡¯s better to fly somewhere farther away from that.¡± He grinned. ¡°Would you miss your husband?¡±


    Mildred grimaced and gripped the dragon a little tighter. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to think about my husband. But I do want to see my daughter again.¡±


    Demiel laughed and shook his head. ¡°Your marital dramas are amusing. Relationships sound like nothing but trouble.¡±


    Mildred shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what to say to that. ¡°Why can¡¯t we even look for Ero? He is my cousin, after all. What about Lucille or Mateo?¡±


    Demiel and his brother exchanged another glance. The former sighed while the latter remained silent, his wings swept out in a graceful arc.


    For a while, there was nothing but quiet from Mildred. Then, she asked with a tremor in her voice, ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    Lance said, ¡°Do we really need to have this discussion? There was so much falling debris that killed a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°So you have no firm evidence,¡± Mildred said.


    Demiel cut in, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hold out hope if I were you. Most people, especially those with no flying abilities, got crushed in the commotion. Much better to cut your losses and fly away with us.¡±


    Tension rippled through Mildred¡¯s body. While she was grateful that they had saved her, she didn¡¯t enjoy how she was basically held hostage, no matter how they framed it. She would bide her time for now. As her Auntie Lucille had said, don¡¯t argue with a dragon when you¡¯re high up in the sky and riding on their back.


    ***


    Ero was flying high in the sky on Princess Teefa¡¯s back. He asked, ¡°Where are Princess Leyla and Queen Freya?¡±


    The purple dragon beneath him stiffened. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I will ever see them again. I didn¡¯t see them fly from the palace.¡±


    Ero frowned. ¡°But there were so many people. How do you know? Maybe they escaped and you didn¡¯t see.¡±


    Teefa sighed. ¡°Maybe. But I dare not hope.¡± Her voice became a little more assertive. ¡°For now, all I want to do is to get you to safety.¡±


    Ero felt wary all of a sudden. ¡°Where is safety?¡± His suspicions increased. ¡°And where is Lord Revi?¡±


    Teefa let out a little sigh. ¡°Revi is not the monster you think he is.¡±


    Before the calf shifter could respond to this, she dove down like a comet.


    Not too long ago, Ero had plunged down towards the earth like this, but on Anastasia¡¯s back. Perhaps Teefa was more experienced in her flight, since Ero didn¡¯t feel as dizzy or panicked as he did the first time Ana dove with him. Or maybe he was still too much in shock to feel anything more.


    He was flabbergasted, however, when he saw her swoop down towards Revi¡¯s mansion. It was oddly untouched by the earthquake. In fact, the grounds outside the palace proper were unscorched and whole. This contrast to the devastation earlier was eerie. It was as though it had all been a nightmare, except it was real.


    Before he knew it, Princess Teefa landed on the ground, set him down, and shifted back into human. She fished out a key and fit it into a lock. Ero wanted to ask how she came to possess the keys to Revi¡¯s mansion, but he restrained himself for now.


    The smell in the apartment was putrid. But the stench wasn¡¯t of rotting corpses like he had feared. Instead, the air tasted of sulphur.


    Teefa cursed and raced up the stairs. Ero could barely keep up with her long strides.


    She got up to one of the top floors of Revi¡¯s mansion, and in the middle, was a gaping hole. Teefa gripped her fists and started shaking. Ero had never seen the Princess look so furious before.


    He moved closer towards that hole?¡ª?more like a crater?¡ª?and saw a staircase leading down into the darkness.

 Chapter 22: Threatened

    Anastasia was running for zir life.


    Ze growled. What upset zir the most was that ze couldn¡¯t fly, as ze was still stuck in human form.


    Hours ago, Anastasia had found a weakness on the floor of the cage.


    As Ana had been left alone for hours, ze had the time to explore every inch of the cage, including the floor with zir bare fingers.


    It didn¡¯t take long before ze noticed that a patch of the ground was warmer than the rest. Ana rubbed at that spot, and pressed it with increasing vigour.


    Soon, the patch of warmth crumpled, and cracks appeared in the ground. The platform eroded until Ana sat at the top of a dark staircase.


    Ze never liked going into dark and unknown places, especially not in human form. But it was much better than staying in that cage like a trapped animal.


    The passageway down here smelled like sulfur. Anastasia almost wished ze lost zir sense of smell, as the stench was so bad.


    It was terribly cold as well, not to mention pitch black. From the sound of Ana¡¯s own footsteps, ze knew that it was a concrete floor.


    Before long, Anastasia heard a strange clicking sound. Ze halted zir footsteps, but the clicking only grew louder. With panic, Ana ran in the direction opposite to the clicking.


    For a while, the clicking stopped, which made the dragon shifter even more anxious. It was also bizarre that ze hadn¡¯t hit any walls yet, with zir long hours of running.


    Then, the floor started to slope upwards. Ze held zir breath, but marched on with purpose and hope.


    Finally, Ana¡¯s hand touched a metallic surface. Within seconds, ze found a door knob. Ze was surprised that it was unlocked.


    ***


    When Ana pushed the door open, ze was stunned that ze had arrived at the Valley. That door must have been a portal, since the Valley was very far from Revi¡¯s home.


    But it hurt to think of Revi the gold dragon. Without realizing it, Ana had subconsciously seen him as a friend. Who could have known he would be such a backstabbing bastard?


    He claimed that he wanted to ¡°protect¡± Anastasia, but he was clearly malicious. Nobody protected a person by throwing them into an enchanted cage, and trapping them in their human form.


    Now, Anastasia flexed zir muscles and shifted. Ze sighed with relief and euphoria when zir weak human body turned into the strong, sturdy one of a dragon.


    But zir peace was short-lived.


    ¡°Woo! It¡¯s one of those nasty dragons.¡± It was a ghost from the Valley, possibly one that had imprisoned Ero before.


    Yet, there was something off about the ghost.


    Without fully understanding what was wrong, Ana sensed that this was no ordinary ghost, not combustible by flame.


    But ze still wanted to try. Ana took a deep breath and incinerated the ghost.


    The ghost cackled with infinite malice, the fire burning through his body but doing no damage.


    ¡°We¡¯re not afraid of dragon fire anymore,¡± he snickered. ¡°The new era is here!¡± And with that, the ghost started moving towards Ana.


    The red dragon stopped zir flame and darted high into the sky. The ghost followed close behind.


    Soon, Anastasia saw a swarm of ghosts, all with the same strange energy coming toward zir.


    Ze growled, not wanting to admit defeat, yet not knowing what to do.


    Just as an experiment, Ana unleashed a blast of fire towards the ghosts, but again, the flame passed through them without any effect. In fact, the fire seemed to encourage them in their pursuit.


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    The only advantage that Ana had, was that the ghosts were slow. But they were persistent.


    With a swoosh, Ana easily outpaced the ghosts. But there were more spectres coming from the opposite direction.


    Moments later, Ana was surrounded. The spirits formed a tighter and tighter sphere around zir.


    The dragon felt the icy pressure of the phantoms, but ze didn¡¯t want to give up. With a deep breath, Ana charged zir way into the wall of ghosts.


    When Ana¡¯s body touched theirs, zir blood was chilled with an unimaginable cold, and loud, raucous laughter filled zir ears.


    Anastasia made it to the other side of the ghost wall, but the spirits just laughed and drifted back towards zir, closing in.


    Anastasia flapped zir wings with all zir might, determined to break away. But the chill had seeped into zir bones and slowed down zir flight.


    The ghosts chanted, ¡°We won¡¯t be under the dragons¡¯ reign of terror anymore. We will be invincible and have our justice.¡±


    Anastasia was tiring out, not just because of the cold, but because ze had been stuck in a cage for hours, and had even run in human form underground for a long while. But ze couldn¡¯t give up.


    With a burst of reckless determination, Anastasia dive-bombed at breakneck speed towards the ground.


    Ze broke through the wall of ghosts under zir, which was freezing cold but did not stop zir gravity-charged momentum.


    Then, Ana gasped when ze fell headlong into the river.


    As frigid as the water was, it was nothing compared to the ghosts¡¯ bodies. Ana peered upwards and saw the phantoms swirling around but somehow avoiding the water.


    Though Anastasia was a fire breather, water wasn¡¯t fatal to zir. It was just uncomfortable. Ze swam as best as ze could with zir legs and tail.


    The dragon felt silly, but paddling through the water was better than being crowded around by ghosts. Yet, ze could only hold zir breath underwater for so long.


    After a few minutes, ze decided to try something. Ze gathered as much water into zir mouth as ze could, and then burst out of the river.


    Immediately, the ghosts swarmed towards Ana¡¯s head. The dragon shot the liquid from zir mouth like a water gun. The ghosts moaned, grunted, and moved away.


    They didn¡¯t seem scared, but they were annoyed.


    The red dragon had no idea why the ghosts would become immune to dragon fire yet be put off by water. But ze would take any advantage ze could. Again, Ana filled zir mouth with water and sprayed it out in a stream.


    This time, the ghosts were so frustrated that they shifted quite a few meters away from Ana. The dragon shot water at them several more times before the ghosts finally floated away, as if they wanted easier quarry.


    Anastasia climbed back onto the shore to rest, and for a long while, the red dragon didn¡¯t want to move.


    But ze had no choice. Could ze at least find the other Valve dragons, if they were even here?


    ***


    Meanwhile, Revi the gold dragon shifter rode on the ice unicorn. Together, they dashed through the portal to escape the cataclysm at the palace.


    They emerged at the heart of the Valve. As planned, the ghosts ensorcelled by the unicorn¡¯s magic, had become impervious to fire, and they successfully drove all the dragons out of the Valley.


    All except one dragon.


    Revi laughed with mirth. ¡°Ana will understand, Ana will understand,¡± he repeated.


    The ice unicorn, Phaeton, just shook his head.


    Revi then frowned, thinking out loud, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if the ghosts hurt Ana, though.¡±


    Phaeton rolled his eyes now. ¡°Your precious red dragon friend will be okay. The ghost wouldn¡¯t dare disobey you. You¡¯re the one who granted them the power to defy dragons, well, most dragons.¡±


    Revi sighed heavily. He dismounted from the unicorn and began to morph back into his golden dragon form. The ice unicorn watched with a nonplussed expression.


    As Revi grew in size, his vision sharpened as well. He swooped to the air, scanning the Valve from end to end. He then scanned the Valley in general.


    At long last, Revi spotted a familiar, dear red figure near one of the rivers.


    Revi was suddenly struck with emotion. Maybe it was happiness, or even sadness. He dove towards Ana and hoped for the best.


    Anastasia looked at him with disdainful eyes. Ze was always so beautiful and majestic, even when ze was down in the dumps and apparently dripping wet from the river.


    Revi laughed. ¡°My friend, what were you doing swimming in the water?¡±


    Anastasia outright hissed at him, though this didn¡¯t discourage the gold dragon. ¡°You are a monster. Were the ghosts¡¯ transformation your doing?¡±


    Revi grinned with satisfaction. ¡°Yes, and I know you¡¯re probably mad, but I¡¯m sure you would understand. If we must emancipate all species from the cruel reign of dragons, we must emancipate the ghosts as well. They¡¯re dead but are also beings who deserve to exist in peace.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± Ana spat out. ¡°The spirits here are sheer malevolence. The dragons aren¡¯t the best, but they could at least keep the specters under control.¡± The red dragon glared at the ice unicorn, who just looked smug


    Revi chuckled. ¡°You know what? That¡¯s what the other dragons said, too. They despise other species as dumb, unworthy, or simply malevolent. And so they subjugate all other species, which is unfair and imbalanced. We must destroy that world and create a new one.¡±


    Anastasia glowered at him with wary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you trap me in a cage again.¡±


    But the gold dragon shifter guffawed and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely sorry that I put you in that cage. But I truly did it to protect you.


    ¡°We unleashed a massive earthquake in the palace region. I knew you would go back to the palace, since your loved ones are there. But I wanted you safe and alive. The prison was uncomfortable but you would be okay.


    ¡°I was going to free you from the prison after, only to discover that you had already freed yourself, which I am glad to see. I have no wish to detain you, Ana. The only thing I had on my mind was that in this new era, I want to live in a world with you rather than without you.¡±


    Anastasia looked disgusted. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to live in a world with you.¡±


    Though Revi knew that Ana would say that, his heart still broke. But he was not daunted. He moved a little closer towards Ana, while the red dragon backed slowly away from him.

 Chapter 23: A Torn Friendship

    Anastasia backed away from him.


    Revi the gold dragon, gigantic compared to Ana, leaned with menace towards zir. ¡°Surely you understand. Ghosts deserve to live in harmony, too.¡±


    As he spoke, phantoms swirled in the air above them, but didn¡¯t approach.


    Ana hissed. ¡°Why did you think it would be okay to kill people? Destroying a system doesn¡¯t mean destroying lives.¡± Ze paused. ¡°And what about my mothers and grandmother? Did the potion work?¡±


    At this, the gold dragon frowned and stopped his advance. ¡°All three of them recovered from their illness. But?¡ª?¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Ana snapped, zir frustration over the past few days brimming over like hot water.


    Revi¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re still alive anymore.¡±


    Anastasia was aghast. ¡°How can you be sure?¡± Ze was determined not to tremble, though ze felt like ze was about to collapse.


    Revi leaned forward again, and Ana recoiled as if he were a snake. He said, ¡°I can¡¯t be absolutely sure, but many, probably most, people at the palace would have been killed in the earthquake. Some lucky ones would have flown away in time, others not so.¡±


    Ana inhaled deeply. ¡°And what about my cousin Ero?¡±


    Revi cast a curious look at Ana, and his gold tail lashed at the ground. ¡°Your cousin, huh? You¡¯re technically cousins, I suppose, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Ana demanded. ¡°Just because we¡¯re not the same species, his mother is still my aunt by adoption.¡±


    ¡°And you were also adopted,¡± Revi said with a smile.


    Ana gazed at him cautiously. ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    The gold dragon stretched, as if he were about to go on a stroll. But Ana suddenly didn¡¯t want him to leave, and not just because his presence was keeping the ghosts at bay. Ana bit out, ¡°Elaborate. What are you saying about me being adopted?¡±


    Revi gave Ana a sly smile. He looked so different from the quiet, mild-mannered dragon that Ana had remembered. He whispered, ¡°Would you like to know who your biological parents are?¡±


    Ana froze, then growled. ¡°You researched the antidote to a poison, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can research my history.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Revi said with a light laugh. ¡°I would think that digging up someone¡¯s history would be much easier to do than to find a cure to a strange illness.¡±


    The gold dragon took bigger strides to move away, while the ghosts crept closer to Ana.


    Ana felt like a nitwit, but ze hurried after him. No matter how much ze despised him, ze still preferred his company to the ghosts. And Ana was not giving up without getting a clear answer out of him.


    Revi chuckled as he kept striding, and eventually took off to the sky. As Ana leapt into the air as well, the gold dragon said, ¡°Ah, just as I had dreamed. Anastasia, following me willingly!¡±


    Anastasia glowered at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so obsessed with power and control.¡±


    Revi shook his head as his gold wings beat again to propel him further. ¡°It was never about power and control for me, though I understand why you would see it that way. No. What I desire is harmony and peace.¡±


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    Ana almost choked in dismay. ¡°Do you call murdering people and turning ghosts loose ¡®harmony and peace¡¯?¡±


    Revi sighed. ¡°Oh, I mean harmony and peace in the long run. In the short term, we sadly have to take steps to reach our goal.¡± His eyes shone with a passion that would have been appealing if he weren¡¯t a crazed dragon. ¡°Ana, when we establish a new order, we could be together and do whatever we want. Isn¡¯t freedom your ultimate wish?¡±


    For once, Ana hesitated. Ze did desire the freedom to travel and do whatever ze wanted, but¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t just slaughter a ton of people and call it a new era. That¡¯s barbaric.¡±


    Revi smirked. ¡°You¡¯re really kind, Ana, you truly are. If circumstances were different, I would love to be king and make you my queen.¡±


    It felt like ice had crushed Ana¡¯s heart. ¡°What?¡± Firstly, the clearly feminine term ¡°queen¡± gave zir a strange thrill, though ze typically preferred gender neutral terms as ze was nonbinary. Yet¡­The red dragon snarled viciously.


    ¡°Stop toying with me, Revi. It¡¯s terrible enough to see you throw me in a cage, turn the ghosts immune to dragon fire, and even unleash an earthquake to kill so many others. Now you have to make this farce about¡­¡±


    Revi didn¡¯t look at Ana. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a farce, Ana. But I¡¯m not completely deluded. I know where I stand in your heart. I would be content just to be able to see you.¡±


    Anastasia was silent for a while, and the two dragons soared through the night sky for some time. The ghosts had abandoned them by now, which was a relief. The ice unicorn was nowhere in sight.


    The red dragon snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not into that kind of thing anyway, even if I didn¡¯t already hate you.¡±


    Revi let out a dry laugh. ¡°I¡¯d rather you hate me than that you be indifferent.¡±


    Anastasia felt lost. Too many things were happening at once. There was so much to figure out. Ze asked, more softly now, ¡°But what did you mean about my biological parents? You weren¡¯t bluffing?¡±


    The gold dragon shook his head and looked sad. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Your parents died a long time ago.¡±


    Ana fell silent again, taking this all in. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not lying?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you could one day talk to someone who knows the truth. Well, if you can get them to admit it, that is,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have even brought it up.¡±


    Ana sighed, feeling surprisingly tired.


    Revi turned his head towards zir. ¡°I am so thoughtless. You¡¯ve had no rest or even food for ages, haven¡¯t you? Let¡¯s settle down somewhere you can rest and hunt.¡± He paused. ¡°Or I could hunt for you, Princess Ana.¡±


    His tone of caring was disconcerting, considering the treachery and destruction he had wrought. But the word ¡°princess¡± felt oddly pleasant?¡ª?or was Revi just trying to confuse zir?


    The gold dragon was a horrible person, and Ana loathed him for so many reasons. Yet, even beyond Revi¡¯s ability to keep the ghosts away, ze admittedly didn¡¯t want to be alone, even if the company was atrocious.


    It made Ana realize, all of a sudden, that despite zir desire for independence, ze had never truly been alone. Even at the Valve, ze was with other dragons. When ze ran away from the Valve, ze had Ero. Maybe Ana craved company more than ze thought.


    As Revi turned towards zir with eyes that seemed kind, Ana thought that ze was going crazy. But whatever it was, ze told zirself that ze would bide zir time. Ze didn¡¯t have to stay with Revi forever. Ze could break free and find zir family¡­whoever was left.


    Ana¡¯s chest clenched. Zir voice was tight. ¡°Do you realize that I might have lost every member of my family? Adopted and otherwise?¡± How could you be so cruel? Ana wanted to add, but knew it would be fruitless to say that to him.


    Revi said with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ana, I really hoped things would turn out better for you. But maybe you will be blessed and lucky.¡±


    Ana¡¯s ears pricked up. Not only did he admit that some of zir family might still be alive, he also seemed to have a shift in tone. He sounded less like the mad cultist, and more like the unassuming and gentle boy ze had known.


    Maybe Ana really needed to rest and eat, as ze clearly couldn¡¯t think properly. ¡°Don¡¯t try any funny things with me, Revi.¡±


    The gold dragon shook his head, almost indulgently. ¡°Not to worry. Even the toughest warriors need to rest sometimes.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Do you want to hunt for yourself, or do you want me to hunt something for you?¡±


    The two dragons had settled down on a wide, hilly area. Ana¡¯s aching muscles wanted Revi to do the hunting, and zir hungry stomach agreed.


    Yet, Ana was stubborn, perhaps prideful. Ze raised zir chin. ¡°I¡¯m no baby to be fed. I¡¯ll rest up first, then I can do my own hunting.¡±


    Revi¡¯s lip curved up. ¡°Okay. You can rest here, and I will seek out my own food.¡±


    Without even a goodbye, the gold dragon lifted into the air again in search of prey.


    Anastasia curled up next to a bush. Ze was too wary to want to sleep. Yet, exhaustion crept up on zir and sent zir into a deep slumber.


    While the small red dragon was sound asleep, Phaeton the ice unicorn appeared from a portal nearby.


    He smirked and stepped towards zir, with his unicorn¡¯s horn pointed towards the unsuspecting dragon.

 Chapter 24: The Forgotten

    The ice unicorn lowered his horn, poised to tap the sleeping red dragon.


    But before the unicorn could launch his malignant spell, Revi the gold dragon tumbled down and pushed him away. The dragon hissed, his claws scraping on the mountain soil. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Phaeton held his head high, the horn on his head gleaming. ¡°Why? Do you love your red dragon all that much?¡±


    ¡°My affection for zir is sincere,¡± Revi protested.


    ¡°But ze doesn¡¯t want to marry you.¡±


    Revi¡¯s face was pinched but stubborn. ¡°I know, but that doesn¡¯t mean you get to harm zir.¡±


    ¡°Of course. But how do you know I was about to harm and not help zir?¡± asked the ice unicorn.


    Revi hardened his mouth. ¡°I saw that glint in your eye. Whatever you wanted to do, it would not be good for Ana.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s not good for Ana, but it would be good for you?¡±


    Revi recoiled a little. ¡°I like Ana just as ze is. Why would you harm zir to benefit me?¡±


    ¡°Oh gosh, I said it would be bad for Ana, not necessarily harmful,¡± the unicorn said. ¡°What if I helped zir see things from your perspective?¡±


    Revi paused, then shook his head with vigour. ¡°No. Ana needs to agree with and follow me by zir free will. No mental manipulation.¡±


    The ice unicorn rolled his frosty eyes. ¡°You¡¯re no fun. And what have you caught in your hunt?¡±


    Revi flushed, because he hadn¡¯t caught anything.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go back out to find your prey?¡± Phaeton taunted. ¡°Or are you afraid that I¡¯ll tamper with your precious princess?¡±


    The gold dragon frowned. ¡°A little. You¡¯re too powerful for your own good, and not entirely trustworthy.¡±


    Phaeton shrugged. ¡°Sure. But are you going to starve as a result?¡±


    Revi said nothing and glanced at him warily.


    The ice horse tapped an impatient hoof on the ground. ¡°I promise you that I won¡¯t tamper with Ana¡¯s mind or body in any way while you¡¯re gone, okay? You know we faeries can¡¯t lie.¡±


    The gold dragon still felt suspicious, but he at last nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± He mumbled, ¡°Ana would be starving when ze wakes up anyway, even if ze wanted to hunt for zirself.¡± With a final wary glance back, Revi took to the sky again.


    Phaeton stood next to the sleeping Anastasia, as if standing guard. He chuckled in a low voice. ¡°You truly are lucky, you know? Remember to count your blessings.¡±


    Ana was still sound asleep and did not reply.


    By the time Revi came back, with some birds of prey who had become prey themselves, he eyed the ice unicorn. ¡°You didn¡¯t try anything on Ana, did you?¡±


    Phaeton laughed. ¡°You are impossible. You know I can¡¯t break a vow without great injury to myself.¡± He tapped Ana¡¯s flank with an icy hoof. The red dragon shuddered and shrunk away even in zir sleep.


    Revi growled. ¡°Don¡¯t touch zir.¡±


    Phaeton sneered at him. ¡°Yeah, like Ana is only for you to touch.¡±


    The gold dragon inhaled sharply, and his chest felt tight.


    The ice unicorn neighed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing fun for me to do. I¡¯m leaving now¡­unless there¡¯s anything else you want.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Revi said slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to manipulate Ana in any way, but ze must be stressed from the earthquake and the ghosts. Can you soothe zir and make zir feel better?¡±


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    Phaeton nodded. ¡°As you command.¡± The ice creature tapped his horn on the red dragon¡¯s snout. A white, watery shimmer appeared briefly on Ana, before fading again. Phaeton smiled. ¡°My work here is done.¡±


    The air beside him rippled, and the unicorn leaped into the portal with a splash, returning to his own world.


    ***


    When Anastasia awoke, ze found zirself in a foreign, mountainous land. Ana was starving and woozy, but ze caught a whiff of something delicious.


    Just a few metres away, lay some dead fowl. Ze ambled over and began to eat immediately. Distantly, ze thought there was something strange about zir lack of caution. But Ana was so hungry that it didn¡¯t matter.


    After the satisfying meal, Ana wanted to lay down and lounge around.


    But before ze could succumb to that luxury, the gold dragon landed in front of zir. He looked concerned. ¡°Ana, are you all right?¡±


    Anastasia frowned. ¡°What do you mean? I just had a good meal ¡ª thank you if it was you who caught it for me. And we need to go find my family and the others. We still don¡¯t know where they are.¡± Ana stretched zir shoulders, feeling zir energy return.


    Revi looked at zir with a careful expression. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? You don¡¯t seem like yourself.¡±


    Ana snorted at him. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt better.¡± And it was true, ze realized with a touch of amazement. Ze might think about why later.


    The gold dragon looked uneasy, for some reason. But he nodded. ¡°We¡¯re near The Valley. The earthquake should be finished by now. Let¡¯s fly there to see if we can find anyone.¡± He lifted off with a mighty flap of his wings.


    Ana zoomed up with him, threading through the fine blue sky.


    From time to time, Revi would shoot zir a worried glance.


    Ana eventually snapped, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Spit it out.¡±


    The gold dragon shrunk away a bit. ¡°Nothing. Well, you seem a lot calmer than I would have expected, given all that has happened. But I guess you had a good rest.¡±


    Anastasia pondered his words, but found that ze didn¡¯t want to think too hard. So ze said dismissively, ¡°It was a nice sleep, all right. But now I just want to make sure my family are safe and sound.¡± Ze glanced around the land below, searching. ¡°Where is that ice unicorn?¡±


    The gold dragon froze for a moment. ¡°He got bored. Said his job was done here and he left.¡±


    A silence stretched between them. Anastasia stared off into the distance. ¡°That¡¯s odd. I could have sworn he was around. I suppose he jumped through a portal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Revi said, his scales glimmering as they reflected the sunlight. ¡°Before he left, I asked Phaeton to soothe you and ease your stress, since it was so overwhelming for you to take everything in.¡±


    Anastasia glanced at him. ¡°Hmm, I do feel¡­fine. Whatever he did must have worked.¡± Somewhere deep down, ze wondered whether ze should be more alarmed that the unicorn had done something to zir. But right now, there were more important things to think about.


    Before long, they flew over a forest that Ana liked to retreat to, back when ze was still working for the Valve dragons. Ze cringed at the thought of zir former colleagues. ¡°It¡¯s too bad for them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s too bad?¡± Revi inquired.


    ¡°The Valve dragons lost interest in their work,¡± said Ana. ¡°Thought they could chase bigger dreams elsewhere rather than shepherding ghosts in The Valley.¡±


    Revi halted so abruptly that Ana scowled at him. ¡°What?¡±


    A pause. ¡°You don¡¯t remember, do you?¡± Revi sounded mystified.


    Anastasia wrinkled zir nose. ¡°You¡¯re acting so strangely, Revi.¡±


    The gold dragon looked baffled. ¡°Maybe I am, but¡­¡± He turned his head away again. ¡°Perhaps it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He flapped his wings silently.


    Ana was concerned about zir friend, too. ¡°Am I missing something? Are you worried that we won¡¯t find Ero or the rest of my family?¡±


    Revi gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find at least some of them alive. I thought I saw Princess Teefa escape to the skies when the earthquake shattered the palace grounds. She took someone with her on her back ¡ª maybe Ero?¡±


    Something in Ana calmed. ¡°My mother was always scrappy, despite being gentle. If Ero is with her, he¡¯s in safe hands. What about Queen Freya and my other mother, Leyla?¡±


    The gold dragon avoided zir eyes. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure.¡±


    Ana was sombre as ze thought about it all. ¡°Did you cure them, though?¡±


    Revi blinked. ¡°Yes¡­I thought you asked that already.¡±


    Anastasia shot him a look of dismay. ¡°I don¡¯t recall. Maybe I have but was too tired to remember.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably why.¡±


    They were beyond Ana¡¯s favorite forest by now, and soaring back towards the palace.


    ***


    Revi felt stuck.


    He loved and cared about Ana, yet¡­


    If he was right about what he thought the unicorn did, then he was very fortunate indeed.


    He wasn¡¯t so deluded as to think that Ana would return his feelings, but maybe they could still be friends.


    How much did ze remember? Ze recalled the earthquake. But ze forgot that the ghosts had become resistant to dragon fire. Ze even thought the Valve dragons had just gone in search of bigger, more interesting game.


    Did Ana still remember him and the unicorn trapping zir inside a cage? Perhaps not.


    Revi had been so sure that that was the best thing to do, to save the world and also protect Ana from it all. But he had doubts now.


    If Ana kept zir memories of the incident, ze would hate him again.


    Right now, ze seemed fine with Revi.


    The gold dragon sighed inside, blaming the ice unicorn for suggesting they put Ana in a cage in the first place. Phaeton was a sociopath with no principles whatsoever.


    Could Revi erase the past, now that Ana couldn¡¯t remember? Was it too late to undo the hurt?


    As he floated through the clouds side by side with Anastasia, he made himself believe that anything was possible.


    There was no need to be that fatalistic.

 Chapter 25: Soaring

    Revi flew in tense silence with Anastasia towards the palace.


    Or what was once the palace.


    Ana halted midair and gasped at the wreckage below. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left,¡± ze whispered.


    Revi wanted to comfort zir, but couldn¡¯t find the words. Besides, he felt torn over what he had done.


    No, he didn¡¯t regret working with Phaeton, the ice unicorn, to cause the cataclysm. You couldn¡¯t create something new without destroying the old.


    Yet, after Phaeton had removed some of Ana¡¯s memories, Revi felt some remorse seep in. He was angry that the unicorn ¡°misinterpreted¡± his request to soothe Ana¡¯s distress, by erasing zir most traumatic memories. But a selfish part of him was relieved.


    Perhaps he would never have to face the consequences of what he did to Ana, and their friendship would stay intact.


    Anastasia sighed, drawing Revi away from his miserable thoughts. ¡°Why did you have to resort to such extreme measures? I know you¡¯re against the draconian policies that my grandmother laid out as well. But I was about to become ruler and would have inherited the power to change everything. Or, you could get what you wanted and have my mother''s rule instead. I¡¯m sure they would listen to reason and have a much kinder reign.¡±


    So many thoughts ran through Revi¡¯s head as the red dragon spoke. But what struck him the most was how calm and resigned Ana was. It was alarming that ze wasn¡¯t more upset.


    The ice unicorn¡¯s power was terrible. Not for the first time, he questioned his decision to ally with Phaeton.


    Yes, the unicorn gave him tremendous power to do things he could never do on his own. But Phaeton was a wild, wilful thing with no conscience.


    Nevertheless, Revi had no love for most dragons in the court, least of all Queen Freya. He knew that Princess Teefa, one of Ana¡¯s mothers, would escape to safety. He hoped her wife, Princess Leyla, would survive, too.


    But to be honest, he hadn¡¯t paid as much attention to Leyla. His main concern, other than Ana, was Teefa.


    Revi rumbled a reply to Ana, ¡°If nothing radical and catastrophic happened, the other dragons would never take your or your mother¡¯s reforms seriously. People can defy laws, whether openly or covertly. We need to convince them with an actual wreckage that something needs to change.¡±


    ¡°But how would they know that this ¡ª senseless destruction was sending the message you intended?¡± Ana asked with a chill in zir voice.


    Revi tensed, but his friend¡¯s face was still receptive and not belligerent. In fact, it was eerie to hear Ana say these things with relative calm.


    Maybe it had been a mistake to request that the unicorn soothe Ana¡¯s anxieties. But Revi had been desperate and didn¡¯t want zir to be miserable.


    ¡°They will know,¡± Revi said. ¡°They will know.¡±


    Ana wrinkled zir nose. ¡°That sounds like superstition and guesswork.¡± Ze shook zir head, and glided towards what was left of the former palace.


    ***


    Anastasia felt zirself couched in sorrow, but a thick silence echoed in zir chest. Revi looked morose, as if he felt lost, too, despite his assertion that the earthquake would send a clear message to the dragons, that their reign of terror over other species had come to an end.


    But speaking of a reign¡­


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    Ana asked, ¡°If we truly want all species to be equal, can we even have a dragon ruler anymore?¡± Ze eyed him.


    He looked stunned and a little shellshocked.


    So Ana continued, ¡°I never wanted to rule, and I have no idea whether my grandma or mothers are alive. But even if I¡¯m the only one left, is it worth it to build another palace and rule from there?¡±


    Revi flew on in silence, with a strained look on his face.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t thought through the details, have you?¡± Ana said. Ze once again felt some sorrow, and maybe other emotions, but they felt remote, as if Ana were underwater. But ze just wanted Revi to answer.


    The gold dragon seemed to sag and looked less glamorous than usual. ¡°You¡¯re right. I wanted a better ruler than Freya. Preferably Teefa and Leyla, and maybe you when you¡¯re much older. But what if we don¡¯t need a ruler?¡±


    Ana nodded slowly, though ze eyed him with distrust. ¡°You¡¯re not sad that you won¡¯t get to be the ruler? I seem to recall you saying that you wanted to be king of your new world.¡±


    Revi shrunk away from the red dragon¡¯s scrutiny. He looked pained. ¡°Ana, I ¡ª ¡±


    He was interrupted. A gust of wind hit them, and a great green dragon swooped into sight.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Ana cried out in joy.


    It was indeed Princess Leyla. But something was wrong. She hovered around Ana in a protective manner, while she glowered at Revi. ¡°Ana, why are you with this boy? Do you know what he did to us? The entire kingdom?¡±


    Revi bowed his head in shame, and muttered, ¡°My sincere apologies, Princess Leyla. It was all for the best. Queen Freya¡¯s reign could not be over too soon. We shall seek out Princess Teefa as well, and your Highnesses and Ana can build a new realm.¡±


    Ana shot him a side-eye, since he had only just admitted that in a truly equal world, there would be no dragon rulers at all. But ze didn¡¯t want to have that discussion in front of zir mother.


    Leyla tapped Ana¡¯s wing with hers. ¡°Come with me, Ana.¡± She shot Revi a death glare. ¡°You¡¯re not invited.¡±


    Before the gold dragon could respond, Ana retorted, ¡°Mother, please. I want to keep an eye on him, so he doesn¡¯t try anything else.¡±


    The green dragon appraised Revi with caution. ¡°Good point. He¡¯s already destroyed everything, though. Why does he even want to hang around?¡±


    Ana and Revi exchanged a glance.


    Anastasia just shrugged nevertheless, not accepting a no for an answer. Leyla rolled her eyes and flapped her wings, propelling her towards the north. Ana and Revi followed her like little ducklings.


    ***


    Revi felt like ice was in his chest. He flew beside Ana, with Leyla leading the way and blocking out the sky.


    Leyla was surprisingly silent as she took them to who-knew-where.


    Ana said, ¡°Revi, what are you thinking?¡±


    Revi tensed up inside, partly because he still felt guilty, and partly because he was amazed by how unaggressive ¡ª even trusting ¡ª Ana seemed towards him.


    He had debated with himself whether he should ever tell zir the truth of what happened, but he didn¡¯t have the courage. It was too much of a relief that he didn¡¯t have to lose Ana¡¯s friendship.


    With a tight smile, he made up a reply on the spot. ¡°I¡¯m wondering where everyone is. Ero, Teefa, Freya¡­¡±


    But maybe that was the wrong thing to say. Anastasia¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Where is Ero? He¡¯s still so young, and he isn¡¯t even a dragon. I hope he¡¯s safe.¡±


    Goosebumps raced up Revi¡¯s spine. This was the closest to anger that Ana had been, ever since zir amnesia.


    Yet, Leyla interrupted and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure where Ero is, but I have a feeling that he survived.¡± She paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know where Teefa is, though.¡±


    Revi cut in now. ¡°Are you certain? I thought you were with Princess Teefa when the earthquake occurred.¡±


    Leyla darted a quick look over her shoulder at him. ¡°If only I already found her.¡± The green dragon¡¯s stare was baleful, and Revi lowered his head.


    The three of them fell into silence. Then Ana said, ¡°Mother, who else have you found who are still alive?¡±


    The long pause from the green dragon was chilling. ¡°Nobody you know.¡±


    Anastasia frowned and stared straight ahead.


    ***


    At length, they reached a mountainous area where there used to be an active volcano. A few other dragons were scattered about, lamenting over the destruction, going about their own business, or just resting.


    Revi felt restless as he saw all these other dragons. He didn¡¯t have anything against them personally, but needing to spend time with others who were not Anastasia or zir family, did not appeal to him.


    He was glad that Leyla survived, but he wanted time alone with Ana.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t tell Ana the truth, he still wanted more mutual understanding. He did intend for Leyla and Teefa to rule at first, but there were complications now.


    If he were honest with himself, he was uneasy when Ana rightly questioned whether they needed a ruler anymore. Would the world erupt into chaos without a leader?


    Maybe a small part of him wanted to rule, but the larger part of him didn¡¯t want to be tied down by responsibilities. He would rather be an advisor to Ana or Teefa (even Leyla).


    While he was caught up in his thoughts, Anastasia nudged him with zir wing and said, ¡°Revi, come with me. I want to talk to you in private about something.¡±


    His heart leapt, feeling both joy and apprehension at the same time.

 Chapter 26: Uncharted Territory

    Mildred the cow-shifter, now in human form, sat in a field of flowers.


    It felt obscene to sit in this land of fresh blooms, their soft petals brushing against her legs, while so many people had died at the palace.


    A moment later, a blue dragon appeared in the sky and cast a shadow over her. He was graceful despite his large size and touched down and shifted to his human form just before he hit the grass.


    He smiled broadly, a predator¡¯s smile.


    Mildred pressed her lips together in indignation. ¡°I don¡¯t know if your cheerful expression means good or bad news.¡±


    The young man laughed and stroked the strands of his blond hair, looking way too pleased with himself. ¡°Ooh, you poor thing. I still can¡¯t find your husband, but I might know where your daughter is.¡±


    Mildred straightened. ¡°What are you playing at? Where is Vera?¡±


    The blue dragon shifter had a cunning look on his face. ¡°She¡¯ll be safe, don¡¯t worry. But I need you to do something for me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mildred spat out, glaring at the man.


    ¡°Well, I need your help in something. If you work with me, I will take you to see your daughter.¡±


    Silence stretched between them. Mildred¡¯s body tensed with something like fear.


    ¡°Mildred, don¡¯t look so scared,¡± Lance said with a drawl. ¡°I know we haven¡¯t known each other for long, but I do care about you and wouldn¡¯t hurt you in any way. My request is easy. I want you to accompany me to find Vera.¡±


    Mildred blinked. ¡°What? You want me to do something I already want to do?¡± Her body was still taut as a hot wire.


    Lance flipped his bleached hair again. ¡°Oh, I hope you don¡¯t regret coming with me. We can leave whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    A pause. ¡°Where are we going exactly?¡± Mildred asked with a chill in her heart.


    Lance¡¯s smile remained, though he avoided her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t reveal the location, but it¡¯s somewhere unpleasant. Heck, I don¡¯t want to go, either. But I would venture there¡­for your sake.¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending to be nicer than you really are,¡± Mildred said. ¡°You must have some agenda. What is it?¡±


    Lance peered at her through hooded lids. ¡°Nothing. I just enjoy your company, and especially desire it now that my old life is over.¡±


    ¡°You have your brother,¡± Mildred pointed out, putting her hands on her strong hips.


    ¡°Demiel isn¡¯t the same,¡± Lance said. ¡°Half the time, we don¡¯t get along.¡± He grinned. ¡°You and I don¡¯t get along much, admittedly, but I still enjoy your presence more.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cryptic,¡± she said.


    Lance shrugged. ¡°So what do you say? Will you join me?¡±


    It smelled distinctly like a trap. But the alternative was to never see her daughter again. ¡°Fine. Take me to her.¡±


    Lance looked triumphant. He stretched his muscles and his body became fluid, warping until he became a big blue dragon again.


    Mildred maintained eye contact with him, distrustful. But she pulled herself onto his back, clinging hard to him. The dragon huffed a laugh and pushed off into the sky.


    ***


    At Revi¡¯s mansion, Princess Teefa and Ero the calf-shifter gaped at a great hole with stairs leading down into darkness.


    Princess Teefa said in shock, ¡°Ana is supposed to be here. Revi must have made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Revi¡¯s a liar,¡± Ero said as he stomped the ground.


    But Teefa shook her head. ¡°People aren¡¯t always what they seem. It¡¯s something you¡¯ll learn as you grow older, Ero.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s clearly not an ally like he seems,¡± the boy retorted.


    Teefa smiled. ¡°You will understand one day.¡±


    The calf-shifter shook his head, muttering something about adults making everything more complicated than they were. He moved to run down those stairs to find Ana.


    Yet, Teefa put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. ¡°We have no idea what¡¯s down there. And we won¡¯t be able to see, either. Why don¡¯t we go back out into the light, and see who we can find?¡±


    Ero pressed his lips into a stubborn line. ¡°We can¡¯t leave Ana behind like this.¡±


    ¡°Getting lost and putting ourselves in danger in that dark place, won¡¯t help Ana, either. Much better to be out where we can see our surroundings and then find Ana. Besides, ze is clever and will be okay,¡± Teefa said with an astonishing amount of confidence.


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    After Teefa persuaded him several more times, he finally agreed to go outside first to search. Maybe Ana had actually flown outside rather than run down those stairs.


    Princess Teefa morphed back into a purple dragon, and carried Ero, who remained in his human form, on her back. Her scales were iridescent in the afternoon sun.


    As she flew south, they saw a few people, dragon shifter or other species, scurrying or flying. But none were people they knew. Ero felt disappointed, but also relieved that they didn¡¯t find any family or friends dead.


    At length, they came across a glistening lake, its surface scorched and lit up by the sun.


    Ero tapped Teefa¡¯s back. ¡°Can we go there please? To the water?¡±


    ¡°Are you thirsty, honey?¡± the purple dragon asked with some amusement.


    The calf-shifter gave her a pinched look. ¡°I could use some water, but I meant something else.¡± His fingers tapped lightly on the purple dragon¡¯s scales.


    The dragon grunted but swooped down.


    Immediately, Ero sensed something odd about the lake. It mirrored the sky above as well as the trees around it, just like any other lake. Yet¡­


    Teefa landed on the shore and let him clamber down. The grass felt innocent enough under his shoes. He trundled towards the gleaming water.


    Teefa shifted back into a woman and tied her dark hair back from her face. ¡°Be careful,¡± she whispered as she walked beside him.


    The calf-shifter peered down at the water inches away from his feet. He inhaled sharply. ¡°Do you feel something odd here?¡± His eyes could detect nothing peculiar. Yet something made his senses tingle.


    Teefa gazed with worry at the rippling water, gently pushed by the breeze.


    Without warning, a silver fish leapt out.


    Both calf-shifter and dragon-shifter gasped, but the fish plopped back into the water, no different from a normal fish.


    ¡°Even if I were a carnivore, I wouldn¡¯t eat that fish,¡± Ero said, wrinkling his nose.


    Teefa nodded somberly. ¡°Would you dare touch the water?


    The water below lapped at their feet. Ero glared at it. ¡°It ¡ª I hear something like a heartbeat.¡±


    ¡°A heartbeat?¡± Teefa sounded mystified.


    Little Ero nodded. ¡°It¡¯s like the lake itself is a beast, wanting to swallow whole anyone who dares challenge it.¡± Without thinking, he leaned forward. Teefa grabbed his arm.


    She hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, if it¡¯s as dangerous as you say.¡±


    Ero was shockingly calm and collected. He didn¡¯t resist Princess Teefa¡¯s clutch, but he didn¡¯t straighten backup, either. ¡°The lake might be dangerous to most people, but it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll be dangerous to me.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Teefa¡¯s voice was soft but demanding.


    Ero¡¯s foot dug deeper into the wet soil above the lake. ¡°You could call it a calf¡¯s intuition,¡± he mused.


    In the next instant, he dipped a shoe into the water.


    Teefa gasped and shouted as little Ero wriggled out of her grasp.


    He sprung into the lake with a splash, shifting into a calf mid-air.


    Something in him knew that this was what he had to do, even if it felt like madness. The lake water was colder than he thought, even though the sun hadn¡¯t yet set.


    But cold as it was, it also felt comforting. Slowly, he let himself sink down into the depths of the lake.


    To his astonishment, he could breathe normally, and there was no pain when he opened his eyes. He witnessed the curious schools of fish drifting by.


    Down towards the sandy bottom of the lake, he could see a cave encircled by some weeds. It didn¡¯t look glamorous, but Ero swam towards the entrance.


    ***


    Anastasia brought Revi to an area of the mountains where Princess Leyla and the other dragons couldn¡¯t hear their conversation.


    Ze spun around and eyed the gold dragon. He looked curious and sheepish at the same time.


    Ana broke the ice, ¡°We¡¯ve got to do something about the dragon ruler situation, if there is to be a sovereign at all.¡±


    The gold dragon¡¯s wings shivered. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ana.¡± Never had Ana seen zir friend look so uncertain.


    ¡°Frankly speaking,¡± Ana continued, ¡°I doubt that my mothers want to rule.¡±


    Revi blinked. ¡°How do you know?¡± He sounded completely bewildered.


    Anastasia held his gaze. ¡°To be honest, I hadn¡¯t thought about this point until some moments ago. I was so consumed by the mayhem of these past few days, from my grandma revealing her illness to pronouncing me her heir.


    ¡°I was so focused on finding my mothers and Freya a cure. After you found them a cure, so much else happened that I had not a second to think. But flying with my mother just now made me realize, and remember.


    ¡°My mothers never enjoyed governing or dictating, even as princesses. They did it because they had no choice. They would rather just be themselves and be free. Even here in this gathering, none of the other dragons paid Leyla special attention, even though she is one of the princesses. And she doesn¡¯t even care.¡±


    Revi gaped at zir. ¡°But the other dragons are so preoccupied with their loss. Of course they wouldn¡¯t have time to care, not even about your mother. And Princess Leyla has never been the arrogant type. Who¡¯s to say that it wasn¡¯t just a coincidence? Maybe when they recover enough, Leyla will find her wife and take up the throne.¡±


    The red dragon watched his face carefully. ¡°Is that what you truly want, Revi? For my two mothers to take the throne?¡±


    Revi had a stubborn look on his face. ¡°Yes. Unlike Freya, Teefa and Leyla are kinder, and would create peace and harmony for all creatures.¡±


    Anastasia took a deep breath, felt the cool air radiate through zir body before ze uttered zir next words. ¡°What if we have no ruler at all? Look at us here. We fend for ourselves, find our own food, or help others support themselves. No rulers needed.¡±


    Revi shot zir a dubious look. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Without any laws at all, we¡¯ll descend back to might means right, survival of the fittest. So all weaker, smaller creatures will perish, and that¡¯s not fair.¡±


    Ana snorted. ¡°It¡¯s funny how you argue against might means right, when you literally unleashed an earthquake to prove a point.¡±


    The gold dragon frowned, his face stern and obstinate. ¡°Those are two different things. We can¡¯t just rely on the forces of nature. Nature is too cruel and will wipe out the vulnerable. No. We need a benevolent ruler who can protect the weak and frail.¡± He paused. ¡°If your mothers are truly unwilling or unable, then I would rather have you be our sovereign, Anastasia.¡±


    The stunned red dragon was about to interrupt, but Revi carried on. ¡°Listen, since no one can find Freya, and you are her named heir, the throne passes to you by default. Plus, you don¡¯t have to be alone. Leyla and possibly Teefa will be with you. I will be with you.¡±


    Anastasia gave him a hard glare. ¡°But you said I was too young, which I am.¡±


    The two young dragons would have continued bickering if not for an alarming sound.


    A crash of rocks, and a hiss of steam.


    Leyla cried out from the sky, ¡°Everyone, run! Fly away, the volcano has awoken!¡±


    Aghast, Ana stared as smoke and fire exploded from the central mountain peak, and lava dribbled down the mountain sides.


    The dragons lifted off, dodging the debris, clouds of ash, and fireballs.


    Being dragons, the fire wouldn¡¯t kill them, but it could still injure them.


    Ana cursed. ¡°Was this your doing again?¡± ze demanded of the gold dragon.


    But the gold dragon looked bemused, dodging a fiery rock as he flew. ¡°No. We never planned this.¡±


    Ana realized what he meant. ¡°Let¡¯s fly far, far away, and fast!¡±

 Chapter 27: Into the Deeps

    Mildred rode on Lance the blue dragon¡¯s back, soaring through a deceptively clear and bright sky.


    Anything could be happening to her daughter now. She hoped they weren¡¯t too late.


    Demiel, Lance¡¯s brother, joined them without a word.


    Lance tried to chat with Mildred. She ignored him and stared straight ahead in a sullen manner.


    After a while, Lance mercifully shut up.


    However, Demiel piped up. ¡°Mildred, I know you hate us, but really, we¡¯re on your side.¡± His voice came out as a drawl.


    Mildred tightened her lips. Then said, ¡°You may have saved my life, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re friends.¡± Her nails dug into Lance¡¯s back as she held on, even though his hard blue scales would be unmarred, anyway.


    Demiel tilted his head like some silly toy. Mildred didn¡¯t care. They were both losers, and she was somehow stuck with them. It was suspicious that Lance wouldn¡¯t even tell her where they were going.


    Lance had claimed that he couldn¡¯t locate her husband, Clive, but who knew if the blue dragon shifter was lying?


    It was possible that this trip to who knew where was a lie as well.


    Back home at her barn ¡ª far away from the palace earthquake ¡ª her youngest calf, Kallias, was safe and sound with his babysitter. But guilt twinged in her chest. Vera was missing and still struck by a seemingly incurable illness.


    Mildred yelped when Lance jostled her, whether on purpose or by accident. But he suddenly dove down, past the white cumulus clouds, towards a place that was strangely shrouded in mist.


    The mist thickened into fog as they approached. Grayish-white substance washed over her, obscuring the landscape ahead.


    Mildred¡¯s heart thudded with fear. But it was too late to back out.


    The two blue dragon brothers and the cow shifter flew into the realm of fog.


    Mildred could hardly see anything and her human form had a feeble sense of smell. Lance and Demiel must be navigating the air through scent alone.


    She knew dragons had a keener sense of smell than a cow¡¯s. But it set her nerves on edge to rely on them so much.


    Gone was the warm sunshine from earlier. Cold dampness clung to her clothes and skin now.


    She held in a sneeze when some water droplets rushed into her nose. ¡°How much longer will this trip last?¡± she demanded.


    Lance didn¡¯t reply, and she feared that he either didn¡¯t hear or didn¡¯t know. After a moment, he said, ¡°Not long now. Be patient.¡± He let out a dry chuckle. ¡°I told you it would be unpleasant.¡±


    Mildred rolled her eyes even though he wouldn¡¯t see her. But she held onto him more tightly, in case Lance would be careless in this fog and drop her.


    She murmured, ¡°I just want to see Vera.¡±


    ¡°And you will,¡± he murmured back.


    After what felt like hours, the fog grew thinner until it dissipated. Mildred was about to heave a sigh of relief until she saw the building before her. She gasped and almost screamed.


    Right in front of her, like some crazy underworld, was a black and purple castle. Maybe castle wasn¡¯t the best term, she thought. There was something wrong about how it looked.


    Faint, eerie lights winked from some of the castle¡¯s windows.


    The sky was all dark, even though the sun shouldn¡¯t have set yet, unless she had lost track of time.


    Mildred tightly clutched Lance¡¯s neck, as she didn¡¯t want to get off. Every instinct screamed at her to run.


    But Lance, damn him, landed anyway, onto the dirty, dusty ground on this blasted heath. When Mildred was unwilling to climb off his back, Lance sighed and started shifting to human form.


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    Mildred cursed him but finally let go, not wanting to be trapped in an embrace with him, especially as that might be what he wanted.


    She dusted herself off, making a belated show of bravery. ¡°Where is this place? And how do you know Vera is in here?¡±


    Lance exchanged a glance with his brother, who also shifted to human. While Lance had blond hair, Demiel¡¯s hair was black. The surrounding darkness merged with the latter.


    Mildred shuffled her feet in the dirt, only to wince when she realized that she had stepped into something sticky.


    Lance had the nerve to laugh. ¡°What? Stepped in cow dung?¡±


    The cow-shifter stared daggers at him. But on some level, she understood that he was just trying to make light of the situation to calm his own fear.


    Demiel seemed the calmest of the three of them. Or maybe he just didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my questions,¡± she pressed, while tugging her foot out from that disgusting mess. ¡°Why the hell are we here? What is this gross place?¡±


    Lance smiled, though it was tense. ¡°This is an old, lost land. We don¡¯t even know the original name, but we call it The Gloom.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s¡­.well, we found out that Vera is here, because a messenger from the castle intercepted us and shared the news.¡±


    Mildred¡¯s eyes widened. Fury filled her. ¡°Some messenger accosted you? Where are they? And how do you know they¡¯re telling you the truth? They could be luring us into a trap.¡±


    ¡°I know it can seem that way,¡± Lance said with a lopsided smile. ¡°But trust me. The messenger who shared this information is not someone I would take lightly. They absolutely wouldn¡¯t bluff about your daughter being held hostage here.¡± At Mildred¡¯s expression, the dragon shifter added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Vera is just a little kid. They will put her in a comfortable place with enough food and water.¡±


    Before Mildred could bite out a snarky reply, a deep rumbling sounded from inside the castle.


    She had the impulse to hide behind Lance. But only pride and dignity prevented her from doing so.


    In the end, it was Demiel who said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. They have your daughter, so they won¡¯t feel threatened by us.¡±


    The cow-shifter thought that was an odd way to put it. But the two brothers marched towards the castle entrance, and Mildred hurried after, not wanting to be left alone in this hellish wasteland.


    ***


    Ero, currently in his calf form, swam purely by instinct towards that cave deep down in the lake.


    He couldn¡¯t hear Princess Teefa¡¯s warnings anymore. And he marveled again that he could breathe underwater.


    The calf landed on the cave face and paddled in, surprised that the cave mouth was wider than he expected. He had plenty of room, even in his calf form, to wade in.


    The cave walls were dark and rocky, yet he felt so sheltered, as though it were a source of wonder and comfort. He couldn¡¯t see a thing, but he felt comfortable swimming through, guided by his sense of smell.


    The cave smelled like an ordinary cave of stone and dirt. Yet, there was an aroma that drew him in.


    He then realized that the aroma was cow¡¯s milk.


    Ero was surprised. He would have recognized the scent earlier if he wasn¡¯t so caught off guard by it.


    Regardless, he kept swimming, and somewhere along the way, the water receded and he could walk instead. The sweet fragrance of cow¡¯s milk only grew stronger.


    Ero¡¯s senses flooded with warmth and reassurance, like he was enchanted.


    Soon enough, he spied light at the end of the tunnel. In his excitement, the calf shifter dashed towards it.


    ***


    Anastasia cried out at the top of zir lungs, ¡°Fly far, far away!¡±


    Ze zoomed away with Revi the gold dragon, and zir mother Leyla the green dragon, close behind.


    The volcanic ash and fireballs were nasty and would leave welts, but they wouldn¡¯t kill dragons. Still, Ana worried because Revi said he hadn¡¯t planned the disaster.


    When the three dragons had finally flown far away to be out of range of the volcano, Anastasia turned on the gold dragon and sniped, ¡°So, tell me more. You and Phaeton did not plan to make a dormant volcano spew flames again?¡± Ze glared.


    Revi looked both grim and embarrassed. The now twilight sky cast a soft glow over his golden scales, and not in a flattering way. He coughed as if to stall for time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ana. We had only planned for the earthquake at the palace. Perhaps the volcano naturally decided to wake up right at this time. Maybe it was unhappy about the sheer number of dragons coming by. Or maybe it was Phaeton wreaking havoc.¡±


    Anastasia growled. ¡°And where is Phaeton? Can you summon that ice unicorn and question him?¡±


    ¡°Who is Phaeton?¡± Leyla the green dragon asked, looking flummoxed and distrustful.


    Revi looked even more sheepish than before. ¡°Phaeton is an ice unicorn and ¡ª a friend of mine.¡±


    Ana doubted they were actually friends.


    The gold dragon continued, ¡°We¡¯re not close, though. We do some things together, but we have our separate lives. Phaeton is many things, but most of all, he does whatever he wants.¡±


    ¡°Is he your friend or a fiend?¡± Ana snorted.


    Revi sighed and looked away. ¡°Both, I suppose. Phaeton isn¡¯t as bad as you think, though he is selfish and willful.¡±


    Ana didn¡¯t know the ice unicorn well, but ze didn¡¯t remember him being kind. Come to think of it, ze could hardly remember what Phaeton did, beyond leading them to that land of vials, and getting them the cure.


    But after that memory, Ana¡¯s mind grew unfocused, like there was something ze couldn¡¯t remember. But something in zir told zir not to care. There were more important things at stake.


    Leyla interrupted them. ¡°Whatever this fiendish ice unicorn is, let¡¯s find a safer place to stay. And hopefully it won¡¯t become dangerous like that supposedly dormant volcano.¡±


    As the light in the sky dimmed, the two teenage dragons followed the adult green dragon, flying over vast areas of land in search of comfortable shelter.


    Ana couldn¡¯t help but wonder why they didn¡¯t just go to Revi¡¯s mansion, since it was safe from the earthquake.


    But something in the red dragon¡¯s mind, told zir not to ask, not to even think of the gold dragon¡¯s mansion.


    Revi looked too sad for Ana to want to ask him, anyway. Ze felt sorry for him and thought that ze might have been too harsh on the gold dragon.


    The gold dragon caught Anastasia staring at him. He blinked, then glanced away in a hurry.

 Chapter 28: A Sharp Surprise

    Anastasia, Revi, and Princess Leyla descended upon a vast heath.


    It was a dismal, cold place, covered with grey sand and empty of much life.


    But they should be safe from more catastrophes for now.


    Revi, the gold dragon, seemed more on edge than usual. He glanced around, eyes wide. ¡°We won¡¯t find much prey here, will we?¡±


    Leyla snorted, her green tail rolling up with a sense of self-assurance. ¡°There will be food. You just have to look a little harder.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we find a grass field or a forest?¡± Revi asked with a tense look on his face. ¡°Even a river. Somewhere we won¡¯t starve.¡±


    Anastasia ruffled through the coarse sand at zir feet. ¡°We told you already. This is just a temporary place for us to catch our breath. Whether the instigator was Phaeton or someone ¡ª something ¡ª else, they probably won¡¯t target somewhere as barren as this.¡±


    ¡°This is too barren,¡± the gold dragon persisted. ¡°We¡¯ve been flying for quite a bit, and I need sustenance soon.¡±


    Before Ana could reply, Leyla said in a mocking tone, ¡°So you¡¯re hungry already, are you? Why don¡¯t you lie down and snooze, to save yourself some energy before we travel to a more fertile place?¡±


    The gold dragon gazed down in silence, as if he didn¡¯t want to quarrel with Princess Leyla.


    So Anastasia trotted over and nudged him with a wing. ¡°Come on, it won¡¯t be for long.¡±


    He shook his head and grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t like this at all, Ana.¡± Revi seemed more distressed than ze would have expected.


    The red dragon watched his face carefully. ¡°Aside from your hunger, is there anything else you¡¯re concerned about?¡±


    Revi¡¯s wings shivered a bit. ¡°Just because this is a desolate land mass, doesn¡¯t mean nothing bad can befall us.¡±


    Ana wanted to scoff. As if he hadn¡¯t been responsible for a lot of the mayhem. Even if the second catastrophe, the volcano, might not be because of him, he did launch the earthquake that shattered the palace in the first place.


    Ze asked in a softer voice, ¡°Why can¡¯t you summon Phaeton to ask if he was behind the eruption? If it wasn¡¯t him, maybe he could tell us who or what caused it.¡±


    The gold dragon had a pained expression. ¡°Phaeton isn¡¯t a servant for me to summon.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Leyla came over and stepped into Revi¡¯s space. ¡°This unicorn friend isn¡¯t a lackey or a servant. So you make deals with him like you would with fae folk?¡±


    ¡°He is fae,¡± Revi said. His tail drooped and his scales were duller than usual, or maybe that was just the lack of light. ¡°We¡¯re business partners, so to speak. We barter through favors. A creature like him never needs money.¡±


    Ana nodded sombrely.


    Leyla, the great green dragon, started pacing, restless.


    For all the heath¡¯s ugliness, at least it gave the dragon shifters plenty of space to roam in their dragon forms.


    She said, ¡°I suspect we will never fully get out of this mess if we just fly around, not knowing what else we may encounter. Even if we rebuild the palace, we would face the same threat of annihilation.¡± She directed a sharp glare at the gold dragon.


    He turned his face away.


    Anastasia stared into the distance, feeling torn between sympathy for the gold dragon and loyalty to zir mother. Idly, ze asked, ¡°Mother, would you like to rule as queen?¡± Leyla frowned while Revi appeared to perk up. The red dragon went on, ¡°I don¡¯t know if we will ever find Queen Freya, or even Princess Teefa. I¡¯m too young to rule.¡±


    Leyla stared at Ana and then at Revi with a look of distaste. ¡°Why don¡¯t we see whether we can find Freya and Teefa first? And then we can sort things out later.¡± She tossed her head and trotted away.


    Ana hadn¡¯t expected such a dismissive reaction, but perhaps it was all too much to think about, and zir mother needed some time.


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    Meanwhile, Revi chuckled. ¡°She didn¡¯t answer your question. That means a no, right?¡±


    The gold dragon¡¯s laughter was bitter, even sad.


    Ana felt awash in a kind of despair.


    ***


    To save her daughter, Mildred the cow shifter ran after the two dragon shifter brothers, towards the creepy castle in The Gloom.


    She hated the clumsy scuffing sound her shoes made on the ground. But at least she managed to fight free of the unknown sticky substance on her sole.


    The entrance to the castle looked as dreadful as the rest of the building.


    There was a veranda of some sort, but the overhang had grotesque shapes on it, under the dim lighting. She didn¡¯t want to look too closely at what they were.


    Lance¡¯s smile was rigid as he rapped on the door.


    Mildred wrapped her arms around herself as a chill spread over her body.


    The door creaked open with an eerie whine. She held her breath, but no one was there. There was nothing but an endless sea of darkness inside.


    A split second later, the lights snapped on.


    Mildred was stunned.


    A long dining table stood in front of them. It was covered with a white tablecloth, and perfectly set up with dishes, cutlery, and fresh food.


    Lance and Demiel approached the table, but Mildred hung back.


    Lance looked over his shoulder at her and snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of some plates and food, are you?¡±


    Mildred bristled at his patronizing tone. ¡°No, but how do you know this is real?¡±


    ¡°For goodness¡¯ sake, you don¡¯t have to eat any of it, Mildred,¡± Lance said.


    ¡°Of course not. If I did, it would probably taste like ash,¡± Mildred shot back. ¡°If the food is real, it¡¯s likely poisoned.¡±


    Demiel chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s probably right.¡± He strode to the table, however, and took a seat. His brother sat opposite him.


    Mildred strode over to the vast dining table but stayed standing. She glowered at all the splendour, expecting it all to disappear, or explode, at any minute.


    But it didn¡¯t. ¡°What on earth are you two doing, sitting like you¡¯re waiting for the hosts?¡± Mildred demanded.


    Demiel grinned. ¡°That¡¯s because we are waiting for the hosts.¡±


    ***


    Mildred tried not to squirm too much in her seat beside Lance. She felt like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Or a cow, rather.


    She hissed at the two dragon brothers. ¡°This had better work.¡±


    ¡°It will,¡± Lance reassured her again.


    The only reason why Mildred agreed to this crazy scheme was because going deeper into the castle, especially if the brothers refused to accompany her, was unthinkable.


    She may be brave, but she wasn¡¯t rash. If she died, she wouldn¡¯t be able to save her daughter.


    Lance and Demiel had claimed that just by sitting there like civilized folks, their hosts would appear and take them to see Vera.


    Mildred dreaded having to confront the hosts, whoever they were. Who knew what they wanted?


    After what felt like hours, she heard footsteps.


    Or rather, hoof steps.


    She gasped when a large brown bull entered the room and stepped towards their table.


    Mildred prepared to bolt if he charged them with his horns.


    Instead the bull halted, and his skin blurred like water. In a few seconds, the bull shifted into a man with light brown hair and faint wrinkles around his eyes.


    Mildred gasped. He looked so like her husband, though he was clearly someone else, not to mention quite a bit older.


    ¡°Natash,¡± Lance said with a short bow.


    The man grinned in a way he must have thought was charming. When he spoke, his voice made her think of an old oak tree. ¡°Welcome, esteemed guests. Let me take you to our princess of the castle.¡±


    Demiel and Lance murmured their thanks as they both rose. Mildred got up belatedly, feeling confused.


    Thankfully Natash did not ask her any questions, and led them up the stairs.


    The stairs, despite being in a dimly lit tower, were nothing out of the ordinary, that it was almost a relief. Mildred wondered if their princess would be as congenial as Natash.


    When they got to the seventh floor, Natash took out the keys to the nearest door.


    When they entered the room, Mildred couldn¡¯t restrain her gasp.


    Vera sat in her human form on a tall, ornate chair with a smooth desk in front of her.


    But her body was strong, lithe, none of the sickly child to be seen. She raised her eyes to meet Mildred¡¯s. ¡°Hello, mother.¡± Her voice was cold.


    ***


    Princess Teefa thought about diving into the lake to find Ero the calf shifter.


    But the lake looked so unsettling that she feared that she would only drown and not be able to save him, either.


    Perhaps she was a coward, but she also believed in having common sense.


    She didn¡¯t want to fail Anastasia, as she knew her child and the calf were close. But there was a smarter way.


    So Teefa glanced around her, looking at the lake, the damp soil above, the grass farther away¡­The sky was losing its light as the day plummeted towards dusk.


    She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and called out, ¡°Phaeton, I know you¡¯re here. Please come out.¡±


    An instant later, the air in front of her turned freezing cold. When she opened her eyes, she was face to face with the shimmering, gorgeous, but deadly ice unicorn.


    He lifted his chin, arrogant but pleased. ¡°Only for you would I ever come willingly.¡±


    Teefa couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Thank you, Phaeton. I am delighted to see you as always.¡± She glanced towards the lake. ¡°A little help, please? Ero the calf shifter dove in and I¡¯m scared he can¡¯t get back up to the surface.¡±


    Phaeton tossed his silvery mane of frost. ¡°I can¡¯t get him out if he doesn¡¯t want to come out.¡±


    Teefa blinked in bewilderment. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t he be in danger?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. It depends on his choices,¡± the unicorn said. ¡°But if I drag him out by force, it could only end badly for him.¡±


    Princess Teefa gripped her hands together. ¡°Isn¡¯t there something we could do?¡±


    The unicorn regarded her, a bit of warmth lighting up in his eyes that never appeared for anyone else. ¡°There is something we could do.¡± He angled his head, as if listening to some mystical sound. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Queen Freya.¡±

 Chapter 29: Cast Out

    Vera, the young calf-shifter, looked at her mother and the two dragon shifters with scorn. She was in human form and sat with a regal stance on an ornate chair. A polished table stretched in front of her.


    Mildred breathed deeply to calm herself as she walked towards Vera. She didn¡¯t know whether to smile or frown at her daughter¡¯s suddenly good health. She nervously brushed aside a strand of dark brown hair and put on a cheerful voice. ¡°Vera, you¡¯re all right? The people in this castle didn¡¯t hurt you?¡±


    Vera gave her a sardonic smile. ¡°Don¡¯t I look all right? I¡¯m better than ever. These good folks have done way more for me than you ever have.¡±


    A cold emptiness surged in Mildred¡¯s gut. Someone placed a warm hand on her shoulder as if in comfort. It was, to her surprise, Lance, the blue dragon shifter. But he was looking at Vera, his lips fixed in a grim line.


    Mildred wrung her hands in front of this princess, her daughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for all the ways I¡¯ve failed you.¡± Even from before birth, she thought. Lance¡¯s hand on her shoulder tightened.


    Vera stared her mother down, her gaze sharp as glass. ¡°And what about father?¡± the calf shifter asked. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know where he is.¡±


    Mildred glanced at the floor. ¡°I was hoping that you would know.¡±


    ¡°Even if I did, I doubt that you would care,¡± Vera said with a sniff. She curled her dark hair around a slender finger.


    Mother and daughter remained silent for a long while.


    Natash, the bull shifter who looked a bit like Mildred¡¯s husband Clive, cleared his throat. ¡°Do you three want to sit down?¡± He gestured at the chairs tucked at the other tables in this office-like room. All of these chairs were regular, nowhere near as fancy as the one Vera was on. Not that Mildred cared about that.


    When Mildred, Lance, and Lance¡¯s brother, Demiel, got a chair each to sit near Vera, Mildred spoke again. ¡°What happened? I know I haven¡¯t been the best mother ever. But I still want to know ¡ª ¡±


    The young calf-shifter gave a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°Coming here to the castle has boosted my energy and health like never before. Perhaps it¡¯s the environment. Maybe I¡¯m drawn to darkness and despair.¡± Her eyes were flinty.


    Mildred rubbed her arms anxiously. ¡°How can darkness and despair make you healthy? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Vera lifted her arms in a nonchalant shrug. ¡°Who knows why magic works the way it does? And speaking of, I know you created me out of dark magic, thank you very much. Perhaps that¡¯s why I thrive in The Gloom.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound happy, though,¡± interrupted Lance.


    Vera¡¯s eyes cut to the dragon shifter. ¡°Oh, Uncle Lance. You¡¯re no help at all.¡±


    Lance looked defensive. ¡°Really? I ¡ª ¡±


    Mildred punched his arm, albeit lightly. ¡°Vera, leave Uncle Lance out of this. Who brought you here?¡± she said, but in a softer, more pleasant voice.


    Vera exchanged a glance with Natash. The girl still looked angry, and it grinded on Mildred. Vera replied, ¡°Father and I got separated during the earthquake. Some other dragons, I don¡¯t know their names, took me and flew away. I begged them to save father and even you first. But they weren¡¯t interested and just took me away, claiming that they would help me.¡±


    Mildred glowered at Lance. ¡°Would you happen to know the names of those dragons?¡± She raised her voice.


    Lance sat back in his chair with a huff. ¡°I suppose. But I¡¯m more interested in why they knew to take Vera here instead of any other place in the world.¡±


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    Demiel nodded slowly beside him, as if in silent acknowledgment.


    Vera¡¯s lip curled up as she folded her arms. ¡°What do you know, Uncle Lance? You¡¯re one of the ignorant dragons. You don¡¯t know how the world really works.¡±


    Her eyes became glazed for a moment and then a smile, a genuine smile, graced her lips. ¡°Auntie Anastasia is one of the smart and good ones, though. Where is ze?¡± She looked expectantly at them all.


    More coldness seeped into Mildred¡¯s body. All she wanted was to morph into a cow and lumber away into nonexistence. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really wish I could find zir as well. That time ze intercepted us in the forest, your father and I rejected zir help. Now I regret it. I wish that ze is okay. I would support zir to be our ruler with all my heart.¡±


    For the first time in this conversation, Vera looked delighted. ¡°Good. That¡¯s something we agree on. Auntie Anastasia is a good dragon. Ze will survive and lead us out of this mess.¡± She lifted her chin. ¡°We¡¯ve spoken enough. You are dismissed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mildred gasped.


    ¡°Do I have to repeat myself? You are dismissed. Rest in your guestrooms. I do not want to see you again until it pleases me,¡± Vera said with a confident tone.


    Mildred gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m your mother. You can¡¯t just wave me away.¡±


    But the calf-shifter stared at her with eyes that chilled Mildred¡¯s blood. ¡°Oh, yes I can.¡±


    Natash stood up and cleared his throat. ¡°Come with me. Your rooms will be very comfortable, I assure you.¡±


    When Mildred tried to dig in her heels, Natash put his lips to her ear. ¡°Please, Miss Mildred. You don¡¯t want Vera to call out the guards. They are a very unpleasant bunch.¡±


    The cow shifter glared at Natash, and glanced at her daughter. Vera was immovable on her throne-like chair. At last, Mildred¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°Fine. I guess I get what I deserve,¡± she muttered as she let Natash pull her away. The blue dragon brothers followed behind them.


    Before they left the room, Lance said in a sharp tone, ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing, Vera. Your cruelty towards your mother is uncalled for.¡±


    But Vera had only a cold smile for him. ¡°You think I¡¯m cruel, Uncle Lance? Then what are you?¡±


    The girl looked like a demon at that point, but Mildred had no more energy left to fight.


    ***


    Teefa inhaled deeply before she climbed onto Phaeton¡¯s back.


    The ice unicorn whinnied. A splash sounded as a circular portal cracked into existence. It was a window of water, blurry and rippling.


    With a bound, Phaeton carried Princess Teefa through the portal.


    As usual, Teefa felt the soothing coolness of the portal-space wrap around her skin. A second later, they arrived at a swamp. Teefa pursed her lips in worry as she beheld the bodies of water surrounding them.


    Phaeton carried her with a leisurely gait, as though she weighed nothing. ¡°Princess Teefa, I ¡ª forgive me.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    In the next instant, Phaeton halted and stomped the ground with an icy hoof, causing a tremor in the earth. Teefa felt dizzy, but the unicorn was steady on his feet.


    A few seconds later, the soil in front of them collapsed into a pit. Phaeton¡¯s magic must have prevented the swamp water from filling the hole.


    At the bottom of the pit, a lone figure lay wrapped in a shroud of seaweed, her eyes closed.


    Teefa beheld her, then she screamed. She tried to dismount, but Phaeton shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t get off,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    All the warmth drained from Teefa¡¯s face. For a few long moments, she was frozen in silence as she stared at her mother. ¡°How?¡± The princess whispered, with tears gathering in her eyes.


    The ice unicorn sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, Freya was caught under one of the palace beams before she had the chance to fly away. It was all I could do to get her out from the rubble. I quickly took her to this place so that we would be far from intruders. No one can find her unless they have my permission.¡±


    Princess Teefa felt close to fainting. At length, she asked in a soft voice, ¡°And where¡¯s Anastasia? Leyla?¡±


    Phaeton snorted and pawed at the soil. ¡°Princess Leyla has found Anastasia ¡ª and Revi. They are safe and sound.¡±


    Teefa regained some composure. ¡°Revi said that he would keep Ana safe during the cataclysm. But when Ero and I went to his mansion, all we found was a black hole with stairs leading down into darkness.¡±


    The unicorn sighed heavily. ¡°Yes. Revi had invited Ana to sit in the room while we were gone. But Ana was too distrustful and found the secret staircase down.¡±


    ¡°Where does that stairway lead?¡± Teefa asked with consternation.


    ¡°The Valley, Princess Teefa.¡±


    ¡°That far away?¡± she gasped.


    Phaeton dipped a hoof into a puddle nearby, seeming restless. ¡°Yes. But Revi and I eventually caught up with Ana and ze was safe. I left, and Revi took care of Ana until they met up with Princess Leyla.¡±


    Teefa found her mind going blank and numb from overwhelm.


    After a few minutes of silence, Phaeton asked, ¡°Princess Teefa, now that Queen Freya is dead ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too awful to think about,¡± Teefa said, a bit snappier than she had intended, though she didn¡¯t blame the ice unicorn.


    The unicorn dipped his head slightly. ¡°My sincere apologies, Princess Teefa. I do not wish to distress you. But now that the throne is empty, would you and Leyla take on the crown?¡± He paused. ¡°Or would you rather take it yourself?¡±

 Chapter 30: A Secret Solace

    In the desolate swamp, the ice unicorn inclined his head towards Princess Teefa. ¡°Now that the throne is empty, will you and Leyla take on the crown?¡± He hesitated. ¡°Or would you like to take it for yourself?¡±


    A strange thrill reverberated through Teefa¡¯s human frame, and she thought of all the power that would come with the throne. But she clenched her fists, nails biting into her palm. ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t want to rule. Neither does my wife. But Anastasia ¡ª my mother¡¯s named heir ¡ª will rule, and I will give zir all my support.¡±


    Phaeton was still, and the two of them were silent. Teefa didn¡¯t want to look at her mother, the former Queen Freya, dead and gone at the bottom of the pit. Teefa felt an odd mixture of sadness and shame.


    She cleared her throat and brushed a nervous hand through the hair near her neck. ¡°Phaeton, what do you think?¡±


    The unicorn chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t need my approval, Princess.¡±


    ¡°But do you have any objections? This wasn¡¯t exactly what you and Revi had in mind, is it?¡± Teefa asked, as uneasiness pooled in her gut.


    Phaeton pawed the damp soil in front of him, as if impatient. ¡°Well, if you made your choice, there¡¯s no going back.¡± There was no sympathy in his tone.


    Teefa¡¯s shoulders were tense, though she tried to loosen them. ¡°I know. And I don¡¯t regret it. I¡¯m just afraid.¡±


    The beautiful ice fae tossed his head, his clear blue mane glittering with snow. ¡°Fear won¡¯t stop you. It won¡¯t stop us. It had to be done.¡± But at least his voice was a little gentler now.


    The Princess ran her thin hands through her long, dark hair and breathed deeply, calming herself as much as she could. ¡°Yes. Now let¡¯s go and find the others.¡± She climbed back onto the ice unicorn.


    Phaeton nodded. A window-shaped bubble of water popped in front of Phaeton¡¯s head. It widened and they saw a blurry liquid nothingness. The unicorn leapt into it with a satisfying splash.


    ***


    Ero, the calf shifter, ran towards the light at the end of the tunnel. As he got closer, he realized it was a door.


    When Ero tentatively leaned forward to sniff it, he yelped when his snout bumped a cold surface. It felt like metal, yet it looked like light. But he frowned, even as he squinted, for the door was dazzlingly bright.


    Just as he puzzled over where the doorknob was located, the door abruptly opened. The calf almost fell over in shock.


    A middle-aged woman, dressed in a chef¡¯s apron, stood in the doorway. Her brows were deeply furrowed and her jaw clenched tight. But what surprised Ero most was that she smelt human, fully human.


    The two of them stared at each other. Ero was the first to break the silence. ¡°What is this place?¡±


    The human made a face of scorn as Ero surveyed the room she was in. He guessed it was a kitchen, from the stoves and pots all around. She grumbled, but moved away to let him in.


    Heedless of any possible danger, Ero sauntered in. The aroma of cow¡¯s milk was gloriously tempting, even though he was long past the age of needing his mother¡¯s milk.


    A wave of sadness came over him as he thought about where his mother and father might be. Are they even alive?


    He shook off these dark thoughts and kept going. The kitchen seemed like an ordinary kitchen, except it was as large as a palace galley.


    There were other cooks here, but aside from the woman who let him in with reluctance, the others didn¡¯t spare Ero a glance.


    He strode and strode, and at length, he found himself in front of a huge boiler. The scent of milk was overpowering, and wordlessly, he climbed the stairs to the top.


    No one stopped him from marching to his doom.


    ***


    Mildred lay on the bed in her guestroom, staring vapidly at the ceiling.


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    What else could she have done? Vera had been so desperately ill, and now she had no idea what to do.


    Resentment and despair swirled in her mind.


    A rap sounded on her door.


    She knew who it would be. ¡°Come in,¡± she hollered.


    The door cracked open and there stood Lance, handsome in his blue clothes. He looked uncharacteristically glum. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Mildred rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Lance stayed grim and walked to her bedside.


    It was strange how she didn¡¯t feel intimidated by him, even though she was vulnerable and prone on the bed. He stood over her, and he could have done anything to her. But she trusted that he wouldn¡¯t.


    He pulled up a stool nearby to sit down. He placed his chin on his palm and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for what went down with your daughter. That was totally uncalled for.¡±


    Mildred gritted her teeth. ¡°Yeah,¡± she grunted. ¡°Vera could have been kinder, but I wasn¡¯t kind to her, either.¡± She covered her eyes.


    Lance was silent for a moment. ¡°Mildred, we don¡¯t have to stay here if you don¡¯t want to. She¡¯s alive and well. We could leave.¡±


    Immediately, Mildred removed her arm from her eyes and stared at him like he was insane. ¡°Seriously? Giving up so soon? We didn¡¯t come all the way here just to leave without her!¡±


    Lance rubbed his neck with an uncomfortable posture. ¡°Yes, I get it, and again, I¡¯m sorry. But should you keep tormenting yourself over such an ungrateful daughter? If you didn¡¯t accept your Aunt Ivy¡¯s help, Vera wouldn¡¯t have even existed!¡±


    Mildred the cow shifter breathed deeply in and out, in an effort to calm herself. ¡°That¡¯s true, and¡­thanks for standing by me.¡±


    Silence stretched between them again. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± Lance replied in a low voice. He looked away and asked, ¡°But what about your husband?¡±


    ¡°What about him?¡± Mildred asked back, irritated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t love Clive any more than you do,¡± Lance said. ¡°But you still have to decide what to do. You¡¯re staying together for the sake of Vera and your other calf. But you don¡¯t have to stay together to raise your children. You could take turns, have shared custody.¡±


    Mildred wanted to scrape her nails on the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t like that idea.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no one likes that. But is what you have now good enough? You¡¯re barely tolerating each other¡¯s existence, which I don¡¯t think is helpful to your children,¡± Lance said. ¡°Vera doesn¡¯t seem horribly happy with you, even though you¡¯re staying with her father.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯ll hate me even more if we get a divorce,¡± the cow shifter insisted.


    Lance frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not so certain about that. Divorces and separations are not that unusual. Children can still live well and be happy. Better for the children to not see so much conflict between their parents.¡±


    Mildred stared at the ceiling again, and counted to ten before she said, ¡°Why are you insisting on my divorce? Do you want to be with me instead?¡±


    Lance made a choking noise. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself.¡±


    Mildred snorted and rolled around so that her back was turned to him. ¡°Even if you were interested, I don¡¯t think my children would appreciate a dragon shifter stepfather.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lance sounded genuinely curious.


    The cow shifter rubbed her temples. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Dragons and bovine don¡¯t mix. If you didn¡¯t know me personally, you might eat me. Heck, you could gobble me up now and I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±


    The dragon shifter was quiet for a few beats before he said, ¡°Is that what you keep thinking? That I might eat you? I may be a carnivore, but that doesn¡¯t mean I feast on anyone I see. I definitely wouldn¡¯t feast on you.¡±


    Mildred pushed her lips together in annoyance. ¡°Sure, say what you want. I still don¡¯t think it would be a good idea.¡±


    Lance huffed. ¡°Right.¡±


    The ticking of the wall clock sounded so loud right now. Mildred suddenly had a wild thought. ¡°If I shift into a cow now, would you eat me?¡±


    Lance chortled. ¡°Have you gone mad? I wouldn¡¯t stop you if you wanted to shift. But no, I wouldn¡¯t ever try to eat you.¡±


    Mildred rolled back to face him with a flat smile. ¡°All right, then.¡±


    She took her sweet time doing it, wanting to mock ¡ª and tantalize ¡ª him. Her woman¡¯s form stretched, rounded, and thickened, until she became a black and white milk cow.


    She didn¡¯t even bother standing. She stayed sprawled on the queen-sized bed, her legs dangling and uncaring.


    Mildred glanced up at Lance.


    Amusement lit up his features. ¡°What a beautiful cow you are.¡± He reached out and started stroking her ears.


    Mildred mooed in protest, but stopped when she realized how good it felt. In fact, it had been a while since anyone had caressed her like that. Years, even.


    The two of them stayed there for a long moment, with Lance stroking her ears, cheeks, even her neck and back. Mildred wanted to moo again, though it would be a sound of pleasure.


    She didn¡¯t want to give him that satisfaction, though. She stayed quiet and closed her eyes instead.


    Lance¡¯s hands still rubbed her thick pelt in a delightful manner. ¡°We should do this more often, Mildred. As wonderful as you are in human form, there¡¯s something extra primal and pleasing to see you in cow form, too.¡±


    She thought that was ridiculous, so she flicked her tail at him.


    He dodged, however, with a smile. ¡°I mean it. There¡¯s something much less guarded and relaxed about you in your cow form. And believe it or not, I like doing this to you, giving you some enjoyment and rest.¡±


    Mildred said, ¡°I bet you would love ¡®doing this¡¯ to me in my human form, too.¡±


    Lance laughed. ¡°No doubt. But that might be too much for now, unless you want me to play with your hair.¡±


    He was being so nonsensical that Mildred just snorted. What he was doing felt great, though, and she didn¡¯t want him to stop. ¡°Whatever,¡± she said softly.


    Lance and Mildred were so absorbed in this moment of comfort and peace that they were both taken by surprise when the door banged open.


    Demiel stood there, his face full of glee and triumph. ¡°What are you two doing? Have you no shame?¡±


    Mildred was about to argue that they weren¡¯t doing anything wrong. But then Demiel stepped aside and revealed the man standing behind him.


    It was her husband, Clive.

 Chapter 31: A Dramatic Change

    Revi rejoiced when he, Ana, and Leyla finally arrived in a meadow.


    Even from the sky, he could smell prey wandering through the tall grass. He flapped gold wings and cast his shadow over the field.


    Anastasia was much subtler. Without a word, ze zipped off to hunt a hare ze spotted.


    The remaining dragon, Leyla, flew too close to Revi. The tip of her wing almost brushed Revi¡¯s ear as she hissed. ¡°What tricks are you playing on my child?¡±


    Revi whirled around to face her, astonished. ¡°I¡¯m playing no tricks.¡± His outstretched wings stiffened at her accusation.


    The green dragon gave him a sharp look as her tail lashed like a whip. ¡°Something¡¯s different about Ana. I can¡¯t put my finger on what it is, but ze isn¡¯t acting normally.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s normal to you?¡± Revi couldn¡¯t help but retort. Heat gathered in his throat, though he¡¯d never dream of burning Anastasia¡¯s mother.


    Leyla¡¯s eyes were hard. ¡°I can smell a lie when I hear one. Don¡¯t think you can get off easily just because Ana is being nice to you right now. You and your unicorn friend will pay for what you did.¡±


    The gold dragon shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess Leyla, but there was no other way ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°There were many other ways,¡± the green dragon snapped, showing her teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what schemes you¡¯re making, now that you¡¯ve destroyed our home. If Ana didn¡¯t like you, I would have burned you to a crisp.¡±


    Revi¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he laughed. ¡°Ana doesn¡¯t like me. Ze told me zirself.¡±


    The green dragon arched an eyebrow, and her smile was cruel. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean the romantic type of like. My child deserves someone much better than you.¡±


    Before Revi could come up with a counter-jibe, Anastasia flew back to them, zir eyes bright and clear. ¡°It feels good to hunt and eat again. What are you two talking about? Revi, didn¡¯t you say you were hungry?¡±


    The gold dragon glanced at Leyla and said, ¡°We were just discussing what will happen now that the palace is gone. Your mother emphasized that there would be dire consequences for Phaeton and me.¡±


    Anastasia looked at zir mother too and snorted. ¡°Of course there will be consequences. But there¡¯s nothing we can do about that until much later. We don¡¯t even have a home to return to.¡±


    Revi¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ana, I truly am. Do you want to construct a new palace?¡±


    Anastasia was silent as ze stared out into the distance. ¡°A palace sounds extravagant and excessive. We could live in a house and shift into our dragon forms outside.¡±


    Leyla cut in here with a snort. ¡°Ana, dear, you¡¯re one of the few dragons I know who doesn¡¯t like to hoard treasure.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why ze would be the best ruler,¡± Revi interrupted with a smile.


    After he dropped those words, they both looked at Anastasia.


    The red dragon stared back at them, zir expression stern. ¡°Why must there be rulers at all? We can fend for ourselves and lend aid to anyone who needs it.¡±


    Leyla huffed while she shook her great green head. ¡°Honey, that won¡¯t do. If you don¡¯t seize power, someone else will. First, we need to see if we can find Freya and Teefa. But if not¡­¡±


    ¡°If not what, Princess Leyla?¡± pressed Revi.


    Leyla grimaced. ¡°If not, then I¡¯m afraid Ana will have to rule, whether ze likes it or not.¡±


    Something lurched inside Revi, and he glanced at Ana.


    The red dragon was grim. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can be a sovereign. It¡¯s too much, and I¡¯m still so young.¡±


    Leyla sighed. ¡°You won¡¯t have to do everything. I will be there to help you, to ease your burden. As would Revi, I expect.¡±


    Revi nodded, though he detected the warning in her voice.


    Anastasia swooped down to sit on the grass, though ze didn¡¯t look comfortable at all. ¡°Is there no other solution? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fit to rule.¡±


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    At that very moment, the air behind zir rippled like water. The watery patch of air expanded, and an ice unicorn and dark-haired woman stepped out of the portal.


    ***


    Revi and Phaeton¡¯s eyes met, and the ice unicorn¡¯s head nodded almost imperceptibly.


    Teefa ran to embrace Ana on the grass. Her wife Leyla shifted from the green dragon into her human form, a woman with silvery long hair. Teefa hugged her, too.


    The two princesses murmured to each other, but Revi wasn¡¯t interested in their spousal talk. Instead, he glanced over at Anastasia. The red dragon gave him a quizzical look, like ze suspected something was up.


    Teefa said, ¡°Everyone, I have terrible news.¡± Her voice trembled. ¡°The Queen is dead.¡±


    Relief swept through the gold dragon, though he also worried how Ana and Leyla would react.


    Leyla gritted her teeth and sighed. ¡°I had a premonition that it would come to this. May Queen Freya rest in peace, wherever she is.¡±


    Teefa dipped her head with a sad expression.


    Anastasia, however, clawed at the soil around zir. ¡°But where is she, mother? Where is the Queen¡¯s body?¡±


    Teefa gave zir a mournful look. ¡°Ana, I know you¡¯re upset. I am too, but Phaeton showed me your grandmother¡¯s body. It¡¯s preserved in a safe place. Don¡¯t go looking for it.¡±


    Anastasia stared at her, then ze looked away, silent.


    They were all speechless. A moment later, Ana asked, ¡°Mother, where¡¯s Ero?¡±


    Princess Teefa looked uneasy. ¡°We ¡ª flew together to search for everyone else. At some point, he wanted to explore a lake below us. Ero claimed that there was something peculiar about the lake, like it was some living beast. But before I could stop him, he jumped in.¡±


    Anastasia was instantly upright and poised. ¡°What do you mean? Where is my cousin now?¡±


    Teefa glanced at the ice unicorn. ¡°Perhaps Phaeton will tell us.¡±


    They all turned to gaze at the ice unicorn, his frosty eyes filled with age and cunning.


    ***


    Mildred, still in her cow form, was lying in bed, while Lance¡¯s hand was laid on her pelt.


    Demiel, Lance¡¯s brother, grinned ear to ear, while Clive, Mildred¡¯s bull-shifter husband, strode into the room. He was in human form.


    Clive was grim and moody as always, his lips pinched. He eyed Lance¡¯s hand as it caressed his wife¡¯s body, even though she was in her cow form. He declared, ¡°That¡¯s it, Mildred. I¡¯m getting a divorce.¡±


    His announcement struck her like lightning, and she immediately shifted back to human form. Her shape shifting forced Lance¡¯s hand to slide off of her. Mildred clenched her teeth. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Clive? What the hell?¡±


    The bull shifter laughed bitterly. ¡°Why delay the inevitable? We knew that this day would come. I had decided to tell you this even before I saw you in this compromising position. I thought you would have better taste, though.¡±


    Mildred¡¯s cheeks warmed, and she didn¡¯t dare look at Lance. ¡°There¡¯s nothing happening between us. We¡¯re not even friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then what on earth was he doing just now?¡± Clive demanded.


    Lance laughed and got into Clive¡¯s space.


    Mildred shouted, ¡°Leave him alone, Lance!¡±


    ¡°Why? This man doesn¡¯t love you, and you don¡¯t love him. Why do you still protect him?¡± Lance protested, though he took a step back as she requested.


    Clive said, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you love my wife, do you?¡±


    Lance sneered. ¡°I said no such thing. And since you¡¯ve just announced a divorce, you don¡¯t have the right to call her your wife anymore.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Mildred came between the two men, short of pushing their faces away from each other. She turned to glare at Lance. ¡°This is all between Clive and me. You dragons stay out of it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, stay out of it, Lance. It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Clive said in a cold tone. ¡°Mildred, I don¡¯t like these dragons, or any dragons, for that matter. But I came of my own accord. It¡¯s clear that our marriage isn¡¯t helping either of us. I had believed, as you did, that staying together would help our children. But Kallias is still too young to know anything. And Vera¡­¡±


    His smile was warm, the only thing joyful he had displayed so far. Clive went on, ¡°She is healthy, blooming, strong! Happy for once in her life. I know you and these two buffoons saw her earlier. I saw Vera just now. And I have discussed this openly with her, and our daughter agrees with my decision.¡±


    ¡°What? Vera agreed that her parents should get a divorce?¡± Lance sounded incredulous. ¡°What kind of father are you?¡±


    Mildred wanted to kick Lance¡¯s foot and cry on his shoulder at the same time. She said, ¡°How could you talk to Vera about this? She¡¯s just a child.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just a child, yes, but old enough for us to respect her feelings on this matter too,¡± said Clive. ¡°She agrees that we would all be happier if we didn¡¯t pretend to love each other.¡±


    Lance groaned. ¡°Who could even pretend to love you, I wonder?¡±


    This time, Mildred did kick his foot. ¡°Cut it out,¡± she warned. She turned her gaze back to her husband. ¡°Are you sure? This is such a rash decision!¡±


    Clive laughed. ¡°Now that even Vera gives our divorce her blessings, why are you worried? Do you think Lucille and Mateo will make a fuss? Or Ero?¡±


    Mildred¡¯s heart sank. She had been so caught up in Vera, the Gloom, and Lance, that she had put aside her thoughts for her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Who knew if they were even alive after the earthquake?


    The cow shifter said, ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to Vera together. I want to hear it from her lips.¡± It was her only way to regain any dignity from this.


    Clive smiled. ¡°As you wish. But Princess Vera retired to bed, with strict orders not to be disturbed by anyone until tomorrow morning. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait.¡±


    Mildred groaned. ¡°It is late, I suppose.¡± The clock showed that it was past 10 pm already. ¡°But Clive, how did you find The Gloom? And how did you know Vera would be here?¡± She furrowed her brows. ¡°And where did you go when you got separated from her?¡±


    The bull shifter¡¯s lips were pursed. ¡°It¡¯s late, Mildred. We already have too much to think about. We can talk more tomorrow.¡± With that, the rude man pushed past Demiel out the door.


    ¡°Wait, Clive ¡ª ¡± Mildred tried to chase after her husband, but Lance pulled her back by her arm.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use,¡± he said. ¡°If anything, you should be glad that you¡¯re free of that brute.¡±


    Mildred wanted to slap his face. Instead, she said in a withering voice, ¡°Yeah, only for me to be stuck with a new brute.¡±


    Lance blinked, then he laughed. ¡°We¡¯re not together, Mildred.¡±


    She gave him a snide smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t say we were.¡± Then she stood at her full height and pointed to the door. ¡°Now, get out! Both of you!¡±

 Chapter 32: Our Beautiful Sovereign

    ¡°I need to speak to you, Ana,¡± Revi the gold dragon said when they finally had a moment free from the adults.


    Anastasia the red dragon had been skulking off around a clump of bushes, brooding over the future, no doubt.


    Ana¡¯s ear cocked up at the sound of zir name, but ze didn¡¯t turn around.


    The gold dragon lumbered forward until he and Ana were face to face. Anastasia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What?¡± ze spat.


    Revi gave zir a slight smile. ¡°I know you¡¯re not too happy with this situation, but I can help you.¡±


    The red dragon¡¯s eyes were wary. ¡°Now that Queen Freya¡¯s dead, and neither of my mothers want to rule, you¡¯re pushing me towards the throne more than ever.¡± Ze stiffened zir lip. ¡°And your ice unicorn friend wasn¡¯t very helpful, either.¡±


    Earlier, Ana had demanded Phaeton to tell them of Ero¡¯s whereabouts. But Phaeton only said that Ero the calf-shifter was about to embark on something momentous and wasn¡¯t in immediate danger.


    Soon after, the ice unicorn lost interest in their company and darted back through a portal to who-knew-where.


    Revi beat his wings with impatience. ¡°All you care about is your cousin.¡±


    Anastasia flashed zir fangs at him. ¡°Ero is my family, after all, and I know my mothers are safe. I hate sitting around here with no idea how to find him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry that much,¡± Revi said haughtily. ¡°It sounds like he knows what he¡¯s doing. And Phaeton is a fae and can¡¯t lie. If he says that Ero is not in immediate danger, then he isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That implies that Ero will be in danger later,¡± Ana countered.


    ¡°We¡¯re always going to be in danger later,¡± Revi said. ¡°But you can do something about it. If you take up the mantle, you¡¯ll have the power to locate and protect your cousin.¡±


    Anastasia¡¯s tail slapped at the bushes behind zir, creating a loud rustle. A wisp of smoke came out of zir nostrils as ze growled, ¡°I thought you said you could help me. But you¡¯re just continuing to push your agenda. It¡¯s surreal! You had been so adamant on me not ruling, but now you¡¯re all for it!¡±


    The gold dragon sighed and stared out at the long stalks of grass on the ground. ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized just how opposed your mothers would be to ruling. I thought Princess Teefa ¡ª ¡±


    The red dragon shot him a sharp look. ¡°What? What about Teefa?¡±


    Revi winced, regretting bringing it up. But there was no backing down now. He boldly met Ana¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Princess Teefa is a kind soul, and she gave me the impression that she would like to be a leader of sorts, to guide us all away from the rubble.¡±


    ¡°Yet I already told you that my mothers don¡¯t want to rule.¡±


    Revi shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I said that was my impression. Perhaps I was wrong.¡±


    The two teenage dragons fell silent.


    Then Ana asked, ¡°Why are you so opposed to abolishing dragon rule? Didn¡¯t you want there to be equality between species? No matter how good the dragon ruler, the dragons would still have the most power, both physical and political.¡±


    Revi patted his claws through the earth, thinking for a while. ¡°I see what you mean, and your intentions are noble, Ana, they truly are. Yet there can¡¯t be no order or structure. Society will fall apart if you just leave them be.¡±


    Anastasia rumbled as ze shook zir head. ¡°Order and structure ¡­ Are probably more of a prison than anything. In the end, we¡¯re all trapped and unhappy.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Revi was about to object when he heard a roar. It was Leyla, who had shifted back into a great green dragon. Teefa was back in her purple dragon form as well. The two dragons hovered in the air, while a black dragon larger than either of them faced them with a grin on his face.


    ***


    A dragon as black as smog filled Ana¡¯s vision.


    Leyla snapped at him, ¡°What are you doing here, Narwal?


    The great dark dragon blew out a plume of smoke. His voice was cool and smug. ¡°I was concerned about the fate of our queen. But I heard rumors that she has unfortunately died in the commotion.¡± Narwal¡¯s sympathy could not possibly be faker. ¡°What serendipity it is for me to find the princesses and the heir, Anastasia zirself.¡±


    The black dragon swerved towards Ana, but Leyla blocked his way with a snarl. ¡°Leave zir alone.¡±


    The black dragon tossed his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt our future sovereign. I just wanted to get further acquainted with zir.¡±


    Revi stepped up to subtly cover Ana from the black dragon¡¯s view. ¡°Why are you really here, Narwal?¡±


    Anastasia scraped the soil beneath zir feet with some impatience. ¡°Will you all just cut it out and let him speak first?¡±


    Leyla and Teefa flinched. Revi¡¯s glance was a little rueful, but he backed off and unblocked Ana¡¯s view.


    ¡°Ha! I¡¯m glad that our future ruler is so reasonable.¡± Narwal swooped and landed with a resounding thump on the grass in front of Ana. ¡°My sovereign, you are much younger and prettier than I expected for our future ruler, but I¡¯m sure you will do a splendid job at rebuilding and governing our kingdom.¡±


    Anastasia stiffened a little, unsure of how much to tell him. Ze settled for something vague. ¡°Thank you for your faith. I¡¯m sure you wanted something more than just greeting me. Name your request.¡±


    A smile spread across the other dragon¡¯s lips. ¡°Nothing I like more than a ruler who gets straight to the point.¡± The black dragon stretched to his full height, which was unnecessary, given Ana¡¯s small size even for zir age. He said, ¡°I request a place at your court, my sovereign, so that I will be able to contribute to the decisions as well.¡±


    Ana saw Revi cast him a dirty look.


    Anastasia leveled the black dragon with a glance. ¡°I shall see. No promises.¡±


    The black dragon had a smug face. ¡°Good. I am at your disposal, Your Majesty.¡± He flicked his gaze over to the gold dragon. ¡°And what is this little upstart doing?¡±


    Revi bared his teeth.


    Anastasia said, ¡°He¡¯s my friend. I can choose whomever I want at my court, Narwal.¡±


    Narwal¡¯s eyes were bright and incisive. ¡°Of course, my sovereign. I just don¡¯t think Revi is the best choice to include in your inner circle.¡±


    Anastasia lifted zir chin. ¡°Why are you judging him? We don¡¯t know each other well, Narwal, and you already deem yourself worthy of joining my court.¡±


    The gold dragon stepped closer to Ana, as if lending zir his support. Ana wasn¡¯t scared, but appreciated Revi¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± began Narwal again, ¡°Revi is still a child, and does not bother to engage with other dragons, which makes him void of any connections or influence to help you. I, on the other hand, have extensive connections, and if you ever need it, I have plentiful gold and an army of dragons ready to march and do your bidding.¡±


    Leyla screeched from behind, ¡°Sure you have a lot of connections, Narwal, but they are shady ones. We don¡¯t need them.¡± Beside her, Teefa listened to them in silence.


    The black dragon laughed. ¡°Shady connections indeed! Does Revi seem like an honorable connection? He appeared at the palace right before the earthquake destroyed everything. Even if he¡¯s not connected to the earthquake, he sure brings foul luck.¡±


    Anastasia tried to rein in zir temper. ¡°I will not have my friends insulted like this. Unless you¡¯re unaware, I¡¯m even younger than Revi and don¡¯t connect much with other dragons at all.¡±


    The black dragon seemed amused. ¡°Oh, my sovereign, you are different, for Queen Freya herself has named you her heir, and you are wise beyond your years. I advise you not to trust this gold dragon, but of course, your judgement reigns supreme.¡±


    Narwal whipped his head around to peer at the two adult dragons behind him. ¡°You will not regret my contributions. I will restore the power and glory to our kingdom!¡± He flapped his wings and shot to the air. ¡°I will be back, My Sovereign, and I will be at your service.¡±


    When the big black dragon flew away, Revi turned to Ana. ¡°Are you finally agreeing to be our ruler?¡±


    Anastasia gave him a distasteful look, ignoring the hope that kindled in his eyes. Ze said, ¡°I promised nothing. I don¡¯t trust Narwal. Goodness knows how he even located us. I just said what I could to put him off our tracks for now, while we decide what to do.¡± Ze paused. ¡°And I didn¡¯t like all the jibes he threw at you.¡±


    Revi dipped his gold head. ¡°Thank you for defending me, Ana. I am touched and honored.¡±


    The red dragon shook zir head. ¡°He was being rude. I wasn¡¯t going to stand there and say nothing.¡±


    Princess Teefa strode forward. She gently nuzzled Ana¡¯s head. ¡°Ana, don¡¯t let Narwal push you into doing anything you don¡¯t want to, all right? He might have a lot of connections and dragon power, but your mother and I have plenty, too. If you don¡¯t want him, say the word and we¡¯ll make sure he never gets to join us.¡±


    Leyla nodded her head with vigor at this.


    Anastasia¡¯s gaze darted from zir mother Teefa, Leyla, and Revi. Ze said, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee anything. But I will definitely be careful with Narwal.¡±


    What Anastasia didn¡¯t tell them, for reasons ze would not reveal, was that if ze did become ruler, ze fully intended to accept Narwal into zir court.

 Chapter 33: New Allies

    Ero the calf-shifter climbed up the steps till he faced the steaming depths of the pot.


    Hypnotized by the lovely scent of milk inside, he was about to jump into the boiling liquid when he heard a screech. A body collided into his. He fell through the hot air, full of shock, and crashed onto the kitchen floor.


    His body hurt from the cool, hard tiles, but thankfully he wasn¡¯t injured. Standing above him was a small black dragon, his nostrils puffing out smoke, and looking terribly angry. ¡°What on earth were you doing?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s struggle, the calf hefted himself back up. The black dragon was Ana¡¯s size, but from his higher pitched voice, he might be Ero¡¯s age.


    With whatever dignity he could muster, Ero lifted his chin. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    The black dragon seemed taken aback, like he didn¡¯t believe that a little calf could stand up to a furious dragon. But his eyes calmed and he said, ¡°I¡¯m Ya Luo. And you¡¯re in my father¡¯s kitchen. What are you doing here? Do you want to get eaten?¡±


    Ero backed away, which made Ya Luo grin. The dragon continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not interested in eating you. You just need to be careful, that¡¯s all. How did you even get in here, anyway?¡±


    The calf shifter peered around the kitchen, looking for an escape route just in case. He muttered, ¡°None of your business.¡±


    The black dragon still looked surprised, as though he expected Ero to cooperate without question. But Ya Luo smiled. ¡°Fine. But if you want to wander around in a kitchen where cooks regularly eat beef, then ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Darn it,¡± the calf-shifter snapped. ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m not looking to make any trouble.¡± He shifted into his human boy form.


    The black dragon just stared. ¡°Hmph. I guess that¡¯s one way to avoid being cooked.¡±


    Ero sighed as he glanced around him, bewildered that the cooks still worked at their stations, completely ignoring him and Ya Luo. ¡°Okay, Mr Clever. If you want to show me something, lead the way.¡±


    He was admittedly just wandering around, led only by his curiosity. He wasn¡¯t convinced that the pot was truly dangerous to him, but maybe it was. The black dragon, as obnoxious and insensitive as he was, seemed benign, at least.


    Ya Luo appeared a little smug. He stayed in his dragon form and stretched to his full height, which was still short. ¡°We need to get out of this kitchen.¡±


    ***


    Mildred the cow-shifter, in her human form, curled up in her bed, hiding from everyone. When someone knocked on her door later that night, she shouted, ¡°Go away!¡±


    A throat clearing sounded outside. ¡°Excuse me, this is Natash. I brought you some dinner.¡±


    She sighed and dragged her body out of bed. Then she shuffled to the door to open it.


    The man with short brown hair and an honest face strode into the room carrying a tray. Mildred tried not to flinch at his striking resemblance to her husband.


    Natash set the tray down on her night table. There was a bowl of delicious-looking vegetable soup and a plate of salad. The man was about to leave when she stepped in front of him. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Mildred inhaled deeply, wondering how she should word this. ¡°Natash, you ¡ª look a great deal like Clive. Are you a distant relation?¡±


    Natash averted his gaze while his body shook with laughter. ¡°Can¡¯t coincidences exist? I¡¯ve never met your husband before. Perhaps nature just happened to mold us in similar ways, who knows?¡± He cleared his throat, laughter subsiding. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m very sorry for what happened with Vera and Clive, truly.¡±


    The two of them stood there in silence. Mildred rubbed her neck and said, ¡°Who brought Vera here?¡± And who led Clive to the Gloom?


    Natash gave her a curious look. His mouth opened and shut awkwardly, but he shook his head. ¡°Just some dragons. You wouldn¡¯t know them. You just need to know that your daughter is doing fine.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Are you saying that to encourage me to leave her here?¡± Mildred demanded.


    The man had the grace to look sheepish. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t implying anything.¡±


    They stared at each other in another moment of silence. Mildred sighed. ¡°I know I haven¡¯t been the best mother to her. She probably told you all about that, didn¡¯t she?¡± Natash didn¡¯t nod, but his facial expression confirmed it. ¡°I¡¯m still mad at Clive for talking to Vera about getting a divorce before asking me, but the damage is done, so what can I do?¡±


    The bull-shifter grimaced and shifted his gaze away from her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mildred,¡± he said again. ¡°I wish you and Clive could have made it work. But it seems like it was not meant to be.¡± He paused. ¡°Forgive me if this is an impertinent question, but would you rather work on your marriage than to break up?¡±


    Mildred surveyed the man, who was rather embarrassed, as if he wanted to exit the room but didn¡¯t know how to do so politely. But she was in a confiding mood, so she said, ¡°Yes, it would be nice to have a chance to work on our marriage, but Clive has clearly already given up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can¡¯t force it if your spouse is not willing to put in the effort.¡± Natash glanced at the door. ¡°No matter what happens, I hope the three of you find your peace. This too shall pass.¡±


    Before Mildred had a chance to say anything else, the man slipped out the door and left. Well, it was admittedly strange to talk about her divorce with a man who looked like her husband.


    The cow-shifter sat back on her bed and gazed out the window. She couldn¡¯t make out anything in the gloom, but she found the heavy darkness oddly helpful for meditation.


    Did she want to make up with her husband? Despite her wounded pride, she admittedly didn¡¯t enjoy their marriage. Perhaps she had once loved Clive, but she couldn¡¯t remember such a time anymore.


    She also thought about Kallias, their baby son. He was too small to understand what his parents and older sister were going through. Guilt dug at her that her son would have to grow up with divorced parents.


    Unbidden, her mind shifted to what she said to Lance. No, her children wouldn¡¯t want a dragon to be their stepfather, would they? Not that Vera seemed to take to Lance. Mildred wasn¡¯t really interested in him, either.


    Nevertheless, the young woman was lonely and she yearned to find someone else, now that her husband no longer wanted her.


    ***


    As much as the calf-shifter yearned to stay in the kitchen and enjoy the milky aroma, Ya Luo¡¯s warning that somebody would fancy beef here frightened him enough to move.


    Ero thought Ya Luo was bossy. But the young black dragon didn¡¯t seem to care.


    They exited the grand kitchen and moved into a hallway. Then they emerged into what looked like a palace. Shining pearls and gems were encrusted into the marble walls. Talk about over-decorated. As their footsteps tapped and echoed on the gleaming smooth floor, Ero asked, ¡°Who is your dad? Your place looks even more glamorous than Freya¡¯s palace.¡± Before Freya¡¯s palace got destroyed.


    The black dragon did not slow his stride. ¡°My dad worked as an official back before the palace fell.¡± His tail swished and flowed behind him, like he was so at ease and confident. Not that Ero could ambush a dragon even from behind, but still. Ya Luo asked, ¡°Since you managed to escape the palace, where did you go after?¡±


    The footsteps continued to echo as they traipsed through this never-ending corridor. ¡°I came here,¡± Ero said haughtily.


    The black dragon snorted. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to share, fine. I might find out later anyway.¡±


    Ero felt mulish and didn¡¯t reply to that.


    At length, they came to a reception area, with big, luxurious seats that guests could just drop into.


    Ya Luo finally stopped and turned around with a smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit here? The servants will get you something to eat and drink. I¡¯ll go get my mom.¡±


    With that, the young black dragon turned and trotted off, looking like some lofty princeling.


    The calf-shifter was about to call after him, but he didn¡¯t want to give the impression that he needed the dragon¡¯s help.


    So he plopped down on a plum-colored sofa. A servant came by a second later to put a tray of snacks on a small table within easy reach. It was a glass of orange juice and a plate of crackers.


    While Ero nibbled at the crackers, musing over the day¡¯s events, he heard a voice peal out: ¡°Ero!¡±


    The calf-shifter was astonished at being recognized.


    That voice belonged to a woman with raven black hair, and she strode towards him. Ya Luo, still in dragon form, walked at his mother¡¯s side.


    ¡°How did you know my name?¡± Ero blurted out, staring at her with dismay, questions popping in his mind.


    Ya Luo replied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard to guess! And I¡¯ve seen you around before. We just never talked.¡±


    Ero filed that random piece of information away for later. The woman looked oddly familiar.


    She smiled at him tenderly, as if she were his own mother ¡ª except Lucille wasn¡¯t the tender type. Ero¡¯s chest clenched at the thought of where his mother may be. The raven-haired woman said, ¡°My name is Qing Shui. You must be tired from everything that has happened. Why don¡¯t you stay with us for a while?¡±


    The calf-shifter blinked. ¡°But my parents will be looking for me. Anastasia too.¡±


    Mother and son exchanged a glance. Ya Luo said, ¡°You¡¯ll be safer here than wandering around outside by yourself.¡±


    Ero pouted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wandering out by myself. I was with Princess Teefa earlier. I wonder where she is.¡±


    ¡°We can look for Princess Teefa if you want,¡± Ya Luo offered.


    Qing Shui¡¯s brows creased in concern, and Ero asked her, ¡°How about Princess Lucille? Is there any way you can find my mother?¡±


    Qing Shui looked distinctly uncomfortable as she fiddled with her hair. ¡°Well, about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no point in stalling,¡± said Ya Luo. He cast an intense gaze at Ero, his dark eyes like a fire. ¡°Your mom is dead, Ero. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 34: No Delicacy

    The news hit Ero with a resounding blow.


    Lucille, his mother, was dead.


    He couldn¡¯t breathe. His body trembled, and he curled up into a tight ball on the couch.


    After a while, a boy of Ero¡¯s age, with marble-black hair and dark brown eyes, cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry, I should have been gentler.¡±


    Ero bit his lip. ¡°There¡¯s no way you could be gentle, Ya Luo.¡± The calf-shifter¡¯s words were hard like granite, though.


    Qing Shui, Ya Luo¡¯s mother, came over to place a comforting hand on the calf shifter¡¯s shoulder. Ero wanted to shrug her off, but he was too drained and sad to move.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay in our home, Ero,¡± the woman said in a soft voice. ¡°For as long as you like.¡±


    ¡°Unless you have another place you want to go?¡± Ya Luo asked.


    Ero couldn¡¯t stand the dragon shifters¡¯ stares right now, so he squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°No, I have no home if my ¡ª my parents aren¡¯t around.¡± He shifted a bit in his seat. ¡°And what about my dad, Mateo? Do you have any news on him?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. We have no idea, sorry,¡± Ya Luo said, sounding genuinely sorry.


    They stayed in silence for a while. At length, Ero opened his eyes but didn¡¯t look at Qing Shui or Ya Luo. He ate a cracker and sipped some orange juice instead, for the sake of having something to do with his hands.


    Then he glanced up and gave Ya Luo a hard stare, nearly a glare. He put down his glass of orange juice. ¡°Do you know where Anastasia is?¡±


    Ya Luo¡¯s shoulders seemed to relax, and he nodded. ¡°My father¡¯s spies tracked down the heir a short while ago. My uncle went to speak to zir.¡± He glanced away with a frown. ¡°He should be back by now. Not sure what¡¯s taking him so long.¡±


    Ero looked at Ya Luo and at Qing Shui, the latter looking especially worried. ¡°Can you take me to where Ana was last seen?¡±


    Ya Luo replied instantly, ¡°Not today. Tomorrow, when you¡¯ve had enough rest.¡±


    The calf-shifter bristled. ¡°I don¡¯t need to rest!¡± He also eyed Qing Shui, who hadn¡¯t said anything.


    ¡°You do, actually,¡± Ya Luo maintained in a voice too stern and commanding for his age. He folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Rest up and you¡¯ll have more energy to talk to your cousin Ana tomorrow.¡±


    Ero gaped at first, then said, ¡°What about my other cousin, Mildred?¡±


    This time, Qing Shui finally spoke. She fiddled with her braid. ¡°We haven¡¯t actively looked for her. But some of our scouts saw her flying off with two blue dragons.¡±


    It made Ero wonder what determined who they spied on.


    For now, he would bide his time and watch what Ya Luo and Qing Shui did next. He wasn¡¯t content to be a pet in someone else¡¯s palace.


    ***


    The morning after her terrible meeting with Clive, Mildred had a clearer head.


    She strutted with confidence through the hall, and down the stairs to the dining room. Everyone else was already there, also in human form.


    Clive was his usual surly self. Demiel gave her a polite smile. Natash looked awkward. Vera glared at her before glancing away. Lance, for some reason, avoided Mildred¡¯s eyes, keeping his head down as he ate some porridge.


    Mildred frowned at Lance, at his dismissal of her. Regardless, she sat in the empty chair beside Demiel, where she faced Clive.


    ¡°So,¡± she said to her husband, ¡°are you ready to explain everything to me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, for crying out loud,¡± Vera said, raising her fork in the air.


    But Natash shook his head at her. ¡°This is not your battle, Vera.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The teenage girl fumed but kept quiet. Her eyes darted between her parents, like she was scanning for threats. It broke Mildred¡¯s heart.


    Clive sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, honey,¡± he said to their daughter. ¡°I¡¯ll tell your mother the truth and only the truth.¡± His face was tense and stony as he turned his gaze on Mildred. ¡°I don¡¯t know If you even care, but Vera and I hardly got out of that collapsing palace in one piece. Meanwhile, we saw you climb onto a blue dragon and fly away, leaving us down there.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mildred said. ¡°You don¡¯t get to make me look like the villain. There was so much rubble that I couldn¡¯t find you. I had to look out for Ero too, or Aunt Lucille would have my head.¡±


    ¡°Yet you lost him too, didn¡¯t you?¡± countered Clive.


    Mildred pressed her lips together and stared down at her onion soup.


    Clive took this as a sign to continue. He put his elbows on the desk and clutched his mug of tea tight. He cleared his throat and cast a nervous glance at the clock.


    ¡°I carried Vera out of the palace and ran away as fast as I could. We had a few close calls, but we thankfully were all right. I was about to run back home to our barn, but a silver dragon spotted us and picked us up in her talons. At first, I thought she wanted to hurt us, so I struggled. But the dragon said that she would drop us to our death if I kept moving. We were at least a mile above the ground at the time, so I stayed still.


    ¡°Initially, I wondered if the silver dragon was Queen Freya. But this dragon was smaller, and from the sound of her voice, much younger. Soon enough, we were joined by a somewhat larger white dragon. They discussed matters among themselves that I barely understood. The silver dragon decided to give us some relief and placed us on the white dragon¡¯s back. She warned us not to hurt him.


    ¡°I wanted to laugh. Since it wasn¡¯t like two bovine shifters could do anything to harm a dragon, with their tough scales. But instead, I asked them where we were going. They didn¡¯t answer. Before I could ask again, something hard hit my head and I blacked out.


    ¡°When I finally awoke, I was in a bedchamber, here in this castle, in The Gloom.¡± He glanced at Vera, who sighed and stared down at her cup.


    Mildred sat there stunned. She stared at her husband, his implacable face. Vera was avoiding eye contact with her. Then she looked at Lance.


    The blue dragon shifter gazed back at her. His lips were a hard line. It was hard to tell whether he was angry at Clive or Mildred ¡ª or neither.


    The cow shifter sat up straight in her chair. ¡°So who were the silver and white dragons?¡±


    Her husband smirked. ¡°It would be nice if we all knew.¡± He gave Lance and Demiel a side eye. ¡°Your dragon friends here might have an idea.¡±


    To Mildred¡¯s surprise, Lance spoke. ¡°Yes. We used to be friends with them a long time ago. But not anymore. We drifted apart.¡± He flicked a strand of golden blond hair from his face.


    Was it just her, or did Mildred sense a lie there? She was about to question him further, when there was a loud clanging.


    It was Vera, knocking her porcelain cup loudly with a metal spoon. She said, ¡°Enough! Uncle Lance, we don¡¯t need to know the details. The important part is that I¡¯m safe and healed, and my parents can happily get a divorce and we can all finally get some peace.¡±


    Mildred flinched at her harsh tone.


    Lance scolded, ¡°Why are you being so abrasive towards your mother, Vera?¡±


    The teenage girl snorted, lifting her chin at him. ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of all these grownup games. Let¡¯s get on with it and stop wasting time.¡±


    ¡°Are you in such a hurry for your parents to get a divorce?¡± Lance asked.


    Mildred made herself small in her chair, hating this entire conversation.


    The calf-shifter smirked and waved a dismissive hand at him. ¡°If you want to date my mom, go ahead, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Mildred and Lance both said at once. They exchanged a glance and Mildred felt her cheeks flush with shame. Mildred spoke first. ¡°Vera, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Uncle Lance and I don¡¯t have that kind of relationship.¡±


    ¡°Then what kind of a relationship do you have?¡± Vera demanded.


    Demiel, who had been silent all this time, let out a loud chuckle. ¡°How entertaining this is. Brother, you have dug yourself into a deep hole.¡±


    His brother scowled at him. ¡°Mildred and I did nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Clive cut in. ¡°Then what on earth were you doing yesterday night? With your hands all over my wife?¡±


    Mildred groaned. ¡°Clive, you¡¯re being ridiculous.¡±


    Vera laughed, a sharp, incisive sound. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Dad is divorcing you. You¡¯ll be free to shack it with anyone you want, mom.¡±


    Mildred didn¡¯t know how things could devolve into such chaos. Her head spun and she stood up. Everyone stared at her. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I need some time out.¡±


    Without waiting for anyone¡¯s response, the cow shifter ran out of the dining room and up the stairs.


    Once she shut herself back in her room and locked the door, she exhaled deeply. But a moment later, there was an insistent rapping on her door. ¡°Mildred, open up! We need to talk.¡±


    It was Lance.


    The cow shifter wrinkled her nose. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my daughter¡¯s accusations? She thinks that there¡¯s something between us. Do you want to spread the rumors further?¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. But Vera was just being obnoxious. We¡¯re not doing anything inappropriate. Others can believe what they want, but you and I know we are innocent,¡± Lance said. He knocked on her door again, but more gently this time. ¡°Can I come in? Please?¡±


    Mildred paused, but at long last, she turned the doorknob and let him enter.


    Lance looked terrible. He seemed more tired and haggard than she had ever seen him. Even his golden hair appeared duller and messier than usual. He sat on her bed without asking.


    Mildred felt a mixture of annoyance and sadness as she pulled up a chair and faced him. ¡°What the hell do you want to talk about?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I need to tell you something.¡± Lance tugged at his hair, strangely distressed. ¡°But promise me that you won¡¯t tell the others.¡±


    Mildred stared at him, her eyes wide. Against her better judgment, she said, ¡°Okay. Tell me.¡±


    He waved her forward. Mildred glowered at him, but leaned towards the dragon shifter. Lance whispered something in her ear that made her heart pound. She was suddenly very scared.

 Chapter 35: A Shadowy Past

    Ana watched with indignation as Narwal flew away.


    Ze tried zir best to comfort Revi and zir mothers from his disruption. Revi the gold dragon stomped across the grass before flying off to hunt for his next meal.


    Ana vowed to protect zir loved ones from bastards like Narwal. Yet, there was something ze couldn¡¯t tell them.


    Many years ago, Anastasia created an¡­alliance with Narwal, unbeknownst to zir parents.


    When Ana was a small child, ze studied in the palace school with the children of nobles.


    Ze was lonely but also too aloof to make friends, to zir mothers¡¯ chagrin.


    Yet, there was a terrible incident that changed that perpetual solitude.


    Despite being the only royal, ze was mostly ignored by the other kids, as the red dragon was quite sullen and rejecting of their attention. Ze was willing to talk a bit more with Revi, as he was a fellow outcast and never tried to push zir boundaries.


    Yet one day, a new kid, by the name of Xue, came to study with them. He was a snow-white dragon, bright eyed and excitable.


    At first, Anastasia ignored his friendly attempts at conversation, like ze did with everyone else. But it quickly became obvious that despite his friendliness, most of the other children shunned him, for reasons unknown to Ana.


    The red dragon thought it was pitiful how he tried to fit in, since ze believed that it was better to be independent, which was why Ana had more respect for Revi, even though ze and the gold dragon shifter rarely spoke to one another.


    But Xue said something that Ana would never forget. ¡°If we were all mirages, what does that make you and I?¡±


    That sounded like some strange, rambling, philosophical nonsense.


    The white dragon went on, ¡°Mirages are fake, aren¡¯t they? But we are so real, shockingly real.¡±


    Ana had been trying and failing to concentrate on a book. Ze snapped at him, ¡°What are you getting at? Can¡¯t you be more straightforward?¡±


    The white dragon, still in his dragon form, stared into the distance, his eyes becoming glassy. He gulped. ¡°Just saying that there are things we shouldn¡¯t take for granted, is all.¡±


    Anastasia arched an eyebrow at his cryptic wording, then went back to reading zir book.


    Without warning, Xue started throwing up.


    Anastasia jumped back, stunned as zir classmate continued to heave. Nobody else was in the classroom, and Ana considered calling for an adult for help. But ze stayed with him.


    After the white dragon couldn¡¯t hurl anymore, he lay on the ground, drained.


    Anastasia was about to summon a servant to clean up the mess, when Xue coughed. ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell anyone, but I¡¯m dying.¡±


    The red dragon gaped. ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Xue agreed as he rested a wing on his forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t have long to live. I¡¯ve been sick for a while, but I was able to hide it until now. We¡¯re not really friends, but I think I can trust you. Can you keep my secret?¡±


    Anastasia hadn¡¯t thought much about the implications of secrecy. Ze was too young to give things a thorough thought. Ze was also overwhelmed with panic, assuming Xue was right about his impending death. So ze agreed not to tell anybody.


    At Ana¡¯s words, Xue let loose a long breath. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Not that Ana ever gave up. Ze thought about it often and asked Xue about his illness and what he had tried. Even if they weren¡¯t ¡°friends¡± per se, ze was determined to save his life. It wasn¡¯t fair for someone that young to die so soon.


    Weeks later, Anastasia decided to sneak inside a milk barn in the palace, to get cow-shifter milk, which ze heard had miraculous healing effects.


    Zir parents had been getting Ana to drink a cup of it every day, to make zir extra fit and strong. Ana didn¡¯t love it but obliged to keep peace with zir mothers. Ze had considered hiding the cup of milk to give to Xue instead. But Leyla and Teefa would be too sharp-eyed for the red dragon to get away with that.


    So instead, Anastasia planned to stalk into the palace dairy. Ze was most familiar with zir adoptive Auntie Lucille. Lucille had been staying at the barn to feed her calf milk.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Anastasia waited till the dead of night when everyone was asleep to act. Ze snuck inside, the guards not daring to challenge Anastasia, the child of the princesses.


    Lucille was drowsy, and her calf was sleeping. Ana promptly morphed into zir human form. With some guilt, Anastasia moved the calf aside. Then ze went to get Lucille¡¯s milk. The cow stirred as Ana started milking her, the way ze saw the servants do it many times before.


    The cow mooed with confusion but didn¡¯t stop Ana, to the dragon shifter¡¯s relief. When Ana successfully got a full litre of milk from her, Lucille at last broke out of her trance and hissed, ¡°Tundra? What are you doing here?¡±


    Tundra was Ana¡¯s former name, which ze went by at the time. Anastasia stiffened but said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need this for someone.¡±


    Before Lucille could reply, Anastasia already fled the barn with the bottle of milk.


    Xue was alarmed when Anastasia accosted him the next day with the milk. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you stole milk from the palace cows, from your own Aunt Lucille, no less.¡±


    Ana shrugged. ¡°If it cures you, why not?¡±


    After some coaxing and nudging, Anastasia got Xue to drink. In fact, ze told him to take the rest of the milk home and keep drinking it until the whole litre was gone.


    Xue grimaced. At the time, Ana just assumed the white dragon was being stubborn and didn¡¯t enjoy the taste of the milk. Ana should have known then that something was wrong.


    The following day, the red dragon shifter waited in class for zir friend to show up. But the teacher announced that Xue was sick and couldn¡¯t attend.


    Unease coiled in Ana¡¯s gut, but ze thought that the milk was doing battle with the toxins in his body, so of course he would still be suffering. Since he had been vomiting, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide his illness, either.


    Yet, Xue was still absent for days after, then a week. One day, while Ana stayed behind in class to complete some work, a man stalked into the classroom, a cruel smile curling up on his face. It was Narwal, one of the officials of the dragon court. He was also Xue¡¯s uncle. Ana often saw him pick up his nephew from school.


    Anastasia went still as the man approached zir. He was broad-shouldered and his black hair gleamed with some stylistic gel. He made a mocking bow to Ana. Then he launched into his attack: ¡°Thanks to you, Tundra, my nephew is dead.¡±


    The red dragon shifter recoiled as if the man had hit zir. ¡°You lie,¡± ze hissed.


    Narwal chuckled. ¡°No, I do not. Just because cow shifter milk is nutritious and good for most people, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a cure for all diseases.¡± He sighed. ¡°My poor nephew. Deep down, he probably knew it was wrong, but he listened to you and guzzled down all that milk, anyway. He wasted away these past several days and stopped breathing today.¡±


    Ana noted how cold and detached the man was. Ze glared. ¡°Prove it. I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Narwal smirked. ¡°I can take you to his grave. I don¡¯t suppose you want to dig up his remains, do you?¡±


    Anastasia shuddered but demanded to be taken to his grave anyway, thinking that Narwal must be bluffing.


    To zir dismay, the black dragon shifter really did bring zir to the cemetery. It was a gravestone built from marble, and Xue¡¯s family were crying in front of it. Xue¡¯s parents greeted Ana, and the red dragon shifter stared at zir friend¡¯s grave, unspeaking.


    Narwal ¡°offered¡± to escort Anastasia home. Ze wanted to decline but didn¡¯t want to make Xue¡¯s family suspicious, as it would be odd for a royal child to refuse an escort from a palace official.


    When Ana and Narwal reached a quieter part of the road, Narwal said, his tone cool and hard, ¡°Tundra, while you have killed my nephew, I know you did it because you wanted to help him, not harm him. But I doubt everyone will understand that. And I¡¯m afraid being a royal child won¡¯t save you from jail. But I won¡¯t reveal what you did to anyone.¡±


    Anastasia cast him a wary glance. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ze asked, sensing a condition.


    The older dragon shifter showed his teeth as he smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll need to grant me favors, your Royal Highness. Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t be ridiculous favors, only things that would be easy for you to do.¡±


    During the next few years, Anastasia, under Narwal¡¯s bidding, said some good words about him to some important dragons, including Queen Freya. As a result, Narwal gained a big legion of followers and even soldiers. His wealth grew so much that it rivalled Freya¡¯s.


    Anastasia felt guilty about all this, even though ze was only a child and believed ze shouldn¡¯t have had this much influence. But Narwal was smart and strategic. He deliberately picked Ana, an unpopular and very young royal, so that zir opinion would feel extra sincere. Narwal was careful to have Ana say praises that sounded genuine and valid, rather than any bombastic or vague flattery.


    All this hell was a reason why Ana fled to work with the Valve dragons soon after ze completed zir studies. Thankfully, Narwal hadn¡¯t tried to stop Ana, but by that time, he was already one of the most powerful lords. He never spoke to Ana again ¡ª until now.


    Lucille had complained over the years about Ana stealing her milk. Anastasia just made up some story about having a poor friend who couldn¡¯t afford cow shifter milk. That he was sick and needed the milk, and got better soon afterwards.


    Despite her abrasiveness, Lucille wasn¡¯t a bad person, Ana thought. She griped about getting milked without her permission, but she didn¡¯t complain about zir giving the milk to a poor friend in need. It was pure luck that the cow shifter didn¡¯t inquire for further details.


    So only Narwal knew, as he said, that Xue¡¯s parents didn¡¯t know anything about the milk. Narwal had been the only one who witnessed his nephew gollop down all that milk.


    Xue had told his uncle that Anastasia stole the milk for him to cure his illness. But he sensed that this shouldn¡¯t be public knowledge, so he begged his uncle not to tell anyone else.


    Narwal kept his word. Xue¡¯s parents believed that their son died from the illness that had already been taking over his life, day by day.


    So when Narwal disrupted Ana, Revi, and zir mothers at the green field after Queen Freya¡¯s death, Ana was angry, wound up. But ze didn¡¯t want to risk defying him outright.


    Ze figured that ze could make Narwal a part of zir court, to keep him satisfied and also to keep zir enemy close. There was no telling what Narwal would reveal to everyone if not.


    Yet, even if Ana didn¡¯t get punished for zir crime, since ze would be the ruler now, ze still didn¡¯t want anyone to know what ze did.


    Nevertheless, though Ana planned to accept Narwal, ze would make sure he didn¡¯t gain the full advantage.


    Anastasia now turned to Revi, zir friend, looking sullen as he tore into a deer he caught during his hunt. Ana said, ¡°Revi, I have a proposal for you¡­¡±

 Chapter 36: Rising Embers

    The next morning, a fantastic burst of flame rose over Ya Luo¡¯s stone garden.


    The black dragon unleashed his own torrent of fire to counter his mother¡¯s. The flames crashed into one another with a loud boom.


    Qing Shui, in her silver dragon form, shot a determined look at her son. ¡°Come on, Ya Luo, you¡¯ve got to try harder!¡±


    The young black dragon huffed with indignation. He took in as much oxygen as he could into his lungs and unleashed a hotter flame.


    As his mother trained him in his stone garden where nothing could be set on fire, Ero watched them nearby.


    The calf-shifter had been sullen, upset over the news of his mother¡¯s death. Unwilling to stay inside, he had followed Ya Luo and his mother into the stone garden. Qing Shui allowed him to watch, but she warned him, ¡°All right, but stay well away. The fire can fry you to a crisp.¡±


    Ero had cringed at that, but it didn¡¯t stop him from watching their fire practice just some meters away.


    After a while, Ya Luo heard a flap of great wings above. Ya Luo and his mother ceased their practice. The silver dragon stared up with a worried frown on her face.


    Ero cried out. The newcomer dragon, who had jet-black scales, crash landed right in front of the calf-shifter. The boy was in human form, his eyes wide in fright.


    Ya Luo hurried over, yelling, ¡°Uncle Narwal, what took you so long?¡±


    The giant black dragon smirked down at his nephew. ¡°Adult things.¡±


    Ya Luo rolled his eyes, since ¡°adult things¡± was just an excuse grown-up dragons used to avoid telling the younger dragons anything.


    Qing Shui sauntered over to them, her eyes grim. ¡°What happened, brother?¡± she asked, her voice hard.


    Narwal sneered at her. ¡°Nothing that should concern you, sweetheart.¡±


    A flash of irritation passed through the silver dragon¡¯s face, but Ya Luo knew his mom had good control over her anger. Maybe too good of a control. Qing Shui said, ¡°Fine. Tell your brother-in-law what you¡¯ve seen when he comes back.¡±


    The big black dragon¡¯s grin was wide, full of sharp teeth. His large claws spread out and dug into the rock between his feet. Narwal laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell him every last detail of what I¡¯ve observed for sure.¡± He dipped his gaze down to Ero, who had subtly moved away from him to hide behind Qing Shui. ¡°Who do we have here? A new little friend for you, Ya Luo?¡±


    Ya Luo tapped his feet lightly on the ground. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯ll be staying with us for a while.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is he nobility? Or even royalty?¡± Narwal pushed.


    Ya Luo showed some of his teeth. ¡°Neither. But he has nowhere to go, so I asked him to stay here with us.¡± He didn¡¯t know what his uncle had in mind, but his instincts told him not to tell Narwal everything just yet. His uncle likely already knew, but was just playing with them.


    Ero spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m nobody. Go away.¡±


    Ya Luo grimaced, wanting to tell the na?ve calf-shifter that denying it only made it obvious that he was not nobody.


    But his uncle turned his piercing eyes on the calf. Ya Luo was glad that Ero was not in his animal form, or else he really feared that his uncle would devour him as a snack.


    But Narwal laughed, and his body blurred. A few seconds later, he had morphed to his human form. His black hair glistened with the gel he liked to use, as shiny as his laser bright green eyes. The man guffawed. ¡°What a daring little boy. You must be something if little Ya Luo and my sister invited you to stay. And who might you be?¡±


    White light flashed as his mother morphed to human form. She strode forward to grip her brother by the shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Leave the poor child alone.¡±


    Narwal tried to shake Qing Shui¡¯s hand off, but she didn¡¯t let go. He shot her a look of disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t see you with a habit of housing strays. So what¡¯s different about this one?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Ya Luo and his mother exchanged a glance. Qing Shui said again, ¡°Just leave the boy alone, you bully!¡±


    Narwal puffed out his arrogant chest. ¡°Or you¡¯ll do what?¡±


    Qing Shui glowered at him. ¡°You¡¯re in my house now, brother. You follow our rules, or you leave.¡±


    Narwal suddenly tore his mother¡¯s hand off of his shoulder. By the way she grimaced and rubbed her hand, Ya Luo guessed that Narwal had clawed it with his nails. Ya Luo was livid and wanted to help her.


    His uncle stretched to his full height. ¡°This was once my house too, sister. You don¡¯t get to boss me around.¡± He grinned. ¡°Or do you intend to hide behind your husband¡¯s back again?¡±


    The silver dragon shifter gaped, then her expression became a snarl. ¡°You¡¯re a cowardly bastard who only knows how to hurl around insults. You might be bigger than me, but that doesn¡¯t mean you get whatever you want.¡±


    As she spoke, the dragon shifter guards surrounded them, ready to morph to their dragon forms to protect their mistress if she gave the word.


    Narwal glanced around them with a smirk. ¡°You call me a coward while you get your grunts to do your dirty work, hmph. Very well. I¡¯ll come back to speak with your husband when he returns.¡±


    With that, his body morphed back to a large black dragon. He launched into the sky and disappeared.


    Ero¡¯s eyes were wide as Narwal whipped up a gust of wind and soared away.


    ***


    Then his gaze focused back on Ya Luo and Qing Shui. ¡°Who the heck does he think he is?¡± The calf-shifter cried out. ¡°He can¡¯t have that much power that he can threaten you, right?¡±


    His words were directed at Qing Shui, but he was looking at Ya Luo.


    Qing Shui fidgeted with her hair. The determined and fierce woman he saw earlier was gone. ¡°It was at least partly my fault. Narwal is my younger brother. I spoiled him when he was a kid, never wanting to be too strict towards him until it was too late.¡±


    Ero scrunched up his nose at that. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Why blame yourself? Surely it was his parents who taught him to be bad?¡±


    Ya Luo and his mother exchanged a look. The young black dragon shifter heaved a sigh. ¡°My grandparents passed away when my mom and uncle were still children. They were brought up by the Royal court¡¯s orphanage home, so yes, my mom was her brother¡¯s main caregiver.¡±


    Ero was shocked, especially as Qing Shui didn¡¯t seem offended that her son spilled out her backstory to a stranger. Lucille would have scolded Ero harshly if he casually told someone about her adopted heritage.


    The calf shifter¡¯s chest hurt at the thought of his mother, and his breaths quickened. But he gritted his teeth, unwilling to let his grief pull him down, not when he was still in the presence of people he didn¡¯t yet trust.


    Qing Shui said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Ero, but he¡¯s still my brother, and I could have done better as an older sibling.¡± She rested her chin on a delicate hand, her eyes mournful. ¡°Regardless, he is an arrogant asshole. We need to watch our backs.¡±


    Ero was startled by this. Narwal was indeed an asshole but somehow, the calf believed that he wouldn¡¯t seriously want to hurt his sister and nephew, other than just intimidating them. He asked, ¡°How about your husband? Does he need to watch his back?¡±


    Qing Shui cast a look at her son, while Ya Luo stared at the ground. She sighed. ¡°Yes, though Byron doesn¡¯t believe me and thinks my brother is just misunderstood.¡±


    Byron¡­the name sounded familiar to Ero, but he didn¡¯t say this out loud. Instead, he asked, ¡°When do you expect him to come back home?¡±


    The silver dragon shifter grimaced. She wrung her hands in a nervous manner. ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a wild dragon, so we can¡¯t predict when he¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°How long has he been gone?¡± Ero asked, bewildered.


    The dark-haired woman dipped her head and played with her long strands of hair.


    It was Ya Luo who cleared his throat and answered, ¡°It¡¯s been seven days since we last saw him.¡± He shrugged, like he was feigning nonchalance. ¡°My dad likes to live his life and travel around. He loves us, but he loves his freedom more.¡±


    Surprisingly, Qing Luo hissed at her son. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Ya Luo. He loves us just as much, if not more. He simply needs time away from home. He needs his personal space. It doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t care.¡± Her voice became very small at the end of her sentence.


    Ero was increasingly uncomfortable with this conversation. He originally only wanted to know when Ya Luo¡¯s father would arrive, so that Ero could mentally prepare himself, especially as Narwal seemed to take Byron the most seriously. Ero hadn¡¯t wanted to hear about another family¡¯s drama, though he felt bad for Ya Luo and Qing Shui.


    Instead, he asked, ¡°Speaking of fathers, have you had any more word on my father, Mateo?¡±


    Ya Luo avoided his eyes. ¡°We still have no news on him, I¡¯m sorry. Though we haven¡¯t been actively looking for him, I admit.¡±


    Temper suddenly flared in Ero. ¡°What makes you decide whether or not to look for someone?¡±


    The other boy widened his eyes and then glowered at him. ¡°Lucille was different, since she was a princess. Of course our spies would pay close attention to her. As for her consort, he has vanished without a trace. I hope he¡¯s all right, but we¡¯re dedicating our limited forces to our priorities.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear that my mom was a priority for you but my dad wasn¡¯t,¡± Ero said bitterly.


    Qing Shui subtly walked between the two boys. She said in a soft voice, ¡°Ero, I apologize. We must seem heartless to you. As you said, we focus our spies on certain people but not others. We can talk all we like about our own priorities for our limited dragon forces, but at the end of the day, we still neglected your father ¡ª and Mildred. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ero was still angry, but her admission of their faults appeased him somewhat. ¡°Could you send spies to look for my dad and Mildred now?¡±


    The silver dragon shifter gazed at him with an unreadable look. ¡°Yes¡­ when my husband comes home. I may have command over the guards, but the spies are his. They don¡¯t answer to me.¡±


    Ero gaped in dismay. ¡°Why won¡¯t they answer to their boss¡¯s wife?¡±


    Qing Shui lowered her eyes. ¡°Because they don¡¯t trust me. At least not anymore.¡±

 Chapter 37: A Dangerous Proposal

    Revi, the gold dragon, wasn¡¯t sure he heard Anastasia right.


    The two young dragons stood in a green field. Ana¡¯s mothers were off hunting and unaware of their conversation. It was the perfect time to discuss privately what ze had proposed.


    Revi asked again, ¡°Are you sure? That sounds like a crazy plan to me.¡±


    The red dragon swished zir tail with impatience. ¡°I am serious. And I think it¡¯s rather hypocritical that you call my plan crazy when you literally launched an earthquake to destroy the palace.¡±


    Revi winced at the slight accusation in Ana¡¯s tone. He tapped his claws on the soft, loamy field. Once again, he wondered whether Anastasia¡¯s amnesia would wear off, and ze would remember the terrible things he had done to safeguard zir.


    He found himself regretting his actions. Revi should have found a better way to protect his friend during the cataclysm, but he had been too impulsive and unthinking back then.


    ¡°Fair point,¡± the gold dragon conceded. ¡°But how do you know it¡¯ll work? Narwal, despite how smarmy he is, is one of the most influential lords out there, with lots of supporters and hench-dragons.¡±


    Anastasia puffed out zir wings as if to demonstrate something, but it was probably just a nervous tic. Ze didn¡¯t look at him as ze said, ¡°It must be done. He¡¯s too dangerous. Whether I want to be ruler or not, he will seek to control me. Narwal has a bottomless desire for power. We need to show him that we can¡¯t be messed with.¡±


    Revi grimaced, and even his gold scales stiffened with apprehension. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask your parents for their opinions first?¡±


    His friend shook zir head. ¡°No, they would never approve. As you said, my plan sounds crazy. But unlike my moms, you at least have some respect for¡­dramatic gestures, don¡¯t you?¡± The red dragon stared at him with piercing eyes.


    Revi sighed. Maybe his guilt from inadvertently hurting his friend before had caught up to him. He felt a need to make up for it, even if Ana never remembered what happened. He tightened his mouth. ¡°All right. But give me some time to contact Phaeton.¡±


    ***


    It was bewildering to Revi how Ana could want to invite Phaeton into action, given how much the red dragon distrusted the ice unicorn before.


    He supposed times were changing.


    At the moment, they were sitting with Ana¡¯s moms, Leyla and Teefa. They shared a feast of birds, ducks, and other animals that zir mothers had found on their nocturnal hunt.


    Their conversation, while sometimes stilted, was still civilised and friendly over the course of the meal. The gold dragon shifter was under no illusion that Leyla had warmed to him. She was likely playing nice because her wife and child were kind to him.


    When they finally retired to sleep, Teefa and Leyla curled up around each other, tails and wings entwined, under the shelter of some trees. Revi was relieved that they didn¡¯t pay any heed to where their child was sleeping.


    Perhaps Teefa had convinced Leyla that Ana was in no danger from Revi. Teefa didn¡¯t know the full extent of what Revi had done, though. But he had time to atone for his mistakes.


    Anastasia crept up to him, a grim but determined look in zir eyes. Ze tilted zir head towards a farther place, thicker with shadows and well concealed from zir parents. While Ana stayed in zir dragon form as usual, Revi had morphed to his human form to avoid making too much noise and waking up zir mothers.


    He was still nervous about the soft crunch of sand and soil beneath their feet, though. Anastasia whispered, ¡°You look more anxious than me.¡±


    ¡°You would be too, in my shoes,¡± he replied.


    Anastasia frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you through this. But this is the least destructive method I could think of to protect ourselves from Narwal.¡±


    The gold dragon nodded, but kept his head down.


    At length, they reached a shadowy corner out of Leyla and Teefa¡¯s hearing range. Revi called out, ¡°Phaeton, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± He filled his words with deep intention, though he knew that the ice unicorn would hear him regardless of how he spoke.


    The gold dragon feared that the unicorn would be fed up with working with them, however. He did tell Ana that the unicorn didn¡¯t come at his beck and call, but he wasn¡¯t being entirely truthful. Phaeton could technically come anytime, as long as Revi implied that the unicorn had something to gain.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    A few seconds later, a circle of air rippled in front of them. Then the ice unicorn leaped out of it with a splashing sound. Phaeton grinned at Revi and Ana. ¡°Well, well, what new excitement have you called me here for?¡± His frosty eyes bored into Revi¡¯s.


    The gold dragon fought not to break off eye contact, no matter how unnerving the unicorn was. He had been working with Phaeton for a while, so this shouldn¡¯t be any different. He said, ¡°This time, it¡¯s Anastasia who specifically has something to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The unicorn made a surprised expression. Though for all Revi knew, he could be pretending, since the unicorn appeared to know everything. ¡°Ana, pray tell, what is it?¡±


    The red dragon seemed to glow as if from an inner flame. After a slight pause, ze answered, ¡°I need you to help us reach someone. It¡¯s Narwal¡¯s brother-in-law, Byron.¡±


    The ice unicorn¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°Oooh, what might you possibly have to say to him?¡±


    Ana gave him an unyielding smile. ¡°Plenty. Are you interested in helping us?¡±


    Revi had told his friend beforehand that Phaeton was not like the others. He had no desire for money or power, since he already had more than anyone could ever need. The only thing the unicorn lacked was fun and thrilling. The more chaotic and troubling the task was, the better.


    Anastasia hadn¡¯t looked too delighted to hear it, but Revi bet ze was relieved that ze didn¡¯t have to give the unicorn a big favor in return.


    Now, the ice unicorn gazed at the young red dragon, appraising. His voice was like a flute as he asked, ¡°What kind of mischief do you hope to achieve?¡±


    Anastasia widened zir smile a bit. ¡°We want to sow discord to wreck our enemy, Narwal, who is an important part of the dragon forces. Wreck him, and we will bring down countless others in the process.¡±


    Phaeton looked thoughtful, though Revi could tell that the unicorn¡¯s interest was piqued. The gold dragon was happy that Ana learned how to negotiate with Phaeton so fast, but he was perturbed by how fast it was.


    He supposed that to be a ruler, Ana would have to grow adept at these manipulations, and it wasn¡¯t as if Revi were innocent, either. Perhaps somewhere in the gold dragon¡¯s heart, he had hoped that his friend could be spared from these messy political maneuvers, and somehow still be a competent ruler.


    The ice unicorn started pacing around them, his icy pelt glinting in the moonlight. ¡°Ana, you¡¯re such a sweetheart. Are you sure you want this? It seems opposed to your nature to do these things.¡±


    It was like Phaeton had read Revi¡¯s mind, which the unicorn probably did.


    But the red dragon stood up straight, zir wings raised in a gesture of confidence. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what my nature is or is not. The duty still needs to be done.¡±


    A frosty grin spread on the unicorn¡¯s teeth. ¡°Ooh, I like it. Even our great sovereign will slide down the slippery slope of ¡®duty,¡¯ ha. All right, I have no objections.¡±


    Anastasia¡¯s posture eased, and Revi could feel his friend¡¯s relief. Revi still worried about how things would go. But it was time for him to start having faith in his sovereign, right? Assuming Ana wanted to rule for real.


    ***


    Anastasia was indeed relieved that Phaeton bought zir proposal.


    Well, Ana hadn¡¯t been lying about anything. But ze hadn¡¯t bothered to tell the unicorn exactly what ze wanted to do.


    They decided to go now, while zir mothers remained asleep. Ana hoped that Byron wouldn¡¯t be too opposed to a late night talk. But ze was fairly optimistic that this would work. Ze was surprised at zir confidence, but it was better than wallowing in despair, not knowing what to do or where to go.


    Ana grumbled when Phaeton requested that ze morph into human form, but ze complied. Together, Ana and Revi, also in his human form, had to ride on Phaeton¡¯s back. The unicorn cut open a new portal with his horn, and leaped inside with another watery splash.


    The three of them emerged in a small courtyard. It must be far from the capital, as there was no earthquake damage here. They heard laughter coming from one of the buildings adjacent to them.


    Phaeton looked amused as he glanced at the window lights. ¡°Tread carefully, Ana. We wouldn¡¯t want this opportunity to go wasted.¡±


    Anastasia walked with zir head held high. ¡°I know what to do.¡±


    Phaeton dipped his head. ¡°All right, my sovereign. I will leave you and Revi to it.¡± Without another word, the unicorn jumped back into the portal and disappeared.


    Anastasia breathed in deeply and marched to the building where they could still hear laughter and talking, with Revi trailing behind zir.


    It was strange that no guards accosted them. Ana had told Phaeton to transport them to a place where they would not be noticed, but ze hadn¡¯t anticipated a courtyard empty of even guards and servants.


    Anastasia shifted back into zir dragon form regardless and rapped on the door.


    The sounds inside stopped. Footsteps approached, and the door opened just slightly. A feminine face peeked out. ¡°Yes?¡±


    But when the woman fully beheld Anastasia, and Revi behind zir, her jaw dropped and she swung the door open all the way. ¡°Our sovereign! Please, do come in, Your Majesty!¡±


    The woman was around Leyla and Teefa¡¯s age, with a head of luxuriant, long brown hair, and a warm face. Ana didn¡¯t recall her name but knew that she was someone zir mothers and Freya sometimes spoke to.


    Behind her, a man with silver streaked black hair stared at Ana and Revi. He looked just as astounded as his companion, though he didn¡¯t seem as glad.


    From the mess of cups and cards on the table in front of him, it looked like Ana had interrupted a fun evening.


    ¡°Lord Byron,¡± Anastasia intoned. ¡°Now that I¡¯m the new ruler, I have a request for you.¡± Ze could sense Revi¡¯s discomfort, but ze hoped he wouldn¡¯t give anything away.


    Byron looked like he wanted to rise from his seat, but instead, he gestured for them to sit around the table.


    They might as well, since this would be a long talk.


    The brunette woman from earlier sat beside Byron with a tight smile at Ana. ¡°My sincere congratulations, Your Majesty. I¡¯m sorry we missed your coronation.¡±


    Anastasia ignored the insinuation that there had been no coronation, or no formal one, at least. Rather, ze just nodded and addressed Byron directly. ¡°Can we speak alone?¡±


    Byron exchanged a glance with his companion. She looked hurt, but bowed her head and rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± And she left the room.


    Byron glanced with guilt at her departing silhouette. ¡°Bei Bei ¡ª um, Bei Feng ¡ª wouldn¡¯t betray us, Your Majesty. She¡¯s one of my oldest friends.¡±


    ¡°Just because she¡¯s one of your oldest friends doesn¡¯t mean I want her to hear what I have to say,¡± Anastasia pointed out.


    The man hung his head. ¡°All right. What do you need?¡±


    Anastasia paused for effect. ¡°Lord Byron, I want you to be my spy.¡±

 Chapter 38: Neglected

    Fearing what Lance told her in confidence, Mildred resolved to leave The Gloom tonight. There was no point in staying anyway, since her daughter loathed her.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go?¡± Lance asked.


    She folded her arms tightly over her chest. ¡°Yes. Who knows what Aunt Ivy could be doing now?¡± She paused. ¡°I wish you had told me sooner, though.¡±


    The blue dragon shifter gave her a lopsided smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was dumb and I didn¡¯t trust you enough to tell.¡±


    The cow shifter leaned back against the wall behind her bed and closed her eyes for a moment, resisting the urge to curse. ¡°It¡¯s too late for regrets. I¡¯m mad that you weren¡¯t honest with me, but at least for now, we are allies.¡±


    Lance tossed his head back with some dry laughter.


    When the two shifters exited Mildred¡¯s room, they almost crashed into Demiel. Demiel laughed at their faces. ¡°What were you two muttering about? Anything you could tell me?¡± His grin was as razor sharp as his tone.


    Mildred shook her head at him. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. But we¡¯re leaving now. Vera clearly doesn¡¯t want to come home with me, and my divorce with Clive will take some time to finalize.¡±


    Demiel glanced at her and Lance with a quirked eyebrow. ¡°I thought you were determined to get Vera out of this place.¡±


    Mildred sighed, her body feeling like a deflated balloon. ¡°Yes, but what¡¯s the point? She keeps fighting me and painting me as a villain. And she¡¯s clearly happy to live at The Gloom. Her father and Natash are here to keep her company.¡±


    Demiel tapped his chin. ¡°Is she really happy here? Or is she just angry and rebelling?¡±


    Mildred glared daggers at him. ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. Do you think you, a stranger, know her better than I do?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes strangers have a better eye than a parent does,¡± Demiel quipped.


    But Lance elbowed him. ¡°Quit bugging her. Get ready to go, or we¡¯re leaving without you.¡±


    It was Demiel¡¯s turn to glare. But Mildred was tired of this useless argument, so she strode off with her packed bag towards the stairs.


    Lance was about to follow her when Demiel yanked at his sleeve. Lance groaned. ¡°What now?¡±


    Demiel eyed the stairs until Mildred disappeared from view. He smirked at his brother. ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Lance tried to free his sleeve, but the other dragon shifter wouldn¡¯t let go. ¡°Demiel, what the hell?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t me trying to be a jerk, bro, but you heard Vera. She assumes that you want to date her mom. So do you?¡±


    Lance scrubbed his face in dismay. ¡°Do you think I do?¡±


    His brother smirked. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯m not sure. But it¡¯s not me who needs to make a decision.¡±


    Lance threw his hands up in the air. ¡°This is so stupid. Mildred¡¯s just getting a divorce. Isn¡¯t it insensitive to bring this up before she and her husband are even formally separated?¡±


    Demiel¡¯s smile was spiteful. ¡°So your answer is yes?¡±


    Lance tightened his lips before saying, ¡°No. Mildred and I don¡¯t have anything romantic between us.¡± He glared harder at his brother, as if daring him to disagree.


    The other dragon shifter rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever. Even if you don¡¯t care about my feelings on the matter, you should at least care about Mildred¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°When did you ever care about how Mildred feels?¡± Lance shot back. He started marching towards the stairs, wanting to end this conversation.


    ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to enjoy her company,¡± Demiel replied. ¡°But I do have some shred of decency.¡±


    Lance wanted to respond, but resisted. Replying would only egg his brother on. Besides, they would see the other people in the castle soon.


    When the brothers arrived at the ground floor, Mildred spotted them. ¡°There you are! What took you so long?¡±


    Lance was spared from the need to answer. Vera tsked and stepped over to the dragon shifter brothers. ¡°Come on. My mom said you were leaving. Natash has some supplies and rations he wants to give you before you go.¡±


    She then trotted off to sit beside her father on a bench. Her eyes were still trained on the dragon brothers, though, her expression wary but also curious.


    Natash gave them packages of dried food to take home. Mildred seemed morose as she packed up the provisions. Lance peered around the room and caught Clive staring at him. Clive oddly didn¡¯t appear hostile, though he wasn¡¯t friendly, either.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The bull shifter cleared his throat as his gaze darted back to Mildred. ¡°I will sign the divorce papers when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Mildred glowered at him and muttered, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Vera looked down and fiddled with a seam on her trousers. Her expression was tight.


    Lance thought that, for all Vera¡¯s bravado, she was still a child. Hearing your parents talk about divorce in your presence, even if you agreed to the separation, probably wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience.


    After her bag was loaded, Mildred walked over to where her daughter was sitting. In a gentle voice, she asked, ¡°Vera, are you sure you want to stay here at The Gloom rather than coming home with me? We could see your brother!¡±


    At the mention of her brother, something shifted in Vera¡¯s face. She frowned and crossed her arms. ¡°I hope Kallias is okay, but no, I won¡¯t be coming, sorry. I don¡¯t like being sick, and I¡¯m not taking any chances of getting weak again if I leave the castle.¡±


    Mildred glanced at her soon-to-be ex-husband, but Clive didn¡¯t appear sympathetic. She sighed and brushed her bangs from her forehead. ¡°Vera, I ¡ª I know you don¡¯t like me right now, and I get it. You don¡¯t have to come with me if you absolutely don¡¯t want to. But do you want to live here forever? You won¡¯t get to see the sun or the grass anymore!¡±


    The teenage girl shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. But I¡¯m not leaving the only place where I¡¯ve ever felt good and happy in my life.¡±


    It was heartbreaking to see Mildred¡¯s shattered look. She was barely holding back tears, not that her daughter or ex-husband seemed to care. Mildred sniffed. ¡°But we can stay in touch, okay? Text or call me if you ever need anything.¡± She glanced at Clive. ¡°That goes for you too.¡±


    Clive nodded grimly. ¡°Tell me if Kallias needs anything. We can¡­talk about visits later.¡±


    Mildred had a hard look about her, like she didn¡¯t want to crumple in front of her so-called loved ones.


    ***


    Mildred rode on Lance¡¯s back to fly home to her barn.


    But it hurt to tear herself away from Vera and Clive.


    As angry as she was, Mildred thought that Clive and Vera felt sorry for her. While Vera hadn¡¯t been friendly, she was less hostile than she was before. Perhaps Natash ¡ª or even Clive ¡ª had talked her down to be a little nicer towards her mother.


    But who could blame her for wanting to stay? Vera was right that The Gloom was the only place she ever felt comfortable and happy. Mildred didn¡¯t have the right to take that away from her.


    Demiel flew beside Mildred and Lance, but he later claimed to have something else to do.


    Lance snorted at his brother¡¯s departure.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Mildred asked when Demiel was out of earshot. She elaborated, ¡°You and your brother took an awfully long time getting down to the ground floor earlier. Did he talk to you about something?¡±


    The blue dragon shifter said nothing at first, then he quipped, ¡°Demiel¡¯s just an asshole. Don¡¯t worry about him. Let¡¯s focus on getting back to Kallias.¡±


    A lump of tension solidified in Mildred¡¯s throat. It was her fault for neglecting her son, as she had concentrated so much on her daughter. She murmured, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that Aunt Ivy would tell you something instead of telling me.¡±


    The blue dragon sighed. ¡°She¡¯s an enigma. I ¡ª ¡± He paused, his wings fluttering against the strong wind in the sky. ¡°She probably thinks it¡¯s funny to tell me, since she believes I¡¯m actually your lover, and wants you to leave Clive already.¡±


    Mildred was silent for a while, gazing at the thick, rolling grey clouds around them. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, thanks for keeping up the act with me, at least in front of Aunt Ivy.¡±


    She sensed the dragon¡¯s smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I was such a good actor.¡± He blew out a bit of smoke from his mouth, which drifted safely away in the dark sky. ¡°I really am sorry, Mildred, about everything. I wish I had been kinder to you all along.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to say that, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mildred said. At the dragon¡¯s silence, she winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is just frustrating.¡±


    The dragon blew out a small fireball, but he quickly extinguished it with a breath of wind. ¡°Aunt Ivy probably likes that I¡¯m a dragon, you know, quite a contrast to your bull husband.¡±


    Mildred snorted. ¡°If my husband were a dragon, I wonder if the magic leaf would allow me to conceive.¡± She was glad that Lance was staring straight ahead and wouldn¡¯t see her flustered face. She had grown more comfortable with Lance over the past few days, especially as he often seemed like her only ally in The Gloom. But it was still awkward to talk to him about something as intimate as her fertility, even if they were technically talking about her Aunt Ivy¡¯s shenanigans.


    Thankfully, the blue dragon interrupted her thoughts, ¡°Giving Kallias milk is the only reason why you still want Aunt Ivy¡¯s magic leaf, right?¡±


    Mildred lowered herself a little on the dragon¡¯s back, as if making herself smaller would make her feel better. She had never really told anyone before, but she felt the urge to tell Lance. Maybe because he was both an outsider to her family, and someone who seemed to care ¡ª at least a little bit.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want more calves after Kallias. But¡­¡± She gazed down at the pretty, pearly blue of Lance¡¯s scales. ¡°I don¡¯t like the thought of myself being¡­sterile, you know? Even if I don¡¯t want any more children, and don¡¯t need to make milk for my son anymore, I like the thought that I¡¯m still fertile.¡± Her face must be steaming red by now.


    Wind whooshed by them and whipped through Mildred¡¯s dark hair. Lance replied, ¡°Even if you¡¯re not fertile, that doesn¡¯t make you lesser than other cows, if that was your concern.¡±


    Mildred felt like punching him, albeit with some affection. ¡°It¡¯s¡­I¡¯m not trying to compete with other cows. But I just don¡¯t like thinking of myself as barren.¡± Tears stung her eyes and started running down her cheeks.


    The dragon¡¯s voice was soft when he answered, ¡°You¡¯re not barren, Mildred. You¡¯re worth more than your ability to bear children. Fertility is just¡­a concept that shouldn¡¯t matter to anyone at all.¡±


    Mildred bit her lip and dabbed at her tears. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say, since you can¡¯t bear children. But how would you feel if the healers told you that you couldn¡¯t father children?¡±


    Lance grunted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care. I¡¯m not particularly fond of children anyway.¡±


    The cow shifter let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°And here I thought we were finally starting to understand each other.¡±


    Lance laughed, but it was a bitter sound.


    When they were within sight of the barn, the blue dragon shot down like an arrow. Mildred hopped off his back as soon as his feet touched the ground.


    She raced towards the barn and burst through the doors. She heard Lance shift to human, and he joined her a second later. Footsteps approached, and Mildred¡¯s stomach tightened with dread.


    An older woman in her sixties sauntered up to them, a smug smile on her face, and a small bundle in her arms ¡ª Kallias!


    Aunt Ivy grinned. ¡°Lance, Mildred, what took you so long? Kallias is hungry!¡±


    The baby calf wailed at the top of his lungs, his voice a mixture of grief and fear.

 Chapter 39: Trickery and Foolishness

    ¡°Let my son go!¡± Mildred screeched, glaring at Aunt Ivy. They were in her family barn, but right now, Mildred was so fearful that it didn¡¯t feel like her home.


    Aunt Ivy clutched her baby nephew, currently in his calf form, closer to her chest, like she wanted to possess him.


    Lance, the blue dragon shifter, stood on the other side of the woman. Mildred and Lance wanted to corner Ivy, though they knew she had the upper hand.


    Aunt Ivy kicked at the straw on the ground, her face a picture of smug coldness. ¡°Why, Mildred, that¡¯s no way to greet an aunt who¡¯s been helping you for the past many years.¡± She grinned at Lance. ¡°And you, boy, should be more thankful that I¡¯ve been assisting your lady love all this time.¡±


    At least Lance didn¡¯t flinch when Ivy said ¡°lady love,¡± though the term made Mildred want to shrink into herself. ¡°You did help me at first,¡± Mildred said, staring at her baby son in Ivy¡¯s arms. ¡°And I will always be grateful for that. But you never told me you would do this to Kallias.¡± Angry tears filled her eyes.


    Aunt Ivy laughed, her body shaking with malicious mirth. ¡°You¡¯re such a silly girl. Even now, you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m doing for you. Poor Lance, too. It must have been hard to keep this secret from your beloved for so long.¡±


    The blue dragon shifter gave Mildred a guilty look. She just gazed at the floor in response, her fists clenched.


    With a shake of his head, Lance muttered, ¡°I had no idea that things would turn out this way. I swear I would have told her if¡­¡±


    Aunt Ivy put up a hand to stop him. A smile still stretched her lips. ¡°You must think I¡¯m some evil fairy godmother. But I did this all for your own good.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mildred burst out. ¡°How is this fair to Kallias?¡±


    Aunt Ivy shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like you paid much attention to him anyway, as occupied as you were with his sister.¡± She gave Kallias a little bounce. The calf coughed and started to cry again.


    Mildred ground her teeth and tugged at her hair, staring at her suffering child. He shivered from time to time, as if from fever chills. ¡°Please make it stop. He doesn¡¯t deserve any of this.¡±


    The other woman chuckled. ¡°Make it stop yourself.¡± She all but tossed Kallias at her niece. Mildred caught him with alarm. She wept as she looked at his tiny, distressed face. His forehead was hot.


    Aunt Ivy began tapping her foot with impatience. ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have all day. What are you waiting for?¡± She side-eyed Lance with a smirk. ¡°Since he¡¯s your lover, you¡¯re not shy about feeding your son in front of him, right?¡±


    Mildred cast her aunt a dirty look. ¡°Of course not.¡± Gently, she placed her son on the soft straw below, and changed into her cow form.


    The shift only took a few seconds, but with the sound of her baby son crying, it felt like an eternity. At long last, she became a large, black-and-white milk cow, ready to nourish her poor calf. The magic leaf kept her milk fresh, even when she wasn¡¯t regularly feeding her children.


    Unlike the last time she shifted in front of Lance, Mildred felt very vulnerable. She nudged her calf closer to her teats. Kallias continued to sob; he seemed heedless even of his mother¡¯s gentle touches.


    Mildred¡¯s nostrils flared at Aunt Ivy, and her horns tightened, as if she could ram them into her aunt¡¯s chest. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Kallias responding? He needs my milk to survive!¡±


    Aunt Ivy put her hands on her hips, her face full of exultation. ¡°Well, you should have thought of that before abandoning your poor kid to his babysitter.¡±


    Mildred gritted her teeth. ¡°If only I could be in two places at once. You might know how hard it is to raise two calves if you were ever a mother.¡±


    ¡°And without me, you would never have been a mother,¡± Aunt Ivy jibed.


    The cow shifter took her aunt¡¯s mean hit to heart. She stared down at Kallias. She shouldn¡¯t have relied on a babysitter, after all. Samalla was still on the young end, barely twenty. She seemed warm and dependable, so what had Aunt Ivy said or done to get her to leave Kallias?


    Mildred hoped the girl wasn¡¯t hurt. But a part of her was angry that the younger woman hadn¡¯t stood stronger for Kallias¡¯ sake.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Lance moved to Mildred¡¯s other side. He put a comforting hand on the cow shifter¡¯s hide, but she felt self-conscious since they had to pretend to be a couple in front of Aunt Ivy.


    The dragon shifter murmured in her ear, ¡°Mildred, breathe. Panicking will only make your son feel worse.¡±


    Mildred wanted to snap at him. How could a parent not panic when their child was so ill? But instead, she asked, ¡°Can you pick up Kallias and hold his mouth against my teat?¡±


    The blue dragon shifter blinked, as if surprised by her request. Thankfully, he recovered before Ivy could suspect anything. Gently, he scooped up the crying calf and moved his face to Mildred¡¯s underside.


    Her son wailed and coughed, but eventually, Mildred felt him grip onto her. Slowly but surely, her milk flowed, and Kallias began to drink. She felt a relief so immense she almost collapsed. But she held herself up for his sake, and closed her eyes, willing herself to relax.


    When Kallias let go of her, he sputtered but didn¡¯t cry. Lance placed him on the floor and her calf slid his head down to sleep.


    Mildred gazed at her son with guilt in her heart. If only she had been more careful¡­


    Lance interrupted her thoughts, ¡°Mildred, what do you do plan to do now?¡±


    She shot him a look, afraid he was making fun of her. But his expression seemed sincere.


    Behind him, Aunt Ivy was still gloating. The older woman said, in a sing-song voice, ¡°Yes, what do you plan to do now? If you want your son to stay safe and healthy, you¡¯ll need to be by his side constantly, because nothing can nourish him but your milk.¡± She laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a good motivator for you to pay more attention to your neglected son, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mildred stared daggers at her. ¡°I never thought you would be this cruel to a baby.¡±


    Aunt Ivy shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, Mildred, as usual. He¡¯ll be perfectly fine as long as you nurse him, you know, like the mother you were supposed to be.¡±


    Remorse warred with fury in Mildred¡¯s mind. She stomped with her hoof, but not too hard lest she wake up her sleeping son. She let out a loud moo at her aunt, which Ivy didn¡¯t react to, of course. ¡°There are many other ways you could have convinced me to stay by my son¡¯s side, ways that would be much kinder to him.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Aunt Ivy shot back. When Mildred didn¡¯t respond, she continued, ¡°See? Kindness only goes so far. I had to do this because your maternal neglect was getting way out of hand.¡±


    Mildred dug her hoof into the soil of the barn, her muscles tense all over. Beside her, Lance appeared morose but evaded Mildred¡¯s gaze. The cow shifter said, ¡°And why did you only tell Lance but not me?¡±


    Aunt Ivy¡¯s glance landed on Lance¡¯s face; she smirked and looked back at her niece. ¡°He is your lover, right? If I told him something, I assumed he would tell you. How did I know he would choose to say nothing until today?¡±


    Mildred wondered if Ivy knew that their relationship was a farce, but decided to keep acting the part. She shook her head. ¡°Lance just wanted to protect me. He didn¡¯t want me to worry over nothing, since he didn¡¯t think you were serious when you sent him that text.¡± And who knew how Aunt Ivy got a hold of his contact details? ¡°He thought you were making a hollow threat.¡±


    Mildred wasn¡¯t lying about this. Lance hadn¡¯t taken Aunt Ivy seriously, thinking she was a crazy old bat who liked to rule through empty threats. Foolishly, he brushed her off and didn¡¯t tell Mildred or Demiel anything, believing that Ivy would just go away after he ignored her for a long time.


    But while Lance and Mildred were at the Gloom castle, Ivy sent Lance a last warning text early in the morning ¡ª she had woven in the dark spell on Kallias. It was only then that the dragon shifter took her threat seriously and fessed up.


    Mildred still wished he wasn¡¯t such a dumb dragon. They may not be ¡°friends¡± per se, but he should have told her out of common decency. But she knew that he could be overconfident and careless.


    At least they had been able to come to Kallias today.


    Aunt Ivy paced across the barn floor, like a twitchy, psyched-up predator. Mildred, who stood stationary above her sleepy son, grew increasingly agitated. Ivy said with a smile, ¡°You can¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t try to warn you. It wasn¡¯t my fault that your wonderful Lance didn¡¯t heed me enough to be honest with you. Wow, what a great foundation for a relationship.¡±


    Lance sighed at this, rubbing a palm over his visage. Mildred, on the other hand, seethed. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was angrier at Aunt Ivy, whom she didn¡¯t trust, or at Lance, whom she had grown to trust. Still, she could see what Aunt Ivy was doing. ¡°Stop misdirecting, Aunt Ivy. It was your fault for laying your black magic on an innocent child. If you hate me, you could punish me directly. Why hurt a little boy?¡±


    Lance finally looked up at her, and was mournful. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be punished, either.¡±


    ¡°Why should I hurt my niece?¡± said Aunt Ivy, truly a crazed old bat. ¡°Besides, Kallias would be perfectly all right. It was just a mild sickness spell, no worse than a common cold or flu. He would only suffer, until you came back to feed him. And then he would be perfectly fine with your regular feeding. Until he grows old enough to not need his mother¡¯s milk, of course. Isn¡¯t that a clever way to persuade a mom to pay closer attention to her child?¡± The woman laughed, the sound like crackling thunder in a storm.


    ¡°A common cold or flu to a baby can mean a death sentence, Aunt Ivy,¡± Mildred said. ¡°Would you kill your own grand-nephew?¡±


    Aunt Ivy snorted. ¡°No, but he wouldn¡¯t die regardless. All babies get sick sometimes. It¡¯s only a bit of suffering, just enough to get you to take better care of your son. You¡¯re really turning this into something worse than it truly is.¡±


    ¡°Like what happened with Vera?¡± Mildred asked. Suddenly, she felt a surge of energy, fueled by indignation and also hope. ¡°Did you give her an illness to convince me to stay by my daughter¡¯s side?¡±


    Aunt Ivy now faced her with eerily blank eyes, so different from her smug triumph earlier. She whispered, ¡°No. Vera¡¯s illness was not my doing.¡±


    She didn¡¯t sound like she was lying. Mildred¡¯s stomach dropped.

 Chapter 40: Desperate Games

    Revi the gold dragon, currently in human morph, paced around Lord Byron¡¯s guest room.


    Ana texted zir mothers earlier and claimed to have left for an emergency. That way, zir moms wouldn¡¯t think that Revi had abducted their child. The gold dragon was also relieved to have more space to think about their plan.


    At first, Anastasia wanted to share the room with him. But Revi insisted that they sleep in separate rooms.


    The red dragon shifter had arched a brow, but didn¡¯t protest. Ana must have thought that he was a prude, or, worse, cold.


    But honestly, Revi wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well with zir in the same room. Not just because of his crush on Ana, but also because ¡ª way too much was going on. Was Anastasia going to accept being a ruler for real? Was ze pretending to get Lord Byron¡¯s help? What was ze really up to?


    While the gold dragon shifter had agreed to Ana¡¯s crazy plan to get Byron to be their spy, Revi still felt uneasy about the whole affair. Moreover, what was the deal with Byron¡¯s friend, Bei Feng? She acted friendly towards Ana, but Revi didn¡¯t know if she was trustworthy.


    Byron had sworn not to tell Bei Feng any of their plans. But since they were close friends, who knew if Byron would keep his word? And Bei Feng looked like a dragon who would have no qualms about spreading rumors.


    In fact, Revi was tempted to call Phaeton to discuss matters. But he resisted, not just because the ice unicorn wouldn¡¯t genuinely care, but also because Phaeton would likely say things to make Revi feel worse.


    Revi finally laid down and attempted to sleep, but he wasn¡¯t used to this foreign bedroom. What¡¯s more, Byron might send guards to murder them in the night. Well, they wouldn¡¯t dare hurt Ana, since that would be regicide.


    Unfortunately, Revi didn¡¯t have the same protection.


    Frustrations bubbled in his mind, but he told himself he had to rest no matter what, or else he would have no strength to handle whatever tomorrow brought.


    As the gold dragon shifter tossed and turned in bed, he heard a faint noise. Initially, he thought it was the scuttling of a mouse. But his suspicions deepened as the noise came closer. He pretended to be asleep.


    At length, his door opened. The sound was virtually silent. He wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if he weren¡¯t paying attention, especially not with the diminished hearing of his human form.


    Someone tiptoed towards his bed. When they seemed near enough, Revi opened his eyes and sprang onto the floor, ready to defend himself.


    The gold dragon shifter came face-to-face with Bei Feng. The brunette woman looked startled and wide-eyed. She held no weapons, but for all Revi knew, she might have strangled him with her bare hands.


    The gold dragon shifter growled. ¡°What do you want? Why did you sneak in here?¡±


    To his bewilderment, Bei Feng blushed. She cringed and glanced around, wrapping her arms around herself as she did so. ¡°Sorry, Lord Revi, I ¡ª ¡± The brunette cleared her throat, then fished something out of her robe pocket.


    Revi braced himself in case it was a concealed weapon. But instead, it was an envelope. She handed it to him.


    The gold dragon shifter was wary as he accepted it. He wrinkled his nose. ¡°What¡¯s in this? And why did you have to sneak in here?¡± he repeated.


    Bei Feng winced and tugged at her long brown hair. ¡°Sorry, I could have been more elegant about it, but it¡¯s urgent. I have been tasked to deliver this to you secretly. I was going to tuck it under your pillow so that nobody but you would see the letter. And yes, it¡¯s a letter, not anything dangerous. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can open the envelope for you.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter grimaced. He was about to reject her offer, but at the last moment, he handed the envelope back to her, not wanting to take any risks.


    Bei Feng made no remark as she took it back, opened it, and pulled out a cream-colored piece of paper.


    Revi stared suspiciously at the letter even as Bei Feng gave it to him to read.


    My dearest Revi,If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Caution, caution. I know you love your sovereign and would follow zir to the ends of the earth. But now is not the time to be impulsive. You must keep your head on your shoulders.


    If you truly care about the fate of our kingdom and all its humble creatures, heed my advice. Keep your distance from Anastasia. Ze is young and foolish. Well intentioned, I believe, but following such a weak ruler will only lead to your ruin.


    Your father,


    Lord Clementine


    Revi gritted his teeth as he read and reread the letter. Unbelievable. But the signature seemed real, and he recognized his father¡¯s handwriting. The gold dragon shifter recoiled with apprehension.


    Revi had not spoken to his sire for years, as they never got along. As soon as Revi was old enough, his father gave up on their relationship and moved far away, to his son¡¯s great relief.


    Presently, Revi darted a sharp glance at Bei Feng. ¡°How did you meet my father, that he came to trust you enough to give me this letter?¡±


    She flushed again and fidgeted with her fingers. ¡°Lord Clementine was¡­always kind to me, and we¡¯ve kept in touch. I know you don¡¯t like him, but he¡¯s still your father and has your best interests at heart.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not his daughter. How would you know how my father treats his children?¡±


    Bei Feng drooped her head a bit. ¡°I figured you would say that, and I understand your distrust. Lord Clementine can be hard to be close to, since he keeps so much inside. I am glad that we bumped into each other here, though. It would take a while for me to seek you out, let alone find you without others knowing.¡±


    Revi frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t there guards here? How would Byron not find out?¡± If Byron even cared¡­


    The woman looked sheepish as she shifted her feet. ¡°Yeah, there are guards, but they aren¡¯t very dedicated to their jobs.¡± She had a pained expression on her face. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Byron I said that.¡±


    Revi smirked. As though he would have cared enough to tell the man. ¡°It¡¯s still so puzzling that my father wanted you, a complete stranger to me, to deliver this missive.¡± He watched her face for any signs of deceit.


    There were only signs of embarrassment on her visage, however. Bei Feng pulled up a chair and sat down, putting her hands in her lap. ¡°I know how odd this must look to you.¡± She coughed to clear her throat again, clearly stalling. ¡°Your father knows that you aren¡¯t interested in his opinions.¡±


    ¡°And he would be right about that,¡± Revi confirmed.


    ¡°Yet, he thought you would be more convinced if I presented this letter to you,¡± Bei Feng said with a demure smile.


    Revi blinked, not comprehending. ¡°Why? What are you to me?¡±


    The brunette put a hand on her forehead. ¡°I am nobody to you but the friend of Lord Byron, right?¡±


    Revi arched an eyebrow. ¡°So? What are you getting at?¡±


    The brown-haired woman clutched her hands more tightly in her lap. ¡°Well, you want Byron¡¯s help, right? I might not have heard your conversation with him, but I can guess what you are after. For all my faults, I do have influence over Byron. So¡­¡±


    At that, the gold dragon¡¯s muscles tensed, and he snarled. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    Bei Feng threw her hands up in a surrendering gesture, her eyes panicked. ¡°No, no, no, sorry, I¡¯m not the best with words. I¡¯m just saying that Byron trusts me and will do anything I say. Since you and Anastasia want his help, I can lend a hand.¡±


    Revi peered at her warily. ¡°I suppose. But what has that got to do with persuading me to keep a distance from Ana?¡± He bristled once more at his father¡¯s presumption.


    The brunette woman laughed nervously and played with her hair. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to get in your way. If you love Ana, I personally don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with you being close to zir. But out of respect for your father, if you agree to distance yourself from our sovereign, I will graciously help you ¡ª in everything. Not just with Byron, and not just with politics, either.¡±


    Revi didn¡¯t get her meaning and waited for her to finish before he interrupted.


    Bei Feng went on, ¡°If you follow your heart and carry on as you have with Anastasia, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to get in your way.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Revi pressed, not giving up this battle of wills.


    The brunette woman looked shy, and said, ¡°I can¡­close off your access to Byron.¡± Her eyes suddenly became fearsome, and her voice was like ice. ¡°And I will hurt your relationship with Anastasia.¡± She continued in a sharply soft tone, ¡°Honestly, I like you two, and would have been happy for you to be as close as you want to be. But I¡¯m loyal to your father and to Byron. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Revi leaned back at this point, crossing his arms over his chest. He pushed down his consternation so his voice wouldn¡¯t shake. ¡°What has my father got on you? Why has he grasped your loyalty so that you would willingly do something against your nature?¡±


    Bei Feng sighed. That fearsome look in her eyes had faded back into her former gentleness. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. You¡¯re too young to understand.¡±


    Revi gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re at most ten years my senior. I¡¯m not that young.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me,¡± Bei Feng responded with a laugh. ¡°But I¡¯m older than I look, honey.¡± Her smile became fragile. ¡°Revi, I know I¡¯ve positioned myself as your enemy, but I sincerely don¡¯t want to be. Let us be friends. You¡¯re smart and can deduce that your father has¡­some hold over me. I love him, but you know how ruthless he can be. So I beg you, do as your father bids, and we will all have a happy ending.¡±


    Bei Feng had put him in a very strange position. This woman sounded like she was playing several layers of dangerous games. On some level, Revi pitied her. But his first loyalty was to Ana.


    So he replied, ¡°No. I won¡¯t do as he bids. My father can¡¯t control my life, nor should he control yours. Bei Feng, tell me what my father has over you. With our sovereign Anastasia on our side, there¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t get for you.¡±


    The brunette woman looked like she was roiling with grief and fury. She pressed her lips together. ¡°Sorry, Revi, I can¡¯t.¡± She rose to her feet, her eyes hooded with emotion. ¡°You will regret your choice.¡± The woman flipped her hair over her shoulders, pushed the door open, and disappeared into the night.


    Revi stared out into the chilly darkness she left behind, his heart filled with dread.

 Chapter 41: Murky Intent

    Anastasia curled up in bed, but ze had trouble sleeping in Byron¡¯s luxurious guest room.


    Ze was in zir red dragon form, a small bundle surrounded by a huddle of blankets. It bothered zir that Revi insisted on sleeping in separate rooms. While Ana had that surge of courage to recruit Byron as zir spy, ze still wanted to confer with Revi on their next steps.


    But Ana supposed that the gold dragon shifter wanted a bit of privacy, however, after spending near constant time together with Ana and zir mothers. The red dragon hooked a claw through a blanket and fidgeted with it as zir thoughts continued to race.


    Ana had told Byron to watch out for his brother-in-law, Narwal, who had caused problems in the past. The red dragon hadn¡¯t offered specifics, but Byron seemed to understand and requested no explanation. He simply agreed and promised.


    In fact, Ana was a little surprised by how quickly Byron accepted zir proposal. Is he hiding something?


    Since he was an aristocrat, he most certainly had secrets. But was he concealing anything that would harm Ana or zir family and friends?


    Anastasia also thought back on the woman who was in Byron¡¯s room ¡ª Bei Feng. Byron called her a close childhood friend. She seemed friendly and cooperative¡­maybe too cooperative?


    Unease crawled up the red dragon¡¯s spine. Ze shivered despite the warmth of the blankets.


    ***


    The following morning, Anastasia stayed slumped asleep until ze heard a loud rap on the door.


    The dragon shifter grumbled and was about to yell at whoever it was to leave zir alone. But then ze woke up fully and remembered ze was not at home.


    ¡°Ana?¡± Revi¡¯s voice sounded frantic.


    The red dragon stretched briefly, then hopped off the bed and padded towards zir friend¡¯s voice. ¡°What?¡± ze snapped as ze swung open the door.


    Revi, in his human form, looked panic-stricken. ¡°Did Bei Feng or anyone visit you last night?¡± he whispered.


    The red dragon raised a brow. ¡°No. Did she visit you?¡±


    Revi stepped into the room and quickly shut the door. He glanced around, as if looking for spies on their conversation. The boy rubbed at his light brown hair. ¡°Ana, it¡¯s terrible, but we just made a new enemy.¡±


    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Ana demanded. Zir wings quivered a little with dismay.


    Revi rubbed his thumbs together in a sheepish gesture. Then he took out a sheet of paper from his pocket. ¡°Read this.¡±


    Ana held the letter in zir claws, and zir eyes widened at its contents. ¡°Did you get this letter last night?¡±


    Revi nodded with a tired expression.


    ¡°How did your father know to deliver it here?¡± Ana wondered. Ze sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Does he know that we¡¯re allying with Byron?¡± Otherwise, Lord Clementine wouldn¡¯t have known to send the letter to this address.


    Revi groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°No idea. But why is this link to Byron the first thing you noticed in my father¡¯s letter?¡±


    The red dragon frowned at zir friend. ¡°Because it¡¯s important that we keep our alliance a secret. As for the other thing, I only met your father a few times, but he had never approved of me. No doubt he disapproved when my grandmother named me her heir. Why would I be surprised that he would ask you to stop following me?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t bother you?¡± Revi asked with a stunned look.


    Anastasia grimaced and handed the letter back to him. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy hearing it, though I¡¯ve never enjoyed hearing anything coming out of your father¡¯s mouth. No offense.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± the gold dragon shifter said. ¡°Yet, guess who delivered this letter to me in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Bei Feng?¡± Ana asked, since he had asked about her just now. Concerned thoughts spun through zir head.


    Revi nodded with a heavy expression. He looked so young and vulnerable. ¡°Apparently, not only is Bei Feng childhood friends with Byron, she also has some relationship with my father. Maybe he was a mentor or elder to her, as she claimed that he had always been ¡®kind¡¯ to her. But he also has something on her, so she has no choice but to carry out his wishes.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Anastasia made a face at the thought of that demure woman carrying out Lord Clementine¡¯s orders. ¡°So, what do you plan to do now?¡± ze asked carefully.


    ¡°I told Bei Feng no,¡± Revi said in a firm voice. ¡°Like hell would I ever listen to a word my father says. I even offered to help her get free from him and whatever he might have on her. But she refused and said that I would regret it. She threatened to block our access to Byron, and¡­she would get in between the two of us.¡±


    Anastasia was baffled by this threat. ¡°Get in between us? How on earth would she do that?¡±


    Revi threw his hands up in the air. ¡°She¡¯s a politician. If it¡¯s not outright violence, it¡¯ll probably be some underhanded, obnoxious tactic.¡±


    Ana snorted. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not that afraid of her.¡±


    The other dragon stared at zir with confusion. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be?¡±


    Anastasia shook zir head. ¡°I don¡¯t know Bei Feng well, but I¡¯ve seen her talk to my mothers and grandma before. They seem friendly with each other, and I really don¡¯t think Bei Feng has it in her to carry out such a threat. She sounds like someone who says things without meaning them. I wouldn¡¯t worry if I were you.¡±


    Revi looked exasperated. ¡°Really? We can¡¯t underestimate our potential enemies just yet.¡±


    The red dragon shifter stomped zir foot with impatience. ¡°Come on. I seriously don¡¯t think she would do anything. These sound like idle threats on her part, maybe to give off the impression that she¡¯s satisfying your father¡¯s wishes, without actually satisfying them. All smoke and no fire, so to speak.¡±


    Revi still appeared dubious. ¡°She was quite intimidating, and I don¡¯t scare easily.¡±


    Ana shook zir head again. ¡°All smoke, no fire, Revi. And even if she does try to block off access to Byron, or get in between you and me, what would she even do? Can you imagine any scenarios?¡±


    Revi, the gold dragon, looked uncomfortable. He pressed his lips together as if tongue-tied, and glanced away with a stubborn expression.


    Anastasia added, ¡°I know you¡¯re more familiar with dragon politics than I am. But you¡¯re overthinking this. It¡¯s just a scare tactic, Revi. I truly don¡¯t believe she would be able to, or even be willing to, do such things.¡±


    ¡°So you believe she is on our side?¡± Revi questioned.


    Ana bristled at his sharp tone, though ze could understand his irritation. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t see why she wouldn¡¯t be on our side. She might not always be a nice person, but she knows that we¡¯re allies.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Revi asked, befuddlement coloring his features again.


    The red dragon paused and glanced at the windows, which were sparkling with the sunlight filtering through. The garden beyond appeared so innocent and pretty, unlike what was roiling inside the mansion. Anastasia said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that she has no cunning or that we should never be on watch for her. Given what I¡¯ve observed of her during her interactions with my family, I don¡¯t believe she would push that far.¡±


    ¡°Is that your faith in her honesty or her cowardice?¡± Revi quipped.


    Ana sent him a small warning growl. ¡°I know you¡¯re frustrated, but I¡¯m telling you there¡¯s no need to be so paranoid. That¡¯s what your father wants, right? For you to be frightened?¡±


    The gold dragon¡¯s demeanor softened. ¡°Sorry, I am frustrated. Yes, my father does like to terrorize me, especially as he believes he has rights over me, as his son.¡± Revi rolled his eyes. ¡°Yet, as petty as he is, he is a powerful lord. And maybe Bei Feng won¡¯t naturally pull off atrocious acts, but I know from experience that people are willing to do things they normally wouldn¡¯t if they¡¯re under some sort of threat.¡±


    Anastasia rubbed a claw under zir chin in thought. ¡°So you want to find out what hold your father has over her?¡±


    ¡°It would help us persuade Bei Feng to leave us alone,¡± Revi said with a sigh. He folded his arms with a defeated look.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the priority, though, right?¡± Ana asked. Revi shook his head. Anastasia continued, ¡°All right. I will look out for Bei Feng, okay? I still doubt she would try anything extreme, but it¡¯s a fair point that her behavior might be different if she¡¯s being blackmailed. Along the way, we may get clues as to what advantage your father has that makes her vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Is there any way to gain her trust? So she could tell us what my father holds to keep her compliant?¡± Revi mused out loud.


    Anastasia frowned and zir tail twitched as ze pondered. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not because she doesn¡¯t trust us, but because it¡¯s too risky to tell anyone what her secret is.¡±


    Revi put his head in his hands, his clear eyes showing his discontent. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t feel right to sit here and do nothing.¡±


    Anastasia straightened. ¡°Fine. Then let¡¯s go out and get breakfast.¡±


    Zir friend groaned, but followed Ana out the door.


    ***


    At the breakfast table, Bei Feng and Byron were already seated.


    Byron looked uncomfortable, but smiled politely. Bei Feng played with her long brown hair, but otherwise seemed affable.


    Who knew how much of her affability was genuine? Ana thought.


    From Ana¡¯s observations of the woman over the years, Bei Feng truly didn¡¯t seem the type to stir up trouble.


    Yet, Revi had a point. Perhaps she would act differently under duress.


    What did Lord Clementine have on her?


    Bei Feng interrupted zir thoughts. ¡°Your Majesty, we have good news. Your cousin Ero is staying at Byron¡¯s house ¡ª um, his regular house.¡±


    Ana¡¯s first reaction was elation. But ze noted Bei Feng¡¯s pause and her awkward glance at Byron. Revi cast a dubious look at Byron and Bei Feng, too.


    What was Lord Byron hiding?


    The man cleared his throat. ¡°I plan to go back there today, anyway. Your Majesty, Lord Revi, I can take you both there to see Ero, if you wish.¡±


    That all sounded good, yet something pricked at the back of Ana¡¯s neck.


    Indeed, Bei Feng then said, ¡°Take Zir Majesty with you, Byron. I will keep Lord Revi here for a while.¡±


    Ana and Revi were shocked.


    ¡°Why?¡± Revi demanded.


    The brunette woman smiled. ¡°You know why. And don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t separate you from our sovereign forever.¡±


    As Revi snarled and was about to protest, Ana saw ten dragon shifter guards surrounding their table and closing in.

 Chapter 42: A Crafty Mind

    It was stunning how quickly their ¡°pleasant¡± breakfast turned into a deadly trap.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Anastasia cried out.


    Ten dragon shifter guards surrounded the table where Ana sat with Revi, Bei Feng, and Byron. The stone-faced guards moved until they stood right behind their chairs, hemming them in.


    Revi snarled, looking like he wanted to shift to his gold dragon form if they weren¡¯t indoors.


    Not that he could fend off ten trained dragon guards on his own, even with Ana¡¯s help.


    Bei Feng, the treacherous woman, displayed a plastic smile. ¡°Anastasia, my sovereign, I am truly sorry. I wish the best for your reign and have nothing personal against you. But Revi must stay with me. I promise that I¡¯ll treat him like a proper guest.¡±


    Her voice had a strange, honey-sweet quality that sounded violent at the same time.


    ¡°Like a proper prisoner, you mean,¡± Ana hissed, smoke curling up from zir nostrils. Unlike everybody else, ze was already in dragon form, thanks to being small enough to fit indoors. Ze may not have the power of the other guards combined, but ze would breathe fire to save zir friend.


    ¡°Why are you threatening the sovereign?¡± Revi demanded, his eyes flashing as his hands gripped the table, as though he wished to grow out his claws and rip the wood apart.


    Bei Feng casually stroked her smooth, brown hair. ¡°No harm will come to Anastasia. Ze can come and go as ze pleases. But you, Revi, must abide by our house rules.¡± Her grin was sharp. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was in earnest when I said that I would treat you well. The house is luxurious, with myriad delights that a young man like yourself could find entertainment in.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter grew red in the face. ¡°What do you take me for? I¡¯m not some ¡ª dissolute rake.¡± He shot a pointed glance at Byron. ¡°My Lord, surely you can¡¯t just allow your friend to abuse and detain your guests like this!¡±


    Byron looked unnaturally pale. His gaze darted to Bei Feng, who frowned at him, and then he glanced at Anastasia.


    Bei Feng chipped in before anyone else could speak. ¡°Byron, I¡¯m sorry, but this is an arrangement I made with Lord Clementine, and you know my situation. I swear on my life that I will treat Lord Revi well. He will not be in want of anything.¡±


    The man of the house still appeared stricken. His eyes were wide, but he was mostly looking at Anastasia. Byron finally cleared his throat. ¡°My sovereign, may I talk with you privately?¡±


    ¡°Byron!¡± Bei Feng protested.


    ¡°Let him speak,¡± Revi interrupted. ¡°This is his house.¡±


    Anastasia assessed their surroundings, noting where the dragon shifter guards stood. Ze had to make a quick decision. ¡°I will grant your request for a private audience,¡± Ana said as ze glared at Bei Feng. ¡°But in return, I request that your guards retreat. Revi won¡¯t flee when I¡¯m still here, and I do not appreciate having my friends threatened.¡± The dragon¡¯s nostrils flared with warning smoke.


    Despite Bei Feng¡¯s baleful expression, Lord Byron nodded. ¡°That is a reasonable request.¡± He waved his arm in dismissal. His guards looked hesitant, and some shot furtive glances at Bei Feng. But after a moment, they deferred to their master and retreated until they were invisible again.


    Ana felt like ze could finally breathe as ze gazed back at Revi. ¡°Will you be all right here while I¡¯m gone?¡±


    Revi dipped his head, his face forlorn. ¡°I will be fine, and no, I won¡¯t run. I wouldn¡¯t risk it.¡±


    Anastasia heaved out a sigh, then followed Lord Byron down a long hallway to a private room.


    ***


    Anastasia was wary as Byron led zir into a chamber with a desk and some chairs. It looked like an office, though it was more confined than ze expected given the size of Byron¡¯s mansion.


    Byron combed a hand through his short black hair. ¡°Please, take a seat, Your Majesty.¡± He gestured with his arm, and his smile was amiable. Not that Ana wanted to trust any signs of friendliness after what Bei Feng did to them.


    When Ana didn¡¯t immediately sit down, Byron sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re more comfortable standing, then I will take a seat myself, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± And he did. To Ana¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t take the big chair behind the mahogany desk. He took a smaller chair in front of the desk, in clear view of Ana.


    The red dragon settled slowly on a thick rug close to him. ¡°What have you got to say to me that you couldn¡¯t say in front of Bei Feng?¡± ze growled.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Byron leaned back and wiped a hand over his face. ¡°Oh gosh, I¡¯m sorry. That was so embarrassing.¡±


    Anastasia blinked, not comprehending.


    Byron continued, ¡°Technically, I¡¯m the master of the house. But Bei Bei is a close friend, and the guards sometimes listen to her more than they do to me. Oh well. She has told me about her involvement with Lord Clementine, and I believe Revi must have shown you his father¡¯s letter?¡±


    Ana grunted in the affirmative. Ze tapped the floor with an impatient claw. ¡°Yes, I read it. But Bei Feng has no right to detain Revi.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for that too,¡± Byron said. ¡°For the record, I don¡¯t condone what Clementine is doing. But Bei Bei truly has some hard circumstances.¡±


    ¡°What are those circumstances?¡± Ana asked. Seeing Byron¡¯s pinched face, Ana added, ¡°You can tell me. I won¡¯t let anyone else know, not even Revi.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wish I could, Your Majesty. But that¡¯s Bei Feng¡¯s secret to tell, not mine.¡±


    Anastasia gritted zir teeth. ¡°Or even a little hint. We ¡ª I can help her with whatever it is. Surely she doesn¡¯t want to be beholden to Clementine for a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t,¡± Byron said. He crossed his legs. ¡°But her case truly is difficult, and I don¡¯t wish to harm her by disclosing it, even if you have the best of intentions, Your Majesty.¡±


    The man continued, ¡°But I wanted to discuss this issue of separating Lord Revi from you.¡±


    Anastasia sat taller, zir wings raised in alarm. ¡°No one gets to separate him from me unless I allow them.¡±


    Byron grimaced. ¡°Yes, I know how disrespectful this must look to you, my sovereign. But this might be for the best. As much as I don¡¯t believe in separating friends, it could work in your favor. You are our ruler now, but you haven¡¯t had a formal coronation or taken a stronghold yet, right?¡±


    Anastasia growled. Secretly, ze wondered how long ze could keep up zir ¡°ruler¡± bluff, if it was even a bluff anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t need a formal coronation or stronghold to be sovereign. Freya named me as her heir.¡±


    ¡°And she is dead?¡± Byron prodded.


    The red dragon nodded reluctantly, grief welling up in zir at the reminder.


    ¡°My condolences, Your Majesty,¡± the man murmured. ¡°But I will help you to the best of my ability. And I mean that. To be frank, Lord Revi is not viewed highly among the dragon nobility. While I personally don¡¯t have an issue with him, you would lose favor from potential allies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need them as allies if they can¡¯t respect my friend,¡± Ana replied haughtily.


    Byron shook his head, his silky hair shivering as he did so. ¡°I understand what you mean. Yet even as the ruler, you won¡¯t be all powerful. The more allies you can get, the better, especially since you¡¯re still new to the throne. It is cruel to ask friends to stay apart for so long, which I had told Bei Feng about.¡± He paused to brush some lint off of his shoulder.


    ¡°However,¡± Byron went on, ¡°Lord Clementine only wanted his son to keep his distance from you, didn¡¯t he? He didn¡¯t say to keep you apart forever. Nor did he specify the frequency or circumstances of your meeting.¡±


    Anastasia arched a brow. ¡°Meaning¡­¡±


    Byron huffed out a breath. ¡°You and Lord Revi could meet up occasionally. We¡¯ll just make sure he stays away most of the time.¡± He raised a hand as Ana prepared to protest.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of how absurd this must seem, that we would dare to control what a sovereign does with their friends. We¡¯ll work something out so that you and Revi still get quality time together, while being apart enough so that Lord Clementine won¡¯t be too uneasy. Moreover, it doesn¡¯t have to be so bad. You wish to see your cousin, Ero, right? I imagine you¡¯d want time alone with him, without Revi nearby.¡±


    Byron¡¯s voice had softened by the end of that sentence. Anastasia felt manipulated, yet he was right. Ana did want to see Ero, and as much as ze wanted to defend Revi, ze figured it would be better to spend time with Ero alone. Especially as Revi seemed to dislike Ero, if ze remembered right.


    Byron went on, as he rested his cheek on his palm, ¡°You can see it too, right, Your Majesty? You can still see Revi, you can spend time with your cousin Ero, and we can keep Clementine off of our trail at the same time.¡± He smiled slightly.


    This sounded like a good arrangement, Ana admitted. Ze stared at Byron¡¯s face, imagining how it¡¯d be like to work with a man who plotted like this, if he was indeed going to be zir spy. At long last, ze said, ¡°Revi will still be in my court. We don¡¯t have to be together constantly, but nobody can dissuade me from having him advise me. Yes, I will spend alone time with my cousin, and Revi, and whoever else I wish.¡±


    The man gave zir an amiable smile again. ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t want to control what Your Majesty does, but ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°I already said that I will have Revi in my court no matter what. And that¡¯s final.¡± Ana stomped, claws outstretched, to make zir point.


    ¡°I concur, my sovereign,¡± Byron said in a soothing voice. ¡°No one gets to choose your inner circle other than you. Not even Lord Clementine has the power to deny his son¡¯s appointment if you¡¯re determined to take him on.¡± He uncrossed his legs. ¡°That said, others may be concerned if you give Revi special treatment or extra time compared to your other advisors.¡±


    The term ¡°special treatment¡± rankled Ana. ¡°Revi is my friend. Why would I not spend extra time with him? He doesn¡¯t just work for me. We are companions and allies.¡±


    Once again, Byron made an acquiescent gesture. ¡°Perhaps this is because you are still young and unpracticed in matters of court. But there are clever ways to get what you want without breaking the rules, you know?¡±


    Anastasia gazed at him with uncertainty. ¡°What rules? What do you mean, exactly?¡±


    A cunning glint appeared in Byron¡¯s eye. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that Lord Clementine is only seeking to control his son ¡ª and Bei Feng. Clementine, as arrogant as he is, wouldn¡¯t dare command you, Your Majesty. You, as the ruler, can always order Revi to work with you on assignments, missions, and other things.


    ¡°As your liege, Revi has no choice but to accept. He and Bei Feng have no power to oppose your orders. Even Clementine would have to admit defeat here. Being a member of the sovereign¡¯s closest circle is a source of immense power. While Clementine is bitter and has no faith in you as a ruler, he wouldn¡¯t be so daft as to make his son give up on such power and prestige, as that would sap Clementine of his influence too.¡±


    Anastasia was awestruck, and a bit terrified, of Byron¡¯s maneuverings. Even though he was on zir side, ze hoped that Byron would never become their enemy.


    Unease and coldness rippled through Ana, even as ze whispered, ¡°All right, Byron, I¡¯ll accept your proposal for now.¡±

 Chapter 43: Hurt and Secrets

    ¡°Guards, report!¡± Qing Shui ordered. Her long black hair drifted in the afternoon breeze.


    They heard the clacking on stone as her husband¡¯s men marched back into the courtyard.


    ¡°Anastasia is no longer at the place where ze was yesterday,¡± announced one of Byron¡¯s guards.


    ¡°What do you mean, Ana isn¡¯t there anymore?¡± Ero the calf shifter shrieked and stamped his foot. He was in human form to safeguard against the unfamiliar dragons, but he wished he could shift back into a calf to express his frustration.


    Ya Luo, in his dragon form, huffed. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find your cousin soon.¡±


    Ero glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you? I thought you promised that we¡¯ll get to see zir today.¡±


    ¡°And we will,¡± Ya Luo said with a stubborn look on his little dragon face.


    Qing Shui sighed and put a gentle hand on Ero¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry that this happened. But I swear we will do everything in our power to find zir.¡± She glanced at her son. ¡°Ya Luo, why don¡¯t you show Ero around the house while we wait for more news?¡±


    The calf shifter was reluctant at first, but eventually gave in. They wouldn¡¯t dare keep Ana away on purpose, would they?


    Right now, the two boys strode down the marble halls. Their footsteps echoed with each thud.


    Ero was moping and sullen, while Ya Luo sauntered beside him.


    ¡°Cheer up,¡± Ya Luo said with a flick of his dark tail. ¡°No matter how bad things go, you¡¯ll still have people with you.¡±


    Ero quipped, ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say, but you haven¡¯t lost anybody. My mom¡¯s gone and I have no idea where my dad is. And now Ana is missing too.¡±


    The black dragon shifter was silent for a moment. ¡°Actually, I lost my older brother. He died when I was very small.¡±


    Ero halted in his steps. His eyes widened. ¡°You have a brother?¡±


    ¡°Had a brother,¡± Ya Luo corrected him. ¡°I was too young to remember much about him. Often I wonder how my life would have been different if he were still alive.¡±


    Ero narrowed his eyes at his companion. ¡°How come you don¡¯t sound sad, then? He¡¯s your brother!¡±


    Ya Luo looked askance at him. He tipped his chin. ¡°It¡¯s hard to grieve for someone you never really got to know.¡±


    The calf shifter fell silent and gazed around at the shining walls of gold and other finery. While most dragons liked to hoard treasure, Qing Shui and her spouse hoarded more than most. Not for the first time, Ero wondered why their mansion looked even shinier and more embellished than the palace.


    Not that there was any palace remaining. His chest tightened. He wondered what had become of his dragon grandmother, Freya. He didn¡¯t really like her, but he hoped she was okay.


    Just when Ya Luo opened his mouth to start another topic, they heard a shout:


    ¡°Byron? Is that you?¡± It was Qing Shui. There was joy in her voice but also something else that Ero couldn¡¯t name.


    ***


    Qing Shui¡¯s smile tugged at her cheeks as her husband crossed the threshold after a week away. Beside him walked a familiar small red dragon.


    ¡°Anastasia!¡± Qing Shui moved towards the future sovereign, brushing aside her feelings about her husband for now.


    The young red dragon glanced up at her with a grim but polite smile. ¡°Lady Qing Shui, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You remember me,¡± Qing Shui replied, delighted despite everything. She generally kept to herself compared to her more sociable husband. People often forgot her name, even if they recognized her face.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Ana!¡±


    Ya Luo and Ero cried out in excitement. The latter dashed faster and threw himself at the red dragon. The calf shifter clung on tight to Anastasia, murmuring, ¡°Ana, what happened? Where were you all this time? And how are your mothers and grandmother?¡±


    Anastasia¡¯s face softened at the arrival of zir cousin. ¡°I was wandering around. My mothers are well. Our grandmother ¡ª I¡¯m sorry, Ero. She¡¯s gone.¡±


    Qing Shui was alarmed. ¡°Queen Freya is dead?¡± she exclaimed. Ana winced. In a softer voice, Qing Shui asked, ¡°Then you are our sovereign now, is that right?¡±


    The grimness returned to Anastasia¡¯s face, but ze nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a formal coronation yet, and our palace still lies in ruins. But yes, I¡¯m officially the new ruler.¡±


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    Ana didn¡¯t seem thrilled, even though ze had just been handed the power of the entire kingdom. Qing Shui supposed that nobody would be happy that their grandmother was dead.


    But she was present when Freya pronounced Ana as her heir, and Qing Shui distinctly remembered that the red dragon had been reluctant.


    Now Qing Shui studied the sovereign¡¯s face. But Ana¡¯s steely eyes gave nothing away.


    ¡°Are you all right, Ana?¡± Ero asked. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Grandma Freya didn¡¯t make it¡­¡±


    The red dragon sighed and zir wings seemed to deflate. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it either. She was gravely ill, but I thought we would have more time. And now she¡¯s not with us anymore.¡±


    They were silent for a while before Ero piped up again. ¡°Ana, since you¡¯re the ruler now, you can announce reforms to make all species equal!¡±


    Qing Shui glanced left and right, and briefly at her husband. His face was pinched. She whispered, ¡°Ero, I know you¡¯re very happy that Ana is here, and I am too. But be careful of what you say. I wouldn¡¯t talk loudly about making these big reforms when other people can hear you.¡±


    But the calf shifter was mulish. He put his hands on his hips and lifted his chin. ¡°So what if other people can hear? Ana is the ruler and they need to do what ze says.¡±


    The sovereign¡¯s red scales glinted under the light as ze said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but you never know what people do secretly behind my back.¡±


    Qing Shui wondered if Ana was talking about anybody in particular.


    ¡°Have you seen Revi?¡± Ero inquired with a frown.


    Anastasia suddenly looked even more troubled. Ze gave Byron a meaningful stare. ¡°Yes, but he can¡¯t join us right now.¡±


    The relief on Ero¡¯s face was palpable. ¡°What was he doing, after he pulled his earthquake scheme? Did he try to hurt you?¡± The calf shifter¡¯s eyes flashed.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± Ana replied without missing a beat, which made Qing Shui curious. The sovereign twirled the tip of zir tail. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with his actions surrounding the earthquake. But he has been helping me otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but where is he now?¡± Ero prodded.


    Again, Anastasia glanced at Byron. ¡°Revi is currently a guest at Byron¡¯s house. Byron¡¯s other house, I mean.¡±


    Qing Shui grimaced. She knew exactly what that meant. Tension simmered in her chest, and she couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°Byron, let our sovereign, Ero, and Ya Luo talk for a while. I want to talk with you. Alone.¡±


    She didn¡¯t wait for her husband to reply before she spun around and walked away.


    ***


    Qing Shui was gratified when she heard her husband¡¯s footsteps behind her. Byron had special, fashionable shoes that made a recognizable clicking sound. Too bad she couldn¡¯t hear it more often these days.


    ¡°Could you at least look at me?¡± Byron asked with a hint of irritation.


    Qing Shui smirked. She stubbornly stared ahead as she marched through the halls. ¡°You¡¯ll see my face later. You waited this long to come home. I¡¯m sure you can wait a few minutes more.¡±


    Byron groaned. ¡°But I already told you¡­¡±


    The Lady of the House shushed her husband. ¡°Please, hold it in till we get inside.¡±


    They didn¡¯t speak again until they reached their master bedroom. As Qing Shui pushed open the door, she glanced at the king sized bed, so sumptuous and lavish. Way too big for one person to sleep in.


    She pulled up a cushioned chair and sat with her back to the bed. Her husband pulled up another chair and sat at a distance from her. Byron mopped his brow dramatically. ¡°How many times do I have to say I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Qing Shui made no effort to hide her exasperation. Though Byron was her spouse and beloved, her body was tense all over. ¡°You have the freedom to go anywhere you want, and spend time with anyone you want. But why does it have to be with Bei Feng?¡±


    ¡°But you already know why¡­¡± Byron began.


    Qing Shui shook her head and furrowed her brows. ¡°Yes, yes, Lord Clementine has a hold over her, which you still won¡¯t tell me about, even though I¡¯m your wife. I understand that you want to protect your friend¡¯s privacy, and normally I wouldn¡¯t pry. But you can¡¯t blame me for feeling uneasy that you have to spend so much time with her rather than with me. Even if I believe you, the other nobles will talk. Actually, they already do talk. And Ya Luo¡¯s old enough to understand that something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°And do you believe me?¡± Byron¡¯s voice was just a whisper.


    Qing Shui did not meet her husband¡¯s eyes. ¡°I never took myself for the jealous type, but it is hard for me when I hear people spread rumors about you and her.¡±


    ¡°Rumors are just rumors, darling. They don¡¯t mean anything when it comes to the truth,¡± Byron said and reached out to take her hand.


    She considered withdrawing from him, but decided at the last moment to relent and let him hold her hand. She noticed that her fingers were a lot colder than his. Qing Shui said in an even tone, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what the truth is right now. You say you love me, but you spend the vast majority of your time elsewhere, as if it¡¯s painful to be anywhere near me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t feel guilty at her husband¡¯s vulnerable look. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true,¡± he said. ¡°Bei Feng and I have never had the kind of relationship that I have with you. I enjoy her company, yes, but only as a friend, nothing romantic.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Qing Shui replied tightly. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m boring to you now. Maybe I¡¯m too serious and make you feel like you¡¯ve lost your freedom since you married me.¡± She pried her hand out of her husband¡¯s, and to her relief, he didn¡¯t resist.


    Byron brushed a hand through his thick hair. His eyes were mournful, but Qing Shui knew her husband was a good actor. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to prove it to you. She and I have never done anything that crossed the line, nor do we have any wish to do so. And damn, Qing Shui, why all these insecurities? No, you¡¯re not boring or too serious. And my life is still my own. You haven¡¯t taken away my freedom. Nobody can.¡±


    ¡°Then why not spend more time at home? Prove your loyalty and devotion to your wife and son rather than to your childhood buddy,¡± Qing Shui said, gripping her fists.


    ¡°Honey, we¡¯ve gone over this point so many times before. I would love to spend more time with you and Ya Luo, but ¡ª Bei Feng needs me. Nobody else knows her secret, and no one else can help her.¡± Byron¡¯s tone was pleading.


    Qing Shui shook her head more vigorously. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you made up that story about Lord Clementine as an excuse to always be with Bei Feng.¡± When Byron opened his mouth to protest, she hurried to say, ¡°But those are just idle thoughts. I don¡¯t think even you would dare make up a story about Clementine, out of all people.¡± Clementine was a powerful lord who outranked most nobles, including Qing Shui and her husband. No one would be foolish enough to make up lies about him.


    Byron grimaced. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t.¡± His gaze shifted. Then he leaned closer to his wife. ¡°I will tell you something, though, and I want your help.¡±


    Qing Shui blinked. As angry as she was, she couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Byron paused as if for dramatic effect. ¡°Bei Feng has Clementine¡¯s son, Revi, with her right now. She promised not to harm him ¡ª but I don¡¯t believe her.¡± Byron¡¯s eyes bore into his wife¡¯s. ¡°Sweetheart, please help me. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Qing Shui felt like the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Her chest clenched. Was this one of her husband¡¯s ploys to placate her, or was he telling the truth?

 Chapter 44: Suspicious Acts

    Revi paced the room he was locked up in, his brows furrowed with worry and mounting panic.


    He ran his hand through his hair, and he wished he could switch to his dragon form and raze this place to the ground. But he wouldn¡¯t risk making his precarious situation even worse.


    The guest room that Bei Feng threw him in was more lavish than the rooms in Revi¡¯s mansion. Silky smooth bedsheets, expensive paintings on the walls, luxurious curtains, elegant potted plants¡­ Even the floors were so plushly carpeted that he could barely hear his own footsteps.


    But maybe that was the problem. The room was so extravagantly beautiful that he was like a bird trapped in a pretty cage. Or rather, a dragon trapped in a pretty box.


    Revi could try to flee from the room, but the dragon shifter guards posted right outside his door would outrun him easily. As he pulled back the velvet curtains, he could see some guards outside his windows, too, the bothers.


    The gold dragon shifter gripped his fists in frustration and turned his attention back to the room. A musky fragrance lingered in the air. The more paranoid side of Revi wondered if it was a sedative. More likely it was just a perfume sprayed here by the servants earlier.


    Then, Anastasia came into his thoughts. Was ze okay? Ze had quietly promised him that ze would be back ¡ª not that Revi would let Bei Feng keep him forever.


    Perhaps a part of him blamed Ana for giving up the fight so soon and leaving with Byron to go see Ero. Yet, ze was the sovereign, truly the sovereign, not just for show. Revi had to get used to being put aside as ze attended to more important matters. Revi¡¯s chest hurt at the thought. Perhaps Ana was tired of him, too.


    While the gold dragon shifter was thus submerged in his thoughts, a knock sounded on his door. Revi grumbled and shuffled towards it. He didn¡¯t open it immediately and instead asked in a sharp tone, ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    A gentle voice replied, ¡°It¡¯s me, Bei Feng.¡±


    Her voice was always deceptively soft. Once again, Revi wondered what his father had over her. He hesitated for a moment before opening the door.


    To his shock, tears stained the woman¡¯s cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Revi asked with dismay.


    Bei Feng hurried inside and closed the door behind her. She sat on his bed like this room belonged to her, which it probably did. She said in a shaky voice, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. But your father is a difficult man to please, bless his heart.¡±


    Revi gave her a strange look. ¡°Are you saying that my father is here?¡±


    Bei Feng arched an eyebrow. ¡°No. And thank goodness he¡¯s not, or it would have been even harder for me. He is sending me messages, though, and he¡¯s impatient for a response.¡± She sighed and leaned back on the bed, looking pitiful and dejected.


    ¡°Will you get off of my bed?¡± Revi asked, his tone hard as stone.


    The brunette woman shot him a dirty look. She leaned forward again, miffed. ¡°This was originally my bed.¡± She shrugged one shoulder, with such a casual air as if she were the mistress of this house. ¡°I can do whatever I like here.¡±


    ¡°Clearly. So, what exactly are you and Byron?¡± Revi inquired, his arms crossed and his foot tapping the silent carpet.


    ¡°Why? Do you think we¡¯re secretly lovers?¡± Bei Feng laughed.


    Revi grimaced. ¡°At least you¡¯re able to say it out loud.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can say it because I hear those rumors all the time. No, Byron and I are not romantically involved. I feel bad for his wife, Qing Shui, and Byron feels guilty, too. But I need Byron here with me.¡±


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    Originally, the gold dragon shifter wasn¡¯t interested in Bei Feng¡¯s relationship with Byron. But since Byron was to be their spy and ally, it was better to know what he and Ana were up against.


    So he said, ¡°Then what have you come into my room for if you can¡¯t tell me anything of use?¡±


    The brunette gave him a smirk and wiped some of the tears from her face. ¡°Ha. I didn¡¯t come to your room to tell you about your father¡¯s arrangement with me, sorry, except that he wants me to keep you properly separated from our dear sovereign.¡± Revi bristled at this, but she continued, ¡°I actually came here for you. Do you want to stay stuck in this room, or do you want to go somewhere else and have fun?¡±


    Revi blinked, then snarled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what your idea of ¡®fun¡¯ is ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what yours is, either,¡± Bei Feng countered. ¡°But if you prefer to stay inside this bedroom¡­¡±


    The gold dragon shifter growled and stood straighter. ¡°Where do you want to take me?¡±


    A slow smile stretched across Bei Feng¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡±


    ***


    Revi really should have pressed her further to explain what the ¡°surprise¡± was.


    But when he asked, she refused to tell him. Revi gave up and followed along because anything would be better than rotting in that beautiful, sweet smelling room.


    Bei Feng swung her arms with a confident poise as she led the way. Her hair bun bobbed as if with childish glee.


    The two of them passed through the courtyard and into another attached building. Revi could hear the sound of laughter before Bei Feng took them inside.


    He gaped when he beheld a large indoor bathing pool, with steam rising from it like a hot spring. A ton of dragon shifters around his age made merry, swam around, and played with each other in a way that made Revi distinctly uncomfortable.


    Bei Feng laughed at his face, and she sounded more carefree than he had ever heard her. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t you want to join in the fun?¡± She pointed at the pool full of people mingling and cavorting.


    But Revi backed away, eyeing the pool and the mass of people warily. ¡°Not interested.¡±


    Bei Feng was not deterred, however. She advanced on him until their noses were only inches apart. She whispered, ¡°Just get in the pool and don¡¯t ask any questions.¡± She indicated the guards stationed nearby.


    Revi gritted his teeth. ¡°Why?¡±


    Bei Feng grinned, like a viper. ¡°If you care about your life, do as I say. Get into the pool with me¡­and enjoy yourself.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter glanced behind him, and again saw the guards¡¯ stern and implacable faces. As terrible as this was, he could survive this, couldn¡¯t he? Even if it looked unsavory.


    And there were too many witnesses here to summon Phaeton the ice unicorn.


    Revi should have tried contacting Phaeton while he was stuck in Bei Feng¡¯s room earlier. The gold dragon shifter was too stubborn to ask for help then, believing he could dig his way out of Bei Feng¡¯s trap himself.


    But it was too late for regrets. Nevertheless, knowing Phaeton, he would probably enjoy Revi¡¯s humiliation anyway.


    While he still hesitated, Bei Feng nudged him. ¡°Boy, go change in there. You¡¯ll see bathing suits to choose from.¡±


    Revi glared at her, resenting the command. Yet he was too aware of the threatening men behind his back. So he trotted towards that changing room.


    The gold dragon shifter wrinkled his nose as he stepped inside. There was heavy air freshener here, as if it was covering something. And nobody else was around.


    For a moment, he pondered whether to just not change and stay here. But he thought better of it. As awful as the giant pool looked, at least there was more space there than in this cramped changing room.


    After he put on a dark blue bathing suit, he cringed. He had never been this exposed.


    Revi slipped into the pool in a hurry, submerging himself until only his head was visible. The heat of the water was soothing, he admitted. But seeing the other shifters thrashing around him was not a comfort.


    Especially when a curious man, a little older than Revi, waded towards him.


    Revi was saved from the need to rebuff him when Bei Feng¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s off limits.¡± She wore a lilac bathing suit, and her skin glistened from the water.


    Her eyes seemed lively, even friendly, but Revi stayed vigilant. She wove her way towards him, until she was close enough to whisper in his ear. ¡°Swim with me. I have something to tell you.¡±


    ***


    With much dread but also anticipation, he followed Bei Feng as they swam. He hadn¡¯t paid as close attention, but the enormous pool had hidden corridors and branches.


    They soon got to an isolated channel, where the water looked darker. The sound of people laughing in the distance was the perfect background noise to cover what Bei Feng was about to say.


    The brunette smiled up at him, looking entirely too smug for his liking. Water droplets glistened on her eyelashes, and she moved way too close to him. She murmured, ¡°I bet you think that I¡¯ll tell you what your father has on me.¡±


    Revi took a step back from the woman. ¡°I did hope you would, but I couldn¡¯t be certain. But what is it you¡¯ve come to say to me?¡± he hissed.


    Bei Feng tossed her head back and laughed, exposing her throat. Even if he were in his golden dragon form, Revi would not have dared try anything on her in this unsettling place. She stopped laughing abruptly, then gave him a peculiar stare.


    ¡°Lord Revi, I do have a favor to ask of you.¡± She moved closer to him again. Revi was about to step back again out of instinct, but he didn¡¯t want to seem like a coward. The woman got so close to his face, that he could see the individual shadows in her irises. She said, in a soft caressing voice, ¡°Pretend to kidnap me.¡±

 Chapter 45: Shadowy Pool

    Revi waded a few steps away from Bei Feng in the shadowed pool. She didn¡¯t follow him, but her eyes glittered with a scary excitement.


    ¡°You want me to kidnap you?¡± he growled, standing as tall as he could in these ridiculous swim trunks. ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a joke.¡± Her voice was a sharp caress. Brown, damp hair coiled around her slender neck. It was shocking how she looked so delicate yet so threatening at the same time. Bei Feng brushed some of her hair from her face. ¡°Revi, you don¡¯t have to look so terrified. I can tell you how to do it. You won¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter still stared daggers at this blasted woman. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what game you¡¯re playing ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a game at all, honey.¡± She smirked. ¡°Do you want your freedom or not?¡±


    ¡°I can get free anytime I like,¡± he snapped back.


    ¡°Oh, really? You¡¯re still standing here, talking to me. Can you get past all my guards?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you even command these guards,¡± Revi said with a huff. ¡°They¡¯re Lord Byron¡¯s, not yours.¡±


    The brown-haired woman gave him a slim smile. ¡°Is that so? Byron gives me leave to command them, and the guards do like me.¡± She swayed her hips as she moved through the water. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be kind here, giving you a choice. You can either pretend to abduct me, or stay captive in Byron¡¯s house.¡±


    Uncertainty roiled in Revi¡¯s gut. He sneered. ¡°I¡¯m the captive but I¡¯ll act as the captor? How would that even work, and why do you make such a request?¡±


    Bei Feng gathered her thick hair into a loose braid, pulled it over her shoulder, and let it fall over her chest. Her mouth twisted into a grin as she strode closer to him again. She whispered in his ear. ¡°Here¡¯s what I need you to do.¡±


    ***


    Revi couldn¡¯t believe what he was about to do. He gritted his teeth as he grabbed onto Bei Feng¡¯s waist. She leaned on him, head against his shoulder, as though weakened. He grimaced.


    She murmured in his ear, ¡°Be more convincing. Act like you enjoy this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy kidnapping people,¡± Revi ground out.


    The brunette woman slumped further into his arms. Revi had to resist making a sound of disgust.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard,¡± she whispered. ¡°Abductions like this happen all the time.¡±


    ¡°Have you participated in any of them?¡± the gold dragon shifter hissed.


    She snorted. ¡°No, but Byron has told me enough stories about them that I know how to conduct a successful one.¡±


    ¡°You are unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been told,¡± she said smugly.


    Revi rolled his eyes, then looked around to make sure there were no guards watching them. He dragged her limp body with him through the pool, moving deeper into the hidden recesses of the water channel. He briefly imagined that he was dragging a corpse, though her skin was too warm to be dead.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s actually enjoying this,¡± Revi quipped.


    A smile curved up her lips. ¡°I am. It¡¯s so nice to be carried around like this, and I can just relax on you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gross,¡± Revi said.


    ¡°Your father is even more gross,¡± she replied.


    Revi frowned. ¡°Is that so? You still won¡¯t tell me what my father has over you. You¡¯re only giving me little hints here and there.¡±


    ¡°I gave you more than I gave anyone else,¡± she said breezily.


    ¡°More than Byron?¡±


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    She paused before replying, ¡°Byron is an exception. I trust him with my soul.¡±


    ¡°What a grand sentiment,¡± Revi said with a sardonic tone. ¡°I wonder what will happen if he betrays you.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t betray me. Byron is loyal to a fault. He always has been.¡±


    Revi reached the secret door at the end of the channel. ¡°I¡¯m only putting up with all this for Anastasia¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Huh! You know I was never opposed to you being with your sovereign. Am I not doing you a favor now?¡± she purred.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call it a favor when I am safely out of here and back with my friend,¡± the gold dragon shifter said. He pushed the door open.


    The pool water burst out onto a field, though the field looked more like a marsh, with how water-logged it was.


    Revi was awestruck as he gazed out at farmland covered with crops in the distance. The sun was warm on his skin, and he could almost forget the obnoxious woman he was half carrying. He didn¡¯t know Byron engaged in this sort of business. It was so different from the political manoeuvrings at Freya¡¯s court


    Bei Feng nudged his leg, and he hissed at her touch. She giggled. ¡°Your mission is not done yet. Aren¡¯t you excited to go back home?¡±


    Revi snarled as he unceremoniously dropped her on the ground. As she complained about his rudeness, he shifted into a large gold dragon and unfurled his wings. Ah, he felt freer and happier already.


    He then clutched Bei Feng in his claws, and flew up into the sky.


    She moaned, ¡°Don¡¯t grip me so hard.¡±


    Revi, feeling like the more powerful one now, just sneered. ¡°It¡¯s either that, or I let you fall to your doom.¡± His wings beat hard to take them higher and higher into the air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic. You know I could just shift into my dragon form if you dare to let me go.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but our staged ¡®kidnapping¡¯ won¡¯t be so convincing to my father if you put up a fight. You¡¯re supposed to be scared and submissive to my every whim.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you and your father are alike in some ways.¡±


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t,¡± Revi snapped. He clenched her waist more tightly in annoyance.


    ¡°Ow! Watch it. Do you enjoy squeezing me so much?¡±


    ¡°No, but you¡¯re literally dangling from my claws. I would at least be more polite if I were you. After all, you were the one who made this ridiculous request.¡±


    ¡°A request that benefits you just as much, if not even more.¡± Her voice was a singsong.


    Revi huffed and smoke poured out from his nostrils; some of the falling ashes ruined her hair.


    ¡°You have absolutely no manners, Revi!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me. You have never had the tiniest shred of ¡®manners¡¯ or decorum towards me. I just want to get this thing over and done with.¡± He didn¡¯t tighten his grip this time, not wanting her to make more unnecessary comments.


    The two of them bantered back and forth until Revi could make out his own mansion in the distance. Inside, he sobbed with relief. So much so that he almost dropped Bei Feng from his claws. But he held on and only let her down on the ground once he landed.


    With some reluctance, Revi morphed to his human form. Then he opened his mansion door to Bei Feng.


    The woman peered around and laughed. ¡°How pretty your place is. So much gold and marble.¡±


    ¡°Not as much as Byron¡¯s, I bet,¡± Revi remarked.


    Bei Feng shook her head. ¡°Honestly I¡¯m not sure which of you hoard more. Not that I¡¯m picky.¡±


    Revi took her to the highest level of his building. It felt strange to be back, remembering how he had kidnapped Anastasia, though he hadn¡¯t thought of it in that way. He had only wanted to protect zir from the earthquake, and would have released Ana if ze had not already escaped.


    He wouldn¡¯t put Bei Feng in a cage, though, and he hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to see her face for too long.


    Bei Feng, for her part, was beaming from ear to ear. ¡°Now I understand why some people think it¡¯s fun to be consensually kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t completely consensual,¡± Revi grumbled.


    She waved a dismissive hand at him. ¡°No, no, you agreed to it too. And you benefit from the arrangement as well. It wasn¡¯t blackmail.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time quarreling with you. Settle yourself down at my home, then, and find some clothes. Just don¡¯t wander out, or you won¡¯t look convincing as a prisoner.¡±


    Bei Feng chuckled. ¡°You like playing jail keeper, don¡¯t ya?¡±


    Revi looked away, as something in her expression made him uncomfortable. Well, even more uncomfortable than he already was.


    The brunette woman curled her hair around a long finger. She grinned. ¡°But you won¡¯t need to worry about this particular prisoner. I will enjoy my stay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t break anything,¡± Revi warned.


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t!¡± she replied merrily.


    The gold dragon shifter would be more worried if he didn¡¯t have his secrets locked and tucked away. Any visitors to his mansion would never see anything out of the ordinary.


    He smirked. ¡°As per our agreement, you¡¯ll let me go wherever I like.¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m your captive, of course you can go wherever you like,¡± Bei Feng said with a twinkle in her eye.


    Revi gave her one last distrustful look, before turning around and walking away.


    ***


    The gold dragon shifter trod down the steps of his mansion and wondered whether to ask Phaeton for help.


    He decided against it, because a part of him irrationally blamed the unicorn. If Phaeton hadn¡¯t portaled them to Byron¡¯s house, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten into this mess with Bei Feng. But since the unicorn loved chaos, he would probably enjoy this. Phaeton had no loyalties.


    Revi transformed into a gold dragon again, and took off.


    The sun was still warm on his scales. The sky was a peaceful blue, reflecting his relief to be free at last.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, he heard someone crying.


    Aghast, he banked in his flight till he could see them.


    In the sandy field where the palace used to exist, lay a woman weeping on the ground, with her face down.


    Maybe he should mind his own business. But he felt compelled to fly down to her.


    He was shocked when he was close enough to see who it was.


    Princess Teefa wiped the tears from her eyes, and lifted her face to look at him. ¡°Revi?¡± she asked with a trembling voice.

 Chapter 46: Tears and Fears

    ¡°Revi? Is that you?¡± Teefa¡¯s beautiful eyes beheld him. She sat up from the ground, where fissures from the earthquake had cut it open, and wiped her tears.


    Revi the gold dragon folded his wings, and morphed to his human form. He marched past a clump of broken rock, and reached out to Teefa. But he withdrew his hand at the last minute out of shyness. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked in a quiet voice.


    Princess Teefa¡¯s usual shiny black hair, was dull and matted. She sighed. ¡°Too much has happened. Leyla is¡­¡± Her eyes began to fill with tears once more. ¡°Gone. I¡¯ll never see her again.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter was dumbfounded. Leyla, the wife of Teefa, always seemed cantankerous and hostile to Revi. He had never liked her. But it pained him to see Teefa in such grief.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say. Awkwardly, he mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Princess Teefa. How did Leyla ¡ª go?¡±


    Teefa¡¯s whole body seemed to shrink into herself. ¡°My wife was brave. She protected me till the end. We were at the meadow where you and Ana last left us. Shortly after we got Ana¡¯s message that you two had gone away on a mission, a group of dragons swarmed us.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t recognize them, but they demanded to see Ana. We told them that ze wasn¡¯t there and we didn¡¯t know where ze had gone, because we really didn¡¯t.¡± She lowered her eyelids. ¡°They attacked us. I wanted to flee but Leyla wanted to fight back.


    ¡°I wish I were stronger. By the time they were done with us, Leyla was completely beaten up. Before I knew it, she had drawn her last breath.


    ¡°I was always the weaker spouse,¡± Teefa continued. ¡°I should have done more to protect her, but all I did was get in the way. The other dragons kept separating us. They ¡ª they didn¡¯t hurt me much. But they had no mercy for Leyla.¡± Princess Teefa sobbed, her body trembling with the outpouring of grief.


    Revi sighed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said again. ¡°Where is she now? I can help you bury her in a peaceful place.¡±


    Teefa stared at him for a while, then flicked her glance at the ground. ¡°I buried my wife here. Under where our palace bedroom used to be, before the earthquake swallowed it whole.¡±


    Silence stretched between them. Revi ran his hand through his hair, and his chest constricted. ¡°Do you want a plaque for her grave?¡±


    Teefa gazed at the ground again. ¡°No.¡± Revi blinked with surprise. She went on, ¡°Leyla isn¡¯t the type who would want such showy fanfare. She¡¯d prefer to rest in peace, where only her closest ones know where she is.¡±


    The gold dragon shifter shuffled his feet with discomfort. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she want to be commemorated, though? We could build her a separate plaque in the palace cemetery if ¡ª ¡±


    But Teefa shook her head. ¡°No, no need. Leyla wouldn¡¯t like that. I know ¡ª knew ¡ª her best.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°This might sound terrible to you, but right now, all I want to do is to lie down here, close to Leyla, and never get up.¡±


    Revi was agitated by that. ¡°No, you mustn¡¯t give up. Ana still needs you!¡±


    Princess Teefa lifted her tired eyes at him, and a forced smile. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I said that was just what I wanted to do, not what I would actually do.¡± With some effort, the dark-haired woman rose to her feet. ¡°Take me to my child, Revi.¡±


    With an anxious gulp, the gold dragon shifter nodded.


    ***


    In a quaint tea room, Anastasia sat impatiently as ze listened to Byron¡¯s wife, Qing Shui, chat about all sorts of pleasantries.


    They sat around a glass table with emeralds encrusted in the center. Even the cups shone as if they were made of moonlight.


    Ero the calf shifter sat next to zir, though he was currently bickering with Qing Shui¡¯s son, Ya Luo.


    Byron had excused himself earlier to go on some errands. Ana had noted the hint of irritation in Qing Shui¡¯s face at this, though ze made no comment.


    Even now, as Qing Shui regaled her guests, she seemed on edge.


    The sovereign interrupted her with an upraised claw. ¡°Excuse me, Lady Qing Shui ¡ª ¡±


    ¡°Qing Shui would suffice, Your Majesty!¡±


    The red dragon cleared zir throat. ¡°All right. All that you¡¯ve told me is very nice to hear. But I wonder if you happen to know Narwal¡¯s whereabouts?¡±


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    A shadow dimmed the gentle woman¡¯s brow. Her sweet voice became a tad bitter. ¡°My brother? Must we talk about him? He is an odious presence.¡±


    ¡°Well. . .¡± Ana said, wincing as ze clearly had no practice at diplomacy. ¡°You know him better than I do. Just yesterday evening, I spoke with your brother. He requested that he join my inner court.¡±


    Qing Shui¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°And what was your response, Your Majesty?¡±


    Anastasia waved zir claw in a dismissive manner. ¡°I stalled him by saying that I will consider but that I make no promises.¡±


    Tension crept at Qing Shui¡¯s shoulders, though her expression was still friendly. ¡°With all due respect, I advise you not to permit my brother into your inner court. He lacks conscience.¡±


    Ana¡¯s mouth curved up. ¡°I know. But isn¡¯t the saying to keep your enemies closer? Not that Narwal necessarily has to be our enemy.¡±


    Qing Shui fiddled with her braid in her lap. ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that we need to play this carefully. I definitely trust you and your husband more than I trust Narwal. But I can¡¯t just cast your brother aside, either.¡±


    Qing Shui knitted her brow and folded her slender hands together. ¡°I agree that my brother can¡¯t be trifled with. Yet, to allow him into your inner court, would be to give him too much power.¡±


    Anastasia was annoyed at being told what to do, though ze empathized with Qing Shui¡¯s statement. Ana¡¯s tail flicked back and forth. ¡°Even if I do decide to allow him into my inner circle, he won¡¯t get as much power as you seem to think. He only gets as much as I give him, and I intend to give him as little as possible.¡±


    Qing Shui¡¯s lips curved as if in amusement. ¡°My brother is a master manipulator, Your Majesty. Even if you mean to give him an inch, he will take a mile out of you.¡±


    Irritation flared in Ana. ¡°I know that very well, Qing Shui.¡± At her widened eyes, Ana added quickly, ¡°I have heard many reports about your brother. My grandmother and mothers have also warned me about his cunning. That¡¯s why I asked your husband for help.¡±


    At this, Qing Shui¡¯s jaw dropped open. ¡°You think Byron will help you?¡±


    Anastasia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you doubt his ability in this?¡± Ze initially hadn¡¯t planned on telling anyone else but Revi about the spy plot. But ze felt that getting Qing Shui on their side would help. Ze had never been close to her, but had always had a positive impression of the woman.


    Qing Shui fiddled with her long braid again, and her eyes dropped. ¡°Mmm¡­Not exactly. My husband and brother are close.¡±


    ¡°Close isn¡¯t the same as friendly,¡± Ana observed.


    At this point, Ero stopped arguing with Ya Luo and nudged zir. ¡°Ana, what are you talking about? Can I help?¡±


    The red dragon shifter gazed fondly at zir innocent and pure cousin. Ana didn¡¯t want to shut him out entirely like the adults always did to him. So ze said, ¡°We¡¯re discussing whether to include Lady Qing Shui¡¯s brother, Narwal, in my inner court.¡±


    The calf shifter gaped. He jiggled his legs in agitation. ¡°Was Narwal that big bad dragon we met this morning?¡± He directed the question at Ya Luo.


    The small black dragon nodded his head gravely. ¡°Yes, my uncle.¡±


    Ero scowled. ¡°We definitely shouldn¡¯t let him in. He¡¯s nasty.¡±


    Anastasia made a thoughtful noise, though ze didn¡¯t feel defensive like ze did when Qing Shui suggested the same. Ze said, ¡°I agree that he¡¯s bad news. No offense, Ya Luo. But since he¡¯s a dangerous dragon, I want him somewhere I can keep an eye on him.¡±


    Ero furrowed his brows. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a better way to do that? You could lock him in the dungeon.¡±


    Ya Luo snorted. Qing Shui sighed. And Anastasia shook zir head. ¡°First of all, the palace is still in shambles. We don¡¯t have dungeons. And I¡¯d rather not rely on dungeons at all, to be honest.¡±


    The calf shifter looked astonished. ¡°Why not? How do you punish bad people, then?¡±


    Ana grimaced. ¡°I just don¡¯t like dungeons. Do you remember how it was like when the ghosts at The Valley locked you up? I would rather not have anybody go through that.¡±


    Ero shivered beside Ana, and ze felt guilty about bringing up the memory. The calf said, ¡°Yeah, that was terrible. But surely we can¡¯t let bad guys run free? If not the dungeons, we can think of something else, right?¡±


    Anastasia twitched zir wings in discomfort. ¡°We¡¯ll think of something.¡± Ze glanced back at Qing Shui, who watched their interaction with a thoughtful curiosity. Ana wondered what she was thinking. Ze said, ¡°Back to what we were talking about. Qing Shui, do you feel that Byron would be untrustworthy when it comes to protecting us against your brother?¡±


    Qing Shui wrapped her arms around herself, as if she were cold. She avoided Ana¡¯s glance. ¡°Not exactly. If he promised to help you, he would honor his word. Yet, my husband has always been more sympathetic towards my brother than I am, hence why Narwal trusts my husband.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Anastasia said. Ze tapped the saucer of zir teacup, the tea still untouched and cooling. ¡°If your brother is such a horrible person, then why is your husband sympathetic to him?¡±


    A look of disgust passed over the woman¡¯s face, but she quickly hid it behind a mask of politeness. ¡°My husband is a relentless politician. He¡¯s so good at playing games, that he traps himself in his own schemes. That¡¯s what I think, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so you don¡¯t think Byron is kinder to Narwal for your sake?¡± Ana asked.


    Qing Shui blinked as if she had never thought of that before. She laughed lightly. ¡°My husband knows how much I dislike my brother. He wouldn¡¯t befriend my brother for the sake of pleasing me, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Anastasia pondered her words for a while. ¡°Then do you think your husband¡¯s sympathetic feelings will compromise his work against Narwal?¡±


    Qing Shui clenched her hands together again, and she exhaled. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Byron isn¡¯t one to break promises. But would his feelings bias him? I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Ana got the sense that Qing Shui was not talking about Byron and Narwal. Ze was about to ask further when a guard burst into the tea room, hollering, ¡°My Lady, Lord Revi is here! And he brought a guest.¡±


    Right on cue, the gold dragon shifter sauntered into the room, looking radiant and confident.


    Walking behind him, with her black hair tied up in a tall bun, was Teefa.


    Anastasia gaped in surprise. ¡°Mother ¡ª ¡±


    Princess Teefa threw herself at Ana, and hugged the red dragon tight. She wept, ¡°My baby, thank goodness you¡¯re safe.¡± In a much quieter voice, she whispered, ¡°Honey, are you sure you want to be the sovereign?¡±