Chapter 25: Dragonborn

~Sin-Vira's POV~

 Deep in the forest, Sin-Vira managed to get himself and Sibylla lost. Every direction felt endless and they felt nowhere near close to either kingdom. They were wandering for some time before he leaned against a tree and Sibylla sat on a boulder.

 "We're lost…" Sibylla mumbled before throwing her hands in the air. "Well done! With this, I have the perfect excuse to not come home!"

 He stared at her then chucked in disbelief. "You're a strange one. There aren't many comfortable places for you to sleep here. Plus what we're wearing…" he took notice of her gloves and socks. "Can I ask why you're wearing those? I understand wanting to be covered, but I'm sure sleeping in it can't be comfortable."

 Sibylla looked at her gloved hand before giggling. "My skin is sensitive to nature. So to keep from breaking out, I wear this everywhere I go. It's a bit annoying, but it's better than breaking out, ya know?"

 "What idiot runs off to a place surrounded by something they're sensitive to? But if they help protect you from it, I'll trust you'll be okay…" He didn't want to keep pressing the issue. "Can I ask some questions for you now?"

 Sibylla crossed he legs with a nod. "Don't expect anything exciting."

 Sin-Vira smiled a bit. "Okay! Well… what do you like eating, what's your favorite place to go, did you ever have a crush on someone, what are some things you're scared of, do you trust me?" He chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, you don't have to answer it all…"

 Sibylla rests her cheek in her hand as she grinned. "I loved sticky buns, anywhere far from home is perfect, I can't keep a crush because every hot prince turns out to be a snobbish prick, saying I'm afraid of my father is too dark but bodies of water are something I want to avoid at all cost!" She looked at him with a sadder smile. "I do trust you, otherwise I would've never allowed you to dance with me. Let alone dance with me. Keeping things to myself is simply a habit that's hard to break."

 "I'm just glad you can trust me. I trust you as well. But you gotta spill your secret first before I share mine." He crossed his arms over his chest.

 Sibylla huffed at him and pouted her lip slightly. "Ugh! Fine! Just one secret…" she took a deep breath. "How much do you know about the Purcell family history?" she asked.

 The question made him slightly uncomfortable. "My mother said that you're all crazy monsters. But she never said anything too specific even when I asked."

 Sibylla shifted on the rock. "Well, she's not wrong. It's not well known to the public, but the Purcell family has another market only the higher-ups get access to." She hesitated. "We are… toymakers…"

 Sin-Vira did his best not to express disappointment. All of the build-up just to learn they made toys? "I'm guessing it's an embarrassing thing? I don't see why it's such an exclusive business."

 "What makes it exclusive is the materials required to make it. Clients say that my father's dolls certainly 'capture the soul'. That's all I can say, for now, sorry love! The more you know, the more danger you'd be in."

 "Fair I guess. Have you heard of a Dragonborn bloodline?" Sin-Vira questioned.

 Sibylla clasped her hands together as her eyes lit up. "No! But I already like where this is going!" She giggled.

 The prince stared at her dumbfounded. She always caught him off guard. "weirdo. Anyways, it means we can transform into dragons. But it's only possible when eating your birthstone. Smaller gems give different abilities depending on the user. Like enhanced strength."

 Sibylla hopped off of the rock as she rushed towards him. Grinning like an idiot. "Vira! Are you saying you can turn into a dragon?" She asked while placing her hands on his exposed chest.

 He turned his head away from her out of embarrassment. "Pretty much…"

 "Could you fly high in the sky and breathe fire?" She pressed into him slightly.

 "M-my mother said some could do that. I've never done it before so I wouldn't know…" he felt his heart race slightly. He couldn't believe how comfortable she was doing this.

 "Sin-Vira, darling?" She asked in a sweet tone. "What's your birthstone?"

 His eyes widened as he looked down at her. "Whatever you're thinking, stop it! I am not risking my wellbeing just to let you fly."

 Sibylla stared at him with doe-eyes before resting her head against his chest. "You wouldn't have to fly. I just want to see what you'd look like. Dragons have only been seen in children's books and paintings. I just wanna see it one time…"

 Her cute actions made it feel wrong to deny her again. She also seemed a bit disappointed, which hurt. "Gods! I swear you're going to drive me insane if you keep it up!" Sin-Vira groaned in defeat. "Okay, beloved. It's emerald. They're hard to come across but–"

 "Hard to come across? They're my sis–… second favorite gems! My room has a lot of them in there! Super cute! So shiny!" she shouted, causing Sin-Vira to flinch.

 "Okay okay… geez. Bring one with you next time and I'll do what I can."

 Sibylla stepped away from him with a grin. "You better be impressive!"

 "So now I gotta impress you? Your oh-so-cool secret was as exciting as dirt! Be lucky I even wanted to share it."

 "Your secret is cool! Mine is a familial shame I take no pride in letting anyone know! It was hard finding a secret that would put either of us in danger!" She whined and stomped her foot.

 "What makes you think mine wouldn't? If others knew that we're dragons, who knows what your father will do to us? Your dad makes worthless dolls for elites, that doesn't sound dangerous at all."

 "Worthless huh?…" Sibylla became quiet as she looked down. She looked back at him with a forced smile. "It's late. I'm going to bed." She began walking away.

 Sin-Vira pushed himself off the tree. "Hey wait! We're already lost, don't try separating."

 Sibylla kept walking with her back to him. He couldn't understand what made her so sour all of a sudden.

 "Bylla? Did I say something to upset you? Is it because I insulted your dad's work?" Sin-Vira asked as he followed close behind her. "Do you care that much about what I say to him?"

 She stopped abruptly, nearly making Sin-Vira bump into her.

 "I don't care what you say about him. But don't insult his creations…" She looked back at him, revealing tears building up in her eyes. "They may seem worthless to you, but it means a lot more to me than you could ever understand."

 Sin-Vira badly wanted to peel back more layers to this secret but knew better than to force her. "I wouldn't have said it if I knew how much it meant to you. I'm sorry for hurting you."

 Sibylla seemed to try holding her tears back, but they soon came rushing down. "Why does thinking about it make me cry? I don't want these emotions!" She cried harder.

 He watched her break down for the second time in the same night. Both times she treated it like a foreign concept. "You're acting like crying is new to you. C'mere crybaby…" he held his arms out to her.

 Sibylla threw her arms around his torso and continued crying. Some of her words were muffled since her face was in his chest.

 Sin-Vira kept her close as she kept crying. It continued until she seemed heavier. She fell asleep from crying and still clung to him.

 Her skin was unbelievably smooth and cold, though he blamed it on the weather. She seemed normal, but the few instances made him feel uneasy. He picked Sibylla up and was about to put her against a tree when he remembered her sensitive skin.

 "Sorry in advance…" he sighed, having no other option but for her to sleep in his lap. He held her waist securely and leaned her head to rest in the crook of his neck. She was much lighter than he thought and was eerily still. If it weren't for the little noises she made, he would've assumed the worst.

 "Sleep well, beloved…"