Chapter 2: Dragon Queen

Queen Eireth knew that if a dragon's mistress dies, so would the dragon.

"All but the three dragon eggs in the scared cave died. As the last dragon mistress, you have to name them and wake them up" Maggie reminded her.

"I am dying, Maudyn" Eireth rubbed her stomach affectionately "You are Ferratti servant, Maudyn. You served me well and now you will serve and protect my daughter"

"I will, Queen Emerald"

Eireth opened her hand and the midwife's dagger on the wooden table flew into her hand.

"You have to caught the last of Ferratti tribe from my belly. She would one day weld the power over the dragons in the sacred cave"

Eireth hand the dagger to Maggi and closed her fingers over the hilt.

"The king might want revenge when I am gone, you must do your best to remind him that irrespective of my error, she is a piece of him too. Cypher will not harm his own flesh and blood even without the love spell I cast on him. It was why I chose him" Eireth allowed the secret she had carried with her for five years out in the open.

"What did you do, Queen Emerald?" Maggie asked her mistress with a sordid expression.

"I broke the first rule of Ferratti. I used magic for personal gain"

*******

Five years earlier.

A young girl and an older woman walked along the lonely path. She seemed nonchalant like she had no care in the world while the older woman had the opposite demeanor. She looked worried like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Queen Emerald" The older woman called out to the younger girl walking ahead of her.

"Don't call me that"

Emerald didn't stop. She kept walking, clutching the brown leather bag she was carrying on her bag.

Emerald's outfit was unusual, people they passed stopped and stared at her. she wore a brown tight pant and shirt that clung to her body. The black belt wasn't really there to perform any function, since there was no way her pants would fall off. The black leather boot was so long it clung to her knees giving her the appearance of a warrior.

It was how the Ferratti dressed, they were fighters and they didn't conform to the dressing etiquette of the Midlands.

"Emerald, you are Queen now" The older woman reminded her.

"And?" Emerald snorted without stopping.

"Asking the Ferratti to scattered and hid among humans...did you make a good decision, Emerald?"

The girl stopped walking suddenly.

"Maudyn, You keep reminding me that I am Queen yet you question my decision. When my mother was Queen, did you question her command or am I the exception?"

Maudyn had an uneasy look like she was reliving a bad memory.

"No, I apologize my Queen. But you have been through a lot, Emerald...The former Queen and your mother, goddess Tiamat bless her soul died protecting the tribe. She fought for the Ferratti's to remain a tribe... together" Maudyn tried to touch her hand but Emerald took a step back.

Maudyn may have helped raise her but she was no longer the little girl that ran to her for help whenever she skinned her knees. She was Queen of Dragons and she was questioning her decisions.

"Remind me again how many dragon mistresses and their dragons did we lose yesterday from fighting the Shadowers?" Emerald asked her.

"37" Maudyn answered.

"37 including my mother...I lost 37 dragons and their mistresses and we live in an enchantment village hidden away from the rest of the world yet the shadowers found us"

Maudyn was beginning to regret second guessing the Queen.

"We can't make ourselves easy targets anymore. The world needs us and until we replenish and multiply, we will live among the humans. And Maudyn?"

"Yes, My Queen"

"Don't ever second guess my decision again!"

"Yes, Queen Emerald"

They walked for some minutes in silence until they heard the sound of a flowing river.

"Maudyn, We found water!" Emerald sounded like the little girl she once knew as she took off towards the sound of the splashing river.

"It's a slippery slope, Emerald....be careful!" Maudyn went after her.

it was difficult to treat her as a Queen and as a child she cared about at the same time. Emerald might be Queen but she was nineteen and barely an adult.

The Ferratti can live for almost three centuries if their life force was not depleted. Maudyn was almost one hundred and twelve years old and Emerald was the third generation Queen she served.

Yet she looked like a middle aged woman of about Fifty six years old in her bouncy dress and pointy toe shoes.

"Maudyn, It's water!"

Ferratti's only had a drinking well. This was the biggest body of water they had ever seen.

"Yes, Emerald... It's called a river. Your grandmother told me about it once"

Emerald giggled like it was the most miraculous thing she had ever seen.

"Can I tip my toe, Maudyn?"

Maudyn wondered if she knew that she was asking for permission from her servant.

"Of course but it's deep... don't go too deep" Maudyn advised.

Emerald took off her boots and walked towards the river when suddenly she saw someone coming out of the river.

He was naked from his waist up. his muscles were pronounced like the goddess Tiamat took her time with every stroke and every curve.

beads of water dripped down his face as he wiped it off. Step by step he walked towards the Dragon Mistress.

She stared at him like she had no other option.

He had a dark stubble with a flush of triumph eyes that made Emerald unable to look away. his wet black hair appeared pushed to the back with his bristly eyebrows and concrete Jaw.

Emerald thought she couldn't be more fascinated but then he flexed his Titan's shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a deep voice and a smirk.

Emerald blinked then she asked him the question she wanted to ask "Are you a god?"

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