11 A Chance

Winona's POV

"Winona! Wake up!" I can feel Lizardo tapped my shoulder as he wakes me up, I was waiting for him, and I didn't realize I doze off to sleep on top of the big rock near the pond.

"Why are you sleeping here, Winona?" He asked, and I felt like he was my father.

"I was waiting for you to come home." I answered.

"I told you I would come home late. Besides, I still went to the border between the Dracousia and Thesirea kingdom to met my loyal friend, and you won't believe what information I gather." He said, and I didn't open my eyes because I am still sleepy.

"The King will release a new decree soon, and I think it will come out tomorrow, calling all-female dragon shifter to enter a competition, and it is open to all single female." He said, and I quickly opened my eyes and sat up on the rock.

"What kind of competition is that?" I asked, and I can't stop the rapid beating of my heart because I know this is my only chance to get inside the Dracousia Kingdom without complications.

"It is a contest to become the Crown Princess of Dracousia Kingdom because King Alexandrix wanted to find the perfect mate for his son." He declared, and my eyes widened.

"Do you know what this means, Lizardo? At last, I have a chance to get inside the dragon kingdom, and I now have an opportunity to save my mom." I said excitedly.

"Yeah, I know, but you need to get back on your training from dawn to dusk; you can't leave the cave unless you master your witch power; you need to use your witch magic to hide your true dragon color, so far you can't hide your beautiful golden hue, Winona, you will get caught on the preliminary round, and you can get killed once you will make a single mistake. The tournament will start in a month from now." He declared.

"It will run within six months, and I think it would be enough time for you to save your mother, make sure you will not make the same mistake last seven years ago, and make sure you will not get eliminated. You need to be number one or in the number two slot so the King will favor you. He will give you special treatment, and always remember you can't do vengeance yet, don't plan to kill the Dragon King, Winona, because you will not succeed. I know you are powerful, but you still need to enhance your power, both your dragon and witch magic." Lizardo said.

"Don't worry, Lizardo, I won't do anything that will make me lose my chance of saving my mom; King Alexandrix will answer his crime some other time when I am ready. My priority is keeping my mom safe. I can't imagine her sufferings, and I hope she will hold on until the time I will rescue her, and I know she knew I am coming for her." I said, and I can't wait to see my mom.

"Tomorrow, we are going to practice earlier, Winona, so we can finish early because I still need to go to the capital to sell some herbs so we can have food. Of course, I need to gather new information about the upcoming tournament. By the way, speaking of food, I have some fried chicken and mashed potatoes, so you better get down here now, so you can have your meal. I am sure you didn't eat dinner." He declared, and I smile, and sometimes I wonder if he also has mage blood on his veins.

"Why are you smiling like that, Winona?" He asked.

"Nothing, I can't believe you knew I didn't eat dinner, and I wonder if you can hear my thoughts too." I replied, and he laughed and walked going to our secret base. He put the food on the table, and Tac sat beside me quickly by the time he smelled the food. I divide the food and give my familiar her share of food.

"Thank you, Lizardo." I said, and I smiled widely at him.

"You are welcome, Winona, don't sleep right away after you eat your dinner, okay? Have some time to relax. Good night, and please excuse me because I want to hit the bed now since I felt so tired. Good night, Winona." He declared.

"Good night, Lizardo." I replied, and he walked to his room, and we started eating our dinner.

"Thank goodness, and I thought I am going to sleep without anything on my stomach tonight." Tac said, and I stroked her head.

"I am sorry, Tac, I know I should have served you some food. I didn't realize I doze off." I said, and we are still talking using our minds just in case Lizardo will come back.

"I know you got tired from running away from Lizardo at the capital, and I don't know what will happen to us if ever he found us." Tac said on my head.

"Yeah, me too, and I am just glad he was busy looking for a gift for his daughter, or else I don't have any idea what to tell him, why I am at the capital with a human boy." I responded.

"What are you going to do now? Winona, you have to train the entire day again to save your mother, but how are you going to meet your boyfriend?" Tac asked me, and I looked at her intently.

"He is not my boyfriend, Tac; we are just friends." I said, and I realized my white cat was right; how can I meet Kai again if Lizardo will train me from morning to twilight.

"Yeah, you are just friends, but by the blush on your face, it is so evident that you like the human boy, Winona. She replied, and I didn't argue with her because she was right. I fall in love with Kai because I can't stop thinking about his handsome face and beautiful smile.

"Don't worry, Winona, that boy was also in love with you. And I am sure he will be waiting for you inside the Heart Tree no matter when you will show up. But if you can enhance your magic easily, then I guess you will have enough time to spend with Kai." Tac added, and I smiled at her.

When I first know I can speak with my mom's cat, I was only five years old, and I didn't know that I possessed tremendous power. That is why at an early age, I can perform magic without difficulty, and it made my mother so restless. She begged me not to tell anyone that I can talk with her cat, and I can summon air, water, fire, and earth, and most of all, I can utilize the four elements.

"Winona, you have to remember, you can't tell anyone about your abilities." She said on the day she sent me on my first day of class at the Witch Academy of Thesirea Kingdom.

"But why mom? Aren't you proud of me that I have powers?" I asked, and I was only six years old at that time.

"Of course, sweetheart, I am so proud of you, but your power can put our lives in danger, so I want you to behave during classes and don't show anyone that you can play with the four elements. Just show them the elemental power of a witch. And one more thing, Winona, you can't tell anyone that you know your father and he is a dragon. They will kill us, do you understand?" My mom asked me, and I nodded.

The citizen of Thesirea thought I didn't know my father; when my mom got pregnant with me, my grandparents were so angry that they kicked her out of their home. My father provided my mom with enough coins to survive her pregnancy, and she became the laughing stock in the Magusari since they didn't see my mom dated anyone. That is why when they found out she was pregnant, they mocked her, and they want to know who my father was, but my mom was so good at hiding her relationship with my dad using her magic.

I was five years old when she let me meet my father for the first time. I was thrilled that finally, I have a father because my playmates constantly torment me with their hurtful words that I don't have a father. They always call me the daughter of a monster, and when I asked my mom if it was true that my dad was a monster, she told me that my father was the most kindhearted being in the entire kingdom of Thesirea and even in the dragon realm. She asked me to ignore them.

When my father told me he was a dragon shifter, I was so happy because I realized I also have dragon blood in my veins. When I asked him if I could shift like him, he said yes, and I can't stop myself from feeling so thrilled, and from that moment on, I spend my time waiting for the time I will shift. Still, as I grow older, I can see the fears on my mom's face, and now I understand why I was a threat to the Dracousia Kingdom because I am the rightful heir of the dragon world.

And now I have my chance to save my mother, and by doing this, I need to sacrifice my wants and desires; even though I want to spend more time with Kai, I have to train first, and if destiny allows us to meet again, Kai will find a way to see me again even if it means he needs to wait for me on our secret meeting place without knowing when I will show up.