Chapter 29

~Calea~

The girl before her couldn't have been older than nineteen. Her brown, fawn-like eyes gave her the innocence and youthfulness that would stay with her long after her fifties. 

"Lyra, was it?" Calea asks as she picks at her fruit. The girl tucks her natural red hair behind her ear. "Yes, ma'am." Calea's smile twitches, and she sighs, "You are queen. You don't address me as ma'am. I am your priestess." She corrects.

Lyra double-blinks, "Yes, of course." Lyra pauses, sighs sharply, and looks down at her breakfast plate. "Um, is it normal to bleed after you consummate a marriage?" Calea's stomach coils in on itself. "Depends. Were you a virgin?" Calea wasn't stupid. Young women like Lyra had urges for young men with solid muscles and thick beards. Browen had none of those things, a beard maybe, but his muscles lacked. Virgins were more prone to bleeding, depending on how harsh their partners were. And Calea didn't want to consider how Browen must have treated the girl. 

"I am. In some things." Lyra says, a shy smile pulling at her lips. "I guess it just surprised me." Calea knew her role in this, and Browen wanted her to be a role model and guide Lyra in learning how a queen should act. 

A bittersweet feeling comes over Calea as she thinks of what Kamari would do. Calea knew Kamari wouldn't let anyone run over her and tell her who she should be. If anything, her little wild card would punch them. Calea chuckles to herself. "Is something funny?" Lyra asks. Calea clears her throat, "Sorry, I was thinking of my first time as well…" She lies. They couldn't know she thought of Kamari. "If I'm being honest," Calea pauses as she leans back in her chair, "It wasn't pleasant. Lacked even." Calea sees a smile pull at Lyra's lips. "I'm happy to know It's normal."

Calea tries her best not to laugh. It amused her to know something so personal. It seems the king lacked in the bedsheets. "My parents would love to see the castle," Lyra says, gleaming. Calea sighs, knowing Browen wouldn't allow it. He picked an ordinary girl on purpose, knowing if he chose a princess, he'd have to hide everything he'd done, and it would create more problems. Browen didn't want his people in his castle. Paranoia took over him. "I'm sorry, but Browen has clarified that no one comes into the castle besides the people living there." Lyra's eyes deem, "Oh, but I can go see them, right?"

This killed Calea. Browen wouldn't let the girl see her parents. "Not now, but maybe later after your training." Calea smiles, trying to brighten the girl's hopes. It had been so long since Kamari escaped with her Dragons. Did the Dragonborn survive? Part of her felt her hopes were too high, but she had nothing else. Except for the three month, Kamari has been gone for two months now. . Calea counted the days, the hours, the good goddess, and even the seconds. This place felt hollow, unfamiliar even. 

"So, what am I learning today?" Calea tries to put her thoughts to rest and be in the present. "Well reading history is first, a Queen must know her Kingdom." This one, Calea knew, would be hard for her. Browen took everything in the castle that resembled the natural history of Nivillia and replaced it with Syris—trying to show more of the human side than anything dragon-related. He wanted to wipe it out. Change it. "If you're done. We can start."

Calea held her session in the library. Most of the time, no one came in but them. "Here," Calea said, putting the books in front of her. "Read, then I'll ask you questions." Lyra pinched her lip to the side, picked up one of the books, then another, and furrowed her brows. "I've been reading these for days now. Is this all?"

Calea nods. Everything else, related to Dragons. Banned. Lyra sighs, "I thought being Queen would be an honor. But I'm not naive. I've seen them," her voice lowers, "The Dragons." Calea eyes widen. "Why aren't they here," Lyra pats the books, "None of them are in here. Why?" She asks. Calea purses her lips, chooses her words wisely, "Browen has decided that its not what this Kingdom should be known for, and it's just a fantasy." Telling such lies made Calea feel like hollow. Lyra scoffs, "I've seen them. I remember them. My mother is a seamstress, we made clothes for them. You can't tell me they weren't here." Calea swallows hard.

"You made those?" Calea's voice soft and full of sorrow. Lyra nods, "Proudly." A silence draws between them. One Calea knew could lead to a damned discuss, and before Lyra can ask anymore questions, Calea covers her mouth. "Speak no more of it." Lyra's eyes widened, and she swallows, "Please, I don't want to see you punished…"

Calea removes her hand, and Lyra's brows furrow as she gazes down at the books. She grabs one and starts reading. And for some reason, Calea hated that she obeyed her. The girl didn't fight back for what she believed in. It saddened her. Although she told her not to, she was used to Kamari not listening. Now it's something she expected as if it's second nature. Calea sighs and sits in a seat near her. Calea wanted somewhere where she could feel their presence again. Kamari and her Dragons. "Stay here, finish what you have. I'll be back." 

Lyra gives her a pinched-lip smile, and nods. Calea makes her way towards the underdwelling. Calea told Javall to leave it alone. Browen didn't bother with it because he had no use for it. But for Calea it held precious memories she could hold on to. The key she kept on a necklace, and when she opens the door, she steps in and locks herself inside. The underdwelling became a place where she could let her emotions free. Kamari's paintings, furs, even scales, from when her husbands would get into their fights stayed frozen in time, waiting for someone to press play. Calea picked up the paintings, tried putting them up on some of the walls, something to do to distract her; give her some comfort. 

In her zone of decorating, she hears water, and splashing. Her heart spikes as she hears it. She races towards the sound, her thoughts racing, thinking a miracle had occurred. When she gets to the pool, she sees it glisten, and it had been slicked over with sludge before. A chuckle of relief washes over her, "Koa?" She gets on her knees, "Is that you?" 

Calea looks over the edge and sees the glistening of scales, but they aren't emerald. White? Calea double-blinks, this made no-sense. Did Koa's color change? She drowns in her thoughts, when out of the corner of her eye, a hand lashes out of the water at her. "Ah!" Calea falls back, crawling towards the wall. A hand, shimmering as if it were dusted by pearls, drags its nails against the ground, creating gouges in the edge, then another, until a man emerges from the waters.

His hair was nape length, slightly wavy, and pure white, eyes like an aurora borealis, and he stood tall. "Oh Kadea's hell…" Calea says underneath her breath. Another Dragon got in here?! But how?! Calea thinks to herself. She knew how furious these creatures could be, and now this wild one comes out of nowhere. The Dragon starts to look around, curious, he touches the walls as if he sensed something, maybe someone. Calea didn't dare speak. When he turns, Calea feels her heart pound in her chest as he comes forward, but he passes her entirely and goes into the underdwelling. Confusion wrinkles her brow, as she cautiously follows him, and watches him.

He sniffs the air, leans down to the furs, and looks at books, hisses and flings them everywhere. He gazes at the painting, one of Kamari. He makes a sound she could only describe as soft reptilian chirp. Out of everything, he held onto it and searched through other items, sniffed, touched, even licked. And when he turns at an angle, she sees a resemblance she doesn't believe at first. This Drake looked like Koa…

But this wasn't him. This one acted too curious, much too curious to be Koa. And Calea reaches a conclusion she thought might be mad. "Um, hello?" Her voice makes his head snap towards her. He hisses, and turns to her. Calea holds her hands up, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to disturb you–Ah!" The Dragon moved fast and before she could run, he had her pinned against a wall.

"Wait, wait, please. I know Kamari! Your mother!" Calea shouts with her hands raised, the Dragon stares at her, his head tilts, "Mother." He says, his voice has an accent like Kamari husbands, then lifts the painting.

"Yes. You recognize your mother." Calea never felt so relieved and frightened in her life. But what she thought could never be was right in front of her eyes. A Dragonborn. The rightful heir to the throne. And that meant, Kamari lived. "Are you lost?" Calea asks and to her surprise, he responds quickly, "No." He backs away from her, then looks away, gazing at the underdwelling, " Drawn here." 

"What is your name?" Calea asks breathlessly, his eyes bore into her. 

"Ryuu."