Chapter 5

Prince Qwen shifted on his bed. His room had become stuffy all of a sudden, beads of sweat trickle down his body like water from stalactites. His uneasiness came from deep inside him, from his worried mind. He sought solace in his thought- his fantasies.

He was laying on his bed, his eyes unconsciously darting around, admiring the layered ceilings. He eyes became fixated on the emblem that was drawn there.  He remembered asking his father, when he was still much younger, why the design was there. He knew he was the crown prince, yes,  his room should be well decorated,  but why should it be a that? A dragon of all creatures!

It was a common knowledge that dragon brings havoc where ever it comes, everyone but him hates a dragon, but their hatred was just a facade to hide their true emotions. Fear.

His father, the king, had lectured him in the Gardena, one evening, when he asked for the reason dragons were made the crest of the city.

He could remember that day vividly, it was just some moons ago, the king was just taking a stroll with the crown prince, lecturing about the qualities of a good king.

*

Cool breeze was prominent during this season, flags danced to show the direction of the flow, banners flapped to acknowledge the passing breeze. As leaves were being fell from their branches, so were plants swaying. The diurnal animals were beginning to return to their homes while the nocturnal ones were almost too lazy to start preparing to move out.

The sunset gave a brilliant orange glow, casting a lively shadow upon all images that cared to intercept its rays.

The king and crown prince made their way towards one of the large mahogany doors present in the castle. They go on walks every three days and today happens to be one of such days. They go to different locations, ones inside the city or ones on the outskirts. Today's destination will be the Gardena.

Gardena, as the name implies is the home to lots of flowers, both good and toxic. Flowers of all variations stood in their majestic glamour, fighting to make themselves the most beautiful, even the poisonous ones also look beautiful, making it hard to tell.

This isn't the first time Qwen will be visiting this magnificent place but the beauty still leaves his jaw ajar every time he visits. The fragrance emanated by each flower was soothing,  then the combination of their scents can take one to the gates of heaven and back. Qwen fantasised being with a lady he likes,  their bodies in the beds of flowers, slow music playing in the background and petals dancing in the wind, enveloping them.

"...dragons are not only creatures of destruction as mankind think..." The king continued.

Qwen broke from his fantasy, his consciousness returning to him at once. His imaginary bride disappeared in an instant. Dragons? What brought the talk about dragons? He didn't remember speaking about them, so what had initiated such conversation. He believe dragons to be marvellous creatures, the top of the reptilian hierarchy. They were creatures of beauty and great knowledge. He read that they could live for years far greater than humans.

"I know you must be surprised that I brought up a conversation about dragons..." The king broke off into a long sigh, his lips stretched in a sly smile.

"As if you read my mind" Prince Qwen affirmed, his right hand involuntarily reaching up to his hair.

The king grinned, the sunset brightened his face, making him look younger and more handsome. "Now listen and don't interrupt me-" The king started, looking up to the sun, as if expecting something it. "If you remember when you were younger, you were so obsessed with legends that you started asking too much questions. I decided to break you from all those till when you were older and wiser, till when you would be able to handle the truth."

Qwen could remember that he was so obsessed with tales from the past that he studied more than his teachers. Nobody in the royal family could beat his intelligence in matters relating to history. With time, he got to know of some secrets that weren't supposed to be known to all and he started having questions that would only lead to other questions. He had been so obsessed with the dragons and he hoped to ride one, even though history says they were wiped out. His obsession with dragons still remained even as he grew. Now, here he stands with his father, who has started giving him explanations all of a sudden. Truth? What secret is there to reveal?

"I'm going to reveal one great secret to you this evening" The king continued, his eyes staring into Qwen's eyes. Qwen could see sincerity in it. "What if I say dragons still exist"

Qwen's eyes widened, his jaws dropped like broken windows. Words formed at the tip of his tongue but they couldn't come out. His tongue seemed to be tied down. Many questions demanded to be asked but he didn't know which to ask first. Where are they? How did they survive? What happened in the past? To his ancestors? Many more questions still formed but all he could do was to stare.

The king continued "People believe that dragons bring evil, but in truth, dragons are epitome of life. They are evidence of nature's beauty. They were being controlled by some mages who sought power and brute control over everything, people who wished to rule by force. Battles were fought and dragons were subjected to being slaves of mass destruction. After the Great Divide, the remaining dragons rejoiced, as their evil masters were killed, they also detested being controlled by mere mortals. They flew off,  in the direction of the moon, never to be seen nor heard of again"

The king looked at his son who was already beaming to rain questions upon him and smiled. It was a sad smile. A smile that slightly reveals that he wasn't willing to let go of something important. He wasn't ready to let Qwen go, he knew he should have told him, maybe he was still waiting for the right time but when is the right time?  Nonetheless, the smile was genuine; a fatherly smile.

*

He stood from his bed and made his way towards the arched door leading to the balcony.

He came out in a majestic manner, the brilliant morning sun shone upon his face like a lantern in a dark tunnel. Fresh air enveloped his body as if it knew he needed it.

The sun illuminated his features revealing a boy in his teens. White, short hair is pulled back to reveal a smooth, friendly face. Darting hazel eyes, set charmingly, within their sockets, watch heartily over the townsfolk he's grown affectionate of for so long.

There was something bizarre about him, perhaps it's his bravery or perhaps it's simply his sense of justice. But nonetheless,  people tend to take pride in knowing him, while hoping he would one day be their leader.

He grabbed the golden bars of the balcony, holding it like he would hold a sword, his grip firm like a lion's bite. Lines of worries appeared on his forehead and disappeared simultaneously, randomly giving him the looks of his father. He looked down at the townsfolk, they were going about their activities.

The bumbling of the townsfolk couldn't be overlooked, maybe because rain clouds were gathering in the distance, which signifies the beginning of the planting season, but most importantly, because some Nobles would be getting married the next day. It might even be a mixture of the both, but the latter taking a larger share.

His uncle, whom he instead refer to as his brother had come of age to be wedded. He was betrothed to a fair maiden, beautiful as a star in the twilight and fairer than any other lady in the city. Qwen's brother, as others also refer to him, because of their semblance and close relationship, was one of the finest knights the city has ever produced. He trained in the king's army and bested most of the soldiers both in strength and reasoning. Those qualities gave him an opportunity to train under the Nobles- the king's personal guards.

To be a Noble, skill, brain and brawn is very much tested. Perseverance is also key, as sometimes, some of them are being sent into the wilds, where nonstop battles are waged against savages and monsters which cannot be named. Qwen's brother, Dez, and his colleagues had passed through all of these and have proven themselves valuable.

Since they didn't have time for relationships, the king gave them an ultimatum of one year to find a wife, else, he would bestow one upon them. A moon ago, they all returned with their respective lovers and the king decided to throw a feast to honor their weddings.

Prince Qwen had become attached to Dez because he never had any elder brother of his own. He had taken extra training from Dez in the art of combat, which Dez was just happy to teach him. Qwen's training had become very useful for him as he could win almost anybody in a spar.

Qwen wished he could be at the wedding, he wish he could give everything he had but all those thoughts are just fruitless as he would not be present at the feast. He wouldn't be in the castle by tomorrow. He would be out of the city by nightfall. All he had to do was wait till then.

Yes. Wait till nightfall, by then,  he would carry out his plan.