The Queen's Dragon

THIRTEEN YEARS EARLIER...

He sees fear and horror on his wife's face. He knows he has no choice but to stand and fight because they are coming for him. All he can do is protect his family.

"Elizabeth, take our son and go!"

"But...my King-"

He pulls her by her arm into him and kisses her passionately.

"Now go! There is no time, go and save our son! Remember what we discussed if this might happen to us. Please, go!"

Tears are streaming down her cheeks. She does not want to leave her husband but she knows she has no choice. The fate of the kingdom is in her hands. She quickly makes her way to her son's room through the secret door in their bedroom.

She takes one last look at her husband and he looks at her. She knows that she is not going to see him again and he knows it as well. He draws his sword and then leaves the room. She quickly goes to her son's bed and says.

"Xavier, you need to wake up! Come with me! Now!"

"What is going on, mommy?! "

"Don't you worry, Xavier. Just come with me"

Xavier grabs his favorite teddy bear and then goes with his mother. She opens another secret door and quickly makes their way through the castle tunnels until they reach the outside. She starts to run to her lady-in-waiting that stays on the grounds.

"Mommy, where are we going?"

"Just run as fast as you can. You need to be a brave boy for me now, okay?"

"Where is Daddy?"

"He is coming. Let's run"

She knows that her son is close to tears but right now she has to focus on getting them away from the Castle. Then suddenly she sees a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. When she looks back, she gasps.

"Oh god!"

The castle is on fire and then she hears the loud wail of the dragon. She knows now that they are in grave danger and that they have to run faster but luckily her lady in waiting came to meet her halfway.

"Your Grace, I saw the fire...?"

Then out of nowhere the fire starts to grow with each wailing of the dragon. It is coming closer and closer. The Queen knows what the dragon is after. She turns to her lady in waiting and says with an urgency in her voice.

"Mary, I need you to take my son..."

"Your grace?!"

"I do not have time, please. Raise him as your own and then on his eighteenth birthday, tell him what happened here today and tell him who he is. Promise me, not a moment sooner?"

"But...your grace-"

"Please I do not have any time. I beg of you, promise me?"

"Yes, of course, I will take care of him, my Queen"

Mary takes his hand but he protests that he does not want to go with her. Then the Queen looks behind her once again and notices that the dragon is looking for them. She bends doing to her four-year-old son and says.

"My baby boy, mommy will always love you but you need to go with Mary now, okay?"

She can not contain her tears any longer as she sees Xavier staring straight into her eyes crying. Then she hears the loud wailing of the dragon again and she knows she needs to run. She takes out a letter from her bosom and hands it to Mary.

"Please, give this letter to him when he is eighteen. Please protect our son. No one should ever know that he is our son or else his life will be in danger"

"Yes, your grace. I will protect him as if he is my own son"

Xavier is clinging to his mother's leg. He doesn't want to let go. The Queen pull him from her leg and put him in Mary's arms. Then she gives a bag of money to Mary and then she says.

"Now, go far away from these are grounds. Keep him safe. Go now!!"

The Queen turns around and sees the dragon is heading straight for her. She starts to run in the opposite direction to lead him away from her son. She runs as fast as she can and all of a sudden, she realizes that her husband is dead.

Then, when she knows that she has led him far away from her son. She stops and stares him straight in the eyes.

She feels the life leaving her and everything turns dark.

TODAY

"William!!"

My mother has this way of calling me at the most unsuitable times. I am in the middle of a dual for my life. I know that I would be able to win this time and get my copper coins. I have trained in sword fighting ever since I was eleven and today is the day that I am going to beat this gypsy.

"Boy! You have been trying to beat me forever. I think it is time that you give up and admit defeat!"

"I will never surrender!"

I jump back and make sure that his sword does not tear through my new clothes that my mother just bought for me a week ago. She would be very mad if I destroy these clothes as I do with all my clothes.

The sun is almost setting but the crowd around us stays and watches. Then I hear my best friend screaming from the side.

"William, do that trick we learned!"

Oliver is a great friend but sometimes he doesn't know when to keep quiet. I was waiting for the right moment to use this trick but now the gypsy knows that I am going to do something. I look at Oliver for just a moment and then without warning the gypsy slashes me in my side.

I fall with my back to the ground, grabbing my side. Then I see a tear in my clothes and I am more worried about my clothes than the blood that comes from the cut. Laughter breaks out through the crowd as the gypsy takes my last pieces of copper and then gives me a final bow.

"It is always fun to dual with you, William. We should do it more often. I can always do with more coins"

The crowd dispersed and then Oliver walks over to me to help me up.

"I am sorry, William. Did I say something wrong?"

I just shake my head and then I say to him.

"No, you did nothing wrong"

"William!!"

Then I hear my mother's voice again and I know I am in trouble. I slap Oliver's shoulder and then start to run.

"I got to go! We will meet tomorrow again!"

"Yes, and we will get your coins back!"

As I run back home I realized that I do not have any coins left to bet anymore. If my mother finds out that I have once again lost my coins with a dual, she will be very displeased with me.

I run through the woods and I keep a close eye on the sun. I know why my mother is calling me. We are not allowed to be out after the sun has set. The dragon king is very strict on when we are allowed to leave our houses.

Nobody likes the dragon king but we do not have a choice whether we want to obey him or not. He has made it very clear what happens to those who disobey him. My mother has always been very protective of me, especially when it comes to the dragon king.

We do not live in the village like all the other people. We have our own little house in the forest. I love it there. It is almost like my own hideaway. This way I can go to the village and come back home where trouble will never find me.

As I get closer to my house I see my mother standing with her arms on her hips. Now, I know for sure that I am in big trouble. I walk closer to her and then I put my hands on her arms.

"I am here, mother. I am in time"

"How many times have I told you, William? You can not stay outside if the sun is this low"

"I know that you worry about me mother but I am a big boy now"

I see her one eyebrow lift up and I realized that maybe I shouldn't have said that.

"Big boy? Tell me, William. Where is your coins that you have earned for today's work?"

I quickly take my hands off her arms as I know that I am in trouble but then her eyes catch the blood on my shirt.

"William!! Did you dual with the gypsies again?!"

I try to explain as well as I can and then I say.

"Yes, but mother this time-"

"No, William! Not this time! You are seventeen years of age. You should know better by now!"

But then she looks at the sun and it is nearly gone. She takes me by my ear and then says while dragging me along with her.

"Come, we will speak about this more inside. Your sister is already making dinner"