The Rightful Bride Chapter 28
A knock interrupts Harald’s work.
“Come in,” he says.
It’s probably Rose. When she woke up, she did her homework with Lady Elena before going to play outside.
The door opens.
“Hi,” Melanie says. “I’m bringing Rose to you. I have to go in a little bit.”
Rose flies to him, settling herself on the chair arm.
“Thank you,” he says. “She was with you the entire time?”
“She has,” Melanie says. “She stayed in my office. She’s done it before, usually when there are a lot of people in the hallways. This time, it’s the cameras.”
“I see. Where was Lady Elena?”
“I don’t know that.”
Rose screeches.
“Oh,” Melanie says. “She said Lady Elena allowed her to go play as long as she returned by dinner.”
“Okay,” he says. “Thank you.”
“Sure. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Melanie leaves the study. Rose carefully taps Harald’s NetPad with a claw.
“I’m almost done,” Harald says. “We’ll have dinner in a few minutes.”
Rose waits patiently while he finishes writing out a letter. He schedules its arrival and stands. Rose lands on her feet and walks beside him, stretching out a wing. Harald places a hand on it.
The suggestion of Rose being trained to be his service dragon came days after she arrived.
“With how attached she is to you,” the shadow dragon matron said, “she could make a good one. It has been shown that shadow dragons who train as cubs are better service dragons. If they’re assigned as cubs, they grow attached and protective of those they’re meant to help.”
“No,” he said politely, but firmly. “I’d rather let her grow up and decide.”
As the daughter of who was to be his service dragon, it’s an expectation for Rose to follow her path. Rose was a baby, though. One who refused to separate from him. One who refused anyone else’s care, not even his mothers’. She wrapped herself around him every time someone tried to touch her, claws extended. He soothed her enough for her to release him and greet people, but it was clear she didn’t want to engage them in any conversation, even if they were shadow dragons. He compromised with polite greeting.
Rose learned how to guide him weeks into her arrival. Without her wings and with her being much smaller, it was not always efficient and she resorted to burning obstacles out of their way when she couldn’t figure out how to get around them. She had good control of the wind, so, sometimes, she blew away minor obstacles.
“We can’t do that,” he said patiently. “We try to avoid obstacles, but we have to try to get around them when we can’t.”
Rose seemed unaware of the damage she was causing, especially when they were out of the palace. She listened and tried harder to guide him better. She never crashed him into objects.
“You’re doing a good job,” he said.
She’s a lot more patient and insists on guiding him, even when there’s no need for it. He allows her. It seems to make her happy.
Rose guides him through the maze of quiet hallways. Her height is to his shoulder, making it easier for him to follow her. She adapts to his pace all the time.
When they reach his dining room, Rose points out the tray on the table.
“Okay,” he says. “I’ll be right back. You can start eating if you want.”
She nuzzles his hand and flies to her chair. Harald enters his dressing room. As he changes, the door opens and Sebastian speaks to Rose in shadow tongue. In her mortal form, she speaks the common tongue fluently, but she only shifts into that form for classes.
Harald joins them a minute later. He sits beside Rose.
“Hey,” Sebastian says. “Did you get everything done?”
“I did,” Harald says. “You?”
“Thankfully, yeah. I have some plans for Wednesday, so–“
Harald blinks.
“You have plans?” he says.
“Don’t be so surprised,” Sebastian says. “I have plans sometimes.”
Rose screeches.
“I know, Rose,” he says.
“What?” Harald says.
“She’s defending you. She says that I technically don’t go out a lot.”
“She’s right, you know.”
Sebastian sighs.
“Okay,” he says. “I know I don’t go out, but, sometimes, I have plans.”
They eat in silence for a few minutes.
“Rose,” Harald says, “I have a question for you. You’re not in any trouble. You can speak freely and nothing will happen.”
Rose considers. Is something wrong?
She nods hesitantly.
“I noticed,” Harald says, “that you seem afraid of the cameras. Am I right?”
She should probably shift into her mortal form, but…
She jumps into Harald’s lap, laying her head in his chest. She nods.
“Can you tell me why?” he says.
Her heart races. She looks at Harald and Sebastian. She’s never talked to anyone about what she remembers from back then. She never wanted to.
She’s silent for a minute. Very hesitantly, she starts talking.
