Waking to Reality
“When is she going to wake up?” Vallen’s voice boomed angrily.
“When her body is ready for her to wake up,” argued Aiden.
“She has broken our laws and needs to face the consequences of her actions.” Vallen sounded ready to take off Aiden’s head.
“She is the Princess of this Kingdom. I will handle her punishment. Now that Lord Hudraer has returned, I would think the Dragon’s Nest would look to him for guidance on her punishment – not you.” Aiden was certainly ready to come to blows if that was what it would take.
I blinked a few times, clearing my vision. The loud yelling from outside my chamber door had been the cause of my awakening. I turned my head, looking to either side of me. On one side Hue lay stretched out beside me with a protective arm draped across my waist. On the other side Ian sat in a chair, leaning on the bed with his fingers laced through mine, holding my hand. Both were out cold. Gently I wiggled free of their grips and crawled down the length of the bed where I could leave and address the yelling.
I pushed the door open and stepped out into the hall, bumping into Aiden’s back. He stiffened and whirled on his heel to face me. “Alizeyah, I’m sorry if we woke you. You should be resting.”
“How can I with all the yelling?” I asked, leaning around Aiden to stare at Vallen. The Dragon’s chest puffed with anger and his neck and face had turned red.
“You will come with me immediately to stand trial for breaking sacred laws.” His words were all but growled at me.
I stepped around my brother and stood toe to toe with the Dragon Knight. “No!” He recoiled from me as if I had swung a fist at him. “I have been kidnapped, tortured, dropped into an unknown land, defeated a ghost Pixie, defeated Romijeer, rescued my father from Wraith existence, built an army, watched my Soul Mate die, dealt with madness, handled grief, traveled to the Forgotten Realm, and survived swimming to and from the next life through that damn lake of yours. I think I have been punished enough.” He started to say something but I held up a hand. “And that is just since January. We won’t even talk about the mishaps of last year.”
Vallen reached forward and seized the front of my tunic. “I’m sorry you have suffered so much, but much of this you brought on yourself!”
I looked down at his hand then back up to his eyes. “Well that sounds like victim-blaming bullshit if ever I heard it.”
Aiden ripped Vallen’s hands off of me. “Don’t touch her,” he said with deadly authority.
From behind us a throat cleared and there was a low growl. Aiden and Vallen both turned to look back at the door. I didn’t need to look to know that both Ian and Hue were standing there. Hue walked forward to stand beside me, the sound of his footsteps confirming his limp. Vallen’s eyes raked over Hudraer and a deep sadness settled within them. “Hue?” he asked on a breath.
Hue reached forward and rested his hand on Vallen’s shoulder in a brotherly manner. “Vallen, have you asked yourself why your Grandmother permitted her to dive for me? Did you stop to wonder how she was able to enter the Forgotten Realm?” Hue shook his head and looked at me before meeting his friend’s gaze again. “Vallen, you are sworn to me and practically my brother. That means you are sworn to her as well. Search your heart for the answer to the questions I am asking you. She didn’t break the laws – she did something far beyond that. I learned and saw much on the other side, and now the truth seems so crystal clear to me.”
“What are you talking about?” Vallen finally asked. I had to agree with him, I wasn’t following Hue’s line of thought.
Hue let out a slow breath. “Soon enough you will see. Until the Nest is ready to welcome us back, we will stay here. We will accept exile from our home until a time when the Dragons have forgiven us and welcome our return.”
I started to argue, but one look at Hue told me otherwise. I looked at Vallen, who turned a now-confused set of eyes on me. “Lady Alizeyah, henceforth you may not return to the Nest of your birth until the Dragons there agree to welcome you. As Lord Hudraer was not the one to break our laws, the exile doesn’t apply to him. He may come and go as he pleases.”
“So I can’t go to the Nest to see my parents?” I asked, more than a little sad at this news since my mother and father had just decided to return there and leave the Kingdom to Aiden’s and my capable hands.
Vallen nodded. “That is correct.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t push the issue.
“Then please pass along my regards. I will not be returning to the Nest until my mate is welcome there,” Hue explained.
“But you have returned. That means you are in charge again. You must return,” Vallen argued.
“Then you have a lot of work to convince the Dragons of Lady Alizeyah’s worth,” Hue said calmly.
Vallen threw his hands up in frustration. “You’re worse than she is,” he shouted, and turned to walk away. He made it about ten feet down the hall when he stopped suddenly to turn and look at me. “Lady Alizeyah, how did you get into the Forgotten Realm?”
“There was a door in the Mage tower,” I said simply.
“That should have been heavily warded. The Mage was never able to open the gate.” His mind was running through the possibilities.
“Oh it was, but with a dagger and my Dragon Fire I was able to get through without any problems,” I explained.
He looked dumbfounded for a moment. “Only my brother and I can open a gate, even with a sacred blade.” He looked me up and down carefully. “Alizeyah, even knowing who you are I don’t think any of us will ever truly understand what you are.” With those words Vallen excused himself and left.
I looked back at Hue, Ian, and Aiden who all watched me with concern. Aiden was the only one to speak. “Long live the King,” he whispered. Ian and Hue just nodded.
