Queen of the Dragons

Twenty Six

The look in his eyes said that he did not believe it. "Yet he is not here a day after you two have wed."

Why is Dale questioning me like this? I just want sweet bread and maybe to lie down for a nap. That is all! "Dale he is a prince who has duties. Please let us talk about something else."

Dale threw his hands up in the air, before he began to pace and murmur. "I-If I was a prince, if I was your prince..."

Prince? What is Dale speaking about. "Dale you should sit. Maybe we can go over the flowers you have picked in your pockets. Talking about all of
this..I-is tiring."

"You do not understand Estelle. You never understand," he spoke cryptically as I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face. Dale has never been this emotional before. He seemed seconds from yelling or crying at me. What was I to do? Usually we always have fun and cry or be emotional together over beautiful things...

I leaned against a nearby tree, and fiddled with my thumbs. "Well I am just trying to make you happy again. I-I do not like when people who I care about are upset."

Dale was pacing for a while before he paused. "Estelle I cannot be happy when you are here with him." He walked up to me and I suddenly felt weird. Why was he acting like this? Why was he so close?

Loche enjoys invading my personal space but Dale does not usually do so. "Dale please, let us talk about something else."

"If I were your prince...you would want for nothing. I would be here with you not doing my duties I could have another do. I would love you and cherish you and worship the ground you walk on," he spoke gently as I looked away from him, wondering what was going on in that head of his. If he were my prince?

After so many seconds of him not speaking and I also not saying a word, I looked up at him. Dale seemed on the verge of tears. His beautiful blue eyes shining with unshed tears. My throat constricted and I began to panic. "Dale y-you speak as if we still are not friends. You are my friend and Loche my husband."

"I cannot be your friend Estelle."

He was on the verge of tears and now so was I. Why is he being like this? "Dale," I said softly as I grasped his hand. "We have been friends since we were sprites. We cannot throw away our friendship! I-I know you do not like Loche but you will see that he is-"

"-It is not Loche, Estelle!" He exclaimed, making me a bit nervous and pressing myself into the dark tree supporting me. Dale was scaring me and he never, ever scares me.

"I love you, Estelle not like a family love. I love you like a husband loves a wife. I have loved you for so long a-and to see you slip so easily into the arms of a man who will not treat you right...it..it is breaking me."

Dale was crying. He was taking shaky breaths and crying and lying to me. Telling me things that were not true...but it had to be true. He was crying and he did look...broken.

What could I say? Or do? I have never been in this situation before. Juni would know what to do..no. No Juni would give me terrible advice, Dinah would know what to do.

"I am trained to be happy and observant, t-to serve and I just am in a terrible space right now." Trained? What is Dale trained in? He is a well trained Gardner but I do not think they have gardener training, I am sure his father taught him all he knows. My heads hurts very much...

"Dale why tell me this? I-I can do nothing about your love. I...I lose you as a friend because you love me? I-I do not have any friends except for you and my sisters," I whimpered. Dale was crying and I began to cry.

Why does the world have to be so cruel? How does he know he is in love with me? How does he know what love feels like? I do not love him like a wife would love a husband. I do not love Loche yet and he is my husband.