King of The Dragons (Wings of Fire X Monster Hunter)

Part 2: Chapter 9 & 10

(Tsunami 3rd Pov)

"Here," Queen Coral said, taking a strand of pearls off her own horns. "You're so unadorned, my beautiful dragonet. I have to start making up for all the presents I missed giving you."  She leaned forward and draped the pearls around Tsunami's neck. They were heavy and smooth, sliding coolly across Tsunami's scales.
'My first treasure,'

It was a strange thrill, having something of her very own. All dragons loved treasure - it was the only thing they had in common with scavengers. But this was more than a shiny beautiful thing. It belonged to Tsunami and nobody else. And it made her look even more like her mother.

Tsunami stroked the pearls and tucked her tail around her back talons. She wished Anemone would she would stop staring at her. 'She must hate me,' she thought. 'I would if I were her. She must know I want the throne she thought was hers.'
But not yet. Now was the time for getting to know her mother.

"Can we talk alone?" Tsunami asked. The ten dragons were still perched like creepy sentinels, with Shark the creepiest of all.
"Of course,' said the queen. "Council, you are dismissed. Moray, send a message to Queen Blister and see how quickly she can get here. As for you, creature, go back to your guard outpost and stay there until someone actually wants to see you."

Riptide crouched, nodding, and dove over the edge. Tsunami leaned out to watch him swimming into the tunnel.
"What's wrong with Riptide?" she asked as the other ten dragons also flew away in a thunderclap of wingbeats. "I thought he was nice."
"Oh, no," Queen Coral said with a shudder. "He can't be trusted. Webs is his father. Their bloodline is tainted with betrayal."

Tsunami felt like a giant wave had just knocked her over. "Webs is his father?" But she'd liked Riptide - and all along he was the son of her kidnapper. Which he'd carefully never mentioned. What else hadn't he told her?

"Nasty family," Coral went on. She lashed her tail, nearly hitting Anemone in the head. "Not fitting company for royalty by any means. We keep him as far away as possible."

'Poor Riptide,' Tsunami thought. It wasn't his fault his father had turned traitor, but he suffered for it anyway.
And yet, he had hidden the truth from her, and she didn't like that at all. Was Queen Coral right about him? Surely she knew her own subjects better than Tsunami did.

But there was still a part of Tsunami that hoped she'd see him again. She glanced at Anemone. "So - we were saying -alone - ?"
Oh, no, Anemone never leaves my side," Queen Coral said. She reached over and lovingly patted the little dragonet's head. "I finally got a living daughter, and I'm keeping her that way."

"By watching me every second," Anemone said. She widened her eyes at Tsunami, who wondered if she'd imagined a hint of sarcasm in her sister's words.
"And now I have two daughters!" Queen Coral said proudly. "Possibly four by the end of next week, if Tortoise does her job right." She gave Tsunami a worried look. "Maybe we should make a harness for you, too, dear."

"Oh, no, that's all right," Tsunami said, eyeing the straps that lashed Coral and Anemone together. "I've managed to take care of myself up to now. I promise I'll stay alive." Much as she loved her mother, she could not imagine being attached to anyone every moment of every day.

"Hmmm," said the queen. "Well, we'll think about it." She studied Tsunami's shoulders as if she was mentally measuring her for a harness anyway.
"I have to tell you something," Tsunami said, hoping to change the subject. "I - I don't know the underwater language. Webs never aught it no me."

Queen Coral stared at her. "What is wrong with that dragon?" she growled. "It's all right, sweetheart. We'll have Whirlpool teach you - he's a terrific teacher. Right, Anemone?"
Anemone shrugged.
"So what do you know?" Queen Coral asked. "Did they teach you anything?"