The Dragon Prince

Chapter 18

~CHARACTER LISTING~

http://kristallynngeode.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-dragon-prince-extras.html

~EXTRAS~

http://kristallynngeode.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-dragon-prince-extras-2.html

http://kristallynngeode.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-dragon-trilogy-rhyme.html

~COMING SOON~

http://kristallynngeode.blogspot.com/2016/06/coming-soon.html

Queen Marina Fairmore

Iron City, Sarkin

I closed my eyes, placing my face in my hands. Raleigh placed a hand on my shoulder. "He will never be the same, Marina." I took a deep breath and looked over at him. "I'm sorry. We didn't get to him in time. The damage has been done. Now he needs to heal. We all do."

"I just can't sit by and let him torture himself." I shook my head.

"All you can do is let him know that you are there. Let him know that he isn't alone." Raleigh folded his hands together, staring down at them. "Believe me, Marina. I want my brother back. I want to kill Tom for what he did to him. I want to kill him for making Felix lose faith in us. We were so close." He looked back over at me. "Right now all he cares about is that little girl. He will do anything for her. Perhaps if we show him that we would do the same, and protect her, there might be hope of him trusting us again."

I nodded. "I understand, but how can I talk to her. How do I get through to her?" I shrugged with a light shake of my head. "Felix loved her mother and she knows it. Even if there was some way we could be together, she would never see me as her mother. I would be replacing Matylda to her."

"Then don't replace her." He suggested. "Be her friend. Give her someone to look up to. We can't disappoint her. We can't hurt her in any way. Felix would never forgive us and we will lose him forever."

"I should bond with her." I nodded more to myself. Trying to make myself understand what I needed to do. "I can do that."

"It is going to hurt." Raleigh said softly, taking one of my hands in his. "But you can't ignore her any more than Felix can ignore you." He tilted my chin to look at him. "Trust yourself, Marina. We are his family, but you..." He shook his head. "You were always so much more to him. Show him that he can trust you."

After a few seconds I smiled, but then jumped when I heard footsteps enter the courtyard. We both looked up, seeing Elleana, who had stopped suddenly. "I have most certainly interrupted something." She held surprise on her face. "I am just going to turn around and walk away as if I didn't see anything."

She left quickly and I looked at Raleigh with a laugh. He looked as if he wanted to punch something. Himself probably. "Go." I said to him. "You have helped me, now let me help you. You can't hide the way you feel about her. If you let her walk away now, she is going to forever think that you and I have something going on, which we don't." I got up and pulled him up. "Go, Raleigh." I laughed again, and pushed him. He groaned and started walking off in the direction she had entered and left. "Thank you." I shouted as she turned the corner. I heard him mumbling something, but I couldn't place it.

I took another deep breath, knowing now what I needed to do. Minutes later I stood in Felix's office. He was standing awkwardly beside one of the windows. I wondered if his father had ever stood there, just like that, staring out the window as if his mind was forever gone. I jumped when the door opened. Ivory entered. "I have done as you have asked, Marina." She said, giving a slight nod.