Cursed: The Legend of Sleeping Beauty

Chapter Forty - Return To Glory

Copyright Ⓒ 2019 by B. R. Bailey All Rights Reserved

"I can push for another House to take over," Galadriel admitted, her green eyes narrowed. "The Dragons will have pause knowing that we have weapons to use against them from the old wars as well as the aid of Curse Breakers, trained by myself." 

"And then there's the idea of fighting you," Gustav added, his blue eyes shining. "You've taken out a few of the sentries who were taking off with human sacrifices." 

"That I have," she admitted, holding their youngest son on her hip. 

"I bet you could take one out to Briar Rose." 

Briar Rose wasn't so sure. She had only fought one Dragon and had passed out before being able to incapacitate it, much less kill it.

"It's good to know that my top three students ended up teaching you properly. I suppose that I should thank them for that." 

Briar Rose bit her lip, wondering how that reunion would go. She was glad that her Godmothers had spared her life and raised her with love. Galadriel understood that and accepted the kindness the mortals had shown after having rescued her when she was a baby.

They could have killed her and instead spared her life, coming to love her enough to risk their lives defying the High King and High Queen themselves.

"What a lovely country. Lots of open lands. Easy to see invaders," Galadriel admitted, pointing to a far off river. "Look at that water. You can see it miles away!"

Grinning, Briar Rose turned her head, knowing that Whitewater was an honest country in every way. 

"Hey! Give it back!" two boys ran past, one holding two packs over his shoulders as the other chased after. 

"I don't know if we should stay in the Castle," Gustav admitted, rubbing his neck. "We're as wild as a pack of wolves." 

Briar Rose smiled at her parents and her siblings. "Merlins Keep is used to that. Believe me, they know how to handle wild animals."

"Maybe he's right," Galadriel sighed. "We've raised them traveling from place to place. They're not like the people in Castles. They know magic, yes, but that might not be enough for them to be accepted...being who they are." 

"I think that they'll be alright," she admitted after they stopped by the river a while later, resting on the shoreline. Reaching into her own pack, she pulled out a book. 

"They won't be the first of their kind in Merlins Keep." 

"You trust this place?" Gustav asked as he prepared sandwiches. "It isn't safe for Dragons to be about in the Mortal world outside of those they know they can trust. Some Wizards and Witches will trick you and try to cut out your heart for power or enslave you." 

"I trust the Knights of the Round Table. My comrades would never harm any of you. King Arthur has also made it clear that you are welcome to live in the Castle and will be protected by the Castle and the Knights jointly." 

"That is very kind of him to offer," Gustav admitted, handing them all lunch. "I had feared that our family might never find a home after the Dragons started attacking." 

The two older boys nodded their heads. "Yeah," Gerrault, the oldest, stated. "We thought people would think that we were like them. We got by breaking Curses, but we had to move really fast afterward. I wonder if we'll be able to fly one day."

"Fly?" Briar Rose asked, surprised by that statement. "Why would you think that you can fly?"

"Well, we're half Dragon!" Melchior, the younger of the two, cried. "Why wouldn't we be able to?"