'The supreme dragon who either unifies a world or brings upon chaos'. A mere tale of dragon folks. It was a saying everyone from the dragon races knew it. As no one had ever witnessed it, the old lore had been taken as a myth. That's exactly how it went for Zenith. A young, beautiful and capable princess of Vortsmog. With a great army her father owned, and a brother who was a Duke, she had everything in her hands.
However, her father wanted more. More power to rule. He proposed a marriage alliance with one of the strongest Dragons, Orion Salamander, the King of The Dragon's Land, for his eldest son, Billard Salamander. Her father knew marrying her into a royalty as high as a king would grant him more power. As after the king, his eldest son would be the next king.
She was scared of the rumors of the Salamander family. However, when she came to her husband's abode, she found herself falling in love with Billard. He was powerful and dominating; however, he had a heart as soft as a flower's petal. He loved his nation, his people and his family. He was deadly to the people who would harm his nation but the rumors weren't all true.
She felt blessed to have a husband like Billard however, one day, her fairy tale took an odd turn. The young prince, Billard Salamander's younger brother, Demian Salamander, got unconscious while having lunch with them. Both her husband and Master Valentine were worried and when Zenith tried to help them, Billard refused. They were very secretive when it came to Demian and she didn't know why.
She had noticed Demian wouldn't come out of his room except for breakfast or lunch and some other time, he would be absent entirely creating an atmosphere as if there wasn't any other prince besides Billard. She found it strange and tried to ask her husband many times but he wouldn't say anything.
But that day, when her husband brought the unconscious body of his brother to Demian's room, Zenith followed him and Master Valentine in secret. As they opened his shirt, she clasped her hand over her mouth to keep from her shock coming to voice. Prince Demian's chest had scales growing and the dark carvings on those scales were like the cracks that exposed the magma within.
She wanted to ask what had happened until she heard Master Valentine and Billard's conversation.
"It's getting bad. What if what the sages said about the supreme dragon comes true?" Billard had asked while Master Valentine consoled him with his words.
"Don't worry, my prince. I'm certain, our young prince wouldn't be the one to bring chaos upon the world. Besides, the sages had told the king about a cure."
Billard's eyes glowed with hope, "What is that?" He demanded with a determined face, "Tell me, Master Valentine, I shall make it happen by any means possible."
"We still have time, my prince. He's still a child and when the time's come we shall do what the sages has suggested."
The myths were true.
Zenith was from a Royal dragon lineage and she had heard from their sages that after every 1000 years, a supreme dragon was born. And when a supreme dragon awakened, he brought a curse with him. The cure had a duality which led to two conclusions one was that he could bring peace and eternal happiness throughout the lands and unify the world or he could either turn into a berserk dragon who would start the great destruction. She thought it was just a tale the sages would say to children but that day everything changed.
The way Demian was suffering from the pain didn't sit right with her. The cold demeanor and that heartless expression and how Demian always emanated the dark aura terrified her. They were all the signs which screamed he wouldn't be a supreme dragon who would unify the world. She didn't know how to save her kind from this curse and how to save her dear husband who was so attached to his destructive brother.
***
Footsteps echoed through the dark corridors of the old Dragon Castle as Zenith's feet padded against the cold tarmac. Her dark gown flapped against her legs as she hurried to the farthest chamber of the corridor.
The encounter with Demian left Zenith furious as she grinded her teeth and her palms stayed beside her in fists. No matter how much she tried to break him, he was cold as ice and as if the curse had forged his heart with stone.
She breathed heavily as the old castle was a bit far from their main castle and it was almost in ruins. However, it stood with pride even after having tolerated the torment of the weather and past battles. The cobwebs and dust had decorated it with their finest work and Zenith sneezed as she came across the dusty door that stayed further in a corner.
She opened it and found a guard standing near the door. He was donned in deep green with black armour that said he wasn't from the dragon's guard. He was from Vortsmog, her homeland. As soon as the man's eyes fell on her, he held his head low and there was another person in a fine vest, her brother, Casian Vermence.
He stood with a small smile tugging on his lips. However, he was watching the sunset beholding in the sky near the mountains. It was a beautiful crimson color along with a golden hue. A magnificent view indeed, however, Zenith wasn't very fond of sight seeing especially at this moment.
"Why couldn't your men do one simple task they are given?" She almost shouted in frustration which got her brother's attention.
He shrugged, "He's lucky."
"He is a cursed Prince!" She hissed, annoyed at her brother's indifferent behaviour.
"Still, a lucky cursed prince."
Zenith shook in her place, unable to contain her anger anymore. She clenched her palms against her gown so hard that her knuckles turned white. Every time! Every time, she planned something and it would go down. The long awaited moment she had waited for good news was crushed into pieces.
Zenith knew she had no time at all since Demian's transformation would begin in just a few weeks.
"Why?" She asked as a shiver ran down on her spine remembering how terrifying the curse was. She asked again to Casian, "How could they fail to kill a damn child?"
"Well, I see, he has some excellent guards out there. Apparently, Master Valentine is the person responsible for the young Prince's protection." He said.
As soon as Master Valentine's name left from his mouth, Zenith felt like punching her brother. Master Valentine! He was the wall that she wanted to demolish at all costs. He stood before everything that she wanted to destroy and Zenith had no power over him.
Demian's words came to her mind when he belittled her saying he was still superior to her. That time she felt needles poking on her skin.
"And those men managed to kill the best men you sent?" She asked and gave a mocking scoff, "I thought you had the best men in the whole southern Dragon territory."
Casian's smile fell as his eyes sharpened but Zenith could get it wasn't because she accused him of being a failure. In normal circumstances, he would take it as a trivial matter but his face bore a serious expression.
"What is it?" Zenith asked, taking her heart in her mouth but Casian didn't answer.
She looked at the guard and ordered, "Present the whole report."
He bowed and started, "Your Highness, our men were killed before they reached the destined place."
"What?!"
She gave a questioning look at Casian as his sharp gaze met with her and she could feel it wasn't a bluff. Just how strong guards Master Valentine had deployed for that brat's protection!
She had no knowledge their guards were that powerful to defeat Casian's men. She remembered it was because they were very strong and each man from her homeland went through rigorous training before her father selected them as soldiers, the former king accepted their marriage for a good use of her father's powers. It was all because they had a strong army.
Had Billard started to give them special training secretly without her knowing? It could have been possible since she had noticed Billard was often going to the training ground and occasionally interacting with them personally. But then from what Demian said in their meal time, Seraphina was the one who took down the leader.
"It wasn't only the guards. Seraphina also helped them." Zenith informed him of what she had heard.
Casian looked at her as he gave a look. Zenith could see, he didn't believe her.
"Seraphina?" Casian asked with a scornful chuckle, "she is just a weak human girl. What could a human do to my men?"
"Well, you've seen the reports with your own eyes."
Casian's eyes narrowed down as he engaged in his thoughts while Zenith became impatient with her brother's careless behavior.
When he didn't say anything for another few minutes after what she said about Seraphina, Zenith growled, "Why can't you see, the day isn't that far!"
"I know that very well, dear sister," Casian said as he brushed off the dust from his sleeves, "that is why, this time, we need something else."
He paced around the room, his hand on his chin then he asked, "Have you tried talking through with the princess?"
"I did. It's of no use. She had forgotten about our conversation already even though I proposed to her that she and her servant won't be harmed."
Casian hummed and asked, "You said, she defeated my men? Like by herself?"
"Yes, and I heard that she also protected Demian a few times before that. Last time, she took an arrow for him." She informed as an amused smile formed on Casian's lips.
Casian's eyes grew intense as if he had already planned out everything and he said, "Well, to make her follow your orders, you need something that would leave her no choice." He cast a devilish grin and Zenith could not understand why.
Casian looked at her and added, "Tell your servants to keep a watchful eye on her and her servant for a while and you shall stay low for a few days."
"That's it?" Zenith asked, her anger started brewing again.
"No. Do that until I come back." He grinned, "I believe this human princess is not what we think of her."
****
"You mean he was a High Tier Fireborn?" Billard asked after he'd heard the report from Demian's perspective.
"Yes."
"But, how could wizards enter the dragons land?" Master Valentine hissed clenching his fists.
"I don't know about that, but this isn't the first wizard who'd attacked us." Demian said leaning back in his chair not feeling the soreness anymore.
"That Earthborn who had attacked Your Highness when you were out in town... We couldn't find any hostages to find who they were and who sent them." Master Valentine said.
"They are the suicide battalion who are out to kill or die. It seems like whoever is behind this is very strong in his resolution of killing me."
"Don't sound so casual about this Demian, you know this is a very serious matter." Billard chided frowning.
"There isn't much time for your fourteenth birthday as well, Your Highness so, you'll have to be more careful."
"You and Seraphina won't step out of the castle until we know who is behind this." Billard commanded, "Let Seraphina know that, I don't want her escaping to the town again. You've been saved mmany times but we won't know what the next attack will bring."
"I will deliver that message. But I don't know if that will contain her or not."
"Well, she's your wife you have to have some control over her."
"Do you have any control over your wife?" Demian tilted his head slightly giving his brother a cold look.
Master Valentine just stayed quiet as he saw the topic slowly turned in a different direction, Billard seemed to get a little wary as Demian mentioned Princess Zenith.
"Don't bring Zenith in this Demian? She cares for you two a lot, she's been worried when you two were away."
Demian scoffed, "I've not fallen till the level to have her sympathy."
"Demian." Billard's voice had an edge of warning which made Demian roll his eyes.
Now, before this argument could go any further completely getting them off the track Master Valentine decided to intervene, "Your Highnesses."
Both brothers looked at Master Valentine who looked as if he was facing two troublesome children, "Before you start an argument I'd like to remind you of the crucial matter at hands."
Demian and Billard remained silent letting Master Valentine continue, "First of all, we would need to investigate about how these wizards had managed to enter the dragons land, only then we'd manage to get the name or at least a link of the person who's the perpetrator of these attacks."
"But how will we find that out?"
"It's not easy but I've stationed all my men at places over the kingdom to look for these wizards. If we find their base then it would be easier for us to ambush them and get at least one of them alive." Master Valentine said and Billard placed his hands on the table before him.
"I have a thought, Master Valentine." Said he and Master Valentine looked at him.
"What is it?" Demian asked.
"I suspect that someone is purposely letting these wizards in and even hiding them, this person whoever he is must be from a high social standing to do this much."
Master Valentine let out a breath, "I suspect so too, Your Highness but that person could be anyone and since once the attack had been within the palace grounds I very much suspect the perpetrator to be from within the castle."
"Within the palace grounds!" Billard shouted and Demian looked at Master Valentine who seemed to have forgotten that they had decided to keep that attack a secret from Billard to not make him worried.
Master Valentine averted his eyes looking down at the table, "I apologize to keep this from you but at that moment it was just to keep you from getting more worried. At that time Prince Demian and Princess Seraphina were in Lotus Garden when that attack happened, those were some attackers disguised as our dragons knights. Fortunately, princess Seraphina managed to defeat them and protect His Highness."
Billard's golden gaze seemed like the scorching sunrays which would burn them both for hiding this important piece of information from him.
"He was attacked within our castle and you didn't even feel like telling me once."
Demian felt the pain behind his brother's words, "I had told Master Valentine to not tell you about that attack. If anything I wouldn't even have told you about all the rest attacks."
"Do you think I'm incapable of protecting you?" Billard's eyes blazed.
"No, I think you should pay attention to more pressing matters rather than burn your brain cells over me. I can take care of myself and I also have Seraphina, so, you need not to worry about me."
"How could I not?" Billard banged his hands on the table making Master Valentine lean back slightly as the crack resounded throughout the room.
"You are my brother and it is my prior responsibility to protect you, if I can't even protect my own brother then how could I protect this kingdom? How could I call myself a king?"
"I am protected, brother. I don't want you to worry about me. You should rather turn your attention to the unrest growing in the Northwest. You do know about the conflict rising between Duke Heartstone and the working class, if we kept on ignoring that a civil war would break out there." Demian said and Master Valentine frowned, the unrest in Northwest sure was a pressing matter for them but it seemed like everything was just too much for them to juggle at once.
"About that..." Billard was at loss for words as he kept looking at his brother with a stoic expression.
"I'll advice you to stop wasting your time worrying about me and look after your duties as a crown prince, father cannot engage in the meetings so, it's only you who would have to do it."
Billard sat in silence for a while looking down at his hands and then he let out a deep sigh, "Call a meeting Master Valentine. We will have to stop the unrest in the Northwest before it goes out of hands."
"As you say, Your Highness."
Demian let out a small sigh and Billard spoke up, "Just because I've let it slide now doesn't mean I'm going to turn a blind eye on your protection Demian. You will be there for this meeting as well."
"All right." Demian said feeling a bitter taste in his mouth as he knew being in the meeting meant to face Casian Vermence and Demian would rather have faced a wizard trying to kill him instead of talking with Casian.
"The meeting will be after a week, make preparations Master Valentine." Billard ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Demian released a deep sigh.