(Unedited)
In only a few hours, everything was ready for the trip to the Dragon Realm...
At first, Azure and Sybil had been alarmed to learn about their plan to travel to the dragon world so suddenly but the moment they saw Esme, they gave in without a hitch and even offered to open the portal for them so that Iris could save her strength for the journey. Genevieve was the most upset, rightfully so, given that they were going to miss her daughter's birth. But Esme had promised to return as soon as fate allowed them. When Tulip heard of her mother's plan to travel to another world, she was devastated because she knew after the quarrel between her parents, this would only be tougher on the mated pair and Fenrir had stayed close to their mate as she begged her mother to let her come along, something that both Irene and Ceres did not consider to be a good idea given how weak she had been in the last few weeks.
"Maman, please, let me come with you." Tulip was weeping as Esme held her in her arms, scared to death of parting from her mother, and Iris sighed softly while trying to calm Sadie who refused to let go of her too.
"We are unsure how long this will take, Tulip, and I can not--" Iris stopped speaking when Antonia and Ray finally joined them in the throne room where the portal to the Dragon Realm would open soon and her heart ached when her mate did not even look at her.
"Why is Tulip crying?" Ray had inquired at once, walking up to her granddaughter only to hug her strongly, and Iris sighed deeply as she watched Esme walking up to a stoic Antonia with firm steps.
"I know you are angry with me and I will not disrespect you by asking for your forgiveness." Esme started as soon as she stood before the woman she loved as a friend and a sister and Antonia finally looked up at her only for her eyes to brim with tears and pain.
"I may have not birthed them, but I was there when Ethel was born and I love them as dearly as any of you. However, I will also accept that I have failed our Ethel by being so selfish--" Esme only stopped talking when her voice faltered, she still loathed coming off as vulnerable, and Antonia did not even care to wipe her tears as she watched the woman before her.
"I will do everything to bring Ethel back to us, Antonia. Come hell or high water... I give you my word." With her head held high and her eyes as fierce as her voice, Esme had vowed, bowing her head, and she did not wait for Antonia to speak before turning to Iris.
"Let us leave. Please." She asked her anchor then, knowing she would be the only one to catch the urgency and vulnerability in her eyes, and Iris nodded before turning to her sisters who started chanting the spell to open the portal.
"Maman, please! Don't leave me!" Panicked beyond compare, Tulip had screamed at her mother and Iris appeared alarmed as she flitted to her daughter at once before wrapping her arms around her.
Irene and Ceres exchanged worried glances as they watched Tulip clinging to their Maman and Ray placed a gentle hand over Fenrir who looked just as distressed as their mate, whimpering at the sound of her cries. Genevive grabbed Esme's hand when she noticed it shaking, hoping to give her strength, and Kahlan walked up to Iris before gently caressing Tulip's back, hoping to ease her. But, what none of them knew, or could know, was the fact that something deep inside Tulip had been screeching and pulsing and in pain and it was all because of her Maman. Although she could not find any justifiable reasons for it, Tulip felt like her heart would rip into shreds if she let her Maman out of her sights and even when she did not understand where this was coming from, it scared her death. So she wept and begged and did everything to ensure Iris would not leave without her.
"Don't leave me, Maman, please. I beg of you, take me with you." Tulip sobbed in her mother's arms, trembling like a child as she pleaded with her to listen, and Iris could not understand just why her baby was so fearful, much like everyone else there.
"It's alright, sweetheart. You can come with us. No need to cry like this." Noticing just how dire she was getting Athena stepped up to them before speaking, Ray right beside her, and Tulip looked up only when Iris kissed her head lovingly.
"Stop weeping, Maman's heart. Please. You are going to hurt your precious eyes... If you wish to come with us then you shall. Alright? Please, just stop crying." Wiping her tears with the utmost love, Iris had spoken softly, and only when Tulip calmed down did she turn to the huge black wolf watching them closely.
"Fenrir, please inform your parents about your travel plans. It would not be wise for Tulip to travel to another world in such a weakened state without her mate at her side." Iris told Fenrir then, causing the wolf to mind-link their parents who only agreed once they knew of Tulip's condition and they nodded to let her know that it was done.
"Say your goodbyes, my love. It might be a while before we come home." Iris had advised her daughter then, causing Irene and Ceres to embrace her at once, and she sighed deeply before walking up to her mate who refused to even glance at her only to cloak them both.
"I..." She struggled to find the right words, her eyes and head lowered as she stood before her hurting mate, and even when she could finally feel Antonia's eyes on her, she did not dare meet her gaze.
"I understand that you are not happy with me and my decisions lately and I do not hold you at fault." She gulped harshly when her emotions became too loud, tears stinging her white eyes, and as her chest throbbed with her mate's pain and her vampire whimpered, she stayed put.
"Given that we have not been apart since our mate bond was rekindled I thought it best to caution you... Once I travel to the Dragon world, you might not be able to feel me the same way you do now. I will be too far away to reach you or ease you in any way." No matter how hard this was for her, staying away from her mate for so long, Iris knew she had to do it for their child and her vampire and magic did too.
"Time moves differently in that realm. It might take us a while before we are back and... I will dearly miss you every second that I will be away." Iris's voice wavered then, her chest heavy from both their sorrows and Antonia cried silently before her, so near yet so distant.
Iris held out her palm before her mate, a beautiful charm resting on it...
"I would like you to wear this at all times. If you are ever in trouble or if you need me, all you have to do is just hold it and say my name and I will be there." She offered her mate a parting gift, hoping she would accept it, and when Antonia tried to take it from her palm, the simple touch of her fingertips made her sigh softly.
"May I hold you before I leave?" Her voice dropped to a whisper when she asked that, her fear of rejection reaching her mate who gasped in shock, and before Antonia could even reply, the sudden shift in the room caused Iris's magic to hiss in attention.
"You." Esme's voice was full of vex when she spoke, Iris appearing at her side at once, and the young girl standing before them appeared unmoved by her hostility as she only focused on Tulip who stood beside Ray.
"You can not travel to the Dragon world like this. Your magic is at its weakest and your vampire is not as strong as it should be." Imogen sounded like a mother chastising her child when she spoke, walking up to a surprised Tulip before grabbing her hands, and Iris stopped Fenrir when they tried to interfere while Antonia flitted over to them.
"Do not worry, I am only trying to help. If she travels in this condition, she would only be slowing everyone down." Imogen smiled at Antonia as she spoke, causing her to halt her attack, and they all watched as the tiny girl used her magic to nurse Tulip back to health.
"There, now you can travel without any worries. You are lucky I arrived when I did or you would have gotten to experience your first infection as a supernatural and let me tell you, Dragon-flu? The worst of all Dragon world diseases." Imogen shivered in disgust, appearing horrified as she thought of the said illness, and Tulip couldn't help but giggle for she felt rejuvenated.
"Thank you, Imogen. I owe you." Feeling happy and healthy, Tulip pulled the young girl in a hug, ignoring the way her wolf-mate grumbled lowly, and Imogen yelped in surprise, causing her to chuckle sweetly.
"Oh, uh, you are welcome. And you don't owe me anything. It was the least I could do for you." Imogen muttered sheepishly, hugging her back merrily, and Tulip pulled away after a while only to tap her rosy cheek with a bright grin, she liked the strange oracle.
"Thank you, dear girl. I will see you once we return, yes?" Athena had stepped up to the short girl then, patting her head lovingly, and Imogen, who was flushed, nodded timidly while Ray chuckled at the exchange.
"Do not worry, Athena. I will look after Imogen too. Now get going you four. The faster you leave, the sooner you will return." Ray had made her mate laugh with those words, causing her children to smile, and Athena hugged her one last time before stepping through the portal.
"Be careful, Tulip. You might feel a little dizzy at first. Fenrir, stay close to her, please. And if you encounter any armed sentries, tell them your name. They don't know we are coming so they might halt you." Iris had fussed over her daughter, worried for her, and Tulip kissed her cheek before nodding and stepping through with her wolf-mate at her side.
"Come back soon, sister. We will miss you." Sybil sounded small when she whispered that, she and Azure held onto their sister strongly, and Iris kissed both their heads, gave Ray another smile, and stepped up to the portal too.
"Let's do this together, yeah?" Esme asked shakily, holding out her hand for her anchor to take, and Iris smiled her way before taking it, her hold gentle yet firm to ground her.
Just as she was about to step through, Iris's eyes darted to her weeping mate...
"We love you, mate. We will return as soon as possible. We will not let you down again." Iris's vampire had spoken for them, their voice warm yet sad, and Antonia sobbed silently before she nodded, allowing Kahlan and Genevieve to hug her.
As much as Iris wished to go to her mate, she turned around and stepped through the portal with Esme. As always, the first second after reaching the other side was full of nausea and a head-splitting headache but then, the very next second everything settled down. Iris glanced up at the beautiful purple-blue sky that donned many moons, in awe of its magnificence as always, and beside her Esme stood taut, her expressions that of a child going to school for the first time. Iris gave her a small smile before quickly rushing to Tulip who was heaving beside her worried mate and used her magic to ease her. Once Iris took over, Athena tried to calm Fenrir who was anxious at their mate's state, and Esme waited for Tulip to settle down, her insides quacking, before transporting them to the Palace when they were all ready.
As soon as the four of them appeared in the throne room full of people, everyone fell silent, watching them with wide eyes and shocked faces. Judging by the huge crowd and their lavish attires, Esme reckoned they had crashed a festival or a celebration of some sort and she internally groaned. While Iris and Esme were used to the insanely huge throne room, their companions glanced around with widened eyes and utter wonder, studying the high ceilings of gold littered with murals that depicted several wars. Something peculiar caught Athena's eyes and her breath hitched when she recognized the tall figure in one of the artworks being attacked by something dark, its tendrils almost engulfing them whole. While her companions looked around and others gawked at them in shock, Iris's attempt to request the queens halted when someone suddenly shrieked loudly, and before Tulip could even react, she was engulfed in a hug so strong she groaned.
Tulip's vampire buzzed in recognition and her lips lifted in a smile...
"Hello to you too, Princess Yvette." She groaned softly, feeling her dear friend's hug getting stronger, and Fenrir remained calm at their mate's side, having known and met the jolly princess once before.
"You have no idea how much I have missed you and Ceres. Academy isn't the same without you three. I even missed Irene and her disarming sarcasm!" Princess Yvette whined unhappily, refusing to let go of her dear friend and her classmate, and Tulip chuckled at her words and actions as she patted her back.
"We missed you as well, Yvette. Truly. We would have returned if Ethel..." Tulip's voice trailed off, her sadness returning and Yvette tightened her hold around her before kissing the side of her head sweetly.
"I understand, Tulip. I have been praying for Ethel, too. We all have. Everyone who loves you or Ceres or Irene has been praying for them... I am sure they will be fine soon." Yvette assured her dear friend sincerely, causing Tulip to nod timidly, and Iris glanced away from her daughter when she heard footsteps coming their way.
The crowd that had them surrounded until then parted like the red sea in the wake of their Queens and Iris watched the two tall figures with respect and love. It felt like it was only yesterday when Iris was fighting a war against the enemy known as Void alongside the fiercest and most noble Queen Seraphine. Ever since Iris helped save their world, she had been a true friend, a great ally, and one of the only few who truly understood how Iris felt regarding her Antonia because the bond she shared with her mate, Queen Aneka, was almost just as potent. It was only destined that their daughter, the crown princess Yvette, would take interest in traveling to their world to study their magic and cultures and to teach about the Dragons and end up becoming one of the closest friends to Tulip, Ceres, and Irene — although Irene would always say that they were allies at best.
The Dragon Queen's face radiated with happiness at the sight of them...
"Oh my, Iris! What a pleasant surprise!" Seraphine was pleasantly surprised to find the tall woman there, her beautiful face supporting a brilliant smile, and Esme stepped back from her anchor when the woman embraced her strongly.
"Yvette, please let the Princess breathe. She is already suffering because of her travel." Seraphine had chastised her daughter without even glancing her way, looking stunning in her royal attire, and Yvette mumbled a small apology before pulling away but still staying close to a beaming Tulip.
"My apologies for arriving unannounced--" Iris began to apologize, realizing they had interrupted a celebration but Seraphine pulled away at once only to give her an unimpressed look while her mate laughed happily.
"You can come here whenever and however you like, Iris. You are our family." Said the tall and muscular golden-skinned woman, Seraphine's mate, Aneka, and Iris smiled at her before welcoming her hug wholeheartedly.
"It brings me so much joy to see you well, dear friend." Iris patted the woman's back, having missed her dearly, and Aneka chuckled happily as she pulled away, her silver eyes glowing with delight.
"I am well because of you, Iris. I owe you everything, my dear friend." Aneka told her honestly, her gaze heavy with admiration, and Iris smiled before stepping away only to motion towards Athena who had been silently watching them.
"Mother, it is my privilege to introduce to you Queen Seraphine Panagos Dragonborn and her mate, Queen Aneka Euanthe Dragonborn." Iris introduced the couple with pride, causing her friends to smile as they stepped closer to her mother, and Athena was utterly surprised when both queens bowed before her.
"Queen Athena, it is our utmost honor to at long last meet you again, the woman who brought our savior into existence and raised her to be as kind, giving, helping, generous, and loving as she is," Aneka said sincerely, the mated pair only moving from their bowing position when Athena's hands guided them and Seraphine smiled at the sight of tears in her eyes.
"You humble me, my Queens. The honor is mine, truly... I must say, in all my immortal years, I have never seen a world as breathtaking as yours." Spoken like a true Queen, Athena had made the mated pair beam with pride and Esme rolled her eyes when Aneka patted Iris on the back too harshly.
"We all have your daughter to thank for it, Queen Athena. If it was not for Iris and her lackey, our world would have been destroyed long ago." Aneka spoke proudly, her words causing Esme to shake with rage while Athena smiled, and Seraphine beamed at her mate before turning to her guests.
"Respected attendees, as you all can see by the arrival of our beloved savior, it appears that Almighty has blessed us with yet another reason to celebrate!" Even when she spoke softly, Seraphine's voice reached every person in the insanely large throne room, and Aneka handed her a glass which she raised at once.
"Let us raise our drinks and as the taste of this delicious wine sates our tongues, let us thank the Almighty for all of our blessings, and above all else, for sending Iris our way. To Queen Iris Athena Frost!" The whole crowd cheered for Iris then, their faces brimming with awe and happiness, and Athena felt her chest puffing with pride while Iris simply lowered her gaze in humbleness.
Once things calmed down, Iris turned to Seraphine again...
"Sera, I need your help." The urgency of her tone was not lost on anyone, causing Seraphine's silvery eyes to sharpen at once, and Aneka stepped closer to Iris while Esme remained silent and near.
It took a while for Seraphine to be excused and Iris and company waited patiently but as soon as that happened, she guided them away from the crowd and towards one of the many sky gardens in the royal palace. The moment they stepped into the sky garden, Tulip gasped in shock at the sight of the two majestic dragons resting there as if enjoying the sun, and Princess Yvette, who refused to let go of her arm, giggled sweetly at her reaction while Iris smiled at her sweet baby. It was no secret that Tulip had always been fascinated with dragons, she was one of the best pupils in the Dragon class and this journey was, in short, one of her biggest dreams coming true. However, none of her lessons, or even her friendship with Yvette could have prepared her for the breath-stealing sight that the dragons were.
Unlike the vampires, werewolves, or other supernaturals Tulip grew up around, who could not be separated from their human halves, the Dragons possessed the ability to exist in their own body while maintaining the same close bond with their humans. They could merge whenever they wished, especially to provide strength to their human or save them from grave danger, but mostly, the merge only happened when the mated pair wished to conceive. Many believed it was because the dragons were too powerful, exquisite, and proud creatures to be bound that way while others believed it was simply to aid in wars, and then there were a few who embraced it by saying that only the Almighty knew the best. Tulip, who was still frozen in awe, was one of those people. Aneka noticed the young princess's awe-filled expressions, her golden eyes twinkling, and held out her hand before Tulip who accepted it timidly before guiding them towards the resting dragons.
Aneka winked at Tulip before patting the golden dragon's snout...
"You know it is incredibly rude to pretend to be asleep in the presence of guests." Aneka sounded unimpressed when she spoke, causing Tulip to glance at her in confusion, and Athena smiled when the dragon opened their eyes only to huff in annoyance.
"I do know that it is incredibly rude to wake someone from their nap." A voice that Tulip could only describe as bored yet powerful reached her ears, sounding a lot like Aneka who rolled her eyes and Seraphine decided to help her mate when she stepped forward.
"Apophis," As soon as Seraphine said their name, the dragon jumped to action and Tulip could merely gawp in awe as the magnificent creature ruffled their huge wings, their golden scales shining beneath the sun as they bowed before the Queen.
"Wow," Tulip breathed in awe, unable to look away from the enormous royal dragon, much like Athena, and Aneka rolled her eyes when she could feel her dragon's arrogance in her mind while Esme remained unimpressed.
"Apophis, we have guests, my dear. I would like you to greet Princess Tulip, please. She is Iris's firstborn and it is her first time visiting our world." With her honey-like voice, Seraphine had addressed the dragon, and Aneka felt her heart melting, just like her dragon who immediately rushed to obey their mate.
Apophis turned to Tulip before bowing, causing her eyes to widen...
"Greetings, Princess Tulip. Welcome to our world. It is an honor to have you." The dragon sounded sweet and sincere, their big golden eyes watching the young princess closely and Aneka monitored as her dragon's attention shifted to the black wolf standing protectively behind Tulip.
"I see you have traveled with your mate," Apophis mumbled lowly, watching the wolf closely before leaning near to sniff them, and when Tulip's heart raced in worry at the sight of her mate appearing so small compared to the massive dragon, Yvette stepped in.
"Mom! You are worrying my friend!" Princess Yvette had yelled at the huge dragon, walking up to them only to push their huge head away and Tulip knew that the dragon allowed it to happen because the princess was too tiny to actually accomplish it.
"I'm sorry, my child. I was merely trying to see what kind of creature was mated to the sweet princess." Apophis spoke lovingly, nudging the pouting princess with their wing, and Tulip blushed profusely at their words while Yvette pursed her lips.
"And whom did you ask before trying to do that, dearest mate?" Tulip turned to the silver dragon when they spoke, their voice was firmer, gentler, and wiser than Apophis's, and when the dragon got up, the young princess became mum because of their uncanny beauty.
"And they are speechless again. Just like every other time." Aneka jested loudly when Apophis failed to find words in the presence of their captivating mate and the dragon used their wing to send her flying away while refusing to look away from their mate.
"Tiamat, my beloved, you look as radiant as ever." Apophis professed lovingly, their golden eyes glowing as they gazed at their mate, and Tiamat looked unimpressed as they turned to Aneka who was begrudgingly walking back to Tulip.
"Welcome, Princess Tulip. It is an honor to have you here, dear child. Yvette talks so highly of you. We were all concerned when she decided to join the Academy in your world but when Queen Iris assured us she would be fine and I saw how joyful she was there because of you and your sisters, I could not have been happier." Like every other mother always does, Tiamat had embarrassed her daughter with those praises and Tulip blushed beautifully as she bowed in respect before the dragon.
"The honor is mine, your splendor. We were all very glad and honored to have Princess Yvette study amongst us and teach us about the dragon realm." As elegant as ever, Tulip won both dragons' hearts with those words, making Yvette beam happily, and Fenrir's wolf grew larger with pride at the sight.
"Such lovely manners you have, kind Princess. You truly are the daughter your mother always described." Tiamat spoke sweetly, leaning down only to rub their snout against the blushing Princess, and Yvette stepped up to them before wrapping her arms around Tulip.
"Come, Tulip, let us have a seat, dear. Aneka, my love, please make sure we are not disturbed... I would like you both to stay, I may need your help." Seraphine smiled when Yvette guided Tulip to where Iris, Athena, and Esme were seated and the dragons nodded when she asked them to stay, Tiamat sensing her nerves easily.
"Are you alright, my heart?" Iris kissed her daughter's temple as soon as she was near her, her heart full of pride, and Tulip nodded before turning around only to ease up when she found Fenrir strolling up to them and kicking back at her side.
"Alright, tell us what is wrong, Iris, and I assure you I will do whatever it takes to help you." Seraphine had spoken the moment everyone settled down, sounding as serious as the situation was, and Athena grabbed Iris's hand when she started describing their situation.
Once Iris had explained everything, Seraphine struggled to speak...
"First of all, I offer my deepest condolences. As a mother myself, I can only imagine the pain you and your family must be going through." The queen had spoken with the most sincere voice, her silvery eyes tearing up, and Iris accepted her words with a nod while Tulip cried in Yvette's arms.
"What makes you think that you will find your mate in my world?" It took a while for Esme to realize that she was being addressed, the woman was lost in her thoughts, and Aneka did not like the way her jaw clenched at her mate's question.
"Esme is..." Iris decided to speak on Esme's behalf, knowing the woman did not appreciate being put on the spot like that, but then she hesitated and glanced at her, needing her consent before further indulging.
"It does not matter how I know. What matters is that we find the one we are looking for and do it as fast as possible so we can return home and bring Ethel back." Esme had decided to speak for herself then, sounding as rigid as she appeared, and while Yvette scrunched her pretty face in confusion, Aneka's anger rose.
"Of course, it matters, you disrespectful--" Aneka had never been good at keeping her temper, it got her in trouble most of the time and the fact that she loathed Esme since the day they met did not help either but before she could go any further, Seraphine silenced her with a single look.
"Forgive my mate for raising her voice like that, please. This topic is very...sensitive to us, you might say." Seraphine apologized on her mate's behalf, holding her hand to keep her calm, and while Esme nodded curtly her way, Apophis cursed Aneka through their link.
"I accept your apology... Regardless, I do not feel it vital to disclose to you just how I have come to know that the one we are looking for is from this world." Esme replied firmly, her golden eyes staring right into the silver ones, and Seraphine studied the woman she knew little to nothing about.
This was not the first time Seraphine had come across Esme, no, they had met many times before but their interactions had always been limited. They first crossed paths because of the war that Iris had helped them win with the golden-haired woman's help, utilizing both their powers to fight the indomitable enemy, and then it was during the few times Iris visited their world once they started rebuilding. Esme had always appeared aloof to them, staying on the sidelines and never interacting with them unless necessary, and in all that time Seraphine never truly minded her behavior since she was simply glad for her help. But this once was different, there was just something about the usually distant golden-haired woman that made Seraphine feel restless and she would have tried to ignore it had Tiamat not shared the same concerns. Seraphine could not understand what it was about Esme that was not sitting right with her and her guts had twirled and pulled the more she thought about the one thing she promised Iris to never inquire of, the only thing their savior had requested in return of her help with their war.
Iris requested them to never ask anything about Esme or her powers...
"Who is she, Iris?" Seraphine had uttered the question before she could even register it, causing Aneka to look at her in alarm, and even Yvette seemed nervous because she, too, was aware of Iris's appeal.
"Forgive me--" Feeling embarrassed and foolish, Seraphine had been quick to apologize but Iris silenced her with a simple smile and she gazed at Esme, needing to be sure she was okay, before turning to them again.
"Do not apologize, Sera. I appreciate you honoring my wish for so long. I truly do." Iris told them gently, smiling just to further ease them, and while Tulip looked up at her Maman in awe, she turned to Esme who met her gaze at once.
"Esme is very dear to me, you see. She is not just my family or my sister... She is the very first friend I ever made." Iris's loving words made Esme smile softly, a sight that was a first for both Aneka and Seraphine, and Athena wrapped her arm around the golden-haired woman in support.
"When I first arrived here, I knew nothing of this world, only that I had to help you and your people at all costs. And since Esme was my only companion at that time, I was weary of her getting hurt, hence my request... I could not have lived with myself if I perished in the war and left her alone." Iris opened up to her friends, causing Seraphine to nod in understanding, and Aneka glanced at Esme who was watching Iris with love-filled eyes.
"If it was not for Esme lending me her powers, I alone could have never saved your world. I..." She paused then, meeting Esme's eyes to seek her consent before saying her next words and when she nodded, her smile soft and loving, Iris turned to Seraphine again.
"It was Esme's light that helped defeat the darkness infecting your world." Iris finally disclosed, gaining surprised looks from her hosts, and Aneka's widened eyes landed on Esme, the woman she had been loathing for so long only to lower in shame.
"Don't undermine yourself, Iris. My light would never have been enough if your magic did not amplify it. We did it together, you and I." Esme chuckled then, a sound so lovely that even Tiamat and Apophis felt entranced by it, and Iris smiled her way before grabbing her hand gently.
"Alright, I will accept that." Iris's words made her beam and when the two looked at their hosts, Esme quickly realized that her powers were affecting them and she was quick to reel them in, it had been happening a lot lately.
"What was that?" Aneka mumbled lowly when she recovered from her trance-like state, her dragon highly amused at her embarrassment, and Seraphine cleared her throat while Tulip nudged Yvette who was blushing profusely.
"My apologies, I forgot to make you immune from my charm. Just give me a moment." Esme had smiled at the couple, not even waiting for their response before chanting under her breath and the moment the spell was done, everyone felt way better.
"Much appreciated, Esme. Your spell and your help in saving our world." It was Aneka who said that, sincerely and nicely, and Esme nodded with a small smile while Seraphine and Yvette watched her proudly.
"Now, I understand you are not looking for praises so I will not wear you out with them. I would, however, like to know if you have had any visions about your mate as we do or if you have any clue as to who they are or where to find them." Seraphine asked her then, feeling a bit excited at the aspect of finding Esme's mate and Athena felt the woman tensing beside her while remaining silent.
"I learned about this in my class. Dragons get visions or dreams about their mates." Tulip spoke proudly, remembering what her mentor had taught her, and while Yvette giggled at her enthusiasm, Seraphine gave her a smile that almost seemed sad.
"Yes, my dear, it is true. Although, not everyone in our world is fortunate enough to experience that." Seraphine told the young princess then, causing Tulip to nod sadly in understanding, and Aneka noticed the surprised expressions on Athena's face so she decided to elaborate.
"Unlike your world, not everyone in ours is fortunate enough to find their mates... A curse has been interfering with the mate bond for over a thousand years and it has caused too many to perish without ever finding their mates or becoming one with their dragons." Aneka's voice was full of anguish when she spoke, remembering all she had lost, and while Seraphine grabbed her hand at once, Tulip noticed Yvette tensing at her side.
"Do not let that stop you from looking for them, Esme. Who knows, maybe the Almighty will show mercy and you will find them." Seraphine smiled at her then, wishing to lift her spirits, and only Iris could feel Esme's true emotions when she addressed the queen with her vacant gaze.
What Esme said next shocked their hosts to no end...
"My mate is a White Dragon." Esme disclosed without even blinking, knowing what was coming next, and Tulip flinched in alarm when Seraphine, Aneka, and even Yvette jumped to their feet, watching her wide-eyed.
"I am looking for the White Dragon." Disregarding her hosts' reactions, Esme had repeated her words as stoically as earlier and when Seraphine did not react, Tiamat moved closer only to nudge her gently.
"That... That is impossible." Seraphine looked as if she had seen a ghost, causing Tiamat to merge into her body, and Aneka did not even have the strength to chase Yvette when she suddenly ran away from the scene, alarming Tulip and everyone.
"What do mean it's not possible?" Tulip had asked the question no one did, she had a gut feeling that something was wrong about this whole thing, and Seraphine, now stronger with Tiamat, answered her in a solemn voice.
"The White Dragon is dead. She has been dead for over a thousand years." When she heard those words, Tulip felt her head spinning and Athena was holding her in her arms before her body could even sway, Fenrir growling lowly beside them as they both thought of the same person.
Ethel...