Chapter 14: Treasure in the Treasury
“Have you enjoyed your first day in Azura?” The King asked, gesturing for me to sit at the Queen’s empty throne. Thoughts of the Fortune Teller’s words once again came to me together with the threats from the creepy psycho gypsy.
I shook away the thoughts of Reece getting hurt and let out an appropriate answer. “Yes, your majesty.” I hesitatingly sat on the Queen’s throne.
“I was serious when I asked you to call me dad.” He said, eyeing me.
“Tell me Lucy. What do you see?” He asked looking as the empty space from the high pedestal to the shiny marble floor and blue carpeted walkway.
Floor. Stairs. Carpet. I remembered the conversation we had over dinner. None of the King’s children has been to the treasury ever since. Maybe this is a pass or fail question because he’s waiting for the right answer. Maybe he’s waiting for a worthy audience- a person who could see what he sees. This has to be something abstract- something with emotional sense and simply not the obvious.
“Power, authority, control…One of those right? I mean, relatives of those?” I answered, not taking my eyes off the stairs and the floor. I can see the King looking at me in awe. I knew it.
“Elucidate,” He asked, unfolding his arms and uncrossing his legs. I couldn’t help but grimace with his choice of words.
“The throne symbolizes the crown heads. The floor symbolizes the kingdom and its people. And the stairs symbolizes the responsibility you have for their protection. To sit on high pedestal, overlooking the entire kingdom requires such. To be in this position is a duty only you and the Queen could carry out- only a Dragomir could carry out.”
“What did you see in my son Reece that you had completely fallen in love with him? He’s is such an immature little boy. Do you know what his answer is, when I asked him that question?” The king looked at me and I gave him what-is-it look.
“He answered: Floor. He’s simply naïve.” He hopelessly shook his head. “Caleb’s answer was worse; Dirt. Their eyes were just unworthy.”
“I think ‘Floor’ is pretty much the initial impulsive answer.” I laughed, partly defending Reece, mostly defending myself for thinking it.
“Thank you Lucy for taking care of my youngest Prince, and for loving him the way you do.” He said.
I’m gonna be dead meat when they find out I just used Reece to tape verbal witness proofs for Bryce and the murders.
“What do you think is my treasure, Lucy?” He asked. I absolutely had no idea, but I’m giving this a shot.
“I think it’s something more than material treasures, your majes… dad.” He gave me a satisfied smile and a carry-on wave. “I think it’s something more important than the throne that you placed its lock safely hidden under your chair.” What I just said surprised him more than I expected so I pushed it even more.
“Under your majesty’s throne is an entrance to the famous never seen treasury. The lever was designed to look like one of the throne’s legs and half of an elaborate keyhole, disguised to be filigree, embossed all over the seat is visible beneath your cushion. You will risk your own life just to protect this treasure; a treasure that only a Dragomir’s eyes are worthy to look at, because even your own wise wife Queen Farra and adopted daughter Gold hasn’t seen it.” I proclaimed. He cringed.
“The first time I saw you, I knew you had a heart so pure fit for the Queen’s throne, and you have proved it within less than a day when I saw you worrying about my son Reece. Now I see eyes, fit for the next King of Azura.” He complimented as he stood up facing me.
This was the nearest I’ve ever been to the King. At first, I thought he was just old but seeing him now seemed to have doubled his age. He looks old, weak, fragile and even if I hate to admit it; he looks dying despite of his commanding voice and regal air.
He gave me his hand and I took it. In his Platinum scepter’s tip was a diamond that served as the key to the keyhole under his cushion. I waited for a click as he pulled the lever. Mechanical crackles of inadequately greased metal rang all over the room. I noticed their family portrait slowly flip like a rotating door on a classic hotel.
It stopped on midway exposing absolute darkness.
The king led me inside as he switched on the lights, illuminating a long brick tunnel. We walked a good ten meters until we reached small rusty metal door with strange orange light illuminating from the inside.
“Are you ready, Lucy?” His hand midway to the door knob, he looked at me deciphering my poker face.
The truth is; I felt wrong- unworthy. I don’t think I deserve this. I’m not even part of their family. “Why are you showing this to me? I’m not even a Dragomir. I don’t think I deserve this.”
“What’s ours is now yours, dear Lucy. The day you came here in our kingdom, dawned your role as Azura’s crown princess. This is just one of its benefits.” He said.
Crown princess? I just let everyone pass when they call me ‘Princess’ or ‘Your Majesty’ because I was with the Queen and Gold but this time, I really need answers to why.
“Why does everyone keep calling me that?” I blurted out forgetting that I was talking to the King. He gave me an awkward look, seemingly uncomfortable of the tone I just let out to him. But before I could apologize, he managed an unexpected answer.
“Because you are. And it will be officially announced at the ball for citizens and neighboring kingdoms to address you the proper way. You will get used to it dear one. Crown Princess Lucy Dragomir of Azura; sounds good to me.” He said as he turned the snake like knob.
I was about to shoot another question but I was distracted by the bright luster of gold and orange that surged from inside the room.
The King ducked to get inside and I followed, stepping on a piece of gold coin that I first saw with the Queen this morning. My eyes travelled from the single gold piece, to a pile of it, to a bag of it, to a sack of it, to a mountain of it.
Everything was shiny, sparkly and gold. A small torch lit proudly in each of the roman pillars and a huge hanging chandelier of bright orange moons illuminated the whole room. I was like in a huge warehouse exhibiting a symposium on how to mess up an entire area full of gold except that the people and the even hall are also gold. Chalices, plates, knives, swords, name it. I even saw a dress. Who would freaking wear that thing?
“It’s a wedding gown.” The king said as he noticed my focused stare. I looked at him to ask who the owner is but then again, he continued elucidating. “Gold’s wedding gown.”
“She’s married?”
“No, but she was bound to.” He answered as we started walking. My eyes started to stray around as my ears were all ears to him. “I was old and weak. When Clarissa died, my Queen Farra and I were desperate to find an heir to the throne. Reece was nowhere to be found so we were left with Gold. So with her as Crown Princess, we had to assure her security.”
So that’s why she was locked inside the castle. It wasn’t because Queen Farra was keeping her from seeing Jocelin.
“That time, Druada was proposing an alliance between our kingdoms. An alliance that can only be sealed with a marriage from both crown heads. We arranged a marriage between both parties but Troy; the Crown Prince of Druada, eventually had a problem.” He sighed as we stopped walking in front the dress.
“In due course, the betrothal was cancelled and eventually, the marriage as well. Now I am older; weaker.” The King looked regretful as touched the flower formed filigree in the neckline. “This was made by Monsieur Franco and Mademoiselle Antoine; Azura’s best. It was made to be as light as any gold and white silk can get.” I saw a ghost of a smile in his face but it completely disappeared as he removed his hands from the silken sleeves.
“Although at this instance, I must say I’m quite relieved that it’s my biological son Reece that’d take the throne and not some … Troy of Druada.” He said as his eyes strayed to the blue drapes that covered the other side of the humungous room.
“As I am equally delighted that it is you that will be on his side every step of the way.” He added as he placed one hand on my shoulder and the other on the slit of the drape.
On his side every step of the way? I’m not staying here or anything? I’m just staying here for the mean time before they get my serial killer. I was about to ask what he meant about it but he swept the drapes away exposing a ten feet tall, sleeping dragon.
This of course took any questions away from my head.
“You’re hiding a freaking dragon under your freaking castle!”
“Lucy, please do not startle her.” The King asked with unreasonable calmness. It was like saying you can breathe properly after shoving your head inside a drum full of water. But ultimately, the King’s stop-freaking-out-stare worked as I started breathing again. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath.
“Awake, Silver.” The King raised his voice as he tapped a portion of the dragon’s claw.
My initial reaction was to step back and sprint away but my subconscious kicked in together with all my crazy. My secondary reaction was to throw myself to it and jump on its back but all I did was freeze.
The dragon winced and wriggled every muscle from his head to his crystalline tail. This reminded me of a gesture my Rottweiler Bruno does every time he wakes up.
The dragon opened her eyes blinked a couple of times to the King, then to me, then to the King. It looks like he’s asking the King who I was.
“Silver, this is our Crown Princess Lucy. Lucy darling, Silver; my treasure.” The King released his last statement with an obvious admiration.
Silver’s eyes were gray with streaks of white and blue that’d make anyone lost in it for an eternity. With my eyes still locked with Silver’s I slowly walked towards her face. She bent nearer, studying my features. Her eyes softened as I stopped a couple of feet away from her nose.
I raised my hand and she met it with her pale gray nose. Just like Bruno. She released a faint roar and gentle puff. And right then and there I lost it. I jumped into my secondary reaction that was to throw myself to her face.
I closed my eyes remembering all my childhood fantasies. I’ve always wanted to become a princess as a child. I mean, every girl once dreamed of it before changing it into becoming nurses or doctors or actresses or wives of rock stars. I don’t think every girl dreamt of a dragon to come with being a princess, but mine did. I giggled like a child caressing a new pet.
“I’m glad you liked each other.” The King’s voice proved my all my drams reality as it was all sealed as I opened my eyes.
I was out of words.
“She’s the last of her kind; the last Crystalline.” The king stated as he pops open an Erlenmeyer flask with swooshing familiar looking white mists.
“Crystalline?”
“That’s the name of her breed. Got from their appearance and abilities I guess. They have invisibility skills that make them adaptable. It’s more of their survival instinct.” He caressed Silver’s face and I saw the most genuine, happy smile that his old wrinkled face ever managed to show as he poured the flask’s contents to Silver’s mouth.
“The war became their extinction. Silver’s mother wasn’t so lucky. She died with all the others but she left me with one glimmer of hope.” My eyes strayed on a glass enclosure with a turquoise rock, the size of an elongated basketball, cracked open on the tip. It’s an eggshell, a Crystalline Dragon’s eggshell, Silver’s eggshell.
“From that day on she became more of a daughter to me. But of course when Gold came to our family, she became the daughter I’ve always wanted. I named her Gold because of her golden brown hair, just like how I named Silver from her signature color.” He said as he patted her scaly forehead.
He looked at me with searching eyes. “The Poison Verdants of Druada were all wiped out but three of the Crimsons of the blood-suckers survived. They’re all male though. The Poison Verdant Dragons, just like the people of Druada, feeds on memories, emotions and all kinds of life forms. The Crimson Dragons, just like the people of Rosso, feeds on blood and blood alone. What do you think I am feeding a Crystalline Dragon of Azura, Lucy?” He asked.
Well, what do people of Azura feed on? “Souls,” My voice broke with the thought of it as I watched him turn away.
“We collect these on wars, hospitals, crime scenes, any place were humans die or kill each other.” He said it rather defensively as he opened a shelf of the same Erlenmeyer flasks filled with human souls. My jaw literally dropped with the thought of the number of trapped souls in each flask.
“Silver feeds once every month, just like us.” He added and I threw him a terrified look. I almost forgot what they really were after all their sugar, spice and everything nice attitude towards me. So that explains why Reece was on the monthly crime scenes. He was cleaning up- the victim’s soul.
“Do you love my son?”
Whoa! Where did that come from? “Why are you asking me that in a situation like this?” I came out with a question to answer his.
“Because I need to know that you fully accept him for what he truly is. We are different Lucy. We are the predators of your kind and here you are standing between a Crystalline Dragon and an Azuran soul- consuming King; unmoving, not running.”
“I’ve honestly been in a lot of surprises these past few days your majes… dad and this is just one and most recent.” I reassured him. And I as well as my hand involuntarily flew between my heaving breasts. I was still taking everything in.
“You are avoiding my question.”
Crap! What will I say?
“Reece… Reece is the most… lovable person I’ve ever met. For the very few days that we’ve been together, he already understands my issues. Despite all my nerd and crazy, and bitch and sneaky, and immature and needy, and … He accepted me. He… loves me for the way I am.” I planned to lie but everything that came out of my mouth after I spoke his name was all genuine truth. But do I love him?
“Do you love him?” he asked as he let go of one of Silver’s glassy horns.
Do I love him? Do you, Therese? Do you, Lucy?
This is one vantage point of being slightly bipolar. There are times when Therese has answers to questions that Lucy would have no idea about. And sometimes, it’s Lucy who bears the answers. Now, both of my sides are out of words.
Panic came to me as the silence filled the entire treasury as my stupid high school instincts came over. ‘If you want to please them, tell them what they want to hear.’ I remember telling Simone how nice she looked on shaggy red hair even if she wasn’t. I remember telling Poppy how her bright orange lip gloss makes her suntanned skin more noticeable even if it wasn’t. Now they’re both dead.
Now is perfect time to lie once and for all if I don’t want to be the next dead person.
“Yes... I do.”