Lilly put Zofia up in a tent, telling everyone that she had a new friend. She was Zofia's age, if not a little bit older. She told her that they were gypsies. Zofia felt like she was living in one of her books. This was her time, her great chance at an adventure. She couldn't have asked for anyone better than the gypsies. If Steve had led her to a group of bandits then she would have been dead already. Zofia was stuck in her tent for nearly another full day after arriving, being sick as a dog. She just had some kind of a cold from waiting out in the pouring rain for Draegon that one night.The gypsies had given her something to drink that had her right back on her feet.
Zofia finally emerged from the tent and joined the parties and the late night talking. Lilly loved her, braiding her hair every morning. She felt like she had a whole new family in the nomads. Zofia wanted to stay there, and she would have, if it weren't for the deep longing she felt inside of her soul. She had been dragging that feeling with her, the feeling of being filled with rocks and being dragged around on the ocean floor. When she thought of Draegon, the feeling became lighter and she felt like there was hope for her to get her head above water. But she was still under the water. She knew she would stay under as long as she stayed away from him. He was infuriating, he clearly didn't trust her, or possibly even love her, but there was just something she missed so deeply about him.
Maybe Juniper was right, maybe Zofia did love him. She couldn't, right? There was nothing between them. No touch or look or even a memorable conversation. He distanced himself every chance he got and even then he was dismissive. She thought that maybe the feeling was a kind of depression, or even a calling to kill him. She had read of something like that in her books. She couldn't deny that she's ever wanted to hurt him. She wanted to shake him till he thought straight, till he did something. Anything. Zofia had longed for even something as simple as a hug. She ached to be loved, unconditionally and irrevocably.
Time started to pass, but not time enough. Zofia had estimated that she had been away from home for less than a moon's cycle. With the gypsies, she watched the skies. Zofia was learning a lot from them and about them. Their culture and their customs were much different than what she was used to. The dancing was especially her favorite. They sang and picked flowers, then thanked the earth for them. When they took wood and branches, they touched the trees and let them know that their sacrifice was not for nothing. She felt that she belonged there, all while knowing that it was not her home.
"Lilly?" Zofia started as Lilly sat with her fingers in her hair.
"Yes, sunshine?" Lilly responded. She stuffed flowers into her hair and regarded her masterpiece. Zofia struggled with what she wanted to bring up.
"If I'm not a witch, then what am I?" She wanted to know. They had already assured her that she certainly was no witch. What was it then? Something worse? She fiddled with the piece of hair that framed her face.
"I don't know, I'm sensing you're more of a sassy young queen." Lilly teased, the both of them bursting out in laughter.
"Queen of what?" Zofia laughed. "I've unofficially renounced my title and I now reside in the woods." She said it as if it was a fact.
"If you are the queen then I am... Your queen sister!" Lilly decided. She laughed again.
"I'm serious Lill." Zofia threw a flower at her, which was promptly swatted away.
"Alright, alright. You need to speak to our elders for that. They will know exactly what to tell you." She insisted.
"Can we go later?" Zofia wanted to know.
"We should go right now!" Lilly insisted as she took Zofia by her shoulders and steered her through the crowds. Zofia grabbed her hand and they spun a little between the children before They stopped at a caravan. Three elderly ladies sat inside and stared out at the two.
"Ooh, we have a visitor!" The one cooed. "A beautiful lady." The second added. "A beautiful queen." The third chimed in. They reminded Zofia of those parrots that the show masters trained to repeat after them. The parrots would always have brightly colored paper stuck between their feathers, made to look like mystical creatures. Her mind went to Draegon for a moment. She giggled. A parrot in a suit.
"Hi." She greeted as Lilly steered her all the way inside. One old lady grabbed her hand as another looked at her hair, and the third inspected Lilly's dress she had on. "Lilly tells me you can help me find out what I am?" She asked them, looking at all three in turn. "Back home they thought I was a witch, but I don't do magic. I don't get burned though, and I'm sure I made it rain once." Zofia tried to give them some information, hoping it would help.
"Hmm, the fire." One said. "You like the water?" The second spoke up. "A green thumb?" The third wanted to know.
"I think so, but..." She felt a prick on her finger, drawing her out of her dazing thoughts. Zofia looked horrified as her blood spilled from her delicate finger. The women leaned in, one bringing the bloodied finger up to her mouth. Zofia pulled, but her efforts were futile.
"An elemental!" The first said. The others were quiet. She parted her lips, still dark with Zofia's blood. She offered to the other two, who tasted it like they were trying to distinguish each ingredient.
"Only one element now, but with practice there will be more." One pointed her finger in the air.
"What is an elemental?" Zofia insisted, suddenly alive and ready for more information.
"You can control them, the elements." One spoke. "Yes, even conjure them." Second added. "With practice." Third thought.
"You need to return to the king soon." One spoke as the other two gossiped to each other about the young queen. "You are bonded to him. In more ways than you realize. If you stay away longer, or go further, the kingdom will burn." She patted Zofia's hand. "There is an evil there, one that wants to overthrow the king. You need to be strong. You need to go home and protect what is yours."
"He doesn't want me, I don't want to be there. I want to stay here." She frowned at herself and her choice of words. "I can't save the kingdom. He has Mephis and Garison. They don't need me." Zofia argued.
"Maybe they don't, but the kingdom does." One of the women said with deep sympathy in her voice. Zofia shrugged. They were right. He might not need her, but maybe the kingdom does.
"Now, love. There is only one way to find out." She urged, pulling her into a hug. Zofia was embraced by the other two women as well. They whispered some words of encouragement in her ears, then kissed her cheeks and told her that they needed to get to their tea before it got cold.
Zofia sat with the rag doll in her hand, sewing it the way that Lilly had taught her. It was so admirable, the way they made their toys for their kids. The men would whittle and the women would sew. It reminded Zofia of her mother, who had made her countless things before she left them.
"I need to go home." Zofia said as she looked over at Lilly.
"Home to the castle?" She wanted to know. Zofia nodded. She looked at the little ragdoll she had made. She had hoped it would look like Draegon. She hadn't known what she was doing till it was done.
"I promise you, Lilly, as long as my family sits on the throne, you and your people will be welcome in the capitol." She grabbed her hands and squeezed them tight. They hugged one another for a few minutes before they broke apart.
"Are you going to be alright, I mean with the king thinking you are a witch?" She asked Zofia, nervously staring at the ground.
Zofia nodded. "I will make him understand, if I have to. Everything has to be alright. If it is my destiny to be with the dragon, then I must live through it." Zofia decided. "And if this life fails, we will have the next." She nervously tugged the braid that Lilly had made for her that day. They made her feel like a true queen, with a real crown of hair.
"You sure are determined enough. You will make a wonderful queen, Zofia." Lilly told her as she wiped under her eyes.
"Come with? Come and see the castle?" Zofia urged, grabbing her hand.
"I will come visit when we head in that direction. It's wonderful knowing that our people will no longer be chased away." Lilly smiled, giving a small laugh. Zofia agreed with her. She had no mother to tell her where she was from or who to be, but she had found her people and she felt like she certainly was a part of something.
When the moon reached it's full, Zofia left. Steve must have enjoyed his break, or the gypsies broke him in properly. He easily obeyed Zofia as she guided him home with the hand drawn map that Lilly had made. It was going great and Steve happily sped up as Zofia got the urge to hurry home faster. Her heart broke when she had to say goodbye to the gypsies, but it ached even harder for her to reach home.
It had been about a month. Draegon was close to losing count of the days. He stood over the fire, looking into the flames. He yearned deeply for Zofia. Every day, since the day he and Mephis was able to get out of bed, they sat and waited. Draegon would have flown through the skies every day in search of her if he had the courage to. He was morbidly afraid of finding her dead. A royal had to remain at the castle, too. If he left then they would be in deep danger. He was certain at that point that they were in danger, that the kingdom would soon be under attack. He longed so for Zofia, and for the guidance he had hoped she would provide. A king needed his queen, and a dragon was nothing without his mate. His fingers reached for his wine, but he paused and frowned. He felt a flutter in his chest, as if his heart had stopped beating for a month and now it was coming back to life. His head snapped up before he looked back at the empty room. "Zofia?" He said her name. He hesitated, frowning at himself, but then he started to briskly walk through the castle towards the front doors.
Zofia pulled her cloak tightly around her face as she followed the cobblestone to the castle. She had almost been certain that she would get lost with Lilly's horrible map. Anything but. She found her way perfectly. She feared being noticed, and she feared that the guards would spoil her surprise to her husband. Zofia was just about to cross through the gates when she was stopped. She had been so excited, but that same fire bloomed inside her when the guards denied her entry to her home.
"I demand you let me pass." She insisted to the spear that was jotted in front of her. The guards were dressed in Mephis' black colors. Zofia wasn't here to witness the change, the influence the man had on all the guards. She doubted that any single one of them would be left in their silver.
"Commoners aren't allowed past this point." The guard told her as Steve chewed on his spear.
"Good thing I'm not a commoner." Zofia said as she tugged her hood off. "Now, let me pass or my husband will hear of this." She demanded. The guard hurriedly bowed and jerked his spear away. Zofia rode into the castle grounds, but she was too excited to let stallion Steve carry her to the door. She dismounted as the stable boy came to grab the reigns. She could see the confusion on the young boy's face, but not even he deserved an explanation before she was back in Draegon's arms. She started her brisk walk up to the castle doors.
"Zofia!" Draegon shouted as he appeared in the doorway. He paused and stared at her for a while. She was clad in a loose gypsy dress, with her black cloak over top. Zofia looked over at him and for a moment she thought that he was attempting to scold her. He broke back into movement as she started running. Zofia threw herself into Draegons arms. He held her like she had never been held before, giving her the best hug she had ever had. His warmth set a fire inside her and she very nearly cried.
"Draegon." She pleaded his name, prepared with her 'please forgive me' speech. She breathed his ashy scent in deep and felt her fingers through his hair and his beard. She knew he was worried sick, it looked like he hadn't shaved for an eternity, nor like he had slept.
"No. Just promise me you will never leave me again?" He begged her. She nodded, a smile on her lips at how loving he was being. She was fearful that it would be short lived, but at the same time she hoped that he would love her like this every second of every day. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, pulling her in closer as if it would satiate his pent up need for her.
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