A bitch is back.
If you're here and you haven't read the HC RECAP chapter that's before this chapter, then I highly recommend you go do it to refresh your memory. If you don't, well...
also if that dragon is too much to imagine as Vaera, just imagine her as Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon ehehhehe.
Reminder: Aldrich Norcross is Jaide's father. He's mentioned in this chapter. Also Pregnant Reina is 6 months along!
As mentioned before, this is more of a transition chapter to get a few important convos done before moving onto bigger, more important events!
Enjoy and excuse any errors!
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"Vaera!"
Reina's desolate calling of her beloved dragon was still echoing in her mind as she rode back to the Styles Palace with Harry in the carriage. Harry wanted to come back to the city after dropping off and making sure Reina was okay because he wanted to help put out the fires and made sure people had homes to stay in for the night. But Harry didn't want to leave Reina alone. He was worried that what had just happened will cause her to fall apart, and that wasn't good, not when she was heavily pregnant. They were a few minutes into the journey back to the castle; silence surrounded them as they sat together quietly.
Harry looked over at Reina, noticing her mottled cheeks and her emotionless expression. He couldn't tell how she was feeling and that worried him immensely. His gaze flickered down to her hands that were clasped together on her lap, pushing himself to move his hand. It slid into her lap and into the small gap between her loosely clasped hands, breaking them apart and holding her hands firmly. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, indicating for her to look at him and she did. Her red-rimmed, green eyes looked at him sadly, before he parted his lips to speak.
"I'm so sorry for everything that happened," he continued to murmur to her, pulling her hand up to kiss her knuckles in comfort. "I promised that she wouldn't be harmed."
"It's not your fault," Reina uttered quietly, keeping her gaze averted. "No matter how much I see Vaera as my own, a creature that would never hurt me, everyone else will see her as a beast. If anything I'm sorry, Vaera is my dragon and my love for her blinded me from thinking up any kind of plan to stop her because I didn't want her to get hurt. I didn't think of the people-"
"Reina," Harry murmured with a deep frown. "Don't say that. The others on the council were suggesting killing and harming her, which weren't good ideas anyways because she would've been further provoked and we would've lost a valuable weapon if she had died. That is of course speaking from their perspective, we see her differently, as our family not a weapon. Anywho, they would've regretted it if we went ahead with their plans. Plus you were just defending her during the meeting, you have the right to, she's your dragon!"
"So do not feel guilty for what has happened to the city because of Vaera. It was inevitable," he finished with a kiss to her knuckles. She simply nodded at his words, staring down at her belly. "If anything, you stopped it from getting worse."
"I-I just feel like I've lost another loved one," she spoke up after a few minutes of silence, looking at him with a pained expression. He didn't know that she was trying to hold it all in, trying to stop herself from breaking down right then and there. "And it's not just Vaera. It's my mother's soul that lives inside of her too."
Reina didn't say anymore, knowing that if she did, she'd just break down. She wanted to be strong despite all the pain she's enduring, especially for when they arrive at the castle. Harry's face contorted with sympathy and sadness, arm reaching around her shoulders to haul her gently into his side. His other hand replaced his right one in holding her own, while his lips pressed firmly against her temple. Reina's eyes squeezed shut at his sweet actions, finding comfort in his touch and kiss but it only made her want to let it all out. Nonetheless, she stayed strong, forced herself to bottle it all up and rested her head against Harry's shoulder while their linked hands sat on top of his thigh.
They arrived eventually, and Harry accompanied Reina all the way to the bedchamber. No words were exchanged on the way back to their bedchamber, except for when they arrived. The handmaids had already readied a bath for her and lit the candles in the room. Her gaze fell upon the chest of dragon eggs sitting in the stone bowl over the fire and immediately felt her heart combust in her chest. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip while her eyes screwed shut, turning around to face Harry instead. He was standing there awkwardly, conflicted about whether to leave to attend to his people's needs or to stay, take care of his wife and be there for her.
"Reina-"
"You can go," she immediately spoke, knowing what was on his mind already. "Truly, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" he stepped forwards to cup her cheeks, gazing at her with earnest eyes. "You must be exhausted, and hungry, and upse-"
"I can take care of myself, Harry," she assured him gently. "Your people need you to be there for them, especially now since they've never witnessed something like what had happened tonight so it's important to them," Reina told him, hands holding onto his hips as he gazed into her eyes, still uncertain.
"But I need to be here for you," he uttered ever so softly, making her eyes flutter shut. She needed him; deep down she really needed him tonight. But she knew it was much more important for Harry to be down there aiding his people tonight. "Maybe I should stay just until you fall asleep-"
"Harry," Reina shook her head at his words. "You are King. Your country comes first," she simply said, a tight-lipped smile etching onto his face. "Please go, for me."
Harry didn't say anything for a moment, and simply gazed at her with his deep, green eyes that his eyebrows were pulled over with a crease in his forehead. His thumbs stroked her cheeks, feeling the tear stains under the pads of them. Reina looked away from his intense gaze, eyes squeezing shut because if he continued to look at her like that she'd lose it.
If she broke down now, he'd never leave to help the people. It hurt him to see her grieve and she didn't want to do that to him. So instead she simply wrapped her arms around his torso as best as she could, baby bump pressing into his stomach. He sighed lightly wrapping his arms around her shoulders, and pressing a firm kiss to her temple before whispering into her ear.
"You'll get through this, Little Dragon. I know it."
Reina hugged him tighter at the sound of his words, before she reached up to kiss his cheek. They pulled away eventually after the long embrace, Harry not forgetting to leave a few kisses on her forehead and cheeks for comfort before he started speaking. He questioned if he should ask Nira to be there for her while he was gone but Reina declined, she wanted to be alone for some time.
He didn't like that only because he was worried about her, but he let it be for now, knowing that she was strong and could handle herself. Either way, he made sure to tell Fredric to check up on her every now and then. Harry's hand slipped from hers and so did his gaze when he finally decided to leave, even though worry for his Little Dragon still coursed through his veins.
A heavy sigh escaped Reina's lips as she watched the bedchamber door close shut. She was finally alone. Her feet slowly carried her over to the dragon eggs, gazing at them with sad eyes while she pondered for a moment. Her mind conjured up thoughts about what would happen when these eggs are hatched, and the dragons grow into colossal sizes.
Will they also be stoned and harmed because people feared them? Or will she be forced to take them to Vardomos and lock them up there, where they'll suffer more in captivity? Or will the Council suggest killing them as well if they ever get too restless? The thoughts made her heart combust in her chest, causing more stress to her brain. She turned away with a shake of her head, walking towards her dresser to take her jewelry off.
Her fingers fumbled with her earrings as she tried to take them off, tossing them harshly into her box of trinkets with a pained sob. Her hand pressed against the wood of the dresser to steady herself, other one clutching her chest right over her heart as she breathed heavily. Her walls collapsed and an audible sob escaped her lips, hand immediately coming up to cover her mouth to conceal her upcoming cries.
Her body shook with every raw sob, eyes screwing shut while tears leaked out of them. She didn't know why she was crying this hard. Perhaps it was because she felt like she had lost an integral part of her life, so soon after her grandmother. Even though she'd tell herself that Vaera wasn't actually dead, there was a chance it could happen if the wounds weren't treated so it just broke her heart that her beloved dragon would die a painful death.
Her hands cupped her mouth as she sobbed unceasingly, moving to sit down on the edge of the bed. Even though it was only minutes, it felt like hours when her crying finally slowed down. Now, she simply sat there with her hands in her lap, tears gently rolling down her mottled cheeks while she stared into space. She looked down at her hands, sniffling when she turned them around and her gaze focused on the silver ring she was wearing.
It was a dragon claw, curled around her finger. It was her mother's and it was her favorite piece of jewelry that she owned because it always reminded her of both her mother and Vaera. Dragons were so cherished and loved by their owners in the Rahraenos family because they were always born in funerals, as one life was given away another was returned in the form of these magnificent creatures. Empty voids that were created due to the loss of family members were somewhat filled by these miraculous beings.
Her gaze shifted from her hands to the floor, travelling slowly to the balcony where Harry had opened the doors to let some fresh air in. The ocean waves crashing against the rocks could be heard from outside, while the silvery moonlight spilled in through the opening. Reina suddenly noticed something dripping from above outside the balcony, onto the stone floor. She stood up and slowly approached the balcony doors, stopping momentarily to grab a hand knife she had hidden in the dresser for emergencies. Her eyes zoomed in on the blood that was dripping from above, swallowing thickly when she heard scarping against the stone and heavy shuffling. She had an idea of who it was.
She quickly stepped out around the blood and onto the balcony, whipping her head back and lifting her gaze to find Vaera perched on top of the roof above the balcony doors, leering at her. The knife slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a clatter. Her lips parted to let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Vaera, tears immediately springing from her eyes while she smiled.
"Vaera," she whispered softly while Vaera steadied herself with her claws and inched closer to her until her face was only inches away.
Reina could see that the blood was dripping from Vaera's wounds, the puncture wounds on the sides of her neck and body. The sight of them hurt Reina more than she could imagine. All she wanted to do was take the pain away, but she couldn't. Vaera was here for her mother, and Reina knew that, she knew that Vaera wanted her to leave on her back and return to Vardomos. But Reina couldn't do that, and thus knew that instead of showing her love, she needed to push Vaera away so that she could never return. The tears slipped down her cheeks when she took a step back from Vaera, making her emit a small whine, gold eyes blinking at her.
"You need to go Vaera," Reina sniffled, hands clutching her belly as she cried. A sob escaped her when she felt Vaera nudge her cheek with her nose, hot air blowing from her nose as she stretched her neck, craving her mother's affection. "Please, just go."
"Stop," Reina uttered sharply in the foreign tongue when Vaera wouldn't move away and had started rubbing her nose against Reina's hands and stomach, pleading her to come. Vaera retracted with a whimper, and that hurt Reina; she couldn't take it anymore.
"I can't come with you, my sweet," she finally let herself touch Vaera, knowing that if she was to never see Vaera again after this encounter, she needed to say goodbye properly. "I love you so much." She said as her forehead pressed against Vaera's scaly skin, hands gripping the sides of her face. "I always will. You are my pride and joy, never forget that."
Vaera let out an affectionate purr that sounded like a growl, but Reina knew it was her way of showing her love. Reina let her touch linger for a bit longer before she began to pull away. Vaera assumed that her mother was now going to climb on her back so she tried to lower herself more but Reina stopped her. Her green eyes were still glossy, but hard as stone now. Her hands pressed against Vaera's face, forcing her back.
"But, you have to go now, Vaera," she sniffled and pushed her head away, making her come back for her. "I said stop!"
Her sudden shouting made Vaera retract her head instantaneously, features contorting with mild confusion. Vaera twisted her head to look back at where Reina usually sat when she rode her before looking Reina against and tilting her head, waiting for her to climb on. But Reina didn't budge. Vaera leaned in again but Reina snapped loudly, pushing her away at the same time.
"Leave Vaera! Go Home. Now," Reina forced herself to say harshly in the foreign tongue, causing Vaera to pull her head back growling lightly at Reina's harshness.
She surprised Reina by climbing down lower and dropping her jaw open and roaring loudly and viciously at her. Reina stumbled back against the balcony railing with wide eyes, gripping it tightly as she stared back at Vaera in shock. Vaera snarled angrily at her before climbing back up and raising her upper body, dark wings stretching while she pushed herself off the roof and flapped her wings at the same time. Reina watched as she flew away, twisting her head and gazing with sad eyes while her colossal body disappeared into the clouds over the ocean.
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∙ The next morning ∙
"Where is the King?"
"He's still sleeping. Poor love is exhausted," Reina answered Declan's question, continuing to open read a letter from Reyes in Harry's office.
She had woken up that morning to find Harry curled up next to her, head on her chest with his arms loosely wrapped around her pregnant belly. He was exhausted from helping the commoners exit the castle and putting out fires and finding the homeless a place to stay for the night. He also helped bury the innocents whom had perished in the fire.
He was completely knocked out and in need of a deep sleep so Reina left him there and had breakfast on her own, deciding to take his place on the throne to hear the peasants' complaints for the day. There were a lot of people in the throne room today, waiting for their requests to be heard, however they were not expecting the Queen to be answering them. Just as Reina was getting ready in Harry's office and Declan stepped in.
"I thought you said it was my job to rule when the King was unavailable," Declan scoffed loudly in front of her, making her roll her eyes.
"I did, and that was when I wasn't available as well," she responded, making him frown angrily and grab her wrist, pulling her back to stop her. Fredric immediately stepped forwards, eyeing Declan warningly while Reina wretched her hand out of his grip. "It's alright, Fredric."
"With all due respect, Lord Hand, if you touch her again-"
"You'll what? Hit me?" Declan arched a brow at him mockingly, before looking at Reina. "Leave us, Fredric. I want to speak to the Queen alone."
"Whatever you have to say to me you can say it in front of Fredric. He is one of my most loyal, trusted friends," Reina spoke sharply, making Declan chuckle a little, shrug and then speak.
"Look, Reina. You're pregnant, you need to sit, eat and rest until those babies pop out. You running the country while you're pregnant isn't a very good idea in my opinion because you let your emotions get the best of you while making decisions, not that any of your decisions ever make sense," Declan began rambling annoyingly.
"Running the kingdom is a man's work, and it is my duty specifically when the King is unavailable. I know you oftentimes forget that you're an arrogant, pompous bitch, but you need to remember that you're only a Queen consort. You don't have the power to do anything. I don't care what Harry says, he may be King but he hasn't made anything about you having power official."
"How dare you speak to our Queen with such crass words?" Fredric exclaimed loudly with wide eyes, making Reina look at him in surprise. She was about to defend herself but there Fredric was already doing it for her. "I'll have you know she is wonderful and kind not arrogant-"
"Are you certain about that?" Declan laughed, looking at Reina as he spoke. "She thinks she's all high and mighty because of her beliefs consist of women being treated equally to men, similarly for foreigners and negros, which to her are the correct ideals one should have."
"I mean, I do not see why they aren't correct," Fredric mumbled quietly, making Reina stare at him in slight surprise.
"She's gotten to you too, Fredric," Declan rolled his eyes at her, before parting his lips again to speak to Reina before she exploded.
"Oh fuck you!" Reina almost shrieked in anger. "You try being part of a minority and see what that feels like," she snapped at him angrily. "You try feeling degraded and sexualized because of the size of your breasts, discriminated and hated upon because of the color of your skin and your origins. You wouldn't last a fucking day."
"You're being dramatic," Declan rolled his eyes at her, making her part her lips to speak before a disembodied voice spoke instead.
"Declan."
Reina, Fredric and Declan snapped their gazes towards Harry who was standing by the doorway. He stood there with his hands folded upon his chest, the gold embellishments on his black velvet jacket sparkled as he moved from his position. His hand touched Reina's lower back as he stood by her, intense green eyes focused on Declan. He had heard the entire conversation, and he was not happy with the way Declan was speaking to Reina.
"I do not know what the fuck has gotten into you, Declan, but you need to stop this behavior right away," Harry spoke in an authoritative tone, deep and firm. "You may dislike her as a person, but she is your Queen nonetheless and you must respect her."
"I will never respect a savage," Declan spat angrily, causing Reina to snap.
Harry's jaw slackened when Reina lurched forwards at Declan, hand darting forwards to strike him. But instead of slapping him like she had planned, her fingers had curled into a tight fist and punched his cheek. The collision of Reina's knuckles and Declan's cheek was audible, and had caught everyone off-guard. Reina was quickly pulled back, lips parting to let out a grunt of pain while Declan cried loudly in shock and agony.
He stumbled back a little from the impact, head whipped to the side. His cheek was bleeding a little because Reina's dragon claw ring that cut the skin the open. Her face held a tight grimace, looking down at her hand before she felt Harry's bigger ones gently hold hers to examine it.
"You fucking whore!" Declan yelled in fury, most of his words muffled by his hands.
"Don't you fucking call me that," Reina snarled at him with her fists clenched again, immediately stepping forwards, causing him to stumble back in fright. "I am sick and tired of you, you disrespectful, foolish shithead."
"Alright, alright that's enough!" Harry spoke loudly, immediately pulling her back. "Reina, Fredric will escort you to the throne room. Please attend to the people's requests in my place. Declan, we need to talk."
Reina eyed Declan for a moment, the fire behind them burning brightly with irritation and anger, before Harry stepped into her line of sight.
"I'll see you later for lunch," Harry told her, squeezing her hands in his. He then noticed the bags under Reina's eyes, and the tiredness of her face. "Are you alright, love?"
"I'm...fine," she answered lowly, gaze flickering to Declan who was seething quietly behind him. She had yet to tell Harry about what Declan said to her last night, but he wanted to speak to Declan privately and she had to attend to the people.
"Oh, you know what? I think you should just go rest instead. I can take care of the people after I speak with Declan-"
"No, don't be silly. I can do it," Reina dismissed his words quickly with a shake of her head before reaching up to peck his cheek gently. "I will see you later."
She turned around and left with Fredric trailing behind her. Harry looked at Declan with a heavy sigh, gesturing for him to sit down before he went to sit behind his writing desk, opposite him. Declan pulled his hand down from his cheek, which was bruising now, turning red and purple. Harry wanted to smile at the sight; it humored him. He was sure Declan was seething over the fact that he was just punched by a woman. It must've hurt his ego terribly.
"She's suffering a lot," Declan mused, bringing Harry out of his thoughts. "I wouldn't be surprised if the babies are born deformed or dead."
"Declan," Harry uttered in a low growl, appalled that he'd say such a thing. "That is my wife and my children you are speaking of. What is the matter with you?"
"I apologize, cousin," Declan sighed in exasperation.
"You must apologize to her too," Harry insisted, making Declan grumble a little. "Truly! What is the matter? Why do you detest her so much?"
"I have my suspicions about her," he mumbled, making Harry frown before it dawned upon him.
"Such as regicide?" Harry arched a brow, making Declan shrug. "How many times must I tell you that you need evidence before you go around accusing the wrong people of crimes they didn't commit?"
"My King, may I ask you a question?" Declan said instead of responding to his cousin's question. Harry rolled his eyes, waving his hand to go ahead. "Who of all the houses imports nutmeg and sells it to the others?"
"House Rahraenos," Harry mumbled with a frown, wondering why this was relevant.
"And what killed Lady Aella?"
"A nutmeg overdose," he responded, before it hit him. "Are you accusing her of orchestrating her own grandmother's murder? Are you truly insane?"
"Maybe I am, I'm just saying there must be a connection-"
"You are simply stating a fact that everybody knows, Declan. Just stating that her house provides us with spices, which was coincidentally used to murder one of her own, does not prove that she's the one behind it all. We buy nutmeg from the Rahraenos just like every other house. The Messians must've simply chosen nutmeg as their weapon."
"I mean what justification do you have that she was behind my father's murder, hmm?" Harry demanded loudly, making Declan gulp and shrug.
"I don't have any," he mumbled quietly, making Harry scoff.
"Exactly. Now I would appreciate it immensely if you kept your suspicions to yourself unless you have solid evidence to support them. I would also appreciate it if you show Reina and I a bit more respect from now onwards. You're forgetting that we are your King and Queen, and you're just the Hand. I can choose another easily. Thus, if you want to keep your position, you'll need to learn to bite your tongue and obey our commands, understood?"
"I understand, your Grace," Declan sighed heavily, feeling slightly ashamed. "Is there anything you need me to do now?"
"Yes, I still need you to inquire Lord Norcross about his brother and where he got the dragon eggs that were gifted to us," Harry told him as he looked through the new letters that have arrived from the other houses.
"What for?"
"Well because the warning the Messian sent had dragon flesh to signify House Rahraenos, however it is said that Reina's dragon Vaera and her babies are the last of her kind. Including these eggs, which Reina insists are alive and not petrified," Harry explained. "But if the Messians got ahold of fresh dragon flesh, that must mean there are more out there. Aldrich's brother must've bought those eggs from someone who knows about the mother dragon then."
"Right, perhaps the person he bought them from may have connections to the Messians," Declan murmured in thought. "They could give us a location."
"Precisely," Harry nodded. "I need you to do that for me as soon as possible, and come to me straight away once you've learnt anything new."
"Yes, my King," Declan nodded in response before he stood up. "Will that be all?"
"Oh also, you need to apologize to Reina."
"What? No-"
"Are you defying your King?" Harry arched a brow at him, making Declan rolled his lip inwards unsure of whether Harry was serious or just joking. "Are you?"
"No, my King. I will apologize to Queen Reina after I see Lord Norcross.
"Good. You are dismissed."
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It was around nightfall when Reina returned to her bedchambers for a bath. She was exhausted from sitting on the throne and dealing with angry commoners, yelling at her for being the reason for the destruction of Siremeth, caused by Vaera.
It was difficult for her to stay calm and quiet without defending herself, but she did so because she knew why they were angry. She knew why they believed she's at fault because in some way it was true. Vaera wouldn't have come and caused havoc if Reina wasn't here. So Reina simply responded only when necessary in a calm, polite manner, making sure that every peasant's request was seen to.
"Is there anything else you need me to do?" Nira questioned softly as Reina pulled on a gold robe over her nightgown.
Reina had just come out of a long, warm bath and was planning to rest for the rest of the night, and have dinner brought to her bedchamber. She was worried about the health of her babies, knowing that despite how strong she tried to remain on the outside, she was still hurting, grieving. Her encounter with Vaera last night was still fresh in her mind; the self-inflicted wounds were still hot and stinging because she just couldn't forget the way Vaera looked at her with hurt and anger. She confided in Nira for a little about Vaera for comfort, but it didn't help as much as she wanted it too. Her eyes darted to Nira, smiling gently and shaking her head.
"No, thank you. That will be all, Nira," Reina dismissed her. She nodded in response, before she rested her hand on Reina's shoulder, making Reina touch her hand and smile at her.
"Goodnight, my Queen," Nira smiled at her, eyes glinting.
"Goodnight, Nira."
Reina sat at Harry's writing desk and began writing a letter that she was going to send to Reyes. She included her encounter with Vaera, stopping every now and then because such a sad encounter was hard to put into words. Halfway through the letter, she frowned and looked down at her baby bump, noticing that she hasn't felt a kick from the babies in a while. She was always able to feel kicks around the top and bottom of her baby bump separately, so she assumed those belonged to two babies. But now she could only feel movement around the bottom more than the top. She wasn't sure if she should be worried or not.
Her teeth tugged at her lower lip as she felt around with her hand, sighing heavily when she didn't feel anything. While she was distracted with that, Harry was right outside the bedchamber door, speaking to Fredric who informed him that Reina was inside. The door opening startled Reina a little, causing her to pull her hand away and look up. A soft smile tugged at Harry's lips at the sight of her, finding all of his stress melting away for a moment when his gaze was set on her. It was the same for Reina. She could never explain how she could sometimes feel at ease just by looking at him.
Reina slowly got up as he stepped further into the bedchamber, both of them meeting in the middle. She stepped into his arms while he curled them around her back, pulling her into him. His lips touched her forehead as they stood there in silence, before he decided to break it.
"Hello, my love," Harry mumbled with a soft smile dancing on his cheery lips. "I haven't seen you since lunch, what have you been doing?"
"Resting, or at least trying to," Reina responded with a heavy sigh. "I didn't do much after attending to the people today."
"I heard they were hostile towards you," Harry pouted lightly, making her shrug.
"It's not a surprise," she said as she looked at him. "Maybe one day they'll learn to love and respect me. I just wish I had the time and energy to be there for them more, do what my mother taught me to do to help them accept me as their Queen."
"Things have been grim and tough since our reign began, Reina," Harry told her, hand reaching out to tuck a long strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "You've been grieving and you're pregnant. When this is all over, we'll be able to help the people more. But right now, we're doing a lot for them, to protect them by dealing with the Messians."
"You are right," she nodded in response, before silence fell upon them again. They liked it though, just standing there in each other's arms, hands leaving delicate touches to let each other know that they're there for one another. Harry eventually spoke up again.
"They've agreed to a meeting."
"The heads of the houses?" Her eyes widened, making him nod in response. "Truly? All of them?"
"Yes, Liam of House Payne will be attending," Harry continued, recalling from his memory of reading the letters. "Louis of House Tomlinson will take his father's place. His father has fallen ill strangely enough."
"Do you think the Messians poisoned him?" Reina questioned lowly with a deep frown, making Harry's features change into a grave expression.
"Maybe? We don't know for sure. The cause of the illness hasn't been mentioned but we should pray to The One that House Tomlinson doesn't loose Aldwin," Harry told her, before there was a knock on the bedchamber door. Harry questioned loudly, asking who it was and Fredric opened the door a bit and said that it was Declan.
"Ah Declan come, we were just discussing the response I got from the heads of the houses," Harry waved at Declan, whom casted a glance at Reina before walking in. Harry explained what he just told Reina.
"Anyways, Reyes said he will attend of course, and lastly Kirsten Mikkelson." Harry finished, grimacing at the latter when he said her name. Reina found that odd, and made a mental note to ask him about that later.
"Kirsten? What happened to her brother? Wasn't he the head? Maxar?" Declan questioned with furrowed brows.
"He passed away when the Messians attacked their kingdom," Reina informed him. "This is old information, Declan."
"Well I apologize for forgetting," Declan snapped haughtily before he noticed Harry's warning gaze. "Apologies."
"Right, anywho, we must decide on a location, date and time for the meeting and send out the letters as soon as possible, latest by tomorrow morning," Harry said. "Then we need to gather up all the information we already have and create a few solutions to suggest during the meeting.
"I think for the location, it'd be best for the meeting to happen here in the Styles Palace. There'll be high security and we can allow them to stay for the night as our guests," Declan suggested, making Harry nod slowly in agreement.
"The two of you travelling anywhere shouldn't be an option," he continued. "Your safety is priority because you are King and Queen, and Queen Reina is heavily pregnant. We can offer them a place to stay as well as a modest feast to celebrate houses coming together to form a united front."
"Yes that would be a wise, and wonderful idea," Harry looked at Reina for counsel, which she simply nodded in agreement to. She didn't see anything wrong with the idea. "Declan, did you speak to Lord Norcross as I had asked?"
"Yes, my King," Declan responded, standing up straight. "As we know, Lord Norcross had his brother sail to lands beyond Khidos and find dragon eggs that were gifted to the two of you. Turns out his brother, Brandon, actually bought the eggs from a Messian. Lord Norcross informed me of the conversation he had with his brother about the seller, how he had an odd brand mark on his wrist."
"And it's the same as the ones the Messians have?" Harry questioned, making Declan nod in response.
"That must be how they got the dragon flesh for that warning they left in my bedchamber," Reina murmured quietly in realization. "The eggs, they obviously come from a dragon. The same dragon must be the one they used for the warning. In the past, foreigners used to ride and train dragons before House Rahraenos was even created. The Messians must have a dragon with them."
"That's worrisome," Harry muttered, ring-clad fingers tugging at his lower lip in thought. "We need Aldrich's brother to come to Siremeth, we must have a word with him. If he can befriend this seller, maybe bribe him with money: we can get a location."
"Yes, but we must think this through strategically. Ambushing them like the last time may not be the best idea if they truly have a dragon in their hands," Reina pointed out. "We should simply make sure that Brandon Norcross is still in contact with the Messian seller. Declan, ask Aldrich to send him a letter so that he can go back to those lands beyond Khidos and meet with the Messian seller again, build a friendship."
"I can confirm that Brandon is an old friend of the seller, friendship has already been established," Declan spoke up.
"That's perfect then," Harry exclaimed, relieved that they were finally getting somewhere. "This could be used to our advantage. He could find out what the Messians motive is, what they truly want from us. Once we know what they truly want, we can decide with the heads of the other houses on whether a compromise could happen or not."
"We could finally end this for once and for all."
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❀ lol at optimistic Harry right there. What do you guys think of that chapter?
❀ I got emotional writing that scene with Reina and Vaera. Idk man doing that to your pet has gotta be painful and sad.
❀ I also wanna apologize a little in advance in case my updates get sporadic (irregular and spaced out) again because in around two weeks or so I will be moving to Canada to start university so I'll be hella busy until I'm settled and I've started classes. So please bear with me incase I take like idk a month of update or something, I'm gonna try to update again before leaving tho.
❀ Anyways love you guys, can't wait to write more for this book, I'm excited for what's to come (:
Until we meet again...
thiø