The Last

A heavy exhale and Rollo wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “Dragons tongue apparently,” he said, not really sure how to explain it better, as even he didn’t fully understand how he did it. “I’m not sure how it works, but when she gets worked up like that I just somehow know what to say.”

“This has happened before?” Cal demanded surprise and anger clear in his voice. Rollo winced slightly and nodded in confirmation,

“The day she had that nightmare, it was far worse then, this was relatively tame... What did you do?” Rollo asked, wondering what on earth the Prince could have possibly done this time to get the Princess so worked up.

“I told her about Gweneth,” Cal said, slipping his arms underneath Amira and lifting her, walking over to the bed and carefully laying her down. Rollo’s eyes glanced over his back and then snapped back to the prince, realizing the man was half-naked, causing his blood to boil.

“Oh Yeah? Before or after you had sex?” He snapped, able to smell the arousal in the room more specifically oozing off the Prince, his senses drastically increased after having bonded with the Princess. He was hoping she would recognize it on her own, but he now knew he would have to tell her, especially if she had slept with the Prince.

“Excuse me?” Caldwin turned on his friend quickly, “not that it’s any of your business, but we did nothing of the sort.” He was more preoccupied with taking care of Amira than engaging Rollo in whatever pissing match he was up to now, but the guard didn’t let it go.

“It is entirely my business,” he retorted, causing Caldwin to face him and give him his full attention. “I am her rider.” He claimed not backing down from the intensity of power the Prince exuded as his anger rose. “We have a soul bond more complex than you will ever understand. So you see, it is my business.”

“I don’t give a damn what you are.” Caldwin said tersely, “You’re going to get out right now.” The prince snapped, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Amira had woken in time to hear the last of Rollo’s statement, his charm never keeping her asleep long.

“You’re what?” Her voice was soft and her eyes glazed over with tears as she looked past Caldwin to Rollo. Betrayal stinging her heart.

“Amira… I-I wanted to tell you,” Rollo began, scrambling as he realized she’d heard him, “I just didn’t know how, I didn’t want to freak you out,” he said moving to take a step towards her, but Caldwin blocked him stepping into his path, gaze threatening murder, so he had to continue from behind him. “You always talked about how you liked the freedom of not having to worry about someone else… I didn’t want to take that away from you...I’m sorry,” he said, at last, taking a step back as he saw her expression fall. She didn’t say anything for a long time and the two males hovered, hardly breathing as if they made the smallest movement she would shatter into pieces.

“I want to be alone,” She said, at last unable to choose between them.

“Are you sure?” Caldwin asked softly, a gentle and open expression occupying his face as he looked at her a rarity from the Prince. A small nod was her only answer. “Very well,” he said straightening up, “just ask and I will return,” he said before walking out the door not disturbing her any further. If she wanted to be alone he would grant it. He had never denied her any of her requests before outside of her wish to die. Rollo remained hovering, his hands nervously shoved into his pockets at his side.

“I’ll be right outside if you need me…” Rollo said almost hoping that she would stop him, but as he walked towards the door she rolled over, turning her back to him, and didn’t call him back.

~

Amira didn’t leave her room the following day. Josie was the only one allowed in, to bring her meals and short conversations. The young girl reported to the two anxious hovering males that she was alright, but just wanted to be left alone. This carried on into the following day and the next. On the fourth day of her self-isolation, she told Josie she wanted to go down to the gardens but didn’t want to see Caldwin or Rollo. They arranged for it to happen and Amira was happy to get out of that wretched room.

She sat on one of the marble benches in the center of the garden, soaking in the light of the sun. She wore a white flowing dress that was comfortable and breezy enough that she did not get too warm. She felt bad for shunning Caldwin, it wasn’t his fault she had come to realize. Her sister had become so wrecked by grief, she assumed, that she was unable to see past this. Yet at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to face him, not after she lost it on him the other night. She remembered attacking him, and after waking up how vile it made her feel. In-between the shift she was unable to think clearly, the beast often had control there especially if she was so emotional she shut down. In a full shift they shared, depending on what the situation called for, but she was always present. Rollo on the other hand… he hadn’t lied to her, but he also hadn’t been entirely honest either, and that didn’t sit right with her.

They had become fast friends and she certainly cared for him deeply, but he was right. She’d never wanted a rider, never wanted to be bonded because she had thought that title had already belonged to another on top of the responsibility that came with it. She was the youngest of five, she had never been destined to wear the crown, she was just supposed to have fun and reap the benefits of being a royal without any of the drawbacks, but now it was looking more and more like she would be Queen. If not of her own people, then possibly of the Heliki people. Although she assumed it would be over the current Queen’s dead body that it ever happened.

Then there was the problem of her sister. What would she say to her? How could she change her mind? And if she couldn’t, what then? She looked up as the sound of footsteps crunched along the gravel heading towards her flanked by others releasing her from the torment of her thoughts. As the Heliki Princess came into sight she paused before Amira, her guards or advisors vanishing to the adjacent paths as Zara waved them away. The raven-haired woman was covered in filth and blood, her sharp features and stunning personality the only recognizable part of her.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded a harsh voice holding no sympathy for the other Princess. The difference in their appearances was almost comical.

“Thinking,” Amira answered, golden eyes unflinchingly holding the gaze of the brown-eyed Princess. If she was going to be rude, Amira could be just as equally rude. Zara huffed and rolled her eyes crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’re a real piece of work aren’t you?” She asked rhetorically not waiting for an answer as she continued on, “you must annoy the hell out of Cal.” Amira huffed and looked away shaking her head,

“If you just came out here to be a bitch can you get it over with and let me get on with my day?” The Princess asked looking back to the other so fed up with putting up with everyone’s bullshit around here. There was a second of silence before the slightest of smiles pulled on her lips. A miracle if Amira had ever seen one.

“I actually came out here for you.” She said lifting her hand to pick the dried blood and dirt out from underneath her fingernails. “I need….your help,” she said as if uttering those words were equivalent to pulling out her very own teeth one by one.

“Oh?” Amira exclaimed tilting her head slightly in curiosity this time her turn to smile, “Do you now?” A sharp nod of the Princesses head in answer was satisfactory enough for Amira. She rose and stood to face Zara. “What do you need?” She offered, ready to help without knowing what exactly it was that was asked of her. However, she did know that she would be Zara’s absolute last option, so whatever it was that she needed, it was important.

“My mother refuses to see the gravity of the situation with your sister allying with the witches. She is confident in our armies…” The Princess began to pace as she spoke, Amira’s gaze followed after her. “But the thing is, her parents largely worked in secret and the slaughter of your people was a well-organized simultaneous attack.” She didn’t need to repeat facts that Amira already knew, but she let her continue, shoving down the emotions that swelled in her chest at the mention of the massacre. “We have no airborne cavalry, we would have nothing to stop her outside myself and my sibling’s elements, but even then, we can only reach so high.” She explained and Amira finally started to pick up what she wanted her to do.

“You want me to demonstrate,” she said calmly and the Princess nodded dark eyes looking at hers with a small amount of hope. The other girl was cold, and a bitch a majority of the time, but she wasn’t heartless. She cared for her family greatly and as far as Amira could tell that was the only thing she cared about. “It doesn’t matter if I show her, you would still have nothing to…” she trailed off as she realized the second part of Zara’s plan. If it came down to it… she may have to face her own sister on a battlefield someday.

“If we prepare, if we move fast enough it may never come to that,” Zara said softly, for once Amira thought she saw something similar to compassion in her eyes. She moved away leaving the Princess standing in her spot as she took in a few deep breaths as she thought about the proposition. She sighed softly and turned back to face Zara.

“I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” the relief in her voice was obvious.

“I’ll need Rollo and Caldwin,” she instructed, rolling her shoulders and looking up to the sky, it was in fact a good day for flying.

“Bring them, the Queen and King and no one else to the training grounds in half an hour,” she instructed and Zara nodded turning on her heel. She was about to leave as Amira called after her, “you owe me,” she said earning herself a curt nod before Zara disappeared into the gardens, her advisors appearing out of nowhere to hurry off behind her.

Amira took a deep breath and shook herself out tilting her head to the right and then left as she cracked her neck. “Let’s do this,” she said softly to herself before setting off to the training fields.

~

The open green space was perfect. As she’d instructed, it had been cleared out. She sat alone in the middle of the field stretching out her muscles methodically and strategically, her white dress softly flowing in the wind. As the royal party approached, flanked by Rollo, Amira slowly stood. She didn’t look at Caldwin or Rollo who seemed equally desperate to catch her gaze, instead, she focused on the Queen who stalked right up to stand in front of her. To her credit, she didn’t cower under the Queen’s fiery gaze. She met her head on and stood tall and quiet until she spoke.

“My daughter claims this is important.” Amira remained silent, and the Queen continued. “Swear you will harm no one,” she directed and procured a blade from her waistband.

“I swear I will not harm any individual during this demonstration,” she said, receiving a satisfactory nod from the Queen. She took the dagger from her and slit open her palm letting her blood fall onto the earth between them.

“Let it be so,” The Queen said, cementing the agreement between them. Taking her blade back she stepped back allowing Caldwin to approach, Rollo still hung back, waiting for permission to approach.

“Hey,” Cal greeted her softly with a small frown, “you don’t have to do this,” he added, shooting a glare over his shoulder at his sister who stuck out her tongue at him.

“Trust me,” Amira said with a heavy sigh placing her hand in his. “I want to,” That frown did not leave his expression, but he removed the golden bracelet from her wrist without further argument, the metal expanding in his hands and easily sliding off. “Just try not to be too afraid of me after this,” she added with a playful wink as he stepped back. She jerked her head towards Rollo and he approached carefully.

“Princess,” he said hesitantly, not exactly sure what she wanted from him.

“You remember your training?” she asked, rolling her shoulders slowly letting that warmth of the wildfire pull up from her core and spread through her limbs, she grabbed onto the memory of her first shift as Rollo nodded confidently, “Good. We’ll show them everything then,” she said simply, and he offered another nod. She turned her back to the group of them and jogged forwards a few paces, she exhaled, sensing rather than seeing Rollo half a stride behind her. She came to a halt and grabbed onto that memory, that pain, anger, and desperation, and yanked.

In a blinding flash of light, Amira shifted body exploding outwards rapidly growing, bones snapped and groaned, tissue rapidly expanding. The whole gruesome process only took a matter of moments. The light faded and Rollo jumped, leaping up to her elbow before he pulled himself up onto her back into place seated in front of her wings and behind her neck. Slate-colored scales covered her back, tail and forehead, yet her underside, jaw, and muzzle were bright silver scales that flashed in the light. She turned around slowly, massive legs the size of small tree trunks shaking the earth with the weight of them as turned to face them, violet eyes burning bright. She lowered her head, snaking down to the face-level of the royals remaining on the ground in a small group. She pulled back her lips exposing row after row of razor-sharp fangs as long as they were tall and let out a soft hiss.

The Queen’s eyes were wide and paralyzed as she could see her own reflection in the beast’s teeth. Caldwin’s eyes were drawn to her wings, massive scars crossed the thin membranes. He remembered her telling him of the time she shifted inside of a building and clearly, these were the remnants of the event. He couldn’t possibly imagine how that must have felt, the damage it must have caused. Looking at the size of her alone he pitied whoever had been on the receiving end of her ire that day. He didn’t have long to look; however, as her head snapped back around and with two rumbling steps forwards and a massive downwards stroke of her wings the pair launched into the air. The air blasted them from above and Caldwin raised his arm to shield his face until Amira had climbed high enough and that’s when she really let loose.

Her senses were heightened and everything felt so right in this body. She could taste the layers of the air and could feel the currents lifting her up comfortably under her outstretched wings. She felt her beast brush up against her consciousness like a content cat, happy to be let out to bask in the sun for a while, ‘me too’ Amira told it quietly, ‘me too.’ With another downward sweep of her wings, Amira shot upwards through the clouds. She lifted her head looking over her shoulder as she heard Rollo laughing and screaming with joy as they soared. She circled over the field slowing down into a lazy descent. She lifted her head once more to let out a roar, a battle cry, and challenge to everything that had tried to stomp her out her whole life. Those blissful moments were worth every second, but as her gaze turned back to the earth below she remembered her purpose and began her display.

She dove down to a level in which their magic may have been able to reach her before she leveled out. She opened her maw once more as she glided past the royals on their left, she let the fire that lived in her chest to rip forth tearing into the world in front of her. It struck the ground and blew it apart, shattering debris in all directions. She created one line before she swept up and away faster than any archer could follow.

Next, she repeated the action, but from higher up and on the other side of the royals demonstrating the havoc she could wreak out of range of archers. This time the earth remained where it was, but the fire incinerated everything in her path. She encircled them in a ring of destruction before she landed heavily, talons digging deep into the earth and gripping tightly to abruptly stop her momentum as she landed within the circle of destruction. Tail snapping back and forth like a whip that would take men down off of horses with ease.

She snarled and Rollo launched himself off of Amira landing easily despite the height he fell from being ridiculously high. Amira showed off one last time, raising up on her hind legs her wings flaring out wide behind her. She raised her head to the sky and bellowed a final roar and challenge before slamming back down to the earth on her forelegs.

There was a second flash of light and the hellhounds shielded themselves covering their eyes until it faded and where the once-mighty dragon stood was Amira. Rollo had wrapped her naked body in his jacket without hesitation. The hellhounds were in shock, Amira lifted her hand and breathed in pulling all the flame that raged around them towards her and then blew out like she was blowing out a candle and the fire winked out of existence leaving behind only scorched earth. Amira looked to Zara and smiled faintly to the slack-jawed Princess,

“Good enough?”