[slight nsfw in this chapter]
"I am bound to my Kingdom, Tyrus. My life comes before theirs. Always."
Fire. Pain. Death.
Those were the three words circulating in Adora's head as a blast of magic and fire came crashing down into the Kyree castle, sending everyone flying. The explosion flung Adora out of the throne where she'd been seated, her body tumbling to the ground. Cries of terror erupted throughout the city, magic mixing with fear and panic in the air. Adora instantly shot her feet, utterly dead except for the ringing sound that made her head pound. Crying out in frustration and desperation, she launched through the crumbling throne room, leaping over the scrambling bodies.
Her legs brought her towards the door of the room which was now blocked by fallen debris. Coughing from all of the dust floating in the air, Adora's eyes fell to the wooden beam that blocked the exit to the throne room. Realizing that if she didn't manage to move it in time, she, alongside the rest of the injured people would be trapped. Panic twisted at her gut as the young woman reached up to brush away blood that dripped down her forehead. The queen's hands shook yet she pushed forward, grabbing the wooden shaft in her arms. Grunting, the Kyree Dragon heaved it upward, hearing a creaking sound before it broke in the center of the beam. Triumph washed through her as she tossed it to the ground, blood coating her hands.
To her demise, the bean was covered in splitters and her hands were now covered in cuts, blood leaking down her fingers. Never in her life as a queen, had Adora been forced to do manual labor and she'd surprised herself by managing to lift the beam. But the queen would pay the price because her arms were trembling along with the rest of her body.
But the screams of her people calling out for help brought her back to her senses. Whirling around on her feet, Adora surveyed the decaying throne room. Her silver throne lay on the ground toppled over, the headpiece smashed to pieces. It had once been a statue of a Kyree dragon, just like the one Adora would soon be able to shift into.
But now it lay at the foot of her fallen throne, shattered to pieces.
Her heart wrenched as she scrambled over to a nearby servant who lay on the floor, gasping for air as they held their chest. Adora latched onto them, dragging them out of the room. Once they had made it to the hallway, Adora focused on a second and third servant dressed in violet and pale pink dresses. But their outfits, like Adora's azure blue dress, were now covered in dust. The young queen slung their arms over her shoulders before she helped them wobble out of the room.
Calling out, guards soon appeared at the exit of the fallen throne room.
"Your, Majesty!" one called out with panic and relief in his voice. "Leave them behind. We must get you to safety." But Adora wasn't keen on leaving them behind.
They were her people after all. It was her duty to protect them.
She'd already failed by being unable to detect the Zylans attack and warn them about the explosion. Earlier, she had felt a warning feeling tug at her gut as the queen had sensed magic nearby. But she had ignored it, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her.
Adora had been wrong, terribly wrong.
She had failed to keep them safe. The least she could do was save them from the crumbling throne room. Adora guessed that in a few minutes the flames produced by the Zylans would soon catch up to the castle and overtake it.
Time was of the essence.
"No, I cannot leave them behind. They are my people. I must protect them," she grunted, lugging out an unconscious soldier.
"But your majesty, the Zylans-"
"Come help me get them out!" she bellowed, scrambling over to get another fallen soldier. But seeing no response from the guards, Adora stood upright and gave them a condescending stare.
"That's an order," Her words rang out through the room, and instantly, the guard was lugging out injured and possibly dead servants and townspeople.
Sweat dripped down Adora's forehead as the fire approached, it's large flames looming over the young queen. She paused, taking it all in. The inferno was huge, a tornado of fire that would leave no survivors behind. Cursing, Adora sprinted out of the room before the flames reached the windows and melted them.
"go, go go!" Adora snarled at the guards before launching out of the nearby window and into the courtyard below. Landing with a thud, pain rocketed up her legs and into her body, shaking her spine. Biting down on her lip, Adora choked down the scream that threatened to escape her lips.
Then her kind was searching for a place to go. But as she scanned the city of Corelia, the main city of the Kyree kingdom erupts into flames, Adora grew desperate. The guards behind her groaned and grunted in pain for their fall had been much harder on them due to their greater weight. Blood poured down her dress from her bleeding hands and the fabric was no longer azure blue but rather a dark brown. desperate, Adora called out for help before running down a flight of stairs. But an arrow whizzed past her earlobe, surprising her. It only took a moment for her instincts to kick in and Adora was on the floor, hiding behind the fountain in the center of the courtyard.
Crying out, Adora wished she had some sort of weapon with her. But she was weaponless, left at the mercy of the Zylan archer who fired at her from the roof of the castle.
Accepting that this was the end, Adora looked down at her bleeding hands, cursing herself for being so weak. She knew it wasn't her fault, she was too young to wield the magic she inherited from her parents. Despite all of this, the queen still blamed herself for the damage that was being done. Adora blamed herself for the deaths that were about to come.
"One week," She whispered harshly to herself. "All I needed was one week," She slammed her hand into the ground, feeling more blood pour down her arms. She was 17, one week away from her 18th birthday.
In seven days, once the sun finally set, Adora would unlock the ability to access her dragon form. All she would need to do is think and then she'd yield to her beast form and shift. Scales would overtake her skin, wings wild sprout from her back as her human body transformed into a powerful beast with golden, blue, and white scales.
Once she shifted back into her human form, her water wielding magic would be within reach. Her mind would gain the ability to control water, freeze and heat it. Oceans and rivers would rumble in agreement with her. and even the sky would open up and let the rain pour down if she willed it to.
But all that power was out of reach. The queen was useless, utterly magic-less. Adora was as powerless as a regular human being, as weak as the guards who moaned in around her. Peering upward, Adora noticed that the Zylan archer had moved positions, staking out a safer one.
Adora took this to her advantage and launched onto her feet, leaping over rumble to make it across the courtyard. Heat brushed against her backside as Adora felt another arrow fly past her. Her mouth opened to cry out in confusion but it was soon replaced with a cry of joy as her savior materialized before her, firing down the archer with his arrows.
Tyrus. The Silver General. The man whom only Adora trusted. The man who had been a life king friend of the queen, the only man Adora allowed to share a bed with her. Although Tyrus was human meaning his rank much lower than Adora's, she still found him captivating enough. His muscled back and his broad shoulders had always attracted her as a teenager, especially when she watched him, spare soldiers, in the sparring ring.
She was a queen, a dragon with duties yet she always found time to watch Tyrus fight in the area, marveling at the sight of sweat dripping down his bare chest and back. His black hair would stick to his forehead in a way that sent butterflies to her stomach. The way his muscles would flex when he pulled back arrows only to release them moments later. His arrows would always hit their targets. There was no questioning. It was him, not her father, not the other generals, but Tyrus who had taught her how to master archery.
The two had spent days in the archery fields, Tyrus's breath hovering over her neck as he would guide her. His fingers would wrap around hers and pull the bowstring back. And Adora could always recall the feeling of his chest pressing against her backside.
Over the years, Adora realized that she had caught feelings for a man who was of much lower rank than her, that if she dared to marry him, her name would be uttered with disgrace. Adora would bring dishonor to the Kyree dynasty.
Although the idea of her name being scorned and frowned upon, Adora knew that no matter what she did, as she was the sole heir to the kyree throne, therefore they could do nothing but respect her. She was the last Kyree Dragon, she now possessed the power to do anything she wished.
So Adora allowed herself to grow closer to the general, their intimate relationship starting the night she sought comfort in her arms after a terrible nightmare. Every night her lucid dreams (which were different from what humans experienced) shook her awoke after manifesting into monsters made of flames. In her dreams, Adora could walk, run and speak, able to control them until her memories of her traumatic childhood came crashing in. The scar on her back would appear so vibrant her dreams, Adora grew scared to peer at her reflection in her dreams. But one night, after waking up in cold sweat with tears spilling out of her eyes, Adora was too shaken to sleep alone.
So the young queen made her way across the hall and into the General's room, where he jolted awake at the slightest sound. Her small body had stood at the door frame, trembling in shaking until Adora had mustered up enough courage to speak.
"C-can I sleep with you? I had a bad dream." That was what the queen had muttered before Tyrus had welcomed her into his arms. He was her childhood best friend and he himself had fallen in love with the young queen but never had she made such a demand like this. Still, he let her in his bed, creating a new routine.
After Adora was awakened by nightmares, she would make her way into his room and snuggle into his arms. Sometimes her face would hover over the General's before planting a warm kiss on his cheek. It was her way of repaying gratitude. But the feeling over his lips had lit a spark in Tyrus chest, soon he was no longer able to resist the queen.
On a rainy night, he finally made his move just as Adora was about to land a kiss on his cheek, he jerked his head, landing his lips on hers. Startled, Adora had pulled back swiftly for it had been her first kiss.
Tyrus had been all too aware of this.
She was so innocent and fragile and the way her body quivered at his touch only made him want her more. The General knew how much of a travesty his fingers tracing her skin was. Yet the queen didn't stop him, her small sounds of pleasure urging him to go on.
Soon, his demand for her body grew much stronger and despite their differences, Tyrus ended up taking Adora's innocence that night, marking her all over but the spot at her collarbone which was reserved for her mate's mark.
No matter how strongly he felt for her, no matter how many times the two tangled in the sheets, Tyrus couldn't bring himself to mark her as his. He was human. She was a Dragon. They were different. Her tattoos weren't something for him to look at yet he'd seen them. Her collarbone wasn't his to mark yet he'd dated to kiss it once.
But his hands had gripped her waist, his lips had traveled down her chest, her stomach before fluttering against her thighs. His fingers had dug deep inside of her, bringing his queen to a release within seconds. Only after she was gripping the sheets and whining like a bitch in heat, only then had he allowed himself to feel the inside of her. Only then had he felt what it was like to brush against the gates of heaven.
The General couldn't get enough of the young queen, growing more and more demanding. The sound of his name escaping her parted lips made him feel things he had never felt before. Adora had beautiful dragon tattoos reserved for another Dragon, yet Tyrus had touched and prodded them. Well only their faint outline, for they hadn't formed on her body yet (perhaps that was the only thing that would save him from her future mate's wrath). He had watched her writhe under him after he found one of her sensitive spots on her back. Maybe it was the fact that their relationship was wrongful that kept him going. Or perhaps it was just the idea that he, a mere human, had access to Royal Dragon's body.
Whether Adora knew about Tyrus's real intentions or not, she still anticipated their meetings every night. She had fallen for him. To the point where she wanted him to be her King despite his rank. Her urges and love for him pushed her to mutter: "I want you to be my King, Tyrus" which made the General pause. Adora could still recall the bewilderment in his eyes mixed with lust and greed.
That's what it was.
Greed.
Tyrus was greedy for Adora, as she was for him.
Together, they would burn for it.
"Adora, we must leave now," Tyrus commanded, hauling her towards him. Adora let out a cry of relief before throwing herself into his arms. Her lips came crashing onto his before the General pulled away quickly. "Now is not the time to pleasure each other," He said with a stern tone. His words made Adora feel stupid and she could not help but look away. Of course, she knew that they had to escape quickly before the flames took over yet all she wanted was one kiss.
Adora had almost died in the throne room after all.
Tyrus gripped her wrist harshly, ignoring the blood pouring out of her hands and fingers. The queen whimpered as pain washed over her but Tyrus was more focused on getting out of the courtyard than the queen's health.
"Be careful Tyrus," She whispered, with agitation as he dragged her across the courtyard. His jaw clenched and he glared at Adora. His cold attitude sent a disgusting feeling down her body and she was surprised to have seen this side of him. He seemed....almost annoyed. As if Adora was a burden.
the queen shook away her thoughts, following him.
"Tyrus, slow down," She pleaded. He ignored her.
"Tyrus, please. I'm in pain." she gasped, his hands still gripping her tightly. The General turned to face Adora, a cold aura dancing around him. If he had been born with some magical properties, Adora would have guessed it would be ice magic. His green eyes were piercing and she would often lose herself in them. But as he stared her down, irritation masking his face, Adora wanted nothing more than to hide.
"We don't have time to stop." He said coldly, preparing to resume their heavy march. But Adora let out a cry of pain as he tugged her forward causing him to freeze again.
"But-" He didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence.
"Adora, as your right-hand man, it is my duty to keep you alive. Right now, you're not making my job easy." His eyes flickered over her bloodied hands. "We'll have all the time in the world to heal your wounds once we cross the barrier of fire." He motioned towards the small opening in between the wall of flames.
Biting her lip, Adora nodded, swallowing her pain.
The two continued their journey, quickly making it towards the opening. The City of Corelia was just in reach before the sound of a child crying out in pain brought the queen to a halt. But everything came to a halt as Adora found a small girl curled up in a ball, hidden by the castle's rubble. Adora's heart shattered as she instantly reached out to the child, breaking free of Tyrus's grasp.
The General clicked his tongue with urgency, claiming that they couldn't stop for injured citizens.
But Adora couldn't leave her behind.
Unlike Tyrus who was bound to the throne, Adora was bound to the people of her kingdom. It was against her morals to leave them behind. So the young woman scooped the child in her arms, carrying her through the biting debris.
"I am bound to my Kingdom, Tyrus. My life comes before theirs. Always." The General clicked his tongue in disagreement.
"As it is my duty to ensure that the sole heir to the Kyree throne remains alive. We cannot stop for any other distractions." His tone was urgent.
Despite Adora's pounding feet on the pavement, the child was slowing them down. So tyrus took her in his arms before sprinting ahead. Adora followed behind and just as Tyrus breached the wall of flames, the world flipped upside down.
Pain shot through Adora's right shoulder and spread through her entire body before knocking her to the ground. One name escaped the screaming queen's lips as she collapsed on the ground, growing aware of the arrow impaled in her shoulder. Blood gushed out of her wound as the last image Adora saw of tyrus was his pained face before the wall of fire closed around her, cutting the queen off from her lover, the child, and the rest of her kingdom.
Pain overtook her body as tears spilled down her cheeks, the only sound breaking through her deafening desperation being the roar of a dragon.
A Zylan dragon.
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