We left the banquet and we'd already been walking for a few minutes and I couldn't take it any more.
"How long are we going to walk for?" I asked the demon queen, but since then she hadn't spoken and was only telling me to keep walking. She had a firm grip on my arm, and she was leading me through the dark and deserted streets of the city. I had no idea where we were going.
The demon queen intrigued me and I still didn't know her name, but in any case, watching her from earlier I noticed that she was rather cold and didn't smile, but that gave her an incredible charm. She looked super hot, but also super scary. She had an aura of authority and danger, and she made everyone tremble with fear and respect.
I walked behind the demon queen but she didn't let me pass her, then she finally stopped and I banged my head against her back. S
"Ouch," I said, rubbing my forehead, but the demon queen didn't even take the time to look at me. She was too busy scanning the surroundings, as if she was looking for something or someone.
"You take the carriage and she and I will take the dragon," said the demon queen, pointing at a black carriage that was waiting for the soldier at the end of the street. It was pulled by two black horses, and it had a driver who wore a hooded cloak. He bowed his head when he saw the demon queen, and he opened the door for us.
"A dragon, but I don't see a dragon," I said, confused.
The demon queen took an object out of her pocket that looked like an orange stone and threw it on the ground. It shattered into pieces, and a bright light flashed. A giant dragon appeared, looking majestic.
It had scales that were the same color as the stone, and it had wings that spanned the entire street. It had horns, claws, and teeth, and it had eyes that matched the demon queen's. It looked at us with a mix of curiosity and loyalty, and it bowed its head.
"I am here to serve you, Mistress," said the dragon, in a deep and rumbling voice.
The demon queen caressed the dragon, and I saw a hint of affection in her expression. She seemed to have a bond with the creature.
"Climb on," she said, before jumping on the dragon's back. She made it look easy, as if she had done it a thousand times. She sat on the dragon's neck, and she held on to its horns. She looked at me, and she gestured for me to join her.
I tried to do the same, but my jump was so bad that I thought I heard the demon queen laughing before helping me to climb on the dragon. She grabbed my hand, and she pulled me up. She placed me behind her, and she wrapped her tail around me. She told me to hold on to her waist, and I did as she said. I felt her body against mine, and I felt a surge of heat and nervousness.
The dragon started to take off, and I couldn't help but hang on as best I could. I had never flown before, and I had a fear of heights. I felt the wind in my face, and I felt the dragon's muscles under me.
I had nothing to protect myself, and a fall could be fatal. When I looked down, I saw that we were already very high in the sky, and I saw the city below us. It looked small and insignificant. I wondered if I would ever see it again, or if I would ever see friends again. I wondered what the demon queen had in store for me, and what her realm was like.
Then, in an instant, the dragon started to go much too fast for me, and it looked like the demon queen noticed. She must have sensed my fear, or she must have heard my scream.
"Clovis, slow down" said the demon queen to the dragon, and it slowed down. We went at a speed I could bear, and I stopped clutching. I relaxed a little, and I tried to enjoy the ride.
"Thank you," I said, but the demon queen didn't reply. She just stared ahead, without paying any attention to me. She seemed to be focused on something.
A few minutes passed in silence, and I really started to get bored. I sighed heavily, and the demon queen turned towards me, before looking ahead again. She seemed to be annoyed by my presence, or my noise.
"How long until we get there?" I asked, hoping to break the ice, or the tension.
"An hour and a half," she said dryly, without turning to me. She gave me a short and vague answer, and she didn't elaborate.
"What's your name?" I said, trying to start a conversation. I realized that I didn't even know her name, and that I had been calling her the demon queen all this time.
She turned to me with a surprised look on her face, as if I had pushed her over the edge with my question. She looked at me with curiosity, or contempt.
"What do you mean you don't know my first name, everyone knows my name and you're uneducated?" she asked me, and this time she approached me and looked me straight in the eye.
"Well, I don't really know much about other cultures, I've never really had the chance to study them," I said, feeling defensive, or ashamed.
The demon queen stepped back a little, before sighing. She looked away from me, and she seemed to lose interes
"My name is Zephara," she finally said, in a low and soft voice.
Zephara, I kept repeating her name in my head, trying to remember it. It was a beautiful and exotic name, and it suited her well. It sounded powerful and elegant, and it matched her personality. It was a name that I wanted to say, and to hear.
"Can I call you by your first name?" I asked, hoping to get closer to her, or to please her.
She didn't seem to want to turn towards me, and it was strange to talk to someone who had their back to me.
"No, for you it will be your Majesty," she said firmly, in a cold and harsh tone. She set a boundary, and she established a distance.
"Even in private?" I asked and Zephara didn't answer me, it was silence.
"Please answer me, I feel like I'm talking to myself like a madwoman" I said and Zephara finally spoke.
"Can't you shut your mouth? You're starting to annoy me with all your questions," she said, but I didn't listen.
"Just answer my questions," I said, crossing my arms as if I were sulking.
"Clovis move faster," said Zephara and the dragon left at an incredible speed and I held on to keep from falling.
"Stop asking questions and the dragon will slow down," said Zephara and I nodded my head in agreement.
I have a feeling it's going to be a very long journey.