Chapter 1: The Unwanted Son
Prince Leonardo "Leo" dei Draghi stood at the edge of the grand ballroom, surveying the sea of nobles and courtiers gathered before him. His father, King Roberto, held court with a mixture of charm and authority, but Leo's presence was met with cold indifference.
As a child, Leo had struggled to understand why his father seemed to despise him. His mother, the dragon princess, had died in childbirth, leaving Leo with a unique heritage that his father resented. King Roberto saw Leo's dragon blood as a curse, a reminder of the wife he had lost and the son he had never wanted.
Leo's gaze drifted to his younger brother, Prince Marco, who was laughing and chatting with a group of nobles. Marco was the favored son, the one who had inherited their father's charm and good looks. Leo, on the other hand, had inherited his mother's striking features and her dragon blood.
As the night wore on, Leo grew increasingly uncomfortable. He felt like an outsider, a stranger in his own family. He longed to escape the stifling atmosphere of the court and flee to the freedom of the countryside.
Just as Leo was about to make his excuses and leave, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the ballroom. A group of guardsmen rushed in, looking frantic, and whispered urgently to the king.
King Roberto's expression darkened, and he turned to Leo with a mixture of anger and accusation. "It seems that the dragons have attacked one of our villages," he growled. "And I suspect that you, my dear son, are the reason why."
Leo felt a surge of fear mixed with confusion. What did his father mean? He had never had any contact with the dragons, never even seen one in person. And yet, his father seemed to blame him for the attack.
As the king's anger boiled over, Leo realized that he had to get out of there, fast. He turned and fled the ballroom, the sound of his father's angry roars echoing behind him.
Leo didn't stop running until he reached the safety of his chambers, where he locked the door behind him and leaned against it, panting. He knew that he had to get out of the kingdom, and fast. The dragons were coming, and Leo was the only one who could stop them.
But as he looked around his chambers, Leo realized that he had nowhere to go. He was a prince without a home, a dragon without a clan. He was alone, and he was scared.
And yet, as he stood there, something stirred within him. A spark of dragon fire, a flame of defiance. Leo knew that he couldn't stay hidden forever. He had to face his father, and the dragons, and claim his rightful place as the last dragon prince.
But for now, Leo just stood there, frozen in fear and uncertainty, as the sound of drums and war cries echoed through the kingdom, signaling the start of a war that would change everything forever.