Violet whipped her head towards Ursa. She narrowed her eyes on her, not liking the interruption. "Explain this, else I will throw you in the dungeons!" Violet growled. She wasn't used to people entering a private conversation unless it was king himself.
Ursa licked her dry lips as she paled. "A— Angus—"
Before Ursa could speak another word, Emma got up and rushed past her, her heart thundering in her ribcage. Bernice clenched her teeth and followed her with Violet going after them. She shot Ursa a dirty glare before leaving the room.
"Angus!" Emma shouted. "Where is he?" she asked Ursa who was already striding ahead of them.
"This way," she pointed to the corridor on the left.
Emma sprinted and Ursa had to keep pace with her. Ursa directed Emma to the dragon's lair. What Emma saw there, shocked her to the core.
"Oh my God!" Violet rasped when she reached right after her.
Bernice took a step towards Angus but stopped.
Emma was shaking with fear. "Why has he doubled?" she rushed to him, but Bernice grabbed her by upper arm and pulled her back.
Angus had doubled over. He was in front of the three dragon eggs out of which one had hatched. A small baby dragon, purple in color, had wriggled out of it. The size of his index finger, the baby dragon had crawled around his finger and bit him on the tip. Angus whimpered in pain as sweat broke from his body. He crawled, trying to gasp for air as the baby dragon remained attached to his finger. There was a sudden glow in the middle of his palm which receded immediately.
Angus managed to crawl to the stone wall of the lair and sat there, his chest heaving and the hair on his forehead stuck due to sweat. His skin was flushed and he was staring in the blank.
"Angus," Emma cried. She struggled to go to him, completely shook by the incident.
Bernice stopped her again. She said in a very low voice, "Don't go Emma. Angus has been chosen by that baby dragon to be his rider. They are bonding and this is the most important part of their life. Don't interfere."
Emma and the rest stood frozen to their spots as Angus dealt with the pain that surged in his body, watching him helplessly.
After around fifteen minutes Angus dropped on the floor, unconscious as the baby dragon crawled and wrapped around his ankle.
"Angus!" Emma rushed to him to pick him up, but the little dragon hissed at her as if warding her away, as if warning her not to touch his possession. Emma picked up her little brother in her lap and stroked her cheeks as tears ran down her eyes.
"Guards!" Violet shouted. Four guards came in. "Take him to the royal healer. Now!"
One of the guards picked up Angus and rushed him to the healer's room as Emma and Ursa followed them. When Bernice was about to go after them, Violet stopped her. "We have to talk."
Bernice wanted to see Angus but she knew that Violet wouldn't allow her until this was sorted. Violet strode back to the chamber they were in and Bernice closed the door behind her.
"So, Angus is a dragon rider," Violet commented, taking in a deep breath. Her face was flushed.
"Yes," Bernice replied. She was surprised as hell. Those eggs were lying in the dragon's lair for over a thousand years. One of them hatched and found his rider in Angus.
"I can't let Angus go out of Yizinia," Violet said in a sharp tone. "And you know that. So do whatever you want to, but Angus is going to stay here. He belongs to my kingdom."
Bernice let out a rough exhale. At first, Violet was being so scatheful about him and now her possessiveness about him was another level. And Bernice knew exactly what that was. Violet and King Titus rarely ever allowed their dragon riders to go out of Yizinia. "But I have to inform his mother," Bernice argued. "You have to tell her about this."
"Like I said, do whatever you want to, but Angus isn't going anywhere. He will be brought up right here in Yizinia under your guardianship."
"Violet, are you sure about it?"
The queen raised her chin. She picked up the glass of juice and sipped from it quietly. "Bernice, you know that there is a paucity of dragon riders. Every rider is important and very precious. I was thinking of keeping Emma in Yizinia because she has royal genes and she would be a great asset, but she is marked. Find out who has marked her. I will get that Lorean here if possible. Otherwise, Angus remains. This is the trade that you have to take care of."
Bernice lowered her head and shook it. "You are very stubborn Violet."
"Trust me, I am the least of your worries. When Titus will know about it, he is going to use every magic the witches have to stop Angus from going back."
Bernice closed her eyes, recalling how Titus threatened to kill her parents to get her back to Yizinia. Only when she returned after giving birth to Emma that her parents were released from the dungeons. They both died their natural deaths later but Bernice blamed herself for the torture they had to undergo. She didn't want the same for Emma. "I will see what I can do."
"Good. Go to Angus and prepare him for the ceremony that would induct him as a dragon rider and give instructions to the ministers to instantly upgrade his status as the citizen of Yizinia."
Bernice left Violet and hurried to the healer's room. Emma was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Angus's hand. He was still unconscious. The healer had wrapped a towel soaked in cool water on his head and arms and legs. The little baby dragon was alive and hissing at everyone who came near Angus. He seemed to tolerate Emma though which was most likely because she refused to leave her brother despite his warnings.
Hearing the news that an egg was hatched, there was a wave of excitement. Everyone wanted to peek at the new dragon rider. The healer was having a tough time controlling the men and women. Finally, a dozen guards were stationed in the corridor to stop people from coming.
"This is huge!" Bernice said, staring at Angus. "We haven't had a dragon rider in decades. And we were about to abandon those eggs when one of them hatched!" She walked to the little dragon with a piece of meat. He cocked his head to look at her. Like an asp, he attacked her palm and gobbled the meat down hungrily. Bernice smiled as she picked up another small piece and gave it to him.
"What does this mean, mother?" Emma asked, scared to hear the answer.
Bernice gave a long stare at the dragon who had coiled around Angus's ankle with a bloated belly and had droopy eyes. She looked at the healer who nodded and went out. Once he closed the doors, she said, "This means that Angus can't leave Yizinia."
"What?" Emma was shocked. "That's ridiculous."
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