1217-07-21
Mary Elephon:
It was a bright, sunny day. Adrian Kundra had written that it was good, though Kuima wasn't usually sunny. The sky wasn't pleasant, but today was different. The day before had been cold and dark, with a gray fog that seemed to cover the battlefield. The usual dim light that blanketed the sixty yards had disappeared, replaced by the sun. Dragons were visible in the air.
He noticed two dragons—two light blue dragons that emanated a cold aura, a sign of things to come. As the day went on, the dragons continued to fly around the city, an omen of a bad future.
He stood with his men. The heroes had long since been retired by this point, allowed to rest. Most had returned to the palace, while the rest were too old and tired to stay. Their deaths were an inevitable fact—a sad reality.
He notes that he was relieved when the Emperor of Wara told him when he would attack. It lowered the stress in an odd way, the opposite of what he had probably been hoping for.
Knock.
The history we learned in Maranona diverged at that point. The history we heard was that Milton and his dragon riders, along with the Holy Knights, descended from the sky in the coming battle.
The bright light was evidence of that, an undeniable fact that both sides agreed on.
In Adrian's stories, he tells a different tale. He says that he fought alone, that he challenged the Emperor of Wara to combat, which was denied. During the fight, his army had the advantage, until she released a dragon.
The story goes that the Emperor was able to control the dragons, unlike the subjugation that we subjected them to. It wasn't a companionship, but a rule, not a partnership.
The people in Wara worshiped the dragons like their gods, praying to them. They even believed that they housed the supreme dragon, a being of wisdom and strength.
The story continues that, unlike pacts, the dragons obeyed the Emperor. It was based on something Adrian held dear.
Adrian admits that he wasn't sure why the dragon attacked. There's nothing there he would care about. But he says that he will work with Khiz to rebuild once the ice melts.
But still, the ice hasn't melted.
I continued reading the story at the end of the second book. A small note is kept:
"My father always told me that there were powers we couldn't see, abilities that could change the world. I wasn't sure what he meant at the time, and even still, we're still discovering new powers.
The Hundred Years' War is an event that even the greatest scholars on all sides believe in. But what if it's not the way we knew it? What if the history we know is a lie?
I cannot, in good conscience, believe that we are the first generation to discover these three powers. There's probably even more hidden away yet to be unlocked."
Knock, knock.
I jumped out of bed, quickly putting on my uniform and hiding the book in its usual spot. The action was familiar. The day had just begun.
I opened the door to our dorm, standing behind it was a warm, welcoming face.
Lucia smiled, running into my arms.
"Mary," she smiled back.
"Aren't you busy?" I asked. "Why are you here?"
She had a worried look on her face. Her smile remained.
"There's someone who wants to meet you," she said, pointing to her left.
A man—a family man.
I bowed instantly.
"King Milton, I wasn't aware of your presence. I would have—"
"No need to bow," he smiled. "Call me Maris."
He stared at me. The stare was long and uncomfortable. The feeling was unbearable.
As I looked, I saw a small girl holding onto him, standing almost as if she were wobbling.
Amelia, the king's prized jewel. She was the spitting image of him—red eyes that pierced through me, pure blonde hair. He held her arm, almost supporting her as she wobbled next to him.
"We need to talk," Milton commanded, walking into the room.
He sat down, and Lucia stood next to him, acting as his guardian. A pulsating red circle was on her hand, almost unnoticeable.
"What's wrong?" I ask, noticing the solemn expression on King Maris's face.
He hesitates.
"In one month, I'll be visiting Eleanor. Lucia convinced me that Jude is important to you—that if you joined me as a ward, I will help him escape Eleanor."
I blink in confusion. "I thought Maranona and Eleanor were allied…"
He shakes his head slowly. "No, they aren't. I know Agatha told you that, but it's not true. That alliance is a farce."
"But… what does this mean for me?"
"I see a future for you, one where you follow in your sister's footsteps. But you'll be under my protection. Your side, just like hers," he says with an edge in his voice.
"I want to be a Dragon Knight," I say, my voice steady. "A Holy Knight, like my sister. I won't be a ward."
King Maris shakes his head, his expression hardening. "I disagree. Maybe what you need is a purpose."
"What do you mean ?"
His eyes narrow, as though assessing me. "Your abilities will be useful. If you can bond with a dragon during the ritual, I'll grant you anything you wish. Anything you want."
I feel a shiver run down my spine. I reach out and shake his hand. His grip is cold, lifeless. The hand of a man already dead.
I step back, my thoughts racing. "I… I don't know what to say."
"I'm offering you a chance, Mary," he says, his voice growing colder. "A chance to truly choose your path. A chance to be part of something greater—something that will improve Maranona, just as your sister has done for her people."
His words linger in the air. "You can be a part of this, Mary. You can make a difference. Help us rebuild, help us lead. What your sister has started, you can continue. You'll have power. You'll have influence."
The king and Lucia jolted up at the same time. Amelia cooed as Maris picked her up. A small smile formed on her face.
"Why don't you think about it?"