Early the next morning, King Helmut had a press conference. I stayed in the shadows to watch. He spoke about the allegations that King Caleb gave the press late last night when the meeting discussing the plan of action still took place.
He told them that there was an explosion and believed that my father had conjured the creepers with his last dying breath.
The press kept yelling those questions at him. He lifted his hand, and they all fell quiet.
“I was there with the explosion, if you can remember. I spent two weeks fighting the effect of the creepers’ poison that had lodged into me and my dragon. It’s something I don’t wish on my worst enemy. As you might remember, your king is the bravest and the greatest that ever ruled Paegeia. I believed that he somehow survived the explosion, as I know his endurance.”
Some reporters yelled new questions, but the king simply lifted his hand, and they fell quiet again.
“I also know my brother. Know the vast knowledge he possessed in alchemy. Goran won’t let him die. He can bring back anyone who is on the verge of death to fill a role he needs. He wouldn’t have gained anything by losing King Albert. So knowing these two like I know myself, yes, to answer your question. The king is still alive. Now if you excuse me, we have a month to prepare starting today. The king will come home with or without Areeth.”
He stepped down as the press still yelled questions at him. Gerard Von Eck, their advisor—I saw little off—took the stand and answered more of their questions. I left for my room and texted Blake.
I really felt awful that I just blurted out that my father was still alive. I kept on thinking about my foretelling, too. This was the mission that she had spoken about, but in what way was I going to save Blake’s life? Give up my own for him.
The rest of the week, it was just press conferences. Dad didn’t think it was wise for me to go back to Dragonia yet. A normal weekend that was supposed to be the revelation of our wax figures had turned into the greatest mission ever planned.
It was boring during the week. With Lucian at Dragonia and I stuck at the palace watching tv on how everyone was analyzing if my father lived, made me feel like the worst liar out there.
I had it when one scientist had called me a manipulator and I could tell he was a huge Duclin fan. He told the host exactly the same thing Duclin had that night when he dragged me out of the room.
What was he going to do with me if my father didn’t force him to let me go?
He said that I would do anything not to lose the title. It wasn’t about the bloody title. It was Blake. I didn’t want to lose Blake. There was no reason for me to fight for the title. I hardly knew the man who sired me. I only knew my birth mother through stories.
These people were doubters and they would keep on doubting even if my father was standing right in front of them.
My Cammy rang, and Blake’s number lit the screen. I hit the button and his holograph appeared.
“Why the long face, Elena?”
“I’m stuck here. It’s boring.”
“Yeah, I know that feeling.”
“How are things at school?”
“Boring.”
My lips curved.
“Are you ever going to come back?”
“It’s not my doing. My father fears I can’t handle the press. I don’t know. He becomes more paranoid with the new revelation than what he was behind the wall.”
“He just wants to keep you safe so that you have the chance to meet your dad, Elena.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t feel like that.” I sighed as silence lingered.
“What is going on in your mind?”
“Maybe we should just do this claim again.”
“I won’t fight. You are only going to waste taxpayers’ money on another date. I would do the same thing. Your dad was right. I’m fifty percent Metallic. If they push me, I’ll show them the fifty percent chromatic.”
“They will never stop!”
“They will once you get past the creepers.”
“When is that going to happen?”
“Soon, that’s all my dad had said. He wanted to put some dragons on the other side to stake out Etan, to see what still exists and what had gotten destroyed.”
“Is he going with us?”
“I don’t know. He was pretty adamant that he wouldn’t do anything stupid. I think your words gave him hope. Your father would need him after this. He is thinking rationally about his role in all of this and not like a reckless dragon who only wanted to save his rider. So thank you for that.”
“That was nothing compared to sitting in a fridge for four days, so you are welcome.”
“Yeah, I didn’t say we were even.”
I squinted.
“No new date. I went through the process, and you have all my abilities, Elena.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, I gave away my leverage after the snow incident. I won’t take more chances.”
“What was your main reason to wait? You kept saying you weren’t ready.”
“I told you before.”
“When.”
“That day after I woke up. I don’t have all my abilities, Elena. If you get hit with something I don’t own… we were lucky with the snow, but if it’s lightning, or any of the other deadly ones, there would be no coming back. So I get why your father is keeping you locked up. I would’ve done the same if I could.”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“I would. I would just lock myself inside with you.”
Laughter barked out of me, but it wasn’t long lived. “I miss you. I hate being stuck here again.”
“He will calm down. You’ll be back at Dragonia soon. Promise.”
“Okay.”
“No date.” He pointed his finger at me.
“They can be glad I don’t know how to wield my fire yet. I might just unleash it on that Willford guy.”
“He is an idiot and always on the other side of things, debating the cons. Don’t let him rile you up. It’s not worth it.”
“I’ll try.”
“Okay, I have to go. Another boring class.”
“Stop sulking. Sulking doesn’t look great on the alpha.”
“Speak for yourself.” His holograph disappeared.
I sighed. I missed him a lot, and I switched off the tv as the idiot said another thing that made me sound like the spoiled brat in Paegeia.
A knock sounded at my door and Dad walked in. I gave him my puppy look.
“Elena, please.”
“It’s Dragonia, Dad. There are literally stone dragons that would come to life if I commanded it.”
Father chuckled. “They still do that?”
“You know about them?”
“I might not have gone to Dragonia, but I saw the effects one showed your mom and dad every time they walked past one. They sensed true royals.”
“One moved when Micha took me for practice. She told me the same thing. They sensed true royalty, and it was like a welcome gesture.”
He came to sit down on my bed. “Knowing that your father is alive, I just want him to meet you, Elena.”
“I won’t put myself in danger, Dad. Blake is there too. I’m safer with him than away from him.”
He sighed. “There is that too. I can only imagine the talk he was going to get from your father.”
I gave Dad the lazy stare, and he laughed. “If he leaves me because of the two of you.”
Dad laughed. “He is your dragon, Bear. Believe me, I’m more scared that if he leaves, he’ll take you with him and I’ll never see you again.”
“It won’t happen. Let me go back, please. I’ll be good.”
“Elena, you almost died, twice. If it wasn’t for Blake that first time and Lucian the second time.” He took a huge breath and let it out.
“Listen to your words. They are there. They are not here.”
His gaze flickered to mine.
“Please, Dad.”
“Okay, fine. Helmut actually suggests that you try to claim Blake again.”
“Yeah, I already thought about that. He won’t fight. He would just submit again. So if you two want to waste taxpayers’ money, go ahead.”
“Your dragon sure is stubborn.”
“No, he doesn’t want to fight me, Dad. It’s not stubbornness. He simply doesn’t want to hurt me. That is the opposite. Why does everyone want to see me hurt?”
“It’s Paegeia. They do everything the hard way. But I’ll tell Helmut what you had said.”
“Blake mentioned going to the creepers. His father wants to station dragons on the other side. Do you know anything about it?”
“It’s ludicrous that he wants to do this in a month’s time, Elena. We know nothing about the other side and there are just over three weeks left. I can’t see how we are going to manage that.”
“We’ll find a way.”
“I’ll ask. Which I assume is going to be fast, and hopefully Duclin would keep his mouth shut about you not being their daughter and Caleb coming to his senses.”
“Did you know Yvonne?”
“I did. I didn’t know that he perished during the betrayal, though. He was a brave dragon.”
“Which was?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“Snow dragon.”
“What?”
“They are not cowards when they get tamed. If their rider is brave, they simply mimic their rider’s courage. I could only imagine how hard it was for both of them that night.” He sighed. “Fine, you can go back to Dragonia. I’ll ask Helmut and Robert about the creepers thing. I’m sure there would be reporters, too.”
“Great.”
Dad chuckled.
“Dad 1 is great with them, Elena.”
“Yeah, well, Dad one isn’t here now, it’s only Dad. Hey, why are you Dad two? You raised me.”
“He would’ve raised you if it wasn’t for the creepers, Elena.”
“He didn’t. You are not the lesser father here.”
“I know. I want you not to treat him like Dad two, Bear. Or fear not to call me father when he is around.”
“You will always be my father. If he is the person they taught me he is, he wouldn’t mind at all.”
Dad smiled. “Remember, I raised him too, sort of. I know him better than you, and your father has a mean streak to him. Especially with the ones he loves.”
“Then thank heavens he loves us both.”
