The Dragon’s Throne 1

“Wait, I’m not going to turn into a dragon, am I?”

“No,” he said.  “That’s silly.  You’ll still be human.”

“I don’t know if I can be queen.”

“Well, you’re not queen yet so you don’t have to worry about that now.”

He walked down the hall and she followed him, thinking he was going into the sewing room, but he walked right by that door and went into his office.

“I had another dream two nights ago.”

“But it’s not my birthday,” she teased.

“I know, but this dream was about your birthday, and it’s what prompted me to fly to your house today and get those dresses.”

He took her to a fresh painting and she stood before it, taking everything in.

“That’s me, isn’t it?” she asked, pointing to the figure with red hair and a long, flowing white dress.

“It is you.”

“We’re getting married on my birthday?” she asked in a whisper.

“You’re becoming queen on your birthday.”

“But to be queen, I would have to marry you.”

“Yes.”

“And what about that dress?  I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I know, and in my dream, you told me about the dress.  You were very specific.”

“How could I be?  I’ve never seen it.”

He shrugged.

 “That’s just how it works sometimes.”  He went to the closet where he had kept the painting of her from her fifteenth birthday.  “I found it, though, exactly where you said it would be.”

He stepped back so she could see the dress hanging from the hook inside the closet door.

“Eli, it’s even more beautiful in person.  Where did you find it?”

“In the attic of your house in a box.”

“My house doesn’t have an attic.”

“It does, but it’s very small.”

“But, I didn’t know that.  I couldn’t have told you something I didn’t know.  Are you sure it was me?”

“It was.  You came to me in a dream and told me where to find it.  Once I had found it, you disappeared and the wedding scene in the painting started.”

She shook her head, trying to figure out how it had happened, even though she couldn’t begin to understand.  And then it hit her, and she felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her feet.

“Did you have this dream a few nights ago?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“What day was it?”

“Saturday.”

“What date,” she clarified. 

“November seventeenth,” he said.

“Oh Eli, that’s my mother’s birthday,” she said, he lower lip quivering.  “It wasn’t me that came to you, it was her.”

“Is that possible?” he wondered out loud.

“I would say so,” she said, looking at the dress.  “As crazy as it sounds, I think it is more than possible.”

“I’m glad you said that, because there’s something else I think you should see.  It came out of the box.”

 She turned, her eyes falling on the piece of paper in his hand. 

“Is that-” she couldn’t finish her thought, reaching out and carefully taking the single sheet of paper with flowing, feminine script on the page.  “This is from her,” Anna said, staring at the paper in disbelief.  “Did you read it?”

“I did.  I didn’t realize what it was until halfway through.”

“It’s alright,” she said, swiping away at the tears.  “Can you read it to me.  I don’t think I can make it through without crying.”

He nodded, gently taking the paper from her hands and reading.

“My dearest daughter,” he began, holding her hand in one hand and the letter in the other.  “I know that I will never get to see you grow up into the woman you’re meant to be.  As hard as that is for me to accept, it is our fate and some things can’t be changed.  I made you this wedding dress so that on your big day, you have a piece of me with you.  It’s the one thing I could do to make sure that I’m there when you need me most.

 “You’re meant for greatness, sweet Annabelle, and I know that you will do us all proud when the moment comes.  Don’t be afraid to love as fiercely as you are loved and know that no matter what, your father and I will always be with you.  I love you to the moon and back.  Always, Isabel.”

Anna sat down hard, holding her hands over her face and trying to hold her heart together as it fell to pieces inside her chest. 

“She knew my name before she even had me,” Anna said, picking up her head to look at the dress through her tears.  “She knew she was going to die and she spent the last month of her life making me a dress and hiding it from my aunt.  Why would she do that?  How did she even know to do that?”

Eli went to her, setting the letter on the desk so he could wrap both his arms around her and hold her tight.  He kissed her forehead, the gesture so tender that it was almost her undoing. 

“It looks like Fate isn’t the only one that has high hopes for you.”

“I just hope that Fate is right.  My aunt said to never put all your eggs in one basket, and I feel like putting the fate of the world on my shoulders is asking for failure.  But I’m going to do my best, and I’m going to follow my heart like you said.”

“And what is your heart telling you now?”

“That I will be queen and there’s no use fighting it.”

“Not exactly the excited reaction to the thought of marrying me that I hoped it would be,” he said, chuckling in her ear.

“Marrying you is the best part of this,” she said, looking at him with a dreamy smile.  “You’re every girl’s dream come true.  Handsome, kind, smart, and funny.”

“But am I your dream come true?”

“No,” she said.  “I never could have dreamed up someone as wonderful as you.”

Her arms went around his neck and she pressed her forehead against his. 

“Thank you for this, Eli.  This is such a special gift.”

“I would do anything for you,” he said.

“I know that.  I don’t know when I realized it, but I know that you would.”

They sat that way for the longest time, just holding each other, with Anna casting glances at the dress hanging a few feet away every now and then.