The Dragon’s Throne 1

“Almost all of them,” he said.  “There weren’t enough people left to count the dead, but most of the bodies were completely vaporized anyway, so getting an accurate number is almost impossible.  I will tell you that there were seven billion people in the world in twenty-seventeen, and now, there are closer to one billion.”

She gasped.

“That’s so many lives lost,” she said.

“It is.”

“I can see why my parents’ families decided on this place.”

“A lot of humans used the war to return to humbler roots.  Without technology getting in the way, it is a much simpler life.”

“It is, but I wish we could have something like what Aman has for the people of Aldeia.  They work hard to barely scrape by each winter, and I think they would be happier if we could help them live more like the people of Aman do.”

“That’s not a good idea,” he said.

“Why not?”

“We helped humans before and they almost got the entire dragon species wiped from the face of the earth.  It’s taken fifty years for the few hundred of us that were left to replenish our number into the thousands.  Even among those that sympathize with humans, everyone agrees that allowing humans to find their own way in this world is the best thing.”

“Then what is the point of us getting married?”

“It’s not the people of Aldeia and other villages like them that need our help.”

“There you go with the cryptic speak again,” she said.  “I wish that I knew what you knew.”

“I don’t know much,” he said.  “And with each change in you, the future changes.”

“For the better?”

“Always for the better.”

“Would you tell me if a decision I made was sending me in the wrong direction?”

“No, because what looks wrong might be a detour toward the right path.”

“This is so much harder than I expected it to be.”

“My mother used to tell me that the best way to deal with that was to let go of your expectations.”

“But, how can I do that?  How can we be prepared if we don’t know what to expect?”

“I don’t know what to expect, either.  I just see glimpses in my dreams, and even those are often unclear.  That’s why I’m preparing you to fight humans and dragons when I’m certain that you will only be fighting humans.  I’m trying to help you prepare for everything possible so that no matter what happens, we’re both ready.”

“I’m glad that I have you in all of this.”

“Me too,” he said.  He pointed in the distance, drawing her eyes to the horizon.  “Do you see it?”

“That’s the palace?” she asked. 

“It’s actually a castle, but yes, that’s it.”

“It huge,” she said in awe.  “You could fit at least ten of your mansions in there.”

“There’s a courtyard in the middle that’s ten acres so it’s really not as big as you think, it just wraps around the courtyard.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it outside of books I’ve read.”

“You’re going to love it here.”

“I think you’re right,” she said, smiling as Daniel began his gradual descent toward the castle.  “What is it called?”

“It’s named after our family, so it’s Archer Castle.”

“Annabelle Archer has a nice ring to it,” she said dreamily.

“It does,” he said. 

Daniel touched down in the soft ground of the courtyard, waiting until they slid off his back before shifting to human with a big smile.

“These suits are ingenious,” he said to Anna.  “I can’t believe that you came up with something this cool.”

“Are you saying I’m not cool?” she said, teasing Daniel with a straight face.

He laughed, shaking his head.

 “You are infinitely cool,” he said, backing away in mock fright. 

The three of them laughed, and Daniel pulled her in for a hug. 

“I couldn’t have imagined a better sister than you,” he said.  “I’m so glad that Eli found you.”
“Come on,” Eli said, putting an arm around his brother and the other around his bride to be.  “Our parents are waiting to see Anna, and you know how Father hates to be kept waiting.”

*

There was a soft knock at the door, and a moment later, Lauren Archer breezed into the room, wearing the dress that Eli had purchased for his mother at Festival.  Lauren gasped, smiling at Anna’s reflection in the mirror as the hairdresser put on the finishing touches on her hair. 

“Oh Anna, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Anna said. 

“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought that I would wear the dress your mother sewed for me.  I know it’s not the same as her being here, but I thought it would be special if we were both wearing something that she touched while we walk down the aisle.”

“You’re walking with me?”

“Of course, I am.  You’re family and you have no one to speak for you.  Someone has to make sure that you don’t make a mistake and marry the wrong man.”

Lauren winked at her.

“But that man is your son,” Anna laughed.

“I know.  He can be a bit of a pill, so I’ll make sure he knows that I’m keeping my eye on him.”

Anna laughed again, reaching out from the chair she sat in to squeeze Lauren’s hand, afraid to move while the hairdresser was still working.

“Thank you,” Anna said.  “I’m so grateful that you’re stepping in when I have no one.  I feel like I’m already part of the family.”

“You’ve been part of the family since before you were born.  Your father saved me and Eli from drowning that day, and he gave his own life in the process.  That’s a debt that I can never repay, and I am happy to step in wherever I’m needed.”

The hairdresser finished, scurrying away to give them some privacy.  Anna stood, looking at herself in the full-length mirror and sighing.

“What is it?” Lauren asked.

“I just feel so weird in a dress now.  It’s as if my entire identity has changed these past three months.  I don’t even recognize this version of myself anymore.”

Lauren nodded.

“That happens sometimes, but the pendulum will shift again and you’ll find a way to exist in both identities.  At some point, you will find that it’s rather easy to shift from one to the other.”