71. AURELIA

Chapter seventy-one

AURELIA

I made my way to the balcony at the far edge of the kingdom, where I could speak to the people directly. It was in the perfect part of the castle where anyone within miles could hear my voice with how the walls were positioned to create lasting echoes.

Hundreds of people gathered in small groups, waiting to be informed about the events of the Deathlies. They deserved an explanation of the plagued creatures. Many lives were lost to the disease.

The crowd hushed when I stepped out into the gleaming light. The balcony was a soft white with vines draping along the outlining fences. Cobblestone crept up from the floor, mingling with the white fence lining the crescented area.

I was sure that they could see my golden eyes from where they all stood. They must all know by now that I was a Scaleborne. Whispers broke out throughout the crowd, making my assumptions correct. Many people had never seen one of my kind before, let alone one of my kind standing on this balcony as royalty before them.

"My people! My name is Aurelia Demilove, and I am the Scaleborne daughter of King Demilove." The moment I said it, there were gasps and yells. Chaos spread throughout the crowd. I took a moment to pause, waiting for the shaking to stop in my voice. "I have been hidden for the last twenty years to protect my life, and I come out to you today to announce the stop of the diseased creatures and the harmony that we will build with dragons and Scalebornes." Silence filled the grounds again, awaiting carefully for my next words.

"For us to stop the danger that plagued our land, we needed four Scalebornes with different abilities to kill off the connection of old magic and the Deathlies." My voice trembled, the emotions of my father's death overcoming me.

"Unfortunately, in the process of ending the Deathlies, King Myre, my father, was killed." Not one Clandike citizen moved. Not even as small of a movement as wiping their brow. I thought there would be more murmuring and gasps, but the silence utterly shocked me.

My mother stepped in, draping an arm over my shivering body. "It is true. The king is dead. With this as the case, I am the next in line, as Tobias has willingly stepped down from being heir. With my authority, I am announcing Aurelia Demilove as next in line to be heir to the throne." She turned to me and placed her crown on my head. "I name you Aurelia Demilove, Queen of the Clandike Kingdom!" The sounds that erupted from the large mass of people surprised me. The applause and hurrahs confused me. The confidence jolted my spirits and excited me for this new chapter. I wasn't sure why they clapped for me when I expected the opposite.

The people were excited about a new heir. They were excited for me.

There was a cloud of sadness as clusters of people mourned the death of my father through tears and other heartbreaking sobs. I clutched my heart, feeling the sense of sadness of his loss deep within my soul as well. It was a reminder to me that he was dead and made me feel as though his death was on my hands.

The silence trickled throughout the audience again, allowing me to think of what I would say next.

"The first law I would like to make as Queen of the Clandike Kingdom is that there will be no more killing or torturing of Scalebornes or dragons," I yelled, and the moment I did so, dragons started to perch all around the castle, parts crumbling off as their talons clung to the edge. The crowd went into shock and fear, the terror of dragons having been etched into their minds.

Belle was among them, her pink wings flattering against the rays of the sun as she was perched next to Abner's dragon, Waimanimet 1 , in the short distance, their claws clinging to the edges of the crosshatched cobblestoned wall.

"We are now to live in harmony with the dragons. They have agreed to protect us and our land, as we agree to leave their kind alone and in peace." There was a new type of excitement that was palpable in the air. Cheers erupted, the type that they knew they were now going to be protected and unharmed. Something new, exhilarating, maybe even fear-driven, but excitement all the less.

"Everyone in favor say, hurrah!"

The crowd cheered and roared, confirming our alliance with the Scalekind.

GG, Loker, Abner, and Clemmy patted my back, congratulating me on becoming the next queen of the Clandike Kingdom.

After their supportive comments, they were led by their own servants to their rooms to clean themselves up and find their place in the castle.

The only person left was Damian. His eyebrows were perked up when he looked at me. His dark brooming hair was somehow always in the perfect shaggy formation, covering his face, and reminding me what a mystery he was.

I smirked, turning to look at him. "You didn't steal the tears of Luella's dragon, Tanaleiiman 2 , when you could've. I told you how to create the connection. You were right there and you could've."

"Don't make me look like a good guy. Because I am not."

I wanted to protest, but I blushed instead. I loved how dark he was. He continued to stare at me, something flickering in his eyes. He wanted to say something by the way his eyebrows were lifted. I knew the look from anywhere. "What?" I asked, wanting to know what was on his mind.

"My Queen," he said, bowing-making his name for me real . "You got everything you ever dreamed of."

"But what about your dreams?" I asked, thinking of his fiancée, Sebastia.

"What about my dreams?"

"Sebastia?"

He looked down and sighed, cupping my face as he always did. "You still don't get it. You're my new dream. You are everything I could've ever dreamed of. You are all I need. I would die time and time again for you. If I have you, then I have my dreams. So, you tell me. Have my dreams come true?"

Happiness burst throughout my body, making me so giddy I couldn't handle it. I jumped into his arms, and he held me close. "Yes," I said, "You surprise me, my Assassin."

"Not as much as you surprise me, my Shadow Queen."

It was the first time in my life that I felt free, happy, and complete. I didn't feel like a hidden Scaleborne anymore. I was no longer Scalebound, but Scalefree.

1. Waimanimet (Way-mawn-imet): Abner's dragon

2. Tanaleiiman (Taw-naw-lee-mawn): Luella's dragon