Curse of the Undead Dragon King (Skeleton Key) (2 page)

I WAKE WITH BIRD
song coming in through the window, a smile on my face. Today feels different, special, though I can’t imagine how. I sit and stretch before climbing out of bed and beginning my regular routine. Dress, eat breakfast, walk to the castle, and wonder what adventures await.

I notice the gray sky above as I go outside and am saddened at the sight. Dreary weather is never a good thing, for either the weather is good or the king is sad. But I press on, for either way, Aurelio will be there waiting for me, and he can tell me what is causing the shadow above.

I enter through the kitchen door, servants bustling about, Belen giving orders and stirring or chopping something. She looks up, noticing my presence, and gets a silly grin on her face. “Good morning, dear,” she says.

“Morning. Is there something I should know?” I saunter closer, arms behind my back as I approach.

“I couldn’t possibly know what you mean. And if you don’t mind, I think it’d be best if you hurried along today.” She ducks her head and continues cooking.

“Belen,” I say, placing my hand on her shoulder. “If something is wrong, please tell me.”

“No, there isn’t. I have much to do. The king has ordered a feast for tonight, and I just have a lot on my mind. Now, run along. I’m sure your prince is already waiting for you.” She grins again, quickly replacing it with a stern look and turning away from me.

“If you’re sure.” I nod, knowing something is going on. But I do as she asks and hurry out of the kitchen, through the corridors, and into the great hall. King Ignacio is sitting on the throne, his brother, Castel, before him, Aurelio beside him. They’re talking in hushed whispers, and I feel I should leave. I turn to go.

“Wait!” Aurelio shouts, the word ringing in the empty room. “Wait,” he says a little more quietly.

I turn back and watch him approach me. “Good morning.” He pulls me into his arms and brushes a light kiss against my lips.

“Good morning.” I smile.

“Wait here for a moment, please.”

“If you insist.” I nod.

“Thank you.” He squeezes my hand and hurries back to his father, who offers me a kind smile before returning his attention to his son and brother.

I let my gaze wander around the room as they speak in hushed tones.

I RETURN TO FATHER’S
side, having hoped Zanta wouldn’t come to the castle and find me so early in the day. I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for this. I love her with all my heart, but I never planned on marrying so young. I didn’t plan on Father dying, either.

“Should I go now?” I ask Father, feeling a bit panicked.

“If you are ready. I do not wish to force you to do this, son. I only want to see you get your happily ever after before I must leave.”

I nod. “I’m ready. I’ll never be more ready.”

“You may not need to be. Believe in Zanta’s dreams, honor her and never marginalize her, make sure she knows you love her, never let her doubt it.”

“Thank you, Father.” I lean in and kiss his forehead before standing tall, turning on my heel, and walking back to Zanta.

I take her hand in mine. She looks up at me, smiling. “Come with me?” I gently tug at her arm.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“It’s a surprise,” I say. She stands and follows.

As soon as we’re out the door, I sweep her off her feet, carrying her across the grass heading for the meadow in the woods. She giggles, wrapping her arms around my neck, resting her head in the crook of my shoulder.

Father’s tears have dried, and the sun is just beginning to shine. The sky is pink to light purple, not a cloud in sight. When we’ve reached the clearing, I set Zanta down, though never letting her go. “Fly with me,” I whisper, my forehead against hers.

“Of course.” She smiles before turning out of my grasp and running.

I chase after her, knowing she’s only getting a head start. She leaps, her body transforming. Magenta-tipped silver scales appear, her wings unfold before her, catching the breeze, and she takes flight, soaring overhead. She circles around the meadow, waiting for me to join her.

I jump, leaping over a small bush and making the same transformation from human to dragon in an instant. I fly by her side, our wings brushing slightly. She follows after me.

I lead her to the West Mountains, where my father took me just the day before, my mother’s favorite spot. It seems only fitting that such an important place be where I convince Zanta to marry me. 

I laugh, feeling freer now than I have in a long time, despite all the turmoil inside me, the emotions fighting to break free.

I make a dive between rocky walls and make a swift landing in the clearing farther east by the river, cold water rushing by. Quickly, I shift back into my human form. Zanta lands right beside me, transforming into her human self as she does.

Glow bugs fly around, flowers bloom in a perfect path leading to the blanket I asked Belen to make sure was set out, along with a basket of food, mostly Zanta’s favorite sweets such as chocolate-covered strawberries.

“That felt wonderful. And all of this . . .” She waves her arms, spinning around to take in the surroundings. “Is absolutely beautiful!” She turns to me, her smile wide and contagious. “Thank you!” She jumps into my arms.

“You’re welcome,” I say directly in her ear.

“How did you set this all up?” She kisses me on the lips before lowering her feet to the ground and stepping back, taking in the whole scene.

“I had a little help.” I grab Zanta’s hand, leading her toward a small clearing on the other side of our picnic, away from the cliff’s edge where Father and I sat, instead going in the opposite direction to somewhere more peaceful, where water cascades down the rock, passing over the arch, creating the perfect waterfall. I lead her through it to the other side where forest surrounds us.

“And what is the occasion?” She brushes stray hair away from my eyes.

“I have to ask you something, love.” I fall to one knee.

Zanta gasps, her hands going to her face as she covers her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.   I slip the ring from my pocket and hold it out to her. “Be my wife. Please?”

“Yes. Absolutely!” She beams down at me, tears of joy spilling over her cheeks.

Before I can stand, she falls to her knees and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. Our lips meet and I embrace her, holding her close, never wanting to let go.

Finally, we break apart. “Thank you,” I whisper, staring into her eyes.

“For what?” she asks.

“Everything.”

“You’re welcome.” She bumps her shoulder against mine.

“Shall we dine, my soon-to-be queen?” I can’t wait for the moment when there will be no need to clarify ‘soon-to-be’.

But she stops moving, just looking at me with concern. “Queen?” she asks hesitantly.

“One day I will be king. Perhaps sooner than I’d like.” I look at the ground, not wanting her to see the pain in my eyes.

But being so observant, smart, always understanding, she acts as if nothing happened, like there isn’t a care in the world, returning to her happy self. Playing along and letting me forget my foolish slip of the tongue. 

“Yes, my love. Let us dine.”

She takes my hand and pulls me after her as she rushes through the waterfall to the basket, where she situates herself on the blanket, leaning her head on my shoulder, and proceeds to fill a plate with desserts.

“As is tradition, tomorrow we travel to Fabulum, so it would be wise that we retire early tonight.” Not that I want to. But as every king and queen before us, upon getting engaged, we are to travel from kingdom to kingdom to announce our union, invite those we wish to, and celebrate in each royal family’s customs. Starting with the fairies.

Her eyes widen. “We’re visiting Fabulum?” Her voice fills with excitement.

“Yes. And then Miraunus. And after that, Seroceanus.”

“Could this day get any better?” She laughs.

I pretend to be bothered. “Truly, that is what you’re most excited about? If I wasn’t so sure of your love, I’d almost wonder if you were using me for the benefits of traveling.”

She bops my nose with her strawberry. “But you are sure,” she says with a smile.

“BEFORE ALLIANCES WERE
made as the kingdoms formed, dragons would slaughter their enemies. No mercy, and never fighting in human form. It was easy to conquer when your enemies were –though human size – at least ten times smaller. When fairy and dragon-human shifters formed a friendship and began working together, a promise was made that should we enter Fabulum, we will only do so as humans, as friends, because in our other forms, we are seen as enemies.” Aurelio looks down at his hands, fidgeting as he explains why we must travel by carriage rather than flying to the first feast in celebration of our engagement.

“It seems fair reasoning to me.” I nod, grateful to understand why I am sitting in the small—though ornate—wooden box, rocking back and forth as we go over the unsmoothed road. All while trying to breathe wearing this unbearably tight corseted magenta dress with silver embroidered into the bodice, almost matching my dragon scales. At least there is only one underskirt giving it some volume, keeping it more comfortable than some of the ball gowns I’ve seen others wear.

Aurelio opens his mouth to say more just as the carriage comes to a stop and the door opens. “Your Majesty, we have arrived,” the footman says.

“Thank you.” Aurelio climbs out before turning and reaching his hand to me.

I take it and allow him to help me. Once my feet are on the pink grass, I smooth out my dress. Aurelio runs a hand over his gold-and-lavender tunic and side-laced leather trousers.

“My lady?” Aurelio holds out his arm. I wrap mine around his and walk beside him as we approach the fairies’ kingdom. No castle towers over us, no bustling workers rush by. All seems calm and happy as we meander through the forest past fairies singing and dancing, merry as they prepare for tonight’s feast. Every single one smiles as we go by, some stopping to say hello while others continue on.

And then I look up and notice it. There is a castle, though it is not made of stones of any kind, but rather, the trees themselves. Wooden steps, almost as if they grew that way, lead upward toward what appears to be a throne room through the rails above.

I lift my skirts and watch every step as we ascend. When we reach what is in fact the throne, I am speechless at the beauty surrounding me. Flowers of every color, though mostly pink and every shade of it, bloom everywhere. Small lights, as if the stars themselves are here, illuminating the paths beneath the deep foliage.

“Welcome, Prince Aurellio and Lady Zanta. It is our greatest pleasure to welcome you here as we celebrate your engagement,” the queen—as evidenced by her crown of jewels and flowers—says, pulling me into her embrace.

Her dress is silky and shimmering pink, with flowers cascading over her right shoulder and flowing around the skirt.

“Thank you kindly, Your Majesty.” I curtsy.

“Oh, dear child, no need for that. Call me Calassida. I may wear a crown, but only because it’s pretty. Though I am queen, I do not want my people or anyone else to feel that I am above them.” She giggles, a charming sound.

“Thank you.” I smile, loving her perspective.

“You are most welcome.” She claps her hands together. “Now, let us dance! A celebration is in order!” Calassida leads the way back down the tree steps and out in the forest, where the other fairies have created a large fire in the open meadow. Already, there is dancing around it, along with laughing and eating.

“My lady?” King Leven stands before me, smiling. His crown of flowers and stones suits him, despite the vibrant colors. His tunic is bronze, embellished with a leaf pattern around the edges. It’s quite stunning. He clears his throat and holds out his arm.

“I’d be honored.” I take it and let him lead me to the opening where others are gathering around rapidly. Already, music is playing, though I couldn’t begin to guess with what instruments.

We hook elbows and spin, winding through the trees, more fairies and pixies and sprites joining in. A few times, I feel my hair being pulled, which makes me wonder which creature came here simply to be a troublemaker, but I don’t let it spoil my mood. Especially when Aurelio steals me away from Leven, hooking my arm in his and spinning me around.

All around the fire, fairies are clapping in time with the music until it’s only Aurelio and I dancing, laughing, barely able to breathe as we continue going until finally, the music crescendos, and we end our dance on the last note of the song.

Everyone breaks out laughing as we both fall into the grass and just lie there, giving ourselves a moment.

He reaches across the ground and takes my hand. Our eyes meet and I can’t look away, mesmerized by how happy he is. The way his pink cheeks match the grass, the shimmer in his eyes, the smile on his lips.

“And now we feast!” Calassida claps again. Aurelio and I stand and follow the king and queen farther into the forest, where blankets have been laid out everywhere for people to sit. Glow bugs float around, providing light.

“AS A SIGN
of understanding and equal strength among them, the dragons made an alliance with Miraunus that we would always meet on the same level, meaning that we, the dragons, would always be in our dragon forms upon visiting the kingdom of land creatures. It was a way of protecting their kingdom by demanding that we not come in our
lesser
form.” Aurelio explains.

“And how is that protecting themselves?” I ask, fascinated by how the traditions and rules change by kingdom. In Fabulum, we were required to arrive by carriage and remain in our human bodies, but now as we fly to the land ruled by unicorns, we must stay as dragons.

“Because it means we are equal. To put it plainly, we cannot claim that they took advantage of our weaker forms. As dragons, we are faster, stronger, and better equipped to fight whatever dares attack us. As humans, it would be easy to claim that one of the creatures attacked us, attempted to kill or maim us, and such a crime would mean the attacker must be banished to Humestia.” Aurelio finishes his story, and the rest of the flight is silent as I think this over.

Finally, Aurelio dives down and lands gracefully in a large open space between the trees of purple, leaves ranging from lighter tones, such as lavender, to darker, like that of the dahlia flower.

At the sound of hooves on the rocky ground, I look up and find the most beautiful creature before me. The unicorn’s mane is gray with purple ends, and her hooves are golden. Her white coat shimmers in the sunlight, so bright I’d think she was the source of light if I didn’t know better. Beside her is a unicorn just the opposite. His coat is black as the night sky, and his mane is purple. He stands a head taller than his mate. 

“Welcome, Prince Aurelio.” Queen Frostlynn kisses him on the forehead between his prominent horns. “And Zanta.” She turns to me and does the same.

Though I’ve met a unicorn before, never have they felt so powerful. Perhaps that is why they are the rulers over the land. Just her lips touching my head causes a glowing feeling of peace and comfort to come over me. Whatever I expected, all the fears I had melt away.

“Please, come in.” King Kryden looks at me.

I bow my head in respect.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Aurelio says, bowing his head as well.

“You are always welcome guests in Miraunus.” Frostlynn smiles. “Now, come. Let us celebrate.” She leads the way through the massive tunnels.

It is not what I expected in the least. The walls were encrusted with crystals which make the whole place glow and sparkle. Sconces are placed strategically to ensure the colors pop and the walls shine like nothing else could. I hope at one point tonight that I’m able to transform back into my human self simply so I can run my fingers over the stones without harming them.

Light shines brightly from the opposite end of the tunnel, and I can’t help but feel excited, hoping we’re going toward it, wanting to see what’s on the other side. Frostlynn’s hooves click in a soothing rhythm against the stone floor and I follow the sound, unable to take my eyes away from the beauty surrounding us.

Large stalactite crystals hang down from the ceiling, some forming patterns, appearing to be flowers.

The light ahead is upon us now, so bright it’s almost blinding. I lower my eyelids, careful where I step as I force myself to continue following Frostlynn now and look ahead. The light is from the very sun, shining down through the open sky, with no ceiling overhead as we enter a large meadow within the heart of the caves.

The sight is like nothing I’ve ever looked upon before. There is beauty everywhere. Crystals and flowers growing through one another, all over the walls, tables made from geodes. Trees with the purplest of leaves and a small well in the middle of the room, its water so dark I would think it were simply dirty if we weren’t in Miraunus.

“Welcome to our home,” the king says loudly.

The stomping of many hooves causes me to look up. Only now do I see there are more creatures around us, unicorns and centaurs and fauns, many I’ve never seen the like of before. All here to greet us on our night of celebration. Or, I suppose, one of our many nights.

The noise echoes around the room, so much that I can feel the vibrations. But it’s still soothing and comforting.

“Let the feast begin!” someone yells, though I don’t know who. Aurelio nudges me and I follow him, lying in the cool violet grass beneath the trees with plum leaves. Frostlynn and Kryden sit on their haunches and feast upon their salads and berries, offering us the same but including meat on the platters.

We accept the food graciously and eat.

A DISTINCT COOL
breeze sets in as we fly over the last bit of Humestia’s amber forests before reaching the cliffs and beyond to the sandy beaches that serve as the border to Seroceanus, the watery kingdom of mermaids, where all creatures of the sea dwell.

Many mermaids and merman, even a few selkies, rest on their rocks, sitting above the water as they wait for us.

King Drayton’s crown catches my attention as the middle jewel reflects sunlight and almost blinds me as we fly overhead before turning back and landing on the beach. Queen Rayne keeps her tail under water, but her upper body leans against a rock as she sits in the sand.

“Aurelio!” she beams, looking up at us as we touch the ground, immediately changing form.

“Rayne! It has been quite a long time since I last saw you.” Aurelio walks toward her, smiling.