The Dragons Blood Key: Legend of the Dragon's Blood Key - Book 1 (4 page)

Aaron
though
was not as impressed. He stood in place and just
looked around the room with the look of someone who wanted to be
anywhere else but there.

“What’s wrong, my Prince? Don’t you like
books?” Abigail
asked
as she
rested her hand on his shoulder.

“No, not really,” Aaron whispered not
wanting to upset her.

“Maybe we can find one in here that you
would enjoy. Let’s see, do you like pirates?” Abigail laughed when
she saw the excited look appear on Aaron’s face.

“I may know just the book for you, my
Prince.” She offered him her hand.

Aaron took Abigail by the hand. “Will it
have sword fights and buried treasure?”

“Oh yes, and much more.” Abigail had read
his book many times over the
years
and had enjoyed it greatly.

“Queen Abigail, what’s this book?” Cassy
asked as she looked at the strange looking book locked inside of a
glass case.

Abigail walked toward the table in the
center of the library with the glass case holding the unusual
looking book. “My grandfather brought that to me from a far off
land when I was about your age. It’s
old
and very fragile
, so it must stay in that glass case for its
protection.”

“But can’t we read it?” Melissa asked.

“No, it must never be taken from that case.
There are hundreds of other books for you to enjoy, but I’m sorry,
that book is not one of them.” Abigail could see the look of
disappointment in the girl’s eyes, but she held firm. “Now, let’s
continue on our tour of the house.”

They all turned and walked toward the large
oak door and as Abigail held the door open, Cassy glanced back at
the strange book locked inside of the glass case.

What mysteries do you hold
, Cassy
thought to herself as the image of the book burned in her mind.

The remainder of the
afternoon,
they had spent exploring the rest of the house
and the grounds. Once they returned to the house, the children went
to their rooms and found that the maid had put their belongings
away
and laid out their clothes
for dinner.

“I could get used to this.” Melissa pointed
to the other door in her room. “Look we have a bathroom between our
rooms.”

“I know, isn’t that cool? Hey, I wonder if
Mom and Dad would get us a maid,” Cassy said playfully.

“Children, you need to get cleaned up and
change into the clean clothes I laid out for you. Dinner will be
served in a half an hour,” Pricilla, the upstairs maid said as she
glanced in Melissa’s room.

Melissa was about to ask why they needed to
change clothes when Aaron came running into her room.

“I have the coolest room. It has pictures of
ships and one of those old-time periscopes you see pirates using on
their ships on the old
pictures
. I
looked through it and I could see
way
out over the ocean.”

Pricilla looked at Aaron and could not help
but laugh. “I’m glad that you approve of your room, but you need to
go get ready for dinner. I have left a washcloth and towel in your
bathroom
and clean clothes on your
bed. Now hurry, because we don’t want to make your
great-grandmother wait on you.”

Pricilla turned and looked at Melissa and
Cassy. “Please get yourselves ready and downstairs. The cook has
prepared a grand feast.”

When the children entered the dining room,
they were surprised to see the formal setting. Fine china dishes
sat on a crisply ironed tablecloth, with delicate crystal goblets
and silver flatware all awaiting the grand feast.

Abigail sat at the head of the long table,
with one place setting to her right and two place settings to her
left.

“Please join me,” Abigail motioned to the
children to take their places at the table.

They took their places, unsure of how to
act.

Cassy was the first to speak. “Queen
Abigail, why is everything so fancy?”

Melissa and Aaron exchanged glances and
nodded their heads in agreement.

“I was taught that when one has
distinguished
guests, the evening meal is
always a grand affair. It has been far too long since I’ve had
guests, so I wanted to make this a special time for us all.”

As the children looked at the fancy table
setting, they worried what sort of meal was planned for them.
Anytime their mother had set a table like this, the food was not
anything they would consider a feast.

“First, we put our napkins on our laps,”
Abigail lifted her napkin and spread it out on her lap then she
waited as the children did the same.

“Wonderful. Please bring the feast,” Abigail
said to the servers standing along the back wall of the dining
room.

To the delight of each child, the servers
brought slices of cheese pizza and placed it on their plates. Then
they filled the crystal goblets with strawberry soda.

“Queen Abigail, you are so cool,” Aaron said
as he shoved a slice of pizza in his mouth.

“How did you know that we love cheese pizza
and strawberry soda,” Melissa said excitedly.

“A Queen always knows what her Prince and
Princesses want,” Abigail winked.

“I think this is the best pizza I’ve ever
had,” Cassy grinned as she picked up the goblet and took a
drink.

“I’m glad you are pleased. Servers, bring my
young Prince and Princesses some more pizza.”

After they
had
finished
eating their meal and ice cream for dessert, they
all went to the library.

“You really don’t have any television here?”
Aaron said as he looked around the room.

“No, I’ve never enjoyed watching it. I find
that reading a good book in the evening is quite relaxing.” Abigail
saw the disappointed looks on their faces, but she hoped they would
find a book to their liking.

“Well, can you show me that book about
pirates?” Aaron asked.

“Of course, follow me. You ladies can look
around and see if you can find a book as well.” Abigail took Aaron
by the hand and walked over to the shelves
by
the window. “Let’s see, where was that book about
pirates.”

Melissa and Cassy walked toward the selves
by the large
fireplace
but stopped
at the table with the book inside of the glass case.

“I wonder why we can’t read this one,” Cassy
whispered.

“It’s because it’s old and she doesn’t want
it ruined, that’s why,” Melissa said as she reached out and tugged
on Cassy’s arm.

Cassy reached out with her other hand and
was about to touch the top of the glass box when...

“Stop it, you don’t want to upset her do
you?” Melissa scolded her sister.

“Okay, I’ll leave it alone,” Cassy pulled
her hand away and followed Melissa.

“Look, I have a book about pirates. It has
sword fights, hidden treasure, and all sorts of fun things in it.
I’m going to start reading it now.” Aaron rushed over to one of the
over-stuffed chairs and settled in with the book on his lap.

Abigail walked up to the girls and could see
the blank looks on their faces as they looked at the rows of books
on the shelves in front of them.

“What sort of stories do you enjoy? I bet I
know what books you like, Melissa. I bet you’d like a story
about
a Prince and Princess who
find each other and fall in love. Am I correct?”

Melissa looked up at Abigail and
blushed.

“I knew it.” Abigail reached up above her
head and pulled down an old, dusty book.

“Here was one of my favorites when I was
your age. I’m sure you will love it as much as I did.” She handed
the book to Melissa, who thanked her then walked over to another
over-stuffed chair.

Abigail then looked at Cassy. “Let’s see,
you seem to be an adventurous spirit, so I bet you would enjoy a
book about dragons. Am I correct?”

Cassy looked at Abigail with a surprised
look on her face and nodded, letting her great-grandmother know
that she had chosen well.

“Let’s see, I think this one will be just
what you need.” Abigail reached for a large book with a picture of
a fire-breathing Dragon on the cover. “This is a very exciting
tale. I have read this one several times.”

Cassy took the book and ran over to the
chair next to Melissa. She then jumped up in the chair and set the
large book on her lap. “Thank
you,
Queen Abigail.”

“Yes, thank you,” Melissa and Aaron chimed
in.

“You are all very welcome.” Abigail walked
over to the last chair and took the book off the table next to it,
and then she glanced at the children who were now lost in their own
world of imagination. She then opened her own book and began to
read.

No one realized how late it was until the
grandfather clock in the corner chimed ten times.

“Oh my, it’s late. Why don’t we put our
books down for now and go to
upstairs to
bed?
We have a busy day tomorrow,” Abigail said as she stood
and stretched.

“I’m not sleepy, I want to keep reading,”
Aaron complained as he held tightly to the book.

“My dear, I’m thrilled that you are enjoying
the tale of pirates and buried treasure, but it is time for bed. I
promise that you’ll get to continue on your adventure tomorrow.”
Abigail reached down and took his book. She put the string page
marker in place, and then set the book on the table next to his
chair.

Seeing there was no sense in arguing,
Melissa and Cassy closed their books and set them on the table next
to Aaron’s book.

“Queen Abigail, thank you for the wonderful
day. I’m so happy that we came to visit you,” Melissa said, as
Cassy and Aaron nodded their agreement.

Abigail felt her heart fill with love. “I’m
happy that you came as well. Now, go up to your rooms and go to
bed. Tomorrow I have an exciting day planned for us.”

Each of the children took turns giving
Abigail a hug and kiss then they went upstairs to their rooms. As
Abigail watched them leave the room, she said a silent prayer of
thanks for this time with her little Prince and Princesses.

The room was dark and quiet. Cassy had
tossed and turned for what seemed like an eternity, still unable to
fall asleep. She decided to get up and go back down to the library
and read some more of her book with the hope she would finally be
able to fall asleep.

Cassy slowly opened her bedroom door and
stepped out into the hallway. She looked both directions to make
sure no one was awake then she carefully walked to the stairs,
trying to keep the old wood floor from creaking. Once she was
downstairs, she went straight to the library.

Cassy opened the door to the library and
slipped inside, but what she saw froze her in her tracks.