One True Queen: A Wings of Fire fanfiction

10.

trigger warning: political instability, aftermath of disaster, discussion of trauma, flashbacks of abuse, general heavy content

Darkstalker

It feels wrong, to fly away from our old house, just like that, knowing we'll probably never go back again. But after we've had our little touching moment, we have a kingdom in crisis to get back to. (A kingdom I should have saved. A kingdom I used to be able to save.)

"Your Majesties!" Heartfire calls, rushing over to us, after we send the kids off to help hand out blankets. He lets out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the moons you're back!"

"It was, like, half an hour," I point out. "How much could possibly have gone wrong?"

He bursts into a fit of panicked laughter, thoughts skipping around so fast they're hard to follow. "Um. So. About that."

Clearsight groans. "Oh no."

She pushes open the front door to a throne room in total pandemonium. We exchange a glance.

"ALL RIGHT!" I shout, flaring my wings out for dramatic effect. "EVERYBODY CALM DOWN, RIGHT NOW."

"But he took my daughter's sleeping spot!" Listener says defensively, shooting a glare at Brilliance. (Isn't he the guy she had an affair with? Wow, that must be awkward. Maybe I've got it wrong, though--I gave up trying to understand all Listener's drama ages ago, it's just too much to keep up with.)

A little dragonet across the room starts crying.

"Brilliance, she had it first, give it back. Our kingdom is in crisis, I think we have bigger problems," I say, in my most kingly tone.

"This isn't fair! I shouldn't sleep on the same floor as commoners!" he scoffs, shooting a glance at Starfire.

"Yeah!" she chimes in. "Why can't we get the better floor?"

"There... is no better floor? And there's plenty of room for everybody in the palace."

"But she's a peasant!" Brilliance insists, gesticulating frantically. "I'm better than her!"

"Actually," My wife says firmly, stepping in. "You are a regular dragon, just like her, and neither of you have a place to live just right now, which means you both are going to stay at the palace, without any preferential treatment for once in your life, and you will back off my friend. She's under the queen's protection." She growls. "Am I understood?"

Brilliance growls. "I don't answer to you. You're nothing but a false ruler."

"Then you can get out of my palace," Clearsight says calmly.

"Fine!" Brilliance mutters. "Come on, Trailblazer, let's go." He shoots Clearsight a dirty look.

"Mom, you really didn't have to..." Cosmos starts.

"No one steps on my daughter," Listener says proudly, pulling her in for a hug. "Now come on sweetie, let's go find you something to eat. Which, uh, would be... where?" She gives us a significant glance.