Koldis the Green (DRAGONWALL SERIES 4)

PROLOGUE

Isabella parted the forest's foliage and stepped up among the roots of the massive King Tree. Days of wandering, calling out to it, hoping it would appear, and here it was. A familiar sense of awareness washed over her, forcing a sigh of relief from her chest. Bittersweet. That's how this felt.

She had traveled the forest alone this time. Klide had gone his own way, and she was sad to see him go. But he had his own life to live. He could not go with her back to the capital. The outside world was no place for a unicorn to dwell for longer than necessary.

She leaned on her staff, craning her head up to see the top of the Tree disappear into the mist. It seemed bigger every time she laid eyes on it, with a massive trunk. Ten people with hands joined wouldn't be enough to span its circumference.

Her surroundings weren't the same as last time, she realized. Always different. Always changing. The Tree occupied a different plane of existence, one that took a certain mindset to reach. And it always appeared in a new location.

"Isabella." A disembodied voice rumbled through her, setting her hairs on end. It was neither male nor female. "I wondered if you would come."

"Did I have a choice?" A sense of foreboding built deep within her chest.

Vigilance had begged her to stay in the capital. Begged that she refrain from this final pilgrimage. He feared more than she, that the King Tree would exact vengeance for what she'd done. Despite the young Drengr's anger towards her rash actions, he loved her. He would not see so much as a single hair upon her head harmed.

As if sensing her thoughts, the Tree spoke again. "I see you have chosen a new path. One that will take you away from the forest forever."

"Dragonwall needs me, now more than ever. A monarchy in its infancy is an unstable thing."

"Indeed... You disobeyed me, Isabella. Disobeyed what I asked of you. Do you deny it?"

"I..." The heat of shame spread through her chest. It quickly turned to defiance. "I deny nothing. The dragons will get what they deserve, in time. I have made it so."

The roots of the Tree rumbled. Several sprang free, only to dive back into the earth. Like angry snakes. Like a furious animal pawing at the dirt. "You have condemned them. That is not what we agreed upon. That is not what I asked of you."

"Condemned them?! Hardly! They will live long, happy lives. It was their choice to experience humanity. It is what they wanted."

"And what of future generations?" The roots rumbled and rolled again. "Have you any idea how your treachery has tainted what was meant to bring balance?" She opened and closed her mouth. "...I thought not. Long have I waited—since the Awakening and even before—to bring balance back to the world."

She clenched her fists. "I have done exactly that! Brought balance, just as you asked. Dragons are an abomination. You should be praising my efforts, not condemning them. Eventually the beasts will disappear, and their cousins will follow. The world will return to what it was before the Awakening."

"You mean when Asarlaí walked the earth, hunting your people? No. That was not balance and you know it." Anger rippled from the Tree, sizzling through the air.

Isabella glanced about, fearful for the first time since ever beholding the great authority of her people. In all the years she had ruled, all the times she had sought its council, the Tree had never displayed open emotion. It did so now, much to her disbelief.

"You have disobeyed me," the Tree repeated, as if reading her thoughts. "You are no longer fit to rule our people. You are no longer fit to walk the paths of this forest. This place I created to keep your people safe. You must know. Surely, you must. I would have exiled you, even if you had come back with the intention of staying."

The audacity shocked her. "You would dare exile a queen? The birthright is mine! It belongs to me and me alone. A passing of the crown from the oldest daughter to the oldest daughter. As it has since the dawn of our people."

"Yes, it is true. The mantle belongs to you. In time, it would go to your oldest daughter. And then her oldest, and her oldest, until the end of time. But how can it be? You have disobeyed me, Isabella. The world will suffer because of what you have done. There must be a price for your disobedience. Balance must be met."

A price. Balance. Yes, she had suspected as much. Somehow, deep down, she had. Just as Vigilance had warned against her coming. Yet, was that not why she had returned to the forest for the last time? To receive her punishment from the one true authority that governed her existence? To strike balance? To wipe the slate clean?

She sighed, resigned. "I will hear it then. My price."

Something of a bitter laugh sounded, rustling the Tree's leaves. "Are you not even a little remorseful for what you have done?"

"I will not apologize."

"Careful. Your pride will come at great cost, if you are not."

"Ha! You think it was my pride that urged me to make the choices I did? Who would have saved Dragonwall were it not for me? Who alone was powerful or creative enough to take a force of nature and twist it into something new? Something better? The Drengr would not exist. Everything I did, I did for the sake of saving this world from the Ice Clan. And you say it was my pride?! Bah!"

Another wave of anger rippled out into the air, churning the earth beneath her feet. She staggered backwards, clutching her chest. Pain shot through her. There and gone. A warning without words. It took everything to remain standing.

"Your rule is over, Isabella. You must leave the forest. It is time to lay down your staff."

"Fine!" She did as she was bid, laying the beautiful artifact—passed from her mother, and her mother's mother, and her mother's mother's mother—against the Tree's roots. Almost instantly, it disappeared, winking out of existence as if it had never been. She stared at the empty spot a moment longer.

Part of her had hoped that one day she would pass the staff along to her daughter. Yes, she knew she would have a daughter. That was how her bloodline worked. Always a first born daughter to continue ruling. Precious blood passed from one to the next.

She squared her shoulders. "That is to be my price then? My staff?"

"No. Hardly!" She jerked, her eyes narrowing. "You will pay a far greater price than that of a magical heirloom."

"Then what?"

"I shall not tell you. You do not deserve an answer from me. But know this: It is not a price that can be paid today or even tomorrow. Perhaps not even a month or a year from now. But it is a price you will pay, Isabella." Her blood turned to ice. "A day will come when you will know. And when that day comes...you will scream and weep for what you have lost. And perhaps then and only then, you will understand my wrath and what you have done. Now, be gone from here, and never ever return."

The roots beneath her feet began to coil. A cry sprang from her chest. She turned and fled. When she next glanced over her shoulder, the Tree was gone.

⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️

You guys!!! I'm BAAAACCKKK!!

Okay, a note about this prologue. I had SO MUCH FUN writing this chapter. Why? Because of the scene we witnessed in VtR, in the cave beneath the Great Keep. Remember when Claire watched Isabella discover the truth of her daughter's disappearance into the Gate? When Isabella realized her daughter had left this world and come into ours? She didn't go after her, and Claire couldn't understand why. Isabella destroyed the gate rather than bring Irelia back. But...why? Because Isabella understood that this was her price. The price she needed to pay for disobeying the King Tree's advice. And this wasn't the only price. If you've been following this story on a deeper level, remember that Queen Isabella died years later from grief, followed thereafter by her mate, King Eymar. Sad...I know. But this was her price for condemning an entire race to eventual extinction. A fair price, no?

I truly loved how this prologue tied all of that together. It was a joy to write. I love filling in backstory. 

Hope you enjoyed :)

-Mel