One True Queen: A Wings of Fire fanfiction

43.

Content warning: violations of free will/some morally dubious uses of animus magic, cults, some pretty heavy emotions, general Jerboa antics

Jerboa

I think I must have had a bad dream last night. Because I wake up gasping for breath, my heart racing, tangled up in my blankets. That happens, sometimes--I rarely remember my dreams.

It's still a little dark, and my clock says it's 6:30. I'd try and go back to sleep, but I can already tell that's not going to happen.

I check my reflection in the mirror, root through my drawers of jewelry, and put on a little beaded bracelet. When did I make this? Did someone else make it for me? I furrow my brow and shrug, slipping it over my wrist.

Sunlight. Shapes beneath my claws, fumbly and strange—

Maybe I don't want to wear this one today.

***

I curl up in my little sitting area with a blanket around my shoulders. I can hear dragons starting to wake up now. I grab out one of the colouring pages Aloe made me a couple weeks back; half finished from last night, and root around for my pencil crayons in my craft bin. (Yes, I know I can magic myself more of them out of thin air, but it's the principle.)

I like colouring. Aloe suggested it, to help me calm down when I get overwhelmed. I was skeptical at first, but it's actually pretty fun. I know I'm kind of too old to like it, but I do anyway. This one is of a cactus. I furrow my brow, shading in the rays of sun falling down on the desert.

"Your Radiance," Aloe says, walking inside and bowing. "It's an honour to be in your presence."

"Of course. I like having you around," I say, smiling a little and setting down my pencil.

"How did you sleep?" Aloe asks. I can see their reverent glint in her eyes. I can't quite put my claw on why it feels so unsettling.

"Okay," I say quietly, setting down the yellow pencil crayon. "I've been up for a few hours. I think I had a weird dream, but I don't remember it. Can I have banana split again for breakfast?"

"Of course, Your Holiness," Aloe says, bowing again. "That'll take a little bit of time, is that all right with you?"

"Sure thing! I had a snack anyway, so I'll be fine," I say, returning to my colouring sheet. The light looks weird in this, I think--and I used to wrong colour for the cactus spikes, and now it looks weird, like an alternate reality. I furrow my brow, trying to darken the sky around the edges.

What is up with me today? I wonder if Aloe can notice. I hope she can't.

We eat together at the breakfast table, and Aloe tells me her knock-knock joke of the day, and I start to feel a little better. Aloe tells the best jokes.

"So, what's on the agenda, Your Brilliance?" she asks patiently.

"Well, I have to teach all the new members how to use their powers, so that'll be the morning," I say, sighing. "And, um, Mirage and Hathor just had a dragonet, so I guess I have to bless... him? Her? Not sure. I said I'd do it yesterday, but then that kid broke their wing climbing up a tree, and the whole afternoon was booked, so I really need to do it today. Ugh. I hate dealing with dragonets." I've never found it hard to make grown-ups like me, and predict what they might say next. But dragonets do not care; they just say what they think. It's terrifying. "Oh! And I was thinking, since everyone's getting bored of being trapped, we should do a cool event tonight. I don't wanna seem like it's boring here, you know? So maybe we could throw a party. I don't know, I could come up with some cool lights, and so fireworks again?" A smile tugs at my mouth.