𝓓𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮 - Court of War and Roses

Chapter I

Two months later/United Kingdom

It had been years since the birth of Melani Castille — The next heir of The Castille throne, she grew under her father's words and advice, she grew into a beautiful young woman. But when it comes to important meetings and counseling , she...wasn't the best in keeping time.

Such as this early morning when she decided to take her buckskin andalusian horse out for a ride when nobody will look for her — Since her father, the king, was out for a meeting in the far north for three days. He wouldn't be back until early noon.

Before he left — He told Colton to take good care of his child when he gets back. In which Colton did, he raised her like she was his own, he was just like her father. Kind, loyal, smart, and patient with her. He became a good friend to the Princess of Castille.

As she takes in the beauty of her home she grew up in — The ribbon in her curls blew against the soft breeze. Bells suddenly rung in the distance, capturing the princess's attention. "Shit!" She curses as she turns her horse and gallops back to the castle.

••°••°••°••°••°

"How long do you think it'll take her?" The Ambassador asked Colton. They're currently waiting outside for the princess to return, they'll often place bets on one another to see who'll get the right time for Melani to come home.

"I'll say five minutes — two at least." Colton replies.

Sure enough they hear the horse's hooves against the cobblestone — Melani dismounted off of her horse with a smile. "I'm here."

"Right on time." Colton tells her.

"Really?"

"No."

"Aw damn." She mutters, removing the stands of grass in her hair.

Melani was just like her father when he was young, but more mature just like her mother. She had the tendency to say crude words but never around her father.

"Is my father home?" She asks.

Colton chuckles as he and Melani walk inside the castle while the stablemen lead her horse into the stables, "You're father is not here yet," Colton replies. "But we got word that he'll be here soon."

"Yay." She squeals while clapping her hands. It had been three days since her father had left the castle for a peace treaty in another country, he even promised her that when he comes back that they'll visit Drageheart for a few weeks. It had been a while since Melani visited her other family.

Drace tried his best to keep his visit once a week, but after his daughter's fourteenth birthday was the day after his wife's death. He was filled with grief and trauma ever since that day but he really wanted to make his daughter happy, even if it meant going back to Drageheart.

Melani's smile beams even more when she hears a familiar screech outside — She ran out the castle just in time to see none other than The Blood Serpent landing gracefully as her father dismounting off of his dragon. "Dad!" She cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck while her legs crossed his waist.

Drace chuckles as he squeezes his daughter tightly, "Hello darling." He greeted me. He then gently places her down.

Xerxes grumbles as he nudges Melani, "And hello to you too, Xerxes." She places her hands under his chin and places her head onto his chin as he gurgles in delight. "Alright get your luggage, we're leaving in a few hours." He tells her.

"Yes father." She responds when she turns her body and goes inside.

Drace lets out a sigh when he looks up at his dragon friends, "Am I a good father, Xerxes?" He asks him.

The dragon nods his head.

••°••°••°••°••°

A few hours had gone by as Castille's ship was ready to sail in Drageheart, Melani was walking around the main deck when she suddenly saw three men dragging a large dragon from the gangplank — They jab the creature with spears and take it down the ship.

She starts to become curious so she decides to descend down the ship herself, hiding when she hears the men coming. "That damn creature almost bit me!" One cried out.

"Ah you'll be fine, Joseph." The other said.

As soon as they left, she came out hiding and explored the brig. Wondering where they place the dragon, "Where are you?" She wonders.

Unknowingly, the dragon's claw hand stretches forward and slowly grabs her covered leg, making her fall to the ground with a loud thud — She screams and kicks at it while it roars back. She feared that she's dragon's food now.

But then, she saw a sliver of light from a sword as it slammed into the dragon's claw. It screeched as its claw retreated back into the shadows.

"Colton." She spoke as the man helped her out.

"Come. Let's get you out of here." He said as they two walked back into the main deck. "Colton." The captain stops in his tracks. "You're not gonna tell my father about what happened, right?"

He turns to the princess, "I may work along with your father," He spoke up, then a smirk forms on his face "but that doesn't mean I have to tell him everything."

She puts on a tight-lip smile, "Thank you."

She looks down at her leg that the dragon grabs on, she slowly rolls down her stockings to see a bruise forming. It did have a tight grip on her, it probably saw her as a threat since the other men did poke at them with spears and drag it with chains.

••°••°••°••°••°

After what felt like years to Melani, they finally made it to Drageheart. They rode on their horses towards the castle.

As Drace expected; There stood Nina and her mother, the former queen Alisha at the entrance of the castle. "Grandmother! Aunt Nina!" Melani exclaims as she dismounts off of her andalusian.

"Easy darling." Drace told her.

She slowly got off her horse, "Yes father." She made her way towards her relatives as they hugged one another. Alisha placed her hands on her granddaughter's face. "You are just like your mother." She tells her.

Melani blushes, "Thank you, Grandmother."

Then Drace walks forward at the women, "Queen Nina, Alisha."

Nina wasted no time as she launched herself into Drace's arms, like she did many years ago. And for the King, he never gets annoyed by this. "Hello my queen." He greets.

Nina let out a muffle chuckle into his neck, "Hi." She lifts her head, presses his face and proceeds to place a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you for finally letting me see my niece, after two years." She playfully scolded.

Drace chuckles. "I'm sorry."

"Oh don't worry about it, come let's head inside. It's starting to get cloudy." The family head inside the castle while the rest grab the King and his princess their luggage.