Let The Chaos Continue

Cypress, Anaconda, Mora, and Pax

Anaconda and Cypress were not like most Mudwing parents- in the sense that, unlike most Mudwings, they actually cared about their dragonets. They were caring dragons. They had a good home in the Mudwing Kingdom, and visited their friends and Cypress's family often.

One of the best things about his home, Anaconda thought, was that no one from HIS family knew where they were. Or, so he'd thought.

But judging by the letter on official Mudwing Palace stationary that he'd gotten that morning, he'd been wrong. The letter was from Queen Moorhen himself, to his surprise. It had been years since he'd renounced his title as prince and left the royalty of the kingdom behind in exchange for a better, happier life with Cypress. He didn't think Mora, Fen, and Fawn even knew they were technically royalty. 

He hadn't even informed Moorhen of their existence, now that he thought about it. After years of listening to Wade's threats about how he could never have a dragonet with someone without some sort of approval, he had thought it would be better to not inform them of his dragonets. Especially Mora and Fawn. Moorhen had sisters and daughters- plenty of heirs to the throne. Anaconda didn't want his daughter to have to worry about someone threatening them to improve their own odds of becoming queen.

All of this is what made Moorhen's letter so strange. She wanted him to come to the Mudwing Palace, and to bring his family with him. She had mentioned his dragonets by name. How did she even know about them? The logical reason, he supposed was that Shore, Haze, or another one of their friends in royalty had spilt the knowledge, not realizing that it was secret. Maybe even someone at JMA had told. 

The only question now was whether or not he should go. Go back to the Palace and risk seeing Wade again. It was only one visit, but still....

Anaconda sighed. This was the type of thing he normally asked Cypress for advice on. But as he glanced outside, where Cypress was sitting silently, letting the warm wind sweep past her, he couldn't bring himself to disturb her.

It had been weeks now since Willow's death, but Cypress would still sit outside in the wind for hours a day. She didn't say anything during that time. Just shut her eyes and sat. It was her own way of mourning, he supposed, and he wondered if any of her brothers did the same.

He couldn't imagine what it felt like. Mudwing or not, he wasn't close to his siblings. He didn't think he would mourn for any of them, except maybe Rudda, but even then, not like this. But Willow had been Cypress's only sister, and they'd been best friends. How were you supposed to move on from a loss like that?

Somehow, Cypress was finding a way. Between the times she sat outside, she was fine. Still talked and joked with their dragonets. Her smiles faded a little faster, and her eyes weren't as bright, but he seemed to be the only one who noticed that.

Maybe a trip would be a good distraction for her. 

OR maybe he'd be dragging his family into the endless hell that was his family.

Oh well. Fifty Fifty chance.

*******

Moorhen had asked them to meet her in the Throne room, so that's exactly where Anaconda led his family, wanting to avoid as many dragons as possible on his way there. 

He had a feeling not many of them had forgotten the speech he'd given last time he was there.

Mora and Fawn kept up with him easily, gaping at everything. They'd never been to the palace before, nor had they met anyone on Anaconda's side of the family. It was an exciting day for them, he imagined.

Fen, being the more wild of the three dragonets, was kept under Cypress's watchful eye, especially since he didn't care about royalty and just wanted to run off and explore. Anaconda couldn't blame him. When he was little, he'd used to love running through the halls of the palace. As a prince, he'd gotten that privilege.