This story is the sequel of my other fanfiction, Legend of Dragon Domain. I recommend reading it before proceeding.
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"Help!"
Desperately, a girl of no more than eleven years old runs through the forest wearing a dress and a crown. Her long hair swayed in the wind as she run for her life, as she tried to keep her beautiful pink dress clean.
Behind her, a orange dragon with the size of a adult wolf was chasing her, roaring furiously. She left the forest and found herself in a clearing, and next to her was a cottage, built against the mountain.
"Help! He wants to get me!" The girl screamed as she ran toward the cottage.
As she was almost in the doorway of the cottage, her pursuer stepped forward, pouncing on her, knocking her to the ground. She turned and stood face-to-face with the dragon, her nose touching his snout.
"I got you, little princess." He smiled wickedly, looking straight into her eyes. "What are your last words?"
"Lincoln Loud II! Leave your sister alone!"
The two of them looked at the door of the cottage, and saw a beautiful blond-haired woman dressed in a golden armor, with an unfriendly gaze. The dragon quickly left the girl, returning to his human form.
Before the knight was a boy of about eleven years with white hair and freckles, as well as the girl. He smiled nervously at the woman in front of them as the girl stood up and took the dust off her dress.
"Sorry, Auntie Lana. I was just playing around with my little sister."
"Is that true, Linka?" Lana asked, folding her arms.
"No!" Linka was looking at the boy in fury, her eyes turning red. "I went to look for him to show the new dress Aunt Leni had made for me, and he started chasing me through the woods. Seriously Lincoln, if I were not a lady, I would make you repent with my own hands!"
"Oh, sure." Lincoln assumed a mocking tone, and folded his arms, staring at his sister. "The very dangerous Princess Linka, a dragon who must call Daddy because she saw a spider in her room."
"At least I do not stay in the woods acting like a coward savage!"
"Who's you calling a coward, you spoiled brat?"
"I'm not spoiled! I'am fancy!"
"You're as fancy as horse dung!"
"Gasp! Take it back!"
"Make me, princess of the dung!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Astonished, the twins looked at their aunt, who laughed.
Blushing violently, they looked at their aunt with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.
"Why are you laughing?" Linka asked, trying to look furious. "He called me horse dung."
"Haha. Sorry, little princess, but you guys are so funny fighting. You even remind me of your Aunt Lola and me when we were your age."
The twins were embarrassed, and they fell silent. They knew their aunts had a complicated relationship, so it was not often that they brought good memories to their aunt.
"Well, we'll sort it out later. Linka, you're going to help me serve lunch. And you Lincoln, go get some clothes on, please. We may be dragons, but we are not animals."
The boy blushed again, and did as his aunt ordered.
Inside the cottage, Linka helped her aunt prepare the table in the dining room. They prepare the table for four people, and put a roast in the middle of the table. It was not long before Lincoln came into the dining room, dressed in elegant orange and blue robes, a young prince's clothing.
"Wow! If I did not know you're my dumb brother, I could have sworn you're look like someone of royalty." Linka looked maliciously at her brother, who only answered with a raspberry.
"Stop it, you two!" A voice from outside said, catching the children's attention.
A woman with long blond hair came into the dining room. She wore a light purple tunic, and walked with the help of a walking stick, though she was still about twenty. Looking at her legs, it was possible to see that she had the whole area beneath her left knee completely petrified. Literally petrified, as if it had been carved in marble.
"Sorry, Aunt Lily." Linka bowed her head in shame. "But he started it."
"It does not matter." Lily walked a little longer, then sat down in her chair. "You're siblings, and you only have each other. Our siblings were not perfect, but at least we looked out for each other."
The children get silent, and soon they sat in their seats.
Lana sat among the twins, so that Lincoln stood between Lana's left and Lily's right. The dining table was far larger than the four needed, which made the twins wonder what it was like in the cottage during their aunts' childhood.
The four ate their lunch almost in silence, waiting until everyone had finished their meals. They then followed Lana down to where used to be the living room, now with three mattresses positioned side by side.
Lily lay on the first bed, while Lincoln lay in the middle one and Linka took the last one.
"Why do we have to sleep so soon?" Lincoln asked, rather grumpy.
"We're going to travel early in the morning." Lana answered as she sat down in an armchair. "You should be happy, since you're finally going to see your parents after almost a year."
"It's not that I do not want to see my parents, but I feel like an outcast when we're together. After all, even after all these years, you never told us how our other aunts died."
"I agree with him on this." Linka sat up and crossed her arms, glaring at her aunts. "All we know is that you were eleven, and that now there are only seven of you."
"That's right!" Lincoln stood up, taking on the same serious expression on his sister's face. "And of our six living aunts, we only know four. We do not even know where the other two are, and you always change the subject when we ask."
Lana and Lily looked at each other, not knowing how to react. In fact, Lincoln wanted to save his children from the terrible past of his family, so he even forbade people to comment on it. This was a terrible stain on the royal family's legacy, and Lincoln did not want his children traumatized by the truth.
Lily looked at her stone leg, and was soon flooded with the bitter memories of her past. She did not want her nephews to know who had done this to her, but she also knew they had a right to know.
"Okay, I'll tell you guys. But you have to swear you will not confront your father over it."
"Lily! What do you think you're doing?" Lana glared at her younger sister.
"They have the right to know, Lana! Besides, Lincoln may even be king, but he does not own us."
Lana sighed and accepted her defeat. She just turned, and let Lily continue.
"Kids, what I'm going to tell you is extremely important, but most of all, it's something your father does not want you to know. Understand that once you know the truth, there is no turning back. Do you really want to know the truth?"
The twins looked at each other, checking to see if they were really willing to listen to what their aunt was going to tell. They then turned and nodded, making it clear they wanted to go through with it.
"As you know, we do not usually mention our deceased sisters, just as we do not mention the two aunts you do not know. We did not mention your deceased aunts because our loss is still recent, and we did not mention your other two aunts since one of them went into exile and the other is trapped in Devil's Cove."
The children were shocked. Devil's Cove was the safest prison in the world, where the worst of the worst were cast. The prison had been built on an island under a dormant volcano, and had been made by powerful wizards to contain what the world had the worst to offer. Knowing that one of their aunts was trapped in such a place was terrifying.
"And... why was she arrested?" Lincoln asked, his voice weakening.
"Homicide." Lana gave up on being outside, and sat down next to Lily. "She caused our sisters to die. Her sisters."
"Do you want to know how?" Lily asked, making suspense.
Lincoln and Linka remained still, totally shocked by what was said. Of course, they wanted to know the secrets of their family, but the tone of voice of their aunts made it clear that the matter was serious. Still, their curiosity was taken to the maximum, and they knew it would be difficult to have another chance like that.
"Yes!" They both said excitedly.
Lana and Lily looked at each other, exchanging a determined look. They knew there was no turning back, so they prepared to tell the terrible betrayal their family suffered.
"Well, let's begin then." Lana took a thoughtful tone, thinking about how to tell the story. "I'd say it all began shortly after your father was officially introduced as the successor to the throne of Silent Valley. Our older sister, Lori, went on a honeymoon on a ship, along with our sisters Luna, Lynn and Lisa. Their return was somewhat... complicated."