It had been a long, frustrating year. But after months of hard work and sheer determination, the new city for dark dragons was almost complete.
As the war continued to rage on in the outside world, Urobos sent many spies out into the various realms to scout out any dark dragon refugees who had gone into hiding. The message was spread as quickly and quietly as possible: venture into the heart of the Mushroom Forest, where a new future awaits.
By following Dona's blueprints to the letter, the shadow dragons of both Warfang and Erebus gathered together as many great stones as they could. They were grafted together and made into flat platforms. They also enlisted the help of the moles of Warfang to graft together the necessary machinery and electronics to sustain life above the clouds. Meanwhile, King Alexander had the mountains mined for gem clusters, and they were transported via secret fleets across the ocean. The gems were to provide the magical power for the machinery needed to keep the platforms suspended indefinitely. Any that weren't put into immediate use was sealed into a treasure, hidden in the center of the haven. It was all planned for well ahead of time, thanks to Dona's blueprints.
During construction, the many beings working on the construction wondered how Dona had managed to come upon such intricate and detailed schematics for something that had never been done before. But she refused to answer straightaway; she merely claimed it was "providence from the ancestors."
Elenar didn't have much time to ponder Dona's vague answers; she was too preoccupied with spending more time with Prince Baneth. Neither of them had changed much over the heirs, although the prince had taken a liking to swordsmanship. He also gazed longingly out at the horizon during his time on Warfang's outer walls. Elenar couldn't help but frown as she sat with him, looking out at the sunset.
"Are you alright?" Elenar asked as she rubbed his shoulder.
"Father tells me that black dragons used to make pilgrimages across the dragon realms," Baneth said. "It was so they could study with the masters for a time, as well as come to understand the world that Spyro and Cynder worked so hard to save."
"Hmm… I'd like to make such a pilgrimage myself." Elenar sighed. "If only things had gone better."
"Right…" Baneth rubbed his upper foreleg. "Elenar… I have to be honest: When we were young, I… I developed a bit of a crush on you."
"You did?" Elenar blinked.
"Yes…" The prince frowned. "But I never had the courage to say anything. I mean, how could I?" He looked at her uneasily. "Whenever you and Bergan had a chance to be together… you always looked so… so happy. It even made me happy, seeing you two together…" He sighed and shook his head. "You should have been his wife."
Elenar gasped, and her heart sank a bit. She should have said something. Like… that it didn't matter. That she was his betrothed now… and that she'd do everything in her power to make it work; for Baneth's sake, their people's sake… her sake.
But all that the princess could think to do was lean against the prince and drape a wing over his back. He sighed, and they cuddled together as they basked in the sunset.
Try as Elenar might, she couldn't deny her truest feelings; that she still desired to be with Bergan. But how could she admit it out loud? How could she tell that to Baneth, or anyone else? Everyone was working so hard to save the dark dragons… she had to do her part. It was better that her heart be broken, rather than anyone else's.
But she couldn't hide what she'd done forever. After all… the spark of life in her belly had only grown in the passing months. She'd done her best to fool her father's court into thinking that the princess had merely put on weight from stress-eating. Oh, if only that were true…
~~…~~
It was a glorious day for the dark dragons.
Everyone who was able to sneak through the realms had finally arrived deep in the Mushroom Forest, just off the northeastern shores. The new haven… was complete.
On that day, the many mushroom stalks shook with vibrations as something lifted from the middle of the clearing. Countless dragonflies flew through the air to bear witness as a great, stone moonlit rose over the caps. None below could believe their eyes as the very clouds were pulled down to try and conceal what happened from the outside world.
It rose through the clouds over the course of an hour and didn't stop until it had passed the lowest cloud layer. Those clouds continued to spiral around, shielding the bottom of the monolith from view. Storm clouds were summoned forth; the biggest storm that wind dragons had ever conjured.
But while a storm concealed the bottom of the monolith… sunlight shined upon the top. Its glorious rays bore down upon the rooftops of a new city. It had many freshly-paved streets, with many places for homes and shops to be set up.
Many dark dragons stood on the main street of their new home, before a grand palace that had been erected in the center of the city. King Urobos stood before the crowd, and the dragons Argos and Icarox were on either side of him. The Deep Shadows stood at attention in the back and glanced around to keep an eye on things. To Urobos's far left were Queen Persephone and Prince Hemlokk, while Queen Murkandre and King Alexander were off to the right.
Prince Baneth stood before the right corner of the bottom of the steps. He tried to stand comfortably in his fancy black cloak and silver crown. Albanion stood by his side; who else but his best friend could make for the best man?
"You nervous?" Albanion asked.
"Very." Baneth grimaced. "I… I'm still not ready for marriage, Al."
"Just relax…" Albanion rubbed Baneth's shoulder. "You can do this."
"Yeah, but…" Baneth began. But he stopped when he heard his father clear his throat. The prince stood tall and regally (despite his discomfort) as the high king augmented his voice with magic to speak to the crowd.
"My fair people," Urobos began, "This is a momentous day for our culture. The Twilight War has nearly brought ruin to our kind over these long years. But today, we are saved from destruction. Today marks the maiden voyage of the new home for our kind: A floating city that will last us for generations! We'll be able to live in secret until the time comes when we can finally reintegrate with society at large." The king hefted up a bottle of wine with some shadow magic. "I christen it… The Hive!"
Urobos brought the bottle down and smashed it upon the stairs before the palace. The crowd of dragons erupted into cheers. The gathered monarchs and the Deep Shadows merely clapped. Baneth put on a cautious smile.
"This is… certainly something." He sighed. "What do you think, Al?"
"Yeah, definitely something." Albanion shrugged. "But I'd say it's amazing that you're getting married before me."
"Oh?" Baneth raised an eye ridge. "And just when do you plan on getting married?"
"Well, that Elza is pretty cute…" The poison drake smirked. "And we'll be seeing a lot more of each other since we're all living together now. Think she'll give me a chance?"
"When apes fly…" Baneth smirked.
Albanion's eyes twinkled. "You're a black dragon. You could make that happen."
Baneth had to put a paw over his muzzle to keep his laughter under control.
When the crowd finally died down, Urobos flapped his wings and cleared his throat once again.
"We're not quite done yet out here." The king chuckled. He motioned toward a group of musicians, who started playing some festive wedding music. The high king then smiled wide and backed up as everyone turned toward the edge of the street…
A carriage moved out of the way of the street, revealing Princess Elenar. She wore a majestic black wedding gown hemmed with gold, as was the custom of the shadow dragons. Her neck and horns were adorned with agates and sapphires. She took a steady breath as she walked forward. Many shadow dragons bowed their heads to the princess and stepped out of the way so she could reach the steps.
Elza walked at Elenar's side the whole way. Elenar kept her head up, and she moved with grace and dignity. Yet despite that, she was incredibly nervous; she could feel her limbs shaking as the many dragons appraised her. So many dragons, all watching her at once… how could she bear it?
"Are you okay?" Elza whispered to her.
"Why do they all have to stare at me?" The grey dragoness whispered back.
"Well gee, you're only a princess," Elza said with a smirk. "Everyone's going to remember this wedding for years to come. You're the future of the shadow dragons, Elenar."
"But I'm still only one dragoness." The princess sighed. "I don't know if I can take this pressure."
"You can do this, Elenar." Elza smiled and very quickly nudged her side. "And you're not alone here. You're never alone, as long as you've got me."
Elenar gave her own soft smile. "Thank you, Sister."
Eventually, Elenar and Elza arrived at the palace steps next to Baneth. Elza bowed her head to the prince and went to stand off to the side, symmetrical to Albanion. Urobos smiled down at the two as they stood together. He made his way down the stairs with Argos and Icarox and came to a stop before the prince and princess before addressing the crowd.
"For the first time, since the first founding of the kingdoms under the guidance of Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder, two royal bloodlines shall unite as one." The high king declared. "My son, Prince Baneth, and fair Princess Elenar shall come together as mates."
Argos walked forward and pulled out a length of black rope from his robes. He tied both ends around Baneth's and Elenar's ankles to link them together.
"This rope represents the bonds of commitment," Argos said. "The push and pull shows how complete unity is needed to keep the bond strong."
Icarox, the female elder, placed two wreathes of flowers around both younger dragons' necks.
"These rose wreaths represent a blessing on your love." She said. "May it prosper and grow for years to come."
Next, Urobos held his right forepaw out. Almost immediately, a black sword appeared in his grip via a cloud of smoke.
"Baneth, Elenar, bow down." The king ordered. The pair did as he commanded, and the king gently placed the tip of the blade down on his son's right shoulder.
"Do you, Baneth, descendant of Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder, and heir to the throne of Warfang, wish to take this dragoness as your mate?" Urobos asked seriously. "Do you promise to be faithful to her, and be there to aid and support her in times of crisis?"
"…I do," Baneth said without hesitation. Urobos smiled, and then lifted the sword to place it on Elenar's shoulder.
"Do you, Elenar, descendant of Lord Nocturne and Reverend Esmeralda, heir to the throne of Mount Erebus, wish to take this dragon as your mate? Do you promise to respect his decisions, and keep no secrets from him?"
Elenar's eye twitched. She felt a choking sensation in her throat. But not wanting to give anything away, she immediately cleared his throat and looked Urobos in the eyes. "I do."
"Then by the power of the high king, vested in me by Lady Cynder herself…" Urobos hefted his sword up into the air. "I accept both of your wishes, and hereby grant them!"
The high king swung his sword down and sliced the black rope in half.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Urobos declared. "Go forth, and prosper!"
Baneth and Elenar stood up tall. They faced each other, smiled… and leaned in to kiss one another. The crowd of dragons cheered uproariously. Albanion, Elza, and all of the Deep Shadows clapped in approval. Kelgeist looked on approvingly. Grail's notoriously-grim expression softened, and he gave a hearty laugh. And Rose wiped her tears on her sleeve.
The day had come: Baneth and Elenar were husband and wife. Many dragons throughout the new city were filled with joy…
So then why did Elenar feel so much dread?
~~...~~
A rather large wedding reception was held in the palace of The Hive. Many dragons attended in joy and splendor within the ballroom. Said ballroom was marvelously decorated. Several long tables had foods grown from all corners of the dragon realms for the guests to enjoy. The musicians from the wedding were there, only now they were joined by Rose of the Deep Shadows. She brushed her mane out of her eyes, looked out upon the crowd, and sang a song from her heart:
Will the circle be unbroken,
By and by, by and by?
Is a better home awaiting,
In the sky, in the sky?
On the far side of the ballroom, Urobos, Alexander, Murkandre, and Persephone were discussing the inner politics of the new home. Prince Hemlokk had wandered off somewhere to be by himself.
Baneth and Elenar, meanwhile, were seated before the opposite side of the monarch's table. They sat side by side as many of the party-goers came to offer up congratulations on the marriage.
"You two will do fine as mates." One dragon said.
"Thank you," Elenar responded cautiously.
"You're bound to have many children together!" Another person said.
"Not too many, I hope." Baneth chuckled. That comment made Elenar uneasy again; she placed a hand on her enlarged belly.
Elenar supposed that any other dragoness would be euphoric on her wedding day. Baneth certainly seemed happy; he often cast her loving glances and draped a wing over her back. And Elenar was certainly grateful to have him. And yet…
At one point, Albanion and Elza walked up to congratulate the pair as well.
"Good going, you two." Albanion grinned.
"Thank you, Albanion." Elenar bowed her head.
"So, are you two going to be having children soon?" Elza asked.
Baneth groaned. "Why does everyone keep asking that? It's not like I'm going to be king by the end of the week."
"I… I guess we haven't discussed it ourselves, yet." Elenar said. "I'm not rushing you, Baneth."
Baneth blushed, which made Albanion and Elza snicker.
"I'm going to get some more food," Elza said. "I'll be right back…"
She turned around to make for the food tables… only to bump into something that appeared in a cloud of smoke. A young, crimson-scaled dragon in a servant's outfit sat on his haunches before her. As he swung his tale, he accidentally smacked Elza's plate to the floor.
"Hey!" Elza snapped. "Watch where you're teleporting!"
"Oh, damnit!" The teenager grimaced. He turned around and tugged on his busboy's outfit. "S-Sorry, Miss!"
The teenager awkwardly scraped up the remains of the plate off the floor, instantly teleported to a garbage can to dispose of them, and teleported back. Elza blinked and stumbled back a bit.
"Err, can I get you anything to make up for it, miss?" He asked the dragoness as he awkwardly shuffled his paws
"Well, I was going to get a few grapes and some cake…" Elza tapped her talons on the floor.
"Say no more!" The young dragon declared. "I'm on it!"
The teenager teleported over to the food tables, while Elza groaned and turned back around.
"And just who was that kid?" Elza asked.
"Oh, don't mind him." Baneth shrugged. "It's just Wraith."
"He soft-of works for us," Albanion added. "As you can see, he's pretty talented in shadow magic."
"I've seen plenty of dragons who can teleport," Elenar scratched her chin, "but none who could do it that fast. Is he an apprentice of the Deep Shadows?"
"Only a recent one, I think," Baneth replied. "The work as a busboy is his side job when he's not studying."
Wraith suddenly reappeared with a new plate of the food Elza specified. He happily held it up to her, while she craned her head back in annoyance.
"Uh… here you go, miss!" He chuckled awkwardly
"Thanks, I guess." Elza carefully took the plate. Wraith bowed his head and cautiously walked off.
"Is something the matter, Elza?" Baneth asked.
"As I said, I'm not used to dragons teleporting into my face." She wrinkled her muzzle. "It's just… disorienting."
"You mean you're not used to this"?" Baneth snapped his talons. He instantly appeared in front of the dragoness in his cloud of smoke. She yelped and nearly dropped her plate again.
"Don't do that!" She exclaimed. Albanion and Elenar laughed, while Baneth smirked.
"Or what?" The prince raised an eye ridge. Elza put her plate on the table and growled.
"Please don't kill my husband, Elza," Elenar said jokingly. Before long, all four of the dragons had a good laugh.
Sometime later, Urobos and the other monarchs walked over to Baneth and Elenar. A smile creased Urobos's muzzle as he sat down across from them.
"How are you two doing?" The high king asked.
"We're just fine, Father," Baneth answered with a bow.
"That's good to hear." Urobos sighed. "For a moment, I was worried something was wrong."
"Everything's alright, Father. Really." The prince insisted.
Alexander and Murkandre teleported across the table to stand on either side of their daughter. Murkandre hugged Elenar with a wing and sighed happily.
"My little girl's finally a full dragoness." She said with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Mom." Elenar's eyes beamed. Alexander snorted as he also draped a wing over her back.
"I have to admit… you've done right by the shadow dragons." He said with a small smile. "Prince Baneth makes for quite the good match for you, too."
"Dad…" Elenar grimaced. But she was at least happy to hear approval from the otherwise crotchety monarch.
Across the way, Urobos held a forepaw out before Baneth. "My boy, there's something I wish to give you."
"There is?" Baneth tilted his head.
"Consider it a wedding gift..." Urobos channeled magical energy into his forepaw, and the black sword appeared in a cloud of smoke once again. He held the sword with both paws and presented it to Bane.
"Your sword?" Baneth asked in confusion. "Didn't Lord Spyro give that to you?"
"I want you to have it, Baneth." Urobos insisted. "This old drake's too weary to fight with a sword now."
"You're not that old, Lord Urobos," Elenar said. "You've only entered your late forties."
Urobos cocked his eye at her and shook his head. "Even so, I don't need this sword anymore. It's yours now, Baneth."
Baneth's fingers shifted with trepidation as he reached out for the hilt. He carefully took hold of the blade and lifted it as a smile creased his face.
"Thank you, Father…" He smiled at the high king. "I'll keep it in top condition, always."
"You'd better, boy," Alexander stated. "And you'd best take even better care of my daughter while she's yours."
"I will, Sir." Baneth put the sword down and bowed his head toward Alexander. The shadow king was about to relax and say something more reassuring… only for a familiar voice to make his blood boil.
"Oh, yes!" The voice cut through the crowd. "Take care of her! I certainly would have, if given the chance!"
The partygoers started murmuring; even Rose and the musicians stopped their music. Baneth, Elenar, and the monarchs all rose to look toward the origin of the voice. Elenar felt a shiver run down her spine; it was time to face the consequences.
"Who's there?" Urobos demanded.
Off towards the center of the room, the crowd of party-goers had formed a circle around two figures, As the crowd dispersed, Dona was the first to step into view.
"I'd like to introduce someone who wasn't able to make it to the wedding proper…" Dona said with a smirk. She stepped out of the way and made a gesture with her wing. "Our dear old friend, Bergan!"
Elenar shrank down beside Baneth as the purple dragon walked forward to approach the monarchs. He had on his merchant's outfit and some overstuffed satchels. Urobos and Murkandre were surprised, while Persephone and Hemlokk were curious at the purple drake's approach. Alexander, however, was furious.
"Bergan!" Alexander growled bitterly.
"Bergan?" Baneth asked in confusion; Elenar shivered as she watched Urobos and Alexander walked toward Bergan and Dona.
"By the ancestors… Bergan!" Urobos shouted happily. "It's been years! I hardly recognized you!"
"Mhm…" Bergan raised an eye ridge. "I've kept myself busy, King Urobos."
"Well, what are you doing here?!" Alexander demanded. "Who invited you?!"
"Now stop that, Alexander." Urobos snapped. "We've been curious about Bergan's well-being ever since he up and vanished. Having him back is a miracle."
"Hmph…" Dona stepped up and cleared her throat to get the monarchs' attention. "Well to get to the point, I invited him here."
"WHAT?!" Alexander scowled.
"Well, I have quite the funny story to tell…" Bergan said casually as he stepped forward. "Just this morning, a hoard of dragonflies came fleeing into Faeshrine, ranting and raving about an earthquake disrupting the ecosystem. I happened to be out there already; see, I was trying to track down a certain queen…" He motioned across the way to Persephone and Hemlokk, and flashed a sardonic grin "We have some unfinished business, you see, regarding the welfare of the people of Faeshrine."
The poison queen grimaced as she fell back onto her haunches. "I can assure you that we were meaning to speak with you, young drake. We've just been… preoccupied."
"Yes, of course… Preoccupied." Bergan tugged at the stubble on his chin. "As in, preoccupied with building this secret floating city. It's been quite the drain on my recourses."
"Your recourses?" Alexander snapped. Dona gave a grin, which drew the shadow king's ire. "Dona… what have you done?"
"I enlisted the help of Bergan's trading company to manage the shipping of the gems." Dona declared. "How else do you think we've gotten progress on The Hive going so fast in so little time?"
"You went behind our back!" Alexander growled.
"Still offended at the idea of a purple dragon helping you hmm?" Bergan demanded. "I guess my involvement of any kind in your life is just too much to stomach. It's such a shame, then…" He turned to look straight at Elenar. "…That she's carrying my child."
Everyone gasped, and jaws hit the floor in droves. The declaration hung in the air for only a moment, before a murmur set in. It didn't take long for Alexander's fury to reach a boiling point. He slowly turned on his heels to glare at Elenar, who shrank down further into her seat.
"Elenar…" Alexander said quietly. He turned his eyes down toward her rotund belly.
Elenar would have preferred it if her father called Bergan a liar. She would have preferred if he disbelieved anything Bergan said, regardless of the truth. She would have preferred it if Alexander saw her as a perfect being who would save herself until her marriage to Baneth. But for the first time in Alexander's life… he looked at his daughter in disgust.
"You… mated with Bergan," Alexander said flatly. He stepped closer to the table, his eyes burning with fire. "You… mated with Bergan!"
Elenar held her head low in shame as the murmurs erupted into gossip. The truth was right here, growing and shifting deep within her belly. All she could do now was wait for the screams.
"Why?" Alexander snapped. "Damnit, WHY?!"
"Because… I…" Elenar's lip quivered.
The shadow king slammed the table. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Elenar!"
The princess carefully lifted her head; it was a struggle to look her father in the eyes. "Father, I… I…"
Elenar looked all around. There were so many confused and uneasy faces, especially from Baneth and Elza. The other monarchs could scarcely believe what was happening. Some crowd-goers seemed to think this was some sort of elaborate prank. Alexander, of course, was angry with Elenar… but not nearly as angry as Bergan. The purple dragon scowled at her and looked away. Tears ran down the princess's face; she just couldn't take it anymore. As she broke down in her cushion, the dragoness opened up her shadow and sank into it.
"Elenar!" Baneth exclaimed as she vanished from view. "Elenar, wait!"
Baneth opened up his own shadowy magic to dive in after her. The others in attendance were left alarmed, while Bergan just sighed and wracked his talons on the floor.
"Oh dear, I seem to have made a mess of things." Bergan declared. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a bottle of wine with a bow tied to it. With a wave of his hand, the bottle vanished into its own shadow. He then snorted as he stood up. "Well, I suppose this was inevitable."
"The nerve you have…" Murkandre sneered at the purple drake. She then turned her attention to Dona. "Do you see what your rash decisions have brought upon us, Dona?"
"Well, I only thought it was the right thing to do," Dona replied.
"And right it was," Bergan stated. "At least now that I'm here, we can all sit down and-"
"SILENCE!" Alexander roared. "You are not welcome here! GET OUT!"
Bergan rolled his eyes at that. He ignored the furious glare from the king and went to one of the tables to pour himself a glass of wine. He took a few sips and sighed happily.
"Did you not hear me?!" Alexander demanded. Bergan picked up his glass and swirled it around as he glanced around at the ballroom's interior.
"I must say, this is quite a marvelous structure you all have here, this 'Hive'." He mused. "All those months of silence were well invested."
"Stop ignoring me and LEAVE!" Alexander demanded.
"Must you continue to behave that way?" The purple dragon asked. "You wouldn't want me to inform any of the Light dragon monarchs about your flying home here, would you?"
"What?" Murkandre stammered.
"Then again… you've all left quite a hole in the dragon realms, haven't you?" Bergan looked over at Urobos. "What is your steward house going to do, with no one to wear the ivory crown?" He snorted as he took another sip. "How long do you think you can keep Richteriel and King Raus in the dark about where you've all vanished?"
"Erm…" Urobos grimaced.
"Are you threatening us?!" Murkandre demanded.
"Hmm, perhaps, perhaps not." Bergan snorted. He helped himself to another drink. Alexander and Murkandre growled, while Urobos only sighed and stepped between them.
"Now hold on a minute!" Urobos said. "Surely we can all discuss things like rational dragons."
"Hmm, that's something I always admired about you, Urobos." Bergan gave a slight smile. "You always seek to resolve things with civility. Just a shame you weren't the father figure I needed back in the day."
Urobos just sighed and stepped closer. "Listen, I wasn't aware that anything had happened between you and Elenar. I meant you no offense, lad."
"Quite understandable…" Bergan took another drink. "But that doesn't change the fact that Elenar is carrying my child whilst married to another dragon."
"Is there anything I can provide that'll serve as compensation for the emotional stress?" Urobos asked.
"Hmmm…" Bergan tugged on his beard again. "How about-?"
"He doesn't deserve a thing!" Alexander roared.
"Hush, Alexander." Urobos sneered.
Bergan just snorted and put down his wine glass. He glanced over at Persephone and Hemlokk. "What I want is an addendum to the agreement I had with the poison queen regarding the fate of Faeshrine."
Persephone stepped closer and grimaced. "And what addendum would that be?"
"If you're not going to live there anymore," Bergan looked her in the eyes, "Then I want to be free to expand my business there. Plus, somebody's going to need to step up as the authority figure for the non-dragon denizens of the city."
"Well, we can't say we didn't see that coming, Mother…" Hemlokk snorted. "I say we let him do as he pleases."
"Agreed…" Persephone sighed. "We'll draft the new paperwork soon. But all I ask, dear Bergan, is that you don't raze the forest to the ground in your efforts to expand industrially."
"Oh, I'll see what I can do…" The purple drake snorted. "Well, that's one matter resolved. Now, all I really want next is…" He turned to glare at Alexander and Murkandre. "The custody of my child, as soon as the egg is laid."
"Fine!" Alexander snapped. "You can take the bloody bastard egg as soon as our daughter squeezes it out!"
"Alexander!" Murkandre hissed. "Watch how you speak about our grandchild!"
The shadow king merely scowled and glared across at Bergan, who sighed and stood up tall.
"I think I'm done here." Bergan looked over at Urobos. "Send my regards to Baneth and Elenar. And I wish them the best of luck with their marriage."
"…I'll be sure to tell them," Urobos said awkwardly.
With a flick of his tail, Bergan turned to make his way out of the ballroom. And after that, he was gone from the royals' lives once again.
Alexander turned toward Dona and gave her the worst glare of his life. "You must be truly insane to think you could just have him walk right in here without ruining the evening."
"There was no crime in bringing him over." Dona frowned. "He has his rights, considering his dealings with everyone."
"Oh, shut up!" Alexander snapped. "All you've done has been an effort to undermine Elenar's ascension!"
Dona's eyes gleamed. "I'm not the one who told her to fuck Bergan."
Before Alexander could roar at Dona, Urobos stepped up and stamped his paws on the floor.
"ENOUGH!" The high king bellowed. He whirled around to look the shadow king in the eyes. "Harping on facts is worthless, Alexander! What's done is done!"
Alexander blew smoke from his nostrils. "How dare you say that to me?"
"Oh, hush up!" Murkandre demanded. "This turn of events is ruining the party! It's supposed to be a celebration of the union of the dark dragons into one city. But instead, we've allowed the bride and groom to run off somewhere!"
"Aye…" Urobos nodded. He looked toward the nearest Deep Shadows. "I need to dispatch someone to find those two."
"Allow me, your Highness…" Elza said, having finally spoken up after all this time.
"Alright then. Go." Urobos snorted. He made his way over to the table to sit down. "What a stressful afternoon…"
Elza bowed her head and then ran off through a doorway to begin searching. Meanwhile, the monarchs turned to sit down at the table. At Urobos's gesture, Rose and the musicians began singing again… albeit with a little less enthusiasm than before.
In the joyous days of childhood,
Oft they told of wondrous love.
Pointed to the dying saviors,
Now they dwell far above.
~~…~~
Crying filled the air in the newlywed's bedroom.
Elenar was lying on the large mattress in the spacious chamber. She broke down into tears as soon as she appeared in a cloud of smoke. It didn't take long for Baneth to appear beside her, but he was quite uneasy as he watched the dragoness cry.
"Elenar…?" He asked cautiously. The prince held out a forepaw to grasp her shoulder, but he stayed his talons out of worry. "Are you… Do you need..?"
He sucked in a breath and shivered as he ran his talons through his mane. It was only their first afternoon as husband and wife, and already he was struggling to figure out how to make her feel better.
"It wasn't supposed to happen this way…" She said with quiet sobs.
"Elenar, please…" Baneth lowered his head down to her. "Talk to me."
Elenar turned to look up at him with red cheeks. "Baneth, I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Baneth asked as he got onto the mattress beside her.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I was… with child." She wiped her eyes and shivered. She struggled not to break down all over again. With a grimace, Baneth placed his forepaw on her head and patted it.
"It's alright." He said softly. "You don't have to apologize to me."
"You're not… mad at me?" Elenar looked at him again.
"I could never be mad at you," Baneth said softly.
"But… I've been keeping secrets." Elenar wiped her eyes again. "From you, from my family, from Urobos… everyone!"
Baneth sighed. "Well, can you at least tell me when exactly this happened?"
"Okay…" Elenar shifted around to sit on her haunches.
She recounted the events of the day she and Bergan finally met again… and mated. Baneth grimaced as he wracked his talons on the mattress.
"It sounds like the two of you were looking to rekindle your relationship," Baneth said cautiously. "But then he just… up and walked out on you?"
"Father didn't make Bergan feel very welcome." Elenar sighed. "I didn't want to hurt Bergan. But by the time this arrangement between the two of us was made, I felt the egg beginning to grow inside me. After that…" She shivered a bit. "I never had the chance to talk to Bergan about it."
"I see…" Baneth sighed. He draped a wing over Elenar's back. "So, when is the egg due?"
"I'm not sure." Elenar sighed. "It could be any day now."
"And… do you want to keep it?" Baneth asked. Elenar flinched; she looked away and shivered again, much to the prince's unease. "Elenar?"
"I don't know." The dragoness said sadly. "I want to keep my child, but Father will never approve of it, all because Bergan is the father." She tensed up as more tears formed. "He… He might even disown me over this."
"Well nuts to him." Baneth snorted. "If you want your child in your life, I'd gladly help you raise them."
"You would?" Elenar asked in amazement.
"How could I not?" Baneth put on a soft smile. "I'll love and support the child just as much as I'll love and support you."
Elenar scooted closer to Baneth and wrapped her forelegs about him. She sniffled as she smiled at him. "Th-thank you, Baneth. You're too good to me."
As Baneth and Elenar embraced, the princess noticed something across the room that she hadn't done before. Seated on the center of the end-table in the corner was a bottle with a red bow attached; it was addressed to Elenar and said:
To the dragoness who loved me, when I didn't love myself: I carried on for all these years because of you. Thank you, Elenar. Love, Bergan.
Elenar's eyes watered, so she shut them tight and looked away. Could she ever face Bergan again?
~~…~~
Greetings, friends and loved ones.
This Interlude didn't need much changed; just a few things here and there.
In Act Two, we return to Glenhaven, where Blankridge, Nellie, Emerald, and some new faces have some interesting developments.
In addition, different factions will begin to make their grievances known across Warfang, while Tyrrany and her friends begin the journey south. Rune will do the same but will face some emotional problems along the way.
And in the middle of it all, Bergan sits in his carriage, reading a mysterious book and planning some big changes for all the realms. Why could he possibly have it in store? Well, keep reading to find out!
(The lyrics are from "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," circa 1907. Hooray for the public domain)
Tenebra ecce Veritas.