Hey, so, you don't need to, but I would highly recommend reading Invincible by Qibli (the writer on that site not the character) before reading this chapter. I consider that story canonical to this. Again, you don't have to, but I do allude to it.
Sundew let out a sigh as she entered the regrown forest. Although she dreaded meeting her mother again, especially knowing that she now had a younger sibling, there was a certain peace being here. Sanctuary was admittedly nice, and she got to spend time unjudged with her friends and Willow, but it never screamed 'home'. Being in thick forests, listening to the trees whisper amongst themselves, now that was home.
The newly grown trees had the minds of dragonets. All excited, spreading their roots and talking amongst themselves. It was noisy, and Sundew admittedly found it hard to focus on dragon voices. She caught glimpses of dragonets playing in the trees, swinging on vines. Phyyrian dragons cataloged the different plants and chatted to LeafWing guides.
Even some HiveWings were doing their part. The LeafWings didn't exactly trust them, but the ones that showed were genuine in their willingness to help. They, like Cricket, saw through the lies. Sundew wasn't sure if she could ever count many HiveWings as friends, but if they were willing to help, she couldn't hate them.
"Ah, I missed this." Willow twirled in the air, darting through a set of vines. "The sun here is much stronger. The scent of plantlife… I love Sanctuary, but this is something else."
"Yeah, I agree." Sundew let out a small smile.
"I wonder how Hazel is doing." Willow continued thoughtfully. "I know she is running errands for the queen, but I'm sure she'd like to see us again. Being a liaison for the LeafWings isn't something I envy."
"Well, what do you call our time in Sanctuary?" Sundew rolled her eyes.
"I call that spending time with my girlfriend and having a literal treehouse."
Sundew said nothing, face softening. Instead, she brushed her wingtips with Willow, and they looked into each other's eyes for a second. Sundew would never, publicly, admit how much Willow meant to her. She'd burn down the entire forest if it meant saving her.
The LeafWing pavilion was much nicer than the one in the Poison Jungle. Made from warped trees and other plants, it served as a sturdy platform. Homes made of plants and other natural materials grew, shaped in all extravagant designs. A tree house, for example, was twisted in a way that would break wind that swept through in all directions. It was amazing what plants were willing to do once encouraged.
Upon approaching the pavilion, vines and other natural barriers receded, allowing entry. Hidden LeafWings shifted, some nodding to them with a smile. Sundew gave them a curt nod while Willow waved enthusiastically.
"You should be more friendly." Willow nudged Sundew with her tail. "They are our tribe."
"I've been an outlier of my own tribe. And I can't be sure which ones will be supporting Belladona." Sundew leaned in to whisper.
"You attract bees with honey, Sundew, not venom."
"Hmph."
The Queen's throne was in the direct center, made of thickly folded plants that formed a sharp thorn, like structure. Inside, glowing flowers and other bioluminescent plants lit the ways to different levels and rooms. The Queen's was alit with purple, red for the upper levels, and guest rooms yellow. Sundew wished that these plants could survive in Sanctuary; it would certainly make it a lot more appealing. Making homes was already a hassle with the soil there.
The throne room itself was circular in shape, with extravagant flora hanging on the walls or from the ceiling. LeafWing attendants bustled about in the room and in the halls, making sure plants were well watered and so on. A throne made of sequoia wood, shaped to perfectly fit the queen that shared the same name.
She was, dare Sundew say, beautiful in a warrior way. Scars along her dark green scales, predominately on the tail that dragged behind her, were almost like a mark of honor. One of her horns, broken. One ear was missing, too, but she was not hindered in the slightest. In those eyes of hers that radiated kindness and wisdom, there was a ferocious fighter that would never surrender.
"Ah, Sundew and Willow!" Queen Sequoia smiled warmly. "I had not expected you for a bit after hearing the news. But, I am pleased that you made it."
"Well, when you get a queen's summons, saying 'no' doesn't feel like an option." Sundew replied without hostility. It was blunt and to the point. Which was actually quite kind for her.
"Ha, I suppose not." Queen Sequoia barked out a laugh. "My apologies for not writing to you directly, but I had a diplomatic meeting to attend." Her gaze softened. "Your mother is training the newer generation of fighters, so you don't need to worry about her jumping in unless something dire occurs."
"Then let me ask something personal before we begin." Sundew grimaced. The queen nodded. "Did she have another egg?"
It was the queen's turn to grimace. "Yes. You likely know the reason."
"Oh, don't I ever…" Sundew bristled.
"We heard a bit from Queen Luna what was happening." Willow rubbed Sundew's shoulder, changing the subject. "If I am to understand, your territory needs expanding, but naturally there is resistance."
"Yes." Queen Sequoia nodded slowly. "Where Wasp hive is now was an ancestral home to our tribe. It, rightfully, belongs to us. However, displacing so many dragons – even if some wish for Queen Wasp to retake the throne – is not something I wish to act on. We were sufferers of such a fate. I would not mind expanding to the north, around the Hive, but Queen Luna has decided to build her home there."
Sundew's eyes narrowed. That was a bit strange that Luna would build there. It didn't seem like oversight, either. No, Luna was smart and persuasive enough to cause the Othermind to commit an assisted suicide. She was not so naïve as to build a massive cocoon as temporary .
So what was her goal?
"She did suggest expanding to the south, along the seas." Willow suggested. "It would make the forest lengthy but not wide."
"Mmm, that has crossed our minds, but again the issue is the ancestral land." Queen Sequioa's claws gripped her throne. "My mother and her mother and her mother are buried there. I know where, but there isn't a landmark to show. I haven't the courage to even check if they had been exhumed or not. I do not blame Queen Jewel for wishing to keep the land – again, displacing so many dragons is not a task I fight for – but at the same time, what choice is there?"
"I don't know." Sundew admitted.
"The land around Wasp Hive is expansive." Willow brought up. "Could we not build up to the borders of both Silk and Hive and have them expand to the west?"
"That has been discussed, but perhaps I was a bit vague with my wording. It has been a long day." Queen Sequoia smiled softly. "The queens of the past were buried where Wasp Hive now stands . There is a burial ground that LeafWings can access, but it requires us to go right underneath the hive. Wasp was a cruel dragon, and she knowingly built the hive over our sacred burial grounds."
That changed a lot of things. While Sundew was not one for tradition – especially after moving to Sanctuary and removing herself from her mother's influence – that was a slap in the face. As if chopping down the forests and committing genocide wasn't bad enough! But again, dragons lived there. Dragons who did nothing wrong.
Damn you, Blue, for making me so soft… Sundew growled internally.
"Then what is your current plan?" Willow instead asked.
"For now? We want as much as we can reclaim of our heritage. I have no desire to block access to the sea for the trade ports we'll likely be making. But I cannot bend over for them. As a result, we cannot progress in our negotiations." She eyed them curiously. "What would you do, in my situation?"
Sundew and Willow glanced at each other. Oh, this was a nightmare. If Sundew ever had dreams of becoming queen, this right here would erase them.
Willow, however, had a more thoughtful look to her. She kept glancing between the trees, the dragons that entered and left. To Sundew and the Queen. Watching her mind tick was something Sundew never got tired of. She had such a wondrous, insightful brain. It had widened Sundew's own perception and seeing her act as the voice of reason filled her heart with pride.
Not that she'd ever admit that.
"Mmm… there is one idea…" Willow eventually said. "But I am uncertain if both tribes will go for it."
"Go on." Queen Sequoia gestured with her claw.
"Perhaps we could help relocate them? I don't want to kick them out with no place to go." Willow paced around the throne room. "But… I already see the problem. One, the LeafWings helping what were their oppressors? I can, for certain, tell that the former PoisonWings will not like this. And there are those in Wasp Hive who will object as well. Yet it seems to be the only mutually beneficial way to remove them."
"Yes, I can tell you right now that if I do that, I will have another separation," Queen Sequoia said with exasperation. "The thought has crossed my mind and has come up during meetings. Belladonna has shot that right down."
"Well, perhaps then we can have another meeting between you three? Sundew and I will be there, as well as Blue and Cricket."
"Three-way meetings only get so far." Queen Sequoia sighed. "Every time we get anywhere, something else happens."
"You trusted our judgment enough to write to us." Sundew interjected. "You specifically pointed out that we are a neutral faction. We live side-by-side with the other tribes."
"Yes… that is true." Queen Sequoia nodded. "But that would mean you'd side against us if needed?"
"Unfortunately." Willow winced. "We want what's best for every tribe. If we are blinded by loyalty to one, then it ruins the esteem you hold us in."
"She's right." Sundew admitted begrudgingly.
"That is the hardest task you will ever face, I will warn you now." Queen Sequoia leaned forward, examining them critically. "I did not agree to the suggestion lightly. I have no desire to see you ostracized from our tribe. But while I will see your points, I cannot guarantee the rest will."
"My question, then, is if you'll agree to what we propose." Sundew stood straighter, trying to hide her nervousness. "No matter what it is, if it settles the tribal disputes."
"And, it does not rule out future negotiations." Willow added on swiftly.
"I feel that the option of future negotiations will placate a lot of dragons. But it will depend on what we lose – or gain – for me to readily agree to terms. I cannot willingly say that I will, either. But I do believe your words when you say you want what is best for every tribe."
"Thank you, my queen." Willow bowed respectively. Sundew did as well after Willow nudged her.
"I imagine you will need to reconvene with the others, but you may alert them that I am open to the meeting." Queen Sequoia continued with a faint smile. "Willow, Hazel has been eagerly awaiting your return. Ever since the letter was sent, she has been squirming with excitement. Same with Mandrake, Sundew."
Mandrake… Sundew remembered the days where she was betrothed to him. He was handsome and kind, and Sundew would be lying if she said there was no attraction. But her heart was Willow's until the day she joined the plants in the soil. Sundew, however, could most certainly consider him a close friend at this point.
Even if she had trouble showing it.
The queen let them go, and they were allowed the run of the pavilion. Accommodations were made to allow their stay on the upper levels of the palace, if one could call this place that. But Sundew was far too energized to sleep now. Although the prospect of running into her mother was not a pleasant one, she did wish to see how Mandrake and Cobra Lily were.
She let out a small chuckle, remembering hearing Qibli's mother was also named Cobra. Differentiating them took a hot moment. Yet, the SandWing held sorrow in those black eyes of his whenever he heard the name. Sundew didn't ask, but in a way, it made her feel less alone to know that she wasn't the only one with a terrible mother.
Strangely, she felt out of place around her own tribe. She'd gotten used to being in a mangled mess of a town that she forgot what it was like to live amongst LeafWings. Despite the peace, a good portion of the LeafWings were on edge. Their eyes darted toward where the Hives stood, even if they weren't visible. Only when Sundew flew above the trees did she see Wasp Hive in the distance.
"Willow!" An excited voice greeted as what looked like a younger Sequoia landed: Hazel. She had really grown up to be a beautiful, regal figure with forest green scales and bark-brown eyes. Sundew glanced at Willow, foolishly remembering the time where she assumed her girlfriend to love Hazel. But upon seeing her… well, Sundew could understand the temptation.
Slightly.
"Hazel!" Willow leaped forward, butting horns with her. Sundew slowly walked up, a smile on her face. Seeing Willow happy and excited was infectious . It was almost enough to shatter her tough, angry exterior.
"I knew you were coming back but I expected you to take longer!" Hazel all but jumped up and down. "Life is a bit boring without Sundew roaring every few hours." She added with a wink to Sundew. "But now that you are here, I suppose I can finally start having fun again."
"What, you don't consider flying back and forth between hives fun?" Willow teased.
"It's fun in that I can see what I was missing all my life, but the lack of trees is depressing." Hazel shook her head. "Did you already meet with my grandmother?"
"We did." Sundew nodded, briefly going over what they discussed.
Hazel's face turned more professional, but Sundew could tell that she was depressed to hear their more neutral stance. Hazel understood it perfectly, but it didn't make it any easier on the future Queen.
"Well, know that whatever you decide, you'll always be my friends." Hazel offered a kind smile.
"That means a lot." Willow returned it.
"Oh, by the way, your father says hi," Hazel said to Sundew. "He got hungry so stopped to hunt nearby. I cannot blame him, I am famished . But I need to report to my grandmother before I can eat." She eyed them. "Actually, once I finish up, you wanna go hunting?"
"Sure." Willow readily agreed. Sundew felt her stomach growling slightly at the idea.
Still, the notion of her father saying 'hi'… he was as bad as Belladonna at times. But, over the years, he did seem to mellow out. There were attempts to treat Sundew like a daughter, awkward as they were. He would also write to them back in Sanctuary. Although he clearly wanted Sundew to pass on the LeafSpeak trait, he seemed to accept his daughter's love for Willow.
And that thought got Sundew angry again. The idea that she had a younger sibling running around, and she had no idea where they were. They could bump into each other at a moment's notice. Sundew wasn't ready for that. Better yet, how old was the dragonet? Blue and Cricket never said.
Her father probably didn't say anything because he was trying to create a bridge, not burn it.
"Sundew?" Willow gently touched her claw, snapping Sundew back into reality.
"I'm okay." Sundew shook her head. "Just…"
"I know," Willow said sweetly, brushing her face against hers. "You're not invincible, even if you try to be."
"There are times I wish I was." Sundew grumbled lowly.
"And if you were, you wouldn't be the dragon I love." Willow's eyes narrowed. "Do you remember our conversation before you left to fight the Othermind?"
"Which part? Where I threatened to show you millipedes? Or when I called you a Sapwing?"
Willow rolled her eyes. "I meant when I said you wore your anger like armor. It protects your emotions. But Sundew… all I ask is that you remember that this dragonet is innocent. They did not choose to be born. This dragonet may even want to get to know their older sibling. Please, whatever you do, do not use that anger as an armor. Do not lock them out."
"I'd rather just move on from my family." Sundew admitted. "Live across the sea, never contacting them again. The fact that they tried again just tells me everything."
"Stop." Willow cut her off firmly. "Your father evidently cares. And like I just said, your sibling may try and reach you. Do not shut that door, Sundew. We don't know how they will feel about you. By the trees, this dragonet may even attach themselves like Bumblebee did!"
That got Sundew to snort out a laugh. "You are aware that it only makes me want to leave more, right?" She said jokingly.
"What, you don't want two dragonets climbing all over you?" Willow giggled. "You already keep bugs on you, why not two dragonets? Far more effective."
"Mmm… I'll think about it. Would make traveling a hassle, though."
Hazel arrived shortly after, and together they flew off to hunt. The thought of it made Sundew suppress a small laugh. She remembered when Cricket had come up to her shortly after the war ended, admitting that she thought LeafWings were vegetarians because of the name. It wasn't until Sundew explained – and exaggerated for comedic effect – that plants can feel themselves being eaten that Cricket realized why they weren't.
"Besides, some plants are carnivorous. Remember what happened to Swordtail?" Sundew had added. Cricket paled at the memory, and Sundew got another chuckle.
At least, this far in, they didn't have to deal with those plants…
Ever since the forest expanded, a lot of the plains animals had no idea what to do with it. They stuck out like a sore wing the moment they tried to enter. For example, a Zebra had traveled a bit further in than they should've. Sundew could've politely asked one of the vines nearby to hold it still. But there was nowhere for it to run.
A quick meal was made of the muscular creature. Hunting and tracking always made her feel alive, even if it was pitifully easy like this. Admittedly, the taste of blood was not something she relished, but the meat itself was low in fat and felt great to rip into. She didn't know why she liked feeling her fangs tug against something. Only Willow knew that she would occasionally just rip into something to feel that sensation.
At least she didn't try and demean Sundew by trying to play tug of war with it. That would've killed her.
"It's mostly a bunch of smaller critters in Sanctuary," Willow had explained after Hazel asked about Pyrrhia. "There's a whole bunch of them, but the issue is that they are fast. Much easier to grow fruits there, but my warrior queen over here will not settle for a life of quiet comfort."
"Nope." Sundew readily agreed.
"I'd love to visit again," Hazel said, wiping the blood from her maw. "Once this is all settled, I wanna go on a massive trip around the lost kingdoms."
"We did that with Blue and Cricket," Willow said. "There's a lot to see, but it's also very dangerous. Did you hear about what happened in the Sand Kingdom?"
"No, I didn't. What happened?"
That was a conversation that brought back unpleasant imagery. The image of a mother saying goodbye to her dragonet stuck with Sundew like a bothersome mosquito, sucking away at her. That memory was the final seal in her resolve to never let Belladonna enact any type of hostility.
Bloodworm Hive had already been burned down. Hundreds of dragons, lost in the flames. Dragonets, innocent SilkWings. Sundew remembered the time where she would've lit the blaze herself. The fires of war sparked in her blood no longer.
"And we ask you here when clearly they have unresolved tensions." Hazel frowned. "No wonder why it took you a while to get here."
"You're our friend, and the LeafWings are our tribe. Of course we'd come." Willow smiled. "And once we finish here, we can help our friends in Pyrrhia deal with cruelty like this Vulture."
"True that, true that…" she eyed them curiously. "Is it really true that the queens have to be killed for their successor to replace them?"
"Yep." Sundew nodded slowly.
"That's so… barbaric." Hazel shook her head, disgusted. "I could never lift a talon against my grandmother. We always discussed a peaceful transfer when I was ready, and she'd guide me during my first years."
"Provided Belladonna doesn't step in first." Sundew grumbled.
"She's been… not aggressive, lately." Hazel spoke gingerly. "I know you know about her dragonet. Plus with acting general of the LeafWings, she's got her claws full."
"Do you… know what my sibling is like?" Sundew asked apprehensively.
"Very sweet. He's got a warrior's heart, and I can see an arrogant streak forming, but he just wants to protect his tribe and those in it," Hazel answered. "He keeps trying to act guard to any official. It's kind of endearing. Always going in first whenever a newcomer approaches."
"So, he's protective." Sundew felt her worry vanish slightly.
"Very much so. It's not possessive – yet – but given who his mother is… I worry that it may turn poisonous." Hazel admitted. "He's distrustful of HiveWings already."
Sundew and Willow sighed. Of course he would be.
"But, I think he's young enough for you to get through to him if you wanted to," Hazel said with optimism. "He does listen whenever I say someone is trustworthy or, at least, not hostile. I wouldn't write him off yet."
"May as well get this out of the way, then…" Sundew finished her portion of the Zebra. "The longer I put it off, the longer I'm going to keep doing so."
"Are you sure?" Willow asked.
"No."
Back to the pavilion they went, and Hazel led them to where the former PoisonWings mostly resided before having to return to her grandmother. The LeafWings, despite being united, still had a divide to them. Those who wanted to move on, and those who were always prepared for war. Although things had largely simmered in the divide, extremists like Belladonna evidently kept things going.
This was evidenced by the more militaristic look of everything on this side. Plants were warped to be rugged terrain, perfect for ambushing and hiding. Homes were hard to see, leading to underground where LeafWings might spring up like a trapdoor spider. Not a lot of Pyhhrians or even dragonets could be seen in this sector.
The training ground in question was located beneath the pavilion, where obstacle courses and the like were made from nature itself. Those with Leafspeak would twist and warp vines and other plants to simulate different environments. Battle tactics used by the different tribes were also employed, with some LeafWings enacting swarming tactics previously used by HiveWings.
And leading them, sure enough, was Belladonna. Stoic and proud, she barked orders and criticism without pause. Sundew was told that she resembled her mother often, only with darker scales and gold flecks rather than brown. Seeing her mother drew no emotion. Normally, it would bring irritation and sometimes hatred, but now it was just… nothing. Not even when she stared at the burned claws from which Sundew still had not heard the story about.
Nearby, her father watched with a dragonet between his shoulders. Hemlock was a dark green color that he used to blend in with the shadows. Green eyes, kinder than his mate's. He still had a stoic stance and an expressionless face, but upon seeing Sundew, it shifted slightly. There was genuine happiness in seeing his daughter. Then, it gave way to guilt when the dragonet between his shoulders lifted his head.
Sundew felt fury unlike anything else mixed with anguish and hurt upon sight of the dragonet. Oh, he looked just like a younger version of her! Gold flecks and all! But his face was slightly angular, and his fleck patterns were different. His face was trying to hide the mystified wonder in his eyes as he tried to identify why Sundew looked so familiar.
He's just a dragonet. He didn't choose to be born, nor does he hate you. Sundew's mind tried to quell the cocktail of negativity brewing in her heart. He may be the only one of your family to never judge you.
"Sundew." Hemlock dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"Father." Sundew responded neutrally.
"Father?" The dragonet piped up, staring at Sundew. "I have a sister? Why didn't you tell me?" The dragonet tugged on his father's horns.
"Ah, well… you'll have to ask your mother about that…" Hemlock answered evasively. The guilt in his eyes only intensified. "Sundew, this is Butterwort. Butterwort, this is Sundew, your older sister."
Now that he was shuffling more, Sundew noted that the dragonet was about two years old. Hemlock was simply allowing the dragonet to stand on his shoulders to better see the training rather than carrying. Although, it was possible that Butterwort – they named him after the same genus of plant as her! – was closer to three now that Sundew looked closer.
More hurt flowed through her like an infected wound. Hemlock never carried her on his shoulders…
Butterwort flapped down to the ground, bounding up to Sundew. He examined her curiously, head tilting in all directions. It reminded Sundew of how Bumblebee would do the same.
"How come I never saw you?" Butterwort eventually asked.
"We were over in Pyrrhia." Willow interjected before Sundew could speak. Not that she could at the moment.
"Oh! I heard about it." Butterwort nodded. "Who are you? Are you a sister, too?"
"No, I'm Willow, Sundew's girlfriend." Willow introduced herself politely.
"Oh, okay." Butterwort turned his attention back to Sundew. "I guess that means you already passed on the Leafspeak?"
"Butterwort!" Hemlock snapped as white hot rage threatened to consume Sundew in that very moment to throw this dragonet across the field.
"But mom says that's what's important!" Butterwort did not seem to notice the way Sundew's claws curled into the bark floor. "So if she has a girlfriend, that means she isn't worried anymore! I just wanna see the egg…"
"I – Butterwort, you just don't ask your sister that!" Hemlock shot Sundew an apologetic look. "That's rude. You know better!"
"But with our family…" Butterwort shifted his gaze between his father and Sundew, now noticing the look of sheer contempt the latter had. He shrank under the glare. "I'm sorry… can you not lay eggs? I didn't mean to just ask but if you were in the family that meant… I'm sorry."
"Well, he got your tendency to just blab out what's on your mind." Willow leaned in to whisper to Sundew.
"Evidently." Sundew did her best to keep her voice even. It didn't work as well as she wanted.
"She can lay eggs." Belladonna's voice cut through the anger as she approached, regarding her daughter with an expressionless face. "She simply chose not to."
"There's a choice?" Butterwort asked, confused.
"There is now." Belladonna responded plainly. "Sundew."
"Belladonna." Sundew hissed. The air itself seemed to crackle with how much friction was between the two dragons in that moment.
"I see you got the letter." Belladonna chose not to comment on Sundew's anger for once. "You arrived later than anticipated."
"Maybe if you read the reply, you'd know that things didn't go as planned." Sundew responded icily.
"I did. But I thought I taught you that duty comes before everything else. Your view has evidently changed in your absence."
"It most certainly has." Sundew nodded in agreement. "It's also changed yours, hasn't it? It didn't take too long to replace me, huh?"
"The trait must continue. We may fall at any moment, and if you were unwilling to comply, then we had to make a replacement. It is not personal," Belladonna said neutrally.
Oh, but it was. The two dragons never got along. Ever since she first hatched, they were always seconds away from getting into a fight. Time had not mellowed this. If anything, Sundew was angrier than ever before, and Hemlock saw this. He tried in vain to step between them, all but gesturing to Butterwort.
"You are many things, but a liar is not one of them!" Sundew spat. "It was personal the moment you found out about Willow! It was personal the moment I chose not to lift my tail for Mandrake!"
"Mom?" Butterwort managed to squeak out before Hemlock shushed him.
"Belladonna, can we not do this?" Hemlock interjected. "The war is over. You can treat Sundew like a daughter."
"The war is never over so long as Wasp and her hive still live," Belladonna answered matter-of-factly. "She has a rare gift for LeafSpeak, stronger than us, and she is squandering it. I care not for her relationship with Willow. But until an egg is laid from her, then that gift will never live on."
"The only dragon I'd ever consider breeding with is Blue, and you'd hate that." Sundew sneered. "Actually, maybe I will! Just to have a halfbreed carry on the LeafWing's so special trait."
"Sundew, please…" Willow placed her wing over Sundew. "Not in front of Butterwort."
"No, he needs to know exactly what our mother is like. It's war, war, war. I was never good enough, and if he doesn't do everything she asks, he never will be too." Sundew spat.
"If you wish only to fight with me, why did you show?" Belladonna asked simply.
"Because I wanted to see if it was true that you replaced me!" Sundew cried. "And it was! You never even told him about me! I only found out because Blue and Cricket saw you chasing him! You'd think, at the very least, you'd reveal I was alive! Even if it was to saw what a failure I am to you! But no, you couldn't even do that ! You might as well say you disowned me."
Sundew did everything in her power to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. Disownment was a grave punishment, especially for a tribe on the brink of extinction like theirs. At this point, other LeafWings had stopped in their training to look. Some gave her sympathetic looks, others wincing. Some were merely interested in the conflict.
"If that is how you see my actions, then I cannot change your mind." Belladonna showed the faintest hint of emotion; anger. Her fangs showed ever so slightly, eyes narrowed. "I simply want what is best for this tribe. If you are unwilling to do that, then I cannot count on you to defend it. It is as simple as that."
"The war is over !" Sundew snapped. "You don't have to like HiveWings, but get over it! If they still wanted to attack, they'd have the Phyrrians stepping in too! Honestly, the biggest threat to all of this are dragons like you!" Sundew hissed, turning away. "Nothing I say will change your mind, though, so I won't bother."
She turned to Butterwort, who had a horrified expression on his face. As if his sense of reality had shattered. He kept glancing between Belladonna and Sundew, the latter as if seeing for the first time. Hemlock's ears were flattened against his head, grimacing.
"This is how your mother is. The war will never be over for her. And then she'll wonder why the other tribes retaliate when she'll do something stupid." Sundew spread her wings, taking off toward her room.
Everything was a blur until she stepped into the queen's guest room, crackling with intense anger that she hadn't felt in months. She knew it. She knew that the instant they saw each other, they'd get into a fight. And this was one of the worst. Hurt and dejection ripped through her like a blade. Anguish poured from her very soul.
It wasn't Butterwort's fault, but she hated him. She hated what he stood for. The very first question he asked. It was all Belladonna's mindset. Her father just stood there, too. He didn't have a good reason to not reveal Sundew's existence!
Willow approached, wrapping her wings around Sundew. Her presence wore down Sundew's armor of anger, draining her very essence until the tears could no longer be contained. She wanted to rant and rave, but there was only one question that needed to be asked. One that Sundew knew the answer to but couldn't help but blurt.
"Why doesn't she love me, Willow?" Sundew whispered.
Willow could only give a sad smile, nuzzling her mate as she cried quietly in her arms.
Honestly this was one of my favorite chapters to write.