Glorious Politics

AN: So this is a longer one than usual. I didn't want to cut it short since nothing much happens in the first half, and I didn't want to split the second half over two chapters. So enjoy the longer chapter, I guess!

And a relatively new headcanon of mine is showcased in this chapter. I'll explain more about it at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire. My OCs Sobek, Diamondback, and Mistral belong to me.

Chapter Nine:

It had been an unbelievably long day.

Even after taking fifty dragons off of their to-do list for today, she and Mistral didn't finish the interviews until a couple of hours after dark. And while she had originally planned to talk with Qibli immediately after he arrived and letting Moon help Mistral, that scene earlier today had changed her mind. Qibli had seemed really upset, and she didn't want to talk business with him until he felt a little better, so she let Moon go off and comfort him. With that change, she had planned to speak with Qibli tonight, but with how late it was, she was going to put that off until tomorrow morning.

Or at least, she was.

When she and Mistral arrived back at her pavilion—he wanted to put his documents in a safe spot and apparently didn't trust her to store them properly—both Qibli and Moon were waiting there for them. And while her young Sandwing friend seemed a bit emotionally drained, he still gave a small smile at seeing her. "Queen Glory," he nodded politely. "Sorry about that scene earlier today and for disappearing after, I just—"

He stopped speaking when she shook her head. "You don't need to explain, Qibli. I'm sure that was hard on you." He nodded and relaxed when she called him by name rather than title, an indication that this talk would be less formal than he had maybe initially expected.

Mistral had moved to his table, putting the satchel with his documents on the table, not meeting anyone's gaze or contributing to the conversation whatsoever. He seemed oddly quiet—introspective almost—but she had to wonder how long it would be until he was back to his former, rude self. "I'm sure you two are tired, so I'll keep this brief," Qibli started, pulling out two letters and passing one each to both her and the Icewing. "Those are formal summons by Queen Thorn, requesting your presence for Sobek's Court-Martial as witnesses to the incident in question. Queen Snowfall is already at the palace and has already spoken with Queen Thorn. We can start the trial as soon as you two arrive."

"Shouldn't you have told us this earlier, Captain?" Mistral grunted, clearly not pleased to be told this so late in the day. And while Glory didn't appreciate his tone, she had to agree with him. This should have been addressed earlier.

"Maybe," Qibli shrugged, not too concerned. "But I already informed Greatness and DB of the situation, too. The former has agreed to cover things here for the day or two you'll be gone, Glory, and the latter said he wasn't going to let you leave the Kingdom without him, so..." He shrugged again. Moon bumped his side with her wing, and Qibli looked at her in confusion for a moment before seeming to remember something. "Oh, yeah! Diamondback!"

The named Sandwing guard poked his head in from outside. "Sir?"

"Queen Thorn has requested your presence, too," Qibli said. The older Sandwing nodded, looking slightly pensive, and no doubt wondering what his Queen wanted from him. With that final declaration out there, Qibli turned his attention back to the other two dragons. "So I assume we'll all head over to the Sand Kingdom tomorrow, yeah?"

Glory looked over at Mistral, waiting to see his reaction. This census was his idea, and it was part of his investigation. Sobek's Court-Martial would delay any progress on it for a few days, and she figured he would be non-too-happy about that fact. To her surprise, however, he nodded. "I'll be ready," he calmly stated, walking out without another word.

Glory watched him go for a few seconds before noticing Qibli's curious expression. "Is it just me, or is he in a bad mood?"

She snorted at that. "That's rather tame compared to how he usually is."

"Really?" he asked quietly, his expression that of deep thought. "He's usually such a nice guy." Then, realization entered his eyes as he glanced at Moon. "Oh, yeah...that..."

Glory, however, was looking at him oddly. "Nice?" she asked skeptically. "He's been anything but ever since he arrived. To borrow a phrase from Tsunami, he's quite salty."

Qibli didn't say anything for a while. But then he yawned, making Moon chuckle at him. "I think it's time for bed, you," she nuzzled him. "Come on." The Sandwing didn't argue, letting his wife lead him out of Glory's pavilion, though not before they both wished her a good night. She huffed at their display of affection before heading to bed. Alone. Even the Sandwings' snoring, which she had gotten used to over the past week, was gone. Even Deathbringer wasn't here.

Not that she wanted him, specifically. But it would have been nice to have someone to keep her company. All of her friends had someone.

So why couldn't she?

Why did she have to be alone?

Her sleep that night wasn't very restful, mostly because she didn't get much—maybe four hours at most. That combined with the sour mood she had gone to bed with ended up leaving her in a decidedly foul mood when morning came—if one wanted to call waking up an hour before sunrise 'morning'.

Nobody was here yet, though Deathbringer was in his position outside her pavilion, keeping watch. Where Diamondback was, she had no idea, but he'd turn up eventually, she was sure. There was a plate of fruit sitting out, but she wasn't hungry. Her mood had all but spoiled her appetite.

Mostly because her loyal Nightwing guard seemed just as miserable this morning as she did. It was moments like these, where her depression really hit hard, that she considered forgiving him just for the chance that maybe—just maybe—they could fix things and somehow be happy together.

But she knew that would never happen. Things between them were too tense and had been for a long time. And he had never cared about her that way in the first place. Remembering that, in turn, only made her feel worse by reminding her that she was alone and always had been. Sure, she had the support of her friends when they came to visit, but they weren't always around. They all had their own lives and responsibilities. Besides, it was a different kind of loneliness that she felt.

Originally, she couldn't have cared less about romance. But almost twenty years and a horrible heartbreak had changed her views on the matter. With it came the fear that she would never have it. What if she died alone?

"Glory? You okay?" she heard Deathbringer ask, and she noticed him looking inside with a concerned expression.

She cursed herself for letting her emotions run amok without her even realizing it, forcing her scales to her normal color instead of the gray they had turned. "I'm fine!" she snapped, turning away so he wouldn't see the moisture in her eyes. She wiped it away as discreetly as possible before turning back to him.

He knew she was lying—she could see it in his eyes—but he didn't press the matter. She'd had bad days before, and from his expression, he knew this was going to be one of them. "Sorry..." he whispered. "I never meant to do this to you."

Despite how sincere he sounded, her jaw clenched in anger at his words. How dare he bring that up! "Be quiet, Jackass," she warned him, her eyes darkening in growing rage as she tried desperately to ignore his words. Her scales beginning to turn red despite how hard she was trying to prevent it.

But the idiot never could take a hint. "Seriously, Glory, I—"

"I SAID BE QUIET!" she roared, baring her fangs as her scales went black in pure hatred. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY!" He flinched back, eyes wide in shock at her outburst. "You—"

"Am I interrupting something?" a familiar yet concerned voice spoke.

Glory paused, her glare lingering on the Nightwing's shame-ridden expression, before turning to the dragoness who had interrupted. Glory allowed her scales to return to their natural colors, the black melting away after a few seconds. "No..." she lied, turning to reenter her pavilion when she paused once more. "I don't want to see your face until the trial," she snarled, and the Nightwing took his chance to take off, not needing to be told twice.

Moon followed behind her, albeit at a distance, gazing off in the direction the other Nightwing had gone before turning her attention to the Queen, who was watching her enter with a glare. She knew Moon was only trying to help, but she was not in the mood for company right now. "Really? Because it looked like—"

"Moon!" she snapped, causing the Nightwing to freeze at the hostile tone. "Don't. Push. Me." Moon stared at her, blinking a few times in surprise at the warning. The times where Glory was actually angry enough to turn her ire onto her were few and far between, but Moon could see and hear the truth of the matter. All it would take was a few seconds in the Queen's mind to know that under that guise of boiling fury was a vast pit of crushing emptiness.

Then, in a quiet and much more gentle tone, "Do you want to talk about it? You know I won't tell anyone."

Glory felt her anger fading at the kindness in her best friend's offer. Kinkajou had actually slipped into third place on that list ever since she started spending more time away from the Rainforest with Turtle. Greatness was in second place because of how helpful and nice she always was and how often the two worked together. She was a great assistant and friend. As for Moon, she visited quite often, so she had worked her way up to being her best friend.

She'd never tell Kinkajou that, though.

"Thanks for the offer, Moon, but I'll pass," she finally replied, her voice quiet. "I think I'll just go ahead on to the Sand Kingdom. Tell the others to follow when they're ready."

The Queen began walking out, passing by her friend. But before she could leave, Moon called out to her. "Glory?" The Rainwing in question paused, though her gaze remained forward. "It's your choice, but you should talk to someone even if it's not me. Keeping all of that in will only hurt you more."

There was no response given. Instead, Glory left her pavilion, her expression stoic as ever. Inside, however, she was a mess of emotions. There was no way she would ever let her subjects see her when she was like this. Thankfully, such moments were rare. They usually only happened when she was already stressed or aggravated—like dealing with Mistral had made her. Seeing Moon and Qibli's affectionate display last night hadn't helped, either. All it did was remind her that she had no one to lean on like that.

Despite the fact the sun wasn't even up, she noticed Diamondback heading towards her pavilion, only to stop and raise an eye ridge at her in confusion. "I'm heading to the Sand Kingdom," she explained, not even slowing down her walk. "If you want to come with, fall in." The irregularity of the situation wasn't lost on her, but she knew the palace guards would give her some accommodations until Thorn woke up to greet her. But she just wanted a change in scenery, especially since the distant thunder hinted at rain later today. The rain would just make everything muddy, and that would make her dirty, and it would be a whole thing.

Better to leave now before it hit.

The guards at the tunnels saluted as she approached. Both were strong-looking Nightwings, and they let the two of them pass without any issue. The security situation on her side of the tunnel wasn't very intricate, just some guards who rotated shifts. The reason for that was what awaited her and her guard on the other side of the tunnel. In the twelve years since taking the throne, Thorn had order the construction of an entire military outpost around where the tunnel's entrance was. Never again would the backdoor into her Kingdom be taken advantage of.

The Rainwing Queen stepped out of the tunnel and into a large, enclosed structure lit by torches A half-dozen Sandwing soldiers were stationed inside. They tensed upon seeing someone coming through the tunnel but relaxed when the saw who it was. The soldiers nodded, letting them pass, and it was only when she passed by a reflective surface did she realize she had left her finery in her pavilion.

Oh well...

She usually didn't bother with it, anyway.

The two guards posted at the door opened it for them, allowing the cool, night air of the desert wash over them. The flames in the torches and braziers flickered at the sudden inrush of air but remained lit. Outside, the sheer scope of the outpost revealed itself. Sandstone buildings and tents surrounded this one, and beyond those were walls with constant sentries posted along key positions. From what she remembered, the garrison strength was around fifty, but the camp did seem a bit bigger compared to the last time she was here. Maybe around sixty or seventy?

It seemed like overkill to her, seeing as how the two Kingdoms were allies. Then again, just because she and Thorn were allies didn't mean the two Kingdoms would always be allies, and the tunnel was a massive security concern.

...Maybe she should start construction of her own outpost.

Diamondback escorted her through the outpost with ease. Only once they were outside the main gates did they take flight. The dunes below were lit by moonlight, and she could see plumes of sand blowing off the top of them. It reminded her of a sea, which is why the desert was sometimes called 'The Great Sand Sea'. Really original name, but it wasn't her idea. At least it fit, though.

The flight was short since the palace was only a few miles from the tunnel. Diamondback had taken the lead this whole time, and that hadn't changed in the last few minutes, so she followed behind him as he landed outside the main gate of the city. The guards let them in after a quick salute, and then the two made their way through the dark, quiet streets. Only a few early risers were up, so the majority of the Sandwings she saw were guards and patrols. "There's a lot of guards," she commented idly as they approached the palace itself, walking up the sandstone steps separating it from the rest of the city. A raised pedestal rose from each side of the staircase where twin granite statues of a Sandwing Queen—which looked an awful lot like Thorn—acted as silent sentinels, watching out over the city. "I take it her popularity has grown," she perceived.

"Well, when you have Princesses like Blister, Blaze, and Burn running around and making wars for three decades or strict, traditionally uptight Queens like Oasis for centuries before that, when someone like Queen Thorn comes around, you can imagine the collective sigh of relief. For the first time in I don't know how long, we Sandwings finally have a Queen to be proud of. She looks out for everyone, not just the upper classes. Her policies are fair, her rule is just, and she understands the needs of the commoners because she was once one herself." Glory just hummed at that. Clearly, Diamondback was a loyal soldier, so his views may be a bit biased. But overall, she couldn't fault his reasoning.

The Sand Kingdom had been on the brink of ruin after the War. The economy was in shambles, the citizens were divided, criminals were running rampant, trusting anyone was a decidedly foolish idea. Tensions from the different factions were high, causing more than a few incidents. The most loyal among Burn and Blister's forces ended up running amok and collecting 'taxes', pretending to be agents of the new Queen while bleeding dragons of all of their coin. There were quite a few riots and acts of terrorism in those first few years, too. Come to find out, Vulture had been behind a lot of those schemes, doing whatever he could to undermine Thorn's rule.

But ever since Thorn had proven herself to be the Queen the Sandwings needed, things had calmed down. Thorn had taken care of one problem at a time, raising more support for herself, and then she had used that additional support to solve more problems. Her experience as leader of the Outclaws was invaluable for tackling tough situations with limited supplies and for knowing the ins and outs of the criminal underworld. With that knowledge, she had secured the Sand Kingdom through both military and civil intervention. Vulture had ended up in hiding, and no one had really heard anything about him. He wasn't foolish. He knew he couldn't take on Thorn with the wealth and support she now had at her disposal. But he was still on the top of Thorn's 'Most Wanted' list, and until he was brought to justice, the Kingdom was still on alert in case he struck again.

Despite all that unpleasantness, she was now the leader of the second most prosperous Kingdom on Pyrrhia. The Skywings, of course, were the most prosperous, what with them being the center of trade for the entire continent, especially the eastern half. But the Sand Kingdom had reopened its markets, too, acting as the central trade hub for western Pyrrhia. Goods from the Ice Kingdom flowed one way as merchants from the Sky Kingdom came from the other. And goods from the Sand Kingdom went both ways.

It was a highly lucrative business from the looks of it. All Glory had to do to know that is look around the halls of the palace. They were decorated with ornate tapestries and vases. More granite statues lined the main hall leading to the throne room, with braziers sitting before them, filling the entire place with a flickering, almost otherworldly, light. The simple stone columns were decorated with artwork, and the walls had received the same treatment. And many of the etchings were also filled with gold. "Seems a bit much," she pointed out.

"She spends the Kingdom's wealth on more than just decorations," Diamondback defended.

"I'm aware," Glory replied peaceably. "Thorn just didn't strike me as the kind of Queen to care about decorations as grand as this."

"Well when you have wealth, you want to show it off to everyone else," a familiar voice spoke from behind them. Glory jumped a bit in surprise, turning to see the Sandwing Queen standing there with a smile. The only thing she wore to denote her rank was the Eye of Onyx. It appeared she didn't usually bother with regalia, either. "Because when the other tribes see our wealth, they will know our power. It's a statement." She tapped the side of her head with a claw. "A psychological deterrent." Diamondback had saluted and bowed his head in respect to his Queen when she arrived, and she finally addressed him. "Dismissed, Sergeant-Major. I'll take care of things from here."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he nodded, heading off to wherever. Probably the barracks.

Thorn watched him go for a moment before turning back to Glory. "I didn't expect you to arrive so early."

"And I didn't expect you to be awake so early," Glory immediately fired back.

Thorn laughed lightly at that before beckoning the Rainwing Queen to follow her. "Truthfully, I don't usually wake up before the sun even rises, but I figured it was best to have everything ready before the trial today." They turned a corner, and Glory realized Thorn was leading her to the royal wing of the palace. A moment of silence fell between them, and Thorn glanced down at her stoic expression. "What's on your mind, Glory?"

The Sandwing Queen stopped at a door, holding it open for her, and Glory saw that it was Thorn's personal study. Once she entered, Thorn came up behind her, moving to a small table at the side where a silver tea set rested. A desk sat on one side of the room opposite a large fireplace. Shelves of scrolls lined the back wall. It was actually quite bare in terms of decorations, a far cry from the main halls of the palace. "What makes you think I'm troubled?" she said absently as Thorn lit the fire and hung the kettle over it.

Thorn looked at her with a sly smirk. "I never said you were troubled. I merely asked what was on your mind." Glory looked to her with slight surprise, upset with herself for making everything so apparent. "Oh don't look so surprised. I may be a Queen, but I'm also a mother. And you have the same look about you that Qibli did two days ago when I confronted him about his squad's discipline problem."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she shot back, a tad more aggressively than she meant. But Thorn didn't appear to take offense from her tone, gesturing to a pair of cushions next to the fireplace. Glory accepted the invitation, though she was eyeing the Sandwing Queen warily. "Surprised, angry, upset, with perhaps a hint of betrayal."

"You been taking lessons from him or something?" Glory asked, trying to avoid the question.

Thorn chuckled. "I'm afraid you have it the wrong way around. Qibli is a very intelligent dragon, but he gets that from me. I did raise him, after all. It may have taken a few years to make it official, but I've always seen him as my son." A small pause as Thorn wrapped a wing around her. Glory tensed at the contact, though she didn't brush the wing off. "And you didn't answer my question. What's on your mind, Glory?" Glory was silent for a few minutes, but Thorn's gentle expression never left her face. She merely gazed at the smaller Rainwing patiently, waiting for the younger Queen to gather her thoughts.

If this had been anyone else, Glory would never actually answer, but Thorn had always looked out for the former Dragonets of Destiny. Obviously, Sunny was her daughter, so that played a major role in why she did. And of the four others, Glory was the one she paid the most attention to—probably because they were both Queens, and there was a magic tunnel between their Kingdoms. Even still, Thorn never took advantage of their professional alliance. There were a lot of things Thorn did for Glory without expecting any kind of repayment, from dealing with criminals to just talking like now.

According to Moon, Thorn almost saw her as a daughter. Or maybe she did see her as a daughter, fully. Whatever the case, the Sandwing Queen had done more for her than almost anyone else. But it's not like Thorn hadn't done stuff for the others. Maybe Glory was just reading too much into the situation, trying desperately to see something that wasn't necessarily there. Finally, Glory just shrugged. "A lot, I guess..." she admitted.

Thorn nodded at that, understanding in her eyes. "Well, let's go through them one at a time. Who knows? Maybe I can help."

Glory nodded. Even if she didn't reveal the main reason she was upset, there were still things she wanted to talk to Thorn about—business-related things, yes, but they still weighed on her mind. Firstly, she needed to address this thing with Sobek before it all started. "I wanted to discuss the incident between Sobek and Mistral."

Thorn studied her intently. From the look of it, she knew Glory was keeping something else to herself, but thankfully she didn't press. Instead, she nodded, accepting the current topic. "What about it? I assume your letter contained all the necessary details?"

"It did," Glory nodded. She had made sure that every detail about the incident had been recorded, including Mistral being the one to instigate the reaction out of Sobek. "Which is why I have to ask why Mistral isn't being punished for his part in it. He was just as guilty as Sobek, perhaps even more so."

Thorn hummed at that just as the teapot started whistling. The Sandwing Queen stood, grabbing it and preparing two mugs of tea, one of which she passed to Glory. The Rainwing Queen accepted it with a nod of thanks, taking a sip. It was just as delicious as she remembered, and it brought a small smile to her face. "I see you like it," Thorn smiled. "When it comes to tea, I spare no expense. It may be a little thing, but it's the little things in life that make it worth living." Her smile eventually faded, and she sighed. "And yes, I agree that Mistral was also in the wrong, even if I can scarcely believe it."

Glory nearly choked on her tea when she heard that, looking to the Sandwing Queen incredulously. "Why does every Sandwing I talk to seem to know who he is, yet I don't?"

"I take it you spoke with Qibli about this, too?" she questioned, though she doubtlessly knew the answer if that amused twinkle in her eye was any clue. "I imagine it's because he's the Icewing delegate to the Sand Kingdom. Or he used to be, anyway. He stopped by the day before he arrived in your Kingdom and told me he was going to be working in the Rainforest for a while. He was a bit distant that day," she admitted with a shrug, "But he told me what happened to his friend. Every other time we've spoken, he was very respectful. A bit stoic and no-nonsense like most Icewings, but that was easily overlooked. He and Qibli often worked very closely together when he needed to take care of 'business' in other parts of my Kingdom."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same dragon?" she couldn't help but mutter. "Because ever since he arrived, he's been nothing but rude, arrogant, aggressive, and hostile. He personally insulted both me and my tribes, threatened me with blackmail, and he has a superiority complex so large, it would make Darkstalker seem tame!"

Thorn's eyes widened in surprise as Glory summed up his behavior in a short rant. "I...see..." She shook her head. "Yes, that is quite unacceptable behavior, especially for one such as him. I think you should mention that during the trial. Since none of that was in your letter, I doubt Snowfall is aware of his behavior, and if you wish to get some payback, there is no better way than to reveal his wrongs in front of an audience, of which his Queen will be a part of." Thorn took a sip of tea before continuing. "I spoke with her yesterday when she arrived, and while she fully intends to speak with him regarding his part in the incident from your letter, I believe she should be made aware of the entire truth."

Glory stared at the Sandwing Queen in awe. Thorn was calmly sipping her tea, though a small smirk began tugging at her lips when she noticed Glory's expression. "Devious..." she marveled. Not only would it embarrass him, but Snowfall would probably also be embarrassed over his behavior. And that meant Mistral would be severely punished, which meant he wouldn't be bothering her again and someone else would come by. She might even be able to demand reparations! While she had no dislike for Snowfall, she also didn't like her. Her entire outlook on the Icewing Queen was rather neutral. She would cooperate if Snowfall needed help—which is what she did by allowing Mistral to terrorize her for the past week—but that was mostly because she had no reason not to help. But now she was angry at the treatment Mistral had put her through and angry at Snowfall for sending him in the first place.

And if she had connected those dots, Thorn definitely had. This could ruin Mistral's status for a good, long while and embarrass one of the Sandwing Queen's closest allies, yet she was as calm as if they were discussing the weather. "You would actually embarrass Snowfall like that?" Glory asked.

Thorn shrugged. "Not directly, no. But I am an excellent actor when I need to be. If you reveal how Mistral has been behaving, I swear I'll act surprised." She used a single talon to draw an 'X' over her heart with a small grin. "Cross my heart." If this were any other dragon, Glory might be a bit skeptical over their trustworthiness. In fact, she still was, but she ended up nodding. She trusted Thorn despite the issues she had with trusting other dragons. And the reason she trusted Thorn was because Thorn had proven that she could be trusted many times in the past.

Mistral getting his just deserts was all well and good, but there was still the issue regarding Sobek's punishment. Glory still felt awful for ruining his career even though she knew she had to. If she hadn't, Mistral would have held that over her, using the situation as prime blackmail material to get what he wanted. "And what about Sobek?" she asked, making Thorn's grin fade once more. "I feel terrible for all of this. He was—is—my friend, and I feel like I betrayed him by telling you what happened. I know I had to tell you, but..." She trailed off with a frustrated huff.

"Glory," Thorn began sternly, and the Rainwing Queen did a double take at the change in tone. "There is absolutely no reason for you to blame yourself over this." After a sigh, the Sandwing's expression softened. "Truth be told, this isn't the first time I've had to bail Sobek out of trouble. He used to be one of my best, but that was a long time ago, back during the war and the first few years of my reign. Deep down, I think he misses all the violence and the killing. While that sort of mindset was good back then, now he's becoming more trouble than he's worth. This is just the latest offense in a long list, and I am tired of covering for him when he clearly has not made any attempt to change."

While she was unaware of Sobek's long list of offenses, she didn't think Thorn would ever turn her back on one of her own. And she wasn't happy about it if that was the case. "Never thought you'd turn your back on one of your own," she accused, her voice bitter.

Thorn frowned, clearly not pleased with the accusation. "I never said I was. He may be troublesome, but I saved him from Snowfall's demand for his execution. I've not forgotten his service or his loyalty. He'll be dismissed from the Outclaws, but I have no intention of imprisoning or banishing him. I do, however, intend to send him to the Sky Kingdom so he can receive the help he clearly needs." She took another sip of tea to try and calm herself, and Glory felt bad for even thinking that Thorn would simply abandon one of her own. "I'm no Scarlet, Glory. I don't throw away soldiers once they've served their purpose. I take care of my own, and you, of all dragons, should know that."

"I know; I'm sorry," Glory apologized. She did know that very well. The fact that Thorn had sent her some guards mere hours after receiving Glory's request for some was evidence of that.

A silence fell between them, and the only sound for a few minutes after that was the crackling of the fire and the sound of Thorn sipping her tea. Glory, however, merely stared at the cooling liquid. While hearing that Sobek and Mistral would be properly taken care of—or punished in the latter's case—she still didn't feel much better. And apparently, she made that fact a bit too obvious when Thorn pointed that out. "So now that topic has been covered...what's really on your mind?"

"That obvious, huh?" the Rainwing snarked, though not maliciously. If she was frustrated, it was at herself for even bothering Thorn with her problems, but...Moon's words came back to haunt her. Maybe she should talk to someone. It was worth a shot, and she didn't think Thorn was the kind of dragon to take advantage of her insecurities.

Almost as if sensing her hesitance, Thorn reached up to her neck and took the Eye of Onyx off, setting it aside on the nearby desk. "If it helps, don't think of me as 'Queen Thorn'. Right now, there's a troubled, young dragoness that I care very much about sitting next to me, and I want to help her however I can." That wing once again draped over Glory's back, and this time she didn't tense up, welcoming the friendly contact. Moons, how long had it been since she had let someone actually hug her? She didn't even let Moon hug her, and Clay and Sunny were the only real huggers in her group of friends. But she hadn't seen them in a few months at least.

A knock at the door broke the moment. Thorn's wing retracted as she went and answered the door. From here, she could hear the conversation clearly as neither tried to hide their words. "Your son and Lord Mistral have arrived, Your Highness," a distinctly male voice said.

"Then handle it, Six-Claws. I'm busy right now," Thorn replied. The door shut a few seconds later, and the Sandwing returned to her previous spot, once again draping her wing across Glory's back. The fact Thorn had sent Six-Claws off to take care of her very important guest rather than handle it herself spoke volumes to how important the Sandwing thought this conversation was. And it was that which convinced Glory to reveal her true problems.

"I'm...lonely," she admitted, looking away at how stupid that had sounded.

She could feel Thorn's gaze on her, yet when she looked, the Sandwing didn't appear judgmental. She appeared to be thinking very deeply on the true meaning of her words. "Am I right to assume that this loneliness is a kind your friends can't help you with?" Glory nodded mutely. "I see... While I cannot help you with that directly, may I give you some advice?" Glory nodded once more. "I can understand the pain you feel from what happened between you and a Nightwing that shall not be named. I, myself, was angry when Stonemover left me all those years ago. But you cannot hold on to that anger or that fear. You have to be willing to give someone a chance, to make yourself vulnerable again. I was able to eventually, so I know you can, too."

Glory swallow thickly. "It's hard," she admitted in a whisper. She just didn't know how to do that. She wasn't comfortable with purposely making herself uncomfortable. Then again, staying inside her safe zone had done nothing to solve the problem.

"I know," Thorn nodded sympathetically. "And I know it must be even harder for you. You didn't exactly have a very good dragonethood." That was an understatement. Being both physically and emotionally abused had left her cynical and emotionally-stunted. It was also hard to trust someone when one of the dragons that raised you ended up conspiring to kill you. And then the first dragon they meet in the outside world ended up being Scarlet. So yeah, her trust issues were quite valid. "But I'm always willing to help you out, and I hope this talk helped."

"It did," Glory nodded, already feeling a tiny bit better for getting at least one of her problems off of her chest. "Thanks for hearing me out." A pause. "Can I have a hug?" Thorn smiled at her, bringing the smaller dragon in for a warm hug. The Rainwing Queen may not have been the biggest fan of physical contact, but even she needed a hug every now and then. And Thorn was one of the few dragons she trusted enough to let her guard down around. "Just don't tell anyone about this."

Thorn chuckled as the Rainwing all but burrowed into her warm scales. "I wouldn't dream of it."

AN: I've always liked Thorn as a character, and a recent conversation I had about her with Firehawk only made me appreciate her even more. I'm pretty sure she cares for the other 'Dragonets of Destiny' in canon. It's been a while since I read the actual books, but I'm pretty sure that's canon. So it doesn't seem like much of a stretch for her to come across as motherly to the dragons her daughter thinks of as her siblings because of how they were raised. And I think that out of all of them, she would probably end up closest with Glory based on the two of them being Queens.

So yeah, Thorn is going to be a sort of mother-figure for Glory in this story (that rhymed, lol). Hopefully, you enjoyed their bonding time together. But don't worry, Glory will be back to her normal stoic, self next chapter.

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22