Chapter 4: A first glimpse at the darkness of royalty

Three hours later...

Whiteout and Darkstalker wake up from their sleep as their parents call them for dinner. Confused from that abrupt end of their dream, they stare at each other, trying to decipher what happened. Diving into his sister's mind, the black dragonet learn she had the same dream as him.

But before discussing any of that, the two siblings hear a second call, triggering them into a rush to get at the dinner table. After a well served meal and their stomach full, Foeslayer voices her slight worry.

- "Are you alright, do you feel anything special? I saw you were asleep since the last three hours"

- "No, I was just drained on my desk until I fell. When I awoke, brother was against my skin."

Answers Whiteout with clarity. The mother turns her head to her son, pushing him to speak.

- "We were writing and drawing until she was too tired, so I put her on our bed and slept with her."

Despite her dragonets' words, Foeslayer still has some doubts, so Arctic tries to reassure her.

- "They're still young, sleep is important, so it's not so bad they rested for a longer time than normal."

The dragoness gives an annoyed glare to her husband, making him reply to defend himself.

- "What? Is it so problematic I try to be a good father and free from worries at the same time?"

- "But you need to worry a minimum to be a good parent! They are not even one year old, they're so frail and vulnerable at that stage. You can't be too relaxed or your lack of focus will cost you so much."

- "I disagree. In my tribe, dragonets fend for themselves so they learn the world is harsh and become strong. It may be too extreme, but I think that proves our children are not as weak as you say they are."

Darkstalker stands there surprised. Is his father sharing his values? Is he defending him against his mother that while loving him, has gotten too protective?

Whiteout frows, feeling stress as tension rises between her parents. She hopes that confrontation will solve itself, because she doesn't know what to do to calm them down.

- "As if our children would want to live trough icewing dragonethood for even a single hour."

- "I would." Answers Darkstalker without flinching and facing his mother.

- "Darkstalker? Listen to me, you don't want to be alone and fend for yourself in this cruel world. Wouldn't it be better I am by your side to love and take care of you at any moment?"

- "I like all the things you do for me mother, but if fighting against the world makes you stop worry about us, I would. Beside, I have more than enough strength for that." Replies the son with confidence.

- "You've heard your son? Let him have his wish, I can even be there to teach him if you want." Says Arctic with a slight grin on his face.

- "I… Fine. But if my son can't handle that, you will have to excuse yourself before me, and you, Darkstalker, will return in my talons like a baby whatever you want it or not. Is that clear?"

- "Yes Foeslayer." Answer the father and his son simultaneously.

Later that day...

Arctic takes his son outside of their home without resistance, as Darkstalker still shows confidence despite being alone with his father to pass many challenges in the future.

- "Their are reasons for my tribe and its members to be feared by yours… While there is propaganda and disdain, we are also formidable foes that no one should disrespect and underestimate." Says the icewing with authority, but not without some regrets his son sees.

The little dragonet focuses on his father and his words, not letting doubt into his mind. Today is the day his father will try show him the harshness of dragon life and war, he won't step back now.

"I'm sorry our war came to be, but we better be prepared, so climb on my back, I'll try to show you that." Arctic folds his back talons and lays his tail, forming a path to go over his body.

Darkstalker immediately climbs and goes to his neck where he holds on tightly. The father can feel his presence, his magic and powers radiating all over him, making him feel like he gained more potential strength. His son also feels his magic, and realizes that while it is stronger than him, it is way less he had imagined.

The icewing prince runs and soars with all his force and will, but this time, it feels more serious than ever…

Approaching the Vigilance's palace, the two dragons can see it from far away, being way taller than anything else to express power and domination. Arctic frows at the sight of it, being reminded of painful things he wants to forget.

- "Father, why do you fear the palace? you should be prideful and delighted." Says Darkstalker, really confused at his father's mind, at a prince not being proud of a part of his glorious life.

- "Will you believe me if I answer?" Replies the father after a thoughtful moment.

- "Well… Of course! I've seen your mind, I can accept that this is what you think."

- "Do you trust my thoughts more than my words dear moon-born?"

Before his son can answers, Arctic voices out genuinely what he feels.

"The night palace, or any palace like that for that mater, reminds me of my home. But make no mistake, they are places devoid of love and trust except for power. Paranoia reigns as royalty and nobles wait for the right opportunity to strike."

The black dragonet takes a moment to truly understand what has been said, and when he does, he shakes and replies under stress.

- "T-that's not true, a palace is something to be proud of, to live in happily. If not, then it's the Queen's fault, or all her family, or noble… But it is not a dark place at the beginning."

Arctic let out a small chuckle at the bluntness and naivety of his son.

- "Do you listen to yourself? A queen will be suspicious of anyone who considers her guilty like that. When you will face Vigilance, because she is too interested in you, you will have to spare your words and even some of your thoughts."

- "Well, if she is like that…"

- "Why are you thinking like that my son? It's like you saw in your visions that you would be the ruler of the kingdom of night, the nightwing King."

Darkstalker looks away, not answering anything as emotions and feelings put his mind into chaos. Hearing no response, Arctic decides to not press the subject further and to look at something else.

Foeslayer watches over Whiteout carefully as draws on her desk, completely taken in the world of her work. The mother now wonders how imaginative her daughter must be, and if it spills into her mind at even the most serious times.

- "Do you know what you are drawing? Do you have a precise idea in your mind?" Asks the mother realizing she does not know much about her.

- "Precise? No. I'm trying to recover what had taken over me in my sleep and put it on the scroll. But it's…"

- "Difficult? Yeah it is for someone that young, even holding the pencil must not be easy. But are you saying you had a dream?"

- "Brother and I had one where we were united, but my mind is very foggy about it."

- "Can you tell me what you remember then?"

- "Of course! There was one Moon, but we were also seeking so many of them I think. There was this corridor full of doors, so many doors… And there was a realm, a world very different from our, where one dragon lived in."

Foeslayer approaches Whiteout to look at her scroll. She can see on the many sheets a drawing of a big moon, of doors of many sizes and shapes, and of a dragon, seemingly a mudwing that her daughter tried many time to draw.

- "Already trying to draw a dragon? Are you sure you're up for the task yet?"

Whiteout turns to look at her, determination in her eyes.

- "I try my best to do it, and that's enough. Beside, I am marking so many scroll because I don't want to forget about the fruit of our sleep."

- "I see… And why is your brother not doing the same as you?"

- "He has others things in his head that are more important for him. And with the last decision of your father, he will be very occupied for a time."

Foeslayer sigh, thinking about the greater distance between herself and her son. She really is testing her faith in Arctic by allowing him to take care of her son alone. Seeing her doubts, Whiteout replies a bit worried.

"Do you already miss your son, mother?"

- "Yes… You know, since you hatched five months ago, I haven't been really been separated from you. I know I will be as you grow up and I come back to fight in the war, but…"

- "Don't say more, I see your feeling."

- "You know, you're a lot more perceptive I give you credit for Whiteout. And for all my critics of your father, he still take care of you more than I do."

The nightwing mother lowers her head. Her daughter watches her in silence until she breaks it.

- "Does your heart craves to be closer to me now? Don't worry, I'll satisfy it."

- "Whiteout, what are you-"

Before she can finish her sentence, the daughter is suddenly holding on her scales, hugging her mother. Pleasantly surprised, Foeslayer accepts the dragonet's affection and goes to rest on the bed, holding her with a smile.

- "You really know how to love someone, do you?"

- "I can see it when their heart wish for something intensely, no amount of hiding will change that."

- "What a strange fantasy you are. I really should ask advices from your father when he comes back…"

Arctic and Darkstalker are now flying near the frontier of the kingdom of night and the one of sand. Seeing the rocks fading and the sand starting, the father comments on the border.

- "This is the border between our kingdom and the desert, and you may wonder what it has to do with war, don't you?"

- "Yeah, I see it in my visions, like it is something too important to be ignored."

- "Well, that's because it is. Our kingdom are not in contact, and the sand kingdom is the territory that includes the shortest path between us."

Darkstalker thinks for a moment, trying to understand the war he only ever saw in the background, all the complex concepts in his father's mind being overwhelming.

- "So what does it means?"

- "It means our war has an effect on the sandwing tribe, their queen named Scorpion will have to react at what sandwings and icewings do in her territory."

- "And what can she do?" Asks the dragonet, not grasping the consequences of such actions, and lacking to much knowledge on politics.

- "A queen can at best ignore it and at worst declare war. But her response will depend on the situation and its many factors"

- "And what are these factors?"

- "The queen's personality, the kingdom's history, its wealth and resources, and its neighbours' relation and last actions, and the list still goes on."

- "That's… a lot."

- "Correct. But some of these factors are known. Scorpion is very greedy, even for a queen, and she doesn't care about her tribe as long as gold flow in her pockets."

- "That's horrendous! How could a queen do that, they are here to lead the tribe and live for it, not letting her subjects rotting in the dirt!"

- "That's the thing, the good, honourable and powerful queen that care for everyone, while taking the best decisions, is a fantasy."

Darkstalker says nothing, his mind paralysed as part of his mythology collapse at the sight of reality.

- "Don't get me wrong, there may have been good queens, but none are perfect and the majority are more bad than good. But why did you hold on to that fantasy? Clearly, you realized that only queens you know about are ones that you have a neutral opinion about or dislike."

- "I-Its true, but…" Darkstalker can't continue, not finding what he seeks in his mind.

- "Do you consider any dragon that is royalty or a noble, to be worthy of being ruler of the nightwing?"

- "Huh… There is mother, she would be a good queen!"

Arctic is struck by surprise at his son's bold answer, he really is out of options to justify his belief isn't he?

- "Foeslayer isn't a noble, least of all royalty. Try again."

- "Then… Then…"

Darkstalker tries as hard as he can to find in his mind a single dragon of high status that he would like to be leader the tribe. In his stressful seeking, the dragonet pronounce the name he finds without thinking about it.

- "Arctic! He will be a good…"

If he wasn't flying, the icewing father would be taken aback, but regaining his focus, he replies to his son as a little smile appears on his face.

- "A good king? You think that high of me? That's cute."

Frustrated at the flattery he said by accident at his father, Darkstalker sulks. After a moment, he replies to his father in a broken voice.

- "Father… can there be no good queen today?"

Arctic returns to his cold and serious tone, not wanting to shelter his son from the truth even a little bit.

- "Unfortunately, no. You will have wait and act for that to happen."

- "Then I will act with all I have." Replies Darkstalker like he makes a promise.

- "You can try and hope… that the future doesn't shatter you."

Since that last exchange, Darkstalker starts to see the darker and sadder part of his father's mind. Looking at the war with his foresight, he can see that this… Thing is the greatest threat for him, for his family, for his world...

A thought mark his mind, He needs to do something, because if there is one thing he understands, it is that the longer he does nothing and waits, the worst things become.