Early the very next morning the bodies of the dead were gathered both friend and foe, and were placed on funereal priers in a circle at the front of the castle. My mothers body on a center prier in the middle of the circle. Everyone gathered around the circle many cried silently for their fallen friends, brothers, and fathers. My sister, father, Bowen, Kara, Brother Gilbert and myself stood at the head of the crowd.
Brother Gilbert spoke a pray to the fallen while he did I spoke to the crowd, "In this circle are the bodies of good men. Though some of them were not fighting with us they still fought violently. But let us not feel said for their deaths. No let us celebrate their lives that they have lived. Let us be happy that they lived let us celebrate the moments we had with them though they were short. Let us not weep for their deaths but cheer for that they had lived a life to live though short it was let us celebrate the lives they did live."
When I finished my speech Brother Gilbert finished his prayer at that moment my sister and I stepped forward closer to the pyres ,father standing behind us blew a gently flame onto my mothers body burning her body then lighting the others. We all watched in silence as the bodies of the fallen were burned to nothing but ash.
When there was nothing left but ashes I turned to the crowd who were still crying, "My friends," I spoke over them.
"Let us not cry for our fallen brothers and sisters. Let us instead be happy that we where able to have the girt of having them with us in our life how ever brief it was,"I said walking to the pile of ash.
Grabbing a hand full of ash I lifted it up to the air, "Let us send them with the wind so that they may be free from all the pain of this world and instead feel the same freedom that the wind has! Let them fly free!"
Father then started flapping his wings sending the ashes flying in the wind. I opened my hand letting the ashes I held go, "Travel and be free," I shouted with joy, "For some day we will meet again and we will travel with the wind together!"
Everyone then did a mix of cheering and crying at the same time with tears in their eyes. I silently cried as I watched the last of the ashes fly into the distance to new lands. After the funeral of our fallen friends we all went back into the castle to prepare for my crowning celebration that would take place in about a week. For the next week the whole village prepared for my crowning ceremony and the celebration after words. The castle was cleaned of any of any signs of the battle and Einon's room was cleaned out.
The week past rather quickly and before I knew it, it was the day I was to be crowned Queen Ava in the castle court yard where the finale battle had taken place so father could attended. Brother Gilbert and Father over saw my crowning with the whole kingdom in attentions. My sister whore a bright blue dress that reached all the way to the floor with a dagger hanging on her hip. You could see she wished to be back in her short dress as she stood next to me as I readied to give my oath as queen. I wore a dark green dress the same color as fathers scales with my dagger hanging from my hip as well. When I was to give my oath as queen father blew a circle of flames around me as I kneeled before them and spoke the Old Code, swearing to the Dragon Heavens that I would be a just ruler. Abiageal stood outside the circle as I spoke my oath.
"Inside the tables circle I must vow to fallow the code that is unending. Unending as the table a ring by honor bound. I am sworn to valor, my heart knows only virtue, my blade with defend the helpless, my might will uphold the weak, my words only speak truth, my wrath will undo the wicked. This right can never die. For if one man still recalls the words are not forgot. If one voice speaks them clear the code forever shines. If one heart holds it bright. This I swear to the Dragon Heaven to rule justly and fair. And should this oath ever be broken then may I be burned for all eternity."
"By the power vested in me I hear by dub you Ava daughter of Draco of the house of Dragonscale, Queen Ava Dragonscale," Brother Gilbert said placing the crown on my head, "Long may you rule."
"By the power of the Dragon Heaven I bless you my daughter," father said placing one of his talons on my fore head then my heart, "May the stars be with you my child as you enter the next chapter in your life."
I then stood up and faced my subject. Brother Gilbert then shouted, "I give you your queen and princess. Queen Ava and Princess Abiageal! Long may they live."
Abiageal stepped next to me as the crowd cheered our names. I then held my hand in the air silencing them, "From this day foreword for as long as the Dragonscale house watches over this land and its people there will be peace and justice through our rule. And on this day I name Sir Bowen next for the throne should anything happen to myself or my sister."
Everyone cheered at this. I smiled at them waving to them all as they cheered to me. Bowen then came up to me kneeling before me, "Thank you my Queen. I will not fail you this time."
"I know you wont my friend," I said placing my hand on his shoulder then helping him to his feet, "Now let us celebrate this occasion. All are welcome to castle to feast and dance with us."
That night we held a feast in the village with a large bon fire pile ready to be burned when the feast began. There were tables set will all sorts of roasted beasts, cakes, bread, and fruits. Wine and ale filled every cup and there were only smiling faces. Bowen, father, Brother Gilbert, Kara, Abiageal and I sat at a large table that over looked all the festivities. I sat at the center of the table father rested to my right and my sister sat on my left. Two large table on each end of mine sat all the other villagers smiling and laughing. When the party began many of the villagers toasted to my rule and I soon found myself a little dizzy from all the wine I drank.
"My Queen are you all right," Bowen asked me seeing I was stumbling a little.
"I'm alright I just haven't drunken wine in a long time that all," I said taking a drink of water instead of wine then looked for my sister, "Bowen where did Abiageal go?"
Before he could say anything we heard a cheer from the other side of the bonfire pile.
"I think I found her," said father. We all went over to see what was going on and I saw my sister dancing drunk with some other drunk girls. It wasn't too bad till she belched a ball of flames setting a small pile of grass on fire. It was quickly stomped out by Bowen, most of the drunk girls started laughing while everyone else had a look of surprise.
"Abiageal what was," I wasn't able to finish my thought when I felt a painful air bubble rising in my chest. When it escaped I burped a ball of flames that was like fathers flames. I was shocked at what had just happened as were the rest of the village all but my sister.
"Awesome we can breath fire like father," she cheered then she started jumping up and down excitedly, "I'm gonna light the pile!"
Taking a big swing of wine she walked over to the pile and ignited it. It would have been spectacular if she hadn't knocked herself on her back in the process as well. Though we all got a laugh out of the experience even myself. The rest of the night and well into the early morning was spent dancing around the fire till the early sun rays poked over the horizon. By that time most to near all of us had paced out around the fire. Father lay on his back snoring with an empty barrel of wine in his hand. Bowen laid passed out on fathers tail because he dripped over it and just fell asleep when he landed on fathers tail. Kara, Abiageal and I laid in a stack of straw next to a small barn. Kara laid upside down on top of the pile while I was curled up in a little nest inside the stack as Abiageal slept at the foot of the stack on the right side. Everyone else was scattered all over the place. Some where even asleep on the tables. When I woke up I crawled out of the stack summer salting to the bottom of the stack landing with my butt in the air, my face in the dirt and a strong desire not to get up or even move from the occurred but comfy position.
"Hey sister," Abiageal said in a tired voice crawling over to me.
"What," I asked with my face still in the dirt.
"We should do this again," she chuckled rolling onto her back then she started laughing even harder.
"What's so funny," I asked flipping onto my back.
"Look where Brother Gilbert is," she laughed pointing to the roof of the small barn, and there laying on top of the roof lay Brother Gilbert in a drunken sleep. I stared laughing so loud Kara was startled awake rolling off the pile which made Abiageal and I laugh even harder.
"What happened,"she asked siting up with straw in her red hair. We laughed even harder as we both tried to crawl over to her.
"You have straw in your hair," my sister laughed. I laughed as well picking straw out of Kara's hair.
"Have you seen yourself,"Kara laughed pointing at us, "You look like the crown princesses of straw."
Abiageal turned our heads to see each other. Her whole back head was covered in straw looking like a halo of straw. We all started laughing harder waking up Bowen and father. Father was the first to wake up of the two, rolling on to his stomach and rolling Bowen on to his back jolting him awake. He sat up looking around dazzed and confused at what just woke him up.
"Morning boys," I chuckled as father sluggishly got to his feet and stumbled closer to us before laying on his stomach in front of us, "Sleep well father?
"Agh," he grunted covering his face with his hand, "What happened last night? It's mostly a blur after Abiageal lite the bon fire."
"I'd like to know the same thing,"Bowen asked walking over to the straw pile laying against it, "Also where's Brother Gilbert?"
"Look up," Abiageal chuckled pointing to the roof. Father, Kara, and Bowen looked up to see Brother Gilbert still asleep on the roof.
"How did he get up there," Bowen asked.
"No idea," I chuckled.
"Wait I have an idea," Abiageal snickered then grabbed a couple of pebbles then stood up walking about three steps from where she was. She then started throwing the pebbles up to the roof. Kara and I started snickering uncontrollable and Bowen started chuckling as two pebbles bounced off Brother Gilbert. He didn't wake up till one pebble hit him on his forehead. His head jolted up and he looked around looking for what hit him in the head. He was still half asleep so I came up with an idea.
"Oh Brother Gilbert we need you to start morning mass," I called up to him then whispered to father, "Get ready to catch him if he goes away from the straw pile."
Brother Gilbert made a noise then got up but before he could start walking off the roof he fell through the roof with a loud scream. He then came running out of the barn startled spinning around with two chickens flying off his arms. We all burst out laughing as he spun around, even father laughed so loud the rest of the villagers woke up. I was rolling around laughing so hard my sides were starting to hurt. Abiageal and Bowen were leaning on each other laughing tearing up from their laughing. Kara was on her back trying to catch her breath.
"What...what just happened,"Brother Gilbert asked walking over to us, "Why are you laughing so hard."
"Brother Gilbert if your poems don't work out you should try comedy," Abiageal laughed, "I've never laughed so hard in my life."
"What," he asked confused.
"Let us catch our breaths and we tell you," I gasped.
Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. College life has been stressful to say the least but my first semester is almost over and I have learned some new tricks to this College thing ;) . You can expect some more chapters on the rest of the celebrations, and into Dragon heart : A new beginning. Let me know of what you thought of the chapter. Hope you liked it :)