The next day Queen Lilandra held audiences for the people of Crohnach.Of course the ordinary folk hadn’t heard of the Prince’s illness. After hearing several audiences,varying from ranaway cattle to thieves,a small skinny man entered the room,nervously wrenching his hat between his hands.
“Well,what is the matter?”the Queen asked impatiently,the only thing on her mind her son’s illness.
“Excuse me,Your Royal Highness,but I think this is an important case.It might sound strange but you see,our cattle has disappeared!And my son has seen they’ve been taken by a strange creature.he thinks it was a…a dragon,Your Majesty!”
The Queen frowned.This was exactly what she needed,some raving fool!
“Of course my best man,and it freezes in hell,too!Throw him out!”she continued to the guards…
Jason was in Prince Abidin’s room,worried about his friend’s condition.Suddenly Abidin started to talk in his sleep.
“The dragons are coming.They are on their way.”
Jason looked at the Prince and asked”Abidin?Are you alright?”
But Abidin didn’t seem to hear Jason and repeated”The dragons are coming.”
At once the Prince started twisting and turning,sweat dripping down his face.
“Abidin!”
Jason grabbed his shoulders and tried to push him back into the pillows but Abidin teared himslef lose and opened his eyes.He got up,looking at Jason with a scray red glow in his eyes,and pointed at him.Abidin’s voice was a deep muttering when he said”I will kill you all.My dragons will come and kill everyone.My revenge will be sweet.Remember that.”
Suddenly Abidin closed his eyes again and fell back into bed,totally exhausted.Jason,who had backed away when Abidin started acting delirious,slowly made his way back to the bed.As soon as he had made sure his friend was sleeping peacefully again he left the room to tell the Queen about her son’s strange behaviour…
Prince Richard walked through the corridors of the strange castle.He didn’t dislike Crohnach but did wish that he was back in the hilly greenland of Sharia.he knew all knights were looking for a moment to get even for yesterday evening when he had beaten Sir Jason.He decided to search for Lily.Four years ago they had been forced into a marriage and she had come to him as an umwilling child but with the years he had learned to love her,although he knew she didn’t feel the same towards him.When he laid his hand on the doorknob of their room he heard Lily’s soft giggle coming from inside.he kicked the door open,seeing his wife sitting on the lap of his own knight,Sir Scott.They both looked up shocked.Lily jumped from Scott’s lap and tried to say something but couldn’t.Rich shook his head in disbelieve.He couldn’t feel rage,but only sadness and he turned around and walked out again.Lily ran after him,shouting”Richard,wait!”
When she finally caught up with him they stood on a balcony.
“I thought you were faithful to me.”
Lily set a hard expression on her face.
“Well,like I’ve always been happy.They forced me to marry you and leave my country.But I guess hard warriors like you don’t care whether their wives are happy or not.”
Richard laughed a very unpleasant laugh.
“And you think you were the only one having bad luck.I was forced to marry,too,and was sent a stubborn,unwilling child that never showed up when that was expected.You did everything to make my life miserable,determined to dislike me.But nevertheless I learned to love you and I thought you at least would be faithful.I guess I was wrong.”
Lily looked down,knowing what he said was true,but suddenly she thought of something so horrible she wanted to know right away.
“Richard,what are you going to do to Scott?You aren’t going to kill him,right?”
Richard looked her straight in the eyes.”I should kill him but what would I say?I can’t control some Chrohnachian bitch!?But I ensure you,if I ever see this again I’ll make sure he gets a very unpleasant accident.”
Then Richard’s face softened again.”Lily,I wouldn’t deny you anything but this is impossible,can’t you see?If you can’t love me,at least pretend.”
“Thank you.”she said before running away again,stubborn telling herself he was a fool…
That night Scott came to the throne room to eat,a bit scared.The Prince wasn’t a cruel man but ANY man would kill a man who touched his wife.Before Scott walked into the room he lifted his head up.He wouldn’t die head down.
“Sir Scott?”a little girl asked.He looked down disturbed.
“Yes?”
“Prince Richard of Sharia wishes to see you.”
There.He sighed.That was the end.Sir Scott walked over to Richard’s seat.
“You wished to see me,my Prince?”
Richard looked up and stared him straight in the eye.
“Sir Scott.”There was a short silence.”I think you wouldn’t mind riding back to Sharia to tell the King about this tragedy,am I right?”You will be able to make it back here in four days?”
Scott bowed.”Of course I will my Prince.”he smiled suddenly to his master.
“Thank you”…
