Jessa and Dhiren reach the hidden location where the precious eggs were beginning to hatch. "Jessa, will the first to hatch be the next crown princess or prince of the gold dragons?" Dhiren asks. He had been wondering about that.

"No, the dragons, according to my grandfather anyway, don't gain their king the same way humans and elves do. Of the royal hatchlings they will be learning and growing. As they do their strengths and weaknesses will become apparent. The one that is best suited to rule, even if they are the weakest physically or the last born like my father, will be the one to be crown prince. It seems that Frosnack  is my aunt as well as my banker." Jessa had been blown over by that little bit of news. She was from a clutch laid by one of the female dragons before Alaric gave his heart to her grandmother. She refused to be crown princess or even be acknowledged as a princess. Jessa was a little bitter about that news. 

"I see," Dhiren says and wisely leaves it there as the eggs start rocking as the dragonlings fight to free themselves of the shell encasing them.

Finally the first hatchling finds it's way to freedom and it's trumpeting of winning it's fight makes it so the others work harder to fight to their freedom. All that is except a smaller egg. Jessa makes her way silently to that lonely egg even as she keeps her eyes on the other four that are fully or near fully hatched.

She sets her hand on the egg with sadness. The life inside is weak. Jessa takes her knife out and attacks the shell herself even as she calls on Jethro and the Ancient One.

"Jessa, it is our way for only the strongest to survive. By doing this you are interferring with the natural course of things." The Ancient One says sadly. He doesn't like losing any of the dragonlings either.

"If you won't help then you are invited to leave." Jessa says harshly, but she holds the dying dragonling in her hands and there are tears in her eyes.

"Jethro, is there anything you can do for her?" Jessa pleads softly to her great father.

Jethro stops moving forward as the Ancient One growls. 

The Ancient One finds himself being the one to back up as Jessa looks at him and moves forward at his interference.

"Jethro has no right to mess with one of mine." The Ancient One tries to defend himself against the enraged female dragon. One that is so enraged that she is starting to change shape.

Jethro takes this opportunity to make his way to the almost dead dragonling and does his best to save her.

He speaks to the Ancient One without taking his eyes or concentration off his patient. "You forget yourself, Ancient One, but she is mine as well. Direct from my lineage. You promised me when I allowed Jessa to change that that wouldn't change." Jethro does his best and the dragonling responds slightly.

"Jessa, a mother's love will do amazing things. I think this little one will do best if she remains near you at this time." Jethro does his best to ease the anger the dragon has with her god.

Jethro's words work sufficiently that Jessa goes back to Jethro and never losing eye contact with the gold god returns to human once more.

Jessa says a few words of power to her little one that not even Jethro can hear even as she holds the  newborn close to her. Immediately the little dragon looks up to her mother and gives her an adoring look.

Dhiren and the other newlings come over being wary of the gold diety. "Jessa, who do you have there?"

Jessa holds the dragonling out to him. Dhiren takes the ten pound dragon gently from her, "This is Camilla." Jessa says happily before turning to her other dragonlings. She looks them all over and gently touches them all. She whispers words of power to each of them in turn and then Dhiren joins her as they name their children together. 

Dhiren doesn't mind in the least that Jessa named the young dragon, he feels something special in her, something he hasn't felt in any of the other dragons. Although she is small and her color isn't as dark as her siblings he feels in her that there is greater potential than in all of the others combined.

Jessa has Kristoff go and hunt up some food for the hungry group of dragonlings. It doesn't take long for the faithful Kristoff to find and bring back a good sized deer for the little ones to feed on. All of them except Camilla.

"Shouldn't she be eating along with her siblings?" Dhiren asks worriedly.

"She's not hungry just yet and will not be able to eat directly from a kill like that just yet. We'll have to take her back to the palace and feed her. She won't be raised on mostly meat like our other dragonlings but she will also be feed on the elven food." Jessa tells her worried husband.

At his look Jessa just smiles and shakes her head. "I am not Lady Fey knowing the future of all."

"Did someone say my name?" Fey asks as she appears. She notices the sulking Ancient One and the slightly smug Jethro and all the new born gold dragons. She takes in the one that Jessa is holding.

Fey is unable to keep from inhaling sharply as she sees the youngest and smallest of the dragonlings. "Would you permit me to hold your precious little one?"

Jessa hides her shock at this request. But something within her tells her that she needs to do so although handing over her weakest and smallest child isn't something she is comfortable with. Not even Jethro or the Ancient One had dared to ask.

Jessa carefully takes Camilla and walks over to the high goddess. Jessa hands over Camilla and there seems to be a great deal of power surging as the goddess takes the young one.

"In time the truth will come out and the true color will be shown." Fey says almost as if the words are torn from her.

All eyes are on the high goddess now.

Fey smiles bitterly. "I would not have said even those few words if they weren't forced from me. This little one will one day be as great as her parents. She has long road ahead of her and to protect her she wears a glamour that cannot be broken, not by any here or any of the gods. When the time is right, the truth will be made known and not be hid any longer."

Fey then looks sharply at Jessa, "You saving her was a huge step towards your own godhood. Be careful Jessa, or you'll find yourself in my place before your second clutch is laid."

Jessa looks at Fey too shocked for words. It's the querulous voice of the Ancient One, "Giving away hints at what she should do?"

"No Ancient One, just a gentle reminder that she is either going to ascend or destroy this world. She is well on the way to ascension, even you cannot deny that."

The Ancient One mutters under his breath as he is forced to acknowledge the truth of Fey's words.

Fey turns back to the shocked parents. "Jessa, you know as well as I that you have no wish to see this world destroyed. You have no love at the idea of becoming a deity, that we all know. But just from being who you are, you are well on the way to becoming one. Any other dragon, with perhaps the exception of Dhiren would have allowed little Camilla here to die. It is the way of the dragons. But you, and even Dhiren are different, more and that is something that is needed by the gods for the people of this world.

"Besides, as you couldn't help yourself with your child, you won't be able to stop yourself from becoming something more." Fey tells them softly and then looks down at the little one in her arms.

"I will go now, but first I wish to bestow a blessing on her and all your little ones." She waits for permission from Jessa before she leans down and whispers her own words of power. Once she is done she carefully gives the little one back to Jessa. Then carefully and slowly makes her way among the other hatchlings and gives each one a blessing. Just as she had done with the crown princess and her brother when they were born.

Then smirking Jethro risks Jessa's ire and requests permission to give his own blessings then he and Fey leave together.

That leaves just the Ancient One and the new family. Jessa watches the Ancient One with narrowed eyes.

"No need for that Jessa. I'm not going to hurt you or that youngling in your arms or any of your children.  In fact I wish to leave my own blessing on each of them before I go and tell my people that their newly raised queen and king now have five beautiful hatchlings."

Jessa gives a small sharp nod but watches him narrowly as he makes his way among her children. He gently touches each of them and whispers a few words as he does so until he comes before Jessa and Camilla.

"Will you permit me to hold her?" The Ancient One asks diffidently. There is no way he will try taking Camilla from Jessa's arms without permission. That is the way for him to die and he doesn't want to do that until Jessa takes over for him and the others.

"You harm her, and god or not I will kill you." Jessa hiss at him.

The Ancient One just nods in agreement and waits patiently for her to decide. Finally after staring him down she gently hands Camilla over to the Ancient One. Like when Fey took her there is a wash of power.

The amount shakes up the Ancient One as well. Smiling he leans down and whispers to her before handing her back to Jessa.

Before he leave all the little dragons shiver with power and become elven. "It will cause less trouble if you are able to be with all your children at the same time, but remember, they are dragons and not elves or humans. They will need to be feed like dragons in order for them to grow to the full potential. Although eating some of the elven food won't hurt them, it won't help them either. Remember that as well."

With that the Ancient One leaves and the small family that has become rather large now makes their way back to the palace.

My Christmas gift to you. I hope you like it.