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Chapter Twelve

I ride through the forest on Thunder's back, slowly making my way to the old chapel. I suddenly hear a snap behind me and turn to see Christian riding Nike,

"I thought you'd go to visit Kaloua. I was on my way to visit Nadi."

I nod, "Did you get the feeling that Evangelina and Harrison were actually blowing steam at each other?"

Christian nods, "I did get that vibe."

I shake my head, "I know I should be happy that I have Harrison but...but I know just how much it meant to Evangelina to be royal. Ever since a kid she has wanted to be Queen."

Christian nods, "Then make sure you remember her feelings when you become Queen."

I nod and we continue to the broken chapel in silence. As it comes into view, something instantly tells me not to go inside. I jump off Thunder and begin to walk towards the chapel, then it turns into a run. No, no, no, I think to myself, knowing something is very wrong. I lean backwards and slide under the hole, and into the chapel. I stand quickly and search around,

"Renaldo? Nadi? Kaloua? Snow?" I call out, panic seeping into my voice. I knew something would go wrong!

"P-pr-princess?" I hear a weak voice call me and follow it into one of the escape holes, seeing Renaldo laying there, half dead. Tears well in my eyes as I crawl to his side, tearing fabric from the bottom of my pants and pressing it to his bleeding wounds,

"No, no, no...Renaldo, you'll be fine..."

He smiles weakly, "You been a good friend, Arabelle. Look, me English is better!" I continue to try and stop the bleeding but he stops me, "The King did this, Snow fled when 'e came, and 'e took your dragon and da red one, too."

My eyes narrow, "Do you know where?"

Renaldo shakes his head with pain, "I sorry, Princess."

I lean down and give Renaldo a friendly kiss on the cheek, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Princess, you done everythin' you can for me already. Me servin' ya was enough."

A tear rolls down my cheek as he closes his eyes and takes his last breaths. I notice Christian standing beside me and I turn to him, wiping my eyes clean, "We need to bury him."

After we gave Renaldo a funeral beside the chapel, I walk back to Thunder. Christian jogs after me,

"What now?"

"We find our dragons." I snap and swing onto Thunder, but Christian grabs onto me,

"Belle, we need to think about this. We can't just storm up to the king and-"

"And you would rather our dragons be slaughtered?" I growl at him, kicking Thunder into a canter. I hear Christian catching up and I kick Thunder faster, hearing straight to the castle. I feel my sword at my hip and near the castle walls. I jump off Thunder and walk towards the castle gates. The guards open them and I storm in, heading straight to the throne room.

As I slam the doors open, the King stands, a mocking smile on his face, "Arabelle, welcome!"

I see a bunch of knights nearby, and Fraser is one of them. I signal for him to come over to me and he raises an eyebrow curiously, "Yes?"

"I need you to go and keep Christian out of the castle at all costs," I whisper, "And whatever you hear coming from inside, ignore it. Just keep Christian at bay."

He nods, "Whatever you command." He bows and leaves the room. I turn to the other guards and knights,

"Out! All of you!" I yell loudly and they turn to the King, who nods. As they leave, I draw out my sword,

"Where is he?"

The King shrugs and sits on his throne, "Where is who?"

"Kaloua, my dragon," I hiss through clenched teeth, his relaxed way annoying me more.

The King laughs, "Oh! Him!" Then he shakes his head, "I'm sorry, Arabelle, but I can't let you have him."

"Why not?"

"Isn't it obvious? If you get the dragon, you get the throne. I don't want to loose my power. Only an idiot would give you back your dragons."

I smirk, "I only have one dragon. The other dragon belongs to my brother."

The King stops smiling and I know I caught him off guard, "Your brother?"

I nod, "You heard me right. Brother."

He stands and storms over to me, but I just lift my sword to his chest level and he stops, "Who is he? Where is he? I thought I killed all your brothers!"

I ignore his comment and continue, "You know him really well."

As I finish, the door behind me slams open and I hear Christian yell,

"Where the f*** is Nadi!"

Arthur laughs, "Christian, what are you going on about?"

He narrows his eyes, "Give us back our dragons."

Arthur stops laughing, looking at Christian curiously, "Your a dragon rider?" Then it sinks in, "You're Arabelle's brother? How! Oh..." It clicks, and he narrows his eyes, "Tyson and Teresa. I always thought there was something between them."

I nod, "And now you know why my father killed Jeremy. To make sure his son got to the throne. Teresa wanted her lovers son to rule, so you would be kicked off the throne and she could marry her true love. She wanted Harrison dead too."

The King shakes his head, "No...no, Teresa loves Harrison."

"But she loved Tyson and myself more," Christian says simply, pulling out a sword himself, "So tell us where our dragons are, or we will get the answer by force."

Arthur stares at us levelly before beginning, "I will tell you on one condition."

I nod, "What?"

"You make a blood vow to never ally up with my family members - Christian doesn't count because of his murderous father, leave the palace, take you and your dragons away to some place where I will never have to hear from you again."

I almost stabbed him then and there for even suggesting it. Leaving Harrison, just after I finally got him? Ha! Not only that, but I would be leaving my fate behind, and also, I don't even know if I can trust him. What if he has killed them already? The thought sends a searing pain through me.

"Never." I spit at him, and Christian nods behind me,

"Even without our dragons, we will still make sure you are off the throne," he pauses then adds, "And just to give you the heads up, I am changing my name to Christian Tiona."

Arthur scowls, "Go for if, you half-blood. And while you're at it, go and inbreed with that dumb, blonde whore who couldn't see how lucky she was with Harrison."

I step forward, making my sword rest at the base of his throat, "Never call my sister a whore."

Arthur takes a step back and I take a larger one forward, the tip of my sword digging into his neck. Suddenly, the guards burst back in and I pull my sword away instantly, knowing none of them had seen as they came from behind me. Fraser rushes over to me,

"Are you okay? Christian never came so I thought he must have made it through a different way..."

I nod, "I am, but you don't need to worry about Christian anymore. He didn't do what I thought he would do, so there is no need for harm."

On of the other guards speaks up, "Madam, why is your sword drawn?"

I look down at my sword and push it back into the holder, "It was drawn in case Christian did what I thought he would do."

"And what is that, madam?"

"It doesn't matter now, because he didn't do it."

The guard scowls at me, obviously still wanting to know what was going to happen. I shoot one last deathly glare at the King before turning around and leaving.

"Oh, and just so you know, I will be telling everyone about my change in names." I hear Christian snap, then stalk off. He catches up to me, his strides longer than mine, but slows next to me, "Well, from that moment on, I am no longer attached to that family of lies."

I turn to Christian with a smile, "It means I am also no longer the last Tiona around."

Christian nods, then he narrows his eyes, "Do you have any ideas where Kaloua and Nadi might be hidden?"

I scowl, then shrug, "Not really."

Christian sighs, "This is useless! You can't swear the vow and we can't find the dragons on our own..."

I make it to my doorsteps then I sit on them, Christian sitting beside me. As we sit there thinking, I look out over the little town. Many people walk around, doing their usual thing, while I am here trying to find my dragon and save the kingdom. That's when I notice some of the other high ranking girls, standing in clumps and whispering to themselves, flashing quick glances to Christian and I. I shoulder him,

"I think you should tell them first. They seem like good gossip spreaders."

He looks up and nods, "I'll only be a second," then he walks over to them. Instantly, they all begin to smile and giggle, hoping since we are meant to be nothing now that they can get a royal boyfriend. I see Christian say a few things and their faces turn into ones of shock. He bows and turns away, heading back to me with a smirk plastered to his face,

"Did you see the looks on their faces?"

I nod with a small laugh, "I don't think they ever saw that coming!"

I watch as they all scatter and begin to tell their other connections about it. How gossip spreads so quickly in the high court. For a while, a bit of news can be worshiped like a god, but once it becomes old, it gets forgotten. And- Wait!

"I think I know where our dragons might be!" I stand quickly and rush through the door and up the stairs of my house, Christian in tow. My mother sees and goes to say something but I call back, "Just ask the gossip tree!" I thought I heard her running out the door, probably hopeful that one of her kids might just end up royal.

I go into my old, but once again current, room, since my mother and sister are back in the house. I push my bed to the side and get Christian to close and lock my door. I walk over to the window and lock it too, then close the blinds. I will let people assume whatever they like. I look back to the hatch under my bed and unlock it, for the first time since Arthur caught me down there.

"What's down there?" Christian asks and I smile,

"Lots of secrets and, hopefully, our dragons."