#eotws

Two months later, Gerold woke up feeling worse than ever before. He knew in his gut that this was his last day. He was struggling to breath and could barely move his legs. He had been bedridden for the last week, but at least then he could still stand up briefly. Now, just moving his limbs felt near impossible.

His nurse came into the room shortly after he woke up. She smiled at him as she entered.

“Get my family,” Gerold wheezed. “It’s time.”

The nurse’s smile fell and she nodded solemnly before rushing out of the room. Adelaide’s head popped up from beside the bed. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Gerold.

“Darling,” Gerold breathed. “I’m sorry I won’t get to see our egg hatch.”

Adelaide’s eyes filled with tears. She got up, wrapped her wings around him, and pressed her head into his shoulder. Gerold attempted to raise his head, but after a considerable effort, his head dropped limply back on the bed. Adelaide pulled back after a moment.

“I love you, Adelaide,” Gerold said.

“I love you too,” Adelaide’s voice was choked up. Gerold felt her sorrow wrench at his heart.

Markos came rushing into the room, closely followed by Luana. Their eyes were wide and their faces distraught. It was all Gerold could do to hold it together for them. He needed to get through his goodbye's before he would let go of the tears that threatened with every breath.

“Markos, Luana,” he said quietly. “Come here.”

They approached the bed slowly. Markos looked like he was trying not to cry too.

“Dad…” he choked out.

“Please don’t die,” Luana sobbed.

“I’m sorry, Luana. But every life comes to an end eventually. It’s just unfortunate that my end is here so soon.” Gerold paused to take a wheezy breath. “But remember, you can do anything. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.”

Luana nodded and ducked her head. Jakob quietly entered the room as Markos stepped closer to the bed.

“Dad… please don’t go,” Markos pleaded quietly. “I still need you.”

Gerold blinked tears out of his eyes. “I wish I could be here for you. But you are an adult now. I trust that you’ll move past this with time. Look after your family, both the ones here now, and your own future family.”

Markos squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his head into Gerold’s neck. Gerold rolled his head to the side in an attempt to rub his face against his son’s.

When Markos stepped back, Gerold turned to his youngest son. Jakob’s eyes were overflowing with tears.

“Jakob.” Gerold managed to smile at him, though his heart was breaking. “Be strong, son. I’m sure you’ll be a great historian one day. Keep up with your reading.”

“I will,” Jakob managed to say, though his voice shook. “And I’ll never forget you.”

Gerold’s tears spilled over. He couldn’t hold them back anymore. He knew his family would miss him. If there was an afterlife, he would miss them from there too.

That was the moment that Griffin came crashing into the room. Everyone turned at the commotion. Griffin’s icy blue eyes locked onto Gerold and he pushed his way toward the bed.

“Griffin,” Gerold wheezed. “Be a good High Caln.”

“How am I supposed to do it without you?” Griffin asked.

“You will. I know you will,” Gerold told him weakly.

Griffin sat down and hung his head. Adelaide sat on one side while Markos, Luana, and Jakob were huddled together on the other.

“I love you all,” Gerold said. He could feel his strength seeping away. “Never forget the good times we shared. Those will keep me alive in your hearts.”

Luana sobbed and pressed her head into Markos’s shoulder. Markos wrapped a wing around her and stared at the floor. Jakob was fully crying as he watched Gerold with desperate eyes. Griffin and Adelaide stared at the floor as tears rolled down their cheeks.

Gerold took a moment to remember his life. He had gone from a simple life with his father in the Northern Districts, to the High Caln for the entire Calndom. Had he ever thanked Rana for choosing him as her Prinze? He struggled to remember but he was sure he did at some point.

He had made a good life here. He married Adelaide, made Griffin his Prinze, and had four amazing young dragons. Even though he would never meet the hatchling in the egg, Gerold was certain they would be a talented Fire Dragon.

As his vision faded into darkness, Gerold felt a premonition. Suddenly he could see Griffin and Modesty, though they were several years older. Modesty had a wicked grin and a foreleg plunged into Griffin’s chest. In an instant, he knew what would happen, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Oh no, I’ve made a horrible mistake, he thought to himself.

He should never have made his best friend Prinze. Now, Griffin was doomed to die by the will of his own daughter. Gerold could only hope, as his consciousness faded away, that Markos could fix this massive blunder somehow.

~ ~ ~

Markos stood in the gardens. It was cold and the snow was deep. But he had a job to do. One that he didn’t want anyone else to do. He was standing in front of the two flowering plants at the end of the pathway. One was strong, with multiple beautiful blue and white flowers on it. The other was dead. The leaves had shrivelled up and turned brown, and the flower petals had wilted until they fell onto the snow.

Gerold had been gone for a few weeks now. Markos had done everything he could to coax his father’s plant back to life, but nothing worked. It seemed determined to die with Gerold. Markos finally had to admit that the plant, and Gerold, were gone and never coming back. All he could do now was dispose of the dead plant and prepare his own to be moved to their new home.

Now that Griffin was High Caln, the Everhart family would move into one of the manors near the castle. The Rain family would be moving into one of the smaller manors further from the castle to accommodate the move. Markos had already picked out a new spot at the manor for his plant. He would make sure to care for it to ensure it didn’t meet the same sad end that Gerold’s plant did.

“I miss you, Dad,” Markos whispered, staring down at the dead plant. “We all do.”

A month went by and Gerold’s strength waned. He wasn’t able to attend courts for very long. Most days, he assigned Griffin to handle the courts on his own and reviewed the decisions afterwards.

Freya put in her resignation. Gerold wondered if she didn’t want to watch him die or if there was another reason. But he didn’t want to put her on the spot. He let her leave quietly and started looking for a new announcer for the courts.

The head of guard, Mason, assigned a bodyguard and nurse to accompany Gerold at all times. His only true privacy now was when he went to bed at night. Adelaide slept on the floor, still incubating their egg. Gerold missed her warmth, but the wellbeing of their egg was more important. He refused to sacrifice a life for his own selfish wishes.

Moving became more and more difficult. The lump on his leg started to ache non-stop. Gerold struggled with the stairs most days, and he was too weak to fly. He struggled to eat and was starting to struggle with breathing too.

One morning, Gerold was sitting at the head table in the Great Hall for breakfast. Everyone was eating, but Gerold only stared at his plate. He wasn’t hungry at all. It had taken so much effort to get down here from the bedroom, but there was no point to it.

“Darling, you should eat,” Adelaide said. “You need to keep your strength up.”

“I’m not hungry,” Gerold told her quietly.

“Adelaide’s right, Gerold, you need to eat,” Griffin said from his other side.

Gerold shook his head weakly. The action made him dizzy. His nurse sidled up beside him and picked out a small piece of banana bread.

“Try this,” she offered the bread to him.

Gerold pulled his head away. The thought of eating was making him feel woozy.

“I think I need some fresh air,” he said, forcing himself up. He glanced at his nurse and bodyguard. “Please don’t follow me.”

“We can’t leave you unattended,” the nurse said.

“Then… keep your distance. I just want to go for a walk in the gardens, alone,” Gerold told her.

The nurse nodded. The bodyguard dipped his head silently.

Gerold turned and made his way out of Great Hall. The walk felt long, even though it was only a short distance. He managed his way to the door for the gardens and pushed through it. The cool morning air of early winter hit him. Snow hadn’t started to fall just yet, but the frosts were lingering well into the day. He was aware of his nurse and bodyguard following along behind him. Thankfully, they respected his wishes and kept their distance.

Gerold followed the path through the gardens. He passed the fountain and the gazebo and continued all the way to the end of the path. There, two small plants resided in the cold soil. One was smaller, with brighter leaves and small flower buds forming. The other was larger. Its leaves were a depressing grey-green and its stark white and blue flower petals were drooping sadly. Gerold sat down with a sigh and gently raised one of the wilting flowers with his forefoot.

“You’re dying too, my friend,” he muttered. “I guess I should have expected this.”

Gerold dropped his foot back to the ground and stared at the flower. He’d had this plant ever since he’d hatched. His father said it sprouted in the garden, seemingly at random. It grew slow, flowered in winter, and went dormant in summer, but it never died. When Gerold became Prinze and moved to the castle, he’d carefully uprooted the plant to bring it with him. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt a connection to the plant. He knew he always wanted to have it in his life, wherever he lived.

Gerold glanced at the younger plant. It had grown beside his own the day Markos hatched. Gerold had initially hoped more of them would sprout up with his other offspring, but none ever did. It seemed to be a special plant for just the first hatched in the family.

Thankfully, the younger plant was still strong. Gerold hoped that meant Markos would live a long life after him. Perhaps he would grow older than Gerold had. Would he have eggs of his own? Perhaps his oldest would have their own flower too. Gerold took comfort in that thought.

When Gerold woke, his head was pounding. He struggled to open his eyes and light flooded in, making him wish to close them again. But after a few, slow blinks, he managed to make out the room around him. He was still in the Throne Room, but now he was surrounded by dragons.

Gerold peered at the faces around him as his vision cleared. He recognised Adelaide, Markos, Luana, and Jakob standing over him. Next to them was Griffin and his family. There was also a pair of doctors with them.

“He’s waking up,” Jakob said.

“Gerold, dear, are you alright?” Adelaide asked. She crouched down beside him and nudged his wing with her own.

“I’ll… be fine,” Gerold managed to say.

That was a lie. He had never felt worse. His head was still spinning and he felt sicker than ever.

“What happened?” he asked slowly.

“You passed out,” Griffin said. “I dismissed the courts and sent Freya for the doctors. You’ve been out for half an hour.”

“We were about to move you when you woke up,” one of the doctors said. Her soft green face had a sympathetic expression.

“We were able to examine your body though,” the other doctor added. He turned to Griffin and Markos. “You said this lump on his leg has been growing steadily for a few years?”

Griffin and Markos nodded in unison. Markos added, “I first pointed it out to him two years ago. He wasn’t worried about it then.”

“Has he expressed any concern over it since?” the doctor asked.

“Not to me,” Markos said. The others all shook their heads.

The doctor turned back to Gerold and poked at the lump. Gerold grunted. The doctor ignored his discomfort and continued to poke and prod at the lump. Gerold gritted his teeth. It hadn’t hurt before, why did it hurt now?

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor stepped back. Gerold sighed and relaxed, realising how much he had tensed up.

“You should have gotten this checked sooner,” the doctor told him. “We may have been able to treat it if we knew when it was small. High Caln, you have cancer.”

Gerold stared at the doctor for a moment. Then he closed his eyes with a sigh. Of course. He should have gotten it checked sooner. But because of his refusal to care for his health, he was going to die.

“How long do I have?” Gerold asked.

“If you’re lucky, maybe a year,” the doctor said. “However, I think a few months is more realistic.”

Adelaide made a sound that was a mix of a gasp and a sob. Gerold’s heart cracked as he saw the dark expressions that crossed the faces around him. He could have prevented this.

“So, Dad’s going to die?” Jakob asked in a small voice.

“I’m afraid so,” the doctor said.

“No,” Luana whimpered.

Gerold’s heart broke. He squeezed eyes shut and willed himself not to cry. He was going to die before the year was over. He was going to leave his family with so much pain and grief. He wouldn’t get to see his youngest grow up. He might not even see his egg hatch. And it was all his fault for not getting that stupid lump checked.

Gerold trudged up the stairs and turned for the Throne Room. He was exhausted. It was only morning, but he’d barely been able to eat. Every step on the staircase felt like climbing a mountain with the castle strapped to his back. Griffin was walking alongside him.

“Are you going to be alright today?” Griffin asked. “You can take the day off if you need to.”

Gerold shook his head. “I’m the High Caln. I can’t just take a day off because I’m a little tired.”

“I don’t think you’re just ‘a little tired,’ Gerold. You look horrible,” Griffin told him. “What if you’re sick?”

“I’m not sick, Griffin,” Gerold insisted. “I’ve just been working a little too hard.”

Griffin didn’t look convinced, but Gerold pushed his way into the Throne Room regardless. He took a seat at his throne and suppressed a sigh. It was a relief to sit down. But he still felt tired.

“Good morning, High Caln, Prinze,” Freya greeted them once Griffin was seated. “Today’s list of requests is only small, however, there may be a court case coming your way.”

“A court case? What has happened?” Gerold asked.

Freya shrugged her wings. “I’m not entirely sure yet, but I heard talk that there was an attack in one of the Northern Districts. A business was robbed and the staff there were injured. The dragons responsible have been caught, but the judges feel uneasy making a ruling on such a high level crime.”

Gerold managed to avoid cursing out loud. How had this happened? He’d been High Caln twenty-three years and never had such an incident. Were these dragons acting out of malice or desperation? Could he have avoided such an incident with closer management of the Calndom’s expenses? If they were acting out of malice, why? Who or what had caused them to think this would solve their problem?

“Gerold,” Griffin whispered.

Gerold blinked and looked at him. Griffin nodded to Freya, who was standing in front of them with an unfurled scroll. She gave him an expectant look. Oh dear.

“I’m sorry, Freya. I must have gotten distracted. Could you please repeat what you just said?” Gerold asked.

Freya nodded politely. “Of course, High Caln. The Glasswing family have announced a recent betrothal between their youngest daughter and the son of the Miller family. They have requested your presence at the wedding.”

Gerold gave a slightly forced smile. “I wouldn’t miss it. You can tell them I’ll be there.”

Freya nodded and made a note on her scroll. Then she read out the next line. “The heavy rains lately have caused flooding at the lake and river. Farmers in the Northern Districts have reported losing livestock to the flooding. They wish to know if there will be any reimbursement or future preventative measures.”

“Right. Flooding,” Gerold muttered to himself.

He was so used to proactively sending Water Dragons to redirect excess rainwater to prevent flooding. It seems he’d forgotten it this year. Was it because he’d been so tired, or had he been too focused on his and Adelaide’s egg?

Gerold pushed the thought from his mind and looked back at Freya. “The castle won’t be able to reimburse the cost of the lost livestock, however, we will ensure that future floods are mitigated as much as possible. I will also arrange for Water Dragons to go out and redirect the water away from the farmlands.”

Freya nodded and made a note. Griffin felt a wave of nausea come over him as he waited. The courts had only just started. He would have to work through it. What kind of ruler would he be if he ran off the moment he felt a little sick?

“The quarry has unearthed a new precious stone,” Freya announced, reading from the scroll. “They would like the High Caln to inspect it before it can be released to the market.”

Gerold nodded slightly. He would have to find the time to travel to the quarry. He hadn’t visited in quite a while. Perhaps it would be a good opportunity to review the conditions there. But when would he be feeling well enough for the flight?

“Gerold,” Griffin whispered again, this time nudging him with a wing. Gerold looked up at him. “Are you feeling alright, Gerold? You look a little pale.”

Gerold took a breath. He was feeling a little shaky. “Perhaps it would be best to postpone the rest of the courts. I think I need to lie down.”

Griffin nodded. Freya dipped her head respectfully and said, “I will keep the scroll in your office for review.”

“Thank you, Freya,” Gerold said.

He forced himself up and began to slowly walk towards the door. He managed just a few steps before his head felt light. The room began to spin. Gerold paused to take a breath. He could do this. But as he lifted his foot to take another step, his legs failed beneath him and everything went dark.

It was a cool autumn morning. Gerold woke slowly at first. He could hear the howling wind battering the castle walls. He snuggled deeper into the covers feeling for Adelaide's warm body to curl around her. But the bed was empty.

Gerold cracked open an eye and looked around. There was barely any light,but he could just make out Adelaide curled up in her makeshift nest on the floor beside the bed. Gerold crawled across the bed and touched his nose gently to her head.

"Did I miss it?" he asked.

Adelaide raised her head to look at him with a sympathetic smile. "It's okay, dear. We've had three eggs before this. What’s more special is the hatching."

"How many eggs were there?" Gerold asked.

"Just one." Adelaide carefully sat up, revealing the egg she was keeping warm.

Gerold couldn't help but smile. Sometimes he forgot how small eggs and hatchlings were. The egg sat neatly in the nest of blankets and pillows. There was more than enough room for a second if they'd had two. But given their past three nests all consisted of a single egg each, it was unlikely there'd be more this time. The egg was a slightly reddish hue with red-brown speckles all over it. Gerold couldn't imagine it looking any different.

"I think it's beautiful," he said quietly.

Adelaide smiled down at the egg. "Me too." Then her smile faded. "I hope the hatchling inside doesn't have any issues."

Gerold tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Adelaide hesitated. "It's just that... Luana is already so difficult to care for. I'm constantly worrying about her and her future."

"Adelaide." Gerold stretched out a wing to touch her gently. "Luana is a healthy and smart fledgling. She will do great things one day. Don't try to hold her back."

Adelaide stared at the floor. She didn't say anything so Gerold continued, "I'm sure the hatchling in this egg will do great things too. Don't try to control their future."

After a long moment of silence, Adelaide looked up at Gerold with grateful eyes.Then her expression shifted again and she said, "You look so tired, dear. Are you sleeping properly?"

"Of course. I'll be fine once I've woken up properly," Gerold said.

"Are you sure?" Adelaide asked. "I know you've been struggling with your duties lately." Gerold nuzzled her gently. "I'll be fine, darling. You don't need to worry about me."

He decided not to mention the lump on his leg. He was sure she'd noticed at some point. But no one, except for Markos, had ever pointed it out. Gerold didn't want to worry Adelaide with his problems, especially when it was such an insignificant thing.

Gerold was in the library. It was a hot day outside, but between the cooler indoor temperatures and his Fire Dragon ability to tolerate heat, Gerold was quite comfortable. Adelaide was busy preparing for their nest while he continued his role as High Caln. News had spread all around the Calndom. Dragons were celebrating and excited for the new arrival.

But today Gerold was taking a short break. He had been needing a few minutes to slow down more and more often. He was starting to consider adding a half hour rest during the day so that he could recharge a little. But he hadn't needed it a few years ago. Perhaps his age was catching up to him.

Jakob and Clement were in the library too. Jakob was sitting by a window with a large history book in front of him. He leafed through the dusty pages at an impressive speed for his young age.

Meanwhile, Clement was at one of the rows of bookshelves. He was stretching up for a book just out of his reach. There wasn't enough room in the library to fly around for books. Gerold decided to help him, pacing over and pulling the book off the shelf.

“Here you go,” he said, offering the book to Clement.

Clement's eyes widened. Then he grinned. “Thank you!”

Gerold couldn't help but smile as Clement took the book and joined Jakob by the window.

“What book did you choose?” Jakob asked.

Clement nudged the book to him. “It's a collection of folk tales. Dad said I was too old to read it, but I don't care about that.”

“You're only young, Clement,” Gerold said, sitting down beside them. “You have plenty of time to read whatever books you like. There's nothing wrong with enjoying fiction. It happens to be one of my favourite genres too.”

Clement beamed up at him. Beside him, Jakob asked, “What about nonfiction? Or history?”

“I do enjoy my fair share of nonfiction. Though history is by far the most compelling, I have to spend a lot of time reading and reviewing law books,” Gerold said.

“Is that because you're High Caln?” Clement asked.

Gerold nodded. “It's a tough job. Not everyone is up for it.”

“Modesty says she wants to be High Caln when she grows up,” Clement said. “I don't want it though.”

“Modesty will eventually realise that she won't be High Caln,” Gerold told him. “For her to have a chance, there would need to be no Prinze when Griffin's time as High Caln ends. But we have laws to mitigate the chances of that happening.”

“If we were living in the old times, Markos would be the next High Caln,” Jakob said.

“Perhaps. But when the island founders came here, they vowed to change the way leadership was passed,” Gerold explained. “That's why we now choose our Prinzes, rather than letting fate and bloodlines decide the heir.”

“Why did they decide to change it?” Clement asked.

“From what I've learned about the old days, corruption was a common theme among nobles and royals,” Gerold explained.

“Oh. I guess it's good that we changed it then,” Clement said.

He turned back to his book and opened it to the first story. Gerold took a peek at the page as Clement read silently. It was a short tale about a farmer and his livestock. Gerold smiled as he remembered the first time he came across this book. He had been just a Prinze then and the concept of talking animals gave him joy. But he had since come to terms with the fact that no other creatures could speak the way dragons did.

Gerold glanced over at Jakob’s book. It was a stark contrast to Clement’s. It was filled with big words and detailed paragraphs about the old continent. Gerold wondered what life might be like if dragons still lived there today. Would he have become High Caln? Would he have ever met Griffin or Adelaide? Would they have even existed at all?

His vision filled with stars and he had to blink several times to clear his head. He felt a fatigue coming on. Even just thinking was wearing him out. He glanced down at his hind leg. The lump Markos had pointed out years ago had grown in size. Gerold had pushed aside any worry he had about it. The lump didn’t hurt so there was no need for concern. He had more important things to worry about as High Caln, including preparing Griffin for his future role. Gerold wouldn’t be around forever. One day, Griffin would have to take up the role of being High Caln.

Two years later

Gerold entered his bedroom and undid the button on his cloak. It had been a long day. He couldn’t wait to crawl into bed and fall asleep.

It had been two years since the sudden deaths of Paul and Briar Waltz, but it felt like longer. Gerold still felt the weight of their passing sometimes. But he had managed to overcome the sadness in his heart. He was confident that August and Simon had too, though Simon still struggled with being the head of the Waltz family.

Gerold pulled off his crown and placed it on its stand near the window. As he did, he felt a pair of warm wings wrap around him. He smiled and turned to nuzzle Adelaide’s cheek.

“I’ve missed you today,” Adelaide said with a purr.

“Really? More than any other day?” Gerold asked.

Adelaide giggled. “Well, I found something out today, but I didn’t want to interrupt your work to tell you.”

“Oh? What’s the news?” Gerold asked.

Adelaide stepped back with a big smile. “I’m expecting eggs.”

“Really?” Gerold couldn’t help but grin. “Adelaide, that’s wonderful!”

Gerold wrapped his wings around her and pressed his nose to the side of her face. Adelaide laughed and dipped her head so that their noses touched.

“We’ll have to start thinking of names,” Gerold said when he pulled away. “How many eggs do you think we’ll have this time? Will we have males or females?”

Adelaide smiled. “Given our last three nests, I’d say we’ll probably have one egg again. But we should still think of a few different names, just in case.”

“Of course.” Gerold thought for a moment. “How about Amelia for a female and Hamlet for a male? That’s a start.”

“I like those,” Adelaide said with a smile. “But we’ll have plenty of time to think of more names in case we need them.”

Gerold purred and nuzzled into her neck. He was so happy he couldn’t even think of what to say. He had been certain that they were past their egg bearing days. He hoped their sons and daughter would look forward to the new addition to their family as well.

“We’ll have to tell the castle,” Gerold said with sudden realisation. “The whole Calndom will want to celebrate.”

“Slow down, Gerold. One thing at a time,” Adelaide told him. “We’ll make an announcement to the castle tomorrow at breakfast.”

Gerold nodded. He couldn’t wait to make the announcement. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to sleep now. But he and Adelaide finished preparing for bed and curled up together. Soon enough, Gerold was able to fall asleep with his wings wrapped around his wife and a gentle heat radiating from the fire in his chest.

When their servants woke them, Gerold was quick to get out of bed and prepare for the day. He still had a silly smile right up until he reached the door of the bedroom. He was able to mask his giddiness with a more mature smile as he and Adelaide made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

The Great Hall was filled with dragons having breakfast. Most were the regular castle staff, though Gerold noted that some of the Protective Unit were scattered around the room. Ever since the boar attack, Mason had insisted on having a larger workforce of guards to protect the Calndom, and the castle was no exception.

Gerold made his way to the head table and sat in his usual spot. Adelaide sat next to him. Griffin was already there, sitting with his family at one of the nearby tables. Gerold waited for his sons and daughter. They were only a few minutes behind and soon took their seats at the head table.

Once they were all there, Gerold stood up and flared his wings. The conversations across the room trailed into silence as everyone turned to look at him. Gerold smiled and lowered his wings a little.

“What a wonderful morning it is today,” he began. “To have so many dragons here for my announcement warms my heart. I would like to share with you all that my dear wife, Adelaide, is expecting eggs again. I hope you will accept our future young into your hearts as we have.”

Cheers erupted as Gerold finished his announcement. He smiled, folded his wings, and sat back down. Adelaide smiled at him. Gerold leaned over to her and briefly touched his nose to hers. Adelaide purred quietly, a sound that filled Gerold’s heart with joy. He couldn’t wait to meet his future young.

Gerold scanned the room, taking in the cheers and joy of the castle staff. His eyes fell on Griffin and his family. Misti and Clement were cheering with everyone else. Modesty rolled her eyes and stared at the floor, though Gerold didn’t expect much else from her. What did throw him, however, was Griffin’s reaction. His expression was mournful. His eyes were hollow, vacant of emotion. The way Griffin stared up at Gerold made him feel guilty. Griffin still wasn’t over the loss of his egg three years ago. Gerold hoped Griffin would move past the pain soon.

Gerold was sitting in the office with Griffin beside him. Directly in front of them sat the head of the Protective Unit and castle guard, Mason. He was holding an open scroll and reading out his report from the past few months. Gerold made notes as he listened to Mason’s report.

“My guards have reported higher than usual boar activity this spring,” Mason said. “We have instructed the farmers to stay alert as the boars are most vicious at this time of year. However, I worry for the safety of the citizens at large. Few dragons can stand up to a wild boar. If anyone were to be attacked at this time, the results could be lethal.”

Gerold sighed. “I guess we should assign a patrol to the southern edges of the Calndom.”

Mason nodded. “That would be wise, High Caln.”

“Let’s hope it’s enough to keep the attacks at bay,” Griffin muttered bitterly.

Gerold glanced at him. It had been two years since Griffin and Misti had lost their egg, but there had been a distinct shift in Griffin’s attitude since then. He was quieter, and frowned almost all the time. Gerold wondered how much sleep he was getting as he recognised dark marks underneath Griffin’s eyes.

Gerold opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the door to the room burst open and Freya rushed in. “High Caln! Prinze! Sorry to disturb you. There’s been an incident!”

“What’s happened?” Gerold asked, standing up.

“Paul and Briar Waltz have been killed,” Freya said.

Gerold’s stomach dropped. “What?”

He was out of the room in seconds. He leapt over the railing and glided down to the main floor. Dragons around him stared and gasped. Gerold didn’t care to look regal or sophisticated at a time like this. Paul and Briar were dead. But how could that be? Surely it couldn’t be true. He had to get to Waltz Manor.

Gerold hurried past the gate guards who were in the middle of a shift change. He raced through the streets of the Noble Districts. He barely even registered Griffin running beside him. He had to see for himself.

Gerold burst into Waltz Manor and looked wildly around the foyer. He spotted Simon and August standing near the staircase with a few vested dragons. He hurried over to them.

“I just heard the news. What happened?” he asked.

Simon glanced at him, then looked away with a grimace. August was staring at the floor. She raised her head slowly to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy.

“Mum and Dad went to the Flight Range for the day. They were supposed to return a few hours ago. Simon asked our guards to go search for them. They found them dead. They were killed by wild boars.” August squeezed her eyes shut and ducked her head again.

“I’m so sorry.” Gerold stepped closer and touched August’s wing with his own. August leaned into him with a sob and Gerold wrapped his wings around her.

It wasn’t fair. No one should have to go through this. Especially not at twelve. August was still so young, and her brother was only fourteen. But now they were the heads, and last surviving members, of their family. He may have lost his close friends, but Simon and August just lost their parents.

“We’ll arrange a funeral,” Gerold said quietly. “I’ll help you both.”

August nodded slightly. Simon glanced at them. His expression was guarded, but Gerold could see a hint of gratefulness in his eyes.

A few days later, Gerold was back in Waltz Manor with his family for the funeral. Dragons from the other noble families had gathered as well. All had stripped off their cloaks and only wore a simple necklace of their family crest. Gerold was no different. He’d removed his cloak and crown and wore his crest around his neck. August and Simon stood beside him with their necklaces and a heavy blanket draped over their wings.

Everyone gathered around the large image made of flowers and sand on the floor. Gerold stared down at the image of his two friends. They had already buried what remained of their bodies. The boars had ravaged their corpses. Gerold was horrified to see it for himself, but he was glad that Simon and August had been spared from that sight.

Everyone stood in silence for several minutes, staring at the image on the floor. Gerold reflected on the time he had spent with Paul and Briar. They had been good friends to him over the years. Though, perhaps he hadn’t been the best friend to them in return. His role as High Caln took up so much of his time.

Even now, he had a duty to fulfill as the High Caln. He raised his head and looked at the dragons around him. “Today we gather to remember two great dragons. Paul and Briar Waltz were dear friends and loving parents. Though their passing is tragic, we should remember them for how they were when alive. We will remember the good times and the happy memories they have left us with. Now and always.”

“Now and always,” the other dragons muttered, echoing Gerold's sentiment.

The room fell silent again, this time for two minutes. One minute for each dragon that had passed. Gerold closed his eyes and remembered the time he met Briar. She was the only daughter of the Waltz family in her youth. She was always so much fun to hang out with.

Then he remembered Paul. Briar introduced them shortly after finalising their engagement. Paul was from one of the low ranking noble families. He was proud to be chosen as Briars's husband, and delighted when they later started their family.

After the minutes of silence ended, Gerold turned to August and Simon. Their expressions were hollow. August, in particular, looked far away. This was a hard day for them.

Gerold decided to end the procession early and dismissed everyone. As dragons started to leave, Carmina pushed her way through the crowd and approached Gerold. He nodded to her politely.

“It's good to see you, Gerold,” she said. Even her voice was sullen, not at all its usual shrill pitch.

“Same to you, Carmina. Thank you for attending,” Gerold replied.

“It's such a horrible thing to happen,” Carmina said. Her gaze shifted to the flower and sand drawn image. “Not only to lose two members of a noble family, but in such a brutal and sudden way… it's heartbreaking.”

Gerold nodded quietly. He glanced at August and Simon. Both were still staring blankly at the image on the floor.

“I actually wanted to ask you something.” Carmina turned back to Gerold. “Adelaide is worried about the future of your daughter. I thought, perhaps we could arrange an engagement with Luana and one of my sons. That way she’ll have someone to protect her once she grows up.”

Gerold stared at her. “Do you really think this is an appropriate time and place for such a discussion?”

Carmina blinked. “I suppose not. But I haven't seen you in a while.”

Gerold sighed quietly. “Carmina, we can discuss this at a different time, but I think it would be best to wait for our young to grow up and choose for themselves.”

“Oh, alright.” Carmina dipped her head and turned away.

Gerold was grateful that she didn't make a fuss out of his thoughts, but he also wished she'd had the tact to not bring up the topic here. He glanced over at Simon and August again. August still looked far away, but Simon was glaring at Carmina as she left.