As the majestic aura of the coronation ceremony gradually dissipated, a silence heavy with respect settled over the imnse palace hall. King Maelor, now transford and radiating an almost divine power, stood proudly before his people. His gaze, now imbued with unquestionable authority, slowly swept across the assembly.
- Let the heads of the Five Great Families co forward and swear an oath to the new sovereign! declared the cleric solemnly, his voice sounding like a sacred command.
In turn, the heads of the five powerful dragon families slowly stepped forward. The first was Drakkar, Belgaroth’s father, head of the Purple Fla family. He imdiately knelt before Maelor and declared in a loud, proud voice:
- I, Drakkar of the Purple Flas, swear absolute fealty to King Maelor, so that the glory of dragons may endure forever.
Maelor nodded slowly in acceptance, and Drakkar stepped back to make way for the next. The heads of the following families - the Gold-Silvered, the Frost Storms, the Ebony Scales and the Azure Wings - repeated the sa ritual, each oath further strengthening the power and authority of the new sovereign.
With each oath, all the dragons in the assembly dropped to one knee, as a sign of absolute allegiance and respect for their new king. Only the forr King Aegon and Princess Elystria remained standing, both exempt from protocol due to their royal status.
Mordred, on the other hand, remained standing for a mont, his gaze fixed on the spectacle with silent defiance. Elystria imdiately noticed his attitude and whispered curtly:
- Mordred, get down on your knees imdiately, or it will be your last action on this earth. You are in no position to defy this sacred protocol.
Mordred hesitated a mont longer, then, aware of the senseless risks he was running, he finally slowly dropped to one knee, his heart burning with anger and silent indignation.
When the last oath was taken, Maelor slowly raised his hand, imposing silence. He gazed intently at the assembly before declaring solemnly:
- Dragons, nobles and loyal subjects, I now release you. Return to your respective domains, and spread the news of my coronation throughout the kingdom. Prepare yourselves too, for under my reign, our expansion policy will beco a top priority.
Mordred imdiately felt his heart freeze. The king’s words brutally confird what he had already feared, his worst fears becoming reality before his helpless eyes.
Maelor continued with cold determination:
- Our long-planned invasion of the Other World will be accelerated today. Soon, this lower world will be subject to our power, and our conquests will only begin. Be ready, for soon we will dominate not one, but two worlds!
The dragons present gave their enthusiastic approval, clearly excited by the prospect of greater conquest and domination. Mordred, still kneeling, felt terribly nauseous, his mind reeling from this official confirmation of the imminent threat to his own world.
The dragons gradually left the hall, each returning to their own quarters or domains, leaving the great hall almost empty. Elystria then approached Mordred gently, placing a delicate but firm hand on his shoulder:
- Mordred, follow . We must speak in private.
Without waiting for his reply, she guided him silently through the palace corridors to a large door adorned with magnificent sculptures of embracing dragons. She opened it gently, revealing an imnse, tastefully decorated room, both refined and warm, worthy of a royal princess.
Mordred entered slowly, observing the place with discreet curiosity. Elystria closed the door behind her before turning to him, her gaze mysterious but strangely gentle:
- Sit down, Mordred. We need to have a serious talk.
He took his seat hesitantly, intrigued but wary. Elystria slowly sat down opposite him, visibly nervous, which was very unusual for her. After a few seconds of silence, she finally spoke in a voice that was calm but laden with subtle tension:
- I suppose you’re probably wondering why I’m so interested in you, aren’t you? Why I risked my reputation to keep you by my side...
- It’s crossed my mind, Princess," he replied frankly, his intense gaze fixed on her. Especially with everything that’s just happened...
She inhaled deeply, seeming to gather all her courage for what she was about to reveal:
- Mordred, what I’m about to tell you is sothing I’ve never confessed to anyone before, not even my own family. Promise you’ll keep this secret...
- I promise," he replied gravely, intrigued and surprised by this unexpected vulnerability.
She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, staring intently into his:
- I’ve inherited so of my mother’s divinatory gifts. Not to her level, of course, but enough to perceive things... about the future, about the fate of certain people.
Mordred froze at this revelation, his eyes slowly widening in surprise and incomprehension:
- Wait... you have the gift of divination, like your mother?
She nodded slowly:
- Yes. But it’s an ability I’ve never sought to reveal. My people might see it as a weakness or a threat. But ever since I saw you fight in the arena for the first ti, Mordred... I’ve sensed sothing different about you.
- Different how?" he asked slowly, intrigued despite himself.
- Fate seems to revolve around you constantly, Mordred," she replied softly, almost fascinated. Every ti I look at you, I perceive fragnts of future possibilities, of major changes in our world, as if you were the pivot of sothing imnse and uncontrollable.
She inhaled deeply, her hands trembling slightly:
- I don’t know exactly why, or how... but I do know one thing: your destiny is linked to sothing far beyond what you can imagine. That’s why I’m trying to protect you as best I can. Because if I lose you, I’m afraid I’ll lose sothing crucial to the future of our world.
Mordred was speechless, completely stunned by these unexpected revelations. His mind spun at dizzying speed, trying to understand the profound implications of what the princess had just revealed to him:
- I... I don’t know what to say, Princess. It’s all so... imnse...
She smiled faintly, obviously relieved to have shared this secret:
- Don’t say anything yet, Mordred. But just know this: I’ll do anything to help you, even if I have to defy my own family to do it. So take care of yourself, I beg you...
Princess Elystria sighed deeply, finally breaking the intense silence that had settled between her and Mordred. Her gaze, previously so firm and assured, beca soft, imbued with a discreet but palpable sadness.
- Mordred, I’m sorry," she murmured softly, raising her eyes to his, "but I can’t keep you here any longer without arousing suspicion. My father and brother have been watching my every move since the Belgaroth incident. It’s too dangerous for you to stay in my chambers.
Mordred nodded slowly and resignedly, his face still impassive despite the inner frustration he felt at the idea of returning to his cold, dark cell:
- I understand, Princess," he replied calmly, despite the heaviness in his voice. You’ve already risked a lot for tonight. Thank you for your trust and for these revelations.
Elystria smiled faintly, obviously touched by his sincerity:
- Take care, Mordred. Never forget what I told you. Your destiny is beyond what you can imagine... be careful.
Before he could reply, the door opened softly, revealing the familiar figure of the princess’s personal steward. His cold, unreadable gaze rested on Mordred with a hint of impatience:
- It’s ti, slave," he declared curtly. Get dressed, and I’ll escort you back to your cell imdiately.
Without further protest, Mordred rose and silently followed the steward out of Elystria’s sumptuous apartnts. The return journey was made in silence, with the steward walking ahead of him at a brisk, authoritative pace. Arriving at his cell, the steward handed him his customary slave clothes, now clean and neatly folded:
- Put them back on imdiately. And avoid attracting any further attention," he ordered curtly, before closing the tal door behind him with a sharp slam.
Mordred, now alone, inhaled deeply, slowly slipping on his worn slave clothes, imdiately rediscovering the unpleasant sensation of rough fabric against his skin. He sat down heavily in a dark corner of his cell, staring longingly at the cold wall in front of him, his thoughts racing violently through his mind.
anwhile, in the royal apartnts, Elystria remained silent for a few monts after Mordred’s departure, her gaze lost in thought. A gentle knock on the door jolted her out of her reverie:
- Co in," she ordered in a distracted voice, imdiately recomposing herself into a regal posture.
A servant entered discreetly, head bowed in respect:
- Forgive for interrupting, Princess, but... your mother, Queen Alenya, requires you imdiately. She says it’s urgent.
Elystria imdiately froze in surprise, her brows furrowing slightly, betraying her confusion:
- My mother?" she repeated in astonishnt. Are you sure of this?
- Yes, Princess. She personally insisted on seeing you imdiately. She says it’s very important.
Disturbed by this unexpected summons, Elystria nodded slowly before rising imdiately, leaving her chambers to make her way quickly to her mother’s personal room. She crossed the palace at a brisk pace, her heart pounding with apprehension and growing concern. Never before had her mother summoned her directly. Never before. This sudden urgency seed ominous.
She quickly arrived at the large, richly decorated doors leading to the queen’s private apartnts. Taking a deep breath, she entered slowly, closing the door behind her carefully.
- Mother?" she asked softly, searching for her mother in the half-light that enveloped the room.
The fragile figure of Queen Alenya slowly appeared, seated on her large bed covered in luxurious but ageing fabrics. Elystria imdiately felt her heart clench painfully in her chest at the sight of her mother’s alarming condition.
The queen was pale, disturbingly sickly pale, her once beautiful face now marked by exhaustion and visible fatigue. Her previously luminous skin was now covered in a thin layer of cold sweat, her features drawn by obvious weakness. Her once vivid eyes now seed clouded, as if exhausted by incessant visions.
- Co closer, my daughter..." murmured Alenya in a weak voice, slightly trembling, but charged with a poignant gravity.
Elystria imdiately stepped forward, kneeling beside her mother’s bed and gently taking her hand:
- Mother, what’s the matter? Why did you send for so suddenly? You should rest, your strength...
- Be quiet, Elystria," murmured the queen with sad gentleness. I know what you’re thinking, but there’s sothing extrely important I need to talk to you about. I don’t have much ti left, and I feel that my gifts are weakening more and more every day.
Elystria felt an icy anguish invade her heart at these words:
- What is it, Mother?" she asked with a nervousness she couldn’t hide.
The queen breathed in deeply, weakly squeezing her daughter’s hand with unusual intensity:
- It’s about Mordred, your human slave... I saw sothing about him, sothing you absolutely must know before it’s too late...
Elystria froze, her gaze intensely fixed on her mother, sensing imdiately that what her mother was about to reveal could irrevocably change Mordred’s fate, and perhaps even her own.
- Tell everything, Mother, please. What exactly did you see?
Queen Alenya stared at her with extre seriousness, a palpable concern in her pale eyes:
- Mordred is not just what he seems, Elystria. His fate is closely linked to the survival of our entire people. I’ve seen a terrible war, flas devouring our kingdom, and at the center of it all, I’ve seen his face. Mordred may beco our destruction, but that will depend entirely on the choices you make from now on...
Elystria remained silent, frozen with fear and surprise at the gravity of these revelations. Her mother continued in a weak but firm voice:
- Listen to carefully, Elystria. Mordred is not our enemy. He is our hope. Protect him with all your strength, for if you fail, it is the end of us all... I entrust everything else to you, my daughter, I feel I have enough strength left to last two more days before I go to join our creator.
- Mother! cried Elystria.
- Please don’t tell your father, I’d like to spend my last monts in happiness. she says, smiling.
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