2

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Samantha pov

"Katie's words sent a shiver down my spine, The Dragon Lord would not be merciful. I knew that much already.

" He was known all through the land for his cruelty and brutality towards anyone who crossed him.

He wasn't someone to be trifled with. He doesn't play nice.

"And I was to go to his side, I was to leave my home, my kingdom and go to his castle and face whatever he had in store for me.

Because if I refused, he will burn my Kingdom to ashes.

"Perhaps" I echoed, feeling the anxiety flow back into my chest.

I have to be strong!.

"Katie lapsed into the silence and I stared into the distance till she finished doing my hair.

"Dragons". They are terrifying creatures with untold power.

Most of them had gone extinct by now, fighting amongst themselves.

But those who had survived this long were not only strong but smart too.

They possed a different kind of power and they possed everything they needed to survive the unthinkable and prosper in this world.

The Dragon Lord himself was extremely wealthy, strong, and powerful in every way.

He was feared across the lands and anyone who crossed him or refused his request would immediately be laid to waste.

The most powerful kingdom had crumbled beneath his fury in mere days.

He wages war, he decimated the kingdom until they were nothing left.

I didn't want that to happen to my land. My people didn't deserve this fury. My father had pleaded with me to leave to escape to flee. But I couldn't.

I was their princess. How could I abandon them in their time of need?

My father was torn between his duty as a father and as a king.

But I knew that my duty was clear.

Both as a princess and as a daughter.

Giving myself up would protect everyone that I loved Katie, my father, my people. It was all worth it.

At least, that was what I had to keep telling myself if I wanted to get through this.

Katie did my makeup and I sat in silence as she finished.

She cleared her throat.

"When are you leaving"? She asked her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"At nightfall," I said

It would be nightfall all too soon. I would eat, and then we would leave traveling to the Dragon's Lord land, to his castle. I would be alone.

Well not completely alone, I would be with him. The thought alone was a terrifying one and I tried not to think about it for too long.

"I would just have to cross that bridge when I got to it, no earlier no later"

" I'm going to miss you," Katie said. Her voice wavered and I just bit my lips.

She looked like she was going to cry, and I couldn't afford to cry right now, if I cried, I would never stop, if I cried I would never go. I had to be strong.

I dreaded speaking to my father. The goodbye would be very hard and I needed to stay strong forever, didn't I?

There would be no more chances for weakness, no more opportunities for hesitation or missteps, not anymore. The Dragon Lord would pounce on my weakness that he saw.

That's if he let me live that long, I didn't know what he wanted with me, but I had a feeling that it was nothing good.

"Why else would he want me!?

"Why else would he have demanded that my kingdom should surrender their princess if it wasn't a power play?

And what use would he have for me, anyway?

I paused the dangerous thoughts aside and focused on staring ahead.

"I'll miss you too Katie," I said taking a deep breath. I wanted to keep my head, I wanted to keep my stiff upper lip.

But it was hard when Katie was staring at me with tears in her eyes.

I stood up quickly, pushing the thought out of my head.

"You will look after my father alright"? I said feeling the emotions rise inside me.

"He will assign you elsewhere, but please watch over him," I said

He his old and I don't know we'll he would cope when I'm gone.

He had already lost my mother and I had no siblings, so he would be left on his own. The reality tugged at my heart and I tried not to think about it.

I was doing a lot of that right now.

Because if I thought about things too deeply, or let my emotions take over, I might make the wrong choice. And I had to make the right choice, for everyone involved.

Everyone but me.

I ignored the painful selfish thoughts and pulled Katie into a hug, I didn't want to look at her face any longer. If I did I knew I would cave, and tears would flow.

She hugged me tightly and I drew strength from her support. She would watch over my Father.

It would be okay.

"Alright, I need to prepare to leave," I said as I pulled away.

The nightfall was fast approaching

The dusk had never seemed so unfriendly, so unpleasant. The dusk was dark and unforgiven tonight, ticking away the moments I had left here.

Perhaps I would take dinner in the carriage, perhaps I would have more of a stomach for food in an hour or so. Right now it was the last thing in my mind.

I turned from Katie and my room, trying not to linger too much. I touched my mother's pendant necklace that was laid across my throat and asked for courage.

Then I left my room for the final time, making my way down the stairs.

I didn't look back and I pretended that I didn't hear Katie muffle and sob, I knew she was trying to be strong for me, and I wasn't going to make it any harder for her than it already was.

Descending into the dining hall, I felt my heart leap into my throat. My father was there waiting for me to join him as I always did.

The food must be cold already and I felt a sickening lurch in my stomach, I didn't want to do this.

"Sorry Father I'm late," I said as I approached the table

He shook his head, standing up as I approached " I will ask one of the maids to pack it for you, for, your trip "He said.

It seemed to hurt him in a physical sense, to talk about me leaving, it hurt me to see the pain in his eyes, but I knew that I was doing the right thing. He would perish if I don't go.

Damn the Dragon Lord.

I hated being forced into a corner like this. I hated feeling like this like there's no way out. But I knew what I had to do

"Thank you," I said.

The moment passed between us, almost awkward.

" What should one say on a day like this?" I questioned no one in particular.

How did you offer comfort when the road ahead seemed so dark and so insurmountable?

How did you approach the impossible, and make it easy to swallow?

It was so painful. It was spring and thorny and hard.

But I didn't want my last moments with my Father to be uncomfortable. I stepped forward and wrapped my arm around him, just like the way I used to do when I was a little girl.

I held him tight, breathing in the familiar scent, the smell of home, and burying my head into his shoulder.

For some moment, all I wanted was to hold onto him and have everything to be alright.

I wanted to listen to him and flee. I wanted to be a child again. Who didn't have to make her own choices? Who didn't bear the true weight of the crown?

But I wasn't a child anymore, I had duties and responsibilities to attend to. I had to protect everyone I cared about and sometimes that meant making the hardest decision imaginable.

After was felt like ages, I pulled away and took a deep breath.

" I'll....make sure dinner is packed for your trip... Samantha" He said. My Father's voice was soft and low, just like Katie's had been. Everyone was speaking to me softly like I was already gone.

I shivered at the thought.

"Thank you, Father" I murmured in return

All around us, the darkness descended, a heavy blanket smothering and oppressive.

I heard footsteps approaching from behind and my heart sink into my stomach.

I knew what was coming next.

A servant cleared his throat and said the dreaded words.

"Princess!! Your carriage is ready.

~~~T~~~~C~~

~~~~~B~~~~I