2

"B-but I am not lying, you gave me the apple." Willow said and repeated her exact words. "Tell them the truth, why are you lying against me Leona?"

"Willow, where did you get the apple from?" King Henry demanded.

"Father, it was Leona who gave me the apple, you should ask her where she got it from and not me."

"Stop lying against me and tell them the truth." Leona said and started crying.

"Willow, tell me the truth, are you the one who had given Jay the apple?" King Henry demanded.

"No father, he took it from my hand and ate it before leaving my room." Willow replied. "Leona had given me the apple, she said it was a gift for me."

"You are lying." Leona retorted.

"I am not."

"Willow I know you are lying." King Harry said to the shock of Willow, his sister's and mother. "Leona might be telling the truth, probably you had given Jay the apple to eat out of jealousy since he is a full dragon."

"I did not father you have to believe me." Willow said, greatly alarmed. Death penalty awaits anyone who has taken the life of a living soul, it is their rules. He faces his mother in great fear. "Mother, you believe me right?"

"Yes I do my dear." Lucia said and faced her husband. "Henry, how can you say Willow killed his own brother?"

"Anything is possible Lucia."

"Willow did not kill Jay, just because he is not a full dragon like his siblings doesn't mean he is lying. If the reverse was the case, you would have believed Jay immediately. Just because he hasn't shifted yet to any Dragon doesn't mean he is jealous of his older brother."

"I don't have time for you woman." King Henry said angrily. And pointed at his two Dragon messagers. "Go and call me Oracle immediately." He commanded.

The two messengers quickly left the throne room to do as instructed.

Facing Willow. "For your mother sake, I hope you're telling the truth." He said and started pacing around Jay's dead body.

Five minutes later, the two messengers returned with a Lady dressed in a long black dress that flows in the air. She has long dark hair and eyes. She was holding a staff made with water and at the top of the staff was a white eagle statue.

"You sent for me my King."

"Yes Oracle, my son, Jay, is dead." King Henry said and pointed at Jay's lifeless body. "Can you do something about it?"

Walking over to where Jay lay, she walked around him in a circle before stopping to face the King, "There is nothing I can do for him my King, he is dead for real." Oracle announced. "What could kill a Dragon?"

"This." King Henry answered pointing at the rotten golden apple. "He was eating the apple when he started choking and fell down, before they would bring him here, he was gone. The apple was looking fresh before, but now it is rotten."

"Who had given him the apple?" Oracle asked.

"Willow gave him the apple and he said Leona gave it to him. I don't know who is saying the truth." King Henry replied.

Facing Willow, Oracle stretches forth her right hand to him, "Place your hands on my child." She said and Willow quickly went over to meet her and did that. She closed her eyes and a third eye opened on her forehead and the eagle statue eyes became white. She removed her hands from him and returned her gaze to King Henry. "Willow was speaking the truth, Leona gave him."

Willow, who didn't even know he was holding his breath, breathed out a sigh of relief. And went into his mother's open arms. His two sisters smiled in relief.

That was all the King needed to hear.

"Hang that child to her death. Used the Dragon claws on her, for death shall beget death." King Henry ordered.

"You could have just said the truth Leona, nothing is hidden under the Sun for long." Willow said with a sad sigh.

"Take her away." King Henry ordered. Two guards came forward and grabbed Leona's hands.

"Please, leave me alone, I didn't do anything. They are lying. The Oracle lied, please." Leona pleaded as they started dragging her out of the throne room. She returned her gaze to Willow then to King Henry and finally to Willow and spoke. "I curse you today Willow, you shall have a great thirst for blood and no one can quench it. You will carve for blood but no blood will satisfy you." She returned her gaze to King Henry as the guards closed the large Oak door behind them as they left the throne room with Leona but her voice was still heard loud and clear. "And you Henry, for wanting to kill an innocent child, your whole family shall be the first he will start from. It is my curse to your household."

_____

The guards hanged Leona to death. They didn't see a dark shadow leaving the lifeless young body.

_____

"She is dead, my King." One of the two guards told King Henry when they returned.

"Good, take my son, Jay and bury him before he starts decaying. His death shall soon be announced." King Henry ordered.

"Yes my King." They both said at the same time and carried the dead crown Prince with care. Some guards followed them out of the throne room.

"I shall take my leave now your Highness." Oracle said and was out of the throne room.

"You all should leave, let me mourn Jay alone." King Henry told his family and Lucia with her daughters and Willow was out of the throne room.

_____

Unknown Cave:

"I said the curse as you instructed, mistress." The shadow on the cave wall said with a male voice as he appeared. "And the young child has been put to death."

"You casted the curse on the wrong Prince." The ugly looking lady told the shadow.

"But you said I should say the curse to the dragon Prince standing once I have seen the dead one Mistress."

"Yes but the dead one isn't who I want to use. I needed Willow to eat the apple because of the both genes he carried but his brother did." She told the shadow.

"So what are we going to do, Mistress? Are we still carrying out our plan?"

"Yes, I just have to wait until the curse manifests."

******

None of the Royal household took the Curse Leona had said seriously until the next night when it happened.

Young Willow who was in his room, seated and drawing, suddenly has this sudden bloodthirst to kill. His green eye and amber eye glow as his fingers start turning and grow into long claws.

His painting forgotten, he stood up and left his room. By the time he had reached the door of his chamber, he was walking on four large, hairy fur legs.

His large black wolf broke down the door and came out of the room he was. The wolf roared loudly shaking the foundation of the whole palace and fire came out of his mouth, eyes and tail. He ran towards his parents Chambers, the urge to kill them was overwhelming.

The dragon guards that came out when the wolf had roared couldn't take down the extremely large wolf.

The danger bell rang alerting the whole palace.

Reaching his parents chamber, one push on the door sent it flying across the room. His mother nor his father was there, he headed for the throne room.

The large Oak door broke into two interrupting the discussion of the Wolf King, Creek, and his daughter with her husband. King Creek was visiting his son-in-law kingdom after hearing the death of one of his grandchildren.

The Dragons and Wolves guards in the throne room prevented the Wolf from advancing.

"I told you, there is something wrong when we hear the bell." King Henry said to his father-in-law. "What can a large Wolf be doing here?"

"Oh my goodness." Queen Lucia said in shock not believing her eyes. "That is not just any Wolf Henry, that is our son Wolf, Willow."

"Willow is just a twelve year old boy and his Wolf can't be this large." King Creek said in surprise.

"That is Willow's father." Queen Lucia said. "I know my son Wolf."

The urge to taste their blood came to him once again, standing up to his hind legs, he roared and charged towards the guards who stood on his way between him and his parents.

Within fifteen seconds none of the guards were standing as one fling from the wolf made them lose their consciousness.

Facing the three people.

More Dragon warriors were seen rushing to challenge the wolf from behind him. Willow breathed fire and blocked the door, but then, the dragons were immune to fire.

He charged at his father who was still in shock at what was happening and could have succeeded in cutting his throat if not for the invention of Oracle.

She appeared in front of Henry, her third eye opened and a bright light emerged from it and entered into his two different colour eyes of Willow.

In the next few seconds the Wolf drops down to the floor, weak.

"What was that?" King Henry asked.

"Your son Willow, the curse of Leona is hovering around him." Oracle answered.