Chapter 40

Prince Leon finally convinced Crystal to see her father. She didn't trust her father and decided to let her team into the riding bracelet. Crystal rode with Prince Leon and after getting off she walked inside the palace. She wasn't too happy with her fathers arrival and her attitude showed it.

"Crystal dear, there you are, you need to come home with me now," he said. Crystal folded her arms and looked at the man who was now known to her as her father.

"No, I have my own life that I am living and you made it clear as daylight that you don't want me in yours so why to care now?" Crystal asked.

"Dear Crystal, the war is over Golsend is gone," her father said. "You're a fool if you think this war is over, it's only just started," Crystal said.

"What do you mean, dear?" her father asked. "Just as like I was saying those that control everything threw money and power, in the end, lose more than just there lives," Crystal said.

Everyone in the room was standing in shock looking at Crystal. The dragons were angry and many growled at the two but only Crystal knew what the dragons were angry about, she has had to face several dragons blaming her for the elder dragons death.

"Just stay out of my life," Crystal said. "I can't do that since you are now engaged to the crown prince of Borus," her father said. "You only came back to get rid of me then, I don't even know you why should I listen to you," Crystal shouted in anger.

"That stupid dragon should never have raised you," Crystal's father shouted. "That stupid dragon has a name, he was Forest elder dragon of the evergreen forest, and he's more like a father than you ever will be, at least he isn't trying to get rid of me," Crystal said.

Crystal looked at her father and wondered how many dragons have died by her father's hand. "You think the dragons are just one more thing you can control but you are wrong they are alive and can make there own decisions and just like them I can make my own decisions," Crystal said.

"Young lady you will do as you are told!" her father shouted but Crystal wasn't listening anymore. "I am not an object you can sell just because you feel like it, " Crystal said. She left the room and once she got outside she let Nylla out of the rider bracelet and mounted her.

Crystal's father was shocked at the size that Nylla was and Furry Price Leon's dragon came towards Nylla. Crystal saw that the male dragon was getting pissed of. "Nylla, if Furry loses his temper here it could put everything in danger do talk to him," Crystal said.

Nylla approached Furry and stopped him and spoke to him silently so that no one would hear, "Furry I am going to take Crystal home, calm down your anger. They don't need to know everything that we have been up to," Crystal said.

The male crystal dragon went to his rider instead and Crystal gave one last look at her fathers face in shock and left the palace grounds. Crystal decided to go back to the valley another way and took off towards the exact opposite direction as the valley.

The round trip would take almost all night long and in the early hours, she landed at a lake to drink some water. "This is taking forever," Nylla complained. "We can't let my father know of the valley and you know that," Crystal said

Nylla and Crystal arrived at the valley the next morning and even though Crystal was tired she fed the animals made sure the trees were watered and started doing her patrols around the valley. Crystal was about the turnaround and come back to the valley when she spotted dragons on the horizon.

She and Nylla flew towards the dragons to see if there were any injured dragon and was surprised to see two dragons that carried riders and one of the wild dragons had carried a wild dragon that was injured.

Crystal knew the dragon needed help and let the injured dragon into her rider bracelet and rushed back towards the valley. Once she let the injured dragon out she took a closer look at the dragon and realised she was poisoned as well.

Crystal gave the dragon the antidote for the poison and cleaned her wounds. The dragon also received fresh food and water and when the group of dragon landed Crystal reassured them that their dragon friend would be okay. The group settled down to rest for a while. Crystal and Nylla also settled down to rest and Starmist was asked to keep an eye on everything.

Prince Leon arrived later that day and Starmist explained the injured dragon and the two new riders. Prince Leon let Crystal sleep and went to do the evening patrol making sure there wasn't any more arriving dragons.

Crystal woke up later that evening and started to take care of the animal and watered everything again. She also started to clean the dragon's wounds again and she knew she would need to talk to Prince Leon as soon as he came back from the patrol's.

Crystal was surprised to see Forest coming towards her later that evening and Crystal felt like she just needed to talk to him. "Can you believe him, he just told me I am going to marry the crown prince of Borus he doesn't even know me," Crystal said.

Forest looked around and asked, "what do you want to do?" Crystal looked around and said, "to tell you the truth Forest I don't know, a few months ago I would not be able to talk to my father like that in fact, I think I would've run away from my problems but now I feel like facing my problems. All I know is that I want to keep on trying to protect this valley and the dragons here, they are like the family I never had," Crystal told Forest.

Forest looked at Crystal and said, "your mother used to have the same attitude before your grandfather married her off. The woman I saw wasn't the one I knew and saw growing up," Forest said.

"I will decide my own future and if my so-called father doesn't understand that, its not my problem," Crystal said. "Yes, but shouldn't you respect your father and do as he say's," Prince Leon asked.

Crystal looked at Prince Leon and asked, "If I marry the crown prince of Borus that means Nylla and Furry will never see each other again," Crystal said. "No she's not going, she's my mate," Furry said. "and my riding partner incases you forgot I am not going anywhere without her," Crystal told Furry.

Prince Leon looked at the situation and said, "We still need to respect your father's decision even though you don't agree with it." Crystal got up and said, "I am not going to marry any random man just because my father says so, I will marry only when I find the right one and in case you forgot I have a responsibility namely keeping this valley save," Crystal said.

Forest looked at the situation and said, "her mother went into an enranged marriage with a king, to celebrate the marriage the kings went dragon hunting. Many of our friends and families died in fact within three days we lost more than half the population. The dragons you saw here with the death of the elder that is all of us," Forest said.

"It's not that we don't what to see her happy Prince Leon, but she was tasked to keep those of us that remains alive save until we can find a way to stop Eione," Rose said.

"I didn't know the numbers of wild dragons is this bad," Prince Leon said. "It's even worse, the dragons alive is mostly elders and ancient dragons, very few of the lower-ranked dragons are alive," Forest said.

Prince Leon looked at Crystal and asked, "where were you when the dragon hunting happened?" Crystl took a deep breath and said, "I was in a jail cell in a village on the border of Borus," Crystal replied.

"When did your father came for you then?" Prince Leon asked. "He never came for me in fact he only learned of my existence when I turned seventeen and decided I wasn't his problem," Crystal said.

"What do you mean?" Prince Leon asked. "My mom never told him she was pregnant with me, my grandfather banished the dragon riders after my grandmother's death and when I turned ten she walked out of my life and as a result, everyone went on a killing spree," Crystal said.

"What do you suppose your father did for seventeen years?" Prince Leon asked. "He started a family of his own with another woman and decided to lead the resistance," Crystal said.