Chapter 41

Prince Leon didn't really understand how Crystal was feeling after all he had both his parents who provided everything for him. Crystal didn't understand what it felt like to have someone care about her. All she knew was that if someone didn't what her they would send her away.

Crystal was out on a patrol one morning when she found even more riders approaching the valley. Crystal welcomed the riders, who like her wasn't welcome anywhere. The riders agreed to help her with patrols and taking care of the animals and for the first time in a very long time, Crystal found herself sitting next to a campfire and sharing stories of past legends.

Prince Leon's mother the Queen of Eternia one day send a rider with a message to invite Crystal for lunch one morning. Crystal agreed and arrived a bit early for the lunch. Crystal changed her clothes in a bathroom and found that she didn't recognized herself at all.

She met the queen who was surprised that Crystal could look so beautiful. "You look lovely my dear," she said. "Thank you, it's my only dress that I save for special occasions. I didn't want to meet you in my riding gear," Crystal said.

"It show's that even woman who rides dragon's want's to look there best at time's," the queen replied. Crystal agreed with the queen and the two got along really well until the queen brought up Crystal's parents.

"Your father is still insisting that you marry the crown prince of Borus," the queen said. Crystal was about to get up when the queen asked, "what's wrong dear, you look upset?" Crystal took a deep breath and asked the queen a difficult question. "Tell me, is it common that parents abandon a child and then show up one day demanding they get married?" Crystal asked.

"What do you mean?" the queen asked. Crystal explained her past to the queen and said, "I am still trying to find my own role in this world and I for one want to know, why is it that my father would rather marry me off to a stranger, then getting to know me first. It feels like I am just another thing he can get rid off," Crystal said.

The queen somehow understood how Crystal must be feeling and realised prince Allan Rossetti Crystal's father was better leaving his daughter alone. "They say my mom's marriage was celebrated with a dragon hunt, more then half the dragon population was gone in three day's," Crystal said.

The queen's eyes grew in shock and asked, "then your mother is, one of Avalon's princess?" Crystal couldn't look at the queen.

"The evergreen forest dragon elder said her name was Jolena Savera but I barely remember her all I know is one day she just wasn't there anymore, they locked me up for seven years in one of the border villages, where riders freed me but like everyone else they had a hidden agenda," Crystal said.

The queen was in shock and after carefully looking at Crystal she could see Crystal looked like her mother and asked, "you were named the next dragon queen?"

Crystal looked at the queen and said, "yes and its a challenge sometimes Prince Leon helps but I mostly do all the work alone, I passed all the trial from the pillars and lit the eternal flame the only thing that needs to happen now is waiting for the rainbow ancient dragons test and she hasn't shown interest in testing me," Crystal said.

She's known to be a difficult one, in general, it's something every one of the dragon's queens complained about. "I can understand her in a way, you put your trust in people and they always betray you in more ways then one," Crystal replied.

"That's not always the case my dear, there are times where you need to trust people," the queen said. "Prince Leon is one of the people I trust and his dragon is going to create problems if I don't keep him in mind," Crystal said.

The queen didn't understand and asked, "what do you mean?" Crystal looked shocked at the queen and asked, "prince Leon didn't tell you?" Crystal asked. The queen got uncomfortable and asked, "about what my dear?"

Crystal took a deep breath and said, "my dragon is a female crystal dragon second elder generation and prince Loen's dragon is a male. It seems they are mate's," Crystal replied.

The queen looked shocked at Crystal and asked, "How long have you know?" Crystal took a deep breath and said, "I was in a fight with a dark dragon and prince Leon helped in the fight, Nylla told me they were mates, they felt the pull towards one another and we as there riders felt it threw our bond. I can't leave Nylla here and going isn't an option for Prince Leon that's why I refused the engagement," Crystal said.

The queen realised no one knows of what happened and asked, "you two haven't decided what to do then?" Crystal took a deep breath and said, "Whatever we decided to do we have to keep them in mind they won't let anyone separated them," Crystal replied.

"Nylla hasn't sneaked off at night has she?" Crystal got quite for a while and said, "no she hasn't her mother is the Crystal queen and not many dragons that have picked a fight with Nylla won the fight, I think Furry knows that. She can be territorial more then most dragons at times it takes almost everything I have to get her to calm down," Crystal said.

"Where is she now?" the queen asked. "In my rider bracelet, she picks away to many fight when I am not around," Crystal said. "They asked for it, to begin with," came a voice from inside the bracelet.

"That must be Nylla I take it?" the queen asked. "Yes, that would be her and don't think I will ever have come this far if it wasn't for her and Starmist help," Crystal said. "You trust your team, it's good to know when you can trust others," the queen said.

"Yes, it is, I can't imagine my life without them. If I ever get married it would be nice if they can get along with whoever I marry really well, that's what I admire Prince Leon for he has a family that really cares about him. I never had that I was on my own in this world. I needed to fight my own fights no one fought them for me. I only wish Prince Leon understood that," Crystal said.

"What do you mean, he doesn't understand it?" the queen asked. "He thinks I should be happy and accept my father's proposal but I have been on my own for so long how can I, I am the future dragon queen and if dragons or any mythical creature will survive this war it's up to me to protect them. What if this marriage send those kingdoms on another hunting spree followed by the dark dragons, would I really be protecting them by accepting my father's proposal to marry the prince of Borus?" Crystal asked the queen.

Crystal spoke to the queen for a long time, the king got worried and send a message several times to check on the queen. "I better go," Crystal eventually said. "Why do you need to go?" the queen asked.

"I need to do the evening patrol soon, injured dragons keep on arriving and we have had a few dragon riders arriving at the valley. I don't really trust them alone in the valley yet its why I only brought Nylla and not Starmist. She's guarding the valley at the moment its almost a twenty-four hour job at the moment," Crystal said.

The queen got quiet and said, "your really a hard worker do you even get a day off?" she asked.

Crystal shook her head, "no not really, i do take it easy when Prince Leon comes to help out but most of the time its just me, the death of the dragon elder left many of the ancient and elder dragons angry so its been challanging to keep them save ever since," Crystal said.

"I heard a legend died but i didn't know the elders and ancient dragons was angry about it?" the Queen said. "She died not far from the valley i think my dad might have killed her, some of the dragons thinks i should've fought my dad but i didn't want to expose the valley and the dragons since they think everything and everyone gone," Crystal said.

"Why is it so important to keep them save?" the Queen asked. "It's important because there are ancient dragons like the time dragon that are dangerous and if Eione really found a way to control dragons can you imagine the power he would have if he controls just the time dragon?" Crystal said.

The queen closed her eyes for a while and said, "your right it would be a disaster but I do think those dragons have the right to be lazy either, this is there fight they should fight it them selfs," the queen said.