The Crown's Fire - Chapter 259

Chapter 259: Copper Dragon
As soon as Katelina regained her strength, she accompanied Ezekiel to meet Queen Mineah at Valcrez Camp. By this point, Katelina had recalled her memories of being Devon’s spy, including her time at Ebodia’s camp during the ongoing battle between Helion and Ebodia, but not yet the part where she first met Queen Mineah.

They entered the tent and found King Nikolai changing their baby’s clothes. “Do you need help?” Ezekiel quickly went to assist him while Queen Mineah greeted Katelina and led her to sit at the table.

“How have you been?” Mineah asked warmly, as she started pouring tea.

“I am good, Your Majesty,” Katelina replied politely. She handed over a baby outfit that she had personally embroidered with a flower design with Alya’s name. “Just a small gift for baby Alya.”

“This is so lovely,” Mineah hummed, admiring the clothes.

Then she looked at her and said, “Also, please, just call me Mineah. We’ve been through so much together, and we’re practically family now, especially since my brother already marked you,” Mineah commented with a thoughtful smile.

Katelina gave her a timid smile, then her eyes drifted to Ezekiel, who was now playing with baby Alya in King Nikolai’s arms.

“They’re so adorable,” she unintentionally remarked. Ezekiel seemed to like babies and kids and she was sure he would make a good father in the future.

“That’s true, and I’m sure you and Ezekiel will also have a baby soon.” Mineah hummed as she followed her gaze.

Katelina blushed at that. It seemed improbable right now, especially since it had been days since anything had happened between her and Ezekiel.

“Your hair is still silver-white,” Mineah suddenly noted while staring at her. “I heard that you were punished by the heavens and lost your abilities to see into the future and past. Your hair should have returned to its original black color by now.”

Katelina smiled as she explained, “It’s because of the dragonrider’s blood in my veins, Your Majesty. Dragonriders during ancient times had silver-white hair.”

Mineah’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I haven’t met your little brother. Does that mean he also has silver-white hair?”

Katelina chuckled and said, “Yes, his hair is slowly changing color now.” Ezekiel’s sister, like Xenia, was genuine and warm towards her. Levi’s hair color started changing when he successfully formed the dragon bond with Ember but there were still black strands left in him.

“I haven’t properly thanked you since that day. You saved not just my brother Ezekiel, but also my husband and me. Thank you so much, Katelina. I am forever indebted to you, and I won’t rest until I find who is harboring Devon’s remaining bloodthread.”

Katelina smiled gratefully. “Thank you. I’m sorry you have to deal with this right after giving birth to a baby girl.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve had enough rest. There are only a few left to see, and I’ll be done by tomorrow,” Mineah assured her.

Ezekiel and King Nikolai soon joined them, and Katelina started playing with Alya, who Ezekiel was carrying.

“We should leave now so my sister can rest more,” Ezekiel commented, gently handing baby Alya to her father.

Katelina bid the couple farewell and walked out of the tent holding Ezekiel’s hand.

“So, do you prefer a baby girl or a boy first as the eldest?” she asked curiously while hugging his arm.

“Hmm, it doesn’t matter as long as they are healthy,” Ezekiel answered with a smile.

Katelina halted so she could face Ezekiel and asked, “By the way, have you seen my private journal? In my memories, I noticed that I had a journal where I kept all the important visions and dreams I had written. I remember writing things there but, unfortunately, not the vision and dreams about the future I had seen.”

“Yes, I remember that you kept a private journal with you, but I thought you brought it with you since I haven’t seen it since you went missing,” Ezekiel informed her.

“I wonder where I put it. I already asked Asura and Levi, but they said I had no journal with me, just the dragon sword,” she stated.

“What’s wrong? You look so worried about it,” Ezekiel noticed.

“Yes, I have a feeling that I wrote very important things in there that shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. They were my dreams and visions about the future,” she uttered weakly. She couldn’t believe how careless she was to lose something that seemed so important to her.

“Don’t worry. Maybe I just overlooked it. Let’s check your bedchamber once we arrive in Ebodia. We’ll travel back tomorrow after Mineah clears the remaining people on the list with demon’s blood,” Ezekiel informed her.

Katelina unknowingly bit her lower lip. The thought of going back to Ebodia made her nervous, especially since she was still struggling with her fragmented memories.

“Can we delay it until I at least remember everything?” she asked Ezekiel.

“If that’s what you prefer, then we can do that,” Ezekiel muttered as he gently pulled her into a hug.

“We’re outside, and they can see us,” Katelina murmured against his chest.

“Let them witness how the King of Ebodia is head over heels for his wife,” Ezekiel whispered in her ear.

Katelina felt a warm blush spread across her cheeks, but she couldn’t help but smile. “You always know how to make me feel special,” she whispered back, wrapping her arms around him.

Ezekiel chuckled softly, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. “Because you are special to me, Kate. More than anything.”

Katelina’s heart swelled with love and gratitude. “And you are to me,” she said, leaning in to kiss him softly.

She wanted to be intimate with him, knowing how much he longed for her, but she knew in her heart she was not ready. Her past still hindered her, with fear lingering and Devon still able to haunt and taunt her.

Katelina didn’t want to hurt Ezekiel’s feelings like before, so she refrained from initiating anything until she was truly ready. She needed to be certain she could differentiate that it was Ezekiel she was with, and not Devon.

******

Meanwhile, Marla cursed under her breath. She couldn’t believe that Ebodia’s soldiers had managed to locate their headquarters, and now the only man she trusted had been captured. This unexpected turn of events left her feeling both angry and desperate. The situation was dire, and the capture of Soka weighed heavily on her mind.

“Soka, I hope you’re still alive,” she murmured, her voice tinged with worry as she stared at the bronze dragon egg at the center of the room. It was a good thing she had managed to escape with the precious egg, thanks to Soka’s protection and help. His sacrifice had allowed her to keep the egg safe, and for that, she was eternally grateful.

“Please hatch soon,” she mumbled. She had performed the ritual properly, ensuring every detail was attended to, and now all she could do was wait. The egg before her, with its copper metallic shell, began to wriggle. Asura’s eyes sparkled in anticipation, her heart pounding with excitement and nervousness.

The shell started to crack, tiny fissures appearing on its surface. “Finally,” she hummed, a wide smile spreading across her face as the first pieces of the shell began to fall away. The moment she had been waiting for was finally here.

Asura’s triumphant laughter echoed through the inside of the cave as she gazed upon the newly hatched copper dragon, its scales shimmering with an eerie dark hue. Tendrils of dark energy coiled around the dragon’s form, responding to the malevolent power that now bound them together.

“You’re so beautiful! I am now your Master!” Asura proclaimed, her voice filled with a chilling blend of satisfaction and ambition. The dragon, obedient to the dark magic infused into its very being, approached her with an unsettling grace.

Asura’s mind raced with thoughts of the power this dragon would bring her, how it would tip the scales in her favor against her enemies. “Katelina… I’ll get rid of you soon!” she hissed under her breath, a cruel smile playing on her lips as she envisioned using her newfound source of power to eliminate her rival once and for all.

“Lord Devon will revive soon through Merlot’s body. I need to get rid of Katelina before that happens,” Marla murmured, her voice laced with determination, as she gently stroked the copper dragon’s back. Dark tendrils of magic flickered around them, a testament to the sinister bond they shared.

“You must grow as fast as you can so we can start creating chaos,” she urged the dragon, her eyes gleaming with anticipation of the havoc they would wreak together.

Marla’s thoughts drifted to the other two dragon eggs. She had lost communication with others after their headquarters were attacked. However, before the assault, she had received word that the black dragon had successfully hatched under Merlot’s protection, while King Ezekiel had destroyed the bronze dragon and defeated Cerbus.

The fate of the other two dragon eggs now rested with Lazo and Vermo. Marla could only hope that they would succeed in hatching the eggs. They needed the dragons’ power to break through Queen Mother Dana’s protection barrier in the Forbidden Forest, where the souls of all dragons were trapped.

She chuckled darkly as she lovingly caressed the journal that Katelina had left behind. It served as her guidance for the future events that she would make sure to happen!