“My second one… She was a girl. She was killed two days after she was born. Someone got into my room and suffocated her with a pillow.”
A pillow? Cassandra felt nauseous. Who would…? To a newborn! She felt sick just thinking about it.
“After Shareen, I was pregnant with another son. I was beyond paranoid about protecting my children, but it wasn’t enough. He was poisoned at two years old. His dragon died instantly with him.”
How horrible! Cassandra wondered what Kairen’s childhood could have been like in such dangerous conditions.
Strangely, however, Kareen didn’t seem affected while revealing all of this. Instead, pure anger was painted across her face. Cassandra glanced at the small dragon sitting by her feet. Krai’s older sibling was so small compared to him.
“Who dares to…”
Both women glared at the incoming shadow in the sky. Cassandra instantly knew it wasn’t Krai, as its tail shape was different. When he got closer, she realized it was a Green Dragon, one that she had seen in the Arena.
“Anour?” wondered a voice behind them.
Shareen had just come out, squinting at the incoming Dragon. It landed outside of the Palace, but neither woman went to him. Instead, Kareen went to wait in a large room by the entrance. Settling into a large wooden chair, Kareen ordered Cassandra to sit next to her while Shareen stood to the side.
“Concubine Mother! Sister Shareen!”
Prince Anour was the youngest of the Imperial Princes and barely resembled Kairen. He had a nice smile and a thin build like his Green Dragon, which looked more like a lizard.
“Anour! What about your manners?”
“Don’t be mean, Concubine Mother. I came to give you news about my brother.”
“Is he alright?” Cassandra immediately asked, visibly worried.
Anour, surprised that she dared to address him, gave her a glance of disgust.
“Who is that?”
“Have you gone blind brother, or is it that little boys can’t see red?” said Shareen.
“Oh, is this brother’s concubine? I didn’t recognize her! So she is the pregnant one?”
“Anour, enough. Where is my son, you impertinent child?”
“Father got angry with him. He sentenced him to be hung in the dungeons for fifty days, with Imperial Servants whipping him ten times every hour.”
“HOW DARE HE!?” roared Kareen.
Meanwhile, Cassandra was on the verge of tears. Whipped? Her Prince had been detained and whipped relentlessly since then? Only Shareen didn’t seem affected, stifling her laughter in the corner.
“Looks like Father is really desperate for your attention, Mother.”
“He shall see! That old fool will pay for touching my son!”
Her anger echoed within the walls, and she stood up to her full height causing Anour to shrink a little.
“Concubine Mother, this is a bit…”
“Silence! Don’t you dare say a word to defend him! Roun!”
To Cassandra’s surprise, a wall of green scales appeared on the other side of the door, the Imperial Concubine rushing to it.
“She can command any of the dragons?” Cassandra asked Shareen.
“Of course not. Only those she raised listen to her. Anour’s mother was murdered when he was an infant. Our mother took care of him and Roun in her stead, as she and his mother were close.”
