The Inner Kingdom: Quest One (Dragon Quest Book 1) (7 page)

“What is happening to me?” I questioned him, bouncing the flame from one hand to the next, as if he had the answer to my problem.

“Until you learn how to control it, your power will control you.” Closing my hand into a fist around the flame, he tried dragging me back toward the room where my sisters were.

“Let go of me,” I yelled, breaking free from him. “You can’t just boss people around.”

“Lucky for you, I am here by a direct order from the King. I have been given the pleasure of protecting the dragon warriors until they have been properly trained. I have no time for games. You are just another assignment to me.”

“Angie! My name is Angie!” I informed him once again, “and if your protective skills are as good as your memory, then my sisters and I stand a better chance by ourselves.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find a way off of this wretched planet,” I responded, ignoring the footsteps behind me as I left the balcony in search of my sisters.

The Aggravation

Location: Celebration Room

◑
Ashle
y
◐

“Did you see where Angie went?” I asked April after we lost her in the crowds.

“No, I thought she was speaking with Nolin,” April answered.

Straining my eyes to locate Angie, I spotted Mina heading toward us.

“You girls were brilliant earlier,” Mina congratulated us.

“We have names,” Ashley informed Mina, causing her to actually blush with shame. “I am awfully sorry. My mother and I were so caught up in the fact that you were actually here, we left our manners behind; for this I will extend apologies for the both of us.”

“Don’t worry about it,” April quickly forgave them.

“What are your names?” Pearl appeared out of nowhere to stand beside her daughter.

“My name is Ashley. Angie is around here somewhere, and-”

“What about you dearie?” Pearl interrupted me to ask April.

“My name is April.”

“That is such a pretty name, isn’t it Mina?” Pearl praised looking at April like one would a cute lost puppy.

Feeling a little awkward, I excused myself from the bunch to look for Angie.

While walking around, it was very strange having people bow and even trip over themselves to make way for me to pass by.

A band soon arrived playing soulful music on weird instruments that was actually one instrument that took three men to play. The instrument was long and one man picked at strings on the front while another pressed down keys that were similar to a piano, and the third man blew on a swirly tube coming out at the end.

The music being played did not sound like any music I had ever heard before, but it drew me in, despite that fact; I begin to sway to the music with my eyes closed as it washed over me like sprays from the ocean on a hot day.

I lost all sense of time as I was caught up in the soulful sounds.

“I hate to interrupt, but may I have this dance,” a voice asked from close by. When I opened my eyes, I realized that I was alone in a wide circle with Prince Leev kneeling down before me. After rubbing my eyes to make sure this was actually happening, the view in front of me did not change.

“Are you going to accept my humble invitation?” The prince asked, his voice sounding a little impatient.

I bowed like I saw some of the women do when they were asked to dance. The prince got up and began to lead.

“I am going to apologize ahead of time, since I don’t know the steps to this dance,” I blushed, not believing my luck. The prince's long hair was now bound by a leather tie, giving me an even better view of his muscular features.

“Keep your apologies. I have been told that I am a very good dancer and teacher. Just follow my lead,” The prince said arrogantly. 

He did not lie about being an excellent dancer, and I only stumbled once under his guidance; but the entire time we danced, he seemed distracted, peering out into the crowd with his fierce gray eyes as if he was looking for something or someone.

“My name is Ashley; some of my very good friends call me Ash,” I was mumbling whatever came to mind to break the awkwardness between us.

“Before you continue, I would like to inform you that I do not intend to be a friend. Just think of me as a political ally,” The prince whispered, not sparing me a single glance.

As the tempo of the music changed so did my attitude. “Then why did you ask me to dance?”

“Look all around you. There are plants, and then there are insects. Sometimes mutual agreements are formed and both parties benefits from it; and then there are some plants that turns on the insects and vice versa.” The prince stated spinning me around to bring me back into the dance. “What I am trying to say is, it is better to form a mutual arrangement than to blindly get eaten.”

“Why should I trust you?” I asked, wanting to break away from my insane dance partner. 

“That is quite simple, I need you to get the people on my side, and you will need me to assist you on your journey to come.”

“Journey? All I want is a one way trip back home.”

The prince actually stopped watching the crowds around us and looked at me for a moment.

“You really are ignorant to what is going on? Our world is on the brink of a massive war.”

“I am sorry to hear that, but this is your world, not mine.”

“After everything you have witnessed, you are still in denial,” The prince muttered ending the dance.

Applause followed the end of our dance as the prince dragged me off to one of the long food tables full of deserts where the smell of hot buttery sweet rolls made my stomach growl.

“If you are hungry, just eat,” The prince insisted with what sounded like concern in his voice. “I don’t think anyone heard you that time, so if you choose not to eat, please have the decency to control the noises coming from your body.”

The hunger pains in my belly disappeared as they were replaced by the burning anger I was feeling toward the prince.

“You are the rudest person I have ever met,” I accused walking away only to have him block my way. “I have no desire to be allies with someone like you.”

“You should mind your manners in front of everyone,” The prince warned, smiling to several people who turned to gawk at us after my outburst. “Do you understand the position that you are in? You and your companions would not last one minute without my protection.”

“I don’t believe you understand the position that you are in. One scream or loud insult from me and how long do you think you will have the people’s support?” I threatened even though I had no intention of doing either. I just wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.

“What would it take for you to see my point of view? Do you want money? Land? Or would you rather I formally court you?”

The more he talked, the madder I became. I physically began to shake out of aggravation as he continued to spout nonsense.

“I have been known to be very desirable.”

“I am going to walk away now because to me you are the ugliest person I have ever had the displeasure to meet.” Upon trying to dodge the prince, he blocked my way once again, this time his face burning with embarrassment.

“No one walks away from me while I am speaking,” he exclaimed, grabbing my hand.

Blue spots clouded my vision as I begin to sweat. I could hazily see liquids from the punch bowls, fountains, and everyone's glasses levitate, gathering over the prince’s head.

It was like nothing I had ever experienced before as I watched everything unfold before my eyes. I knew I was the one doing it, but I did not know how to stop it.

“Ashley!”

I turned to see April through my blurry vision coming toward me. “I think I am doing this.”

“Just calm down. Remember what mom said to do when we are upset,” April calmly said, trying to get me to relax. “Close your eyes and count to ten.”

“Okay, I’m doing it, but it is not working.” Opening my eyes, I began to panic as the collective liquids had now expanded even more.

“Try again.”

“What’s going on?” Angie asked sprinting toward us, oddly with Leo right behind her.

“Ashley somehow lost control after dancing with the prince,” April tried to explain to Angie while still trying to calm me down.

“What did you do?” Angie accused the prince.

“No time, Angie. Let’s deal with Ashley first,” April instructed hesitantly reaching out for my hand.

“You’re right. Ashley grab our hands,” Angie insisted, reaching toward my hand as well.

“It took all my strength to gain control of my own body, but once I touched my sisters’ hands, the big blob of floating liquids begin to go back to whatever bowl, glass, or fountain it came out of.

“Let’s give a round of applause for the entertainment for tonight provided by the Dragon Warrior’s,” Nolin fabricated to cover up what had really happened.

The room vibrated with applause as everyone believed the story Nolin made up, never knowing the truth that I had somehow lost control of myself.

“Are you girls okay?” Mina sprinted over to evaluate the situation.

“We are okay now, no thanks to him,” Angie accused, pointing at the prince.

“Like I’ve told your sister, if you don’t learn how to properly control your powers, it will control you,” Leo explained with his eyes on Angie.

The blue spots began to clear from my vision as my heart rate slowed.  “It’s okay, I’m fine now.”

I’ve never felt like this before. It was amazing, and yet frightening, to have that much power coursing throughout my body. Most of the rush was gone now, but my fingertips tingled from the memory.

The longer we stood around glaring at one another, the more the guests became suspicious of what really happened.

“We have also brought even more entertainment for you tonight, all the way from the Ruby Kingdom. Let’s welcome the fire dancers.” Nolin introduced a group of men and women carrying unlit torches.

As the dancers lit the first torch, the lighting in the room dimmed until it seemed as if the burning torches were the only source of light.  We took advantage of the dimness to move toward the stairs where we had entered.

“What happened back there?” Nolin question in a tone that demanded an answer.

“Your beloved untrained dragon warrior lost control,” the prince accused with a hint of fear in his eyes.

“It’s Ashley, and yes, I did lose it back there, but it was because of his egotistical comments about political agreements, and thinking that he is a gift to women everywhere.”

“You hit on my sister?” Angie yelled, but luckily the noise from the performers overpowered her voice.

“I would never harm a lady,” the prince responded, looking disgusted.

“That’s not what I meant. Never mind, just stay away from us.”

“Don’t forget that you are in my kingdom.”

I began to try to calm Angie down, but the more the prince opened his mouth to speak, the closer I became to needing someone to calm me.

“We never asked to be.” Feeling myself getting upset again I closed my eyes and counted to ten.

“Just tell us how to get back home,” April demanded, strangely the calmest one out of all of us, besides Pearl and Mina. “Nolin, it was you who brought us here, wasn’t it?

Looking a little uncomfortable, he started to rub the back of his neck, prolonging his answer to her question, which we all took as a yes.

“It was time for all of you to come home,” Nolin explained.

“Then you know how to send us back?” Hope gleamed in April’s eyes.

“We cannot continue with this conversation here,” Leo interjected pointing to a few people who were no longer distracted by the entertainment. “It is dangerous to carry on this discussion here.”

“Then when can we continue? I am ready to leave this place.” Angie crossed her arms, glaring at Leo.

“I’m afraid we are going to have to prolong this till the morrow,” Nolin answered.

“Till the morrow?” my sisters and I cried out at the same time.

“Morrow? As in we can’t go home tonight?” Angie questioned “As in we have to stay the night here?”

“I’m glad you understand the definition,” Leo taunted, causing the dragon tattoo to flare for a moment on Angie’s neck.

“This is getting us nowhere,” Prince Leev muttered before walking away toward the podium.

“I will escort them to their room for tonight,” Mina volunteered. “Mom, you can stay with Dad.”

“Leo, I will need you to guard them as they are ushered to their room,” Nolin commanded. “There is no end to Zarf and Raven’s madness.”

“So, you expect us to just go along with this?” Ashley questioned, clutching the side of her waist.

“At this point, you have no choice,” Leo answered, holding out his arm toward the stairs. “After you.”