Chapter 3

King Scott

A few hours had passed since Kassandra and Tobias left and I was beginning to wonder where they had disappeared to but then again, they are young and maybe they wanted to spend some more alone time. Leo came into my office and he told me.

'My King, sorry to disturb you but, Princess Kassandra and Prince Tobias haven't returned. I'm worried something bad might have happened to them."

'Nothing bad has happened, maybe they just forgot the time."

'I just hope you're right."

'Leo, don't look so disappointed, I know you fell for my daughter the moment you came to my castle, but, you've got to learn that she's a princess you're her bodyguard, you two cannot be together."

'I know, I'm sorry, she's been like a little sister to me for as long as I can remember."

'I know," I spoke with a smile.

Suddenly, one of my servants came into the room and he looked panicked.

'Your majesty!"

'What is it? where's the fire?"

'It's King William! he's here."

'He is? well, let's go and see him."

'That's not all, his son is with him!"

'What?!" Leo and I shouted in unison.

We got to main gates and there they were, King William and Prince Tobias, which was odd because we saw Prince Tobias leave with Kassandra this morning. William came over to me and he was battered and bruised including his son.

'William, what on earth happened and why is Prince Tobias with you?"

'Scott, we were on our way here until we were ambushed by the Dragon priests."

'What?" I spoke in an angry tone.

'My father speaks the truth, the moment they attacked us and killed our men, the leader's son took my clothes and he headed to the castle in my place. The priests planned to kidnap Kassandra for their ritual!"

'What ritual?" I asked him.

'Scott, you've heard the legend. Every full moon, the priests get a message from their ancestors and then they track down a pure maiden to be the bride of a dragon meaning it is a mating ritual!"

I was angered by this and I told Leo.

'Leo! go find Kassandra and the fake prince and bring them back."

'Yes, sir!"

However, before Leo could leave, we heard a horse galloping and neighing in the distance. A black horse ran past our guards and it was Scarlet, Kassandra's horse! Leo rushed over to her and he calms her down after grabbing her reins.

'Easy, easy, calm down girl."

Scarlet eventually calmed down and then I mumbled.

'Oh no...Kassandra..."

I remembered the conversation we had earlier today and I knew that it was a vision she was having but, I just didn't want to believe it but, I do now.

'Dammit! how could I be so foolish to ignore my daughter's warnings?!" I shouted at myself and then Leo asked me.

'What would you have us do?"

I looked at King William and Prince Tobias and I asked them.

'Do you two know where they are?"

'If I had to guess, I'd say they're hiding in the sacred mountains where the dragons come once a year to claim their mate."

'Then that's where we'll go and you two will lead us there, Leo, get our men ready."

'Yes, sir!" Leo shouted before he left to get our soldiers.

‘Kassandra, I'm coming!'

Kassandra

By the time I came too, I had found myself locked in the dungeons and I had no clue where I was until I remembered seeing those people in the masks. I looked out of the small window and I was in some kind of village that was hidden in the mountains. I looked at the landscape until my eyes landed on the arch and that was when images of my dream came back to me.

‘Oh, no...this village is the same one from my dream! then that means it was a vision I keep seeing and that also means...'

I remembered that black dragon and I had hoped and prayed that it wasn't real but, it is. Just then, the door opened revealing Tobias.

'Tobias! where are we?"

'Sorry princess, I'm not Prince Tobias, my real name is Thomas. I am the chief's son of the Dragon priests."

'Dragon priests?! but my father said-"

'You believe every word that comes out of your father's mouth don't you? he told you the dragons don't exist and neither did we but, he was wrong. You see, after we were exiled from Cassina, we came up here and the forest that you see, goes past the ritual arch and that's where the dragons come to claim their mates."

I was shocked when I heard this and then he told me.

'And now, you are the next pure maiden to be the Dragon's bride."

'No! I refused to believe that!"

'Well, it's the truth whether you want to believe it or not, Princess."

'And what about the real Prince Tobias?! what have you done to him!?"

'Relax, the moment we captured you, we released him and his father. They're on their way to Cassina as we speak but, they won't be able to get here in time because you will be long gone."

'You won't get away with this! my father will have your head!"

'Ha! I like to see him try," Thomas looked over his shoulder and he spoke up. 'Get her ready, the ritual will begin a few hours."

I watched as women wearing ragged dresses came into the room and they escorted me out of the dungeon and into another room where they undressed me and then they got me into a bathtub to clean me and wash my hair.

Once they had me cleaned up, the women got me out of the bathtub and they changed me into a white sleeveless dress and they brushed my hair and tied some of it back while placing a veil with white flowers on my head.

Once they were done, Thomas came into the room and he smirked at me.

'You cleaned her up well, good job."

'Thank you, master," They spoke in unison.

I planned to make a run for it but, two guards came into the room and then they grabbed me by the arms and they took me out of the building. The village was surrounded by many torches and there was a bonfire that was behind the arch while some of the villagers banged on the drums and singing in a language that I didn't understand. I tried to break free from their grip but they weren't letting me go until they forced me onto my knees and then an elderly woman came over to me and she started speaking in a different language.

The elderly woman threw flower petals and other herbs at me and that made me think that she was blessing me or something. The guards pulled me onto my feet and they dragged me over to the arch, not caring if my bare feet were hurting and then they tied my wrists so that I couldn't run away. The elderly woman came back with a necklace that has a small dragon skull and black beads on it. The elderly woman started chanting as one of the priests took off my veil and then they placed the necklace on me.

The leader of the priests appeared in front of me after the elderly woman stepped aside and then he raised his hands before speaking loudly to the villagers.

'O great dragons of the north! hear my call! I present you the pure maiden Kassandra! who was chosen by our ancestors! with her sacrifice! the priests of the mountain shall continue to live in peace! Now come to us and receive your prize!!"

I watched the villagers bowing up and down to me while the leader turned his back towards me and he kept his attention at the horizon to keep an eye out for whatever is coming. Once the drums stopped playing along with the chants, everything was silent. I tried to struggle out of the binds until I heard something from the distance. I froze on the spot and when I looked around I heard another roaring sound.

'Oh no! it's happening! my vision is coming true!'

"Here he comes, everyone! back to the village!" The leader shouted as he and the other priests retreated to their home leaving me outside of the walls and tied down.

"No! don't leave me! come back!!" I called to them but, my cries for help were ignored as they left and I heard the gates closing.

I tried to break free from the binds again but, they were not letting me go no matter many times I tried to pull my wrists out of the ropes. Suddenly, I heard a flapping from above and I knew right then and there, that something big was coming for me. Just then, I saw a large creature flying towards me and then it landed on the ground and I screamed in fear after I saw the black Dragon from my vision.

He growled a little and then he began to walk around me, but to me, it looked like he was stalking me. The black dragon got in front of me again and then he leaned closer to me. I tried to back away from him as possible but, it was no use. I closed my eyes in fear and I turned my head to the side while hearing the sound of him sniffing and the feeling of his hot breath on my skin.

I opened my eyes and he pulled back after sniffing me. The black dragon raised his talon and then he cuts off the ropes that had me tied down. I fell onto my knees and then I tried to make a run for it. However, the black dragon grabbed me with his hand and then he picks me up. I shouted and screamed for help but, my cries were ignored as the Drago held me near his snout making me panic.

"No! put me down!" I shouted at the dragon as I weakly punched his talon to drop me but, his lips curled up into an amused smirk.

Suddenly, he turned around and then he started walking towards the cliff. I gasped in fear before trying to get out of his grip but, he refused to let me go until he sped up and then he took off into the night sky. I screamed in fear when he flew higher and higher. I held onto his talons for dear life as we flew away from the village until it disappeared from my sight.